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Old Calendarists
Old Calendarists are groups of Orthodox Christians who are in various levels of "resistance" against the mainstream Orthodox churches, identified mainly by their insistence on the use of the Julian Calendar. They are to be distinguished from the mainstream churches which simply follow the Julian Calendar yet remain in full communion with most or all of world Orthodoxy.
The term Old Calendarist, however, is potentially misleading, as can be seen below, since all Russian churches of any note, including the Moscow Patriarchate, use the older calendar, and so the calendar was never an issue. However, the Old Calendarists have, in general, always considered themselves spiritually united to the Russian Catacomb church, as defined below. In correspondence with and concerning each other they are usually styled as True Orthodox or Genuine Orthodox, and both terms are used in this article. Some may also style themselves Traditionalist Orthodox.
Most Old Calendarists today say that their concerns about ecumenism, modernism (and in the case of the Russian churches, Sergianism) are more significant than calendar issues, which they believe have their origin in the former. The mainstream churches have varying positions on different Old Calendarist churches, ranging from an active desire to restore unity to a denial of the Old Calendarists' Orthodoxy.
In response to various currents within Protestantism to In 1920, the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Dorotheus of Prusa, issued the Encyclical "Unto the Churches of Christ Everywhere"[1], which officially marked the entrance of Orthodox participation in the Ecumenical Movement. (See Ecumenism.) The Encyclical, tied to the formation of the League of Nations and with that end in mind, gave eleven suggestions so "that above all, love should be rekindled and strengthened among the churches, so that they should no more consider one another as strangers and foreigners, but as relatives, and as being a part of the household of Christ and "fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise of God in Christ" (Eph. 3:6)." (par. 6.) The first of the suggestions was "By the acceptance of a uniform calendar for the celebration of the great Christian feasts at the same time by all the churches."
In 1921, a council was called in Athens, led by Metropolitan Germanos of Demetrias, the Vice-President of the Holy Synod, deposing Archbishop Meletios (Metaxakis) of Athens, who had previously known for ecumenical activity, for recognizing the revolutionary Venizelos government in Greece[2]. In a bizzare twist, Meletios was recognized as Patriarch of Constantinople on November 21, 1921, where he began his programs anew, though previously his candidacy was declined by the Holy Synod of Constantinople in 1912.
In 1923, a "Pan-Orthodox Congress" was held under the presidency of Meletios which comprised members-- six Bishops, two laymen, and an archimandrite-- of a few of the local Churches (none of the members of the Pentarchy save Constantinople sent representatives). Metropolitan Anastassy of the Russian Church Abroad attended its initial meeting, having been in the area, declared that the Synod had given him no instructions on the matter, and soon departed. In total, less than half of the local Churches were represented by so much as a layman. (see Bishop Photii of Triaditsa, "The 70th Anniversary of the Pan-Orthodox Congress", Orthodox Life, 1&2, 1994). The purpose of the meeting was to implement the suggestions of the 1920 document, along with other uncanonical changes which were largely rejected, such as the elevation of married men to the Episcopate and the remarriage of widowed priests (sessions three and four). Finally, the Anglicans were present at the final meetings in the person of former Bishop Gore of Oxford, where it was decided that nothing stood in the way of reunion. In response, a five-member commission in Greece (of whom then Archimandrite-- and later Archbishop-- Chrysostom Papadopolous of Athens) determined to study the question of the use of the New Calendar and determined "Not a single one of them [local Orthodox Churches] can separate from the others and adopt the New Calendar without becoming schismatic in relation to the others." (Journal of the Government of the Greek Kingdom, chapter 1, 24/25. 1. 1923, No. 8, see also OEM, 1989, Chapter 17, p. 73, as noted in Bishop Photii.)
The True Orthodox Church of Greece
In 1924, the bishops of the Church of Greece, under Archbishop Chrysostom (Papadopolous), implemented the calendar change discussed at the pan-Orthodox congress of 1923. In response, Metropolitan Germanos of Demetrias, retired in protest. Lay groups and brotherhoods formed to keep the use of the Julian calendar alive, despite state persecution (Greece was an Orthodox country, and the Church enjoyed certain privileges from the state).
In 1925, perhaps the most well-known phenomenon in the Old Calendar movement occurred: a large cross over an secret Old Calendar Church in 1925 during the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, witnessed by approximately two thousand people, including police intent on arresting the clergy of the group, many of whom converted that night.[3]
In 1935, after more than 10 years, three Metropolitans, Germanos of Demetrias, the former Metropolitan of Florina, Chrysostom (Kavouridis) and Chrysostomos (Demetriou) of Zakynthos declared the Archbishop of Athens as schismatic and declared:
"Those who now administer the Church of Greece have divided the unity of Orthodoxy through the calendar innovation, and have split the Greek Orthodox People into two opposing calendar parts. They have not only violated an Ecclesiastical Tradition which was consecrated by the Seven Ecumenical Councils and sanctioned by the age-old practice of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but have also touched the Dogma of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Therefore those who now administer the Greek Church have, by their unilateral, anticanonical and unthinking introduction of the Gregorian calendar, cut themselves off completely from the trunk of Orthodoxy, and have declared themselves to be in essence schismatics in relation to the Orthodox Churches which stand on the foundation of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the Orthodox laws and Traditions, the Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Serbia, Poland, the Holy Mountain and the God-trodden Mountain of Sinai, etc....That this is so was confirmed by the Commission made up of the best jurists and theologian-professors of the National University which was appointed to study the calendar question, and one of whose members happened to be his Blessedness the Archbishop of Athens in his then capacity as professor of Church History in the National University...Since his Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens has by his own signature declared himself to be a Schismatic, what need do we have of witnesses to demonstrate that he and the hierarchs who think like him have become Schismatics, in that they have split the unity of Orthodoxy through the calendar innovation and divided the Ecclesiastical and ethnic soul of the Greek Orthodox People?" (Cited in Moss, New Zion in Babylon, Part 3, p. 92)
From April 23rd to April 26th 1935 the ordination of four new bishops took place. Ordained were the Archmandrites: Germanos (Barikopoulos) as Bishop of Kyklades, Christoforos (Hatzis) as Bishop of Megaris, Polycarp (Liosis) as Bishop of Diavleia, and Bishop Matthew (Karpathakes) of Bresthena).[4]
The Florinite/Matthewite schism
By the 1940s, two parties had formed within the Church of Greece: the Florinites (under Metropolitan Chrysostom (Kavourides) of Florina) and the Matthewites (under Bp. Matthew of Bresthena). The issue had been the former's vacillation on whether the mysteries of the State Church were still grace-filled. Both sides had their respective justifications for their positions, and both were violently persecuted by the state. The Matthewites were holding a more consistently applied position, but were accused of ignoring the existence of flexibility within the Church's tradition. That they labelled the Florinites as a whole as opportunists who were trying to ingratiate themselves with the state was unfortunate, and not altogether true for the followers of Metropolitan Chrysostom, and so the parties became psychologically distinct.
In the end, a real physical division was formed, whereas a real doctrinal division ended: Bishop Matthew singlehandedly consecrated another bishop, and together they made more new bishops. After the death of Bishop Matthew, however, Chrysostom of Florina reaffirmed the decision of 1935 declaring the New Calendar State Church as schismatic. Two basic motivations have been given, neither of which has been universally accepted for why this was done: (1) Political-- That the move was primarily political to stop any growth among the Matthewites and (2) Irenic-- the more commonly accepted, that he did so in the hope of uniting all the True Orthodox Greeks into one jurisdiction. In any case, the Matthewites proceeded to elect Archbishop Agathagelos to the rank of Primate of Athens in 1958.
We will deal first with the major divisions of the Florinites, since their divisions have generally been larger and more permanent in nature, and then the Matthewites.
Divisions within the Florinites
After the death of Metropolitan Chrysostom, the Florinites had no bishops, and Metropolitan Chrysostom advised his flock to go under the protection of the Matthewite bishops. Fearing the repercussions, however, the Florinites opted to seek a new hierarchy and appealed to Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia to help them. In 1960, Archimandrite Akakios Pappas was made a bishop with the title of Bishop of Talantion for these communities without the official blessing of the ROCOR Synod by Archbishop Seraphim of Chicago and Bp. Theophilos Ionescu, a Romanian New Calendar Bishop under the ROCOR. The following year, the ROCOR elected and ordained Archimandrite Petros Astyfides as Bishop of Astoria in order to serve as archpastor of the Greek Old Calendarist immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Later Bp. Akakios of Talantion and Archbishop Leonty of Chile (ROCOR) ordained five more bishops in Greece. Thus in 1961, Akakios of Talantion became the new First-Hierarch of the restored Florinite Synod. He died, however, in 1963. The Synod thus proceeded to elect Auxentios Pastras, Bishop of Gardikion, to be their new leader as Archbishop of Athens. The ROCOR under Metropolitan Philaret eventually recognized the validity of the secret consecrations in 1969.
All of the current divisions of the Florinites come from one of the groups below:
The Auxentios Synod: The First Florinite Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece was fraught with problems by the 1970s, and two major separations occurred during the lifetime of Archbishop Auxentios. However, few doubt that Archbishop Auxentios himself was of a saintly character, albeit a poor bishop. Recently there have been attempts to rehabilitate his memory (Archbishop Auxentios died in 1994); most of his synod, barely held together by the 1980s, dissolved after his death into the three jurisdictions listed below. In 1986, Auxentios was removed from the Archdiocese of Athens and the leadership of the Old Calendar Church of Greece by a majority the Florinite bishops on account of a series of controversial episcopal ordinations conducted in the early 1980s with his apparent consent. Having the support of the dissenting minority of bishops, Auxentios proceeded to re-form his Synod, appealing for help to the Bishops of the West, then independent, but under his omophor, for assistance. He died in 1994, having failed to reconcile with the parishes of the Florinite Synod under Chrysostom Kiousis. The remaining parishes of the Auxentios Synod, however, elected Archbishop Maximos of Kephalonia to the throne of Athens on January 7, 1995. In response to Maximos' request to revisit the ROCOR investigation of Fr Panteleimon (Metropoulos) of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston, the parishes loyal to Auxentios under the American Bishops organized around Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston (see HOCNA), left the Synod, and elected Makarios of Toronto as locum tenens of the see of Athens.
The Chrysostomite Synod: Amidst charges of maladministration, the majority of the Florinite synod chose in 1986 a new leader in Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis), who demonstrated rather effectively that the True Orthodox in Greece were a force to be reckoned with. Choosing to take on the Greek legal system, court cases were held where it was demonstrated that the Old Calendarists of Greece were not schismatics. Though their public reputation had been tarnished over nearly two decades of divisions, their legal existence was, and is presently, safe. The synod of Chrysostom of Athens is today the largest synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece.
The Synod-in-Resistance of Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili: While this church's official ecclesiology is peculiar, the amount of work that Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili and his synod have done to assist True Orthodox throughout the world is impressive, and must be noted. The church itself is rather small, but has been very effective in presenting intellectual arguments against the New Calendar State Church. It is headed by another defector from the Auxentios Synod, Cyprian (Koutsoumbas) of Fili, and holds an ecclesiology of "sick" and "healthy" churches, thus avoiding the repercussions that inevitably follow referring to the majority as subject to a schismatic body. Their ecclesiology is considered heretical by some of the more rigorist elements of the True Orthodox, although they were only officially condemned on an ecclesiological basis by the Synod under Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens.
In 2008, the two bodies met for a number of high-profile meetings in the hope of developing closer ties.[5]
The Synod of Archbishop Makarios of Athens (Lamian Synod): In 1995, a resistance faction of six bishops formed within the synod of Chrysostom (Kiousis) and separated itself over what they claimed to be a series of canonical infractions, headed by Metropolitan Kallinikos of Lamia. The charges related to the trial of Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Euthymios (Orphanos), who had been charged with moral infractions, and the election of Bishop Vikentios (Malamatenios) of Avlona as Metropolitan of Peiraeus. By early 1997, the bishops headed by Kallinikos of Lamia had fragmented into three groups, one of which reconciled with Archbishop Chrysostom (Kiousis). A second group, Paisios Loulourgas (Met. of America) and Vikentios Malamatenios (titular Bp. of Avlona), submitted to the Ecumenical Patiarchate. Later that same year, Kallinikos of Lamia and Euthymios of Thessaloniki proceeded to ordain five titular bishops in an attempt to create a new synod. In 2003, they finally decided to elect a primate, and elected Makarios (Kavakides) of Athens. A good deal of their membership was then lost, as many who did not see themselves as separate from the Kiousis synod were forced to decide between the two.
Divisions within the Matthewites
For all the negative press the Matthewites have received over the years due to the strictness of their position, their church has been strangely free from long lasting schisms. Only two separations are worthy of note from the main body, and while they had the potential to destroy the unity that exists within the Matthewite True Orthodox Church of Greece, they did not.
The first Primate of Athens selected by the Matthewites was Agathangelos of Athens, who reposed in 1967. Andreas of Athens, one of the original three bishops made, was elected to the primacy in 1972; unitl his death in 2005 he was one of the oldest and longest-reigning of Orthodox bishops in the world.
The Synod of Archbishop Nicholas: In February, 2003, Archbishop Andreas of Athens retired, and Archbishop Nicholas of Athens, considered by many to have a progressive vision for the Matthewite church, was elected. Extremely popular with younger Matthewites, Archbishop Nicholas seems generally poised to keep the Matthewite synod united. However, it has been advanced that Archbishop Andreas retired in violation of the canons.
The Gregorian Synod: Under the primacy of Andreas of Athens, there were virtually no divisions in the Matthewites until 1995, when Metropolitan Gregory of Messinia separated with a small majority of the synod (five versus four), ostensibly over the issue of the "God the Father" icon and the related issues of Western-style icons in general. However, with the deaths of three of their bishops, the remaining two split, one remaining completely alone from the eldest hierarch, and the with Gregorios of Messinia naming three more bishops (Abramios, Pavlos, and Nectarios).
The Synod of Metropolitan Kirykos: Originally not a schism proper, Metropolitan Kirykos and two other bishops of the synod refused to recognize the retirement of Archbishop Andreas or the enthronement of the new Archbishop, but continued to remain a member of the Synod of Archbishop Nicholas. Finally, in 2005, after several attempts, the Synod of Abp Nicholas endeavored to depose Metropolitan Kirykos, who has since added five Bishops to his Synod in a number of countries.
The Catacomb Church of Russia
With the Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius in 1927, Orthodox bishops in Russia began to apply Ukaz No. 362 of Patriarch St. Tikhon and became administratively independent until such time as they could operate freely. With Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd in prison, Metropolitan Sergius, the last of those named as locum tenens for the Patriarchal throne, began to negotiate with the Soviet authorities in what many considered to be the subordination of the Orthodox faith to the atheist state.
The beginning of the Catacomb Church as a body is usually considered to be defined as the declarations of St Joseph of Petrograd, who was one of the signers of the statement of the Petrograd vicars: "In separating from Metropolitan Sergius and his acts, we do not separate from our lawful Chief Hierarch, Metropolitan Peter, nor from the Council, which will meet at some time in the future, of those Orthodox hierarchs who have remained faithful. May this Council, our sole competent judge, not then hold us guilty for our boldness. May it judge us, not as despisers of the sacred canons of the Fathers, but only as fearful to violate them. Even if we have erred, we have erred honestly, out of zeal for the purity of Orthodoxy in the present evil age. And if we turn out to be guilty, then may we be even especially deserving of condescension, and not of deposition."[6]
Ukaz No. 362 was written to preserve the Orthodox Church in times of persecution so that the Churches could survive. It gives the bishops of the Russian Church, temporarily, the right to self-govern apart from each other until such time as they can organize. It is considered by some to be a masterpiece of self-preservation in a time where the rules of canonical order could not be followed to the letter due to the difficulty of travel and so forth.
The "Atheists Dictionary" (Moscow, 1966) contained the information the Soviet government was able to ascertain about the Catacomb Church, under the heading "True Orthodox Church": "TRUE ORTHODOX CHURCH (TOC): An Orthodox-monarchist sect, originating in the years 1922-26, which was organized in 1927, when Metr. Sergius proclaimed the principles of a loyal relation to Soviet authority. Monarchist elements, united around the Metropolitan of Leningrad Joseph (Petrovykh), or JOSEPHITES, in 1928 established a directing center of the TOC, and united all groups and elements which had come out against the Soviet order. In the country the TOC had support among the kulaks and together with other anti-Soviet elements came out against collectivization and organized terroristic acts against Party and Soviet activities, uprisings, etc. It directed into the villages a multitude of monks and nuns who roamed about the countryside spreading anti-Soviet rumors. The TOC was a widely ramified monarchist-rebellious organization. In its compositions were 613 priests and monks, 416 kulaks, 70 former tsarist officials and officers. The more fanatical members, crazy women, passing themselves off for prophets, saints, healers, members of the imperial family, spread monarchist ideas, conducted propaganda against the leadership of the Orthodox Church, called on people not to submit to Soviet laws. Basic characteristics of the sect: (1) rejection of the Orthodox Church headed by the patriarch as having 'sold itself to Antichrist,' to the world; (2) recognition as canonical of only those clergy who have been ordained by followers of Tikhon; (3) acceptance of Orthodox rites; (4) propaganda of the approaching 'end of the world;' (5) cult of members of the imperial family of Romanov: their portraits are preserved as holy objects, and believers in secret make prostrations in front of them; (6) assumption of the names of tsars and their relatives by the leaders of the sect; (7) preservation and spread of counter-revolutionary monarchist literature; (8) establishment of catacomb churches and monasteries in houses." (Ibid [7])
As late as 1979, the Catacomb Church was, with difficulty, able to continue communications with the Russian diaspora through Russians who emigrated from the USSR. An interview with one such emigre claimed that the members of the Catacomb Church numbered in the millions[8]. The number of unaffiliated catacomb churches in Russia is to date fairly large, and even today no one knows where all of them are. The history of the different catacomb episcopates since 1927 is still not completely documented. There are also questions as to the legitimacy of certain catacomb bishops. Sadly, these questions will have to be determined by a future all-Russian Council.
The True ("Free") Russian Orthodox Church and its divisions
In 1990, ROCOR had announced that a bishop had secretly been consecrated to assist the believers in Russia (Bishop Varnava of Cannes), who then proceeded, with the blessing of the Synod, to make more bishops for Russia, the most prominent being Bishop Valentine of Suzdal and Lazarus of Tambov.
The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church: The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC) is by far the largest of the Russian True Orthodox Churches, with hundreds of parishes in Russia and abroad, and also one of the most controversial. Headed by Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal and Vladimir, the synod has twelve bishops and is enjoying a period of intense persecution on the part of the state church.
One bishop, Gregory (George/Abu Asaly) of Colorado, recently parted ways with the ROAC synod after having been both canonically retired and excommunicated. He initially took 2 parishes in America with him but they have now left him along with most of his monastics and parishioners. His group refers to itself currently as the Genuine Orthodox Church of America[9] (Not to be confused with the newly autonomous Genuine Greek Orthodox Church in America headed by Metropolitan Pavlos of Astoria that is in communion with its mother Church, the GOC headed by Archbishop Chrysostomos II.)
The True Russian Orthodox Church: Bp. Lazarus of Tambov, himself well-known in Russia, rejoined the ROCOR after the Free Russian Orthodox Church broke communion with ROCOR then later left again after the formation of Metropolitan Vitaly's Russian Orthodox Church in Exile (ROCOR-V). He and Bishop Benjamin of Kuban consecrated a new set of bishops and currently have a couple dozen parishes in Russia.
Russian True Orthodoxy today
Today the situation is considerably clearer than it was 20 years ago; many of the groups that exist today have either been merged into other jurisdictions or have formed small, independent groups, administratively separate from the rest of the church. Much of their current history is tied together with ROCOR, as most of the original Catacomb bishops had been killed during state persecutions or died in hiding.
Outside Russia
The History of the Russian church outside Russia is best summarized by St. John (Maximovitch), Archbishop of Shanghai and San Fransisco, who reposed in 1966:
- In November of 1921 in Sremsky-Karlovtsy in Yugoslavia the first Sobor abroad was held, in which in addition to 24 bishops, representatives of the clergy and laity took part. Being thus the voice of all Russians who had succeeded in leaving the Soviet authority, the Sobor considered itself obligated to express its opinion regarding the situation in Russia, where all the rest of the population of Russia was languishing under the oppression of that authority. The Sobor appealed to the Genoa Conference with the request not to support the Bolshevik regime and to help the Russian people to become free of it.
Thus was formed the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), which, until recently, refused to recognize the elections of the Patriarchs of Moscow as coerced by the Soviet regime.
Divisions within Russia abroad
The Russian Church Abroad (ROCOR) enjoyed relative stability until the death of Metropolitan Philaret of New York (+1985, regarded as a saint by many Old Calendarists); the divisions noted below occurred until the very date of union with Moscow Patriarchate in 2007. Since the death of Metropolitan Philaret, parishes of the Russian Church Abroad separated in waves noted below.
The Holy Orthodox Church in North America: In 1986, after the monks of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline, MA were accused of moral crimes and called to spiritual court. The entire New England Deanery of ROCOR, with the exception of one priest, had repeatedly asked for a canonical investigation of the trustworthiness of the persons making the moral accusations for a period of 11 months.[[10]] These same clergy had also expressed concerns over violations of the Anathema Against Ecumenism which all the bishops of ROCOR had signed in 1983.[[11]] Several days before the monks were called to spiritual court [[12]] they left the ROCOR [[13]] and were received by Metopolitan Akakios and Metropolitan Gabriel, two bishops who had not attended the Synod meetings of Archbishop Auxentios because of various administrative problems. The monks had lost confidence that the bishops would be unbiased since they were receiving testimony from witnesses that cannot make accusations against a clergyman according to the Sacred Canons (see above). Several weeks later approximately one-thirteenth of the North American parishes of the ROCOR and one-sixth of the clergy, following Holy Transfiguration Monastery's example, also went under Metropolitans Akakios and Gabriel.
Later, when cooperation ceased between Metropolitans Akakios and Gabriel in 1997, the clergy of HOCNA asked to be received directly under Archbishop Auxentios. This led to a condemnation of the monastery on the part of Metropolitan Akakios.(the full condemnation is cited in Moss, A Short History of the True Orthodox Christians, 2005.) Although the Synod of Archbishop Chrysosostom II in 1986 considered Archbishop Auxentios deposed, in 1998 they rehabilitated him [[14]]. Another group of bishops formerly under Archbishop Chrysostom II, but now known as the Lamian Synod presently under Archbishop Makarius also declared the deposition of Archbishop Auxentios uncanonical and void on April 1/14, 1997.[[15]] It is worthy of note that HTM changed its opinion on Archbishop Auxentios after Akakios and Gabriel broke communion with each other-- raising the obvious question of whether they were intent on creating their own Synod.
After obtaining 2 bishops and two suffragan bishops, the group left the successor of Archbishop Auxentios, Archbishop Maximos, after claiming they had deposed him for uncanonically consecrating two individuals to the episcopate without the permission of the rest of the synod.[[16]] It is worth noting that Maximos claimed the "Americans were trying to take control" by not assisting in the consecrations of Bishops for Greece, which at this point were becoming sorely needed. After the "defrockment" (it is virtually impossible to defrock the first-hierarch without a majority of the votes, which in this case would have been required, as well as a canonical trial, which was also not done) they elected Athanasios of Larisa to be their Bishop, until Athanasios learned that members of the "American Church" had questioned his qualifications as a Bishop. Alone at last, the American parishes incorporporated themselves as Holy Orthodox Church in North America (HOCNA) in 1987. Currently the HOCNA synod, which in 2001 declared itself administratively independent of its extant mother Church in Greece, has five bishops.
From 1999 to 2001 the Lamian Synod approached HOCNA to establish full administrative unity, but this attempt failed for various reasons. [[17]]
In 2001, the HOCNA declared itself incapable of declaring a successor to Archbishop Auxentios, and finally declared itself independent of Greece, which led to another separation, most notably that of the majority of the Russian metochia of Archbishop Auxentios, administered by Father Victor Melehov.(See Open Letter of Fr Victor Melehov, distributed over the internet.)
The True ("Free") Russian Orthodox Church: In 1994, the majority of the parishes of the Free Russian Orthodox Church (see above) broke communion with the ROCOR over their sudden inclination towards union with the Moscow Patriarchate, made manifest by their desire to "break apart" the Russian parishes. In time, a number of American parishes have joined the FROC, now known as the ROAC.
As the number of parishes and bishops of the FROC increased in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, conflicts among them likewise increased, as well as conflicts between the leaders of the Synod of ROCOR and the bishops in Russia. Bishops of the Free Russian Orthodox Church, who were under the jurisdiction of ROCOR, i.e., Archbishop Lazar and Bishop Valentine, were ultimately removed from their sees. They chose to separate from ROCOR administratively and form an autonomous, self-governing Church, citing as their canonical basis Ukaz No. 362 of St. Patriarch Tikhon of November 20, 1920. They also consecrated three bishops for the Russian church, Theodore, Seraphim, and Agafangel.
A year later, after unsuccessful attempts to find an acceptable means of self-government for the Russian parishes, on February 11/24, 1995, the Synod of ROCOR suspended five bishops of the FROC at one time. The result was a schism between the Synod of ROCOR and a large portion of the FROC.
In 1995, Abp. Lazarus, with Bishops Benjamin and Agafangel, came back to ROCOR, while three bishops, with Abp. Valentine at the head, remained in schism. In May 1995 the long-term secretary of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR, the famous church historian and canonist, Bishop Gregory (Grabbe), visited Suzdal. He approved the decisions of the Russian bishops to withdraw from administrative subordination to the ROCOR synod just before he passed away. Some attributed this to his age, while others claimed this was due to his belief that they were following the historical course of ROCOR.
The Russian Church in Exile: In 2001, after the ROCOR made a clear commitment to union with the Moscow Patriarchate, the head of the ROCOR synod, Metropolitan Vitaly, retired from the proceedings.
Almost immediately afterwards, Metropolitan Vitaly, Archbishop Varnava of Cannes, and two of the Russian bishops of ROCOR, separated with the rest of the ROCOR synod and made new bishops. The proceedings that led up to these events are well documented on the Internet and the treatment of the retired head of the ROCOR has been regarded as shameful by many in the majority group, including allegations that Vitaly is unfit for service and is being used as a figurehead. Since then, Metropolitan Vitaly has headed the reorganized ROCOR from his home in Mansonville. Until recently, they were known as the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile, having since returned to the original name of ROCOR in many documents. The Russian Church in Exile has since primarily split into three parts—the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile (North America), an independent European branch that the other branches to not accept, and the True Russian Orthodox Church in Russia. Both claim to be under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Vitaly. However, the Russian Church in Exile immediately made new bishops for Russia; most of the Russian parishes of the ROCOR are still under the RTOC. Most recently, in 2004, the community of Esphigmenou (the sole monastery of the Holy Mountain that still refuses to commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch since the calendar change) has declared its recognition of Metropolitan Vitaly as the only possible legitimate First-Hierarch of ROCOR.
The "continuing Russian Orthodox Church Abroad" parishes under Bishop Agafangel of Odessa: After the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion in 2007, the majority of parishes within the Ukraine, and a minority of parishes elsewhere, went under Bishop Agafangel of Odessa and Ukraine, and are currently preparing to ordain new Bishops for their rival synod.
Other groupings
The amount of confusion among the remaining Russian True Orthodox parishes is not really worthy of note, as most have almost no visible membership, though two groups of historical value are the church under Ambrose (Von Sievers) and the Seraphimo-Gennadite Orthodox Church. Questions about their legitimacy and ecclesiology abound, however, and due to their small membership, there is a serious question as to how much discussion such groups actually merit, since they are usually reabsorbed into larger churches. Another new group that is worthy of note is the Russian True-Orthodox Church (Metropolitan Vyacheslav) which actually derives its episcopate from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church, which appears to claim to be a "Josephite" (followers of New Martyr Joseph of Petrograd group while having no apparent connection to any Josephite parishes.
Other national churches
Other countries have been given True Orthodox hierarchies by the above groups.
The history of True Orthodoxy in Romania has a rich history and goes back to 1924. Most of the faithful are currently under the omophor of Metropolitan Vlasie of Romania and his subordinate bishops. Romania was given Bishops by the synod under Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili (see above).
One parish is under the Lamian Synod (see above).
The majority of the faithful are in communion with the Synod in Resistance (see "Metropolitan Cyprian of Fili" above) and the Romanian Old Calendar Orthodox Church, but are an autonomous Church - The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria - and comprise a few dozen parishes under Bishop Photii of Triaditsa.
Two churches are under Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal, and two left with Bishop Gregory of Colorado during his departure.
In Georgia, dozens of monastics fled the official Patriarchate of Georgia in protest over ecumenism in 1998. HOCNA (see above) absorbed many of them, and they style themselves the True Orthodox Church of Georgia. They currently have no bishop and are administratively under North America.
The situation in Ukraine deserves its own paper and is beyond the scope of this article. The churches there deserve mention, however, since most of the Russian groups have parishes in Ukraine.
ROAC has two Bishops in Ukraine, as does the RTOC.
In 2007, Bp Agafangel of Odessa formed the ROCOR-PSCA (see above), and maintains the largest presence in Ukraine.
Worthy of note is the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) under Metropolitan Methody Kuriakov; while the ecclesiology of the UAOC is not particularly firm, they consecrated bishops for at least one True Orthodox group in Russia.
Ecclesiastical status
The ecclesiastical and canonical status of the various Old Calendarist jurisdictions is complex. Some regard themselves as being the only true Orthodox Christians and thus view the mainstream Orthodox Church as being in apostasy. As such, they do not share either communion or concelebration with the mainstream churches. Other Old Calendarists (typically those "in resistance") have suspended concelebrations with mainstream clergy, but will still commune the faithful of mainstream jurisdictions. They thus see themselves as a reform movement within the Orthodox Church. The question of canonicity follows much the same sort of patterns.
Views from the mainstream Orthodox on the Old Calendarists range from trying to heal the various breaks in communion or concelebration to outright declarations that such groups are themselves apostates, that is, no longer Orthodox.
Alternative Hierarchies
These churches refrain from both concelebration and communion with the mainstream Orthodox churches, regarding the hierarchies of the official churches to have apostasized and placed themselves outside Orthodoxy. In response, they have fully developed Synods in contrast to the official Church: for example, as there is an Archbishop of Athens, a rival Archbishop of Athens is elected to the see. With few exceptions, the Russian groups have not done the same due to the political climate, although the Rus-OC under Metropolitan Damascene of Moscow claims jurisdiction over the territory of the Patriarch of Moscow.
Such a claim is usually accompanied by the position that the corresponding official body is completely schismatic.
Churches "in resistance" or "walled off"
These churches refrain from concelebration with the mainstream Orthodox churches, but do not consider themselves schismatic, nor have they formally declared the mainstream churches without grace. In general, they set up alternative hierarchies that use the names of sees that are not used by the state Church in question[18].
It is said that they would also communicate the faithful of those churches after confession. A notable exception is the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania, who receive members of the New Calendar Churches by Chrismation.
Churches listed by Country or Jurisdiction
- Florinites
- Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Florinite) ("Chrysostomite Synod"), under Archbishop Chrysostom of Athens
- Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Lamian Synod), under Archbishop Makarios of Athens
- Holy Synod in Resistance ("Cyprianites"), a Florinite church (In Resistance-- see above)
- Matthewites
- True Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite), under Archbishop Nicholas of Athens
- Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece (Matthewite), under Metropolitan Gregory of Messinia
- Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church, FROC/ROAC ("Suzdalites"), under Metropolitan Valentin of Suzdal
- Seraphimo-Gennadite Orthodox Church, under Metropolitan Theodosie
- Russian True-Orthodox Church (Lazarus), under Archbishop Lazarus of Tambov
- Russian True-Orthodox Church (Vyatcheslav), under Metropolitan Vyatcheslav (the ecclesiology of this group is disputed and their hierarchy descends from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church, not any Russian catacomb body, as is implied)
Western Europe
- Holy Synod of Milan (Unclear whether "In Resistance" or not)
These are divisions and dioceses of larger Synods in other continents.
- Russian Orthodox Church in Exile (ROCE), also known as ROCOR (V), under Metropolitan Vitaly of Montreal. See article for divisions.
- Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church in America, the FROC/ROAC in the United States of America
- Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America, under Metropolitan Pavlos of Astoria, the "Chrysostomite" Metropolitan Diocese for America
- American Archdiocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad - Provisional Supreme Church Authority
- American Archdioceses of the Holy Synod of Milan
- The Center For Traditionalist Orthodox Studies: Spiritual and monastic center for the Synod in Resistance in the U.S.
- Parishes of the Russian True Orthodox Church under Archbishop Tikhon of Omsk, administered in America by Bishop Stefan of Trenton
- Matthewite Parishes in America under Abp Nicholas of Athens
- Matthewite Parishes in America under Metr Kirykos of Mesogaia
Groups claiming "Autonomous" status within America
These are bodies which claimed independence from their parent churches.
- Holy Orthodox Church in North America (HOCNA), under Metropolitan Makarios of Toronto
- Genuine Orthodox Church of America, under Archbishop Gregory of Denver
- The True Orthodox Church: A Brief Overview (major portions of text used by permission)
External links
- Anti-Patristic: The Stance of the Zealot Old Calendarists by Monk Basil of the Holy Monastery of Saint Gregory (Grigoriou), Mount Athos
- A Response to the above link from the Synod in Resistance
- Paradosis: The Original Internet E-mail Forum for Traditionalists
- The Euphrosynos Café: A Portal and Forum for all Old Calendar Orthodox Churches by Father Nikolai Stanosheck, a ROAC deacon
- Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
- Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church in America
- Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece, official website of Chrysostomite Synod
- Genuine Greek Orthodox Church of America, diocesan website of the Metropolis of America (Chrysostomite)
- Swedish Exarchate of the Holy Synod in Resistance
Categories > Church History > Canon Law > Ecclesiology > Jurisdictions
Categories > Church History > Canon Law > Ecclesiology > Jurisdictions > Old Calendarist Jurisdictions
Categories > Church History > Schisms
Categories > OrthodoxWiki > Featured Articles


text:
Giardiasis is an infection of the small intestine caused by a tiny parasite called Giardia lamblia.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The parasite lives in soil, food, and water. It may also be found on surfaces that have come into contact with animal or human waste.
You may become infected if you:
Are exposed to a family member with giardiasis
Drink water from lakes or streams where animals such as beavers and muskrats, or domestic animals such as sheep, have left their waste
Eat raw or undercooked food that has been contaminated
Have direct person-to-person contact in day care centers, long-term care homes, or nursing homes
Have unprotected anal sex
Travelers are at risk for giardiasis throughout the world. Campers and hikers are at risk if they drink untreated water from streams and lakes.
The time between infection and symptoms is 7 – 14 days.
Some people with Giardia have no symptoms.
Diarrhea is the main symptom. Other symptoms include:
Some people who have had Giardia infections for a long time continue having symptoms even after the infection is gone.
Signs and tests
Tests that may be done include:
If there are no symptoms or mild symptoms, no treatment may be needed. Some infections go away on their own within a few weeks.
Medicines may be used for:
Most people respond to treatment. A change in antibiotic therapy will be tried if symptoms do not go away. Side effects from some of the medications used to treat this condition include:
In most pregnant women, treatment should wait until after delivery. Some drugs used to treat the infection can be harmful to the unborn baby.
Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if:
Purify all stream, pond, river, lake, or well water before drinking it. Use methods such as boiling, filtration, or iodine treatment.
Workers in day care centers or institutions should use good handwashing and hygiene techniques when going from child to child or patient to patient.
Safer sexual practices may decrease the risk of contracting or spreading giardiasis. People practicing anal sex should be especially careful.
Peel or wash fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them.
- DuPont HL. Approach to the patient with suspected enteric infection. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsever; 2011:chap 291.
- Semrad CE. Approach to the patient with diarrhea and malabsorption. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsever; 2011:chap 142.
- Giannella RA. Infectious enteritis and proctocolitis and bacterial food poisoning. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010: chap 107.
Review Date: 5/30/2012.
Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director and Director of Didactic Curriculum, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington; and Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Product Description
This is a set of two AKA Racing I-Beam 1/8 Buggy Tires, in super soft compound. These tires include AKA Red inserts. The I-BEAM is designed for traditional tracks with a little bit of loose dirt. The larger lugs allow the tire to dig deep for maximum traction when it is needed the most. The center cross split bars give good forward bite and when used on the rear allow the car to rotate better in the turns when this is desired.
- Red Insert (Soft): The red insert is designed to soak up the big bumps with its fluted I.D. while still holding its shape in the turns to increase corner speed and consistency.
- Tread Performance: Each tire tread is computer designed and track tested by AKA engineers Gil Losi, Mark Pavidis and team drivers to ensure the best performance before each tire goes into production.
- Lifespan: The long life of the AKA tires is due to the collective decades of rubber compound development Gil Losi brings to the table. In fact, Mark and Gil have been responsible for developing some of the most successful tires in off-road racing for a generation. Each compound is tested in labs then rigorously track tested to ensure the highest quality.
- Balance: Like AKA inserts and wheels, tire balance is critical to superior performance and it''s a priority in AKA tires. Mold components are manufactured to the highest tolerances to ensure the best possible alignment of all the mold components. This results in a tire with more uniform thickness for the best possible balance.
- Mold Accuracy: AKA tire molds are made in the U.S.A. using the most advance mold-making techniques and processes available. The cost is higher to produce such a precision mold, but its part of an uncompromising desire to deliver the highest quality product available.


text:
The 2014 Major League Baseball season has officially passed its midpoint. To open Sunday's slate, the White Sox shut out the Blue Jays in the 1,215th game of 2,430 on the schedule. With half the season remaining, the statistical leaderboards feature a bevy of unfamiliar faces at the top. How are these first-half surprises doing it, and can they hold up?
Scooter Gennett: Leads MLB second basemen with .837 OPS*
At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Ryan "Scooter" Gennett was not expected to hit for power. The lazy comparison for Gennett was former Brewers keystone man Jim "Gumby" Gantner, another scrawny scrapper who managed double-digit home runs just once over a 17-year career in Milwaukee. But Gennett has six home runs and 28 extra-base hits in 74 games and has the National League's best slugging percentage from a second baseman at .485 (only Ian Kinsler's .489 beats him from the American League). Gennett has made some use out of Miller Park's cozy right field, but this June 25 grand slam off Stephen Strasburg showed he can hit a no-doubter as well:
Gennett's season is part of the larger success of Milwaukee's second base platoon. Between Gennett and right-handed mate Rickie Weeks, Brewers second basemen have produced an .822 OPS, best in the National League and 18 points ahead of Chase Utley's Phillies. Expect the platoon to stick, as Gennett has been useless in 75 career plate appearances against lefties (.324 OPS). Limited to starting against right-handed pitchers, Gennett should continue to rake -- his .311/.351/.485 in 266 plate appearances thus far is a near carbon copy of his .324/.356/.479 mark in 230 plate appearances in 2013, which puts his run of excellent performance at practically a whole season now.
Seth Smith: Leads National League left fielders with .883 OPS
Left field in the National League is home to former All-Star sluggers Matt Holliday, Justin Upton and Matt Kemp, but none have managed the pace of perennial platoon stud Smith thus far. Smith is doing it with excellent plate discipline -- 36 walks against just 44 strikeouts -- and hitting for power rarely seen from a lefty in San Diego. Some of that can be attributed to the shortened dimensions implemented last season, but the fact remains that Smith is on pace to become just the fourth left-handed batter to slug at least .450 in Petco Park's 11-year history -- Adrian Gonzalez did it from 2006-2010, Brian Giles did it in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and Will Venable was the only one to do it with the new layout last season.
The Padres are a dumpster fire offensively and carry a .605 OPS at the halfway point despite Smith's brilliance. Smith is a free agent after the season and as such seems like a good bet to be shuffled off by the trading deadline. Smart money should be on Upton, Holliday, Kemp or one of the National League's bigger names in left field outhitting him over the rest of the season, but Smith has been an above-average hitter for four years running. He can be an upgrade for nearly any team in contention, particularly against right-handed pitching (.289/.384/.515 in 238 plate appearances this year, .280/.361/.490 career).
Casey McGehee: Leads National League third basemen with 48 RBIs
In 1912, Bill Sweeney hit one home run in 699 plate appearances for the Boston Braves. Fortunately, Sweeney had 203 other hits, and he finished the season with a brilliant .344/.416/.445 batting line and knocked in a cool 100 runs. In the 102 years since, according to the Baseball-Reference Play-Index, nobody else has touched 100 RBIs without hitting at least two home runs, and just 10 players have reached 80 without hitting home runs, plural, the latest being Pie Traynor in 1933. Yes, Pie.
McGehee has just one home run for Miami in 2014, his first year back in the majors after he spent 2013 as Masahiro Tanaka's teammate on the NBP champion Rakuten team. McGehee has made up for it with a career high 10 percent walk rate, a career low 14.9 percent strikeout rate and 19 doubles. He is hitting behind Giancarlo Stanton in the Marlins' lineup and has already knocked Stanton in 16 times. Stanton has been intentionally walked 15 times already, and even though McGehee has shown he can knock a single with the best of them this year, he has 20 fewer home runs than Stanton and will be challenged with runners on base as long as he occupies that lineup spot.
Expect McGehee to sock another home run at some point this year -- he hit 28 for Rakuten last year and his MLB career high is a robust 23 for Milwaukee in 2010. But right now, he's thriving on Marlins Park's huge outfield, and he's enjoying the most productive one-homer season we've seen since the dead ball era.
Johnny Cueto: Leads MLB starting pitchers with 1.88 ERA
Cueto has always had a special knack for pitching in Great American Ballpark. In 2011, he became the first Reds pitcher to throw over 100 innings with an ERA under 3.00 since the aptly-nicknamed Smallpark went up in 2003. If not for a shoulder injury in 2013, Cueto would be on his way to doing it for the fourth straight year. But with the shoulder injury -- Cueto made just 11 starts in 2013 and missed roughly 10 starts to a similar injury in 2011 -- he was off the radar compared to big talents like Clayton Kershaw, Adam Wainwright, Madison Bumgarner and other aces who not only have comparable talent but get to practice their craft in larger, friendlier ballparks.
The money pitch for Cueto has always been his sinker. At 94 mph, it bores into opposing bats, and it's also his most reliable pitch for a strike, with a 68 percent strike rate. According to Brooks Baseball, Cueto has fired 412 sinkers this year and issued just 12 hits, including eight singles and zero home runs. As a pitcher working in a park that runs 328 and 325 feet down the lines and no deeper than 404 feet to center field, the reliable ground ball pitch is a necessity, and Cueto has worked his better than anyone thus far.
Sean Doolittle: Leads all MLB pitchers with 56.0 K/BB
In 2008, 21-year-old first baseman Sean Doolittle hit .305/.385/.560 with 18 home runs in 86 games in high Single-A ball. The 2009 Baseball Prospectus annual called him a "Gold Glove-caliber first baseman with the ability to hit for average." Naturally, five years later, here we are, and Doolittle has moved into the Athletics' closer role, saved 11 games, and struck out 56 against one measly walk in 39 innings. Second place in K/BB, minimum 20 innings, by the way, is Clayton Kershaw at 10.44.
Knee surgery wrecked Doolittle's career as a hitter, but he needed just 26 innings in the minors -- with an absurd 50 strikeouts against eight walks -- to reach the majors as a flame-throwing left-handed reliever. Control has been a strong point for Doolittle since his arrival, but he has taken it to another level in 2014, going 3-0 on just one of 141 opposing batters and 2-0 just 11 times. Doolittle is almost entirely a fastball pitcher -- 468 of his 549 pitches have been four-seam fastballs. No reliever draws more swings on their fastball than Doolittle (59 percent) and only Brad Boxberger, Aroldis Chapman and Wade Davis draw more whiffs per swing than Doolittle's 32.5 percent, making Doolittle's fastball arguably the most effective pitch in the league.
There's still plenty of baseball left, but halfway through the season, the picture is starting to clear up. These five players have all been huge for their teams in their own unique ways. The test will be if they can hold up over the upcoming dog days of summer.
* All statistics presented as of the beginning of play on Sunday.


text:
Former Daytona Cubs and Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley is back in the big leagues coaching third base for the Houston Astros.
KISSIMMEE – The phone call came late one night last September. On the other end was one of Dave Trembley's former players, someone who had listened to the former Chicago Cubs minor league manager on his way to becoming a big league outfielder.
"We got the job," said the voice that Trembley first became familiar with in 1995, when both men were wearing Daytona Cubs uniforms.
"That's great, Bo, congratulations," Trembley said, responding to the good news that Bo Porter had just been hired as the Houston Astros' manager.
"No, Dave, you don't understand. We got the job," Trembley said, recalling how Porter went on to tell him that he wanted his former D-Cubs skipper to join him on the coaching staff of the Astros.
"That tells you something about Bo Porter," Trembley continued inside the Astros' clubhouse at Osceola County Stadium on a recent afternoon. "He didn't say, 'I got the job.' He said, 'We got the job.' He's special. He was listening (as a player), and he remembered. Trust is a very big ingredient in this business. You want people who will tell you the truth to get things done the right way all the time."
Porter, 40, a first-year major league manager with the Astros, made Trembley one of his first hires.
"I felt that if I ever had an opportunity to do this, he is one of the men I wanted to bring on board because of what he brings to the table," Porter said. "The fact that he is a baseball lifer, there's nothing in this game that he hasn't seen on some level. It was an easy decision for me, and one that I knew would be of great benefit for the Houston Astros and me, as far as having someone of Dave's ability by my side."
Trembley, 61, joined Porter's staff and is back coaching third base, something the Daytona Beach Shores resident hasn't done since he managed Triple-A Ottawa in 2006.
"It's a little bit faster than the last time I was at third in Triple A," said Trembley, who also coordinated the Astros' major league spring training program. "The guys throw a little better from the outfield, but there's a lot more resources to look at guys on video. Bo and I have a system where we're basically a couple of pitches ahead all the time. It helps that I managed for so long. Our styles are very similar. It's been a lot of fun."
Trembley managed nearly 2,800 games in the minors, including a pair of two-year stints with the Daytona Cubs (1995-96 and 2001-02) and for all or parts of four seasons (2007-10) was manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
What he's seen with the Astros is a little reminiscent of what he experienced with the Orioles, when Baltimore went to a rebuilding program that saw a lot of instruction given on the major league level.
"There are some nice, young players here and very good coaches," Trembley said. "(General manager) Jeff (Luhnow) has a real good track record. They've got some development specialists like Vince Coleman, too. The minor league system has skyrocketed. The foundation has been set here. Now, it's up to us to continue that process and teach and teach and teach."
Trembley's tenure as Orioles manager didn't last long enough for him to reap the rewards of enduring a rebuilding project. He hopes to be around when the Astros' most talented players develop into what he believes will be pennant contenders.
"I remember some of those guys we had in Baltimore. All of a sudden after a couple of years, they got pretty good, too – (Matt) Wieters and (Adam) Jones and (Nick) Markakis," Trembley said. "We have the same opportunity here. We'd like to be able to stick around when it gets to that point when it all happens. We'd like to be there with them."
And he has full faith in the man who is managing the Astros.
"Bo has come as advertised," Trembley said. "He's got a real feel for it. We're gonna play for 27 outs. That's the standard and the expectation that's been set here. Bo's gonna be real patient, but he's going to be real persistent in how he wants things done."


text: The Conrad Barge 70 was designed by Conrad Shipyard as a motor yacht in a style referring to the classic 'Dutch barge' type vessels in close cooperation with Vripack, a world renowned Dutch naval architects office, on the clients request to take into consideration his individual wishes, requirements and suggestions. She has a steel hull, deckhouse and wheelhouse that are additionally finished in wood. Stylish stainless and chromed fittings add to the classic image of the yacht. The exterior lines, as well as interior design, were modelled on the example of the Conrad Classic 58 motor yacht. The Conrad Barge 70 was designed to cruise in European inland waterways and also near shore cruising on the Mediterranean Sea. She is a luxurious vessel accommodating up to 8 persons plus crew. The huge master apartment consists of a luxurious bedroom, 2 bathrooms, wardrobe and a seperate children's sleeping room. In the aft part of the yacht there are 2 guest cabins, and in the middle section there is a comfortable galley connected with a large saloon and a navigational area.


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text:
Own Jim's Sketchbooks and Drawings!
You could probably nab this genuine original Ren and Stimpy sketch or others if you pleaded with the birthday boy yourself. Or you can buy one of his thrilling sketchbooks if you contact him at his blog or maybe even on Facebook.
Send the man who gave your childhood meaning some birthday love in a comment on his blog:


text:
Nymbler is the smart baby name guide that responds to your personal taste.
Nymbler makes name connections with insights from baby-naming expert Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard.
VernieInspire Nymbler with Vernie
A boy's name of French origin that is often used as a nickname. Vernie was most popular in 1924 and is currently not among the top 1000 U.S. boys' names. Meaning: French: alder grove.
U.S. popularity statistics:
|Peak year:
|Rank in 2008:
|3-year trend:


text: Choose from hundreds of new Ford cars, trucks, minivans, crossovers, hybrids and SUVs, like the Ford Fusion, Ford Escape and Ford Focus. Don't see what you're looking for? Give us a call at 888-604-5141, or just stop by! Our inventory changes frequently so check back often. If you are just beginning your search, you can click here to research a vehicle.


text:
A group "demanding" votes on gun-friendly legislation hoped showcasing their firearms at a rally Monday would encourage lawmakers to pass bills that would void gun-free zones, allow concealed handgun licensees to carry pistols openly and require universities to allow guns in classrooms.
"We aren't really protesting, we are demanding," said Michelle Prescott, founder of Texan Gun Rights, prior to leading a march of about 40 gun rights advocates around the outside of the Capitol.
The group, which had about 10 individuals strapped with rifles and shotguns including at least five AR-15?s, were urging lawmakers to vote on House Bill 700, known as the 'open-carry' bill, HB 3218, which would get rid of gun-free zones, and Senate Bill 182, which would require schools to allow CHL holders to carry guns in college classrooms.
Prescott said although she supports open-carry legislation, she would not carry openly if it were legal.
"I like to keep 'em guessing," she said. "But it should be an individual's choice."
Some activists carried AR-15?s, other rifles and shotguns at the rally, while others carried signs reading, "Don't Tread On Me," and "The 1st Amendment doesn't exist without the 2nd."
Scott Trent, an Austin-area activist who carried his 12-gauge shotgun accessorized with a pistol-grip, said he "was going to bring an AR-15, but I figured that's what everyone else would bring."
State law allows individuals to carry long rifles openly, but pistols must be concealed and the individual must have a state-issued license.
Joushua Neff, also from Austin, carried his AR-15 on his back. He said he attended to "show peaceful support" and hoped carrying the weapon in public would prove gun-owners are responsible citizens.
Prescott slammed lawmakers for allowing a tapered version of campus carry to pass through the House, which allows schools to opt-out of the law.
"It's just a warm and fuzzy bill," she said. "It's a way for the Rep. to say 'I got a gun bill passed'."
Prescott called out state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, for leaving the open-carry proposal pending in his Homeland Security and Public Safety committee.
"What the folks pushing those bills didn't mention are the other bills that are still pending in this committee," Pickett said. "We've heard national and state polls that show a huge percent support background checks, yet we have not passed some of those bills. I think what we are doing is balance and I think there are enough gun related bills out there."


text:
The base engine on the CC is a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged unit that makes 200 horsepower. The optional V6 engine displaces 3.6 liters and makes 280 horsepower. While the 2.0L turbo offers plenty of power for most circumstances, the V6 transforms the CC into a genuinely sporty car. Both engines are mated to a variety of 6-speed transmissions, the most interesting of which is the DSG dual-clutch unit available with the 2.0L turbo. It takes many of the best attributes of manual transmissions and combines them with the best attributes of a traditional automatic. Able to change gears in .04 seconds, it is nearly seamless in its operation. The transmission also operates more efficiently than a traditional automatic and is one of the reasons the 2.0T CC is rated at 21 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
The Volkswagen CC comes in four trims: 2.0T Sport, 2.0T Executive, 2.0T R-line and VR6 Executive. The 2.0T Sport is the most basic model but still comes nicely equipped with bi-xenon headlights, rain sensing wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, a 12-way power adjustable driver seat, satellite radio and Bluetooth as well as Volkswagen's Car-Net in-vehicle telematics and smartphone integration system. The standard transmission with the 2.0T Sport is a 6-speed manual, but a 6-speed DSG automatic is an option.
The 2.0T R-line is the sportiest CC in the lineup and features a unique front bumper and side sills, as well as 18-inch wheels and smoked taillights. A 6-speed manual is available as is a 6-speed DSG.
The 2.0T Executive on the other hand is offered only with a DSG. Everything included in the R-Line trim level is also standard on the Executive; however the 18-inch wheels feature a different design. The Executive version of the CC also adds a power glass sunroof, proximity entry, ambient lighting and brushed aluminum trim for the interior.
The VR6 Executive comes with a 3.6L V6 that makes 280 horsepower. It comes standard with 4MOTION all-wheel drive and the 6-speed DSG transmission. It also adds front seat ventilation, a driver's seat massage function, park distance control, rear proximity sensors and a power rear sunshade.
Safety in the CC has been addressed with numerous airbags including those for front and side thorax airbags for front seat occupants and side curtain airbags for both the front and the rear seats. Volkswagen Intelligent Crash Response System takes things one step further by switching off the fuel pump, unlocking the doors and turning on the hazard warning lights if the on board computer detects certain types of collisions. Of course the best accident is one that doesn't happen, so all CC's include stability control, traction control, engine braking assist, anti-slip regulation and electronic differential lock and of course anti-lock brakes.
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Having trouble writing a university research paper:
- common problems faced by students doing a university research paper is that they do not know where to get materials;
- the research needs to be profound and requires a lot of time and findings;
- the research paper needs to reflect the results of research in a certain form, structure or sequence;
How to write a university research paper? This question bothers great numbers of students in universities all over the world. Most of them face various problems in even understanding the essence of the university research paper itself. One of the common troubles faced by students in writing university research papers is that they do not understand where the research starts, where to get the materials and how to conduct it. Moreover, the research itself is the main part of the paper and needs to be profound and fundamental therefore consuming a good portion of time and a great deal of effort to discover, analyze and organize all the findings. In addition to that the university research paper needs to reflect the results of the research done in a certain form, structure or sequence. Continue reading How to Write a University Research Paper


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I think I owe Blackberry users an apology.
I used to see people squinting at their little devices and think, "Get a life, nerd!"
Especially in public places. What could be so interesting that you would basically be oblivious to most things going on around them in the "real" world? I mean, it's a phone, right? What else does it really need to do? Crackberry, indeed.
Well, a few months ago I got a Blackberry and all I can say is, "I'm sorry."
I absolutely cannot see living without a smart phone now. I'm constantly on it: making changes to my fantasy football lineup, getting GPS directions, updating Facebook, etc. One of the handier things I use it for is Linn Area's Mobile Banking. We've only had it a few months, but it's already indispensable. It's basically a Lite version of our online banking product, e-Branch. You can view History, transfer funds, etc. from ANYWHERE. Well, anywhere you have service.
I'll let you in on a little secret about myself – I don't balance my checkbook. Heck, I don't even know where my checkbook is anymore. I know I should keep all of my receipts and store them someplace that I'll actually remember then once a week add 'em all up, subtract them from blah, blah, blah, ad infinitum. Well, to me, this task is right up there with rearranging the sock drawer on the fun-o-meter.
With Mobile Banking I can keep track of my spending and still have time for more important stuff….. like Number Cruncher. (It's a free game I found on crackberry.com.)
Sadly, I don't think I'm done apologizing yet.
You see, this weeked I'm getting an iPhone. I may just start at the top and send Steve Jobs a virtual white rose.
There's an app for that, right?


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Pumpkin Pie Best Pie Bakeoff 2008 Entry #29
Well, this is it! The last pie recipe of our 2008 Bakeoff. This means that we'll move on to voting a little later today - please come and vote for your favorite pie in each of our two categories. Until then, take a look at this pumpkin pie by Denise. We just had to end on a classic note, and Denise's pie fits beautifully.
Read on for this classic pie recipe, and the one ingredient she says makes this the best pumpkin pie recipe she's ever had.
Where is this recipe from? The recipe is from my step-mother, Kathie. We have changed it around a bit, using different spices and liquors.
Why is this the BEST pie recipe you've got? This is definitely the best pumpkin pie recipe I have ever had, the fresh slow roasted pumpkin makes all the difference. You will never go back to canned after eating this!
Pumpkin Pie
Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup ice water
Combine flour, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse until pebbly.
Add water and pulse until it comes together. Form into a disk and chill for 1 hour.
To line pie dish, place disk of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll until 1/8" thick, rolling from the center toward the edge in all directions. Lightly dust the work surface with extra flour as needed to prevent sticking. Carefully transfer the round to the pie dish, easing it into the bottom and sides and gently pressing into place. Trim the extra dough even from the rim of the pan. Use extra dough to cut out garnishes if desired.
Chez Us Pumpkin Pie
1 unbaked pie shell
1 medium Sugar Pie Pumpkin, cut into quarters, seeds removed, (use 2 cups of pumpkin, and freeze the reminder for another recipe)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
6 medium eggs
2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup French Brandy
Place the quartered pumpkin in a roasting pan with an inch of water cover tightly and roast at 250 for several hours until soft and cooked though. Scrape pumpkin from the shell and mash or food process until soft.
Preheat oven to 450.
Combine all ingredients, except pie shell, in the order given and beat until thoroughly blended. You can also blend in a food processor.
Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Garnish if desired with left over dough cut outs. Egg wash the pie crust and any garnish. Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 45 – 50 minutes. You may have to cover with foil, if it is getting too dark.
Pie is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
(Images: Denise of Chez Us)


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Obituary: Helyn L. Poindexter Thorpe
Helyn L. Poindexter Thorpe, 88, of Huntsville, died Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia.
Helyn was born February 10, 1924, in Kansas City, KS, the daughter of Fred C. and Olivia (Frazier) Poindexter.
Mrs. Thorpe was a member of AME Lovells Chapel. Helyn worked as a teacher at various preschools around Kansas City for 30 years. She loved life and enjoyed teaching children and spending time with her family and friends.
Survivors include seven sons, Fred A. Piondexter and wife Linda of East Chicago, IL, Richard R. Thorpe and wife Diane of San Diego, CA, Perry L. Thorpe and wife Robbie of Kansas City, MO, Jerry B. Thorpe and wife Barbara of Clark, MO, Kenneth R. Thorpe of Arizona, Rory L. Thorpe of Kansas City, MO and Darrell M. Thorpe of Moberly, MO; four daughters, Theresa A. Dean and husband Ronald of Kansas City, MO, L'tanya L. Thorpe of El Cajon, CA, Kelly T. Thorpe of Columbia, MO, and Penny M. Thorpe of Sealy, TX; one brother, Dierk Poindexter; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Mrs. Thorpe was preceded in death by her parents; two sons, Robert Thorpe and Marlin T. Thorpe; one daughter, Monique Thorpe; eight brothers; two sisters, and one great-grandson, Corey Brown
Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Monday, October 29, 2012, at Patton Funeral Home in Huntsville. Burial will be in the Huntsville City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12:00-2:00 p.m., Monday at the Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society.


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This free mortgage training video discusses minimum reserve requirements, examples of liquid finacial reserves, unacceptable sources of reserves, reserve amount, examples on how to calculate mortgage reserves and more.
Review of FNMA Reserve Requirements
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: With 13+ years of prior mortgage industry experience, Stacie Weider's background ranges from loan origination, to leading a sales team, to running a profitable retail branch, to acting as a producing branch and training manager. Throughout Ms. Weider's career, she was drawn mostly to the training aspect of each position, which sparked an ongoing passion for mentoring others in her field. This passion led Ms. Weider to pursue a career focused solely on the training and development of new and experienced mortgage professionals. Currently, Ms. Weider serves as the VP of Training and Development for a large mortgage company in Atlanta, Georgia. Her key responsibilities include: designing and delivering effective custom training via: classroom, workshop, webinar, video, and one-on-one instruction for 11 departments and over 170 employees. Ms. Weider has developed and delivered training programs on mortgage guidelines and compliance, leadership, effective communication, change management, and sales. Ms. Weider is also a subject matter expert on mortgage compliance, TRID, FHLMC, FNMA, FHA and VA guidelines.
VIDEO DISCLAIMER: The material presented in this video is for informational purposes only, and should not be considered legal advice. Examples of analysis performed within this video are only examples. They should not be utilized in real-world application as they are based only on very limited and dated open source information. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of CampusMortgage or NAMP®. Please check the date of this video to ensure the content is not outdated as the information presented is time sensitive and subject to change without notice.


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Built in 2005 by a coalition of students from PSU student group SustainUrth, capstone classes along with the help of numerous natural builders including Bernhard Masterson, Kiko Denzer and Scott Howard, the the Dialogue Dome (aka the "Shack") is a prominent symbol on the PSU campus as a place for people to connect with eachother and with the natural world. But with no protection from the elements on the western and eastern sides, this outdoor classroom is prone to weathering.
First repaired in 2008 by PSU Professor Pedro Ferbel-Azacarte and Scott Howard, this bench is a testament to what it takes to build with earth in the Pacific Northwest. Earthen building is all about creating relationships with eachother on site, as well as the structure itself.
This year, we are happy to have Jorie Kennedy, a natural builder who recently moved to Portland from Olympia guiding us as we redo the earthen plaster at the base of the bench.
More info: https://sites.google.com/site/placemakingatpsu/home/2013-project-descrip...


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As you may have gathered from my update in the "IAA Important Information" thread, the past two or three weeks have been quite busy over at IAA. Quite a lot of complaining that nothing ever gets done, multiple efforts to reorganize things, a campaign for democracy, several government shakeups, and a few high profile members leaving. Recently, a large number of the IAA's best people have decided that they are sick of the drama, and are preparing to leave and form a new alliance within a week's time.
I too have been contemplating my place in IAA, and whether or not it is the best place for myself and others in SSX. The merger was intended to ensure that you guys had an easier time in the game thanks to a dedicated team of people putting more effort into things than I ever could. This was never really the case in IAA, as I was compelled to get more active than I had been since I brought in SSX in an effort to help fix the IAA's ills.
Especially given the departure of this group including at least six big names in the alliance's current and former government, I think it may be time to look for a new home. The three main options I think are best right now are to move to NV, join up with the IAA splinter group, or become an independent alliance once more. I personally think the first option is best.
I ask you, what do you want to do? Do you prefer one of these three options? Do you want us to stay in IAA? Do you have any other ideas. I really want everyone's input on a big decision such as this.


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Lisa Clemens admittedly was an out-of-shape physical therapist. That was the instigating fact that led her to join the Rob's Big Losers program at Park Ridge Health.
Lisa Clemens admittedly was an out-of-shape physical therapist. That was the instigating fact that led her to join the Rob's Big Losers program at Park Ridge Health.
The program, run by HIS Radio host Rob Dempsey, is a 12-week, weight-loss program. Members of the Park Ridge staff and other people in the community took part to lose pounds and to improve their health. The event culminated Friday night with a 5K run on the C.L. Powers Trail at the hospital.
Cynthia Cook, Park Ridge's marketing project manager, heard about the program on Dempsey's morning show and thought it'd be perfect for the community.
"I just really felt like we had the resources to pull it off here," she said.
Participants were divided into two teams and had weekly meetings with trainers. They worked out together, implemented a fitness plan, and focused on food and water logs.
In some cases, it was simply a matter of replacing soft drinks with water. Each week, participants were given prizes for their progress, and they kept track of their weight and body mass index.
Friday night, the winner of the program was announced. Lisa Sheppard subtracted the largest percentage from her BMI. Alyson Carr received an award for being the most inspirational participant.
The program, however, was filled with inspirational people, Cook said. That made it a success.
"I think it went great," she added. "I've heard some really good stories about lives changing."
One of those stories was Clemens.
Clemens, 42, is the mother of three children ages 6, 3 and 1, who contributed to her being out of shape. Another factor is that over the past six months, the physical therapist has been battling cancer, which she says is now gone. She was diagnosed in September and is coming up on her six-month checkup.
The program was a huge motivator for her.
"I pretty much was in the worst shape I'd been in my life," she said. "(The program) involved commitment. There is no halfway to doing it."
Through the process, her clothes began to fit better, but there was an even more important gain for the mother.
"Besides my clothes fitting better, my energy level is better," she said.
That's something her husband has noticed.
"She's always had lots of energy, but it's gone up tremendously," Tim Clemens said.
That was what Cook was hoping for when she started the program at Park Ridge. Whether it was weight loss, energy or just better overall health, Park Ridge met its goals.
"It's been a dramatic change for a lot of (the participants) lifestyles," she said.
Due to the response to the program, Cook said it may become an annual event.
Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at email@example.com.


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CSICon's Halloween Party: Use Psychic Powers, Dress Funny, Win Cash!
September 12, 2012
Skeptics are excellent at using their brains, but all that thinking can be exhausting. Luckily, at this year's CSICon -- the conference dedicated to science and skeptical inquiry -- there's going to be a way for the doubters to let their hair down, and win some truly excellent prizes.
CSICon 2012 in Nashville will be host to the nerdiest Halloween party on this planet -- and likely any other. MC'd by Rebecca Watson, this costumed hoedown will surely be a night to remember (and then later deny).
And of course, there will be prizes!
He or she who dons the outfit deemed Best Costume by our judges will win $200 and free registration for next year's conference! To make it even more interesting, there will also be a prize for Best Skeptically Themed Costume: $100 plus free registration to the next conference.
Oh, but that's not all. Our boss Ron had one more brilliant idea for a special Halloween party contest. Click below to watch this short video to see what we're talking about.
That's right. If you can guess the costume that will be worn by Center for Inquiry President and CEO Ronald A. Lindsay, you too shall win $100 and admission to next year's Halloween party.
To enter the contest to guess Ron's costume, you must be a paid, registered attendee of CSICon (we'll check). Send your guess/psychic prediction to email@example.com with the subject heading "Ron's Costume." Ron himself will decide which guess comes the closest to his eventual disguise. One entry per person, please.
So what are you waiting for? Stop reading this, register right now for CSICon, and then start gathering up your latex, glow-in-the-dark makeup, and funny hats. Halloween in Music City awaits!


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Kirby Neumann-Rea's column Saturday about announcer Bill Schonely stirred "Where were you then?" sports memories ranging from Rip City to cup checks.
Rip City shouldn't require any explanation to sports fans who grew up with Portland Trail Blazer basketball. The Schonz could make a November Blazer-Golden State Warrior yawner sound like it was game seven of the NBA finals.
Schonely is known for his philanthropic work, so it's no surprise he signed on to help raise money for the Hood River SMART program. In fact, it was Schonely's involvement with the American Heart Association which landed me an interview with him on a summer day in the early 1990s.
We sat under a shade tree behind the 18th green at Illahe Hills Country Club in south Salem, where the Schonz was the honored guest at an AHA fundraising golf tourney. The conversation ebbed and flowed from open heart surgery to Blazer basketball to the Seattle Pilots - among other things. The Pilots, the precursor to the Mariners, played one major league season in the old Sicks Stadium, where Schonely was the team's play-by-play radio announcer.
He probably didn't announce the nuances of my newfound fascination to baseball in that 1969 season - cuss words and spitting through my teeth. Simply going to a big league game was heady stuff for a small-town, 10-year-old. But being able to watch batting practice and stand 20 feet away from the Baltimore Orioles as they played pre-game catch was over the top. Warming up along the first-base line were Don Buford and Paul Blair, part of Manager Earl Weaver's juggernaut team which would later win the American League pennant.
Blair and Buford's conversation was laced with four-lettered words that would have brought out Father Waldren's neck veins. My older brother, obviously more versed in such sporting vocabulary, seemed to shrug it off nonchalantly. But there's a big difference between age 10 and 13. By the time we had scrambled back up our seats, I could do a perfect Blair, forcing saliva between the gap in my front teeth. I also practiced a few of Buford's swear words, but was careful so my mom wouldn't hear.
The next time I watched the Orioles play they were losing in five games to the Miracle New York Mets. The mid-October series was one of the highlights of my sixth-grade year in Sister Joan's class. Behind her black Benedictine habit was a sports junkie, who no doubt was the first nun chosen during priory pickup games. Sister Joan scored big points with her class that year. It was hard to see the picture on the tiny black-and-white TV from my back-row, classroom seat. But being so far away also had its advantages; for one, John Lonergan and I made it through five innings before the aroma from the lemons we were secretly sucking on had drifted to the teacher's desk.
However, the most vivid memory of the series came midway through the fifth, and deciding game, when Cleon Jones adjusted his protective cup on national TV just before hitting a double off the outfield fence.
Jones would go on to score and the Mets would win, 5-3, but outcome was lost on me and my buddies who couldn't stop snickering about Jones' home plate routine.
A year later, Baltimore bounced back to take the 1970 World Series crown (though, despite protests, there would be no TV viewing at St. Luke's parochial). The Seattle Pilots were sold to Bud Selig, who moved the team to Milwaukee. And Schonely? He moved on to another sport where he enjoyed a Hall of Fame announcing career.
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Raising taxes on the wealthy along with entitlement reform and spending cuts need to be part of any solution to the country's fiscal problems, Jeff Gural, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Chairman, told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Monday.
"Wealthy Americans have done very well in the last dozen years with the tax policies of the Bush administration," the head of the commercial real estate firm said. "It's clear we have huge deficits. It's time for compromise and for us on the wealthy side to pay higher taxes in exchange for lower cuts in government spending."
Gural said that the biggest problem Washington has in getting to a deal on taxes is Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform. (Read More: House Republicans Have a Mandate on Taxes: Norquist.)
"Republicans seem dead set against raising taxes on wealthy people and that's just ridiculous," he said.


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Havelock is in familiar territory, facing a familiar opponent for a chance to reach its fourth straight eastern regional championship game.
Havelock is in familiar territory, facing a familiar opponent for a chance to reach its fourth straight eastern regional championship game.
That familiar opponent is Coastal 3A Conference foe Washington, which is in some unfamiliar territory, reaching the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 1956.
The teams are scheduled to meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Havelock High.
"They�re the best team we�ve played since New Bern," Havelock coach Jim Bob Bryant said.
The Rams (12-1) defeated the Pam Pack (10-3) 34-7 on Sept. 28. Washington hasn�t lost since, including last week�s 28-21 victory over Hertford County. Quarterback Jimmy Williams rushed for 228 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, while Markell Spencer � who missed the first meeting with Havelock with an injury � ran for 105 yards as Washington rushed for 433 yards in the contest.
Washington is averaging 34 points per game in its current six-game winning streak.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Washington rushed for 288 yards and controlled the clock but failed to stop Havelock�s big-play offense.
"They ran the clock and tried to shorten the game," Bryant said. "Their quarterback is the fastest quarterback we�ve played this year. He�s a good athlete, and they�ve got a good scheme that fits their personnel."
The Rams lost starting guard Tim Hamrick to a knee injury last week, with Kareen Moore stepping in to a reshuffled line. Still, Bryant knows the Rams will be ready on Friday night.
"Our guys come ready to play every week," he said. "Everybody in the state questions how good we are, so we want to continue to improve week to week, and Washington is another team we�ve got to get up for to get to our ultimate goal, which is to win another state championship."