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We encourage you to try out these tools, as well as others you find, and see what works best for you. These are just a few apps that can help you and your children increase your knowledge of how to stay safe and secure online.
1. "Welcome to Google Reader." (3 March, 2010). Retrieved from http://www.google.com/reader.
2. "Social Media Dashboard." (3 March, 2010). Retrieved from http://hootsuite.com
3. "Tweet Deck." (3 March, 2010). Retrieved from http://www.tweetdeck.com


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Monday, October 13, 2008
Evernham becomes ESPN's New Wild Card
Veteran NASCAR journalist Dustin Long has been a frequent guest on Tradin' Paint this season. Long writes for several newspapers and is very good at expressing his views on TV.
This weekend, he wrote a column that contained one of the hottest topics where NASCAR TV and the viewers are concerned. It is a topic that always brings a ton of email and comments for a wide variety of reasons. That topic is Ray Evernham.
This year, ESPN introduced Evernham in February as a part-time member of the NASCAR on ESPN team. He has quietly been used in almost every role possible this season.
Evernham has been added as the fourth person in the Infield Studio as a commentator. He has been upstairs in the announce booth as an analyst. Viewers have seen him as a panelist on Monday's one hour NASCAR Now roundtable with Allen Bestwick. He has appeared on ESPNEWS and other ESPN programs talking about NASCAR as an expert.
You can read Long's column by clicking here. Below is the excerpt that got the attention of so many NASCAR fans.
Ray Evernham, who has a minority share in Gillett Evernham Motorsports, said he was not involved in the decision to release rookie Patrick Carpentier. Evernham stressed he's a minority partner in the team and hinted maybe that role could change to not being a part of the team.
"That's largely up to the Gillettes,'' Evernham said if he would remain with the team. "I want to help Mr. Gillette, and I'll do whatever I can to help him be successful, but I also want to pursue ... I'm enjoying my life at ESPN. I'm enjoying a little bit of semi-retirement. I want to help as much as I can, but I also want to make sure I have credibility with the viewers and that's important to me.''
Some folks feel that the real reason Evernham needs to keep his credibility with the ESPN viewers is because that is his next employment destination. Evernham created Race Wizard a while back, an ESPN2 series that featured Evernham's son Ray J. and offered explanations on various NASCAR topics with a family-friendly theme. That program did not return for this season.
Instead, ESPN slipped Evernham under the radar and brought him in-house for some additional TV exposure. There was no doubt that ESPN faced a tough situation. Evernham was still on paper a multi-car owner in the very series on which ESPN has asked him to comment.
Now, Evernham seems to be sending clear signals that he is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations at GEM. Amazingly, that comes at a time when ESPN is within weeks of ending that network's NASCAR coverage for 2008. Remember, in TV there is rarely such a thing as a coincidence.
Click here for the Yahoo! Sports post that addressed the TDP coverage of the Evernham issue. The topic was how Evernham consistently got a free pass from Allen Bestwick on GEM issues during the Monday NASCAR Now program. Evernham seems to have tried to answer just that question with his comments to Long.
Update: Evernham addressed the Carpentier issue on the Monday edition of NASCAR Now and basically repeated what he said to Long.
It should be interesting to watch carefully how Evernham is used in the final month or so of the NASCAR on ESPN season. What role Evernham will play for ESPN in 2009 has yet to be revealed, but it is clear that he is the former crew chief in favor at the moment.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
49 comments:
- Dot said...
Just a quick comment. AB just asked Ray about Patrick being let go at GEM. Sounds like Ray is moving out of GEM sooner rather than later. Too bad for Patrick, I think if Ray had his say, Patrick would still be around next season. I guess they no longer value his opinion.
- October 13, 2008 at 5:55 PM
- David said...
This is an interesting situation and to me sheds a little light on why he has not commented on much of the inner ongoings until now. He honestly is out of the loop. It almost seems he is a part of GEM in name alone.
This screams disagreement though as well. Stressing that these decisions are not his and putting it on the shoulders of the Gillete's sounds to me like a guy that is on his way out of the ownership role.
This offseason will be interesting, I think Ray certainly adds a good element to the broadcasts on ESPN. He has accomplished quite a bit in NASCAR as a crew chief and while the ownership thing did not work out I believe Ray is a guy that sounds content with where he is at in life and that place is in front of the camera.
- October 13, 2008 at 5:56 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Do you think Andy Petree or Brad Daugherty should be hearing the footsteps?
- October 13, 2008 at 6:12 PM
- cvt said...
RE's situation vis-à-vis GEM is a foreshadowing of what's in store at Petty's.
ESPN went out of their way not to embarrass RE, now the cat is out of the bag, he'll find a way to gracefully announce his active retirement.
- October 13, 2008 at 6:22 PM
- Anonymous said...
So Ray " want to make sure I have credibility with the viewers and that's important to me.''
When you go to the link to the Yahoo story, or if you follow the Jayski link to ESPN comments, you will see that many people don't view Ray as having credibility and bring up the drivers tossed aside (Atwood, Mayfield, now Carpinter) and of course the Crocker affair.
Ray is tarnished goods no matter how much he wants to gussy up the package.
- October 13, 2008 at 7:29 PM
- David said...
Petree has done an AMAZING job with ESPN in almost 2 seasons of work. If anyone is going to be hearing footsteps it could be a Tim Brewer or indeed a Brad. Ray has spoken on SIRIUS Speeedway about being in the booth and while he enjoys it, he has a tone that its not his cup of tea. Petree and DJ have a real chemistry and the last thing ESPN needs to do is mess that up.
Ray would be an excellent addition ala Jeff Hammond on FOX. Ray may also be able to work with AB to get the most out of Rusty where Brad is weak in adding to that mix.
Move a BD to NASCAR Now during the week, give him a "people's fun" role like SPEED uses Rutledge and keep him out of the race telecast. I understand why they are using him, its to attract a new audience and have a more general appeal, but those factors aside, but his insight is weak at best.
Petree is solid, Brad might be hearing some footsteps soon though. The ball is in Ray's court I imagine.
- October 13, 2008 at 7:31 PM
- majorshouse said...
Even though Ray's image is somewhat tarnished, he definitely brings something that many of the other analysts do not and that is a real technical knowledge of the sport and I have a feeling that he is being worked out of GEM much like it appears that the Petty's, especially Kyle are being worked out of Petty Enterprises.
I think that Brad should be the one hearing the footsteps of Ray Evernham and I too think that he and Allen Bestwick could really keep Rusty in his place as well as he could work really well with Jeff Hammond in the Hollywood Hotel as well.
- October 13, 2008 at 7:43 PM
- PammH said...
I also don't think Andy's hearing any footsteps. He's done an excellent job and w/his crew chief/winning car owner background, he brings ALOT to the table. Brad only bring diversity. He spouts NO new ideas, just repeats what other people have said. He doesn't fill a void at all, Andy does. I don't care much for Rut's antics, but at least he has a purpose-he's supposed to be funny. Once in awhile it works. What is Brad's purpose?
- October 13, 2008 at 7:47 PM
- Anonymous said...
If Andy Petree is replaced I will be very upset. What would make me even more upset was if Petree is replaced, and Captain Punch is not.
- October 13, 2008 at 7:50 PM
- Anonymous said...
ESPN hiring Cup team owner Ray Evernham is bad, unprofessional conflict of interest and worthy of several critical articles.
SPEED hiring Cup team owner Kyle Petty is a great move, no problems at all.
- October 13, 2008 at 7:50 PM
- boyd said...
Brad should be hearing the footsteps. He now owns (partly)a Cup team, and doesn't add much to the telecasts.
His former role as a minority voice for NASCAR has proven that he is just a rubber stamp for them more often than not.
The most interesting part of this is that the Gillettes are Canadian (aren't they?) and they let their Canadian driver go.
- October 13, 2008 at 7:52 PM
- Newracefan said...
Hopefully it's Brad who is hearing footsteps. I would not like to see DJ and AP split up they need help with the PXP not the analysis. Ray would be great in the infield studio working on big picture stratgey that the booth guys don't have time to think about along with JP since AB will be in the booth. Hopefully it's not Tim's spot although he usually annoys me I don't think that would be a good use of Ray's talent.
- October 13, 2008 at 7:53 PM
- Anonymous said...
The Gilletts are American (from Wisconsin), but own or co-own major sports franchises in Canada and Great Britain.
Ray's OK, but Andy Petree doesn't have anything to worry about. He's probably the best thing ESPN has going in the booth right now, followed by DJ.
Also one caveat about Ray's statements: Ray (in case you're surprised) has been known in the past to say things to reporters that simply aren't true. He's gone back and forth on the level of his GEM involvement this year - saying one thing one month, and another thing the next month. Luckily for him, the Gilletts hardly ever talk to the media, so he can say what he wants without them contradicting him.
Ratings for the race were down, according to scenedaily.com:
"ABC's broadcast of Saturday night's Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway earned an overnight rating 3.5 from Nielsen Media Research, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Daily reports.
The figure is 12.5 percent lower than the 4.0 ABC earned overnight for the race in 2007."
- October 13, 2008 at 8:01 PM
- Jessica said...
I know this is futile but why, for the love of baby Jesus, is Mikey wearing golf shoes?
- October 13, 2008 at 8:39 PM
- Dot said...
With the way they run things at ESPU, the footsteps we'll hear will be Ray's & Rusty's walking to the booth to be with Jerry. Rusty, Brad, Suzy & Brent will be in the media center, or whatever it's called. Erik will be the Rut of ESPU, but more annoying. AB will be in the pits, but won't be allowed to ask intelligent questions. Can't make the dwins look bad. DJ & AP will get hired at VS to cover that big secret stock car racing series JD alluded
to Sat night.
All kidding aside, DJ & AP belong right where they are. AB needs to take the walk upstairs. Talk about a dream team.
- October 13, 2008 at 8:47 PM
- PammH said...
jessica-because Buffy is cleaning him out w/this "separation", plus he started THREE cups teams from stratch?? he's poor, like most of us. ;)
- October 13, 2008 at 8:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
Add me to the Mr. Petree love! I'd be VERY upset if he's ever released. I love him :). He seems like a very nice man :).
@dot--YES! DJ, AP & AB--the Dream Team!
- October 13, 2008 at 9:01 PM
- Anonymous said...
Few people know NASCAR like Everham, and even fewer know about winning in NASCAR like Everham. I don't always agree with him, but any time he says something, I want to hear it and consider it carefully. I don't know how ESPN will use him next, but so far I like the way they've used him and I think he has a lot to contribute.
PS Maybe Everham didn't have anything to do with Carpentier's release because he simply didn't have to. Honestly, his run in Cup made Dario Franchitti look competent by comparison. I can't think of a single race he ran where he didn't fully spin out. Not a single one. And he usually took someone with him. Everham didn't need to contribute anything to that decision process, it kinda made itself.
- October 13, 2008 at 9:52 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Hey guys, let me be the first to say that on-camera talent choose to move-on for many reasons.
In this case, you have one person who is going to try and run a Sprint Cup Series team hands-on next season in Daugherty.
You also have Petree, who may well be itching to get back into an active role in the sport instead of just talking about it.
There does not have to be a problem for a talent switch to happen, it just may be someone who needs or wants a change.
Keep that in mind as things move forward so we don't get caught-up in the "bad job" conversations.
Thanks for the great comments, as usual.
- October 13, 2008 at 10:04 PM
- David said...
Andy Petree has done it all. Championship crew chief, own a moderately successful, winning Cup Series team, now he is enjoying success in television. If he decided to take an active role inside the sport I would hope it would be something he truly wants to do and it not be a money issue or see him come back and struggle. Larry Mac does a great job on tv but I imagine him and Petree would have quite the adjustment period after being out of the day-to-day inner workings of a Cup race team to enjoy any immediate success.
I believe Ray would excel in any position ESPN would choose to use him. If that is up in the booth or down in the infield studio I believe Ray would connect with fans and provide useful insight.
- October 13, 2008 at 10:12 PM
- Dot said...
JD, What do you know about Andy? I would think that before he got the gig w/ESPU he would've hooked up with a team before now.
Economically, wouldn't it make more sense for him to stay in the booth? It's a guaranteed paycheck and I would think less of a headache than owning or crewing a team. Especially if there is any truth to the rumor of less cars on the track in the near future.
One more thought, I think all owners (Brad, Rusty) should be on the pit boxes and not on the air.
Hey, what's with the word verification?
- October 13, 2008 at 10:20 PM
- Vince said...
It may just be me, but I had gotten the impression early on that Ray wasn't involved in the day to day decisions at GEM. Just reading between the lines and with what I saw and heard in the media.
I think Ray would be a great replacement for Brad. But I can see him in Tim Brewer's role also. I think those two should both be hearing footsteps.
- October 13, 2008 at 10:21 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
A lot of the Google Blogspot sites got attacked by automated spam today. I have spend hours deleting porn from my site...nice huh?
So, the verification is back until the spam-bots move onto another blog.
About Andy, I know absolutely nothing about his status and let me make that clear. What we do know is that Ray is making noise about coming over to TV and you just do not invent a place for him to go.
All we are doing is wondering what role he would fill? ESPN has moved him all over the place this season and he has done pretty well in each test.
I have a feeling we are going to have no clue about all of this until next February, just like last season.
- October 13, 2008 at 10:25 PM
- Dot said...
Thanks JD.
@ Vince, I agree with you. I'd rather see Ray in both roles and Tim & Brad go on their merry ways.
- October 13, 2008 at 10:30 PM
- David said...
Dot, I mentioned that earlier. I can see Ray playing a "Jeff Hammond" type role where he is down in the infield studio yet can break down the technical stuff too.
My biggest knock on ESPN: TOO MANY FACES/VOICES. You don't need 11 people to cover a race!!!
FOX uses 8, maybe 9 (not sure if they use 3 pit reporters or 4)
TNT uses 9 i think...so what is the added benefit of ESPN having the extra person or 2? It just adds to the "script" IMO.
- October 13, 2008 at 11:08 PM
- Anonymous said...
If Mr. Petree wants to be an owner again that's fine...I just want it to be his decision and not the network brass making it for him :)
- October 14, 2008 at 12:02 AM
- Anonymous said...
I think Andy Petree has done a fine job and works well with DJ. Brad is a great guy but adds nothing to the shows. He doesn't seem to posess any real understanding of how Cup cars work. Rusty is a dinosauer that is best at telling War Stories. I wouldn't miss his over-sized ego. I have always appreciated Ray's technical knowledge about the sport. There's no glitz or hype with Ray. He just tells you what he knows,which is a lot.
- October 14, 2008 at 3:49 AM
- Anonymous said...
How many years are you people going to crucify Evernham for "affair" that you think you know all about? Do you even know all the facts? You are simply going by what Mayfield spewed because he was revealed to be the non-driver he really was. His driving record has proven that to be true. Ray and his wife could have been separated when the "affair" started for all we know. The point is he is not the first man to have done and I can guarantee you he will not be the last but one thing I can tell you is that Ray is very intelligent when it comes to being a crew chief, car owner and spotting talent on a race track. The merger with Gillett was caused by the inflation of our economy and the demands King Brian has placed on the teams. He has all but killed the small teams in the sport and it has become basically a four teams sport. If he cannot see this that this is the cause of the empty seats, falling ratings then he will be left wondering what happened when his kingdom has fallen. As for Ray, people if you are perfect by all means criticize if your not, well I think you know what to do.
- October 14, 2008 at 5:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
Ray should not even be allowed to use the word CREDIBILITY. Anyone around in the 90s knows his huge gifts, the incredible success he engineered for Jeff Gordon (who's never been the same since Ray's departure), and the way that Jeff and Rick screwed Ray and drove him to the Dodge program. However, anyone around since then has witnessed a different Ray--you know, the one who has made some of the poorest personal and personnel decisions ever in the garage area. Forget about big mouth Jeremey Mayfield, who pissed his own fortunes away by shaming Ray in public (who wants a guy who would do that?); Ray has discarded just about every talent he's managed to secure, save for Casey Kane, who, no doubt, wishes he, too, was somewhere else. Is it only a coincidence that Ray was on the scene of Ford's two biggest talent losses--Jeff Gordon and Casey Kane? We'll never know, because ESPN is not about to ask Ray any questions that might make him uncomfortable. In fact, ESPN's credibility might make a perfect match for Ray. Just so long as they don't use the word CREDIBILITY either.
- October 14, 2008 at 7:05 AM
- glenc1 said...
I agree with david. Andy & DJ have known each other forever, but they don't come across like we're the outsiders--more like we're their new pals. I don't think ESPN will mess with that. It's a bit like Ned & Benny. Brad brings such enthusiasm, and I appreciate that, but I think they could find a different tole for him. I am not an Evernham 'fan', particularly, but I do think he brings a lot of knowledge and he comes across well on TV. Brewer--I like Tim, but I can't see him being so crucial if they wanted to give that job to Ray and expand it. I dislike saying people should be out of a job but TV is s tough business.
Personally, I never thought the owner/tv conflict was a big deal in terms of shows like NASCAR Now or Tradin' Paint, in the case of Petty--now, when the race is in progress that's something else. (Many sports have injured players comment on the games, even their own teams, but usually pre-game.)
Maybe ownership wasn't as much as he expected and he likes the less pressure of the TV gig. No, I don't like the personal stuff, but that's not part of the TV job.
Anon 7:05, Jeff won a championship after Ray's departure and continues to be competitive--the *sport* has just tighted up considerably in terms of money and effort. And Ray is certainly not the only owner who lost talent--again, the competitive nature of the business causes this to happen. If I heard Spencer go on about the lack of talent one more time I'll scream--there is plenty of talent, they're just too 'old' to be marketable to sponsors, or not appealing or articulate enough.
- October 14, 2008 at 9:33 AM
- diane said...
If ESPN uses Ray for the Cup broadcasts then I will not watch any race live. I will record them and fast forward looking for action (passes, crashes, pit stops) and only subject myself to as little of his presence as possible. Of course this means that I will fast forward through the commercials, so ESPN's sponsors won't have my eyes and attention.
- October 14, 2008 at 10:30 AM
- Lisa Hogan said...
Just got to shake my head at the anons who crop up with the "you people" and think that they are the authority on what we should think and post. Always amusing!
I have been a non-fan of Evernham for a long time and that has nothing to do with his mid-life crisis.
How viewers feel about Evernham won't influence ESPN on their decisions about his future at the network. Viewers screaming Nooooo when he first appeared and being ignored has proven that fact.
I can only hope that Evernham is not placed in the booth during broadcasts. If I wanted to watch sawdust, I would visit the local lumber yard.
We, as fans, are at ESPN's mercy and will just have to see what next season brings.
As always, I am armed with a remote and not afraid to use it. :)
- October 14, 2008 at 11:00 AM
- AndyPandy said...
My intense dislike for Ray is slightly less than my intense dislike for Rusty, so my vote is to send #2 back to his old hot rod and let Ray take his place. For some reason, I like Brad's rah-rah enthusiasm, and to me, he really does seem to know what he is talking about. He doesn't comment too far beyond his depth of knowledge, which is more than I can say about certain pit reporters.
Speaking of pit reporters, these ESPN races just make me miss Lindsay Czarniak so much more. She's got the total package - enthusiasm, knowledge, and the ability to ask good questins. The drivers seem to respect her and like to talk to her.
(yeah, I think she's really cute, too)
- October 14, 2008 at 11:04 AM
- Adam T. Martin said...
"If Andy Petree is replaced I will be very upset. What would make me even more upset was if Petree is replaced, and Captain Punch is not."
Same here. It would be a disaster.
I think Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett are great together. They don't talk down to the audience and they know their stuff.
I don't mind Ray joining ESPN. He could replace Tim or Brad. Those two only add fluff to the broadcast which is unnecessary.
- October 14, 2008 at 11:12 AM
- majorshouse said...
I like Ray and really wish that he was still on the pit box for Jeff. That team has never beenthe same since he left and I don't know about Jeff and Rick running him off, but I do know that the 24 has never been the same and I really think that Jeff has gotten the short end of the stick this year. I would love to see both Brad and Rusty replaced by Ray because like so many have stated all that they bring are over sized egos and fluff.
- October 14, 2008 at 11:41 AM
- 3bud said...
Ray knows his stuff,as does Andy, Brad is the fan therefore I would think expendable. Rusty seems to have come into his own in the infeild studio,and think Rusty between AB and Ray could maybe be better,as majorshouse said keep him in his place.
- October 14, 2008 at 1:45 PM
- Anonymous said...
The point is he is not the first man to have done and I can guarantee you he will not be the last
Kind of funny that you start out by berating us for not "knowing the facts" about Evernham's affair..and then later on, admitting he had one.
By the way, Ray admitted that himself.
Not being first nor the last doesn't excuse what he did.
- October 14, 2008 at 2:48 PM
- Anonymous said...
How many years are you people going to crucify Evernham for "affair" that you think you know all about?
More than two, apparently.
- October 14, 2008 at 2:49 PM
- glenc1 said...
Lisa, I find your comment intersting ("Viewers screaming Nooooo when he first appeared and being ignored has proven that fact".) How do we know how many viewers screamed 'yeeeeeeessssss'? I was indifferent at the time, but I'm just saying, if this blog is poll-like, clearly there are people on both sides so I don't think we can assume the majority were/are against.
I personally have no issue with those who decide they cannot watch him...everyone has the right to choose what they find personally offensive for whatever reasons. I can't think of any in racing, but in other sports there are definitely analysts I refuse to listen to. But as you say, ESPN will not make its decisions based on that.
- October 14, 2008 at 3:02 PM
- Lisa Hogan said...
glen-I used the word "viewers" as a plural, not implying majority. I based that statement on conversations with various fans both in my circle and at the tracks. I read a lot of forums/boards and found some fans very vocal against Evernham and had letter writing campaigns to ESPN about their displeasure.
- October 14, 2008 at 3:24 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
What I find interesting is that Evernham and Erin Crocker are very much together as a couple right now and Ray has been divorced for a while.
There are plenty of Internet news stories about those two out racing for fun together at local tracks and even working on a new low-cost sprint car design.
Racing is a transient business and the marriage toll is high. The fact that they are both single adults has lowered my feelings about the bad situation from several years back.
If Evernham leaves GEM and moves to ESPN, he will do so in theory as a single man with no remaining financial interests in the sport.
That may be the second chance that he needs to get himself back on track with the fans who found his original behavior beyond tasteless.
If he does not divest himself of GEM, Allen Bestwick may find himself looking over at two Sprint Cup and one Nationwide Series owners as his Infield Pit Studio partners and I don't think that is going to wash with the fans.
- October 14, 2008 at 3:34 PM
- glenc1 said...
Lisa, I understand your explanation--but obvious neither of us has any way of knowing the real numbers. People who dislike something are more vocal and active than those who like or are indifferent to it. I imagine ESPN may use focus groups and such in addition to viewer feedback.
JD, I have been adamant over the years about how much I dislike the 'insider' aspect of NASCAR broadcasting (ie, they're all too 'beholden' to them for their hard cards and such), but I would be less critical for wraparound shows than I would for the actual race. On the other hand, I think you are right that there needs to be a balance. There ought to be more 'independents', but I think the nature of the sport makes it harder to find such people.
As far as the personal stuff goes...we all know there are NASCAR people past and present who've done the exact same thing...very, very popular people, in fact, whose 'catting around' as Herschel McGriff once put it, was well known. Doesn't make it right, but I can't hold one to standards that others I admire have violated as well. Just something to think about.
- October 14, 2008 at 4:12 PM
- chase said...
My feelings toward RE are rather ambivalent. That being said, it would be nice if ESPN rid themselves of Brad and Rusty and Tim - RE in a 'Tim' position would bring great knowledge to the table and he would be a big help in explaining things to new and old fans alike. I fail to see the purpose of Brad and Rusty doing any sort of 'broadcasting' (if you can call it that) inasmuch as they are team owners and even though they say their ownership does not color their coverage, it does indeed and smacks of their own personal interests. Andy and DJ are great in the booth - just add AB to the mix and you've got a win-win situation. I did love the comment above 'have a remote and not afraid to usse it' - I used my remote Sat. nite just to drown out Punch's inane coverage but wanted to hear DJ and Andy and AB - sadly, my remote does not allow me to mute individuals!!!! If technology could only make that happen then I'd be a very happy person! Thanks John, as usual and as always.
- October 14, 2008 at 4:12 PM
- Dave S. said...
Idea: Everham replaces Daugherty; Bestwick to PxP; Punch to pits; and -- don't shoot me, folks -- Little as infield studio host.
- October 14, 2008 at 5:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
You people still dont understand Rusty Wallace is the most knowledgable person espn has he is a champion driver speaks well understands the sport and the car.I think people that dont like him are the people that were not his fan when he was driving.So quit being negative this guy is good.
- October 14, 2008 at 6:48 PM
- Anonymous said...
So quit being negative this guy is good.
If by "good" you mean unable to form a coherent sentence, then you'd be right.
- October 14, 2008 at 7:13 PM
- AndyPandy said...
I tell you what, that cat drives a mean hot rod, lemme tell ya.
- October 14, 2008 at 9:49 PM
- David said...
I don't doubt Rusty's knowledge. He just ISNT an analyst type for being up in the booth. What bothers me is ESPN missed the entire boat on the Talladega tire issue. Yet NASCAR performance managed to have logical explanations asto what could have happened.
Rusty would go as far to say splitters were cutting tires down when there was no contact to support his theory.
Rusty has a deep well of knowledge, but he also carries an attitude that polarizes you one way or the other. His explanations sound as if they carry an "Im right and thats the only view you can have" whereas a DJ and AP give an insight based on their knowledge but remain open to other theories. They don't speak out of their role which Rusty does from time to time.
- October 15, 2008 at 12:08 AM
- Richard in N.C. said...
It appears to me that ESPN likes to make sure it has more "experts" than it needs. So if Ray reduces his role at GEM or leaves, I predict you will see more of him on ESPN, but he will not replace anyone - just another cat in the garage.
- October 16, 2008 at 8:22 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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Huskers Head to Big Ten Tournament
Columbus, Ohio- The No. 72 Huskers (10-14) have reached the end of the dual season with a loss to No. 62 Wisconsin 6-1 Sunday, next the Nebraska men's tennis team will travel to Columbus, Ohio for the Big Ten Championships Thursday, April 25 to Sunday, April 28 at Ohio State University's Varsity Tennis Center.
The Huskers finished the season with a 10-14 record for the second consecutive year, and will be aiming for a consecutive first round victory in the Big Ten Championships to match last years. This will be only the second time the Huskers compete in the Big Ten Tournament.
No. 72 NU enters the tournament as the tenth seed and will face No. 7 seed No. 45 Michigan State in the first round on Thursday, April 25 at 1:30 p.m. The Huskers secured the No. 10 seed after winning the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Nittany Lions. If the Huskers advance, they will take on second-seeded Minnesota on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Ohio State earned the outright Big Ten title, finishing a perfect 11-0 in conference and 28-2 overall. It is the Buckeyes' 8th consecutive Big Ten Championship.
After finishing the regular season 5-5, the Huskers entered last year's tournament as the ninth seed and defeated the eight-seeded Wisconsin Badgers, 4-0 in the first round. NU faced top seeded Ohio State in the second round, falling 0-4.
In the regular season dual match in Lincoln, the Huskers fell 5-2 to the Spartans. The Spartans notched the doubles point and four singles matches. With a win on Thursday, the Huskers would face No. 2 seed Minnesota in the second round on Firday. The Gophers earned a narrow 5-2 victory in during the dual season, in a match that came down to two singles matches.


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Keep scrolling down for our 2011 Party Recap + tips on hosting a party.
Ugly Sweater Wood Blocks
DIY Hot Glue Snowflake Garland + Mantle
How to Build a Photo Booth
DIY Pom Pom Tree Decoration
2011 Party:
We held our first Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Shindig, and let me tell ya, there was lots of ugly-sweater-ness going on.
***I bought 2 sweater cookie cutters here, for $7!!***
And now let's have a giveaway.
The awesome guys at Ugly Christmas Sweater Party are giving one of you a hot-off-the-press autographed book!
(giveaway closed)


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An amazing individual. Very attractive. A great friend; extremeley loyal and trustworthy. This girl is worth your time. She attracts all kinds of people. Mostly, REIKO's, ANGELA's, SHANTI's, and EMILY's are the kind of people that she'll mix with the most. She'll make you laugh and keep you coming back for more. Warning: She's quite a blabber mouth! Overall, you'll love a Shiofra.
by idareyoutomoveSEARS June 27, 2009
buy the domain for your cat vlog


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Responding to the new mandate received from Member States at the Ministerial Conference in Doha, as well as to the requests contained in the WIPO Development Agenda and the World Health Assembly´s Resolution 61.21 on a Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, the UNCTAD Secretariat is implementing a work programme on the development dimensions of intellectual property (IP) rights.
The IP programme conducts research and analysis on trade and development aspects of intellectual property and facilitates consensus-building in international discussions on issues at the interface between investment and intellectual property. More >
Students at Lund University of Sweden learn from an UNCTAD partnership how policy frameworks can help build domestic technological capacities and the role of intellectual property rights in this regard.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
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Hostile alien spawn have infested the planet of Kerrus. Wipe them out!
Hostile Spawn Features
After the UFE Starship Hammerhead failed to report on its mission, you were sent in to investigate. As you searched the now abandoned ship you discovered the festering presence of an alien spawn...and they're hostile!
Take up your standard issue auto gun and cleanse the Hammerhead, then descend to the surface of the planet Kerrus to wipe out the infestation at its source...with the help of a few more powerful weapons.
1. How do I regain health?
When you advance a rank, some of your health is replenished and your maximum health increases. If you find yourself running low on health, there are health packs on some of the levels. Walking over a health pack will recover some of your character's health.
2. How does the rank system work?
As you earn points, a thin yellow gauge below your rank fills up. When it is full, you advance to the next rank (and get a health boost) and the gauge empties again. Over time this gauge will decrease, so it's in your best interests to keep advancing and killing aliens.
3. What is Hard mode and where do I access it?
Both the 'Kerrus' and 'Vengeance' sets of levels have a hard mode which is unlocked after you have completed them on the default difficult.
In Hard mode on 'Kerrus', you have to complete the planet-based levels (levels 4-10) within a strict time limit, that being double whatever each level's par time is. In Hard mode on 'Vengeance' (levels 5-10), the same difficult time limit applies.
4. Which weapons am I using?
The weapon currently assigned to the left mouse button is displayed in the top left corner of the screen, and the weapon currently assigned to the right mouse button is displayed in the top right corner of the screen. The number in each icon is the amount of ammunition you have for that weapon.
You can pick up all weapons that you find by simply walking over to them. For each new weapon an icon will be added to the list displayed at the top of the screen. A simple way to equip a different weapon for use is to click the icon with the mouse button you would like to assign the weapon to.
5. Why does ammo decrease for one of my weapons when I'm using the other?
Certain weapons share an ammunition type. The auto gun and C.R.A.G. use the same type of projectile ammunition. The plasma cannon and railgun both use energy cells as their source of ammunition. However, each weapon uses differing amounts of ammunition per shot.
6. I can't get used to the controls!
There are two control methods in the game. The first method moves the marine in relation to the screen; the second method moves the marine in relation to the mouse cursor. These two methods can be switched between with the 'TAB' key. Try out both to see which suits your play style best. Also, you can choose between using either the WASD keys or your keyboard's arrow keys for movement.
7. What are the minimum specifications for this game?
The minimum specifications we recommend for this game are:
The recommended specifications for getting the most out of this game are:
Below is an explanation of the terms in our technical specifications.
Megahertz (MHz) / Gigahertz (GHz) is a measure of how fast your computer's processor is. This affects how quickly you can run things like games and applications.
Megabytes (MB) are used to measure how much memory your computer has. This affects how quickly your computer runs when using large programs such as games, or when you run a lot of programs at once.
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August 1
Word of the Day, This Day in History, Number to Know, Website of the Day, Today�s Featured Birthday and Daily Quote.
Word of the Day
aficionado uh-fish-ee-uh-NAH-doh noun; An enthusiastic admirer; a fan. � Dictionary.com
This Day in History
Aug. 1, 1981: Television network MTV begins broadcasting, airing music videos 24 hours a day. The first video shown is �Video Killed the Radio Star,� by the Buggles.
Number to Know
5: Number of original VJs to host programming on MTV. They were: Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson and Martha Quinn.
Website of the Day: MTV
Official site of the television programming network � that shows very few music videos anymore.
Today�s Featured Birthday
Tempestt Bledsoe, American actress, best known for playing Vanessa Huxtable on the television series �The Cosby Show,� 41.
Daily Quote
�For me, what works best is to try to eat healthy and not worry about the scale.� � Tempestt Bledsoe
Morning Minutes, Aug. 1
August 1


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Since my first batch of foundation samples from Joppa and Fyrinnae didn't work, I ordered again but with different finishes and shades so I can see which one is best, I also got a few baggy samples from Buff'd Cosmetics. I also wanted to try Fyrinnae's Oil Control Powder and Rice Powder Primer so I will see how those work out and of course report my findings to you ladies!
The Fyrinnae foundation, "Sunstone" Super Power Foundation is great for those who need a lot of coverage, however I found it to be just a tad bit too cakey for me, as I don't need too much coverage, so I ordered samples of the same shade and in "Sheen" and "Matte" Finishes to compare (haven't done it yet) as well as their other shade "Ametrine" just in case it's off a bit.
I REALLY like Joppa Minerals, the coverage and lasting power is AMAZING!!!! (For me anyway), and I am just loving the airbrushed look it gives (sorry I haven't taken any pics, i've been bumming it M-F), but i'll do a fotd using their foundation and maybe you can see what im talking about...thanks Nikki and Mhean for suggesting to try Medium #3, Erica (best friend) said she didn't even notice I was wearing foundation! LOL, so I guess it was a perfect match to my skin, and I thought so too. So that just might be my perfect shade.
Frankly, I don't have time to mix my own foundation as much as I used to, so as much as I have enjoyed Silk Naturals because it allowed me to customize my shade as well as give me exceptional coverage, I just want something now that's already ready to go.
I wanna try the other samples I got just in case, and then once I am done and made a decision, I can go ahead and order a full-size of it!
Here are all of the Pure Luxe Eyeshadows I have and swatches! These were APPLIED DRY, NO BASE. Enjoy! (they are in name, open jars, and swatch form), sorry I spelled "Rococo" wrong! I was too lazy to double check! LOL.
Click on some of the pics to enlarge:
Pure Luxe Eyeshadows
Recent Posts
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Pure Luxe Mineral Eyeshadow Swatches & Other MMU Hauls
36 comments
- alien man?! said...
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, eye candy
some of those colors look SO GOOD
how would u rate joppa foundation vs silk naturals?
- June 5, 2008 at 12:58 AM
- Jnie said...
wow, the colors all look so pigmented! I can't wait to see your fotd of the Joppa Minerals..
- June 5, 2008 at 2:30 AM
- Nic Nic said...
Nice hauls, the pure luxe shadow all look really pretty! "strawberry" just looks so yummy! xD
ohh you're so lucky to find the exact shade of your foundation!
- June 5, 2008 at 4:42 AM
- anshul said...
i think the eyeshadow colors are very pretty and i think a lot of the can be used as dupes.dont u think so?imo solitude looks similar to mac mulch.doesnt it?
- June 5, 2008 at 4:57 AM
- nikkiz. said...
Belated Happy Birthday Nessa!
Ooooh, those are lovely pigment swatches from PureLuxe. They all look so yummy. Glad you got a shade match with Joppa, that's one of my HGs, plus their finishing powder which keeps me matte all day. Regarding Buff'd you might match the shade Buff as that's my Buff'd shade too :-)
- June 5, 2008 at 5:11 AM
- Emilee @ GMM said...
Wow, they're SO pigmented! I was planning on making another She Space haul, but now I might have to look into Pure Luxe instead. :)
Thanks for putting so much effort into getting the swatches for us!
- June 5, 2008 at 5:32 AM
- missxxmai said...
nice swatches =) i think i wanna order some! i have yet to try pure luxe, but i've been wanting too. i really like "smug", "bad girl", & "sour apple".
- June 5, 2008 at 5:42 AM
- missxxmai said...
OH! & the blushes are so pretty =) i never use to care for blush, but ever since i started reading your blog, i'm all over it =)
- June 5, 2008 at 5:43 AM
- Andra said...
I love Pure Luxe shadows! Smug, Sour Apple and Amethyst are some of my faves. I must try Bad Gal and Princess Gertrude, they look beautiful. Thanks for the swatches. :)
- June 5, 2008 at 6:10 AM
- MakeupByRenRen said...
wow, gizorgous! i haven't started getting all the pretty mineral eyeshadow samples like everybody else b/c i'm scared i'll get addicted!
- June 5, 2008 at 6:23 AM
- Yellow Fever said...
you and christiana are making me go broke with all these gorgeous swatches lol!! also, thanks for sharing your vegas pics-I really want to go there!
- June 5, 2008 at 6:34 AM
- Nicole said...
Lovely shadows Vanessa! I don't know if I said happy birthday yet, so happy birthday!
- June 5, 2008 at 6:54 AM
- mayaari said...
thanks for all those swatches! I have a few of them, but there are a few that you swatched that may have to be added to my collection, haha. I love using smug/tickled for pink looks, and rococo makes a great eyeliner for more subtle looks :)
- June 5, 2008 at 8:13 AM
- suzie wuzie said...
mmmm lusting..... very pretty colours!!
- June 5, 2008 at 8:21 AM
- Ethereal Prey said...
holy crapy! That's one awesome haul! All the colors! Can't wait to see some LOTD from you! :P
- June 5, 2008 at 8:24 AM
- Fabu-less Beauty said...
Let us know how you like Buff'd! I'm currently testing it right now. Now I'm curious about Joppa. What formula did you choose?
- June 5, 2008 at 8:27 AM
- Vanessa said...
Hi Fabu-Less Beauty! I used FULL coverage on all the mineral samples I got including Joppa. :)
- June 5, 2008 at 8:35 AM
- Lily said...
Hey Vanessa, did the other joppa foundations work for you as well? Medium #2 & Medium Light #3? I'm so glad you did a post on this because I was about to order some of their samples. I think we're the same skin tone NC 30? lol.
- June 5, 2008 at 8:47 AM
- Lily said...
okay, thanks a bunch!
- June 5, 2008 at 10:10 AM
- Bronzer Tanning Lotion | Tanning Beds said...
You got some awesome colors.
- June 5, 2008 at 10:18 AM
- Tracy said...
great swatches! i just realized i never swatched the pure luxe colors i got. haha. there's something i can post about...
- June 5, 2008 at 1:01 PM
- Askmewhats said...
yummeeee!!!!!! love all the colors..love to play around with it!!
- June 5, 2008 at 5:58 PM
- MeaganMonster said...
Fab colours, I love grape and strawberry. Hehe fruity.
- June 5, 2008 at 6:07 PM
- Anonymous said...
yey! a match with Joppa ~ woot! for once i enabled you! :D it is my HG MMU foundie love love love it! ;) did you get their Finishing Silk too? it's my fave finishing powder, i only tried Sheer but i find it too light (as it is white) so i want to try Medium. give it a try if you can. ;) enjoy your day gorgeous! :-*
- June 5, 2008 at 10:05 PM
- Christiana Divine @ Memoirs of A Shopping Addict said...
Hey Nessa, just thought you might wanna know that Pure Luxe's Bubblegum Ballz Collection is the same as TKB Trading's Pop Collection... except with TKB you get more product for a cheaper price. :) Just thought you might be interested. :)
- June 6, 2008 at 1:37 AM
- Bliss said...
Great Swatches, you are soo making me lemmm for them, i did not go through my old order, this is making me so tempted
- June 6, 2008 at 7:44 AM
- N a b i said...
VERY nice ! I like all the swatches. You are very good at taking photos. The color is awesome !
- June 6, 2008 at 10:14 AM
- iamgrape1119 said...
。。。DROOLS!The colors look GORGEOUS! You've just created a new lemming for me!
- June 6, 2008 at 10:45 AM
- Mukho said...
hi Vanessa!
Girl, I'm so loving these absolutely brilliant colors. Can't wait to see what kinds of eye looks u come up with on these :)
Wish I din't have a conservative workplace where even a tad of green liner makes me feel out-of-place... then I could really have some fun with beautiful shades like these.
- June 6, 2008 at 10:48 AM
- Shen said...
wow! great colors! i love! i got my pure luxe eyeshadow samples just recently. :) you're such an enabler! :)
- June 6, 2008 at 11:21 PM
- shades of hue said...
Wee! You're becoming a mineral makeup addict, welcome to the club! =) I can use Joppa Medium-Light#3 but it's a tad dark so I mix it with Light #3. I love Joppa as well, though some asians don't like it because it has a slight pink cast, but it's not noticeable on me. LOVE the color selection. Do try Aromaleigh e/s, you'll love 'em, very pigmented.
- June 7, 2008 at 2:08 PM
- vivian said...
i love the colors! They are beautiful.
I was wondering if you ordered the sample sizes for the pure luxe eye shadows.
- June 7, 2008 at 3:29 PM
- slvrlips said...
OMG!!!!! These colors are fabulous! Thanks for sharing. I've been staying away from the mineral products because I know it will be a new addiction but, I have to order those blushes they are hot, hot , hot
- June 9, 2008 at 10:58 AM
- eBeautyBlog said...
ohhh look at all those beautiful colors. Thank you for the swatches. I luv ur page. It's always colorful with eye shadows :)
- June 12, 2008 at 12:57 AM
- vanillasmush said...
Hi Vanessa, the pure luxe eye colors that you have shown here, are these the sample (1/8 tsp size) or the 5g size? I am in lurveee :)
- September 15, 2008 at 10:22 AM
- princessvalecia said...
I LOVE pure luxe I can't wait to do a another haul
- February 11, 2009 at 11:26 PM


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Dawn, Are you still involved in Mamas Like? I follow the reviews, but haven't seen any from you lately. Just wondering what the scoop is.
I haven't been. :( I love profiling work-at-home mom's shops, crafts, and services, but I've just been having a hard time trying to find time for everything. I have several hundred emails from people wanting a review on Mamaslike and just can't get to them. It's one of those times that instead of buckling down and just plowing through it, I don't know where to start so I just kinda shut down. Angie's been keeping up with it and she's going to be adding another person, Jackie, to help out with reviews soon.
I wonder what makes some people sleep with their eyes open?Higher intelligence?
Yeah, that must be it.
So I was wondering what happened to the email updates? I stopped getting them about mid-August. I resigned up on here because I was missing laughing my butt off at your kids stories.
I don't know. If you signed up with Blogarithm, that's probably the problem. I've heard from a lot of people that Blogarithm stinks at sending out updates. You might want to subscribe to Google Reader. Thanks to the advice of you wonderful readers, I discovered Google Reader and I'm LOVING it! If you missed my post about it, you can go HERE to see a video that explains it.
By the way, did you always know you wanted tons of kids?
Before we got married, Joe and I talked about how many kids we wanted. He said he wanted 2. I said, "Yep, I want 2 or 3." Not sure how we ended up with 6, but I'm glad we did! :)
What do you think about the moms who cook separate meals for each kid?
Whatever - each to their own, right? I personally don't have the time nor patience for that. I cook one meal a night. They can eat it or not. The end. I do make exceptions when I cook something new or something weird that I know the kids don't like. In that case, I'll let them make themselves a sandwich if they want. For example, last night I made meatloaf. I was going to make mashed potatoes to go with it, but I didn't have time so I just threw some rice in the meat mixture and popped it in the oven. The only problem? I didn't use Minute Rice. I used regular long grain rice and when the meatloaf was done, the rice was still REALLY CRUNCHY! Needless to say, several opted for the peanut butter sandwich entree tonight.
okay, she's WAY too clean to have been sucking on that ketchup bottle like that- where are the pics of it in her hair? Behind her ears? Crusted in the nostrils? Or do you just want pics of CADEN like that- maybe girls are cleaner??? hahaAlways love your blog Dawn...I needed that laugh today! Thanks.
LOL Peggy! Like THIS POST? And yesterday, Brooklyn came to me with this red stuff all over her head. I couldn't figure out what she'd gotten into. I moved closer to get a better look and smelled what it was - WINE! I'd had a Mary Kay party earlier and hadn't cleaned up all the wine glasses yet and Brooklyn dumped half a glass of Shiraz on her head. She had 4 showers yesterday. Don't ask.
Speaking of my sweet friend Peggy (Coleman's mom). I wanted to copy something she wrote on her Carepages today. In case you guys don't know, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Yesterday, in fact, was Childhood Cancer Awareness DAY and I didn't even know it!
"...On our way home from church we picked up the Sunday paper. Anyone look at the TARGET ad today???(Target is, I mean WAS, my favorite store, so I always grab their ad first) Today I grabbed it, and I wanted to cry. Then I got angry…
If you don't know by now- September is CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH- right? YESTERDAY was NATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS DAY- What about "POWERFUL GOLD?" Have all the carepages and caringbridge sites not been saying this enough? Have we not emailed enough people? Have we not written letters to newspaper after newspaper, Have we not worn our t-shirts, gold ribbons, put our stories out there hoping to make a difference, signed petitions, gathered signatures, joined groups, walked our laps,organized fundraisers… sent letters to our 'leaders' in office, screamed it from our rooftops enough to get some awareness??? Have we done enough to make a difference? Today made me wonder…have we done enough for our kids?obviously we have a LOT more work to do.
The front page of the Target ad is FULL of PINK, (not gold for the kids) but, PINK items...You can get a pink vacuum, pink pots and pans, a pink steam mop, a pink 10 speed mixer…*BIG SIGH*, all to raise money for BREAST CANCER, because quote, "Target proudly supports breast cancer research and education". Thanks Target…thanks. Do you not make a whole lot more money off your toy department than the bra department in your store?
Now don't get me wrong. I mean, I'm a woman, I have breasts. I support breast cancer research…I do. I'm not saying we shouldn't support a cure for it, but I'm also a mother watching her son fight for his life because of cancer. I'm not angry they're donating to Breast Cancer Research. There are women I LOVE who have fought the monster. I don't take anything away from their fight. I'm happy they're getting funding, that it's saving lives…I'm happy they've made so much progress in curing it…I'm happy for the awareness that's everywhere. I've bought the pink items... I'm not saying we all shouldn't support it.
What I AM saying is CHILDREN deserve the SAME AWARENESS AND SUPPORT!!!Read the fine print in Target's ad…"Dyson and Target will partner together to give $30 of each upright purchase and $10 of each hand vac purchase to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation- total donation $1.4 million…" It goes on…more #'s...I stopped there. I'm just so **** angry. What I'm angry about is…WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS??? It's an insult to these little heroes, that so few are recognizing what they go through, or too few care. Couldn't Target also proudly support THEM?Especially the timing of this ad. Could they have put the pink items on sale in OCTOBER, when it IS national BREAST cancer awareness month?This is the Weekend of CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS DAY, the MONTH OF SEPTEMBER…CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS...HELLOOOOO???? Is anyone aware??? We obviously aren't shouting it loud enough, and I'm frustrated.
*Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.
*On the average 12,500 children and teens will be diagnosed with some form of cancer each year in this country.
*One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.
*Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
*Cancer remains the #1 disease killer of America's children - more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.
*In the U.S. almost 3,000 children do not survive cancer each year.
*Over the past two decades, only ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.
*Currently there are between 30-40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment in the U.S.
*As a nation, we spend over $14 BILLION (that's with a B!!!) per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on Childhood Cancer Research each year.
*There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.
*Research funds are scarce as most money is diverted to well-publicized adult forms of cancer, such as breast and prostate.
*Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day."
Sweet Coleman's Cancer Fighting Face
Ooooo! And according to Mimi (and she knows what she's talking about!), Curesearch is the best place to donate money for childhood cancer. If you want to donate in Julian's name, HERE'S a link for you.
OK, so I was asked to give my 2 cents on back-to-school must haves for the website, TastyBaby.com. Here's the thing, all these moms gave their actual back-to-school ideas for actual, real products. And then there's my
Click HERE to see my review of Mr.Clean Magic Erasers and check back later this week because I have got some FANTASTIC (like $400 leather diaper bag fantastic!) giveaways coming up!


text:
Five facts and/or observations from yesterday's 1-0 and 11-2 losses to the Reds. . .
1) Ben Revere has not hit a ball out of the infield in his last 10 plate appearances. The last time he had a base hit that left the infield was April 12 in Miami. That was 21 plate appearances ago. Revere is the only player in the major leagues with at least 55 plate appearances and no extra base hits. His batting average is down to .194, and his on-base percentage down to .242.Thus far, he has led off every game for the 6-9 Phillies.
2) Nate Schierholtz hit a two-run pinch-hit double in the Cubs' 4-2 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night and is now hitting .361/.425/.667 with five doubles, two home runs, three walks and five strikeouts in 41 plate appearances. Compare that to the performance of Phillies right fielders: .182/.294/.295, two doubles, one home run, seven walks, 13 strikeouts, 51 plate appearances. Schierholtz also has an outfield assist, which gives him one more than the three players who have started in right field for the Phillies. It's early, of course. But the Phillies' tack with Schierholtz was curious even at the time they decided to non-tender him this winter. The 29-year-old had already established himself as a solid rotational outfielder from 2009-12 before the Phillies acquired him as part of the package that saw Hunter Pence head to San Francisco. His .319 career on base percentage was higher than those of Laynce Nix, John Mayberry Jr., Domonic Brown and Delmon Young, and was the same as Ben Revere's. His .727 OPS was better than Nix, Brown and Revere. And he is the best defensive right fielder of the bunch. Schierholtz ended up signing with the Cubs for $2.25 million, which is right around what we would have projected him to make through arbitration. Again, it's early. But certainly worth keeping an eye on.
3) You might try to argue that the first 15 games of a 162-game season is too small a sample size to render any meaningful judgements about a baseball team. If this was the NFL, we would be one game into the year. But sample sizes are arbitrary, as are the start and end points of a season. The reality is that the sample that we can use to judge the Phillies encompases all 15 games of this season plus all 162 games of last season and all 167 games of the season before and, you could argue, all 171 games of the season before that. The sample also encompases the performances of the new variables (Ben Revere, Delmon Young, John Lannan, etc.) over that same stretch of time. Point is, none of what you are watching is new or unexpected. The Phillies replaced a .340 career OBP centerfielder that had some pop with a .320 career OBP centerfielder that had yet to hit a major league home run. They went with Mayberry Jr. and Nix in rightfield even though that combination did not work the season before. Question is: what evidence is there to suggest that the problems that have plagued the Phillies over the first 15 games will not continue to be problems? Ryan Howard's career trajectory suggests that he will get hot at some point. Jimmy Rollins will have much better stretches than the first couple of weeks here. Provided both of those things happen, and Carlos Ruiz returns, the Phillies should have an offense that is similar to what it was during the second half of last season. But given this year's rotation, and the hole they are currently digging themselves, that might not be enough to contend for the postseason. And even if it is, nothing over the last three years suggests that they are close to capable of matching up in a postseason series with top-shelf pitchers like Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia, whom they will face tonight and tomorrow.
4) One bright spot over the first few weeks has been Antonio Bastardo. The numbers say that the velocity on his fastball still isn't where it was during his dominant 2011 campaign. But he appears to have better movement on it this year. More than anything, he appears confident with it. He is attacking hitters, something he did not always do last year. The seventh, eighth, and ninth innings do not appear to be a problem. Now, the Phillies just need to get there with a lead.
5) Chase Utley has six hits in his last 30 at-bats, but three of them have gone for extra bases, and he has only struck out twice. He can't do it all by himself.


text:
Monday, August 18, 2008
For Here or To Go?
I had to go to the stupid gyno for another pap because if you'll remember HERE, I now get to go every 3 months. On the way home, I stopped at Taco Bell to pick up the grand fiesta birthday dinner. I had a feeling that if I went through the drive-thru, there was no way on earth they'd get my huge order correct, so I went inside to order.
"Welcome to Taco Bell. Can I take your order?"
"Sure, I'd like 9 soft tacos..."
She cut me off with, "OK, will that be all?"
"Ummm no. I'd also like 3 crunchy tacos..."
"OK, your total...."
"I'm not done! I'd also like an order of nachos, a bean burrito, 2 steak gorditas, a chicken chalupa, 4 strawberry fruitista freezes, and 2 mango fruistas."
"OK. Is that for here or to go?"
I just stared at the girl waiting for a light to go on. She continued to look at me blankly.
"It's for here. I'm just that hungry."
My sarcasm was lost on the girl who got out a tray and started piling food on it.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding. It's to go," I cried.
Still clueless, she said,"Oh ok," and began to fill a bag with tacos.
Then she looked up and asked me seriously, "Do you want a drink holder?"
Clearly, they hire Rhodes scholars at this Taco Bell.
"Nah, no drink holder. I'll hold 4 cups in my hands and 2 with my feet and I'll balance the bag of food on my head while I walk out to my car on my buttcheeks."
She stared at me for a full minute as if trying to gauge whether I was a joker, a circus performer, or just an escaped mental patient. Or maybe she was thinking, "Gee, I wonder if Brad will call me tonight? What color lipgloss should I wear to school tomorrow? Why does my hand smell like funnel cakes?"
I gave up and conceded, "Yes I'd like a drink holder please."
I double checked my order right then and there because there's nothing worse than getting home, realizing you're missing half your order, and having to drive back to get it. Amazingly they got it right. So I got home and took the food out to the picnic table in the backyard where I saw this display:
It's their "fort". The fort consisted of some boxes, an old mattress, a piece of plywood, some seats that are supposed to be installed in my van (when Joe gets around to it in another 5 years or so), assorted beach towels, and the umbrella from the the picnic table. No big deal until I saw the "padding" they used. They had my crib set: comforter, bumper pads, diaper stacker, mobile, curtains, and dust ruffle strewn about the garage floor and yard. What the??? I had the set packed up in a box in the garage and was trying to decide whether to sell it, give it away, or pack it up ad save it because I loved it so much. Now it was full of dirt and debris. Yay, more laundry!
And where was Joe through all of this? Sitting in the backyard, snoring away in my beach chair. Not that the kids don't do this kind of crap on my watch. I've had my share of being oblivious to their shenanigans (hee hee hee, I said "shenanigans"!) But hello? He was sleeping! Ugh.
I just had a rotten day because the kids think that pillows are to be thrown at each other, food is supposed to be plopped onto the floor, crumbs are to be spread across the table, peanut butter smeared knives are to be set on the counter, toys are to be left out over every square inch of floor, eyes are to be rolled at me, and whenever the phone rings, they're supposed to follow me around the house screaming their heads off. How many more days until school starts???
Posted by Dawn at 6:12 PM
51 comments:
- DAWN said...
Hahahaha my 10 year old went back to school today...oh it was so nice and quiet. Sorry I just had to bloat!
- August 18, 2008 at 8:59 PM
Those two sweet, petite little girls dragged ALL of that out of the garage and set it up without waking up Daddy? A new Olympic event, if I ever heard of one (and one with no age minimum, at that!).
- August 18, 2008 at 9:04 PM
Here's my theory- Children increase the frequency of days that they drive us absolutely BONKERS right before school starts ON PURPOSE. It is so their mommies don't miss them as much when they are suddenly gone all day. Isn't that sweet of them?
- August 18, 2008 at 9:09 PM
I feel your pain we only have 7 more days till school starts here :) i'm so excited and as far as double checking your order i went to mcdonalds the other day and ordered 2 meals that was it both with sweet teas and fries well i got home and realized that 1 order of my fries was missing in action so i kindly went back and explained what happened and then asked them to remake the whole order i mean one of us shouldnt have to eat cold food while the other one has hot food so they did the genius i am forgot to check the order again b4 i left thinkin since they messed it up the first time they wouldnt do it the second time yeah right again no fries i gave up guess they were not meant for me that day.... sasha
- August 18, 2008 at 9:45 PM
This is my life but I only have three that are 7 and under. I can't imagine doubling the mess. You have to be sooo tired. I hate laundry. My couch is never empty of it as they dirty it faster than I can clean it. Forts in my house always equal, you guessed it, more laundry. I have two dogs and two cats and even with my super duper Kirby what ever hits the floor has to be cleaned. Right now I can't find my floor. My kids explode everywhere they go. You're not giving me much hope that as they get older it gets better...unless your 3 youngest are totally to blame. I have a feeling that's not the case. School started for us last Thursday and my youngest is in preschool for 3 1/2 glorious hours a day. Did I clean during that time today? NO. Should I have cleaned? YEP. I set the timer and took a nap. A nap! It was heaven and I have no guilt, today anyhow.
- August 18, 2008 at 9:45 PM
I just had a very similiar thing happen to me at McD's this weekend and I think I must have had the cousin to the stupid girl serving you serving me. I tried to make a joke when she asked if I wanted that to stay or go and she just got the tray ready I told her before she could start piling on stuff. What an idiot!!!
Meanwhile, you had me laughing so hard I was crying with your remark about walking out on your buttchecks! Oh my poor diaphram I was already sore from sneezing so much this weekend and I couldn't stop laughing!!
- August 18, 2008 at 9:52 PM
- Knitty said...
More proof why some animals eat their young! Your kids should worry. They are cute enough to nibble on and one day you could get carried away. ;)
- August 18, 2008 at 10:12 PM
- Heather's Haven said...
Girl, I feel you on the phone issue. Mine are already back in school (we go year round here, 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off). But whilst on the phone today, 5YO son follows me around, ever so gently tapping me on the shoulder, over and over and over and over... you get the idea... good times, huh? :)
- August 18, 2008 at 10:19 PM
- Table for Seven said...
Hope your run for the Boarder was filling if nothing else. We do something similar for our kids for their birthdays.
I'm enclosing a link to a great cake blog. I'm sure you've seen it before, but just in case you haven't here it is: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
It's too funny. Hope you enjoy it.
- August 18, 2008 at 10:32 PM
- danger girl said...
A friend of mine also ran into Einstein's niece at Taco Bell. He asked for a large Pepsi Cola. She looked at him condescendingly and said "we don't have Pepsi Cola, we just have Pepsi".
Not that Taco Bell is any better or worse than any other fast food restaurant where teenagers are expected to stand on their feet for hours while dealing with money and customers and managers for minimum wage.
- August 18, 2008 at 10:32 PM
hahahaha - classic Dawn.
'Why does my hand smell like funnel cakes?'
I think I'm caught up on reading your posts for the summer. I don't know if I'll ever catch up on the comments. I thought I'd start here as there were '0' so far :)
Hope the birthday dinner was good.
- August 18, 2008 at 10:38 PM
School started TODAY for us. My family is only the half size of yours, but I spent ALL DAY cleaning up the summer mess. Hope you're neater than me...
- August 18, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Hi Dawn!
I feel your pain about Taco Bell. Although I've been to the Taco Bell around the corner from me often enough to have formed relationships with the folks who work there. Some of them have told me stories about the customers that come in. The most vivid is the customer, an adult, who threw chalupas at the person behind the counter because the chalupas had tomatoes on them, something the customer had asked to be left off.
Granted they may not be the best and the brightest, but the people who work at Taco Bell are certainly doing a job that I could last at half a day, tops. Or until the first person threw food at me. Whichever came first.
Sandy in Tucson
- August 18, 2008 at 11:14 PM
- plainprecious said...
I too encountered a waitress who had to have been separated at birth from her twin that you ran into. We went to a local family restuarant and I ordered chicken nuggets and fries asking for an extra plate so that my 2 toddlers can share. The waitress looks at me and says do you just want one extra plate I said NO I want a plate for each fry. She looked at me then began writing on her receipt I said NO just one extra plate Then she says you want a side order of fries. I said NO the nuggets come with the fries. Then she brings one drink at a time which took like forever for all of us to get our drinks She never did get silverware I went and got that myself along with my husband's coffee. When we were all done and were about ready to leave my husband looks at me as if to ask with his EYES should we leave a tip and I told him that if money was left on the table he would never hear the end of it. and he needed to remember that I sleep with him. We left with NO tip for the moronic girl.
- August 18, 2008 at 11:23 PM
- plainprecious said...
Oh I had to add this one that just came to my feeble mind. A couple years ago we stopped at our local Burger King via the drive thru. I placed my order and was given the total of like 2 something. I said to the kid that cant be right. He responds Ma'am that's the total once again I told him that it had to be more than that and he replies I dont make the prices ma'am So I figure ok I tried so I handed him a 20.00 and his gives me my change and I asked for a receipt he hands me the receipt and TADA my total was MORE he must have been dyslexic because the total he gave me was the actual total backwards.
- August 18, 2008 at 11:30 PM
- Jodee said...
OK, is it wrong that when I read that you have to go to the OB/Gyn every three months, I was jealous that you get that much time to yourself? It's a sad commentary on the life of a stay-at-home mom! I had one of those days today, too, and I was relieved to hear that yours was just as bad.
P.S. My husband and Joe sound like two peas in a pod! Wouldn't trade him, but I could kill him sometimes.
- August 18, 2008 at 11:35 PM
- All moments remembered said...
AMEN SISTER!!! My hubby is a teacher... So for me this means 3 kids go back to school and soooo does my hubby! I will be all alone with my doggy to do what I please!! AHHHHHH I love a quiet house. Ahhhhh I love the husle and busle of a busy school!!! Yippppeeee it is almost here.
OH and I am so glad I got your order right. You had me so confused with the no drink holder. LOL!!! DAH!!!
- August 18, 2008 at 11:54 PM
Ha ha ha, classic forting escapades! My kids drag out all their bedding and set it up under the trampoline in our backyard, go and do something else, and then at bedtime want me to go get their stuff for them! Drives me nuts. My kids are probably sick of hearing me chant "two more weeks, two more weeks" as I pump my fist in the air, I am so excited about school! There is a reason summer vacation isn't more than 2 months, there might be concern for children's safety and mother's remaining sanity!
- August 19, 2008 at 12:07 AM
- Me, Myself and I said...
14 days, 6 hours, 37 minutes, 40 second, 39....38....37....
- August 19, 2008 at 12:14 AM
- Letty said...
This was so funny! I can so relate on the daddy sleeping while kids make messes. I don't how many times I have been so excited to get out by myself only to come home to utter mayhem and a dishreveled home. I don't know why I expect to have my husband basically replace me if I leave. It almost makes me never want to leave. (only almost....)
- August 19, 2008 at 12:56 AM
- Megryansmom said...
How many more days until school starts???
That was just a hypothetical question right? Cuz when I worked at Taco Bell, we never went over that. Kidding, just kidding, I never worked at Taco Bell.
Happy Birthday Jackson!
- August 19, 2008 at 5:45 AM
- Renee said...
OMG! Bahama Breeze! I love that place! They shut the only location in Louisville, KY down so now the closest one is about two hours away. I am sooooo not happy about it. Their plantain nachos....oh and don't even get me started on their banana foster dessert....ok....I need some sweets now.
- August 19, 2008 at 6:11 AM
- Jessica said...
Too funny! Around here the geniuses all work at Wendy's. I don't think I've ever encountered such an impressive staff (now hear my sarcasm). Wish I could remember all those witty comebacks, though . . .
- August 19, 2008 at 6:25 AM
- Mabunny said...
I've heard several people mention those fruitistas, gotta try one soon. Happy Birthday to Jax,and cute fort.
Hope all turns out well at the gyno.
- August 19, 2008 at 6:28 AM
- My Kids' Mom said...
Mine were at school yesterday and after spending the end of summer counting down the days... I was lonely.
- August 19, 2008 at 7:00 AM
Dawn, I can totally relate to this story. I'm the oldest of 5 kids and we often went to Taco Bell as a "treat" (it is cheap-ish after all). I hope you really said those things to the chick, because I've always wanted to, but never had the courage!! It never ceases to amaze me how oblivious people can be!! I've been asked "for here or to go" for food for both me and my husband (when I've clearly ordered two sets of food) and have had bad thoughts about the chick - now, maybe, I'll have the courage to blurt out what I'm thinking! Thanks for the laughs! - Daisee579
- August 19, 2008 at 7:24 AM
How many more days until school starts???
Errrr ..... School started two days ago.
- August 19, 2008 at 7:33 AM
- Roni said...
I totally feel your pain on places messing up on take out orders... that happens to me ALL THE TIME!!!For kids...school starts here tomorrow. Although now I have my 18 month old God daughter through the day...
- August 19, 2008 at 7:54 AM
- Brenda said...
Hmmm. While I was gone to class last night my husband watched the Olympics while my 2 sons had an Olympic boxing match downstairs all evening. They broke a dresser drawer....
- August 19, 2008 at 8:08 AM
- Laura said...
I can't WAIT for school to start...I won't have to drive back and forth to band camp any more...the bus will take everyone to and from...
Oh, and that is how my husband "watches" our kids, too...behind the eyelids...same way he "watches" TV...
- August 19, 2008 at 8:08 AM
- Big Pumpkin said...
Taco Bell!!!!!!! Yum. Have not had that for agesssssss......
- August 19, 2008 at 9:10 AM
- Amanda said...
5 more days until school starts here. Not that I'm counting or anything. Oh, but wait, I am because I also have to figure out how to put a 2200sq ft house into 1300sq ft. I love the Army.
- August 19, 2008 at 9:17 AM
"why does my hand smell like funnel cakes' HAHAHAHAHA!
Seriously, this is a BIG pet peeve of my husband's and I can't say I blame him!
~Dawn S
- August 19, 2008 at 9:17 AM
You're too funny!!!
I was wondering how you get along with your in-laws? I have a very sarcastic sense of humor which my in-laws don't appreciate. It causes a lot of friction!
- August 19, 2008 at 9:45 AM
- Kaye said...
CONGRATULATIONS! You have won the Mrs Nespy's Frugal World Bronze Medal for August 18th. Go to http://mrsnespy.googlepages.com/grabyourmedalhere to get the code to post your medal if you'd like. Thanks for the great writing!
I'm just excited for you that Taco Bell got it right...they rarely do where we live!
- August 19, 2008 at 10:02 AM
How many days till the kids get back to school?
And the answer is...
Too many. After your experience, if school starts tomorrow that's one day too many!
- August 19, 2008 at 10:41 AM
- Cookie said...
It's exactly 13 days and 23 hours till school starts... not that I'm counting or anything ;)
- August 19, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Yeah. Those fast food employees sure are stupid!!!111oneone!! They should definitely be able to read people's minds. LAWL!!!!11
So, I got annoyed. Why? Because I worked at fast food. The customers are generally stupid NOT the employees. That girl asked if you wanted it for here or to go... why was that so bothersome to you? You see, she was probably used to one parent coming up to order while the OTHER parent stayed at the table with the children. She had NO way to know that you wanted it to go. So she did her job and asked you. You were sarcastic and instead of calling you on it, she did her job by being your punching bag.
Now that I got my frustration out about that. I really do enjoy your blog.
- August 19, 2008 at 12:24 PM
I love it when there's a sign at the drive thru that tells the customer to "check your order before leaving the window" and the person staffing the window smiles at you while you're checking it and tells you to "move on so I can take care of the next customer."
Never, EVER, make sarcastic comments if you think the person waiting on you will have an opportunity to spit in your food or beverage! As they say, "__it happens."
- August 19, 2008 at 12:42 PM
- A Crystal Garden said...
Ahh...Remember back in the beginning of summer you were looking forward to the kids being home? LOL! Me too. Mine started back last week and I missed them the first few days. This week has been incredibly quite and nice. I still have one at home but she is a sweetie when her brothers are not around.
- August 19, 2008 at 1:14 PM
- Dawn said...
Take a deep cleansing breath. Feel better? Now lighten up! I didn't call all fast food workers stupid. But when I'm the only person in the entire restaurant and have just ordered enough food for a small army, asking me if it's for here or to go is little stupid, don't you think?
Yes, I poke fun at people and things on my blog, but I don't do it in a mean way. Heck, I make fun of myself more than anyone else. Sooo, take another breath and relax.
PS - what's up with all the ONEs(1)s?
- August 19, 2008 at 1:55 PM
- pednurse said...
Mine started school on the 12th so they've been in school a full week now. :) Ahhh....the peace & quiet....until they get home that is! LOL
- August 19, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- Betsy said...
I hate hate hate when the fast food checker interrupts me in the middle of my order. It especially annoys me when I place my hubbie's standard order for a "whopper, no tomato, extra mayo. then i need.." "would you like cheese on that?" *thinking* um. no. if i wanted cheese, i'd have said cheese. actually saying, "No thank you. I also need.." "is that all for you?" "NO! i also need blah blah blah and blah and..." "did you want cheese on that?" NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo. Grr.
- August 19, 2008 at 4:21 PM
- kimikki said...
Hoo boy....
I work fast food, have done so for years. I have worked with some real winners and some real losers (yes, they may have been the same person, cloned). Some people just aren't cut out to work in a job like that. A lot of people see fast food as a starting place for entering the job market. Once in a while, we get a newbie who is a real gem, who learns quickly and is fun to work with. Then, to bring us crashing back to reality, we get one or three who can't find their butt(s) with both hands and a flashlight. Of course, I do have to bring in the customer who recitestheirwholeorderonewordrightaftertheother, so the employee can't get a word in edgewise, then gets upset because we have to ask what size they want, if they would like an upgrade, what flavor, and on and on. I have fun with customers, because if they get sarcastic, I throw it back at them and we all get a good laugh. Of course, then there is the employee who is 76 years old and refuses to retire, and she isn't the bright light bulb she used to be....
- August 19, 2008 at 5:07 PM
I think I'm the only Mommy on the planet who is dreading back-to-school. My school-age kid hates school with a fiery passion. Back to school means nagging her to do her homework, prying her lazy bum out of bed every morning, listening to the constant whining, making lunches, etc. Plus, when she's home, she helps me with the 2 year old, and lets me have naps (I'm pregnant, so naps are Good Things).
So yeah. I'm dreading back-to-school. Only two more weeks. WAHHH! :(
- August 19, 2008 at 6:23 PM
- Kelly said...
Do you ever ask yourself WHY you had 6 kids?
Thanks, I got my daily dose of laughter for today!
- August 19, 2008 at 6:26 PM
- That Nora Girl said...
I also hate when I am asked in mid-sentence if that completes my order. My drive-thru experiences usually start like this:
Me: Hi, I'd like a-
Them: Anything else?
And I just want to laugh at the image of someone walking out of Taco Bell on their buttcheeks. Thanks for the laugh today. :)
- August 19, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Ok I've never posted before even though I do read your blog daily - it always makes me laugh! But your description of walking out of Taco Bell on your buttcheeks was priceless! I started to laugh out loud, then had to explain to my husband why...so it may partly be due to the fact that its past midnight, I've been up since 5am, I worked a 12 hour shift today and then came home to my other job (mommy), but by the time I finished telling him about your post I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face and he could barely understand what I was saying! You are too funny!! Thanks for the laugh :)
- August 19, 2008 at 11:21 PM
- The Bear and The Bug said...
That sounds so familiar! I only have two and I'm sure they'd manage to do the same (they've done similar). School started here on the 18th and things are better -- just hang in there!
- August 20, 2008 at 11:43 AM
- Crazy Raven Productions said...
Y'know, I've been having a crisis of faith as to whether or not to have kids...then I read your blog! ;) Seriously though, here's hoping for better days soon.
- August 20, 2008 at 12:07 PM
SIX more days.
Six more days. I can make it six more days. I wonder if I can remember how to read without being interrupted every other word..
We went to the school open houses today (three different schools now) only to discover that all three of our children's teachers are new to the district and were spending Open House Day at mandatory New Teacher Training. Yeah, that would have been good information to have before we left...
- August 20, 2008 at 12:50 PM


text:
Sam Koch: Born to Kick on the Biggest Stage
Randy York's N-Sider
Take it straight from the father of Sam Koch (pronounced Cook), the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl punter."Sam was born to kick, even on the world's biggest stage," says Dave Koch, who drives the bus taking Seward, Neb., kids of all ages to school every day except, of course, last Thursday, Friday and this Monday.
Dave, 54, took vacation time so he could make a 13½-hour, 1,100-mile drive in a rented van to New Orleans. Dave, wife Cindy, two of Sam's brothers, a sister and a sister-in-law, among others, joined Sam's wife, Nikki, and their three children in the Big Easy to experience what the world is tuning into on television – the Super Bowl – the most watched event on the planet since Sam kicked his first football while wearing diapers.
"I started him really young kicking a football," Dave said. "He was outside, running around bare-footed, and I threw him a football. As soon as he started to kick it, his diapers fell down around his ankles, but it didn't faze him. He made sure he got that ball kicked back to me, and from then on, he kicked a ball almost every day."
Kicking a football became part of Sam's regimen – a routine element he wove into his daily life as an aspiring athlete who was bigger, more developed and yes, noticeably more talented than the vast majority of kids growing up in the same town of 7,000 – a community so close to Lincoln that it is part of the Capital City's Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
Walk-On Kicked With Remarkable Consistency
"Sam had to kick a football almost every day, and he never missed when the weather was decent," his dad said. "He'd kick all year long on the Concordia (University) field if he could. He kicked every night when I got home from work. He'd even find an open field to kick every day when we were on vacation in Wisconsin."
The "born to kick" description is true, figuratively and literally.
"It's not like that's the only thing he did when he played football," his dad said. "I mean, Sam was a good overall athlete. When he played for Greg Welch (at Seward High School), he played center, guard, tight end, fullback and middle linebacker besides being the punter and placekicker. He was versatile, and he was competitive, and not just in football."
How competitive?When Sam played Legion baseball, he threw a no-hitter against York to help Seward win the district championship.
80-Yard Punt in Driving Rainstorm Sealed Win
Not that long ago, Dave Koch went into a local grocer and someone asked if he was the Baltimore punter's dad. "Yes," he said. "Do you know Sam?"
"I played against him in high school," the young man said. "I played for Beatrice, and we were in a real tight game – a game we thought we'd win when we pinned Seward back to its own goal line in a driving rainstorm."
Dave smiles, knowing what's coming next. "Your son punted the ball 80 yards in that rainstorm," the young man said. "We didn't win, but we still talk about that punt."
Such stories are part of Sam Koch's legacy.
Omaha Roncalli coaches, players and fans have one if their own. They remember Koch kicking a 43-yard field goal to beat Roncalli with three seconds left.
He Can Kick, Run, Pass and Intercept Passes
Koch's younger brother, Chase, helped coach in Nebraska City, where fans remember Sam turning a game around by intercepting a late pass, returning it for a touchdown and then adding a field goal for good measure. "I still remember that interception," a player told Chase. "Your brother's good."
Sam is good for the Ravens, too. They turn him loose for first downs, not to mention the chances he takes as a holder for Baltimore's placekicker. "Sam's good at reading whatever he sees on the field," his dad said. "He knows when it's right to take a calculated risk. He's a very good student of the game, and he's so focused on everything, he doesn't get the jitters."
Everything becomes second nature when you're born to kick and your dad and brother go above and beyond to help you time after time after time.
"When Sam walked on at Nebraska, (former NFL punter) Kyle Larson had the job, so Sam had to wait his turn," his dad said. "He never stopped kicking, and he always stayed in shape. He kicked so muchthat he kept wearing out his shoes. He'd kick the seams off the ball. It seems like we were always buying him a new pair of shoes."
Koch Gets Kick from Life, Makes Millions Doing It
Today, Koch makes millions rocketing footballs off his right foot and making them land wherever they maximize the Ravens' field position. Punting is an acquired art, kind of like learning to land a plane on an aircraft carrier.
Koch is one superlative punter, but he's never been overconfident nor will he ever be self-satisfied. That's what happens when you embrace and accept process at the same time at Nebraska. "That's the way we brought him up," his dad said. "It starts with his Grandma Helen and his mom. We've never let Sam become Mr. Big Shot. We never wanted any of his success to go to his head, and it never has. He works hard in-season and off-season. He absolutely loves what he's doing, and he does it very well."
That does not mean that Sam's talents were always appreciated in a small town. His dad remembers when a coach asked his pitcher to walk Sam intentionally every time he came to the plate. "He was only eight or nine years old, and that's not right. This was Little League baseball," Dave Koch said. "They demanded to see his birth certificate, and they were surprised because he was so much bigger than everyone else."
Sam asked his dad if he could bat left-handed while he waited for his next intentional walk. "Sure," he said. "Go ahead."And get this. In his first-ever at-bat from the left side, Sam walloped a homerun.
Biggest Kid Stood Up for Best Little Soccer Friend
Sam, the biggest kid his age, had abest friend, Jessie Carr, who was the smallest.Jessie got picked on in soccer when they were both little, but Sam found a unique way to bring such hazing to a stop. Let's just say that a little extra oomph here or there can work both ways.
Sam Koch rarely meets a challenge he can't handle. He has, in fact, become such a skilled punter with obvious athleticism that his Super Bowl coaches don't hesitate to bless a run-or-pass fake punt or a two-point conversion after fielding the snap. And Raven fans aren't the only ones applauding either. When Sam scored his first career NFL touchdown on a fake field goal against the Oakland Raiders last November, Memorial Stadium roared while watching the replay the next week on HuskerVision's big screens.
Will Super Bowl Win Warrant July Fourth Celebration?
Tenacity is an apt descriptor for Koch, who honed that trait while growing up in a town that celebrates the Fourth of July like no other place in Nebraska.If the Ravens win the Super Bowl in N'awlins, Seward will have a nativeson/bona fide hero. Who knows? Sam might be the celebrity on the biggest float in the state's most publicized Fourth of July Celebration.
And the best thing about that would be this: Seward helped make that feisty toddler in diapers one of the world's best punters instead of the other way around. Some might even say that Sam Koch was born to kick because he was born in one of the best little towns in the U.S.A.Koch not only played for the only college in Division I football that won more games than any other in the last 50 years, but also played for the only school that sold out every game over the last half century.
More Than Anyone, Dad Relishes What If?' Game
Talk about history. Sunday, 110 million people will watch the first Super Bowl matching two brothers against each other. TheNFL teams that they coach are the last ones standing in 2013.Wouldn't it be something if Sam Koch's foot launched an 80-yard punt?
What if he ran for a first down?Or threw for a two-point conversion?How astronomical are the odds of Sam scoring another touchdown in the same season?What sounds far-fetched to you would not surprisesomeone sitting in the expensive seats ... Sam's dad.
Dave Koch, after all, was the one who threw Sam that first football and asked him to kick it back when he was still in diapers. And Sam's dad is more convinced now than ever that his son was born to kick ... even on the world's biggest stage.
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storage and a bit of TLC, your vintage garments will be worn for
generations to come!
Storing vintage clothes
Washing vintage clothes
UK Delivery Options:
FREE STANDARD SHIPPING - On UK orders over £50
|Standard P&P
|£3.95 - £5.00
|1 to 2 Days
|Next Day Delivery
|1 Day (provided you order by 1pm)
|Saturday Delivery
|£10.50 - £15.50
|1 Day (provided you order by 1pm Fri)
Overseas Delivery:
|Delivery costs vary according to weight and destination
|£6.00 - £35.00
|World Zone 1
|£8.50 - £52.00
|World Zone 2
|£9.00 - £54.00
Have you received something you want to return? No worries!
You can return any item (excluding hosiery and pierced jewellery) you are not completely happy with for a refund, within 14 days of receiving them. All you need to do is create an online return in your My Account and enclose the return reference number along with your return items.
Please see our Delivery & Returns Policy for more information.


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posted by Adam S on Tue 14th Oct 2008 12:30 UTC
According to the official Windows Vista Blog, Microsoft has decided that, in order to keep things simple, the OS code-named "Windows 7" will officially be called "Windows 7." Sayeth the poster: "since we began development of the next version of the Windows client operating system we have been referring to it by a codename, "Windows 7." But now is a good time to announce that we've decided to officially call the next version of Windows, "Windows 7."" Of course, this introduces a major issue - if the version number of Windows 7 is, in fact, 6.1 or 6.2, as many expect, how can you call it Windows 7? And if the kernel version is updated to version 7, how many apps and drivers might fail due to poor version checking? I'm sure the upcoming PDC and WinHEC events will shed some light on this.