text:
St. John the Baptist Parish officials say normal garbage collection is continuing today. However, areas on Highway 628/West 5th Street, from Jouty to Camphor may not get picked up today. If garbage is not collected by 6 p.m. this evening, officials say, residents should secure garbage cans in preparation for the storm.
Progressive Waste Solutions is expecting to resume garbage collection
services on Thursday. Normal garbage collection will resume Friday and
Saturday, authorities said.
Residents with garbage or trash collection issues are asked to call 985-536-2750 or email email@example.com.


text: Mumbai: With Virat Kohliâs inclusion in the playing XI more or less certain, a winsome India will take on West Indies with an aim to complete a whitewash in third and the final Test at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.The MS Dhoni-led side has hardly set a foot wrong in the series so far as its players have exceeded the expectations in the first two Tests â which they won comfortably â in Delhi and Kolkata. If their bowlers did the trick of stifling the opposition batsmen at the Kotla, their batsmen joined the party by piling up a total in excess of 600 at Eden Gardens.While the middle order is amongst runs, the Indian team management would like its openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, to convert their starts into big scores.This match could be a vital test for Kohli, should be play, for he has done exceedingly well in the shorter formats of the game but now needs to show that he has got the wherewithal to perform in whites. The Delhi batsman struggled against short-pitched bowling â twice in five innings did the short stuff end his innings - during his maiden Test tour to the Caribbean, and ahead of the all-important tour of Australia he will need to impress.Tempting as it may sound, it would be hard to disturb a successful line-up by bringing in Varun Aaron and Rahul Sharma. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav have troubled the West Indiesâ batsmen with both old and new, while the duo of Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin has proven a handful. West Indies, on the other hand, have shown improved hunger to compete with the hosts, especially in the second innings of the Kolkata Test. They seem to have found a genuine batsman for the No. 3 spot, Kirk Edwards, a right-handed Barbadian who is not only sound in technique but also uses his height to good effect when getting to the pitch of the ball.Darren Bravo is full of grace in the middle order, and his century in the Eden Test was exemplary. The visitors, who are facing an injury scare of Shivnarine Chanderpaul will hope their most experienced batsman to be fit for the final encounter.The pace bowlers of both sides will come into picture as the Wankhede track is expected to be a lot livelier than the previous ones.Squads:India: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron.West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Adrian Barath, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh, Darren Sammy (captain), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Denesh Ramdin, Shane Shillingford, Fidel Edwards, Devendra Bishoo.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated.
June 11, 2001
Good morning. I am Dr. Richard Jackson, Director of the National Center for
Environmental Health (NCEH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I
would like to thank the Committee for inviting me here today to discuss how environmental
exposures can potentially affect the public's health, and the role that the public health community
can play in addressing these issues.
It is well known that short-term, high-level exposures to environmental chemicals can
cause adverse health effects. Much of what is known about these types of exposures is based on
occupational exposure research involving individuals or small groups of people who have been
potentially exposed to environmental chemicals. However, less is known about the effects that
long-term low-dose exposures can have on people's health, particularly when the potentially
exposed population is large. Health effects such as birth defects, developmental disorders,
neurological and immunological diseases, and cancer are often attributed to environmental
exposures. When the suspected exposure source is found in a specific location, or community in
a higher number than would be expected when compared to comparable locations, people in the
community become concerned that there is a disease "cluster". Furthermore, people are also
worried that something in their "environment" is causing the cluster.
Disease Clusters
Disease clusters, such as cancer clusters, can have a devastating impact on individuals,
families, and communities. From a public health perspective, the "perception" of a cluster in a
community may be as important as, or more important than, an actual cluster. Public concern
increases quickly when people think there is a cancer cluster in their community and that they
and/or their children will be harmed. These situations deserve prompt and effective public health
In the public's mind, cancer clusters are caused by something in the environment until
proven otherwise. While certain clusters may result from environmental exposures, we need to
consider many possible explanations before drawing conclusions. When searching for the cause
of a cancer cluster, public health workers will have the opportunity to review the unique
environmental aspects of a community and identify existing known environmental hazards. If
public health workers identify a public health hazard, they should quickly remedy the situation.
Public health action to remove a known human health hazard should not be delayed.
Cancer cluster reports are common because cancer is common. The American Cancer
Society predicts that this year 1,220,000 Americans will be diagnosed with non-dermatologic
cancer; and over 553,000 Americans will die this year because of all types of cancer.
Fortunately, we are making progress in preventing and controlling cancer. CDC recently reported
good news from California where lung cancer incidence fell 14 percent between 1988 and 1997.
The reported decline may be related, in part, to the significant declines in smoking rates as a
result of California tobacco control programs. We also know that early detection of cancer
through cancer screenings saves lives. But, the preventible causes of many cancers remain
I can assure you that CDC and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) are committed to a public health system that can quickly identify and respond to
community concerns about cancer clusters. Cancer cluster activities must be integrated into the
broader public health approach to cancer prevention and environmental hazard control. A
community suspects that a cancer cluster exists when more cases of cancer have occurred than
are expected and when there is a possibility that the cases share a common cause. A few cancer
cluster investigations have led to the discovery of preventable causes, but this is the exception
rather than the rule. These investigations involved astute researchers and physicians who
identified an excess of extraordinarily rare cancers among their patients (e.g.; adenocarcinoma of
the vagina and diethylstilbestrol; Kaposi's sarcoma and HIV virus; liver angiosarcoma and vinyl
chloride monomer) or who identified a cluster of certain cancers known to have a single
preventable cause (e.g.; mesothelioma and asbestos).
Approximately 85 to 90 percent of investigations of suspected cancer clusters find no
increased cancer incidence. Even though 10 to 15 percent of investigated clusters do show that
the study population has a higher than expected cancer risk, this increased risk, may be due to the
random distribution of cancer within a population (i.e. chance). The causes of the remaining
clusters are unknown. Routine analysis of cancer registry data to identify cancer clusters can
increase the number of chance clusters. Statistical tests of cancer registry data cannot separate
observed clusters caused by chance from those due to an unrecognized common cause.
Although cancer clusters rarely provide a scientific opportunity to identify a new cause of
cancer, public health agencies require the capacity and technical expertise to support a staged
response to public inquiries about cancer clusters. Public health agencies require the scientific
and technical expertise to identify when an excess cancer has occurred and to reassure
communities when it does not. Cancer clusters are reported throughout the United States. A
survey by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists found that 41 state health
departments reported 1,900 cancer inquiries in 1996. We don't know the total number of
reported cancer clusters because there is no national tracking system to identify suspected or
confirmed clusters.
Measuring Environmental Exposures
Our challenge is to address the public's fear that something in their "environment" is
causing the cluster. To effectively determine the public health impact of a chronic environmental
exposure, three things are tracked. First, we cannot know the hazards of chemicals in humans
unless we monitor what chemicals actually are in the environment. Tracking toxic chemicals in
the environment must include the amount, concentration, and geographic distribution of known
and potential toxic chemicals. Some systems for tracking this type of data already exists, for
example, within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory
which collects data down to the local level. There are also EPA and state data bases for water,
air, and pesticide environmental contaminants.
Second, actual human exposure levels are tracked through measurement of chemicals in
human blood and urine through a process known as "biomonitoring." CDC released the first
annual National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. This first edition of
the Report presents levels of 27 environmental chemicals measured in the U.S. population. These
chemicals include metals (e.g., lead, mercury, and uranium), cotinine (a marker of
environmental tobacco smoke exposure), organophosphate pesticide metabolites, and phthalate
metabolites. An example of what we have observed so far is a decline from 71 percent in the
early1990's to 32 percent in1999 for non-smoking Americans exposed to environmental tobacco
smoke. We are expanding the Report to include 100 environmental chemicals. Chemicals under
consideration for future Reports include carcinogenic volatile organic compounds, carcinogenic
polyaromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls, trihalomethanes,
haloacetic acids, carbamate pesticides, and organochlorine pesticides. This data will be collected
annually and the number of chemicals tracked will increase, but this data is currently only
available on a national level.
Finally, health outcomes are to be tracked over time. Specifically, both disease events
and trends in health risk behavior need to be monitored over time through tracking systems such
as vital statistics, health surveys, and disease registries. As we build a comprehensive disease
tracking system in the U.S. that can provide data on a range of chronic conditions at the national,
state, and local levels, it will be designed so that the data collected can be linked to the data from
the other two tracking components. A comprehensive, nationwide exposure and disease tracking
system is the only means to access the magnitude and nature of health risks from environmental
I will now describe the components of a staged response to clusters which includes the
multi-level, multi-agency public health response that is required to address potential health
problems and public concerns related to potential environmental exposures.
The State Role
Cancer cluster concerns should be addressed by state health departments working as
closely as possible to the affected community. A staged response is called for, and this requires
that state and local agencies establish a set of core competencies. The first competency is the
ability to determine if a cancer cluster represents an excess cancer risk for the community. The
second competency is the ability to respond to a cancer cluster concern. A third competency is
the ability to link information about environmental contamination with cancer registry data. Most state health departments have developed protocols for responding to cancer clusters,
however, these approaches and capacities vary from state to state.
High quality, population-based cancer registries are a critical tool for health departments
to address cancer cluster concerns. CDC currently supports statewide, population-based cancer
registries in 45 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia through the National
Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). The National Cancer Institute includes the remaining five
states as part of its Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results Program. These registries
systematically collect and analyze cancer incidence and mortality data to identify and monitor
cancer trends over time, guide cancer control activities, and suggest leads for further research.
CDC's NPCR represents a unique opportunity to strengthen cancer reporting and registration in
the United States. The NPCR collects information on cancer cases for 96 percent of the nation's
population. Since 1997, the number of NPCR-supported state cancer registries that have been
certified for quality by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries has
increased from nine to 29.
Data collected by state cancer registries can be used to guide planning and evaluation of
cancer control programs; help set priorities for allocating health resources; and advance clinical,
epidemiologic, and health services research. Cancer registry data is essential to be able to
determine cancer patterns among various populations, to monitor cancer trends over time, and to
identify and evaluate suspected clusters of cancer.
To maximize the benefits of state-based cancer registries, CDC is developing the
NPCR-Cancer Surveillance System for receiving, assessing, enhancing, aggregating, and
disseminating data from NPCR programs. This system will provide valuable feedback to help
state registries improve the quality and usefulness of their data, and the system could support
important data linkages with other cancer databases. Availability of data on a regional and
national level will also facilitate studies in areas such as rare cancers, cancer among children,
cancer among racial and ethnic minority populations, and occupation-related cancer.
Effective state health departments are reliant on experience staff who can access and use
cancer registry information, interpret these data and act appropriately upon the results. CDC is
currently exploring various strategies to meet these needs.
When we are able to identify environmental health hazards in affected communities and
link cancer registry information with environmental exposure data, states well be able to better
address community concerns.
The CDC and ATSDR Roles
CDC and ATSDR respond to cancer clusters by providing infrastructure support, national
leadership, and technical assistance to states. Technical assistance has included peer review and
consultation, field investigations, and assessment of environmental exposures. CDC has
enhanced state infrastructure by funding state-wide population based cancer registries that enable
health departments to review cancer incidence data and assess reported cancer clusters. In 1989,
CDC sponsored the National Conference on the Clustering of Health Events; the proceedings
appear in a supplement to the American Journal of Epidemiology (volume 132, July 1990). In
addition, CDC published Guidelines for Investigating Clusters of Health Events in July 1990.
The guidelines can be accessed at:
www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001797.htm CDC continues to review these
documents and the current science to be able to revise guidelines as appropriate.
ATSDR and CDC are involved in responding to cancer clusters. I have already
mentioned CDC's support of state-wide cancer registration. CDC conducts exposure assessments
and epidemiologic studies that evaluate how people are exposed to environmental hazards and
that identify preventable environmental causes of cancer. CDC 's environmental health
laboratory measures known and suspected cancer-causing agents in human blood and urine. CDC
also addresses exposures to cancer causing-agents in the work place by conducting laboratory
science and epidemiological investigations. CDC also responds to requests from employers,
employees, and other government agencies for investigations involving possible work-related
ATSDR includes selected cancers among its seven priority health outcomes. ATSDR has
responded to requests for cancer cluster investigations, especially those near hazardous waste
sites. In addition, ATSDR educates concerned communities about cancer causes and prevention
and publishes Toxicologic Profiles, a series of 137 monographs about cancerous and other health
effects of hazardous substances, chemicals, and compounds found in waste sites. ATSDR also
has been involved in research projects about the relationship between environmental exposure
and the development of selected childhood cancers.
Next Steps
CDC and ATSDR are working toward a number of activities to assist state health
departments respond to cancer cluster and other inquiries related to potential health risks from
environmental exposures. CDC is establishing a single point of contact through which all of
these disease cluster inquiries might flow. This office would coordinate the CDC and ATSDR
response, drawing upon needed expertise throughout CDC and ATSDR and other Federal
agencies. CDC, in coordination with state and local health departments will develop
recommendations or guidelines for responding, identifying, and following-up on disease cluster
We are in the process of developing a public health system that is capable of monitoring
exposure to chemicals linking the monitoring data to actual health outcome information, and
utilizing the results to identify and respond to disease cluster inquiries. This will require a
partnership among CDC, ATSDR and state health departments. Disease cluster investigations
have rarely led to new discoveries into the causes of cancer, developmental disabilities, and other
health outcomes. However, other positive public health outcomes can result. One example
comes from a community in California. At this site, a pesticide investigation did not find any
causal links between environmental exposure and disease; however, it did lead to the
implementation of many positive public health actions such as increased health insurance
coverage, pesticide tracking and better working conditions.
CDC and ATSDR will continue to work with states on their disease registries and help
provide public health professionals with the knowledge and skill to use these systems to respond
to the public. CDC and ATSDR are working with the states to build their environmental public
health capacity. Through comprehensive, coordinated efforts and in partnership with many
governmental, nongovernmental and community-based organizations we will continue to
improve America's environmental public health will be assured.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I would be happy to answer
any questions you might have.
Last revised: September 24, 2001


text:
Monthly Archives: October 2013
September's Top 50 Sites: Apple, Crackle, & MySpace
CBS stays strong in September Compared to last year, an election year, this September was quite slow. That didn't stop cbs.com from making it to the list of fast movers once again. Although they didn't have election coverage to drive traffic, they still managed to have the highest month-over-month (MoM) increase of all the top 50 sites. Seeing a 50% MoM increase and bringing their amount of unique visitors (UVs)
Addressing Research in the Digital Landscape
Continuing last week's discussion on the Advertising & Marketing series hosted by the Ad Club of NYC, two Millward Brown Digital Research Analysts, Hannah Pavalow and Nicole Romano, provide additional insight on this week's relevant topic of marketing research. Millward Brown's own Senior Partner, Ann Green, spoke to the group about the challenges researchers face today.
A Bleak First Week: 99.6% of Healthcare.gov Visitors Did NOT Enroll in Obamacare
Since October 1st, Americans living in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. can purchase healthcare through exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare.) Little information has been made available by the administration on the level of interest these exchanges have received or more importantly the number of consumers who actually enrolled, although the rollout has been plagued with widespread reports of system outages and bugs.
Finding Success by Fostering a Creative Work Environment
The Advertising Club of New York is presenting an eight week lecture series on Advertising & Marketing. This past week Val DiFebo, CEO of Deutsch, and Gina Grillo, President and CEO of the AD Club, kicked-off the series with a one-on-one interview discussing the state of the industry and what it takes to grow your career in the field. Two of our Research Analysts share their thoughts on the session and how it contributes to our focus of getting digital right.
Sunday Series: Football Category Continues to Win Big
We've done a post on how teams were performing before pre-season, we've done a post on how teams were doing during pre-season, so of course we must do a post now that the season is fully underway.
The Weekly Compete Pulse
Here's a round up of our favorite digital marketing stories from the web this week: Making better use of data-driven marketing, three conversion rate optimization techniques using images, a definitive guide to copywritiing, and what everyone should know about SEO.
19 Characteristics & Activities of Today's Mobile Shopper
As mobile becomes an unavoidable force in nearly every industry, the identification of a certain profile is essential for the success of your mobile marketing efforts. Because mobile shopping is yet to be ubiquitous, the behavior, attitude and interests of consumers who engage in mobile shopping differ from traditional desktop shoppers.
A Compete Analysis of Obamacare
Healthcare has been all over the news as of late. Between the shutdown of our government and the constant news reports, I'd say it's pretty close to impossible to not hear about the stalemate on the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Despite your thoughts on healthcare reform, it is also hard to deny the impact that the news has had on Internet behavior.
September Data is Now Live at Compete
It's that time of the month again, and September's data is now live in Compete PRO. Many of you have taken time to email or tweet your appreciation for the data going live. Thank you! We really appreciate it. It is a big effort to get the data ready. It involves working with 500 million database records every day that we receive from 2 million panelists, extracting and transforming that data, normalizing and projecting that data, creating metrics from that data, and ensuring the quality of the data.
Sunday Series: As the Summer Ends, the Job Search Begins
Image from: Job Search / Shutterstock For the second month in a row, the "Job Search" category is a fast mover. I'm not sure how I fell about this fact. It could mean that people are relying more and more on the internet to find a job or it could mean that more and more people are looking for a job. Either way, the category is up 8.9% month-over-month (MoM)
The Weekly Compete Pulse
Here's a round up of our favorite digital marketing stories from the web this week: The best times to post on Instagram, why you can't engineer success, more on Google making the switch to SSL, and how multi-screen ad impact will soon be possible through Google.


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CVS Pharmacy and fast-food restaurant or bank proposed at 305 and Hostmark
POULSBO — A pharmacy and a fast-food restaurant or bank are proposed on the site of Northwest Design Center at Highway 305 and Hostmark Street. Again.
Sure, you've heard this one before. Walgreen's was moving in, and McDonald's was relocating to the site from Viking Avenue, and the Northwest Design Center prepared to move to Silverdale. And then it all fell through.
It's more likely to happen this time.
Behind this latest proposed redevelopment of the site is Velmeir Companies, a commercial retail development company based in West Bloomfield, Minn. Velmeir has developed retail sites for Blockbuster, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle Mexican Grill, CVS Pharmacy, Dairy Queen, The Home Depot, McDonald's, Office Depot, Staples, and others.
According to the notice of application for a site plan permit, Velmeir proposes tearing down the 38,172-square-foot furniture store and building a 14,500-square-foot CVS Pharmacy with drive-through and 62 parking spaces; and a 3,995-square-foot fast-food restaurant or bank with drive-through and 40 parking spaces. The site will be landscaped. Access will be from an existing driveway at the north end of the site off Highway 305, and a relocated driveway on Hostmark Street. That driveway is being moved to ease congestion at 305 and Hostmark, according to associate city planner Karla Boughton.
Residents can review the site plan and submit comments to the city until Nov. 13. The site plan requires approval of the planning director. Other permits required: Demolition, grading, and building.
The application file is available for review at the planning department at Poulsbo City Hall, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Boughton said Velmeir expects to finish the project by October 2014.
The longtime owner of the property is Apple Investment Co., Seattle. The current building is 40 years old — it was originally Poulsbo Market. The site has an assessed value of $3.1 million, according to Kitsap County Assessor's records.
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First decision made
CLEVELAND – What we know for sure is that Brian Hoyer will start at quarterback for the Browns on Saturday in the preseason opener against the Detroit Lions.
Beyond that the competition to win the job for the start of the regular season is about as uncertain as a Johnny Manziel scramble.
One could say that Hoyer has won the first round, but that was the easy part. He had a significant advantage by the fact Manziel entered the fray as a head-in-the-cloud rookie.
The hard part might be holding off the challenge of Manziel, who has made noticeable strides after a shaky first week. For the first time since training camp began, Manziel carried himself with the assurance of a starter in the making during a press conference after Wednesday's practice.
"We should get out there with a lot less clutter," Manziel said. "We're into it a couple weeks now. I feel a lot more comfortable. There's still a long way for me to go, obviously, but, like I said a week ago, if I kept working on this stuff and kept getting more familiar with a certain play call and concepts that I would get better. There's still a lot left for me to go."
The consensus is that Hoyer has failed to build on his lead at the start of camp and might be letting an opportunity to win the job slip from his grasp. He hasn't had an awful camp by any stretch of the imagination, but he hasn't done the things you'd expect to see from a firmly-entrenched starter.
Hoyer might beg to disagree. He began camp knowing it was his job to lose, and he feels he's kept a firm grasp on it.
"I expected it all along," Hoyer said when asked about getting the start in Detroit. "You just go about your approach the same way every day. If you go about trying to be the best quarterback for this team, regardless of where you are, things will work themselves out."
Coach Mike Pettine said that Manziel might get some repetitions with the first-team offense against the Lions. Pettine also wouldn't rule out starting Manziel against the Washington Redskins in the second preseason game.
It couldn't be more obvious that this is a legitimate horse race. It started with Manziel appearing confused and humbled. He played much better in the Family Day scrimmage last Saturday and has followed it with three decent practices this week.
Conquering the playbook and not Hoyer has been Manziel's operative plan. The playbook won most of the battles early in camp, but of late Manziel seems to be dealing better with intricate calls that can consist of 16 words.
"I'm picking things up at a quick pace, but I wouldn't say more than anybody else," Manziel said.
Pettine said the decision to name a starter prior to the third preseason game will now come down to how the two play in the first two preseason games. The biggest mystery is how much Manziel will have to change his free-wheeling college style to adapt to the NFL.
"That's still a process to be able to control that and make it a positive thing going forward instead of a thing that's considered somewhat wild," Manziel said. "Today in the end zone I threw a touchdown stepping up like I'm going to take off, keeping my eyes down field and being able to get the ball to a receiver (tight end Jim Dray). There are times when you have to get out, and there are times when the defense wins."
Don't count out Manziel simply because Hoyer will start against the Lions.


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Visitors are welcome to come to Merck Forest and Farmland Center for the extended farm chores program. Attendees will help water and feed the animals, collect and wash eggs, tour this year's new grazing garden and pick raspberries or blueberries.
Visitors will learn about the farm as part of the program and have an interactive and educational experience helping with the duties that allow the farm to operate. As a bonus, those who attend will be allowed to take home the berries and eggs they collect at a discounted price. Farm Chores: Summer Series costs $2 per person.
Merck Forest and Farmland Center is an education non-profit in the Taconic Mountains of Southern Vermont that strives to teach, demonstrate, and sustain a working landscape. MFFC is located at 3270 Route 315 in Rupert.
For more information, call 802-394-7836 or visit www.merckforest.org.


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Dismiss Notice
Missed the live Ask the Expert event?
Not to worry. Check out the archived thread of the Q&A with Ken Hutcheson, President of U.S. Lawns, and the LawnSite community in the Franchising forum .
They are calling it "slope failure"
Discussion in 'Heavy Equipment & Pavement' started by YellowDogSVC, Jan 26, 2010.
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"No matter how old we are, losing a mother
is one of the deepest sorrows a heart can
know, but her goodness, her caring and her
wisdom live on..... like a legacy of love that
will always be with you."
Dearest Mom,
Words can't describe how much I miss you and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. I wonder sometimes how different my life and things would be if you were still here.
There's so much going on that I keep to myself-- I wish you were here so I could talk to you about it and ask for your guidance on what to do but I know you're watching over and sending signs to guide and help me. Thank you.
I don't need a certain day to remember you. Each day, throughout the day there are constant reminders of you but out of all the days of the year, November 27th hurts the most because it was the day you left this world. Thank you for continuing to surround me with your unconditional love.
Te amo. Le falto. Le necesito. Deseo que usted estuviera aquí. Amor por siempre,
Princesa Colombiana


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Vashon rowers place in over half of races at Eugene regatta
Last weekend members of the Vashon Island Rowing Club metaled in 25 of the 43 races they entered at the 18th Annual Covered Bridge Regatta. The regatta, a high school, collegiate and masters event, draws rowers from Washington, California, Arizona, Idaho and Oregon, creating a large field of 1,400 competitors.
Dexter Lake, where the competition takes place, is nestled in a picturesque valley south of Eugene, Ore. The iconic covered bridge, now a historic landmark, sits south of the start line on the eight-lane course, a 2,000-meter length for junior and collegiate crews and 1,000 meters for masters.
Vashon Island Junior Crew (VIJC) rowers earned eight first-place medals, the first two going to single scull racers Ryan Bingham and Avalon Koenig.
The club's new rowers showed their strength by placing first in the novice men's and women's four events. In the boy's boat were Ben Zaglin, Nathaniel Petram, Charles Eliott, Patrick Hanson and coxswain Ally Clevenger. In the girl's boat, coxed again by Clevenger, were Bryn Gilbert, Kirsten Girard, Maya Krah and Taegan Lynch.
"Our 'novies' have done an awesome job," said coach Richard Parr.
The junior men's varsity quad, coxed by Sarah Warner, with rowers Baxter Call, Tate Gill, Gus Magnuson and Bingham, came across the finish an impressive 11 seconds ahead of the field.
On Sunday, Jack Mask and Zaglin placed first in the junior men's JV double, while the women's JV four crew, Hannah Russell, Anna Ripley, Lynch and Gilbert, clinched first under the direction of coxswain Rayna Shinn.
VIJC garnered six metals for second-place finishes. Zaglin, Eliott, Petram and Hanson, with coxswain Clevenger, took second in the junior novice quad. Two boats competed in separate heats and each finished second in the junior women's varsity double category: Koenig and Kehoe in heat one and Katelyn Carter and TeraJane Ripley in the other. The junior women's JV eight, with Ella McDonnell, Kelsey Abella, Anne Jaspers, Kalie Heffernan, Russell, Anna Ripley, Girard, Shannon Lipe and coxswain Shinn, missed placing first by a heartbreaking one-tenth of a second.
On Sunday, Jaspers, Girard, Heffernan, Kai Li Scheer and coxswain Clevenger took second in the junior women's novice quad. Call and Gill brought the final second-place win in the junior men's varsity double.
Three third-place finishes rounded out the weekend for the junior team, including the junior women's JV double, rowed by Abella and Scheer. Parr said he thought the girls performed wel.
"It was a really solid third place and a tough race against some big girls," he said.
Bingham and Magnuson took third in the junior men's varsity double, as did the junior women's varsity eight. The crew, with Gilbert, Carter, Lynch, Koenig, TeraJane Ripley, Charlotte Kehoe, Krah and Halimah Griffin, coxed by Warner, were crushed when their boat crossed the finish line a mere half-second behind the first-place boat.
Vashon's junior crew tied with another team for third in the regatta's Juniors Efficiency Trophy, an award based on the number of points earned divided by the number of race entries, essentially equalizing team sizes against racing results.
Vashon's master rowers also won eight metals over the weekend. The women's master quad clinched first with rowers Lisa Huggenvik, Su DeWalt, Holly Zappel and Kim Goforth. The mixed master eight, coxed again by Dow and rowed by Huggenvik, DeWalt, Gary Schoch, married rowers Ed and Holly Zapel, Mark McKallor, Goforth and Steve Haworth, also took first.
A second-place finish went to the women's master four boat, with Debby Jackson, Zapel, Goforth, Dewalt and coxswain Heather Dow.
Adding to the metal count were five third-place awards: The men's master double, with Chad Magnuson and McKallor, the mixed master double, again with Magnuson and Huggenvick — who had last rowed a double two years ago — the men's master four with Schoch, Jim Hauser, Zapel and Haworth, and the women's master double with Therese Smith and Mary Rothermel.
For master rower Steve Haworth, who placed third in the men's master single, the thrill was more than the race. It was his competition, Tiff Wood, perhaps the most famous rower in the Northwest. Wood was the U.S. men's singles champion in 1980 and headed to the Summer Olympics in Moscow the year that President Jimmy Carter enacted a boycott of the games. The dispirited athlete made the tough decision to continue training and try for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, only to barely miss qualifying.
Wood won the race against Haworth, but with the handicap adjustment, Haworth was only four seconds behind him.
Parr closed the weekend by commending the entire team and recognizing Clevenger, who earned four medals.
"For a small club, and how many clubs that were here, we got lots of metals. ... All in all, a pretty good hit-out for the first real go of the year," he said.
— Marianne Metz Lipe is on the publicity committee for the Vashon Island Rowing Club.
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text:
HEBRON, Conn. — Connecticut State Police are asking the public for help identifying a man who robbed the Savings Institute and Trust in Hebron this week.
Troopers say the man entered the bank around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, presenting a teller with a note demanding money. He implied he had a weapon but no weapon was shown, according to troopers.
The man made off with an unspecified amount of cash and police believe he may have jumped in a waiting getaway vehicle.
The suspect is described as standing approximately 6-feet tall with a thin build and light-colored facial hair groomed into a goatee. He was wearing a gray-colored hooded sweatshirt with a tan-colored coat over it. The coat has a lapel-type collar and zipper in the front.
The man also wore dark-colored jeans, a green or gray winter hat, dark-colored sunglasses and white colored Nike Cortez sneakers with a blue colored swoosh on the side.
The bank has been the subject of several hold-ups over the years, and troopers are asking anyone with information about the current incident to contact the State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad, Troop K, at 860-537-7500 or 860-465-5422.


text:
Baton Rouge -- A 50-year, $50 billion plan for restoring Louisiana's eroding coast, along with the annual plan for the coming year, won the unanimous support from the Louisiana House of Representatives on Tuesday, the last hurdle in a sometimes-contentious process that began in January. Based around a strategy of providing multiple lines of defense, projects ranging from barrier islands to levees to raising or buying flood-prone properties, the plans have already gained the unanimous approval of the Senate.
The projects proposed in the New Orleans area include: a $73 million study on realigning the Mississippi River channel; $75 million to design a barrier and surge gate at the Chef Menteur and Rigolets passes; and $81 million for a 16-foot-high levee in Slidell. The plan also calls for billions in wetland restoration and rebuilding efforts.
Some of the cost of the work could be paid through fines that will be assessed for the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which could run from $1,000 to $4,000 for every barrel of oil spilled.
Legislation moving through Congress would direct some of that money to Louisiana and bills specifically dedicating that money to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority are advancing through the Legislature.
The five-year update of the master plan approved by the House Tuesday had previously received unanimous support from the authority.
Jeff Adelson can be reached at email@example.com or 225.342.5207.


text:
March 2013
Spring Training, Day 18: And on that note, we cue the music
Today was the last full day of my Spring Training 2013 odyssey, with a Braves-Cardinals game at Roger Dean Stadium. Tomorrow morning I fly back to NYC, where I'm told it's still chilly.
It's been a tremendously entertaining, if draining, three weeks, and it's been great to be back at the ballpark. Whatever my job may require of me in the coming years, I hope it always includes a significant chunk of time actually at baseball games. It's where I belong, and it's great to be reminded of that.
Among the impressions that stand out…
* Chris Archer still stands as having given maybe the most impressive pitching performance I saw. Boy does he have some stuff. It's got to be nice to be able to send a guy like that down.
* Matt Carpenter really looks pretty OK at second base. In short, if he hits like he ought to, the defense will be good enough to play him. I can't say I expected that. It's a tribute to him and the coaching staff.
* Most impressive players I saw were Jason Heyward and Bryce Harper. Two guys who just absolutely smoke the ball and are also fairly freakish athletes.
* Evan Gattis is just a hitter. He may or may not break camp with the Braves, but put aside the novelty factor. He looks like a guy who will hit at the big league level.
* Lakeland is still the best place for a game in the Grapefruit League, at least until and unless somebody goes to Vero Beach. Clearwater is the runner-up, for my money.
* Best concession item? Duh – Taco in a Helmet, Port St. Lucie.
* Best meal of the trip? Another no-brainer. Leftovers Cafe in Jupiter.
* Best beer? Green Flash Hop Odyssey Black IPA, at Yard House in Jupiter
Today's game in a nutshell: Matt Adams' eighth-inning RBI single broke a tie and gave the Cardinals a 5-4 win. Mike Minor was very good for four innings and then rocky in the fifth. Joe Kelly was quite solid, though not against exactly an A lineup. And Oscar Taveras made a very nice catch to end the game.
Player of the day: Braves outfielder Jordan Parraz was 4-for-4 with an outfield assist.
Miles driven: 4 today, 1654 for the trip
Miles run: 2 1/2 today, 28 for the trip
Starbucks visits: 1 today, 18 for the trip
Up next: A flight to Laguardia, dinner with my wife, sleeping in my own bed, and then the Drive-By Truckers in concert on Saturday night.
Ballpark music note: At about 11:05 am, with the gates already having opened, and the Cardinals taking BP, they played "Battery" by Metallica. That was decidedly unexpected. And very cool.
And, finally, the playlist:
Today is a sad day for me. The Boston Phoenix is closing up shop after decades of being an absolutely fantastic publication. I read it religiously every week when I was in school, for news analysis, local insight, music and arts coverage, and all kinds of fantastic writing and journalism. It was an example of how good an alternative news weekly can be, and its loss will be felt. So in a hat-tip to the Phoenix, it's a playlist of Boston-area music from when I was in school. Thanks to everybody there. You did great work that mattered to a lot of people.
Letters to Cleo, "Pizza Cutter"
Aimee Mann, "That's Just What You Are"
Morphine, "Cure For Pain"
Belly, "Feed the Tree"
Buffalo Tom, "Summer"
Spring Training, Day 17: Back home again on Planet Jupiter
So, somewhat appropriately I think, I'm back in Jupiter for the final stop of my 2013 Spring Training odyssey. This place really feels like home, which I guess makes sense given that I've lived more than a year of my life around here. I hit the Crazy Cuban for lunch and headed over to the ballpark for the Marlins and the Braves.
Kris Medlen pitched quite well before coming out of the game in the fifth. He was hit in the arm by a batted ball, and while it doesn't seem to be serious at all, it would have been silly to push him.
Y'all know, if you read me with any frequency, that I'm not a "soft factors" kind of guy. I don't pretend to know any of these guys' character with any degree of certainty, even the ones I covered for a long time. I just think there's too much that those of us who cover a team don't know. We can get some read, but I've been surprised, positively or negatively, by so many guys over the years that I just think it's safer to admit that I don't know.
So, with that said, I don't want you to think I'm holding Medlen up as a paragon of virtue as I write this. I _do_ think, though, he could be a star. I mean, obviously he could be a star in the baseball sense. The dude pitched 138 innings with a 1.53 ERA last year. He could be an All-Star this year.
But I mean, he could be an off-the-field star, somewhat akin to how R.A. Dickey has taken off. Dickey of course has other things that make him noteworthy — the knuckleball and an incredibly compelling backstory. But Medlen, like Dickey, is almost disconcertingly honest and funny. He's got a ton of personality, and an unusual personality.
Maybe he goes out and posts a 5 ERA this year, and if that happens, nobody outside of Atlanta will notice. But if Medlen has another really good year, you're going to hear a lot from him and about him, because he's somebody that writers and TV and radio producers around the country will seek out.
Today's game in a nutshell: Medlen and Nathan Eovaldi were both quite good, and there wasn't a lot of offense. Tyler Pastornicky walked, stole second, and scored on Chris Johnson's single in the ninth to win the game, 2-1, for Atlanta.
Player of the day: That'd be Medlen by a hair over Eovaldi, since he didn't give up a run. The Braves right-hander allowed two hits and no walks over 4 2/3 innings, striking out three.
Quote of the day: "I told him the very first time I threw a bullpen, I said, man, I feel like a [jerk] because I know you've caught Verlander before." — Medlen on Gerald Laird
Miles driven: 18 today, 1645 for the trip
Miles run: still at 25 1/2, as I rested today following a rather embarrassing faceplant on the concrete outside the Braves stadium yesterday. Good times.
Up next: Tomorrow is my last game in Florida. I'll be on Braves duty one more time, handling the beat for Mark Bowman as they play the Cardinals. It's Joe Kelly against Mike Minor. But perhaps more important, it's Joe Kelly against Shelby Miller, who will pitch after Kelly as they continue battling for the fifth spot in the Cardinals rotation.l
And, finally, the playlist:
In honor of my time in the homeland, a playlist of Florida artists:
Tom Petty, "American Girl"
Jimmy Buffett, "Migration"
Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Don't Ask Me No Questions"
Bellamy Brothers, "Let Your Love Flow"
Against Me, "Baby, I'm An Anarchist"
Spring Training, Day 16: No-hitter watch
Exhibit 14,729 as to how Spring Training is different:
After five innings today, I took a look at my scorecard and said, "Oh, hey, the Cardinals don't have a hit yet." And then they got one, and that was that.
Seeing them next to each other, thinking about them on the same day, I was struck by the similarities between the Cardinals and Braves. They're both going to score a lot of runs, thanks to deep and powerful lineups (though the advantage goes to StL here). They both have some big arms in relief and should have quality bullpens (though the advantage definitely goes to ATL there).
And then there are the rotations, for my money are what separates the two teams — and yet in a sense are somewhat similar. The difference is the Cards have one or two more questions than the Braves do. In each case, it could be a very good unit. In each case, there's an exciting youngster in the five spot. The Cardinals are more likely to have a Cy Young contender, I think, but the Braves are more likely to have above-average performances from their 3rd and 4th guys.
Overall, for both teams, I think it will come down to what the rotations do. If Jaime Garcia and Jake Westbrook and either Kelly or Miller come up big, the Cardinals could win north of 90 games and win the division. If Medlen comes anywhere close to repeating and Hudson has one more strong year and Teheran emerges, the Braves could have the NL's best record. But it's hard to shake the thought in both cases that if something goes wrong, it's going to be in the starting five.
You can actually take this parallel one step further, in that in each case, I think they're chasing a team that's a little better, a little more complete, has a little bit less uncertainty. So IMO there's a good chance they'll be in a Wild Card battle with one another as they chase the respective defending division champions.
Today's game in a nutshell: Teheran was very good. Westbrook was a bit shaky. And the back of the Cardinals bullpen was very, very rocky in a 12-3 Braves win over St. Louis.
Player of the day: Teheran. He pitched five no-hit innings, striking out six against two walks. Aside from Brian McCann, he's probably the biggest variable for this team, in my mind. If he's very good, look out.
Miles driven: 7 so far today, 1464 for the trip
Miles run: 3 today, 25 1/2 for the trip
Starbucks visits: 1 today, 16 for the trip
Up next: It's one more long highway haul for me tonight. I'm Jupiter-bound once again, spending the last three nights of the trip in my old stomping grounds. For the next two days, I'm on the Braves beat, covering for my good friend and A-1 teammate Mark Bowman as they play the Marlins (tomorrow night) and Cardinals (Thursday).
And, finally, the playlist:
Depeche Mode announced tour dates today. So you get a Depeche Mode playlist, which is fairly easy (or really difficult, I'm not sure which) given that there are something like 200 DM tracks on my iPod.
"Black Celebration"
"World In My Eyes"
"In Your Room"
"Everything Counts"
Spring Training, Day 15: Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Sometimes, I'm a 10 year old. I could come to Space Coast Stadium five times a year for the next 10 years, and I will never, ever, ever not chuckle and think of Space Ghost when I see the name. Then again, if you ever watched the old Space Ghost Coast to Coast show, you know why. That was great stuff.
I saw the Nats and Braves today and it wasn't really much of a contest. A not-exactly-Opening-Day lineup thumped an almost-exactly-Opening-Day Nationals lineup, 7-2.
And so it got me to thinking about the nature of baseball, and sample sizes, and stuff like that. We lose sight, far too often, of just how much randomness is built into a baseball game or even a series of baseball games. The lesser team wins a large percentage of the time. We're so used to football, or even basketball, where upsets are shocking for a reason. In baseball, it's just not like that.
So you get a game like today, with Ernesto Mejia and Blake DeWitt getting key hits in a Braves win over Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals. These things can happen in ANY baseball game, and even more so in a spring game, where guys come out early and you get weird lineups. It just can't be emphasized enough. Weird things happen in baseball games.
This then got me thinking about the World Baseball Classic, where there was this great rush to assign meaning to three games. The U.S. goes 2-1, so everything is OK, but if it had gone 1-2, it would mean we needed to re-assess everything? This is madness. The difference between winning and losing one baseball game could be any of a thousand things completely divorced from the relative strength of the teams playing it.
Not that they don't care. Not that the games are meaningless to the people playing in them. Absolutely not. That's why it's fun to watch. But as far as something to draw conclusions from? One game, be it in Viera or Phoenix or San Juan, is just one game. Always.
End of sermon.
Today's game in a nutshell: Stephen Strasburg was dealing, and then he was in trouble, and then he was out of the game, and then it became a rout. Strasburg explained that he's really working on getting more effective out of the stretch, and it was with runners on that he got in trouble today.
Player of the day: Facing the Nats' Opening Day Lineup, Paul Maholm was terrific. He pitched five shutout innings with two hits, one walk and five strikeouts. Excellent work.
Quote of the day: "I know there's a lot of new TV deals that have made that possible. But I don't know. I barely know the infield fly rule." — Fredi Gonzalez, on the fact that some different teams have been spending big in free agency in the past couple of years.
Miles driven: 62 today, 1395 for the trip
Starbucks trips: 1 today, 15 for the trip
Up next: I'll see the Braves again tomorrow, this time at their home ballpark in Greater Disneyburg. I'll be on columnist duty as they face the Cardinals, with Julio Teheran and Jake Westbrook taking the mound.
And, finally, the playlist:
Johnny Marr's got a new album out, and it's pretty good. How 'bout we delve into his career for some highlights?
The Smiths, "What Difference Does It Make?"
The The, "Dogs of Lust"
Electronic, "Feel Every Beat"
Modest Mouse, "Dashboard"
The Cribs, "Ignore the Ignorant"
(man, how great is Johnny Marr's résumé?)
Spring Training, Day 14: Morning comes early
It wasn't quite full daylight yet when I hopped in the trusty rental car for the trip from Greater Disneyburg to Lakeland, thanks to the time change. Not that I'm complaining, as I'm one who greatly appreciates extra daylight in the evening, but it was a bit odd. Everybody around the ballpark seemed to be moving a bit more slowly today.
Well, everyone except Bryce Harper. I've said this before, but the guy is just tremendously fun to watch doing just about anything on a baseball field. This year, though, he does look a little different.
Which is to say, he's bigger. He looks like he's growing into an adult's body. More weight, but I'd swear he's also even taller. Dude is just big.
And holy cow does he put on a show in BP. He's one of those guys, like has been said about Pujols, that the ball just sounds different when he hits it. I saw him hit three BP homers today — all of them to the left side of center, one of them to left-center, and all of them well up the berm behind the fence. Even the single he hit was scorched.
None of this, of course, means he's going to have a great year in actual Major League games that matter. But the more I see him, the more I get the hype. The tools are ungodly. The presence is IMO undeniable. Obviously any number of things could go wrong, because this is a difficult game. But I think nearly any prop bet you offered me on Harper's 2013 season, and his career, I'd take the over. I'm a full buy.
Today's game in a nutshell: Rick Porcello was very sharp again, Dan Haren got no help from his defense, and the Tigers held on for a 2-1 win. There were a total of 11 hits and 3 walks in the entire game.
Quote of the day: "I'm the oldest starting pitcher. I throw by far the slowest. I'm the second-best hitting pitcher." — Haren, asked how the Nationals differ from the other teams for which he's pitched. (And for those unaware, he's used to being BETTER than the 2nd-best hitting pitcher, not worse)
Player of the day: We have our first two-time winner. Porcello was very impressive once again, going five shutout innings with three hits, no walks, and four strikeouts.
Miles driven: 38 so far today, 1,288 for the trip
Roadside sight of the day: As I pulled onto I-4 this morning, I saw a hot air balloon. And then another. And then two more. In total, 11 balloons dotting the sky of the Kissimmee-Lake Buena Vista-Celebration-Disneyburg area. Apparently it's a daily thing, or at least a regular thing, and you can buy rides. Quite a sight. No, I didn't take a picture. I was going 75 mph.
Starbucks visits: 1 for the day, 14 for the trip
Up next: I see the Nats again tomorrow, this time at home against the Braves. It's Stephen Strasburg against Paul Maholm, hopefully the first of many Nats-Braves games I cover in 2013.
And, finally, the playlist:
It was definitely a wake-me-up kind of morning on the car stereo on the way over…
The Virginmarys, "Takin' The Blame"
The Bronx, "Pilot Light"
Free Energy, "Electric Fever"
Rancid, "Roots Radical"
Social Distortion, "Story Of My Life"
Spring Training, Day 13: Taco. In. A. Helmet.
Today brought me to Port St. Lucie, home of the Mets and of the best concession item in the Grapefruit League: Taco in a Helmet. If you get to Port St. Lucie, just go get one. Thank me later. Crushed chips, cheese, spicy ground beef, lettuce, salsa, jalapenos and sour cream in a nice-sized helmet (bigger than your usual ice cream helmet, smaller than an actual helmet).
Anyway, to the baseball.
Today was another episode in the ongoing strange saga of Johan Santana, and I'd be lying if I said to you that I understand what exactly is going on. He's going to pitch in a game, at some point. But when? Not clear. Whether that will be enough for him to be ready for the first turn through the rotation? Not clear. This is a situation that is best left to the beat writers,and the Mets have some good ones.
No, rather than actually looking at what's going on with Santana, the situation instead just causes me to think about what the Mets really are this year. And it may seem silly, but Santana's health question is really kind of a tipping point for me.
With him, you can look at the rotation and see it being pretty good. I like Jon Niese a lot. Dillon Gee has been effective despite an unusual profile, Shaun Marcum is a nice lottery ticket, and the kids (Wheeler and Harvey) are really exciting.
But it all works so much better with the guy at the front. Santana doesn't need to be a Cy Young winner, but he needs to be a guy they can count on to be effective. If he's not there, it really changes the whole look of the Mets starting five, from a unit that has some real potential to one that has more reasons for concern than optimism.
I still wouldn't completely rule out a surprise. The rotation could still be very good. The lineup is, IMO, better than it looks. But it's a much tougher row to hoe with Santana a question.
Today's game in a nutshell: Jeremy Hefner was very good and the Mets hit the ball awfully hard in a 9-6 win against the Astros. New York smacked five doubles among 12 base hits.
Player of the day: Perhaps the most pivotal Met, Lucas Duda. He hit hte ball hard all over the field, including a double to the opposite field, in going 3-for-3. If Duda lives up to the promise that a lot of people (myself included) thought he had going into last year, it changes the look of this Mets lineup a lot.
Quote of the day: "The same guy that throws really well in the seventh is the guy that should pitch in the ninth." – Dan Warthen, Mets pitching coach
Miles driven: 36 so far today, 1127 for the trip
Miles run: 6 today, 28 1/2 for the trip
Starbucks visits: 1 so far today (though with another couple hours to drive, maybe one more in the offing), 13 for the trip
Up next: I'll make camp in Orlando for the next few days, bopping around the camps in Central Florida. Tomorrow it's Dan Haren against Rick Porcello as the Nats play the Tigers in Lakeland. It will be my first time seeing Washington this spring, and I'm definitely looking forward to it.
And, finally, the playlist:
Let's shuffle the iPod today, shall we?
Kanye West, "All Falls Down"
EMF, "Children"
U2, "Party Girl"
Cake, "Carbon Monoxide"
Rolling Stones, "Honky Tonk Women"
Spring Training, Day 12: Paying the Wrench
I was on Yankees duty today, but it was a very quiet day for the bunch of Bombers who took the field in Jupiter. Pretty much all of the big news was in Tampa, where Andy Pettitte threw and Derek Jeter took at-bats in a simulated game.
Somewhat similarly, the biggest news for the Cardinals was also not an on-field matter. The club announced a five-year deal with Allen Craig.
It's no secret I'm a fan of Craig's as a player and have been for a while. He's a pure hitter without many equals, a guy with power, strike zone judgment and the ability to hit for average.
And thus, I really like this deal for the Cardinals. It makes sense in a lot of ways. It buys out exactly the years you want to buy, agewise — Craig will turn 33 in the last full year of the deal. They get his age 28-32 seasons at cost certainty, with a club option on the age-33 year.
The dollars are very reasonable, peaking at $9 million in his last arbitration season, $11 million in what would have been his first year of free agency, and $13 million on the option.
Moreover, I like the thought process behind it, from the club's perspective. They got one year of free agency, which is just right. If you buy out only the pre-free agency years, you gain cost certainty but not actually any of the player's service that you didn't already have. By getting control over the first two years of his free agency, Craig's age-32 and 33 seasons, they make sure they have what should be the tail end of his prime, without committing to what will likely be his decline phase.
By the way, from Craig's perspective this is also a very good deal. He gets the guarantee that he likely never thought he'd get as a former eighth-round pick. He gets security against injury worries. Even though this is a good deal for the club, I absolutely understand why Craig took it, and I think he was wise to do so.
It's the rare win-win.
Today's game in a nutshell: The Marlins jumped on Adam Warren with a whole bunch of base hits, jumping out to a 4-0 lead and cruising to a 6-1 win over the Yankees. Nathan Eovaldi walked three and didn't strike anyone out, but got through four innings with only one run on the board.
Player of the day: It's a guy I like quite a lot, Marlins catcher Rob Brantly. I thought he was a nice get in the trade with Detroit last summer, and he hit extremely well after the trade. I don't know how much star potential there is in Brantly, but I think he can be a competent Major League regular right now. Brantly was 2-for-2 with a walk, a double and two runs scored.
Quote of the day: "I think that's what's so great about Mo: in a time where a lot of times people are always trying to add on, add pitches, Mo mastered what he was great at. He said, you know what? I can do it with this, and I can be almost perfect." — Joe Girardi on Mariano Rivera
Miles driven: 5 today, 1074 for the trip
Starbucks visits: 1 today, 12 for the trip
Up next: I'm in Port St. Lucie tomorrow to see the Astros and the Mets, working on some long-term projects and probably writing a column. And, of course, enjoying a Taco in a Helmet.
And, finally, the playlist:
Today it's a simple one. It's side 2 of Sticky Fingers by the Stones.
"I Got the Blues"
"Sister Morphine"
"Dead Flowers"
"Moonlight Mile"
Spring Training, Day 11: Oh no biggie, just Rivera, Jeter and Teixeira news
I knew that taking the Yankees beat for a couple of days would mean I was busy. I didn't quite realize how busy.
So, yeah. Mark Teixeira spoke to reporters today for the first time since his injury. The Yankees announced that Derek Jeter has been cleared for full baseball activities, meaning he could be in a game before long. Oh, and by the way, Mariano Rivera apparently will announce on Saturday that he's retiring at the end of the year.
Yankees beat writers, you have my admiration but not my envy.
As a result of the chaos, I don't really have any fully-formed thoughts about the Yankees following today's game. But I do think there's very real reason for concern about this team, and it's not just because of they guys they'll do with out in May. It's unclear what they'll be getting from their rotation beyond Sabathia. It's unclear what they'll get from catcher, third base, DH, and the outfield even if people are healthy.
It could work. I'm not writing them off. But I think there were issues with a fully healthy Yankees team, never mind one as banged up as they are.
Today's game in a nutshell: It was a back-and-forth affair but the Cardinals had the final say. Kolten Wong's two-run homer in the ninth tied it after New York led, 6-4. Then two errors and an Adron Chambers single brought home the game-winner — thus sparing Wong from a kangaroo court fine for sending a spring game into extra innings.
Quote of the day: "I have a lot of guys that say they play first base now." — Joe Girardi, on the available playing time in the absence of Teixeira
Player of the day: Pete Kozma, the presumptive shortstop for the 2013 Cardinals, had a very nice day. He was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and turned a sweet double play.
Miles driven: 6 today, 1062 for the trip
Miles run: 3 today, 22 1/2 on the trip
Starbucks visits: 1 today (there's one literally in the parking lot of my hotel), 11 for the trip
Up next: Once again tomorrow I fill in for the esteemed Bryan Hoch. This time it's Yankees at Marlins, with Adam Warren facing off with Nathan Eovaldi.
And, finally, the playlist:
I've spent several days complaining about the music here at Roger Dean. Well, today, postgame, they played some really good stuff. So here are five of the highlights:
Rolling Stones, "Let It Loose"
Bob Marley, "Exodus"
Steely Dan, "My Old School"
Allman Brothers Band, "Statesboro Blues"
Rolling Stones, "Paint It Black"
(I'm a Stones fan, so they get two. Sue me.)
Spring Training, Day 10: This seems familiar
This one was like riding a bike. Hopped in my car this morning, drove down Military Trail to the ballpark, parked outside the Cardinals complex, reported to the media room… Even had my old seat in the main press box. A few of the names have changed, of course, but this was nice.
One of the main topics in this morning's conversation with Mike Matheny was Matt Adams. I'm intrigued by Adams, who I think could contribute right now in the right circumstance. I'm also intrigued because of the possibility that he's at least partly in competition with Oscar Taveras for a roster spot. I'm not saying they couldn't both be on. I'm not saying either one of them is necessarily on. But there are limited spots, and both guys are in the competition.
In short, the case that's made for Taveras (aside from, he's great, he needs to be there, end of story) is that somebody needs to be available so they can give Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday days off. I think Adams can essentially fill that role, playing first base with Allen Craig going to the outfield on those days.
And while I definitely understand the groundswell for Taveras, I think there's a real case for Adams. Matheny laid out part of it today — Adams is at a point where he really doesn't NEED those everyday reps like Taveras does. He's older, he's less raw, he's pretty close to being the player he's going to be. If Adams gets one or two starts a week, it likely won't stunt his development. Taveras really needs to be playing every day.
Also, while it's frustrating to think about business at this time of year when it's much more fun to talk baseball, there's a very real business component with Taveras. You'd really rather make sure you have team control for his age-27 season than have all of his age-21 season.
Finally, one other factor: Adams' future as an everyday player almost certainly is not in St. Louis. My guess is there's a lot to be said for trading him, getting value for a valuable asset and perhaps upgrading the club at another area of need. If you're going to do that, perhaps you want to get him big league at-bats to show what he can do.
I don't know how it's going to turn out, and it's possible that Taveras could go Pujols and be so spectacular they just can't keep him off. It's possible they're both on. It's possible they're both at Memphis. I just think it's not as simple as "Taveras ON" vs "Taveras OFF," and one reason for that is Adams.
Today's game in a nutshell: The Cardinals hit five home runs, including big, impressive shots from Adams, Taveras, and Matt Holliday, as they cruised to a 7-2 win. Jake Westbrook was solid, though he got only one groundball out in three innings.
Quote of the day: "If you can hit, you can hit." — Matheny on Adams and the likelihood that he would be asked to pinch-hit if he's on the roster
Player of the day: Taveras, who also doubled to go along with his homer. Kid can rake.
Miles driven: 6 today, 1037 for the trip
Miles run: 3 today, 19 1/2 on the trpi
Starbucks visits: 1 today, 10 for the trip
Up next: Yet another day on Planet Jupiter, this time covering for my friend and teammate Bryan Hoch as the Yankees come to town. I'll actually be on Yanks duty each of the next two days, as they play the Cardinals Thursday and the Marlins on Friday.
And, finally, the playlist:
Today is the 15th anniversary of "The Big Lebowski," the movie from which this blog takes its name. So here are five songs from my all-time favorite comedy.
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, "Just Dropped In"
Bob Dylan, "The Man in Me"
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"
Gipsy Kings, "Hotel California"
Townes Van Zandt, "Dead Flowers"
Spring Training, Day 9: The real world intrudes
It's safe to say that in 12 seasons covering baseball, I've never had a day quite like today. It started out normally enough, going to the park around 3:30 like I've done for hundreds of games in the past.
Then I got to the press box at Roger Dean Stadium and it was absolutely packed. There were no seats in either row, only at the tables behind the main seating. That was my first indication of what I should have already known — Team Venezuela is a big deal. I did manage to squeeze into a seat, but that question turned out to be an utter afterthought.
Sometime around 5 pm, word came down that Hugo Chavez had died. It was not just a twitter hoax, we soon learned. And suddenly the task of covering the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team had a bit of a different feel to it.
It was challenging trying to get anywhere as a non-Spanish speaker, but people worked together and helped each other out. I was able to get a few comments (and no-comments) on Chavez — who, of course, was extremely polarizing.
Then the game, and it was entertaining as well. The Venezuelan starting nine is just ridiculously good, but we got a reminder that baseball is weird. Anybody can beat anybody, and the Marlins without Giancarlo Stanton can beat the Venezuelan national team.
Postgame, Luis Sojo spoke a little bit about Chavez and a good bit about baseball. Then Zambrano gave what seemed to be some very heartfelt words about the president. Unfortunately for me, it was in Spanish so I can't be entirely certain. I asked for, and received, a partial translation. Essentially, Zambrano expressed human sympathy for Chavez and his family, rather than taking any kind of political stand. I wish I had understood more of it.
So, yeah, tomorrow will probably be a little more routine.
The game in a nutshell: Miguel Cabrera was a force, but the Marlins kept coming back. Chris Coghlan had four hits and scored three runs as Miami came back from deficits of 3-0 and 5-3 to win, 6-5.
Quote of the day: "I think for the respect of Venezuela, they have to do something [before] the first game against the Dominicans." — Carlos Zambrano, on the fact that there was no moment of silence for Chavez before tonight's game
Player of the day: Coghlan certainly has a case, but for me it's Cabrera. Four at-bats, four screamers. Two doubles, one of them to the wall. One homer, a mammoth shot to left. And even his out was loud, a liner to center.
Miles driven: 25 today, 1025 on the trip
Miles run: 3 today, 16 1/2 on the trip
Roadside sight of the day: It's not exactly roadSIDE so much as on the road. In the span of 45 minutes or so driving around today, I saw two Ferraris, two Bentleys and an Aston Martn. And that's not even counting the player parking lots. Welcome to Palm Beach County.
Starbucks trips: 1 today, 9 for the trip
Up next: I'm in Jupiter again tomorrow, but this time with a little more familiar assignment. I'll be stepping in for the esteemed Jenifer Langosch on the Cardinals beat when they play the Marlins. Looking forward to occupying my old seat. And also to lunch from Pyros.
Ballpark music note of the day: Oh, dear, RDS, you can do better than you did tonight. BEPs, Pitbull, Sandstorm, I know y'all have some good tunes. Heck, last year you welcomed me with some New Order. Please?
And, finally, the playlist:
We reach the top. And for me, these five albums really did stand out above all the rest. No. 1 was an easy, easy call. And really, the rest of the top-5 came together pretty easily. See the past 4 entries for an explanation of what's going on here, if it's not clear.
The second half of Erin's top-10:
Craig Finn, "No Future" (Clear Heart, Full Eyes)
Big Sean/Jay-Z/Kanye West, "Clique" (GOOD Music–Cruel Summer)
Santigold, "Keepers" (Master of My Make-Believe)
Japandroids, "The House That Heaven Built" (Celebration Rock)
Metric, "Breathing Underwater" (Synthetica)
And my top-5:
Justin Townes Earle, "Unfortunately Anna" (Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, No. 5)
Cloud Nothings, "Fall In" (Attack On Memory, No. 4)
Bruce Springsteen, "Rocky Ground" (Wrecking Ball, No. 3)
Patterson Hood, "(untold pretties)" (Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance, No. 2)
Japandroids, "Younger Us" (Celebration Rock, No. 1)
FWIW, "(untold pretties)" and "Younger Us" may also be my two favorite songs of the year, not just my favorite songs from my two favorite albums. Great stuff.


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Department Overview
Family and Consumer Studies (FCS) is an interdisciplinary department where faculty and students examine how the social, economic, political, and physical environments affect families, individuals, and consumers. The teaching, research, and service done in the Department focuses on expanding our understanding of how welfare of individuals, and the families in which they live, are affected by external forces and internal forces. As such, the Department Emphasizes applied social science research and teaching with a strong public policy orientation.
The FCS Faculty includes individuals trained in business education, demography, education, family economics, gerontology, human development and family studies, psychology, and sociology. This mix of backgrounds has helped the Department to cultivate an inter-disciplinary environment that influences faculty research and faculty services as well as our undergraduate and graduate programs
Degrees Offered
|Consumer & Community Studies (BA/BS)
|Human Development & Family Studies (BA/BS)
|Human Development & Social Policy (MS)
FCS Professor Zhou Yu was featured in WalletHub's recent article on 2016's most and least financially savvy states. Click here to read!
Child and Family Development Center Lab School celebrates young learners
U's Lassonde Institute, NeuroVersity Win Community Award for Autism Project
Columbus Community Center presents Social Enterprise Award to Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and faculty startup NeuroVersity
Nov. 24, 2014 – In recognition for helping students on the autism spectrum, the Columbus Community Center – a Salt Lake City center providing support services for people with disabilities – awarded the University of Utah's Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and startup NeuroVersity with the Social Enterprise Award at its Ninth Annual Dignity through Work Recognition Event earlier this month.
The award honors the work the Lassonde Institute has done in partnership with NeuroVersity, a faculty startup that helps teach vocational skills to students on the autism spectrum by teaching them how to use 3D-modeling software (SketchUp Make). The training taps into the strength many of these students have for detailed projects and visual-spatial reasoning and orientation.
"It's a great honor to receive this award," says Troy D'Ambrosio, executive director of the Lassonde Institute, an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. "It shows how we can have a great impact on the community by bringing together faculty researchers, students and community members."
NeuroVersity launched in 2013 with help from students in the Lassonde Institute. Since then, the company has conducted numerous pilot programs across the country and secured substantial financial support from organizations including the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, Utah Autism Foundation, University of Utah, McCarthy Family Foundation, Autism Speaks, Autism Council of Utah, Google and Trimble, Inc.
Last summer, NeuroVersity and the Lassonde Institute partnered with the Columbus Community Center for one of the latest pilot programs. They created a workshop where local students learned the 3D-modeling software then worked on a "real world" project presented by Big-D Construction.
The University of Utah faculty members behind NeuroVersity are Scott Wright, a professor in the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program in the College of Nursing, and Cheryl Wright, a professor of family and consumer studies.
"We have teamed up with the Columbus Community Center to bring a great learning opportunity to the most underemployed group with disabilities in the U.S.," Scott Wright says. "Our company helps transition-aged students with autism turn their strengths into highly sought-after abilities and technical skills. Columbus is helping us take our efforts to the next level and reach even more people."
About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally-ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides engagement opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include graduate seminars, business plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, scholarships, community outreach and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Institute is also building a new facility for student entrepreneurs due to open in fall 2016. Learn more at www.lassonde.utah.edu.


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Mindfulness and Mindfulness-based Approaches - From Reactivity to Responding
This workshop is for people who wish to learn more about mindfulness and mindfulness-based approached. Mindfulness practice is a vehicle to train awareness, cultivate compassion and create the possibility of responsiveness in thinking, speech and behaviour.
Mindfulness has a long lineage dating at least 2600 years. Making use of this rich lineage Jon Kabat-Zinn began teaching mindfulness systematically to people with chronic health problems in medical and psychiatric settings in the 1970's (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). More recently mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression has been developed as an innovative approach that combines mindfulness and cognitive-behavioural approaches (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002). Evidence suggests that among people with recurrent depression mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly reduces relapse rates over one year (e.g., Teasdale et al., 2000) and it has been incorporated into the UK NICE guidelines as a recommended approach to recurrent depression.
Mindfulness-based approaches are being developed for people with long-term physical health conditions, for children and teachers in schools, for young people in higher education, for parents, in occupational settings and as a way to help people in their everyday lives respond to stress, enjoy greater wellbeing and lead fulfilling lives. Whilst the evidence base for depression is strongest, preliminary research for other mindfulness-based applications is emerging. The next decade will see step-wise changes in our understanding of wellbeing and ways to cultivate wellbeing from observational and experimental research, neuroscience and the development and evaluation of new intervention approaches.
Provisional timetable
09:30 Registration/Tea and Coffee
10:00 Workshop starts (there will be a break for lunch)
16:30 Workshop ends
To support the learning objectives above there will be a chance for mindfulness practice, experiential exercises and illustrative video extracts of mindfulness classes. There will be teaching and discussion around mindfulness-based approaches' orientation and component elements. The main routes to deepening a personal mindfulness practice and taking forwards an interest in mindfulness professionally will be described and explored.
Learning outcomes and objectives
- The core mindfulness practices
- What participants learn in mindfulness-based approached
- How mindfulness-based approaches supports this learning, through its overall orientation and its component elements
- Routes to taking an interest in mindfulness further personally and professionally
Key resources
- Crane, R. (2009). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. London: Routledge.
- Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: How to Cope with Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation. New York: Delacorte.
- Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. New York: Guilford Press.
- Williams, J. M. G., Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., & Kabat-Zinn, J. (2007). The mindful way through depression: Freeing yourself from chronic unhappiness. New York: Guildford Press.
Facilitator: Willem Kuyken
Willem is is a research clinical psychologist specialising in recurrent depression. His work with people with mood disorders spans twenty years, he has been teaching MBCT since 2001 and has published on mindfulness mechanisms, clinical trials and implementation. His work is underpinned by an 18 year personal mindfulness practice.
Booking information
Non-Society members: £95 (£79.17 + VAT)
Society members: £63 (£52.50 + VAT)
How to book
Registration closing date: Friday 25th January 2013.
The Rougemont Hotel (Thistle)
Queen Street


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We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. To begin the holiday season, please enjoy 20% off select items for our Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale!
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The Cherry Wood Trivet, designed by David Haessig of DHH designs, has been individually handcrafted with the finest of Wisconsin Cherry hardwood. Available in two different sizes, 6 x 6 in. or 6 x 12 inch. A delightful way to protect surfaces from hot and cold dishes, accent the dishes being served and create a lovely decorative touch for display at special events. A perfect, lasting gift for any occasion.
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In the end, Gov. Chris Christie's ongoing battle with the teachers union has been, politically, more of a boon than a risk for the governor who is not a presidential candidate (but plays one on Fox News).
Nationwide, teachers have somehow become the popular Orwellian scapegoats for much of what's ailing state and local governments and the New Jersey Education Association, with their death prayers and stubbornness, practically gave him all the ammo he needed to beat them back.
But now, Christie finds himself in a battle with police and firefighter unions. And this is different.
While the support of key Democrats make it likely he'll get the pension cuts and health benefits reform bills he seeks, it may be a bloodier battle politically for Christie. On today's Ledger Live video blog, we visit the Statehouse rally held by police and firefighters unions to handicap the latest political bout to rock Trenton.


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WATCH: Transphobic "X-Factor" Judge's "Words Can't Bring Me Down" Belts Out Trans Contestant
Fifi Janevksi stormed the stage of Serbian X Factor where she sang a rousing rendition of Cher's "Dov'e L'Amore." Even though Fifi was giving more runs than an Olympic track and field trial, judge and former Eurovision contestant Željko Joksimovic was unimpressed.
According to Serbian LGBT activists, via Gay Star News, Joksimovi? made "disrespectful" remarks about Fifi, saying, "I personally don't like that… but you are a good singer." He also jokingly suggested to the other judges that Fifi had male and female forces dueling within her, saying that "there are two of them."
Joksimovic, claiming he was not "persuaded," asked Fifi to sing some more and she obliged by belting the shit out of Christina Aguilera's equality anthem, "Beautiful." She could've dropped the mic and stomped off the stage in her stilettos then and there, but being a lady, she graciously waited for the other judges to commend her performance.
A spokesperson for a leading LGBT organization in the Serbian capital of Belgrade told GSN that while Joksimovic "made a transphobic remark," his fellow judges all showed Fifi "support and complimented her on her performance, singing, looks and bravery."
Even before Fifi uttered a single note, the hostess of X-Factor was already enamored, lending Fifi her tiara prior to her performance. Sure, it clashed with her earrings — one statement piece above the neck is usually enough — but as she was ruling that stage, it seemed an appropriate accessory.
That's what amazes me when you see how LGBT are treated in the streets of Serbia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znp8kTGyRx0
The number of hate comments on there shows how much work needs to be done in Serbia.
This show could hardly have been more different. Wonderful, supportive crowd.


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Federal Way police chief responds to camera criticisms
Federal Way Police Chief Brian Wilson gave a report to the city council on Sept. 18 regarding photo enforcement systems at three local school zones.
A recent letter to the editor published in The Mirror, along with subsequent broadcast reports from Seattle news stations, has many wondering if the school zone cameras are truly accomplishing their stated purpose, or if they're an easy way for the city to fill its coffers by issuing expensive tickets to unsuspecting drivers.
According to Wilson, there is no sinister purpose for the use of the cameras, beyond increasing safety in school zones.
"Several of our public schools in the City of Federal Way face a significant issue with speeding vehicles in and around school zones. We have 23 public and private school zones in the city, and given the nature of three of these school zones, we placed cameras at those three locations," Wilson said.
"The primary reasons are speed in those areas, the fact that it's a multi-lane, either four- or five-lane roadway. Our goal is to increase the safety of our children in these high-volume, high-violation school zone areas."
Data on school zones
The three school zones in question are Panther Lake, Twin Lakes and Saghalie. According to data compiled by Federal Way police:
• Since the installation of the photo enforcement systems in 2009, the Panther Lake Elementary School zone on 1st Avenue South continues to be biggest trouble spot, with 5,995 citations issued between January and June of this year.
• The Twin Lakes Elementary School zone on SW 320th Street saw approximately 2,000 citations issued since the beginning of 2012.
• The Saghalie Middle School zone on 21st Avenue South has seen approximately 1,800 citations issued for the same timespan.
• Panther Lake also outstrips the other two school zones for total violations dating back to 2009. In the three years the photo enforcement system has been in place at Panther Lake, almost 10,000 speeding violations have occurred at that location.
Issues with the cameras
Numbers aside, and the need for increased safety that they would imply, Wilson conceded that there have been some issues with some of the school zone systems in the past couple of years.
"Two of the school zones, at Saghalie and Twin Lakes, were on a system that was a time clock system. We had very high accuracy with it, but there were some problems, sometimes, where the timing wouldn't be exact," Wilson said, noting that when issues arose, the city would take steps to dismiss those tickets or not have them processed.
"Panther Lake was unique in that…the cameras and the lights are hardwired together, so that one will not operate without the other," he said.
One of the biggest complaints against the photo enforcement systems at the school zones is that often times, it seems that drivers receive citations when the flashing lights are not on. Or, drivers will argue their case that if the photo doesn't catch the flashing lights, then the proof of a speeding violation seems non-existent.
Wilson said that improvements have been made to all three systems to ensure that proof of the flashing lights is included in any photo for a citation.
Because Panther Lake continues to be a trouble spot, the city installed more lights to inform drivers that they are approaching a school zone.
"We added six lights to the Panther Lake site to advise drivers that they're coming into an area where a school zone is coming up," Wilson explained. "We've made adjustments to all of the cameras over this time period, to where you can see the lights in the image from the camera…Overall, we're very confident in the system, how it's operating, and we continue to take steps to enhance and improve upon the system."
Wilson said that Federal Way police and the city both recognize that this is an ongoing process of improvement, but that once again, all of it is being done to increase safety as much as possible.
"The primary issue is safety. For example, with Panther Lake, from the time it was initiated back in 2009, we've had 9,853 speed violations. That's a concern. That's way too high," he concluded.
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I'd like to introduce you all to Callum, a young lad of a friend of mine who's rather amazing. He was diagnosed on the autism spectrum and with intellectual disability, but he is not defined by these challenges alone. To me, he is defined by his incredible talent as an artist and by his prolific ability to communicate through his artwork, despite the extremely delayed developments that autism has given him.
Ever since he was a baby, he's loved elephants. Unable to speak until he turned 5, elephants became his favorite subject. Over the years, he has created literally thousands of drawings of elephants, depicting a talent for art well beyond the years of any child, with or without autism. The human brain truly is a miraculous thing.
Elephants and Callum's artwork have bridged the gap for him from making treatments that would otherwise be unavailable to him within his access. Because of this he has developed in ways those who love Callum had dreamed and hoped for. With the recent development of Callum painting his pieces, a new movement has begun. A very special mission built on the premise that "Elephants are how Callum talks to the World and what Callum wants to talk to the World about."
With the growth of the illegal ivory trade, experts are predicting that elephants could be extinct in just 12 short years. Which is why Callum's artwork is now for sale in prints, postcards (other merchandise coming soon!) with 20% of of sales going to The Elephant Sanctuary, Save the Elephants as well as to the Autism Treatment Network.
Click through below to see a fine selection of Callum's work.
Meet Callum! 1 of 8
Click through to check out Callum's incredible paintings
'Wild Animal Squad vs. The Invisible' 2 of 8
"Can you spot the invisible animals that the Wild Animal Squad is ready to take on? Can you spot Callum's signature?" ~ Melanie, Callum's mom
'Elephants Crossing the Road' 3 of 8
This is another painting inspired by the on site photography of Shannon McCormick. Notice the car driving away in the background and the clouds! This original painting has been sold but is available in stunning prints! ~ Melanie, Callum's mom
'The Lullaby Park' 4 of 8
"This serene and beautifully simple painting of a mommy and baby elephant was painted for an admiring supporter and her new baby. Callum selected a "nursery" color theme. He's super proud of it!" ~ Melanie, Callum's mom
'Detail from Sunset' 5 of 8
"This is piece was painted from Callum's mind as he's gotten more familiar with his new medium. This is just the right corner of the painting, which is full of a hued sky and lots of little elephants going about life on a brilliant orange savanna." ~ Melanie, Callum's mom
'Life of a Wateringhole' 6 of 8
"Callum explores with texture and metallic glazes in this ambitious painting. Notice his signature tucked along the canopy of one tree. Most of the elephants have the colors of precious metals in their themes, perhaps reminding us that living elephants are the most precious. This original painting has been sold but is available in stunning prints!" ~ Melanie, Callum's mom
Night Elephants 7 of 8
"Callum usually draws from his mind. This painting is unique because it was inspired by the photography of Shannon McCormick. It took him two days to complete. The shaded ear of the elephant on the far right was actually painted by Callum's twin, Gareth." ~ Melanie, Callum's mom
'Eating Leaves' 8 of 8
"Classic Callum "curly-cue" knees ..." ~ Melanie, Callum's mom
See the rest of Callum's painting here, and follow along on Callum's journey on his Facebook page!
More Babbles From Selena…
- DIY Science & Sensory Themed Birthday Party
- 8 Tips For Surviving Road-Trips With Toddlers (This Holiday Season)
- 12 Ways I'm Sharing My Native Heritage With My Kids
- Natural Cold & Flu Busters
- Is There a Safer Way To Vaccinate?
- 10 Ways Having a Toddler is the Best Thing in the Universe
- My Toddlers, AKA: Joni Mitchell & Neil Young
- My Toddler's Fever Led To a Febrile Seizure What You Should Know
Selena is a crafty, culinary mom. Regular writer here and on Disney Baby. Part-time mischief maker, all the time geek.
Elsewhere on the internets…
Via her humble beginnings, mastering in general mayhem: le petit rêve


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Learn this interesting and active icebreaker for teaching English
Come up with a list of different ways of grouping people together. Have your class stand and gather around an open area on the floor. Here are some ideas for grouping your students together:
- clasp your hands together
- cross your arms
- what leg do you put in first when putting your pants on
- if you were born in the summer, winter, spring, or fall
- whether you prefer to eat: pizza, chicken, hamburgers, or vegetarian
- whether you were born in the morning, afternoon, or evening
- whether you prefer basketball, skiing, martial arts, or tennis
- if your favorite color is red, blue, orange or green
- etc.
Then divide your students and send them to the appropriate area in the room. So if you're "right handed" come over here and if you're "left handed" over there. This is a fun kinesthetic icebreaker. Your students will appreciate the movement and it's a great way to see how we are all alike and different.