text:
I'll be off Saturday, so let's take an early dip into the Junkyard Mail, starting with a letter dealing with Thursday's finalizing of Mark Richt's new contract. …
George Wilson writes: Bill, I'm happy that they FINALLY got Mark Richt's new contract finalized, but what's up with getting rid of the previous $2 million buyout if Richt decides to leave? I don't really understand what Greg McGarity's thinking is on that one. Why make it easier for another school to come along and poach your coach?
I think it's just an acknowledgment by Greg McGarity that buyout clauses don't really prevent a school from losing a coach and sometimes they just wind up making the parting even more unpleasant. If a coach of Mark Richt's stature and tenure wants to leave, he's usually not hurting for money and the other school frequently pays much of the buyout anyway. Has any coach ever changed his mind about leaving because of a buyout clause? They're not really needed. As The Athens Banner-Herald noted, Nick Saban doesn't have a buyout in his contract with Alabama. Plus, let's face it, Richt has made it clear he has no desire to go anywhere else and his extended family are all now living in Athens. And there's also the other side of the coin: Under the new contract, not only does Richt not have a buyout, but UGA owes him less money if they fire him (which, let's be honest, is more likely to happen than Richt up and leaving on his own). The amount Richt would be owed if he was fired was reduced from $2.4 million per year to $800,000 per year for the three new years on the contract. Along those lines, I thought the most interesting aspect of Thursday's proceedings was UGA President Michael Adams' comment on why they went ahead and extended McGarity's contract after only two years. "I just felt like it was important for the benefit of the athletic association and the university that we get him locked in at a time that was slightly longer than the head football coach. That would well position the university for any changes that might take place in the future," Adams said. Sounds like that's some maneuvering just in case Richt returns to the hot seat a couple of years down the road.
Rodney Brown writes: Hi Bill, thanks for the great Blawg. I hear the rumors about Derrick Henry possibly switching to Alabama and I keep wondering why that is. As quoted from Lisa Horne on Scout.com in her "Running Grades" report, she states, "Alabama: The defending BCS champions have lost Trent Richardson to the NFL but head coach Nick Saban stocked the cupboards with talent. Eddie Lacy, Dee Hart and T.J. Yeldon (early enrollee) should keep the Tide rolling. Hart returns after a knee injury and if everyone is healthy, why not red-shirt Yeldon? That we're talking about red-shirting Yeldon is all you need to know about the backfield situation at Alabama — it's loaded." With this being said, why would a talent like Henry even consider going to a school with a deeper backfield than Georgia's and see that as a good thing? We all discovered in the SEC Championship that with enough backs you can wear down even one of the top defenses in the country. Wouldn't his playing opportunities be better here, with our stable of backs, than with Alabama?
Why might Derrick Henry consider going to Alabama, even with their loaded backfield? The same reason so many other players want to go to Alabama, probably: two national championships in the past three years. But you make a good point and hopefully someone will point out to Henry just how deep Bama is in running backs already. Of course, if Henry does choose to flip his commitment from UGA to the Tide, there's always the possibility that it might prompt another running back recruit to opt for the Dawgs. Or even for one of Alabama's commitments to flip to Georgia. We'll probably find out soon since Henry is visiting Bama this weekend. His most recent comment on the subject, though, was: "I am still committed to Georgia, but I am looking around."
Hal Welch writes: Bill, Not to belabor the scheduling question more than it already has been. But aren't the two real permanent rivalries we wanted to protect Bama vs Tennessee and UGA vs AU? OK, now stay with me here, that's two teams from the east and two from the west. Now, we added two teams correct? Both of which are from West of the Mississippi right? OK, so we move Bama and Auburn into the east, put the freshmen into the west and rock on no? Permanent games survive, intra-divisional games can be done with as we wish and all's well with the world. Or was that too easy? What am I missing here?
And along the same lines Scott Barman writes: Bill, Hello from your nation's capital, a place where "compromise" is treated like a four-lettered word. While the SEC might be political in its own right, I am sure that the presidents and coaches would be open to a compromise. Considering that the SEC did not want to expand beyond the eight game football schedule, wouldn't a better compromise be realignment of the divisions to move the rivalries together and move to a 6-2 format? Think about how good it would be for the SEC to have Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt in one division. Not only would it preserve the rivalries but imagine how the networks would be falling all over themselves to broadcast SEC games. It would take the SEC from the premier conference to the elite conference. What do you think?
I think maybe you guys are trying to insure that LSU wins the SEC West every year! While there's a certain logic to the notion of moving Alabama and Auburn into the East, I think a realignment like that is a lot more drastic action than is needed. Simply adding a ninth conference game to the schedule would allow everyone to stay in place, ensure the continuation of the permanent rivalries, and have teams playing cross-division opponents more frequently. Plus it would upgrade the offerings the conference has for TV. I believe that's much more likely to happen a year or two down the road, mostly at the behest of the conference's TV partners.
Jim Parry writes: It would be a joke to not have top 4 ranked teams in new playoff format. Regardless of being a conference champion or not. If the powers that be rule favoritism of a conference champ over a more worthy team and turn it into a geography tournament, then they should make sure no more than one team from each conference can play in the Final Four in basketball. Where was the outrage when 3 Big (L)east teams played in it years ago? There was none, nor would it have been warranted. There should be no complaints about having top 4 teams in any final four of any sport.
I agree, of course, that the playoff should be the overall four top-ranked teams, not the four top-ranked conference champions. And you're right that no one has objected when a conference has had more than one Final Four entry in basketball. But in college football right now there's a surprising amount of anti-SEC feeling, and not just from the Big 10. I engaged in a Facebook discussion recently with some folks from the Pacific Northwest and the gist of their comments was that SEC teams pad their records by only playing eight conference games and filling out the schedule with cupcakes. They've got a valid point, though I still can't believe anyone would rather have a playoff that might feature, say, the No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 11 teams just because they're conference champions than one that would include the top four teams. But we shouldn't underestimate the determination of the rest of the country to end the SEC's run of national titles.
We'll get to more letters next week. In the meantime, if you have something you want to discuss concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg, send it to email@example.com.
Find me on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg
June 8th, 2012
11:07 am
How about just a "How bout them Dawgs!". GATA!!
June 8th, 2012
11:07 am
June 8th, 2012
11:07 am
$800,000 for a NC. That money will be safe in the UGA bank account.
June 8th, 2012
11:08 am
Go Dawgs!
June 8th, 2012
11:10 am
"Why make it easier for another school to come along and poach your coach?"
George, you really don't need to woory about that. If UGA can win a bowl game once again, maybe that might get someones attention.
June 8th, 2012
11:17 am
SSIgator….congratulations on your program. My hat is off to the success and integrity of UF. God bless.
June 8th, 2012
11:29 am
I dont know about you, this Henry kid doesnt really know what he wants to do. We have lost some good recruits at rb because we didnt want to sign another RB in the 2013 class. If he flips i hope Tyren Jones changes his mind and commits to georgia on signing day. He's a beast
June 8th, 2012
11:30 am
"SSIgator….congratulations on your program. My hat is off to the success and integrity of UF. God bless."
June 8th, 2012
11:32 am
Henry doesn't sound committed but, not many kids are nowadays
June 8th, 2012
11:36 am
Hey all i am a uga season ticket holder that recently got transferred to Tampa fl and am looking to sell my tickets for this upcoming season if you are interested please email me at email@example.com
June 8th, 2012
11:39 am
Who would want a 65 year old Pimp?
Why did they show the working girls?
Can we find these chicks on Craig's List?
UGa girls are tops on the SugarDaddy.com
A University of Georgia German professor was arrested Thursday for prostitution, authorities say.
June 8th, 2012
11:41 am
One of our proffesors just got caught running a brothel. I'm sorry, but I can't help but laugh about this. What will be interesting is if the nerds want to make fun of us about this. Because deep down, they might just be that much more impressed haha.
June 8th, 2012
11:44 am
"Why make it easier for another school to come along and poach your coach?" LMAO! Who has been trying to lure our head coach away in recent years?
June 8th, 2012
11:46 am
"UGA professor charged with running brothel"
Uh, oh. Solicitation arrests of UGA players will be on the upswing now that their source is out of action. The 2012 theme – "sprechen sie deutsch" baby?
June 8th, 2012
11:47 am
"Think about how good it would be for the SEC to have Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt in one division."
That sounds great, but it'd be lopsided as it could get. Poor poor Vandy, for god's sakes they'd win maybe 1 game a decade. UGA, UF, AU, UA, UT are all historic power players. USC is ok, but only recently. Historicly they are cellar dwellers too. But that's too much power packed into one side.
LSU would have a field day and win the west at least every other year.
June 8th, 2012
11:48 am
Henry won't play RB in college. He is growing too fast. ie: Charles Grant. This kid is almost an exact replica.
If you want to make multi- million dollars, your future should be at DE.
Good luck to Derrick Henry. We would love to have you in Athens! Go Dawgs!
June 8th, 2012
11:49 am
I'm for the conference chanpions getting an automatic bid…..to a 16 team playoff. And none of this nonsense about too many games or we need to protect bowls. . If 1AA (FCS for those of you under 5) can do it, D1 (FBS) can do it. You could then incoporate an RPI factor like in basketball for more difficult schedules thus allowing for at least one more non-cupcake game, since 1 loss won't be so costly in a season.
And the bowl system doesn't work, period, and it's hurting the sport. There is less interest in watching them than ever (demonstrated by falling ratings and attendance). The Rose Bowl can figure out some other way to sell more flowers.
And should we change the FBS designation to FBS/FCS4?
June 8th, 2012
11:50 am
Ha, read your response Bill about LSU. Looks like we both caught that. I'm with ya on 9 SEC games. It makes sense and makes for more meaningful games.
June 8th, 2012
11:50 am
Jim Parry…………….64 teams start in the basketball Tournament. if 4 teams from the same Conference make it that far so be it.
When SELECTING only 4 teams for football you will KILL half of the TV viewers if not almost ever region of the US has a team to watch.
The Bama v LSU game SUCKED for TV viewership and the same will happen it 2 SEC or 2 PAC10 team are in 2 of the games and maybe meet in the Championship game NOBODY TVs will be watching.
June 8th, 2012
11:59 am
8 team Playoff at the MAX. College football doesn't need to play 16 or 17 games. 2 games on New years day and the Championship 1 week later.
12th game
13th game Conference Championship
14th 1st round Playoff (8 teams)
15th 2nd round Palyoff(8 teams)
16th Championship
June 8th, 2012
12:00 pm
Also with 4 team playoff and 2 teams from the same conference have to play each other in the first game. No way they can be allowed to have same conference teams play for the Championship like last year.
June 8th, 2012
12:04 pm
"They've got a valid point, though I still can't believe anyone would rather have a playoff that might feature, say, the No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 11 teams just because they're conference champions than one that would include the top four teams."
I can't understand it either and hope we would not go there. Its much like not keeping score in rec t-ball. Everyone has to be equal and fair. BUT here is a compromise I could live with….
1) Go to 8 team playoff.
2) Keep the BCS ranking system. NO COMMITTEE which would be even more biased.
3) Win your confrence you are in, PROVIDED you are ranked in the top 10.
4) Any of the 8 slots not filled by confrence winners go to the highest ranked.
Its not perfect and there would always be questions if the best teams really made the cut but it would give confrence champs a shot and also insure that the field is comprised of at a minimum, top 10 teams.
June 8th, 2012
12:11 pm
kool aid – so the goal should be put together a playoff that will provid the most TV viewers!!!! Thats nuts. Its competative sports man. The best teams should make the field…
OK lets just to this… keep up with TV ratings of all ncaa game thru the season. forget W's and L's… forget the score… whichever teams have the highest cumulative TV rankings at the end of the season… they make the playoff. This will be fun to keep up with the rankings thru the season now wont it.
June 8th, 2012
12:27 pm
And you're right that no one has objected when a conference has had more than one Final Four entry in basketball.
Those teams had to win 4 games against tough opponents just to get there. Its called earning it, which is something college football teams don't have to do. I shouldn't be surprised though that SEC fans want to directly compare a 68 team tournament to a 4 team tournament on the basis of fairness. That is perfectly logical.
June 8th, 2012
12:31 pm
They've got a valid point, though I still can't believe anyone would rather have a playoff that might feature, say, the No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 11 teams just because they're conference champions than one that would include the top four teams.
Some of us think winning a conference championship is more impressive then finishing second in your division. Biased rankings are the worst possible way of deciding who is in the playoff and the results will be worse then what we have now.
June 8th, 2012
12:42 pm
So the East should be:
South Carolina
Ole Miss
Yeah, that looks balanced
June 8th, 2012
12:42 pm
Enter your comments here
June 8th, 2012
12:46 pm
Just for FUN.
Last UGa wins the SEC
so do UGa, LSU and Bama make the 4 team playoff?
That would have NOBODY watching. TV is where the MONEY is at. If you don't know that then you are crazy.
If you can't WIN your Conference then you don't deserve a shot at the National Championship.
SELECTING 4 teams based on the POLOTICS of Polls and Selection Committees will not make the National Championship Game any better.
June 8th, 2012
12:50 pm
It would the the Slightly Educated(West 3 AAU members) & the Slightly Less Educated(East 1 AAU member)
June 8th, 2012
12:53 pm
GT – You dont really think that do you? You think that Clemson who finished the regular season ranked #15 but won their confrence championship … lost 3 games…then to had 70 put up against them in a bowl game was more impressive than Alabama loosing by 2 pts in a regular season to LSU. That Clemson would be more deserving and is a better team…. should be in a playoff???
I can agree that bias plays in the polls in picking 1-2. but in picking the top 8 with confrence champs in if they make the top 10… I think this works. cant be completely 100% fair unless we went to a 64 team like bball.
June 8th, 2012
12:56 pm
I suggest 8 as stated above and let confrence champs in if they end season ranked top 10….. and not nocking ACC because I am a fan, but Clemson in at #15 with three losses because they won their confrence??? I just dont see it as being entertaining.
June 8th, 2012
12:58 pm
Why do you say that the pac 1 have a valid point about the SEC padding their scheudules? Didn't Oregon have a chance to prove their worth against LSU, who also played Backwards Virginia? Alabama played Penn State. We played AZ State, and OSU just cancelled a series with us. UT has played UCLA and Oregon.
June 8th, 2012
12:59 pm
AAU is a political organization. UGA has higher admission standards than florida.
June 8th, 2012
1:00 pm
If we go to a playoff, can we then go back to calling it Division 1
and Division 1AA?
June 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
I've said for years that no playoff system will ever be satisfactory to everyone and that it would create perhaps even more controversy. I'm not necessarily opposed to a playoff system. But the never ending debate tells me we were just as well off with the current system. People just love to argue.
June 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
Do away with the bowls…combine all D-1 conferences into North South East and West, wish appropriate subdivisions to accommodate the numbers. Since there are so many teams, the division winners and 6 wildcards from each conference make the playoffs. 40 teams in the playoffs, reduce regular season to 4 or 5 games and the season would be over around…..January.
Folks, just leave it alone.
June 8th, 2012
1:01 pm
If you can't WIN your Conference then you don't deserve a shot at the National Championship.
I you lose four games but win a weak confrence do you deserve a shot at the national championship?
I just dont think so. Yes you might have some more people watching the first half but what a boring game.
June 8th, 2012
1:02 pm
As Mr Dawg says, people love to argue. Arguing among fans of different schools over why 'their' team didn't get a chance to play in the title game keeps the CFB talk alive all throughout the offseason.
Really, who is talking about college basketball a month after the final four?
June 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
gbal…..that is how the NCAA basketball tourney works. LOL
NO POLL is worth a crap before the 6th week of the season.
Until teams are done with the cupcakes and play a few Conference games there should be NO POLL issued.
Clemson was OK but as happens….SOME teams don't match up well with other teams. BAMA LSU play the SAME style/game so they looked GREATer than they possibly were. How would a Bama or LSU match up with a USCalifornia?
Polls are basied on OPINION and different people see different Styles of play differently. That fact doesn't man a Bama would have matched up with a Wisconsin well. Yes I think Bama beats Wisconsin but you can't say for sure just because you don't THINK Wisconsin has a chance. last Year UGa was supposed to have a top 5 Defense until it played GOOD teams. People think MURRAY is a Heisman candidate but can't win a game against good teams.
June 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Yeah I like the 8 team format better too! 4 teams are not enough.
June 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
HOW many FCS teams are there Now?
if 120
June 8th, 2012
1:24 pm
120 teams / 8 conference = 15 teams per conference
add a few more teams to make it 16 teams per conference and align NEW conferences
9 conference game in every conferences
8 conference champs in the Playoff.
I think that will spread the Talented players out and give more balance over time.
Set Standards for ALL players to be accepted at ALL colleges.
Let the NCAA make some REAL RULES that apply to EVERY SCHOOL playing big time Football. Players have to score at least 950(or some #) on the SAT and have minimum classes in high school.
June 8th, 2012
1:35 pm
AJC Headline: UGA professor charged with prostitution
A UGA professor in drag. Just when you think things can't get any sleazier in Athens…
June 8th, 2012
1:39 pm
That Clemson would be more deserving and is a better team…. should be in a playoff???
Clemson would have earned their way in. Alabama wouldn't have. If you want to be considered the best team in the country then you should at least show that you were the best team in your division of your conference. Alabama didn't do much of anything in the regular season last year. They are a bad example to use. Personally, I would make a rule also that says if you already lost to another team in the playoffs then you don't get another chance. With a 4 team playoff there shouldnt be any rematches.
June 8th, 2012
1:40 pm
Let the NCAA make some REAL RULES that apply to EVERY SCHOOL playing big time Football. Players have to score at least 950(or some #) on the SAT and have minimum classes in high school.
That would eliminate 94% of UGA football and basketball players.
June 8th, 2012
1:42 pm
I agree, there is no format out there; no playoff, 4 team playoff or 8 team playoff that will satisfy everyone. My opinion, do away with most of the bowl games and have an 8 team playoff. Not sure a 4 team playoff will do because there are more major conferences than 4. Just saying.
June 8th, 2012
1:43 pm
AJC Headline: UGA professor charged with prostitution
A UGA professor in drag. Just when you think things can't get any sleazier in Athens…
Was it Grantham?
June 8th, 2012
1:47 pm
"That would eliminate 94% of UGA football and basketball players."
And your proof to that statement comes from……?
June 8th, 2012
1:52 pm
A UGA German professor arrested. Gee, who will teach German Lit. & History about an 18th century writer, poet and artist. Now this course will really prepare you for the "real" world. Gessh.
June 8th, 2012
1:57 pm
GTBob- Typical of an ACC goober to insist on no rematches in 4 team playoff. No way ACC would ever get more than 1 if even 1, while SEC would most likely have 2 or more, unless no rematch rule applys (UGA could not be in play off with ANY of its conference opponents). Just stupid. 4 best teams, period. Will not happen any other way.


text:
The pilot of an Airbus Helicopters AS350 was killed when his aircraft rolled over on its side as he attempted to reposition it near the Grand Canyon West Airport in Arizona on May 18. The helicopter was being operated by Papillion Grand Canyon Helicopters at the time of the accident. The Hualapai Indian Tribe operates the airport.
Embry-Riddle's campuses at Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz. will hold a variety of aviation-focused short courses in a traditional face-to-face classroom environment beginning in April. Two three-day workshops at the Daytona Beach Campus will cover aviation safety management systems and unmanned aircraft systems.
Gulfstream Aerospace appointed Scott Clarey sales director for the U.S. Southwest. In his new role he is responsible for sales to new and existing customers in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Utah. Clarey, who is based in Tempe, Ariz., came to Gulfstream from Piaggio America, where he was the regional sales director in the western U.S. and western Canada. He has been a pilot since age 16 and has been in aviation sales for the last 10 years.
Classic Interior Completions (CIC) of Willoughby, Ohio, anticipates the market is "getting ready to jump" and has been expanding to meet it.
The center is now settled into a new 18,000-sq-ft off-airport facility that provides twice the space of the former structure, and is expanding capabilities at its Naples, Fla. site. CIC is also looking for a suitable facility in the Phoenix/Mesa, Ariz. area. The center at Naples, Fla. is being expanded to mirror operations at Willoughby and the new Phoenix/Mesa site will operate at the same level.
Arizona Aircraft Interior Designs, a small refurbishment center owned and operated by the Wayne Bryant family for 38 years, is emerging from the recession and looking at "a good year in 2013."
The Mesa, Ariz.-based center at Falcon Field recently delivered two Cessna Citation Xs, one with minor and another with major interior refurbishment. "In 2011 and 2012, growth was steady if slow, but in this year's second quarter it began to snowball," said Christa Pensworth, head of sales and interior design.
For Phoenix Heliparts, this year's Heli-Expo show resulted in the sale of two helicopters, thanks to the display of the rebuilt MD500 flown for the television show Magnum, P.I. Based in Mesa, Ariz., Phoenix Heliparts celebrated its 10th anniversary at the show, where on March 5, Magnum, P.I. stars Larry Manetti and Roger Mosley signed "The Chopper." On June 3, The Chopper receives its official Hawaiian blessing as it enters service in the Paradise Helicopters fleet at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu.
From a husband-and-wife operation launched 10 years ago in the family garage in Mesa, Ariz., Phoenix Heliparts has grown into major player in the art of restoring older helicopters to a new and useful life.
The company's main facility in Mesa, about 14 miles north of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, now totals about 45,000 sq ft and there is an additional 25,000 sq ft and a designated landing area at the airport for flight testing.
Universal Helicopters will award its Vision Award, a full scholarship valued at up to $12,000 for night-vision goggle (NVG) certification in a Robinson R44, to one lucky Heli-Expo attendee on Wednesday. The company's NVG certification program–which is conducted at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott, Ariz. campus–includes a maximum of seven hours flight and 10 hours of ground training. Those who wish to be in the drawing must hold an FAA commercial rotorcraft helicopter certificate, enter at Universal Helicopters' booth and be present to win.
Just northwest of Tucson, Ariz., sits a 1,200-acre plot of ground with a 460-acre facility dedicated to aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. It has been in operation for more than 30 years and is generally considered to be the world's largest MRO dedicated to maintenance, repair, painting, storage and end-of-life services for passenger and cargo aircraft.
When many communities view airports and aviation as nuisances at best and dangerous at worst, and pressures grow to close airfields and chase aviation away, the story of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IGA) in Arizona shines like an airway beacon.
- Page 1
- ››

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Product-recall expense can prove increasingly expensive in this time of international distribution, just-in-time inventories, far-flung shipping, and the like. Of course, the current poster child is Mattel, which seems to be doing a very good job in managing the recall of some of its Chinese-made toys. Policies today routinely seek to exclude the cost of product-recall expense, which can be staggering and life-threatening to a company — both in terms of cost and perhaps more importantly in reputation of the producer. Speciality policies exist to deal with various types of recalls, and there has been litigation concerning product-tampering coverage and the more traditional liability insurance coverage and the scope of the product-recall exclusion (known in the trade as the "sistership" exclusion). The current wave of recalls involving Chinese-made products may well stimulate demand for this product, but I would not be surprised to see provenance exclusions developed or warranties required from assured as to quality control and quality assurance from their foreign contractors.
Category Archives: Products
Trigger and Allocation for Asbestos, Other Bodily Injury, and Property Damage: Recent Cases and the Policyholders' Winning Argument
"Who pays" and "how much" continue to be central questions in insurance-recovery litigation by policyholders for asbestos, environmental clean up, pharmaceutical, lead-paint, toxic-tort and other conditions that produce loss over time. Because insurance contracts are governed by state law, the coverage wars apparently will continue until each inch of turf is won or lost. Most recently, the Delaware Supreme Court has weighed in on the question of trigger of coverage ("who pays") for asbestos- liability claims, the Minnesota Supreme Court has addressed allocation of loss ("how much") among triggered policies, and the New Hampshire Supreme Court has now been asked to address the allocation question, too.
What You See Is Not What You Get: Renewal Policies
One aspect of insurance practice that I like is the seemingly unlimited number of nooks and crannies in insurance law. But like a tree falling in the forest, the existence of one pro-policyholder rule or another in a given state has little impact on human behavior — or trial outcomes — unless that rule is called upon. One such rule is the "renewal rule."
Fettering the Insurer's Privilege to Control the Defense It Is Duty Bound to Provide
For more than fifty years, policyholders and their insurers have been struggling over the insurer's promise to defend and the insurer's control the defense. Policyholders properly have been concerned that an insurance company that controls the defense of an action potentially covered by the carrier's duty to indemnify will use that control to avoid that very same indemnity obligation. While in egregious cases where a lawyer hired by the carrier has abused his or her relationship with the insured, the client, so as to favor the lawyer's source of income – the insurance company – the courts have responded to protect the insured's interests. But most courts have ruled that such after-the-fact remedies are insufficient: they do not adequately compensate for the injury; meritorious claims are not pursued (in part because insureds may not discover the abuse); and the potential for this abuse alone undermines the dominant purpose of the insurance relationship to afford protection and peace of mind for the insured.
Gelding the Pollution Exclusion: Welding Exposure Claims Not Barred
For the past several years, the plaintiffs' tort bar has sought to make workplace-exposure claims by welders the proverbial "next asbestos." These cases typically allege a Parkinson's Disease-like syndrome ("Parkinsonism") or other neurological impairments (all generally referred to as "manganism") allegedly stemming from the welder's exposure to manganese while working. Whether this is a mass-tort with legs is certainly not clear, and the defense has had successes (even in what are considered to be plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions). Naturally, this litigation has produced insurance cases too, and the Maryland Court of Appeals (its highest court) recently ruled that an absolute pollution exclusion did not apply to bar coverage. Clendenin Bros. v. United States Fire Ins. Co. (Md. Jan. 6, 2006).
E Pluribus Plures: More on Number of Occurrences
Courts continue to confront the question of the "number of occurrences" involved in mass-tort situations. The issue is important because policy limits are expressed in dollars per occurrence, with some policies having unlimited or uncapped retentions on a per-occurrence basis. For a policyholder with a large and uncapped per-occurrence retention, a ruling that each claim against the policyholder is a separate occurrence results in multiplying the amounts retained by the policyholder, oft times pushing insurance out of reach. On the other hand, for a policyholder with no or low retentions, a finding of multiple occurrences can multiply the available coverage.
Insurance for Goods in Transit
Companies that make things need to get those things to their customers, and they face the risk of loss while the goods are in transit to the customer. Via contract, one can shift or retain the risk of loss during transit, such as having title pass to the customer once the item leaves the company's facility or to wait until the customer accepts the item at its location. In addition to shifting to one party or the other the risk of loss via the sale contract, the company can obtain insurance to protect itself against loss. Recent cases have addressed both liability coverage – insurance against the risk of loss to goods for which title has passed to the buyer – and first-party coverage – insurance against loss in transit while title remains vested in the seller.
The Faulty Workmanship of the Courts
A common criticism of courts dealing with insurance issues is that they forget they are dealing with a contract. Where courts don't like the economic incentives that (they fear) they might create by affording coverage, they sometimes make up coverage-limiting postulates that are nowhere expressed in the policy.
This is what happened in the South Carolina Supreme Court recently, which confronted a question common in the construction context – namely, is a contractor's faulty construction a covered occurrence. L-J Inc. v. Bituminous Fire and Marine Ins. Co. (S.C. Sept. 26, 2005). If that kind of event can never be an "occurrence," then insurance companies never have an obligation to pay for the defense of claim alleging resulting injury and damage or to fund the cost of any settlement or, if the case gets tried, any judgment.
Absolute Nonsense
What we once conceived of as the environmental coverage wars continue in a new, broader form where insurance companies seek to deny coverage for the liabilities of their policyholders whenever they stem from toxic exposures.
In 1986, the "absolute" pollution exclusion was widely introduced. There is agreement that Superfund-type claims and other true environmental liability claims are barred under the various guises of the absolute pollution exclusion. But the insurers have not limited their claim denials to that context.
Walks and Quacks like a Duck: The Reach of Insurance Regulation to a Seller's Provision of Insurance-Like Benefits – Of Warranties, Requirements Contracts, & Other Benefits
State regulation of insurance applies if the transaction in question is found to be "insurance." If something is "insurance," the entity providing it generally must be a licensed insurance company. If not licensed, then the entity exposes itself to fines and potential criminal liability, in addition to the invalidation of the "insurance" it provided. Many manufacturing, service, and retail companies can find it in their interest to package an insurance-like benefit along with the sale of its product or provision of its service. What are the legal risks to the company from providing this type of benefit to its customers and how can the benefit be structured to minimize the risk yet achieve business objectives?


text:
Was Quentin Tarantino Disappointed by Prometheus?
27 Fascinating Movie Facts You Never Knew
Bangin' Big Bang Theory Facts You Need to Know
The 20 Greatest Sitcom Babes of All Time
10 Movie Myths Never Actually Happen in Real Life
First Official Photos from Avengers: Age of Ultron
Deadpool Set Visit Was Awesome
Creepy Crawly: 7 Ironically Horrifying Movies
Is Johnny Depp Holding Up The Next "Pirates" Production?
10 Movie Characters You Can't Root for Anymore
8 Actors Who Nailed Their Historical Roles
Kaley Cuoco Shows Off Her Tennis Skills
What Disney Princesses Would Look Like in Real Life
The X-Men Movie Franchise's Most Embarrassing Plot Holes
Conan Sequel Starts Filming Spring 2015
Teen Titans Live Action is Headed to TNT
Scripters Don't See The Amazing Spider-man 3 Happening
Will Christian Bale Ever Play Batman Again?
Here's What Happened To Your Favorite TV Animals
Check Out The New Video from Batman v Superman
10 Most Memorable Women in Spider-Man's Love Life
What's The Deal With Jupiter Ascending?
How More Women Will Lose Weight in 2014
Fun Disney Facts You Didn't Know
28 Marvel Comic Facts You Probably Didn't Know
Warner Bros. Rumored to Have 9 Superhero movies in Store
104 Ending or Cancelled TV Shows for the 2013-14 Season
Gordon Ramsay Shocker: Why He Left TV
Kristen Stewart's New Movie Role
Sam Wilson is the New Captain America


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Seems like this would be as good a place as any to ask for some transmogging help.
Ever since Vanilla, I've had a soft spot in my heart for the poor, misguided Druids of the Fang, enough that, when I rolled a druid, I RPd him as a Fang, and even farmed the entire set up. After I leveled out of the range it was even marginally useful in, it got relegated to Around Town status. Obviously, if you're just wearing something while hanging out at the AH, having a full set doesn't matter, but now that i can transmog and wear it, I'm faced with a problem: I can't find a single set of shoulders that match it.
Can anyone help?
vegetto375 said...
Try the ones I'm wearing, it may not be a perfect match but is a good fit IMO.
Some great tips on completing that set here:
crystallinegirl said...
My druid's wearing the of the Fang set, with these shoulders: http://www.wowhead.com/item=12927 They're gold, not purple, and look fantastic.


text:
**Post-Doctoral Training Opportunity**
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
UAB Center for Exercise Medicine
Program Title: Interdisciplinary Training in Pathobiology and Rehabilitation Medicine
Grant Number: 1T32HD071866
Sponsor: NIH National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research
The overarching goal of this training program is to develop future leaders in translational rehabilitation research who are specifically equipped to test and disseminate novel rehabilitative strategies that will alleviate functional impairment and compromised life quality in the face of chronic disease management. Exercise medicine is a major focus of this training program.
· Doctorate in a basic or applied biomedical science (e.g., PhD) or clinical doctorate (e.g., MD, DO).
· Interest in translational research ranging from mechanisms of disease pathobiology to rehabilitation strategies (e.g., exercise medicine, experimental therapeutics, device development).
· No more than 2 years of postdoctoral training.
· U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Support Provided to each Trainee:
· Competitive stipend (typically for two years).
· Translational research mentoring team.
· Tuition and fees for any coursework.
· Health insurance.
· Supplies for research and educational purposes.
· Travel funds.
Core Levels of Inquiry:
· Cellular and molecular pathobiology of disease.
· Rehabilitation science and exercise physiology.
· Rehabilitation medicine (i.e. clinical trials).
*Most trainees will be actively engaged in research across two or more core levels.
Areas of Concentration:
· Neuromusculoskeletal disorders.
· Cardiometabolic diseases.
*Cross-cutting themes with training opportunities include cancer and aging.
Application, Review, and Selection:
1. Applicants should submit a letter of interest and CV to email@example.com.
2. Applicants will be reviewed by the Executive Committee, followed by interviews of the top candidates.
3. The selected candidate will prepare an Individual Development Plan with the primary mentor and mentoring team. To learn more about the primary mentors and their research programs, click here.
Learn more about the Center and training program at www.uab.edu/exercise.
Program Director:
Marcas M Bamman, PhD
Professor, Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology
Director, UAB Center for Exercise Medicine
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Executive Committee:
David Brown, PT, PhD, Professor and Director, Rehabilitation Science predoctoral program
Lou Dell'Italia, MD, Professor, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine
Amie McLain, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
David Standaert, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
UAB is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to furthering the diversification of its workforce.


text:
(41) 棚に道具一ツ置候時の㕝 [The case where when a single utensil is placed on a tana.]
When one utensil is placed on the tana (this refers to any sort of tana, including both oki-tana and the built-in tsuri-dana of the daime-gamai), and two objects are displayed in the tokonoma, generally speaking this is not an offensive way to arrange things. However, when speaking of placing only one utensil on the tana, by no means should one even consider doing this sort of thing with a newly-made utensil, such a kōgō. Nevertheless, displaying a meibutsu kōgō in this way is acceptable.
When a single object is placed on the tana (and nothing is displayed anywhere else), no matter what kind of thing it might be, there is in fact little to be gained from this sort of arrangement. Thus one must be exceptionally careful when placing out only a single utensil (in the room). When two things are in the tokonoma, then one may be displayed on the tana; or, if a single (object) is placed on the upper shelf, isn't it logical for two to be put on the lower shelf? With respect to arranging things, on those occasions when we are ultimately responsible, we must exert ourselves to exercise great care. Since when placing something by itself — or arranging the room in whatever way — it is important that we are successful. So we have to consider both the quality of the object, and our reasons for deciding to display it in this way.
(42) 茶入之蓋置處の㕝 [Concerning the places where the lid of the chaire may be set.]
In front of the chawan or at its side, on top of the heri (of the mat), or on top of the ro-buchi, have been the traditional places since ancient times. The practice of leaning it against the handle of the hishaku began with Rikyū, and has been adopted by others. (Kenshin adds that it is his opinion, with respect to placing the lid of the chaire on the robuchi, that first of all, it looks dangerous; and therefore, since it looks as if it might be dangerous, to then do such a thing anyway is worthy of blame.)
The second commentator writing at a later date says, with respect to the places where the lid of the chaire may be placed, between the chawan and the knees is one place; on the right side of the chawan is one place; and leaning it against the lower end of the handle of the hishaku is another place. And again, leaning it against the ro-buchi. Together, this makes four places. However, with respect to placing it on the ro-buchi, on the daime and in other situations where the space in front of the knees is limited, this — or resting it against the handle of the hishaku — is the preferred place to put it. Also, in the case of the furo, it may be placed on the corner of the ko-ita closest to the middle of the mat. However, leaning it against the ro-buchi and placing it on the ko-ita were disliked by Rikyū.
With respect to the ro-buchi, this writer is speaking about something a little different from placing the lid on top of the ro-buchi as in Kenshin's commentary, and presupposes that the ro-buchi is approximately 5-bu higher than the surface of the mats, rather than being level with them: the question comes down to whether the top of the ro-dan is level with the floor-boards, or is recessed approximately 5-bu below so that when covered with a board as a lid — leaving the ro-dan in place all year round was something that the wabi teamen such as Sōtan did, but a practice which others (particularly many of the daimyō of his period and after) apparently did not follow — the board is then level with the floor boards. I have not been able to discover any overt statement which either Jōō or Rikyū may have made; yet the argument made by Kenshin and others of his period (together with the fact that Rikyū is known to have leaned the wide lid of the daikai against the edge of the ko-ita in just this way — this is in all likelihood the historical precedent upon which this practice mentioned by the later commentator is based) suggests that, at least at that time, the rodan was probably recessed below the level of the floor boards, and so the top of the ro-buchi was indeed on the level of the mats.)
While Rikyū certainly disapproved of placing the lid on the ro-buchi (in the Nampō Roku and in other places he adamantly states that if this is done and then the lid accidentally falls into the ro, the person who did it will be disgraced for life), according to both the Nampō Roku and his own writings, he did not object to placing the chaire-no-futa on the ko-ita. Indeed, in his furo temae it is unavoidable, since once the lid of the kama has been opened to make the first bowl of koicha, it remains open until the end of the temae, and so the handle of the hishaku is no longer available as a place for resting the lid of the chaire when it is opened after this. (It must be remembered that in Rikyū's temae, even in the last years of his life, an individual bowl of koicha was served to the shōkyaku and a second bowl of koicha was shared between the second and third guests; and he generally continued, at least in the setting of the wabi small room, with the service of usucha using the tea remaining in the chaire afterwards. This all changed when the stewardship of chanoyu passed into Sōtan's hands: suicha, at least as Sōtan understood the word — meaning passing a single large bowl of koicha among all the guests, with each in turn drinking his allotment out of the common portion — became the absolute rule, and even when usucha was served during the koicha temae, a practice now called tsuzuki-usucha to distinguish it from the service of usucha during a separate temae, this was always to be done using a different kind of tea and so a different tea container, usually a natsume whose lid, due to its shape, is always placed on the mat; and this is the attitude reflected in this seventeenth century commentary.) Also, in the case of the ō-ita, Rikyū states unequivocably that it is an ancient rule that the lid must be placed on the ita (as well as the chakin and the chashaku, the latter placed there from the beginning and never rested on the top of the chaire at all; in this case he states that the chashaku is either cleaned after scooping the tea into the chawan, in the manner of the bon-date temae where the chaire is placed on a tray, or possibly leaned diagonally across a corner of the ō-ita so that the tea will not soil the surface of the board, which follows Oribe's practice), while these usages are to a greater or lesser extent optional in the case of the ko-ita (the chakin and chaire-no-futa are more usually placed on the ko-ita, at least some of the time; but the chashaku is rarely, and only transiently, placed there). Furthermore, Rikyū said that the lid of the chaire should not be placed directly on the mat, since the gilt part is inserted into the mouth of the chaire afterward, and so will contaminate its contents, while turning the lid upside-down so that it rests on what is the outer surface of the lid, is both cumbersome and looks dangerous. Therefore, only a lid shaped like the yarō-buta [薬籠蓋] — the lids of the natsume and the nakatsugi are examples of such (they were made in this form precisely so that they could be placed on the mat: in gokushin temae, a shiki-shi was placed down first, and so the ivory lid could be rested with the gilt side down on the shiki-shi without concern, but once this base was eliminated, the utensils came to be placed directly on the mat, and this is what prompted the creation of the lids of the nakatsugi and natsume in this shape, to avoid possibly contaminating the contents of the chaire with dust from the mat) — can be placed directly onto the mat. Exceptionally large lids (such as that of the taikai-chaire), which are too large to rest safely on the corner of the shiki-ita, should be leaned against the front of it so that only one edge of the lid (which is on the outside of the mouth when the lid is closed) comes into contact with the mat. This parallels the placement of the lid against the handle of the hishaku. (Some people say that the lid should be rested flat on top of the handle, but this is clearly dangerous; leaning the lid against the side of the handle so that one edge touches the mat and the gilt back of the lid touches the cornered edge of the handle seems to be what Rikyū intended.)
The last commentator (writing in the twentieth century) generally agrees with the others, but adds that it is specifically at a night gathering that the lid should not be placed even in the vicinity of the ro-buchi (that is neither on, nor leaning against, the ro-buchi) for fear that it might slip out of the fingers and fall into the ro. Likewise, he continues, the lid may be placed on the corner of a tana closest to the middle of the mat, but not on the chigai-dana (thus, in the case of the fukuro-dana and Edo-period variants of it which feature a pair of staggered-shelves between the ji-ita and the ten-ita, the lid should be placed on the ten-ita, not on one of the staggered middle shelves which are collectively called the naka-dana). Also, when inspecting the chaire, it is particularly at this time that the lid should be placed on top of the heri of the mat (since everyone always takes care not to step on the heri, it is clean; and because it is made of woven cloth, it does not collect dust the way the coarser surface of woven grass does); or the guest may open his sensu and place the lid there temporarily (since the sensu is rarely opened otherwise in the context of chanoyu, its face is clean; this usage parallels the original use of the shiki-shi on the temae-za) while he looks at the chaire. (In Rikyū's day, as has already been mentioned elsewhere, tea was precious, and it was felt that the tea became further degraded each time the lid was removed from the chaire, hence for the guests to remove the lid, or even handle the chaire excessively, was considered bad manners.)
(43) 諸道具疊の目心持有之事 [With respect to all of the utensils, one must exercise some care regarding the lines on the tatami.]
All utensils, when placed on the mat, should be placed so that they are aligned with the me. The ko-ita should be aligned with the me on the left (that is, when the furo is placed on the left, the ko-ita is aligned with the me on the side nearest to the katte); on the other side this does not matter. The mizusashi should be aligned with the me on the right (when it is placed on the right side of the mat, which is on the side toward the guests); the correspondence with the me on the left does not matter. (In other words — since Kenshin is writing about the case where the furo is on the left and the mizusashi is on the right — the rule he is alluding to is that utensils placed on the left side of the mat correspond with the me on their left; utensils placed on the right side of the mat correspond with the me on their right.)
The chaire (regardless of the side on which the furo and mizusashi are found) should be placed squarely on a me, so that both sides are equidistant from the neighboring me. The placement of the chawan corresponds to that of the mizusashi (when the mizusashi is on the right side of the mat, the chawan also corresponds with the me on the right; when the mizusashi is on the left, the chawan also corresponds with the me on its left). Form is form, function is function; function is form, form is function: this is the principle which you must endeavor to grasp, Kenshin concludes. (The illustrations have been reproduced at a large size so that the associations with the me may be clearly noted.)
(44) 置合組入という事 [Concerning what is called kumi-ire ('clustering the utensils together') when they are arranged on the mat.]
When placing the utensils in the daime-gamai (the space enclosed by the sode-kabe at the head of the daime, in which the mizusashi and other utensils are placed) during the temae, because the space within the enclosure is very limited, the chaire overlaps with the mizusashi on its left side, by perhaps one third or even by up to one half. Overlapping the mizusashi by four me, more or less, in this way the chaire is set down. When it is preferred to place [the chaire] wholly to the side of the mizusashi (this is usually the case when performing bon-date), it is done in the same way (but this time overlapping the mizusashi back-to-front by between one third and one half of its diameter). This is the placement that is referred to as kumi-iri [組入], or clustering together.
[Examples of kumi-ire ("clustering") on the daime-gamai. In the illustration on the left is an ordinary chaire (right) and chasen (left), with the chaire overlapping the mizusashi by approximately one-third; on the right, a bon-chaire with the chaire beyond the edge of the mizusashi and the tray overlapping it by approximately one third. According to the text, these are the two situations which are called kumi-ire.]
In a [wabi] 4.5 mat room, depending on the position of the mizusashi, when the chaire is placed on the left side of the mizusashi, it is done the same way. And when the chaire is placed on a tray, it may also be placed in just the same manner.
(45) 茶入袋[江]入候㕝 [The way to put the chaire into its fukuro.]
Rikyū taught that the front of the chaire should face toward the host, and in this way it is put into the fukuro (fukuro is the old name for the shifuku). When removing the shifuku, it is rotated by a quarter-turn counter-clockwise so that the uchidome (the braided "tail" on the himo which ends in a little tassel) points to the left side and the front of the chaire is toward the right (so that the host may loosen the himo on the far side and the near side) and then turned back again (i.e., now rotated clockwise) so that the front faces the host again when he slips the shifuku off. (Since the uchidome is on the left, the shifuku has to be flipped over before it is hung on the peg or placed on the shelf; usually this is done under the pretense of smoothing and flattening the cloth.)
Oribe, on the other hand, said that the front of the chaire should face away from the host when it is put into the shifuku (so that both the chaire and the host will face toward the daisu — or the area of the mat which takes the place of the daisu), and then as the shifuku is being removed, the chaire is rotated by a quarter-turn counter-clockwise (so the host may loosen the himo, just as above), and then rotated by a further quarter-turn in a counter-clockwise direction, bringing the uchidome (and so the front of the chaire) to face the host when the shifuku is finally slipped off. The host can then immediately hold the shifuku in his right hand and hang it by the himo on the bamboo peg which has been nailed onto the naka-bashira — which was another creation of Oribe's — or place it on the shelf or somewhere else, without having to turn it over again first. This was actually Oribe's point, to minimize the host's movements to just those that were absolutely necessary, since minimizing his actions is appropriate to the setting of the wabi small room.
[The commentary actually explains the above in terms of rotating the chaire while cleaning it with the fukusa, but since neither Rikyū nor Oribe did this (rotating the chaire while cleaning it with the fukusa was a machi-shū practice, adamantly denounced by Rikyū and disapproved of by Oribe, which became standard fare only upon the advent of Sōtan; yet because Sotan's style of making tea was, by law, the only way that tea was allowed to be made in the early Edo period, everyone, including the daimyō such as Katagiri Sekishū, accepted this action as proper, and so added it when the commentary was elaborated upon as it passed through his hands). Oribe was the darling of the machi-shū, but rarely or never associated with them in the capacity of host. However, since he was the only one of the early masters and great disciples of Jōō who allowed them into his presence, he was constantly in demand as a guest; and during these gatherings, according to transcripts — Oribe's teachings are known not through his own writings the way we know about what Jōō and Rikyū taught, but through a collection of documents known as the Furuta Oribe kikigaki [古田織部聞書], the written transcriptions of verbal exchanges which occurred during gatherings at which he was a guest — it seems that little more was done at these gatherings beyond pumping his brain for whatever aspects of chanoyu the others could think to ask about. It is interesting, however, that while Oribe never stints on his answers — and when asked about measurements, for example, he startles and amazes with an almost endless list of numbers measured to a fraction of a bu — he also never offers any information about things not explicitly queried about, no matter how deficient the others clearly were in this basic level of knowledge. This is why the image which survives of Oribe often falls short of that popularly believed to describe the standards of Jōō or Rikyū; however, none of these impressions are correct. Oribe was as strict a follower of the classical traditions as either Jōō or Rikyū, and his innovations — which so often influenced Rikyū and caused this great master to rethink his approach, and more often than not end up agreeing with Oribe and imitating him in the future — startling as they must have seemed to the uninitiated, were always absolutely in accord with gokushin-no-chanoyu and other classical systems of teaching. Yet the surviving version of his teachings is so grossly distorted simply because of the ignorance of his interlocutors, not due to any lack of orthodoxy in his practice of, or opinions on, chanoyu.]
(46) 茶入り[之]緖仕様に口傳あり殊更長緖は別而口傳有べし [There is an oral tradition regarding the way to tie the himo of the chaire's (shifuku); and also, there is a separate oral tradition which refers to the naga-o.]
The general ku-den regarding tying of the himo of the chaire's shifuku (regardless of whether it is long or short) has two parts: 1) knots are always tied in two steps, and the first step is always the same, while the second step is always different. And, 2) (though this second part of the ku-den has mostly been forgotten by the commentators, and the world in general) at the beginning of the temae, the himo should be tied with a slip-knot (that is, a knot which, when pulled in a certain way, opens without involving the fingers); at the end of the temae, the himo should be tied with a locking knot (that is, a knot which requires some deliberate effort to untie). This is the ku-den to which the first part of this line refers.
The reason for using two different kinds of knots was that at the beginning of the temae, the tea is ready for use, and so opening the shifuku should be expedited as much as possible, since the longer the time between the moment when the tea was ground and that when hot water is poured onto it in the chawan, the more the taste and smell of the tea degrades. At the end of the temae, however, the point of tying a locking knot is to prevent the tea from accidentally being reused (once a container of tea had been used to serve koicha, it was felt that it was inappropriate to use that left-over tea to serve koicha again on another occasion — the remaining tea could only be used to possibly serve usucha, but even in this case, not without the chaire being cleaned and readied again first). In both cases, however, the complexity of the knots was intended to prevent the guests from opening the the shifuku at any time — not necessarily because they were suspected of nefarious purposes, but to prevent the tea from being damaged by exposure to air (the purpose of the shifuku is to press the lid tightly against the mouth of the chaire, thus keeping the aromatics responsible for fragrance and taste from volatilizing away into the air; at the end of the temae, even if the remaining tea will not be used again to serve guests, it was still precious, and could be drunk by the host or someone in his household so long as it was not totally spoiled by being left uncovered).
An ancient addendum to this notion of using different knots adds that the knots should contrast their images, with respect to the ying and yang seasons of the year. So, as in the examples below, when the ordinary himo (which was created by Shukō) is being tied in the modified "ordinary dragonfly knot" (which was also devised by Shukō — this is the usual way that a short himo is tied in the modern tea world) at the beginning of the temae (the dragonfly is an autumnal image), at the end of the gathering the knot should be tied in the shape of the mitsu-ba [三ツ葉] (the trefoil is a vernal image) locking knot. And with the naga-o, when it is initially tied in the ordinary dragonfly knot for that style of himo, at the end it is tied in the shape of a cherry-blossom locking knot (again contrasting a yang vernal image at the end of the temae with the ying autumnal image used at the beginning).
In fact, there is an ancient series of paired knots of this type which at the present can be seen in part on the set of knots used to tie the nioi-bukuro [匂い袋] — a set of miniature shifuku intended to each house one specimen of a collection of kyara [伽羅] incense wood chips, held in a small gilt-paper-lined brocade kō-tsutsumi [香包] (the gold-leaf on paper backing of these envelopes parallels that on the inside of the lid of the chaire, which makes them both as impermeable to gaseous exchange as the technology of that day permitted, hence protects the enclosed sample from being contaminated by the smell of others; each kō-tsutsumi was kept in its own shifuku, which further isolated the precious chip of kyara): the set consists of 24, 12 slip knots and 12 locking knots associated with the twelve months of the year. These same knots were also used for chanoyu (among an almost numberless array of others).
According to the Nampō Roku and various other period writings, the original himo was the naga-o [長緖]. And though there were historically numerous complications devised over the years, the standard knot was what was what is known as the "ordinary dragonfly knot" [常ノ蜻蛉結ビ]. (Care must be taken with names, however. The "ordinary" dragonfly knot stands in contrast with various other knots which are also known as dragonfly knots, many of which are much more literally representational of a dragonfly, and much more complicated to tie as well; some, furthermore, are slip-knots and other dragonfly knots are locking knots, while the "ordinary dragonfly knot" is a slip-knot. Especially after the mid-seventeenth century — when it became general knowledge that there existed a body of "secret" Jōō and Rikyū writings which differed substantially from what Sōtan and his followers, the government-sponsored official school, taught — if a chajin knew, or was accosted with, the name but did not know the actual knot, he tended to make up a new one rather than admit his ignorance. The "ordinary dragonfly knot" will be illustrated below, at the end of this line's commentary.)
Shukō, in that work and elsewhere, is credited with creating the short himo (and the two knots associated with it), originally for his katatsuki-chaire when it was used to serve usucha. (In other words, Shukō used a ko-tsubo in a shifuku with a naga-o which was placed on a tray to serve koicha, and then a katatsuki in a shifuku with a short himo which was placed directly on the mat with the chashaku resting across its lid to serve usucha.) Shifuku featuring this short himo quickly became the usual situation, since this knot is easier to tie and on the whole it is easier to use. Shukō's locking knot, which was rendered useless when haiken was pushed to the very end of the temae, is conserved (as are some of the other locking knots related to the naga-o) as the yasumi-musubi, the way to tie the himo when the chaire is in storage.
[The shita-musubi or lower knot on a shifuku with a short himo.]
[The "ordinary dragonfly" slip-knot for a shifuku with a short himo.]
[The "trefoil" locking knot for a shifuku with a short himo.]
When tying the himo, Kenshin notes, first of all the himo must be straight; it should not be twisted or bent (see the illustrations below for what straight means). This is one of the orally transmitted points, mentioned as being particularly important in the context of the naga-o. Next, as in the more general pronouncement given above, the himo is tied in two steps. The first step, as stated above, is always the same, regardless of the final shape of the knot; and the second step is always different (that is, unique or peculiar to the kind of knot being tied). This constitute the second of the oral teaching related to the naga-o. And the third is when tying and untying the naga-o, it is grossly displeasing if it comes undone or fails to untie properly, or the himo becomes tangled up. One should pay very careful attention to the instructions received from ones teacher.
The commentary concludes that when Katagiri Sekishū was learning how to tie the naga-o, he spent three years of intensive concentration and effort before he could master the techniques. This, then, is not a matter to be taken lightly.
[The shita-musubi or lower knot on a shifuku with a naga-o.]
[The "ordinary dragonfly" slip-knot for a shifuku with a naga-o.]
[The "cherry-blossom" locking knot for a shifuku with a naga-o.]
(47) いろりのうち仕様之事 [The matter of how to deal with the interior of the irori.]
Points to consider are the height of the gotoku. The depth of the ash (this refers to the ash on the sides of the ro, not in the center under the kama — within the circle defined by the gotoku, the ash should be of such a depth that the top of the charcoal comes to between 5-bu and 1-sun of the bottom of the kama): in cold weather the mounded ash surrounding the fire should be shallower (that is, the mounds should not rise very high up the legs of the gotoku, so that the sight of the fire, and its heat, will be available to the guests); when it is warm, the ash should be mounded deeper (according to some old records, rising more than half-way up the legs of the gotoku — in some, even to approximately the same height as the charcoal within, and so appearing to be just short of the kama itself — to both hide all sight of the fire, and concentrate its heat on the bottom of the kama). Likewise, the amount of ash present in the corners (where the air flows down into the depths of the ro, to well up again along the sides of the kama) depends on the size of the kama (the host can control the rate of combustion by restricting or opening the space available for air to flow down into the ro, but this is also connected with the size of the kama, since its bulk may limit the flow of air as well). When the charcoal is added, and then the shiro-zumi [白炭 = eda-zumi, 枝炭: gesso-covered carbonized forked azalea twigs], it is proper that the latter should rub against the bottom of the kama slightly (their purpose is to act as kindling, to draw the flow of hot air up to and so around the bottom and sides of the kama, thus initiating the updraft of air and allowing the rest of the charcoal to catch fire easily and efficiently).
It is best if instruction in the way to handle the ash is carefully received directly from ones teacher.
(48) いろり五徳すへやうの㕝 [The matter of adjusting the height of the gotoku in the irori.]
The gotoku is used with the ring on the bottom, and the legs pointing upward. The third leg (counting from the leg on the left, this means the one on the host's right) should face directly into the corner (the dōzumi will be placed between this leg and the leg at the far side of the ro — see illustration below, under line 49). The other two face the ro-dan however they may, so long as the ring is centered within the ro itself. And the claws (the oval or leaf-shaped ends of the legs on which the bottom of the kama rests) should all be at the same level. The height, as said before, depends entirely on the kama.
As has been mentioned in the Hundred Poems of Chanoyu, the height of the gotoku should be adjusted so that the mouth of an ordinary kama (one with a raised mouth) will project 6- or 7-bu above the upper surface of the ro-buchi. In the case of an uba-guchi kama (one with a recessed mouth), the upper edge of the recessed rim of the mouth (on which the lid rests when closed) should be 6- or 7-bu below the level of the upper surface of the ro-buchi.
(49) 灰のふかきあさき仕様又朝晝晩の事 [Concerning the depth or shallowness of the ash; and again, this with respect to morning, mid-day, and evening.]
This line has some connection with the practice known as san-tan san-ro [三炭三炉], maintaining the fire throughout the whole day by periodically adding more charcoal and taking care of the ash.
In the early morning, the bottom of the ash (within the space defined by the gotoku) is deep. This is known as ido-no-hi [井戸の火], fire in the well: very small burning embers are placed at the bottom, then ash is sprinkled lightly on top of them (to provide a warm and, as the embers burn away, air-filled base for the fire, so that the moisture in the shimeshi-bai will evaporate readily and create an updraft, which will start the cycle which allows the depths of the ro to be properly aerated), and on top of this the fire is arranged. Care should be taken when sprinkling on more ash that this base (of ash filled with embers) does not compact (since this defeats its purpose). As the day progresses from mid-day until night, the ash gradually accumulates, so that the surplus might have to be removed or the base for the fire will become too high.
There is this ku-den related to morning, mid-day and dusk: from the morning, each time charcoal is added, the ash continues to accumulate; therefore, if one needs to deal with the bottom (that is, if the level of the ash is too high and so some must be removed), ash should be removed only from the far side of the fire (that is, the where the smaller pieces of charcoal and the butt-ends of the eda-zumi are placed when adding charcoal). As the day progresses toward evening, more and more of the ash may be removed from the forward side of the fire as well (in san-tan san-ro, the bottom is fully taken up at dusk, in preparation for a possible night gathering, whether or not one is scheduled; this is what the commentary is referring to; however, since the ro is already hot, the initial step of burying fine embers under a layer of sprinkled ash is not necessary, and so should not be done). In morning, mid-day, and at night, equally, if one makes a sincere effort every time, he will come to understand how to do this naturally.
(50) 圍炉裏のはいの㕝 [Concerning the ash for the irori.]
This line concerns the damp layer of maki-bai [蒔灰], sprinkled-on ash, that is used to dress the surface of the ordinary wood ash with which the ro is mostly filled. This damp ash is generically called shimeshi-bai [濕し灰] or shike-bai [濕氣灰].
The commentary in the Kenshin manuscript states that in remote antiquity what is called arare-bai [霰灰] — ash prepared so that it is formed into small pellets which look like hailstones — did not exist. Only mijin-no-hai [微塵ノ灰] was use.
The word mijin refers literally to a kind of crumbling mountain soil or clay (it begins to crumble when the moisture content declines to a certain point that the mass begins to fracture into tiny particles, and this was apparently what gave someone the original idea for shimeshi-bai). It has a consistency and texture very close to that of used coffee-grounds (including their moisture content). This term mijin, since it is often not qualified by the word hai in the old tea documents, though still referring to this a kind of damp ash when used in the context of chanoyu, confused some Edo period commentators who took it to mean that in ancient times actual mountain sand or clay was used in the ro: however, mountian clay will smell very bad as the organic material in it burns, and sand will tend to pop or explode when in direct contact with the burning charcoal; and, further, sand will do nothing to enhance the flow of air, while the moisture present in a sprinkled layer of damp ash, as it evaporates, causes a strong updraft which pulls fresh air into the depths of the ro through the corners and thus establishes a strong fire from the beginning. In recent years a very fine commercially prepared shimeshi-bai has come on the market, in contrast to the original coarser variety: this fine ash is mijin.
On one occasion when he went to rest at the Arima onsen (it is within the present city of Kobe), Rikyū noticed that the crumbling scree piled up against the side of the cliff looked new and interesting, and from this he got the idea to make arare-bai, so it has been said.
Refined ash is ash which has been carefully sifted to remove any sort of waste material (such as bits of charcoal and other dirt), and only this should be used to prepare arare-bai (the suggestion is also that when reusing ash, it must be broken down into a powder and sifted first before it can be reused). Very old ash (which has darkened in color) is preferred. It is then soaked in water for approximately half of a day. The water should be poured off, and the wet ash spread uniformly on a piece of shibu-kami [渋紙] — paper that has been treated with shibu which renders it more or less waterproof, so it will not tear from the moisture — and allowed to dry out somewhat (until it achieves the consistency of set cement). If this refined ash (wrapped in the piece of shibu-kami) is then struck against a board, it will break up into particles of three sizes: large, small, and very-small. These are then separated by shaking it slowly in a circular fashion in a series of sieves (which also forms the pieces into balls which resemble hailstones) and then recombined to the proportion of three shō [升] — the volume measure of one shō is equal to 1.8 liters, so three shō is about 5.4 liters — large particles (which is to say, particles about the size of azuki beans), four shō (7.2 liters) of mixed small particles and very small particles, and three shō (5.4 liters) of mijin. The medium-sized (i.e., "small") particles should be about the size of grains of sansho or pepper corms; the very-small fraction consists of particles smaller than a grain of sansho, perhaps the size of a mustard seed, so it is said. Mixing all of this gives one to [斗] — 18 liters — of arare-bai.
To prepare a storage vessel for the arare-bai, sake and water are mixed half-and-half and put into an old wooden sake cask (so that they infiltrate into the wood), which is then put under the veranda and allowed to dry by evaporation until no more puddled moisture is evident. The above mixture of ash particles may then be stored in the cask; the sake-water mixture soaking into the wood of the cask causes a darkening of the color of the ash that is stored in it (in addition to preventing the wood from drawing the moisture out of the shimeshi-bai).
Another commentator adds that once Jōō happened to notice a section of a path paved with chestnut-sized pebbles and was moved to think that something like this would be a delightful effect to replicate in the ro. So he made rather large katamari [塊], lumps or small balls, of damp ash (of a more or less uniform in size, and somewhere between the size of a pea and a soybean) and used only this to surface the ash in the ro. This ash is called kuri-ishi hai [栗石灰].
Rikyū (this author continues), at a later time, noticed the scree pile at the foot of the mountain cliff at Arima, and created arare-bai as a mixture of various sized particles mixed with more finely-sifted mijin, as recounted in the above story.
As the number of practitioners increased, old ash became scarce or not available at all, so rather than soaking the ash in plain water as the first step in the process of making damp ash, some sort of dye was used — originally this was the left-over bath of boiled cloves in which used clothing was recolored (this was often employed in the temples to produce "new" clothing for the novices from old clothes cast off by the more senior monks, which young monks came to be recognized as such by the brown or ocher-colored clothes which they wore: the photo at the right shows a shifuku made of the finely striped dark-blue-and-white cloth known as Kokushi-kantō, one half of which was dyed afterwards with cloves, giving an appearance of rust-orange-and-black; this cloth was originally used to make monkish clothing, while the redyed stuff was used for the clothing of novices).
As the trade with China, the usual source of the dried cloves used to make this dye, lapsed from the late sixteenth to the middle of the seventeenth centuries, locally available substitutes were sought for; and the most common of these was made by boiling ban-cha (this is a coarse variety of tea made from mature leaves which have been sun-dried for several days — and left in situ on exposed straw mats out of doors over night — thus much richer in the brown-staining tannins than tea which has been dried more quickly over a heat source) into a strongly colored tea for coloring the ash. Cloves were originally to dye reused clothing used because, in addition, to their pleasing color, they leave a fragrance which may mask the odor of rarely-washed bodies, at least for a while (or so it is said).
A final word on arare-bai, kuri-ishi hai and mijin. Mijin, when prepared properly so that it has the proper moisture content, is very easy to pour off of the haisaji; unfortunately it does not do much to enhance the scenery in the ro. Kuri-ishi hai is rather like carrying marbles on a spatula, and dropping cherry bombs (every time one hits the white ash that has come off of the burning charcoal, you get your own little mushroom cloud) — I have no idea how, or even if, Jōō did it! (My private suspicions are that he simply put the kuri-ishi hai into the ro, which will provide excellent aeration given the plethora of air spaces between the balls of ash, without sprinkling anything on top during the sumi-temae. — in the case of the furo, no makibai is used at all, and so Jōō may have simply utilized this precedent to do nothing.) In arare-bai, Rikyū found the perfect compromise. It pours off the haisaji like mijin, and provides an interesting texture as well. Hence it is not surprising that this way of handling the ro has persisted down to the present.


text:
LibraryThing Author:
Member: DavidKessler
CollectionsYour library (62)
Reviews6 reviews
Tagsmurder (2), mystery (2), adventure (2), Homeland Security (1), courtroom (1), crime (1), drama (1), investigation (1), District Attorney (1), court (1) — see all tags
Cloudstag cloud, author cloud, tag mirror
About meI am an author of thrillers published by HarperCollins UK (Avon division)
Favorite authorsHarlan Coben (Shared favorites)
Also onBlogger
Membership LibraryThing Early Reviewers/Member Giveaway
Real nameDavid Kessler
Account typepublic, lifetime
/profile/DavidKessler (profile)
Member sinceFeb 12, 2010
Most recent activity
Leave a comment
I was going through all my emails received from LibraryThing and realized I had received a post stating that I had been selected for Ethan and the web of lies by Dan Ryan from Member Giveaway in December and was wondering what the status of this book is?
Can I expect to receive this book or not?
posted by tanyaj101 at 9:30 am (EST) on Jun 30, 2011
I received a post stated that I was selected for The Luddite Girls and The Year of Compulsory Childbirth and was wondering where they were. Thanks for the help.
posted by jynxpierce at 8:53 am (EST) on Apr 21, 2011
I received a post stating that I had been selected for Ethan and the web of lies by Dan Ryan from Member Giveaway in August and was wondering what the status of this book is? Any information would help, thank you!
posted by lovelyliquid at 12:34 am (EST) on Dec 1, 2010
I was informed by Sonya Green on August 24th that I had been selected to receive a copy of 'The Year of Compulsory Childbirth', and I have been anticipating a good read... Unfortunately, I haven't received it yet, and, even taking into account the shipping delays, I'm a bit worried. Could you tell me whether it has been mailed or not? Thanks.
posted by habonde at 2:14 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2010
I was chosen to receive Ethan and the Web of Lies by Dan Ryan from you, back in August. I am wondering if you could tell me if it has been mailed, as I have not received it yet. Thanks!
posted by momtotwo at 1:16 am (EST) on Nov 2, 2010
Hi, I was notified that I was supposed to receive a copy of The Year of Compulsary Childbirth and have not yet received it. Hopefully it hasn't gotten lost in the mail.
posted by mjwensel at 9:49 am (EST) on Oct 25, 2010
Hi, I was notified that I was to receive Ethan and the Web of Lies by Dan Ryan from you ..... but I'm still waiing. Help!!!!
Petrer Clack
posted by PeterClack at 9:59 pm (EST) on Oct 6, 2010
I was notified on August 24 that I had won a copy of 'The Luddite Girls'. I haven't received a copy yet and was wondering if it is a eBook or hard copy and when I might receive it? I'm looking forward to reviewing it.
posted by cat8864 at 8:49 pm (EST) on Oct 2, 2010
I haven't received a copy of the ebook 'The Luddite Girls', either. I have carefully checked my inbox for the last month or two. The only other thing I can think of is that it possibly went to a spam folder...but without knowing what email address it is coming from, it is impossible to prevent that. Would you possibly be able to resend me a copy, and I will check both inbox and spam folders daily? Or if anyone else who has it can forward it, that would be great. My address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
posted by jen28f at 2:03 pm (EST) on Sep 28, 2010
Oh, also....The Luddite Girls by Karen Dee and The Year of Compulsory Childbirth by Nigel Farringdon.
Kathy Austin
posted by jkaustin02 at 8:33 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2010
I was chosen by LibaryThing to receive Ethan and the Web of Lies by Dan Ryan from you, but have yet to get it...that was on 8/24. Please advise as I am purging my list of books to review.
Thank you,
Kathy Austin
posted by jkaustin02 at 8:30 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2010
I won a copy of the Luddite Girls and also the Year of Compulsory Childbirth but have not received either yet...I was wondering whether they were e-books or hard copy books and also when I may receive them.
Kind regards
posted by knitterscarlet at 6:53 pm (EST) on Sep 9, 2010
Hi. I won a copy of "The Year of Compulsory Chidbirth" and was just wondering if the book you are going to send me is a physical book or an e-book. Thank you very much and I can't wait to review it for you!
posted by Remembria at 10:52 am (EST) on Aug 26, 2010
I can't wait to read your book!
posted by bookoholic123 at 7:27 am (EST) on Aug 26, 2010
Hi there! I'm sorry, I did receive it. This has just been a crazy month and I haven't had a chance to review or read much. I have just moved into a new house and things are still being unpacked. But worry not, I will be getting to my LibraryThing stuff by the end of this month hopefully.
posted by TZacek at 3:47 pm (EST) on Aug 17, 2010
Solid, authentic, robust, traditional, solid food - a man's choice but that is what it was - I suspect his mother might have thought twice about chicken soup with a chicken main and on reflection I am not sure about the fish as well in a more or less everyday meal - I would need to research a bit.
I can't recall if the frois gras went with the filet mignon but that would be someone trying to show off and spend a lot of money and again a man's choice, but plausable enough in a restaurent trying to do posh French (a touch old fashioned).
Btw if it was a man eating the lettuce concoction he would be moaning about having to go on a diet and how all this low carb stuff was getting tiresome and he really fancied a Macdonalds or some such.
best wishes
posted by wendyrey at 5:58 am (EST) on Jul 8, 2010
They actually try and sell that stuff! Some of the menu must be targeted at a very narrow group, ultra health freaks, stick thin, plastic surgeoned old woman spings to mind.But then again it is LA but still bleagh.
I may not be that keen onyour book or any book of this genre but it is better than averrage and should do well.
Best wishes
posted by wendyrey at 4:14 am (EST) on Jul 8, 2010
Yes, I did. Thank you. Feel free to check back in awhile if I haven't posted the review yet.
posted by KorieK at 8:29 pm (EST) on Jul 1, 2010
Hi, thanks for the update. I have received the book now and will start reading it tomorrow. It looks really interesting!
Thank You
posted by sweetie_candykim at 7:06 pm (EST) on Jun 22, 2010
Hi, David: Just to let you know I received your book today through the post. I have started to read it today and will finish it in three week's time. Please expect my review by the beginning or middle of July as I need time to read and abosorve the book. I am an avid reader but do like to take my time and do research into each book I'm reading to enjoy and totally acess the book.
Thank you for the opportunity for reading and reviewing your book. I am looking forward to review it.
Mrs Mary Aris
posted by TheGoldenPen at 7:28 am (EST) on Jun 17, 2010
Thanks for the update. No Worries! :D Looking forward to read your book!
Mrs Aris
posted by TheGoldenPen at 7:05 am (EST) on Jun 14, 2010
This is it: Esta Wolfram
1232 Skycrest Dr. #6
Walnut Creek CA 94595-1845
~ ~ ~ and now I shall look forward to June! esta
posted by Esta1923 at 4:25 pm (EST) on Feb 27, 2010
Facetious will get you nowhere, my friend. I've read on line which isn't easy or efficient so you'll need to be in print to make me happy. Galley proofs or real book, whatever works for you.
posted by Esta1923 at 6:27 pm (EST) on Feb 24, 2010
PS do you need my home address? esta
posted by Esta1923 at 4:54 pm (EST) on Feb 24, 2010
Thank you. I am now officially your friend, esta
posted by Esta1923 at 4:52 pm (EST) on Feb 24, 2010
(that's "not quite sure why" on Facebook aversion.
posted by Esta1923 at 5:04 pm (EST) on Feb 23, 2010
Being your friend. . . please define! I am a friendly old lady but draw the line at Facebook (not quite sure, but took that stance long ago and continue it). I'd be glad to read your book-in-progress if I could be of assistance (or get an autographed copy after it's done.) Meanwhile. Thanks for asking. Esta
posted by Esta1923 at 5:02 pm (EST) on Feb 23, 2010
By posting your question (about rape victim/survivor) you gained a small measure of the membership. LibraryThing means a great deal to many people. When you (later) have time I hope you will feel welcome to participate.
posted by Esta1923 at 4:28 pm (EST) on Feb 21, 2010


text:
Watch this Pasolini classic like a true Italian
In Russian hit Stalingrad, the block busters you.
In 1983, I interviewed brilliant actress and fiery personality Susan Tyrrell--who recently died--for a staggering Details cover story. The woman was not capable of lying, and since I'm not either, we bonded big time, like thieves in a henhouse. Here's more of the amazing stuff she said, which I'm ... More >>
MOMA presents Italian film classics
Film Forum revives Mamma Roma
In Marlon Brando's 1994 memoir Songs My Mother Taught Me, the great actor remembers the time lusty force of nature Anna Magnani decided to go in for the kill. "Without any encouragement from me," relates Brando, "she started kissing me with great passion.
Missing Man, Ariel View, Keep Your Eyes Open, and more
Made in his early, druggy years, Mapplethorpe's Polaroids reveal an artist in curious transition
Two unusual careers, two tributes
Pier Paolo Pasolini made movies for and about the fringe. And he lived it.
Only in the early '70s could Elliott Gould have been a matinee idol. Since then? The Brooklyn schlemiel's long goodbye.
Isabella Rossellini pays beautiful tribute to dad, as Bergman doc falters
Who else would have put Genet, Chanel, Beckett, and Fabian within the same covers?
25 movies to catch at the Tribeca Film Festival
Holiday Photo Books, Both Extravagant and Accessible