text:
Results tagged ' Hunter Pence '
Notion of Sandoval trade not far-fetched
Monday, Oct. 21
SAN FRANCISCO — Speculation regarding a possible trade involving Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval completely makes sense.
It's logical to anticipate that Sandoval will thrive in 2014, the final year of his three-year, $17.15 million contract, to propel himself boldly into free agency. Such a projection also would be flimsy given Sandoval's performance, which has fluctuated along with his weight. Anyone expecting the switch-hitter to use last October's World Series Most Valuable Player distinction to launch him closer to stardom must be disappointed. Sandoval, 27, hit .278 this year, sixth among Giants with at least 300 plate appearances. He accumulated 14 home runs, fourth on the team, and 79 RBIs, his third-best career total.
This was Sandoval's fifth full Major League season. He has gone on the disabled list in each of the last three years without establishing consistency at the plate, though he has become a competent defender. If one is to assume anything about Sandoval's upcoming season, it's that he'll somehow disappoint more than deliver. Hence the buzz, started recently by the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo, that the Giants might consider proposals featuring Sandoval. Club management is gradually losing patience with him, as general manager Brian Sabean indicated in his season-ending summary ("The sky's still the limit. We're still waiting for that").
At the same time, Sandoval retains enough cachet to attract multiple suitors. The Giants might be able to include him in a package that would fetch them a serviceable starting pitcher. Any club hoping to bolster its offense would be intrigued by Sandoval, who retains 30-homer, 100-RBI talent. So why don't the Giants keep him? Again, his production has teased the Giants more than it has satisfied them. Even if he puts together a solid season next year, whoever's employing him must deal with his impending free agency. If the Giants were to swap Sandoval, they could lean safely on the "better to trade a player a year too early" maxim.
Without Sandoval, the Giants could move Marco Scutaro from second base to third. Scutaro's unremarkable range wouldn't be as much of a liability at third, where he'd be asked to cover less ground due to the nature of the position and shortstop Brandon Crawford's excellence. Filling the vacancy at either second or third could be a challenge, however. The free-agent market at those positions basically consists of Robinson Cano (who probably would ask for the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, with Alcatraz thrown in) and a bunch of one-year stopgaps in their mid-30s. Perhaps the Giants could ask for a second baseman in any trade involving Sandoval.
Or perhaps the Giants won't trade Sandoval at all, which many Giants fans likely would prefer. He'll forever remain popular at AT&T Park, despite — or even because of — his foibles. He's the Kung Fu Panda; so what if he struggles with his weight? Who doesn't? Moreover, the promise he flashes when his line drives find gaps or fly over the fence and frustrate Justin Verlander remains tantalizing. So does the potential of an effective Sandoval forming a solid middle of the order with Hunter Pence, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt.
Sandoval will give the Giants much to ponder when they confront the decision to trade or re-sign him. Whether they endure that headache sooner or later remains to be seen.
— Chris Haft
Video helps Pence, Belt — can you dig it?
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013
LOS ANGELES — You can call it creative visualization or positive reinforcement. Hunter Pence called it a "dig-me session."
Regardless of the term, Pence's method of studying videos of successful at-bats — particularly those that resulted in home runs — likely helped him and Brandon Belt deliver their titanic performances Saturday in the Giants' 19-3 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pence said that he reviewed footage of himself hitting home runs before he crushed his 476-foot drive at Colorado on Aug. 27. Before that date, he had homered exactly once since July 14. Obviously, Pence was unhappy about the drought. So he reminded himself, visually, how he looked as a power hitter. The power of the mind apparently unleashed the power of the body.
Since then, Pence has hit at a torrid pace. His September numbers include a .407 batting average (22-for-54), four doubles, seven homers and 22 RBIs in 14 games. Saturday, he went 3-for-5 with a career-high seven RBIs.
Noticing that Brandon Belt had gone nearly a month without homering (his last one came on Aug. 15 at Washington), Pence urged his teammate to try the treatment that worked for him. Result: Belt collected five hits and six RBIs against the Dodgers on Saturday, both career highs. Among his hits was his 16th homer, aa two-run poke in the seventh inning.
Said Belt, "I think Hunter always likes to challenge people, make sure they have a positive mindset."
That's exactly how Pence saw it. "I just challenged him to keep pushing," said Pence, who recalled telling Belt, "I want you to have a 'dig-me' session."
As Pence explained, "Sometimes it makes you feel good to see what you've done and what you're capable of."
The greatest Giant of them all would agree.
"I would go home at night and create what I was going to do the next day," Willie Mays said in an interview with MLB.com several years ago. "It sounds kind of childish. But if I feel that we're going to have a good crowd or something, and I want to do something the next day to make sure the crowd enjoyed what I did, well, then I'd look at a couple of films by myself and figure out something that I can do to make them holler. And I would do it."
It's staggering, really, that these Giants scored the highest number of runs in a single game at Dodger Stadium.
Consider all the impressive ballclubs and lineups that have performed at Chavez Ravine since the ballpark opened in 1962. The Cubs of Ernie Banks-Billy Williams-Ron Santo. The Big Red Machine. The Giants of Mays-Willie McCovey-Orlando Cepeda, or of Will Clark-Kevin Mitchell-Matt Williams. Any Braves lineup with Hank Aaron in it. Heck, even those Davey Lopes-Steve Garvey-Ron-Cey-Dusty Baker Dodgers clubs. And that's mentioning just a few.
Pence admitted that a little luck was involved. "We hit a lot of bloops, a lot of jam shots that just fell in," he said.
Some leftover facts and figures from the Giants' historic night:
— The Giants' run total was their highest against Los Angeles since a 19-8 win on April 16, 1962 at Candlestick Park.
— The Dodgers hadn't allowed this many runs since losing to the Cubs, 20-1, on May 5, 2001 at Wrigley Field.
— This was the Dodgers' worst home loss since falling 19-2 to the Giants on July 3, 1947 at Ebbets Field.
— Chris Haft
Time for Giants to lower expectations
SAN FRANCISCO — After four consecutive winning seasons and two World Series titles in the last three years, the Giants have fallen from their perch alongside the Major Leagues' elite ballclubs.
Only a dramatic reversal will enable them to finish .500 this year. As for returning to the postseason, that's pure fantasy.
The Giants are playing without any apparent sense of urgency, perhaps because they have virtually no hope of contending in the National League West. New additions Jeff Francoeur, who reported to Triple-A Fresno, and Kensuke Tanaka might marginally improve the club's depth. But they probably won't accomplish more than that. Giants general manager Brian Sabean indicated to San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami that trying to upgrade the roster with major trades is pointless, since the organization lacks the surplus of prospects necessary to engineer deals. Moreover, the team's performance doesn't warrant acquiring a couple of handy veterans to accelerate a push for the division title.
Nor should the Giants adopt a scorched-earth policy and gut the roster. There's always next year, and with it a fresh opportunity to compete in the always-balanced NL West. But implementing the quick fix of free-agent signings might be complicated, because the Giants' payroll flexibility is limited. The likely departures of impending free agent Tim Lincecum (2013 salary: $22 million) and Barry Zito ($11 million net savings, if the club declines its $18 million option on his 2014 contract and pays him a $7 million buyout) will have limited economic impact, given the raises that Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Pablo Sandoval and Sergio Romo will receive.
Moreover, the potential free-agent class isn't oozing with talent. There probably will be few helpful performers available besides Robinson Cano, Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, Brian McCann and the Giants' own Hunter Pence. The Giants might be wise to forge a deal with Pence, the intense right fielder who seems sincere about wanting to stay here.
Or they can trade him in the next few weeks, which would mark the third year in a row for Pence to switch teams before the July 31 Trade Deadline. A critical factor here, obviously, is determining Pence's signability.
That leads to the biggest name the Giants could jettison: Lincecum. The notion of trading the charismatic right-hander sounds almost blasphemous, given his popularity and everything he has done for the franchise. But this is a business. The Giants might be able to receive a useful prospect or two in exchange for Lincecum, who has value despite his 4.61 ERA and 1.407 WHIP. At least one American League contender has expressed interest in Lincecum as a reliever, the role he filled spectacularly in last year's postseason. It's not known whether that team has proposed a trade to the Giants involving Lincecum. But if one club has hatched this idea, it's likely that at least a couple of others share that thought.
The schedule offers a shred of hope. The Giants play their first nine games at AT&T Park after the All-Star break. A strong homestand could advance San Francisco to the fringes of the division race.
But the mathematics of returning to respectability — widely defined as a .500 record — are daunting. To climb to .500 by the end of the season, the Giants must finish 41-31. That's a winning percentage of .569, a pace the Giants haven't come close to approaching recently. Remember, San Francisco owns the Major Leagues' worst record (17-35) since May 14.
Reaching .500 sooner would require vast improvement. The Giants would have to win 13 of their next 16 games to climb to .500 by the end of the month. Push back the deadline to Sept. 1, Game No. 136. The Giants must go 28-18 from Thursday until then to hit the .500 level.
Next, forget the arithmetic and employ common sense. The Giants have done nothing — nothing — to indicate that they're capable of executing such a turnaround.
Their pitching staff is no longer elite. The starting rotation has become unreliable. Matt Cain, once indomitable, is decidedly vulnerable. Nobody wants to admit that Cain is injured to some degree. If he isn't hurt, he has forgotten how to pitch. Anybody who have followed his career know that's not the case.
Lincecum and Zito can't win on the road. Rookie left-hander Mike Kickham has good-looking stuff but an incomplete understanding of how to use it. Only Madison Bumgarner has maintained his excellence, and he can't do more than pitch every fifth day.
Injuries and ineffectiveness have dulled the bullpen. The Giants miss Santiago Casilla, who hasn't quite recovered from knee surgery. Ryan Vogelsong's fractured right hand robbed the relief corps of Chad Gaudin, who's in the rotation. Manager Bruce Bochy thus must rely on a group that includes rookies Jake Dunning and Sandy Rosario. Both have shown flashes of competence and could turn out to be keepers. But such inexperience does nothing for a World Series title defense.
On to the offense, or lack of it. Collectively, the Giants have misplaced the situational-hitting skills that sustained them in last year's second half. They went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position Tuesday, ending a 16-game stretch in which they hadn't collected more than two hits in those instances. Overall, their .250 batting average with runners in scoring position actually places them in the top half of the NL team rankings. But it's a sharp decrease from the .296 RISP average they compiled after last year's All-Star break.
Individually, numerous players are is struggling to some degree. Sandoval is batting .140 (8-for-57) since returning from the disabled list. Pence is in an .098 skid (5-for-51) over his last 13 games. Gregor Blanco is in a .136 tailspin (6-for-44) spanning 12 games. Fellow outfielder Andres Torres' past nine appearances have yielded a .154 average (4-for-26).
Monday, the Giants' pitching excelled but the offense floundered. Tuesday, the offense improved while the pitching regressed. Wednesday, nothing went right. The Giants insist that they get along great, and that's the way it seems when reporters are allowed in the clubhouse. But they can't coordinate their efforts on the field.
That's a glaring sign of a poor team. At the current rate, we'll see more in the next couple of months.
— Chris Haft
Sandoval's hit echoes postseason feats
Tuesday, April 30
PHOENIX — Though the Giants' 2-1 victory Tuesday night over the Arizona Diamondbacks was merely regular-season game No. 27, it evoked indelible postseason memories.
The exchange between Pablo Sandoval, who hit the game-winning, two-run homer in the ninth, and Hunter Pence, who offered encouragement to the Kung Fu Panda, has been heard before — not verbatim, but the script sounded similar. And those previous dialogues occurred in two of the Giants' biggest postseason triumphs.
Flashback No. 1: Game 5, 2010 World Series against the Texas Rangers. Edgar Renteria sensed that he has a big hit left in his 34-year-old body, and whispered to a teammate or two that he would hit a homer in a crucial situation. We all know what happened: Renteria hit the three-run homer that accounted for all of San Francisco's scoring in the game that clinched the long-awaited World Series title for the Giants. "I told you he would do it!" center fielder Andres Torres shrieked after Renteria connected.
Flashback No. 2: Game 5, 1989 National League Championship Series vs. Chicago: Though the Giants owned a 3-1 Series lead, this one almost had the feeling of a Game 7. The Giants did not want to travel back to Wrigley Field for the series' final two games. Fortunately for the Giants, they had Will Clark. As Cubs closer Mitch Williams warmed up in the eighth inning before trying to protect Chicago's one-run lead, Kevin Mitchell said to Clark, "We have to get this done." Clark's reply: "It's done." His two-run single up the middle came next.
— Chris Haft


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|"(Reflector) TowerTalk" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
|[TowerTalk] Dispute
|blkcat28 <firstname.lastname@example.com>
|Wed, 12 Jan 2005 13:13:06 -0500
Please bear with me while I make a few comments. 1. If someone has a problem with a dealer/distributer, they should first try to resolve it privately. If they are unable to get satisfaction that way and feel they have been seriously mistreated, then a one-time post to the list might be appropriate to give the public on the list a heads up that there MAY BE a problem ONE WAY OR THE OTHER (IMHO). Turning it into a very public Hatfields and the McCoys is not appropriate. All this "he said she said" cannot be verified and these parties have to work it out themselves privately. Personally, I believe Steve is innocent unless proven guilty. Wouldn't you want that statement made of you if someone made a public claim against you? The warning is ok, marginally, but ok but it should have stopped there. 2. Those who believe that a business has to have a store front to be a real business, or that a business without a storefront is suspect, have never owned a retail business. The store front is the biggest cost of a business and if you're not getting good customer flow and walk-in sales, it's difficult to survive having to pay the salaries of the people standing around plus the rent for a commercial space, electricity, advertising, taxes, etc. We would all be paying more for what we buy if we had to purchase it only from store fronts. Why do you think AES closed many of their stores? We all make a huge percentage of our purchases over the phone or the internet. Your last run of coax, did you buy it at a store front??? Bet you didn't. It was either a hamfest (not permanant so not a store front), phone order or internet purchase. So why should Steve or other any other business be forced to support a store front? Anazon.com and eBay do not have store fronts, are you going to say the same thing about them? What you posted about only storefronts are legitimate businesses is hogwash. 3. This is Steve's list. He spends his time and effort bringing this list to us. My wife runs a few lists and so I know how much work goes into it. We wouldn't still be on the list if we didn't gain valuable information from it. We get a lot more out of it than we put in. Being Steve's list, he could just wash his hands of it because a small percentage of the membership have nothing better to do than carry on the feud. One guy sparks a hot topic then everyone squares off. Who of you would take it upon yourself to start a new Towertalk and keep up with all the work involved? See? Closing Towertalk would probably give Steve more time to spend with his company and boost sales. Do you want TT to close? It could. Both sides have been aired. Time to move on. If you don't like the way Steve runs HIS list, it's time for you to move on. 4. I am a member of several lists. Most of them have gone to "no aliases" because it allows tracking back to who ever made a post. Some lists require at least first initial or full first name and last name as well as city & state -- in our case on this list, at least a name and call sign should be given to each post. This makes posters think responsibly before they post. Not all the time but most of the time, people who post anonymously to any list have ulterior motives, i.e. slander, libel, defamation of character, disruption, etc. They want to say things that they don't want be held accountable for. 5. To Robert, the original post to this list knowing the same person who owns the business also owns the list seems more like an act of malice and this sort of thing tends to only done by cowards to "get even" for some loss they have imagined. In normal business, if there is a problem, there are private communications between Buyer and Seller until the problem is resolved. There are many reasons for shipped merchandise to come back -- it is common for UPS to return a package to the sender if the person it is sent to is not there to receive it within a fairly small time frame, or it is possible that the usual receipt indicating a delivery attempt might have been blown away in the wind and therefore Steve would never have known that a delivery attempt was being made unless Robert called him and told him about it. That doesn't make Steve a bad person or a bad businessman -- it is simply something that occurs in the real world. Most businesses require a dissatisfied buyer to call them in advance to obtain an RMA number before returning a purchase, so the business knows to expect a return and why. The way I see it (as a retired retail businessman), there are only two feasible scenarios: 1. Seller does not have the merchandise back and Buyer has gotten his money back from the credit card company, so Buyer is not out anything; and 2. Buyer has his money back and the merchandise, so Buyer is ahead. There are no other scenarios. The best the Seller can do is be even, if he had the merchadise back, yet it was the Buyer who made a public stink about this. Don't you find that a bit interesting about the character of the Buyer in this case? 6. Sorry, the moderator is "god" when it comes to their list. If you are a member of a list and don't like the way a moderator is handling the list, then go to the "powers to be" (owner of the list) and ask to have a new moderator appointed. If the moderator owns the list, you either play by his/ her rules or leave. 7. To infer that "I'm not doing business with him because of what he did as moderator, etc." is Bah hooey. We're hams. We're the cheapest SOBs in the world. You'll buy it where it's the cheapest or best delivery. That's why the local ham radio store has faded into oblivion. 8. Joe says: "... for the two individuals to drag their business dispute into public via this forum was inappropriate...." Right on. Thank you. JSilberman KB4CRT _______________________________________________ See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA. _______________________________________________ TowerTalk mailing list email@example.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
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subset: commoncrawl


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My source directory (which I've called 'WIN7_INSTALL') looks like as follows:
If its ok, let's begin to start!
First download ImgBurn if you have no ImgBurn Software and install it.
ImgBurn 22.214.171.124
Open ImgBurn.
Click on the "Write files/folders to disc" button.
Note: The message in the status bar should now say something along the lines of 'Ready'.
* Set the 'Emulation Type' to 'None (Custom)'.
* Point the 'Boot Image' to the 'etfsboot.com' file within the 'boot' folder in your source folder
i.e. "C:\User\Shyamal\Desktop\WIN7\boot\etfsboot.com"
* Enter 'Microsoft Corporation' in the 'Developer ID' field.
* Enter '07C0' in the 'Load Segment' field.
* Enter '4' in the 'Sectors To Load' field if your etfsboot.com file is 2K in size, Enter '8' if it's 4K.
(Basically it's the size of the file in bytes divided by 512 - i.e. 2048 / 512 = 4)
Note: Vista's is normally 2KB and Windows 7's is 4KB... so enter '4' if you're building a Vista OS
installation disc and '8' if you're building a Windows 7 OS installation disc.
* Again select the option of source box and select "C:\User\Shyamal\Desktop\WIN7\boot\etfsboot.com"
* Now you are ready to burn so click the big 'Build' button!
Double check everything looks roughly as it does below and then click 'OK'.


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The trade market is pretty hard to predict. As a Rays fan currently living in Arizona, if you told me last year's trade deadline acquisition was going to be Chad Qualls and that's it. . .I'd probably have punched you in the kidney out of both anger and disbelief.
GMs have their own way of thinking and in this post-Moneyball era, predicting where a GM is going to go is harder then before. You can see, basically, where a team needs help, but this massive world we live in has so many players with so many upsides, downsides, and intangibles, and baseball itself relies on so many factors when deciding a W or an L in the standings, that trying to find that one player to fit a specific need is tough.
Baseball relies on faith a lot more then people think. Younger generations see the Red Sox as a two-time champion and continuous contender. Older fans know that money and trades alone don't just buy a trophy though, as the Red Sox previous 80+ years indicated.
So trying to figure out who a team needs or who a team wants, while not impossible, is pretty demanding on a writer. However, seeing WHO is available, is far easier and, frankly, more fun.
The MLB trade market focuses less on budgets and expiring contracts (like, say, the NBA) and more on futures. Teams will trade for, on the surface, 'nothing' in order to build for the future. But teams don't want to just give away the cows and the land they need to graze.
Finding a trade chip demands give and take. The player has to have flaws that the team doesn't want but has enough upside that other teams, however, do. It's a strange business when you say to a competitor, 'well, he stinks for us but he'll be great for you. . .and we want those other guys you don't want'. BJ Upton, of the Tampa Bay Rays, is the epitome of this belief system. So much talent you can't NOT have him but so many detractors you might not want him. Confusing!
With that in mind, here is a look at the AL East's trade chips (or, rather, a few of them).
*all stats are updated as of 6/28/11


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I am not suggesting an answer to how to avoid Budget cuts, rather spotlighting a consequence of cutting jobs -UNEMPLOYMENT! plus compensation! Is this a ploy to raise the numbers of those unemployed? With fewer inspections, we, the public are going to raise the cost of medicine as the only safeguard we had and at that it is skimpy, of our food at any step in the process of getting it from its' source to market.
Which then raises another problem, increased cost in Medicare and Medicaid, which costs US again. All solutions considered so far have possibly greater repercussions than the original problem. Could we not, those who make SIX figure wages, take a 25% cut? Would that not reduce the proposed deficit? Just an idea! Like I said years ago, a 35% taxes and fees combines on an income of $10,000 leaves a lot more to use than the same cost on a $1000. a month income! It still hurts, but the later does not allow for shelter, transportation to work and eating.


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Birmingham startup Freetextbooks.com has begun several digital initiatives, including launching its first book-buying iPhone application and preparing to sell e-books for the first time this fall.
The company, founded three years ago by Samford University graduate Jonathan Robinson, allows university students to buy, rent and sell textbooks online, as well as receive loyalty points in the form of free books for repeat business and customer referrals. The app, which debuted May 3, is meant to make it easier to buy books by storing address and credit card data for the user. The tag line for the product is "textbooks in 60 seconds," Robinson said.
"I envisioned that the easiest way to order your textbooks is when you're sitting in class and you first find out which books you need," he said. "The question is: How can we connect our textbooks to students in real time? When you need one, it clicks that you need one real quickly, so in five or six taps you can have it the next day."
The app allows students at every "targeted" school -- meaning that Freetextbooks.com has inserted courses and required reading into its data system and hired campus representatives to promote the company -- to search for textbooks by selecting the desired course. Students at schools not yet targeted can still order books through the app by searching for the book using the title.
The company has grown to 8,000 last year from 62 customers in 2007, two years before Robinson launched the business as a full company, when he bought and sold books informally, mainly in transactions with college friends. Slightly more than 18,000 books were shipped using freetextbooks.com by users at 102 universities in 2011. The company has representatives on 21 campus, with hopes of more than doubling the number of campuses in 2012. Robinson said he also hopes to grow total business by 60 percent this year.
In October, Freetextbooks.com moved from its office in Homewood to one in Innovation Depot in downtown Birmingham. In January, it also started using a fulfillment center. With the fulfillment center, students selling books through Freetextbooks.com ship books to Robinson's company's office before his staff ships it back to the center. If they're buying a book, the center will ship it directly to them. This allows the center to hold all the inventory, rather than it taking up space in Freetextbooks.com's office. Also, having the service is helpful for future flexibility and allowing the business to quickly expand, Robinson said.
The mobile app was developed by John McIntosh in Austin, Texas, whom the Freetextbooks.com staff knew through mutual contacts. Robinson came up with the idea for the app last fall and development began in February. While the project began with McIntosh working as a freelancer, Robinson said the plan is to bring him on as more of a full-time employee as the app comes to have a more vital role for the company. McIntosh would be the third full-time staff member for Freetextbooks.com, Robinson said.
In the fall, the company will also begin selling and renting e-books for the first time. The print, iPad and Kindle versions of each textbook will be priced side-to-side on the website and in the app.
Because about 80 percent of the business for Freetextbooks.com happens during four months of the year -- August and January, when students buy or rent books for the new semester, and then May and December when they sell them back or return rentals -- Robinson and his staff can focus on other initiatives during the off season.
Clubhouse app for golf
In addition to the Freetextbooks.com business, Robinson has been developing another mobile app called Clubhouse, which will be customized for a variety of golf courses. The app is designed for players to interact with courses and for courses to build player loyalty by using the social media networks, such Facebook and Twitter, according to project lead Patrick Russo. The app is meant to create opportunities for friendly competition through leaderboards and by letting players view hole layouts, score their rounds and view statistics. Courses, by using social marketing to engage players, could generate revenue opportunities through increasing player retention rates and booking more rounds.
The Clubhouse app is expected to launch at the FarmLinks Golf Club in Sylacauga next month.
"Courses will become more visible via the organic relationship with their players," Russo said.
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Swant at email@example.com.


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Winter is all about comfort foods! One of the best things about winter is the warming, comforting foods you can eat. Take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle to slow down and celebrate these dark, cold days with healthier versions of you favorite foods.
In this class you will learn:
The Menu:
*Please note: menus are subject to change upon availability of ingredients or other factors beyond my control
Choose a Payment Option:
See Details
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, you should always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.


text:
Student Profile800-554-7823
Students & Universities - Student Profile
"I am really enjoying my assignment. I love the school, people
I work with, and the area."
I work with, and the area."
Welcome! (please login)
Thank you for visiting our web site and submitting your profile. We will match your preferences to our ongoing vacancies and will notify you whenever we have an appropriate opportunity. We will keep your information on an active status and will continue contact you with future job matches. Please update us whenever your availability or preferences change.


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Entergy New Orleans announced Friday (Feb. 8) that it has traced the cause of Sunday's Super Bowl blackout to an electrical relay device.
The utility company said the device "was specifically installed to protect the Mercedes-Benz Superdome equipment in the event of a cable failure between the switchgear and the stadium."
A statement from the company said: "While the relay functioned without issue during a number of high-profile events -- including the New Orleans Bowl, the New Orleans Saints-Carolina Panthers game, and the Sugar Bowl -- during Sunday's game, the relay device triggered, signaling a switch to open when it should not have, causing the partial outage.
"This device has since been removed from service and new replacement equipment is being evaluated."
Entergy officials and the firm that manages the Mercedes-Benz Superdome appeared before the New Orleans City Council's Utility Committee Friday. The emergency meeting was called in the wake of the 34-minute power outage, which occurred early in the second half of the championship game between San Francisco and Baltimore.
Entergy New Orleans CEO Charles Rice told committee members that the device "for some unknown reason at this particular time, did not react the way that it should."
Rice said the company was continuing to work with the equipment's manufacturer to determine what caused it to malfunction.
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, the committee's chairwoman, struck a measured tone throughout the proceeding, which was attended by five city councilmembers. "I would like to stress this is a fact-finding meeting, not in any manner to be constructed in a laying of fault or blame on any one entity regarding this outage," Hedge-Morrell said at the beginning of the meeting.
Doug Thornton, the senior vice president for SMG, the management company that operates the Superdome, said Friday that he was certain early on that the outage was not caused by too much demand for power on the stadium's electrical system.
"We were well within the capacity" during Sunday's game, Thornton said.
Immediately after the outage, Entergy had said all its equipment was working properly, and the issue must have been caused by the Superdome. But later Sunday, Entergy and SMG issued a joint press release saying that an investigation was being launched to identify the problem.
Nola.com|The Times-Picayune reported Monday that the preliminary investigation was pointing to the relay equipment, called a switchgear, and whether it had failed or was triggered by something else in the system.
Fearful of a blackout not unlike one that marred a nationally televised San Francisco 49ers game in late 2011, officials from Entergy and the Superdome had embarked on a last-minute, multimillion-dollar effort to ensure such a spectacle wouldn't be repeated at this year's Super Bowl.
Early indications were that the 11th-hour upgrades to the Dome's electrical system, intended to bolster the stadium's electrical reliability, may have contributed to the nationally televised outage that left New Orleans feeling a bit sheepish in the afterglow of the big game.
In December, a little more than a month before the Super Bowl, Entergy New Orleans was finishing a $4.2 million upgrade to the stadium's electrical system, changing it from "redundant" to "tertiary" — meaning the stadium would now be served by three feeder lines rather than two. As that job neared completion, Superdome officials tested their own power lines and found the equipment had "some decay and had a chance of failure."
An engineer hired by the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, the public agency that owns the Dome, warned in October that the stadium's main power feed was "not sufficiently reliable to support the high-profile event schedule."
"Failure of this system will result in loss of events and extreme financial liability to the State, LSED and SMG," the firm that manages the Superdome, David Stelly of the Lafayette engineering firm Associated Design Group said in a report.
The Dome's overseers quickly authorized a rash of repairs, with work wrapping up in late December.
The switchgear controls the flow of electricity from the power company to the stadium.
The equipment, added as part of the upgrades, automatically shuts down when a problem is detected, such as a surge or loss of electricity, potentially signaling — and protecting — against a more protracted power outage.
Thornton said Monday that the switchgear "sensed an abnormality" and tripped.
Entergy's statement Friday indicates that the switchgear failed in some way, but it is not yet clear what caused the failure.


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Beneficial Landscaping in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska
Serving the people of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Native Tribes
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Region 10
English Ivy, a Runaway Ornamental
From California to British Columbia (and elsewhere nationally), English ivy, known scientifically as Hedera helix, has been used for years as a popular ground cover and climbing vine. While there are plant societies dedicated to its virtues and varieties, without adequate control, English ivy can become invasive. This is particularly true in our urban natural areas such as greenbelts and remnant forest patches, although English ivy is now penetrating old growth forests. The vine is so invasive, in fact, that in February, the Oregon Noxious Weed Board voted unanimously to list English ivy as a noxious species in Oregon, where it joins the ranks of notorious weeds such as tansy ragwort, Himalayan blackberry, purple loosestrife, and Scotch broom. English ivy has been identified as an invasive species in at least 28 states.
Why is this? English ivy is an evergreen woody vine that spreads rapidly, can climb to a height of 30 meters and when mature, flowers prolifically. The vines, which can live to be hundreds of years old, produce berries that are eaten by birds, which disseminate the seeds. As a spreading ground cover, the plant forms an ivy monoculture or "desert" on the forest floor, overwhelming native ground covers and shrubs, and aggressively climbing trees. Trees are weakened when English ivy consumes the water and nutrients needed by the tree roots, and the tree trunks and branches enveloped by the vines are pulled down by the weight of the stems, leaf mass, and the additional wind and water they capture.
English ivy was once thought to be useful for erosion control. However, because landslides occur in ivy-covered settings, it is now recognized that its foliage overwhelms and prevents the growth of other plants that would hold the soil, and its shallow roots leave slopes vulnerable to erosion.
Control is also a challenge. English ivy grows well in sun and shade, can grow year round when deciduous plants are dormant, thrives in droughty and soggy soils, and its waxy leaves retain water and repel herbicides. Thus far, mechanical control seems to be most effective: sawing, clipping, and manual removal of the vines coupled with ongoing vigilance and maintenance.
The upshot is that, while English ivy is listed as a noxious weed in Oregon, it is not quarantined, nor is it listed in other northwestern states. It is still sold in nurseries, and can be used and enjoyed in a variety of settings. Efforts to landscape for environmental, economic, and aesthetic benefits, however, may require monitoring for English ivy (and other weedy) infestations, judicious control, and even removal. For advice about suitable substitutes, contact your local cooperative extension office, conservation district, university or other knowledgeable source. Top
Invasive Exotic Plants -- Trouble with a capital "T"
Invasive exotic plants (English ivy is one example) are non-native to the ecosystem. They have the ability to rapidly infest new areas and overwhelm existing vegetation, and are likely to cause economic harm or harm to human health or the environment. Invasive species are cause for alarm because they are
robbing us of our natural heritage. They are second only to habitat loss as the greatest contributor to decreasing global biodiversity. Invasive species also cost billions annually in damages to agriculture, recreation, tourism, and many other sectors.
So what can we do about this problem?
1. Learn about invasive plants, especially those that infest your area. The National Park Service has an excellent primer on invasives at www.nps.gov/plant/alien/bkgd.htm. Contact the local weed board or Cooperative Extension office to learn about the species of concern in your area.
2. Prevent infestations. Avoid or minimize clearing and disturbance of natural areas, including clearing of native vegetation. Plan to clear no more than you are willing and able to maintain. Land that is not replanted soon after clearing, will be invaded by weedy plants common to the area. For landscaping, site restoration, or erosion control, use plants that are native to your local region or those that are not known to be invasive.
3. Control outbreaks. Report new infestations of problem plants to land managers. Stop infestations on your own land before the problem becomes large. Seek the least environmentally damaging means for controlling infestations. The Urban Pesticide Education Strategy Team website at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/nonpoint/upest/index.htm offers integrated pest management information. Organize or volunteer to participate in weed control efforts in your community.
4. Restore native vegetation. Salvaging native plants from cleared areas and using native plants for landscaping will help to restore our natural heritage--and can bring you joy! Harmony comes with getting to know the native flora, enjoying the wildlife that come to live there, and restoring the integrity of our ecosystems.
URL: https://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/ECOCOMM.NSF/Beneficial+Landscaping/BL+Invasive+Plants


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We've gotten many, many suggestions about what should be included in health care reform. I encourage readers to go through the comments (here) from Wednesday's blog and really look at them and add your own suggestions, if you wish. There are many, many good ideas.
Consider this comment by benjotoo, who likes responding to issues-based questions so that readers "think/research/outline before beginning to answer."
Says benjotoo: "Some of us might surprise ourselves by changing our own minds when we take the time to study the whole issue and then stop when we've presented our perspective. For what it's worth, I've seen more good ideas with more value in this 'string' from people who followed the assignment and responded as requested than from those who are trying to tilt at an anonymous windmill."
Let's keep it going. Let's study and learn from each other. What's the very worst idea to come out of all the proposals for health care reform?


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The Development of Circus Acts
Before the establishment of zoos collections of wild animals could be seen at 17th-century fairs and in 1793 a man called Pidcock established Exeter Exchange, a menagerie on the Strand in London
It was in the 19th century that menageries reached the height of their popularity. This was partly because overseas trade encouraged a market in animals but also because there was a real interest in seeing wild animals in the flesh.
Such was the popular interest in unusual animals that the slaughter of an elephant at the Exeter Exchange was reported in the daily newspapers, complete with details about the dissection of the poor beast.
Large travelling menageries toured the country visiting fairgrounds. These menageries were a collection of separate wagons parked in a rectangular shape. The audience stood in the middle of the rectangle and the animal tamers would enter the wagons to perform tricks.
Wombwell's Menagerie continued to tour until 1931. By then it was one of only two touring menageries in the country. The touring menagerie had, for the most part, been combined with the circus.
The first combination of circus and menagerie was at Astley's in 1838. A flamboyant American called Isaac Van Amburgh appeared with lions from Wombwell's Menagerie. He had become famous as a lion tamer and was the first man to put his head inside a lion's mouth. Queen Victoria was very impressed by his performance.
By the late 19th century there was an international trade in wild animals tamed for circuses, these included lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas, elephants, rhinos and monkeys, many trained by Carl Hagenbeck. There were also permanent menagerie buildings in many cities.
Bertram Mills' summer circus featured a huge menagerie for the public to view before and after a performance, rather like a touring zoo. The 1948 summer season toured 137 animals including horses, ponies, elephants, bears, lions, monkeys, dogs, llamas and camels. Feeding the animals took 5 tons of hay a week and 4 tons of straw. Other more unusual animals were also shown at Bertram Mills' including a crocodile whose trainer, 'the only female fakir', placed her head inside his mouth.
Wild animals continued to tour with circuses up until the 1980s. Fears about endangered species and the cruelty of touring wild animals in small cages, caused many local authorities to ban circuses from performing in their area.
Chuny the elephant was imported from Bengal in 1809 and became one of the Royal Menagerie's main attractions. His death deprived his owner, Edward Cross, of one of his greatest sources of income. He made the best of the situation, however, and made as much money as he could out of the animal's death. Selling Chuny's hide was just one method. On the day of Chuny's destruction, visitors were charged the usual entrance fee of a shilling to see the body of the elephant being dissected and removed (it took nine butchers twelve hours to take off his hide). A plaster mould of Chuny's head was made. Over a dozen surgeons dissected the carcass, watched by a large group of medical students. (By this time, Chuny had been dead for three days and the stink was horrendous.) Chuny's skeleton was then displayed in his old cage, the bullet holes in his skull clearly visible.
James Washington Myers had started his career in circus in America as a trick rider in 1843. He came to England in the 1850s and started his own circus which toured the UK and Europe. In 1870 Myers' was the first circus to put on an act using several elephants rather than just showing one or two. In the same season he included an act of seven lions. In the early 1880s, however, he ran into financial difficulties and was forced to sell up.
As well as the animals, the circus sold off all its chariots, uniforms, trappings, hoops, flags, banners, and so forth. The elephant dragging the lions' cage was 'Blind Bill' (actually a female elephant) who was enormously strong, although becoming a little unreliable in her old age. It was well known that she had killed two keepers. She was sold for 150 guineas (now nearly £5,000) to an animal trainer, John Cooper. Cooper also bought the cage of six lions whom he had trained as youngsters.
Aerial acts
The flying trapeze act was invented by Jules Léotard, a French gymnast at the Cirque Napoléon in Paris in 1859 but acrobats and tumblers had performed tricks on a slack rope at 18th century fairs.
Léotard's act was called La Course aux Trapèze and consisted of two separate trapezes which he would set swinging, then jump from one trapeze to the other. Léotard developed the act to include turning a somersault when jumping between the two trapezes. He later increased the number of trapezes to five, turning single somersaults from trapeze to trapeze.
In later aerial acts a catcher was introduced on one trapeze to catch the flyer from the other. In 1897 a double somersault through the air was achieved and a triple in 1897. This was not surpassed until 1975 when American Don Martinez achieved three and a half somersaults. (Although in 1915 Ernie Clark performed a quadruple somersault in rehearsal, unfortunately he never managed to repeat it for an audience.) Other great trapeze artists included Lena and the Flying Jordans and Con Colleano.
In the 19th century many aerial artists developed their own unique performances based round a trapeze. The Flying Zedoras were a British act that was also successful in America. In their act Pansy Chinery was shot from a crossbow through a large paper target and was caught by her sister hanging from a trapeze.
El Niño Farini was only 10 years old when he developed his trapeze act which involved hanging from a trapeze by his neck whilst playing a drum.
The Flying Zedoras and El Niño Farini, like many 19th century aerial acts, did not perform exclusively in circus. One of the most famous trapeze artists was female impersonator Barbette. Barbette became known in Paris as 'Barbette the Enigma'. He was totally convincing as a woman despite performing practically naked. Barbette first appeared in London at Bertram Mills' Circus in 1926. He later toured variety theatres across Britain.
Jules Léotard invented the flying trapeze act, still considered an essential part of any circus repertoire. His other great legacy is the item of clothing named after him: the leotard. The original leotard was an all-in-one knitted suit. It allowed freedom of movement, was relatively aerodynamic and there was no danger of a flapping garment becoming entangled with the ropes.
Even more importantly, it showed off his physique to its best advantage, making him a huge hit with women and inspiring George Leybourne to write his song about the 'daring young man on the flying trapeze'. He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease.
El Niño 'the boy' Farini, was an orphan who was adopted and trained by the famous wire walker Guillermo Antonio Farini. Farini senior was not really Spanish or Italian as the name suggests - he was actually called William Leonard Hunt. Exactly where Farini found El Nino is uncertain, but he was born Samuel Wasgate somewhere in Maine, USA in the 1850s. He was an attractive boy, with blond curly hair, and no fear of heights.
Sam appeared with Farini at Chelsea Pleasure Gardens for the first time in 1866. He performed this act, called Le Tambour Aerial - 'the aerial drummer', on his opening night, swinging through the air balancing on his neck. Audiences were rather shocked by how young he was (Farini claimed that Sam was only eight) but they were reassured by the big grin which apparently never left his face. Farini also provided Sam with a safety net, the first recorded use of such a thing.
Signor Ferzi, 177
Signor Ferzi and his son and daughter could regularly be seen at Sadler's Wells Pleasure Gardens in Islington. His daughter performed with him from the age of three and was soon joined by her two year old brother. This caused some criticism from those who considered the children's performance a despicable exploitation 'to gratify the avarice of unnatural parents'. The Ferzi (or Farcis as they were also billed) also appeared in pantomimes, masques and dances at the Wells.
The Famous Polander, 1766
'The Famous Polander' was also billed as 'The Famous Balance Master' since his act consisted of balancing a pole in as many as 24 different ways. His career spanned the 1780s and 1790s and Polander performed his feats to great acclaim at Sadler's Wells in a run of performances in 1785. Polander used a pole or poles with which to do various balancing feats and the act was so popular that the Tiller Clowes' marionette troupe included a 'Famous Polander'. The Museum has a marionette of Polander as part of its collection.
Soeders and Chalis, 1948
Soeders and Chalis revived a teeth-spinning routine as part of their bar-to-catcher act, where the acrobat jumps from his own bar and is caught by the partner swinging on his own trapeze. Aerial acts in Bertram Mills' circus were usually conducted without nets, since Mills believed that if they were performed properly they were not dangerous. Occasionally, a hand-held net was used. Then, eight to ten men from the circus emerged in the darkness to a drum roll, unseen by the audience, to hold the net during a particularly dangerous part of the act. Many performers are proud not to use a net, which they see as a kind of cheating. There are practical reasons for this reluctance too, as some performers have been killed or injured from a bad landing in a net.
Rope walking and high wire
Rope walkers, or rope dancers as they were often called, were a common sight at fairs all over Europe from the Middle Ages to the 17th and 18th centuries. This 'famous Dutch woman' is dressed in men's clothing of the late 17th century. Her doublet and hose meant that there was an extraordinary amount of female leg on display for the time, but the outfit allowed her to move easily, and protected her modesty. Spectators would have been able to look up her skirt if she were wearing one, although the famous 19th-century tightrope walker Madame Saqui did perform in skirts. 'Dutch' was a common corruption of 'Deutsch' (German) at this time, so this may be a German rope dancer. The writer Ned Ward described seeing a German lady at London's Bartholomew Fair in 1699 performing her rope walking act 'as if assisted with the wings of Mercury'. (Mercury was a Greek God who wore winged sandals.)
There are three types of wire acts:
- Slack wire a drooping wire suspended between poles, usually for comedy acts or sword fights.
- Sloped wire attached to the ground at one end and a pole at the other.
- High wire a taut and springy wire many feet above the auditorium. Performers carry poles up to 12 metres long, which help them to maintain their balance by lowering their centre of gravity. High wire artists usually use drooping poles to lower the centre of gravity even further.
The most famous high wire walker was Charles Blondin who crossed the gorge at Niagara Falls seventeen times on a tightrope. Many people tried to emulate Blondin.
In 1859, he organised a surprise birthday party for his wife Charlotte at a grand hotel. He had a short tightrope put up in the ballroom and after a comic performance, he carried Charlotte across it on his back. She was described as 'very graceful'.
Charlotte Gravelet had complete confidence in her husband's skill, and was unperturbed, even when he performed on a high wire at the Crystal Palace pushing their five year old daughter in a little wheelbarrow. The only time she was reported to have become hysterical, was when an assistant almost jerked Blondin off his rope whilst trying to take the (empty) wheelbarrow from him. Blondin fell, but managed to hook one knee over the rope as he did so.
This photograph is clearly taken whilst standing on the floor. The exposure needed for such early photographs required the subjects to stand perfectly still for a few seconds. This would have been very difficult on a real tightrope!
Trick riding
Philip Astley founded the circus as an extension of his riding school in 1768 and trick riding remained the central act in circus for more than one hundred years. Comic riding acts such as The Taylor of Brentford, which Andrew Ducrow first performed at Astley's Royal Circus in the early 19th century are still performed today. Riding was the most common mode of transport at the time and this may explain its popularity. Everyone who rode a horse could appreciate the difficulty of performing tricks upon its back.
A popular trick rider of the 19th century was Pablo Fanque, who was the first black equestrian in a circus.
The most spectacular acrobatic movement on horseback was that performed by Lucio Cristiani in the 1920s and 1930s. He could somersault from one bareback horse over a second, to land on a third, as they cantered around the ring.
This picture shows what an equestrienne, a female horse rider, had to cope with in 1910. Not only did she have to perform all the leaps and tricks of a horseback act, but had to do it fully corseted and riding side-saddle. The upright position enforced by the fashionable corset restricted her movement considerably, yet she had to remain elegant and graceful, while keeping control of her horse. The double reins necessary to do this mean that the horse was probably just as uncomfortable. You can also be sure that the extravagantly feathered hat is securely fastened to her head with several large and vicious hatpins.
The Cirque Molier was an amateur circus set up by Ernest Molier in his home in Paris in 1880, which continued until his death in 1934. Members of Parisian society were invited to watch keen amateurs in the ring.
Images of the principal lady rider, dressed as a ballerina in a tutu with cross gartered ballet shoes are captured here in two pictures. The first is dated 1884 and shows a woman performing a trick at the Covent Garden Theatre, London.
The second is a photograph of Florence Stephenson performing with Bertram Mills' Circus in the 1930s. One of Florence's most famous tricks included jumping through paper hoops (called balloons).
One of the most famous and popular Augustes in Britain was Coco the Clown. Born in Russia he arrived in England in 1929 to join Bertram Mills Circus. He continued performing in the UK until the 1960s.
Coco's trademark costume included oversize boots and a baggy checked suit. His make up included exaggerated raised eyebrows and an oversize nose. Coco became famous on television for a road safety campaign for children in the 1960s.
Technically, Coco was not a clown but an Auguste; the foolish character who is always on the receiving end of buckets of water and custard pies. The Auguste often works with the cleverer white-faced clown who always gets the better of him.
Coco, whose real name was Nicolai Poliakoff, was born in Latvia in 1900. His parents worked in the theatre when Nicolai was born, but both lost their jobs a few years later. In order to survive, Nicolai started busking from the age of five. In 1929 Nicolai, or 'Coco' as he was then called, came to England with his young wife Valentina and began working for Bertram Mills' Circus. He left the Circus temporarily to serve in the British Army during World War II (1939–45), but returned straight afterwards.
He performed before royalty all over the world, and received a medal from the Queen for his years of work in promoting road safety for children.
Early circuses had equestrian clowns who would perform crazy tricks on and off horseback. Dickie Usher and Tom Barry who rode down the Thames in a washtub drawn by four geese, were favourite London clowns in the early 19th century.
Another popular Victorian clown was Whimsical Walker. Famous for his animal acts he taught a donkey called Tom to sing to the accompaniment of toy bagpipes, a trombone and a violin. He had to keep changing the instrument because the donkey soon became bored and would refuse to sing. Walker performed at all the famous circuses and toured the USA with Barnum and Bailey's Circus. This is the costume he wore in a performance for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 25 February 1886.
The stars Drury Lane's Harlequinade, 1898-99 season
The stars Drury Lane's Harlequinade
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London
1898-99 season
Black and white photograph
Whimsical Walker is pictured here in 1899 in the 'Harlequinade' of the pantomime The Forty Thieves. The Harlequinade came after the main pantomime, and featured characters derived from Commedia dell'arte. Here, we see Carl Waller (on the right) as Pantaloon, and Tom Cusden (in the centre) as Harlequin, with Whimsical Walker as Clown. Thomas Dawson Walker started performing as a comic tumbler from the age of nine, when he ran away from home to escape a cruel stepmother. He worked in a variety of small street shows before joining Pablo Fanque's circus where he began to train in earnest, learning to ride, tumble, and perform on the trapeze. Apparently Fanque decided Walker should become a clown because he was so ugly. By the time this picture was taken he was already famous and had worked for some of the most prestigious circuses in the world.
Clown on the Thames, around 1840. Musuem no. RP76/1539
Clown on the Thames
Around 1840
Steel engraving printed on newsprint
Musuem no. RP76/1539
Thomas Barry was a popular circus clown who worked for Astley's in the 1840s and 1850s. As well as sailing down the Thames in a tub, Barry was famous for his imitation of a would-be politician making his campaign speech to the public. He and his fellow clowns performed during the other acts. He also played comic parts in the dramatic productions that were always a part of the evening's schedule. As was traditional, Barry worked with other clowns. His partners at Astley's included Twist, a buffoon, and Signor Felix Carlo, a 'grotesque'. He was a cheerful, friendly man, offstage as well as on, and well liked by his colleagues. He did, however, fall out with Philip Astley, and in 1853 he left Astley's for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Whimsical Walker's costume, late 19th century to early 20th century. Museum no. S.279-1977
Whimsical Walker's costume
Late 19th century to early 20th century
Museum no. S.279-1977
In 1886, the clown, Whimsical Walker, was commanded to perform for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle along with his performing donkey, Tom. He had this wool suit made especially. The frills and baggy trousers resemble the costumes of 19th century Clowns such as Grimaldi, who concealed an extraordinary range of objects (and occasionally live animals) in their vast pockets. On the day, Tom performed the first part of the show beautifully, but then became distracted by the strange smell of the floor, and did nothing but sniff the ground and make faces, much to Whimsical Walker's embarrassment. After the performance, the Queen asked to see Tom outside as she was very fond of animals. She touched Tom's back with a stick and he broke out into a rendition of 'The Conquering Hero Comes'. Fortunately the Queen was not amused by his braying and kicking and ordered him to be taken away.
Clarke's Cirque poster Come and See Us
Poster, Bureau Le Cirque Sans Bluff Presenté Mylos & Nenderff
Harry Payne as clown
The Payne family is one of several 19th-century pantomime dynasties. Harry was the son of W.H. Payne, the classic pantomimist who was a master of 'dumb show' or comic mime, and who invented much of the Harlequinade action. Known as the 'King of Pantomime', he appeared at Covent Garden in the 1820s with Grimaldi and the great Harlequin, Bologna. Harry Payne began his career playing Harlequin at Covent Garden but in 1859 he had to take over as Clown in the middle of a performance when Richard Flexmore collapsed. After this, Payne was Covent Garden's Clown until 1870. After appearing elsewhere, he went to Drury Lane in 1883, where he played Clown for the last 12 years of his life, with his brother Fred as Harlequin.
Balloon ascents
In June 1783 the Montgolfier Brothers first amazed the public with their invention, the Hot Air Balloon. In September of the same year they sent a dog, a sheep and a cockerel up in a balloon launched from the gardens of the Palace of Versailles outside Paris and in November a balloon ascent carrying a man was made from the centre of Paris.
A year later Vincenzo Lunardi made the first balloon flight in England, in a balloon built by public subscription which was put on view in the dome of the Lyceum Theatre for subscribers and other patrons to see. The balloon was later displayed at the Pantheon in Oxford Street, after which other fantastic 'aerostatic machines' were built, displayed and flown, with varying amounts of success.
Balloon ascents were a huge attraction in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, even at the theatre and circus. In December 1814 a balloon ascent by Monsieur Garnerin featured in Covent Garden's 1814 pantomime, 'Harlequin Whittington, Lord Mayor of London', with the child passenger Mlle. Blanche Garnerin. The playbill advertised the balloon descending 'from the roof, over the audience onto the stage'.
There was even a balloon ascent with a leopard at Astley's Circus in July 1840, which was advertised as 'The Grand Ascent of Carter the Lion King in his Leopard Balloon!'
Theatrical balloon flights were limited affairs, but clearly whetted the public's appetite for a glimpse of more spectacular ascents. In the 1830s and 1840s London's Vauxhall Gardens was famous for balloon ascents, boasting the red and white striped Royal Vauxhall balloon.
Side shows and freak shows
By the mid 19th century the larger touring circuses began to exhibit side shows. These would sometimes include what were then called 'human oddities', Siamese twins, giants, bearded ladies, dwarfs (then known as midgets), people without arms or legs, and people who could perform unusual acts such as snake charming. Side shows also included people from ethnic groups.
Today, these acts would be considered offensive and racist but in the late 19th century they were popular.
An increase in public interest in science and evolution had been prompted by the writings of Charles Darwin among others. Circus proprietors borrowed from the language of science to 'exhibit' their performers.
In America people were 'displayed' as 'exhibits' in 'museums'. The most famous of these museums was Barnum's 'Hall of Living Curiosities' in New York.
Performances of side shows were sometimes accompanied by pamphlets describing the physical condition of the 'exhibits' and explaining their scientific significance. The pamphlets also contained quotes from notable people who had seen the exhibit and could vouch for its authenticity. In addition, postcards of freaks were very popular – often manufactured in a studio to exaggerate their condition.
Lavinia Warren, Tom Thumb's wife, had 50,000 images of herself printed in one go. These were displayed in front of the 'exhibits' and sold to the audience for profit. Barnum and Bailey's Hall of Living Curiosities closed in 1908 because the proprietors were receiving too many letters of complaint.
The freak show continued in smaller circuses as part of their side shows. Side shows were displayed on the way into the big top tent. They would have a central pit where the exhibits 'performed' surrounded by an audience walkway.
Larger circuses with 12 to 15 exhibits would display them in the midway, the long oval tent leading to the main show. Circuses also had what were known as 'gaffed freaks' where people pretended to be freaks by dressing up. Bertram Mills' circus included freaks in its side shows.
By the 1940s freak shows were considered distasteful and morally unacceptable and the acts slowly began to disappear.
Nanette Stocker and John Hauptman appeared as a musical double act for several years. The poster makes much of their unusual size, as if this should affect their musical ability.
However they appear to have been talented musicians by any standards. Nanette came from Austria, and started touring as a teenager after her mother died in 1797. The following year she met John Hauptman in Strasbourg.
Nanette's guardian and manager arranged for them to appear together for the first time at the Grand Theatre at Clermont in France.
In the early 19th century there were still few opportunities for people of restricted growth, and performing was one of the few ways to earn a living. Whether they got their fair share of the money earned depended on the scruples of their manager.
This 19th-century black and white lithographic print features a fairground showman enticing an audience to a freak show, pointing at one of the painted canvas advertisements.
Before the technology for printing large coloured posters was developed, images painted on cloth or wood panels were great publicity but couldn't be mass-produced. They may also have been used to advertise attractions or performances before printing was invented.
Freak shows were a popular feature of fairgrounds and circuses in the 19th century.
'Exhibits' would include people who could perform unusual physical feats, such as contortionists, or people with unusual physical appearance such as conjoined twins, dwarves, or unusually hairy people.
Even people from other continents were exhibited, and fascinated those who didn't travel abroad, and didn't know what other races looked like. Exotic or unusual animals were popular exhibits too, such as a horse who could apparently count, or 'Learned Pigs' who were said to be able to read and write.


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Traditional ethnic fashion on show at Son Tay fest
Over 200 models representing 54 ethnic groups from around the country will join a fashion show on Nov. 28 at the Vietnam Culture Tourism Village in the town of Son Tay, 35km west of downtown Hanoi.
The show, part of the first Ethnic Costumes Festival that began on Nov. 26, will feature 200 sets of daily and festival costumes.
The programme will be broadcast live on Vietnam Television's VTV2 and VTV5 as well as Voice of Vietnam radio VOV4 channel.
The Vietnam Culture Tourism Village has been open for over a year with a mission to preserve and expose the traditional cultural heritage of the nation's ethnic groups. The village offers tourist accommodation, entertainment and a site for culture and sporting events.
The village displays models of the typical houses of many ethnic groups, representatives of one of which is invited to stay for about two weeks each month to offer tourists a closer look at their culture.
During the time the ethnic groups stay at the village and present such activities as a gong performance, buffalo-sacrificial ceremony, rice-planting, weaving, fishing and wedding ceremonies.(Source: VNA)
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By JASON REMILLARD
Less filling or tastes great? Paper or plastic? Light or dark meat?
The debate over who would earn the top seed in the Western Massachusetts high school volleyball tournament did not reach those epic proportions, though it was a pretty spirited competition all season between defending champion Chicopee Comprehensive and perennial power Minnechaug Regional.
Comp finished the regular season at 18-0 and Minnechaug was 18-1 but 17-0 in matches that counted toward seeding. On Tuesday, the final word came down in Minnechaug's favor, as the Falcons nailed down the No.1 seed.
"I'm glad I didn't have that job," Minnechaug coach Steve Jarvis said. "Personally, I'd love to see two first seeds, but you can't do that."
The Colts defeated the Falcons in last year's semifinal en route to a surprising championship run. The teams did not meet in the regular season, nor were they matched up in either of two midseason playday tournaments. The "Who's No.1?" debate can only be settled if the squads meet in the championship match June 1 at Holyoke Community College.
Play begins Thursday with a pair of first-round matches - No.9 Westfield at No.8 Mohawk Trail Regional and No.10 Sabis International at No.7 Central. The Westfield-Mohawk winner gets Minnechaug in the quarterfinals, while the latter gets Comp.
"There's no easy walks to this Western Mass. title, either for us or for Minnechaug," Comp coach Al Dobson said.
The strength of Minnechaug's North Division versus Comp's East Division appeared to be the deciding factor. Three other North teams (Mohawk, Agawam, Ludlow) made the field, as opposed to two from the East (Westfield, East Longmeadow). Agawam (15-3) locked up the No.3 seed, while South Division champion Putnam Vocational (16-3) is No.4.
Comp came from the No.5 seed to win last season, and East Longmeadow is similarly positioned to mount a challenge from that spot this time. Both Jarvis and Dobson praised the 14-4 Spartans as having darkhorse qualities.
"I think a lot of teams aren't thinking about them as much as they are the top three," Dobson said.
Jarvis concurred, saying, "They're one team that worries us through the whole thing. They're a slightly different team."
Ludlow, which lost to Comp in last year's final, comes in at No.6 and drew Agawam in the quarterfinals. Ludlow (11-7) posted an 0-6 record this season against the top three seeds, but that only fuels the Lions' potential to surprise.
"We were 0-5 last year against the top seeds before the tournament," Dobson said. "I know what a team like that can do if they get on a roll."
Sabis qualified for its first postseason appearance in its fourth varsity season. The Bulldogs (9-9) lost twice to Central (12-7) in the regular season. Central split with Mohawk (11-9) and took East Longmeadow to five games before bowing.
"This is going to be good volleyball for Western Mass.," Jarvis said. "I'm enjoying the season so far."


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URBANA, Illinois -- Auburn will be represented in the Sweet 16 in singles and doubles play at the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships on Friday.
Singles player Andreas Mies handed Virginia's Mitchell Frank only his second singles loss of the season -- 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 -- to advance Thursday. The doubles team of Daniel Cochrane and Mies knocked off California's Campbell Johnson and Christoffer Konigsfedt 7-5 and 6-1.
Mies is Auburn's first singles player to advance to the Sweet 16 since 2010 (Tim Puetz).
"Our guys really stepped up today," Auburn coach Eric Shore said in a news release. "Andy stepped up big-time against a really tough guy; he's lost something like four matches in college. He makes everything. And Andy earned it, he did a great job."
Mies is one of two SEC players still alive in the tournament and secured an ITA All-American selection as well as a singles player. Mies is ranked 19th in the nation. He fought back from an early deficit to the claim the three-set victory against Frank, who is 59-4 in two seasons.
Mies and Cochrane rank sixth nationally in doubles. Shore singled out Cochrane specifically for the doubles victory.
"Our first set point at 6-5, he dug out this ball, and the match was basically over after that," Shore said. "It really helped, because it lifted Andy after what had been a long day, and we got on them early in the second set. It's great for Andy, he makes All-American for the first time singles. And good for Dan, waiting around all day, and then he gets it done. Great day for us."
Mies will face 45th-ranked Yannick Hanfmann of Southern Cal Friday morning at 10 a.m.
Mies and Cochrane will face 60th-ranked Lucas Ana and Victor Valente of Georgia State.