text:
ROCKFORD - Visitors are expected in Rockford this week to evaluate the region's responses to domestic violence as Winnebago County seeks funding to implement a new program aimed at preventing homicides.
A positive evaluation could lead to a three-year, $600,000 federal grant to improve Winnebago County and Rockford response strategy for to domestic violence, one of the region's most common violent crimes.
A key to winning the grant isn't proving that the region is more in need of the money than others vying for highly competitive grant funds, said Jessica Maveus, project manager for the Winnebago County Domestic Violence Coordinated Courts.
"What we want to show is that we have a strong collaborative community response and we are able to support the training, development and implementation of the model and that we are capable of evaluating the impact it has on the community," Maveus said.
The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women is searching for sites to demonstrate two relatively new and promising models for combating domestic violence-related homicides. Models developed in Massachusetts and Maryland involve assessing the risk of a victim suffering further and potentially lethal domestic violence.
There is evidence the new approaches have been effective, officials said.
Visitors from the Office on Violence Against Women and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center from Boston, Mass., among others are attempting to determine if Winnebago County has what it takes to implement one of the approaches.
Rockford Police Department officers made 1,079 domestic violence related arrests in 2012 and 1,186 in 2013. Winnebago County Sheriff's Department officers in 2012 made 262 domestic violence related arrests in the county and Machesney Park. Loves Park Police made 53 domestic violence related arrests and responded to 544 domestic violence-related calls.
Roughly two dozen homicides in Winnebago County since 2002 are believed to have been related to domestic violence.
Attempted strangulation, threats with weapons, sexual assault and obsessively jealous and controlling behavior are among indicators of a potentially lethal abuser, according to the Department of Justice. Once at-risk victims are identified, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts and social service providers take action.
In what is called the Lethality Assessment Program model, police officers in the field screen suspected domestic violence victims. When the screening process indicates the victim could be in further danger, the officer immediately calls a domestic violence hotline to connect the victim with social services.
In the Domestic Violence High Risk Team Model, a team led by social service agencies partner with law enforcement to "fast track" high risk cases in an attempt to prevent potentially lethal or near lethal domestic violence incidents.
If selected, Winnebago County and area law enforcement agencies could implement one of these models or a hybrid of both.
There are 12 recipients across the United States that in April each won roughly $188,822 in first-phase funding to participate and collect assessment data. These recipients, including Winnebago County, are now attempting to become one of the six selected to continue to the implementation phase.
Phase one is ongoing and it's essentially a self audit of the region's domestic violence response. It is looking at all the domestic violence response policies of the major law enforcement organizations and is assessing the community to determine its capacity and readiness to implement a new approach to domestic violence intervention.
It involves collecting large amounts of data including 911 calls for service, response times, arrests, charges, lethal and near-lethal domestic violence incidents, firearms seizure warrants, recidivism data and domestic violence homicide information.
"These models are successful in other jurisdictions and we know that implementing them will be successful," Maveus said. "We know there is research behind them and evidence to show they work. It's getting through phase one and showing we have the capacity to implement them. We know we have the need."
Jeff Kolkey: 815-987-1374; email@example.com; @jeffkolkey


text:
Paul DISC-OR-DIE Holstein
Michigan, USA • Righty - forehand
Paul DISC-OR-DIE's albums » 2012 Discraft Michigan State Championship » Picture 20 of 582012 Discraft Michigan State Championship: Flip City, Scottville, Leviathan, Mason County Park. Plus FTF at Smerts, Mark Stephens birthday at Leviathan, and the player's party at Jeff's house.
Paul DISC-OR-DIE Holstein uploaded this picture.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Gadsden County 4-H Tropicana Public Speaking contest will be held Jan. 28 at 9:15 a.m. at the UF Research Center on Pat Thomas Parkway.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Gadsden County Times, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
If you are new to the award winning Gadsden County Times and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.
|ZIP Code:


text:
A homeless man threatened to kill Michael Strahan on Tuesday at ABC studios in New York, according to TMZ.
Police told the website Andre Johnson, 25, appeared around 8 a.m. at the Times Square studio where "Good Morning America" is shot, when the cast often hits the sidewalk to interact with onlookers.
According to police, Johnson got into an argument with security, pulled a knife and said he was there to kill the former New York Giants defensive end -- who appears on the show, as well as co-hosting "Live! With Kelly and Michael" with Kelly Ripa.
This guy must be a Regis Philbin fan.
Sorry -- that was inappropriate. There's nothing funny about Regis Philbin.
A police officer who was working security at the site subdued Johnson and took the knife.
The New York Post -- which was first to report the story (we have to say that) -- reports Johnson was charged with felony attempted assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon. He's reportedly being held without bail.
Tony Hicks provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Contact him at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/insertfoot.


text:
KINGSTON SPRINGS, TENN. -- Duke concluded stroke play at the DICK'S Sporting Goods Collegiate Challenge Cup at the Golf Club of Tennessee in ninth place with an 897 (+45). Junior Turner Southey-Gordon was the Blue Devils' top finisher at tied for 26th with a six-over 219.
Georgia won the stroke-play portion of the event with an 832 finishing five shots better than Texas A&M. Clemson (849) placed third with Tennessee (858) and Vanderbilt (859) rounding out the top five. Ben Crancer (Texas A&M) claimed individual medalist honors with a 16-under 197, seven shot clear of Joey Garber of Georgia.
Southey-Gordon posted a three-over 74 Saturday to pace Duke during a team round of 313. Sophomore Motin Yeung tied for 32nd overall with a 10-over 223, including a 78 in the final round of stroke-play.
Yaroslav Merkulov, a senior from Penfield, N.Y., posted an 81 Saturday to tie for 36th with a 227. Freshman Max Greyserman turned in rounds of 72-77-80 to finish 40th, while junior Michael Ricaurte shot 78-76-92 to place 50th.
Duke faces Vanderbilt Sunday in match play on the final day of competition.


text: We are real estate wholesalers looking to build professional relationships with investors and buyers looking to increase their residual income. If you are an investors or buyer looking to invest or purchase off market properties, such as ours, call 718-332-3177 today and begin to build a brighter future for tomorrow!!! Posted 06/23/16


text:
Auditions in Jacksonville
Find auditions in Jacksonville and
other cities in Florida
Jacksonville auditions for actors, dancers, models, singers. Info about acting auditions in Jacksonville, Florida:
When attending auditions, there will always be rules of etiquette that an actor, actress, dancer, model, singer, or other talent must follow during the audition process. The three main phases of an audition are the arrival, the audition itself, and your exit. Always arrive at an audition fifteen minutes early. Jacksonville auditions can be a hectic process, and things are always changing, so it is always better to be early than late. Do not dress in any costume unless asked to, but dress in attire that best suits the role you are auditioning for. When you first arrive, report directly to the casting assistant. Once you have signed in with the casting assistant, wait patiently for your turn to audition. Be quiet and respectful to the casting assistants; any rudeness will surely be mentioned to the casting director. If you have received your "sides" (pages which will be read in the acting audition) or other material for the audition, rehearse to yourself and wait for your name to be called. Do some exercises that will help you relax, like deep breathing, or closing your eyes and visualizing your scene, poses, dance moves or vocal chords. The main goal in the waiting area is to stay loose, comfortable and relaxed.
When called into the audition room, enter the room, smile and introduce yourself to the casting director. Hand the assistant your head shot with your resume attached to the back. Announce the audition piece you will be performing and begin when you are ready. Do not wait for the word "action" or any other sign from the casting director. They are most likely tired, bored and irritable. Just be confident and begin your audition after you have introduced yourself and you know your audience is ready. Be friendly and make eye contact while speaking. Sometimes the casting director may choose to have a conversation with you first to feel out your personality. Be confident, but not arrogant. Smile a lot and be respectful and polite. Sit up straight or stand tall and speak loud enough for people to hear you. Thank the casting director when you have finished and leave the audition immediately.
How do I find Jacksonville auditions?
Find auditions Jacksonville and surrounding cities
Audition resources are plentiful in today's world of internet and cell phones. Couple that with the fact that the entertainment industry is booming and you have a recipe for an abundant amount of auditions for people trying to become involved in the acting industry. Once you have decided that this is a path you would like to take, you will need to take it seriously. There is a lot to learn before you go to your first acting audition. You can't be successful on talent alone, so when you go to acting auditions, you must know what to be prepared for.
There are many resources that will offer to help you find acting auditions in your local area. Jacksonville Auditions.com is one of those companies that can help people find free acting auditions as well. Many internet based companies offer resources to help beginners find acting auditions, but the best way has always been with an agent.
Having the right agent can make or break you in the acting industry. A good agent will have the proper connections, and pull necessary to get your feet in the door of the best casting opportunities for acting auditions. In most cases, a good agent will not consider an actor without professional experience so you may want to start somewhere small, with either free auditions, or a personal manager who can help guide you in the right direction until you're ready for an agent. If you feel you are prepared for an agent, you can choose to contact agencies and management companies who may be interested in your talents. If you would like the chance to get your feet wet first on some auditions and get a feel for the competition out there, along with a better understanding of the audition process, we can help with that too.
The Jacksonville auditions tips
Find auditions in Jacksonville and surrounding cities
Auditioning is the most nightmarish process imaginable for casting a project, but it's the only one we have. Unless you're already a hot commodity in the industry, you're going to have to audition to keep working. No one can claim to be the expert on auditions. Every actor gets rejected. Every actor goes through times when no one wants to hire them. It's part of the business. There are three main things to keep in mind when auditioning:
Preparing for Jacksonville auditions
Find auditions in Jacksonville and surrounding cities
If you ask a casting director what matters most when an actor shows up to an audition, most will tell you that the actor needs to "be prepared" Of course, being on time is usually a positive bonus as well.
It should be obvious, but it's surprising how many actors make a bad impression with something as simple as inappropriate behavior. You have to keep in mind that casting directors already have the job, you don't. So you need to prove yourself to them, not the other way around. Some suggestions from casting directors include things like avoid unnecessary chit-chat. Don't linger in the room for too long after you read. Stay away from using most props, and avoid making physical contact with the casting director during your audition.
A feeling of desperation is another sure way not to get a callback. Keep calm and collected, you don't want to come off as if you're begging or pleading. Consider each audition an opportunity or a chance to perform for an audience. Or walk into the audition saying, "No matter what happens, I'll do the best I can today." The casting director is not here to judge you harshly; he or she simply wants to find the perfect person for the role. Give yourself the best opportunity possible.
Sometimes actors will seek out acting coaches to prepare them for an audition. Don't over prepare though, you want to retain a substantial amount of flexibility. The bottom line is that you don't know exactly what the casting director is looking for unless is it very specific. The casting director will often ask you to read the lines differently, if you've become set in your ways about how you're reading the sides, it will be difficult to change. Be comfortable with what you're doing, but be prepared to change.
Guidelines to follow when auditioning:
Becoming an actor or actress in Jacksonville
Find auditions in Jacksonville and surrounding cities
Unfortunately, becoming an actor is not effortless and to make it to the pinnacle of your profession is not so simplistic as showing up in Hollywood and yelling, "I'm here!" If you're prepared to put your blood, sweat, tears on the line, then you might have a shred of hope.
Can you act? We're not talking about faking sick to get out of your pop quiz or coming up with excuses about that other girl your wife saw you with. Acting comes naturally to some, yes, but you will still need to hone those innate skills of yours through proper training and experience.
Keep in mind that acting is an ongoing process. As sappy as this might sound, you have to tune into yourself and figure out exactly which extreme you can take yourself to when it comes to emotion. This is not the time to get shy on the world. This world can be demanding both physically and emotionally so be prepared to expose your emotions if need be. If you want success, you'll have to sell out one way or another.
Get your hands on any acting gig you can when you first start out; behaving as if you are the chosen one is not recommended also. Many actors including Tom Cruise tried out for many TV commercials, let alone acted in as many theater productions as possible. So get out and get busy, you have a lot of work to do. Try your best to get any parts here and there; be seen as much as possible. It's very important that you take initiative and make the most of every day by taking note of what's going on around you.
You might think that you're going to mail your resume to every major studio in Hollywood, but that's not the way it works. You will need to get yourself an agent and it will not be an easy feat. An agent will want 10 to 15% of what you earn from each acting gig, any more than that you should stay away from. When you do apply to join an agency, be cool about it. Call the agency to inquire about whether they're accepting new clients. If so, send them your photo and resume and follow up soon afterwards for an audition. It sounds simple because it is, it just take patience and perseverance to continue on until someone is interested because it may take a while.
Are you any good at ad-libbing? If so, prepare to do a few monologues for the agent, as well as a cold read. If you have any talents, this is your time to shine. Show them what you've got. If they take you on as a client, be honest about the extent of your talents and don't make false claims. Your agent should begin finding you auditions to attend and hopefully you will be what the casting director is looking for. And remember, good actors are made; they're not born.
Think about it, you can get paid millions upon millions of dollars to spend a few months playing the role of a man who is married to Angelina Jolie or George Clooney. You get to be involved with these talented and beautiful actors on a daily basis and when the shoot is over, it is all in a day's work. Now that is a great career.
Get professional headshots
Find photographers in Jacksonville
The first tools that you will need are an 8 x 10 photo and resume. Your photo (a.k.a. headshot) and resume have specific professional guidelines. The photo is definitely the actor's most important marketing tool, so let's discuss this first. People need to know what they're getting when they call you in to audition. So, if you are not a model-type, please do not get glamorous headshots. But if you are gorgeous, let the viewer know. In this industry, APPEARANCE IS PRACTILLY EVERYTHING. Lasting impressions come from that first glance. Your headshot is your business card. Remember casting directors will glance once at your picture, so you have only one chance to capture their interest. Professional photos are very expensive, but you won't get very far without them. You can spend anywhere between $50 - $1000 depending on your needs. Sometimes the best photographers are well connected so this presents a chance to acquire referrals on the local agencies.
Find an established talent agency
Find talent agents in Jacksonville
It is your responsibility to select an agent which is right for you, and you can do so by simply sending out your picture and resume to all the agents in your area. They will call you back and schedule an audition only if they are impressed with your picture. Every city or town has well-established talent agencies. Contact a few different agencies and see what they say. The key to success is an agent that is established and experienced! Ask for references and credentials before signing any contracts. We advise you to sign a non-exclusive 1-2 year contract with a local talent agency to make certain they perform their duties professionally.
Seek training from acting schools
Find acting schools in Jacksonville
Acting may seem easy. Often enough actors don't get the part because they lack the training and experience. There are many schools and classes that specialize in different entertainment fields such as commercial acting, print work, runway modeling,etc. Decide on what it is you're best suited for and most interested in, and focus your training on that. Great training may cost a substantial amount of money, however it will play an important part in reaching your goals. Be careful in your selections because there are many frauds. Always check references & credentials.
Go out and audition
Find auditions in Jacksonville and surrounding cities
Once you've mastered everything there is to know, get out there. You've been trained by the top acting schools, you've put together a fine looking resume with a top quality headshot to go with it. You've even been picked up by a pretty good agent who is helping you find auditions. The rest is now up to you. Many people have a hard time accepting the fact that their fate is in their own hands. Once you've reached this point, it is all up to you. Show up on time, be prepared, and knock their socks off. You will learn even more about the acting industry once you begin to attend auditions. In fact, you will discover there is even more to learn about once you're on the other side of the door. You've been trying to get your foot into the door for years and you're finally through. You will discover that there is a vast world of potential just waiting to be accessed. It's up to you to go out there and take advantage of it.
Create a quality resume
See resume examples and templates
There are certain standards for an actor's resume. It must be well-written and professional. List all of your past and current training, experiences, talents, skills, etc. Attach you photo back-to-back with an 8 x 10 resume with staples neatly in each corner, or get resumes professionally printed on the back of your photos. Your resume will have your name at the top, then the names of any actors' unions to which you belong. A voice mail or message service phone number should be prominent so that the agents will know how to contact you (this will eventually be replaced with your agency information). Your height, weight, eye and hair colors come next. Below that, begin listing your credits, or the things that you've acted in (extra work doesn't count). If you have any film experience, that comes first under the heading "Film." Television credits are next on the page, followed by Theater, Training and Education, and finally Special Skills (e.g., surfing, gymnastics, certified scuba diver). Once you have an agent, he or she will probably have specific layout preferences. Don't stress too much about the resume if you are just getting started. Agencies are much more concerned with your look and your personality than your experience or your talent. Here are some notes and tips to help you put together a professional looking, quality resume.
10 tips for actors and actresses
Find modeling agency or acting agency in Jacksonville, FL
Visit: AuditionAgency.com
Find Jacksonville Auditions for Pageants, Film Jobs, Conventions.
Film Jobs:
Movie Reviews:


text:
Today was a particularly special day for me in Washington, D.C. because I had the privilege to start my internship at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH). As soon as I stepped into the office, I was welcomed by the smiling faces of Natalie, Kimberly, and Elizabeth. I felt the positive energy beaming from these individuals as soon as I arrived and noticed that, like me, they were eagerly awaiting the decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on Arizona's SB1070 and/or the Affordable Care Act, which many anticipated would come down on that day. The decisions for both of these pieces of legislation would not only affect the lives of many people, but particularly the lives of immigrants and people of color. It is because of this and because of the values that NLIRH upholds that everyone at the office and elsewhere was extremely eager to find out the decision from the Supreme Court in order to continue supporting the Latino/a community in the best ways possible.
The ambiance in the office was not only contagious but also thrilling; multiple tabs were opened on internet browsers—everything from live blogs to a variety of articles revealing the latest updates happening in the Supreme Court. At around 10:30AM, the decision was made and public releases were starting to appear all over the internet from various organizations. As it turned out, there was no decision made for the Affordable Care Act but the U.S. Supreme Court did rule a mixed decision (5-3) for Arizona's SB1070 striking 3 out of 4 sections in question, but upholding Section 2B – the provision that requires state and local law enforcement to determine the immigration status of a person detained or arrested whenever there is "reasonable suspicious" the detained person is undocumented – also known as the "Papers, please" provision. As Latinas/os, advocates, and civil rights supporters, we all know the amount of harm that this particular section could have in our communities and to our friends and family members. If you, like me, are from the DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) area or have seen the documentary, 9500 Liberty, then you have already seen many of these detrimental effects of Arizona-like immigration laws—especially in Virginia. Not only do these laws further marginalize Latinas/os but they also create an environment of hate and racialized crime. If Section 2B is not taken away, then racial profiling will undoubtedly be a result, causing constant fear and tension in the lives of many families in our communities. The fear that may ensue from this legislation will not allow many families to live their lives to the best of their ability and will cause them to continuously be targeted for their skin color or appearance.
Now more than ever, it is imperative for us to continue to fight for the voices of Latino/as and people of color to make sure that Section 2B is ruled unconstitutional in pending civil rights litigation against SB1070 and blocked from being implemented. Ultimately, we cannot let Section 2B continue to remain as a part of the final decision because there is no right way of implementing "Papers, please" without unjustly accusing people of color and denying equal justice.As advocates for civil rights, we have to remain in solidarity and fight for justice and equality.
What excites me the most about this movement and the many people who have fought against SB1070 is the youth presence. As a rising college senior at the University of Maryland-College Park, it has been amazing to be a part of the youth movement fighting for justice and civil rights in Arizona and in states like Alabama and Virginia. It has also been impressive to see the role that social media has in all of this and to see it continuously grow and be used for positive social change.
I am so excited for the rest of my summer here at NLIRH and to be a part of all the amazing work that this organization is doing for the community by continuously putting the rights of Latinas and immigrants at the forefront of their work. As various articles continue to point out—yes, what occurred today was a victory in many ways, but a downfall as well. Please continue to spread the word out and to get others on board—La lucha todavía continua!
And make sure to tune in on Thursday, June 28 to hear how the Supreme Court rules on the Affordable Care Act. NLIRH will be providing resources and materials on how these two decisions today will impact the health and rights of immigrant communities across the country.
– By Karen Guzman, D.C. Policy Intern


text:
|Episode Description
|Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 - 8:00 PM
"Hunting The Edge of Space - The Ever Expanding Universe"
The conclusion investigates the universe's distant past - and its future. Modern telescopes add a mysterious new twist: The majority of the stuff of the universe is invisible, tied up in dark matter and dark energy. A new generation of telescopes embarks on a new mission, to seek out these mysterious dark forces. Part 2 of 2 G
|More on ALL (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database
|Previous on ALL (MT)
|No Past shows in database


text:
Opal Mae Novotny, 94, died Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, at South Wind Hospice Home in Pratt. She was born Nov. 2, 1918 in Sawyer, the daughter of Z.N. and Maude (Teghtmeyer) Spicer.
She graduated from Sawyer High School in 1936, and attended Emporia State University. She taught in one-room schools near Sawyer until marrying Willie Novotny in Corvallis, Ore., in 1941. She lived to serve others as a friend, teacher, volunteer, and leader. She worked at the Pratt Public Library, Pratt Regional Medical Center switchboard, South Wind Hospice Thrift Shop and Pratt County Historical Museum. She also served in the Democrat Women's Club, Sawyer United Methodist Church, McCurdy Methodist School and local 4-H clubs in many ways.
She is survived by a son Matt (Beth) Novotny, Sawyer; two daughters, Willa Beth (Steve) Mills, Pratt, and Anita (Byron) McLean, Milford; a sister, Peggy Kumberg, Pratt; eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, a daughter Sara, two brothers, and three sisters.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Larrison Mortuary, 300 Country Club Road, where family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m. Sunday. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday at the Sawyer United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jan Blasi and Pastor Louis Keeling officiating. Burial will be in the Coats Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Sawyer United Methodist Church or to South Wind Hospice both in care of the mortuary. Condolences may be left at www.larrisonmortuary.com


text: All Holland bar stools are available in 25" and 30". This contemporary style bar stool has a single-ring chrome base with a 2.5" cushion and a chrome accent ring. Holland Bar Stool uses a detailed screen print process that applies specially formulated epoxy-vinyl ink in numerous stages to produce a sharp, crisp, clear image of your emblem. You can't find a higher quality logo stool on the market. The plating grade steel used to build the frame is commercial quality.


text:
Senior caps wild comeback in home finale
WESTPHALIA — In her final game inside Pirate Field House, Pewamo-Westphalia senior Joanna Klein hit a 3-point basket with six seconds left to give the Pirates a 32-31 lead.
P-W hung on to earn a 34-31 win over Laingsburg to keep pace with Portland St. Patrick atop the Central Michigan Athletic Conference standings.
The Wolf Pack held a 29-22 advantage with 1:30 left in the game before the Lady Pirates went on a 12-2 run to finish the game.
Junior Marlena Klein led P-W with 15 points and seven rebounds, while senior Brooke Lewis scored 10 points in her final home game.
The Pirates (15-4, 14-1 in CMAC) will travel to Middleton on Thursday to take on Fulton.
St. Pats 64, Saranac 43
SARANAC — The Shamrocks had three players finish with double-digit point totals Tuesday night in their win over the Redskins.
Anne Mackowiak paced St. Pats with 12 points, while Jennifer Bosworth and Courtney Dixon finished with 11 points each.
Anna Bosworth scored nine points for the Shamrocks as well.
Saranac was paced by Kaylee Hardy, who finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Betsy Simpson scored seven points while Sydney Gage and Sadie Guernsey each finished with six points. Guernsey also pulled down nine rebounds.
St. Pats (18-1, 14-1 in CMAC) will finish the regular season on the road Thursday night in Laingsburg.
Saranac (6-13, 4-12 in CMAC) will play host to Grand River Prep on Thursday in its home finale.
Boys Basketball
Portland 74, Ionia 65
PORTLAND — The Raiders scored 47 points combined in the second and third quarters Tuesday night as they earned a win over county rival Ionia.
Jared Krausz led Portland with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Zach Gustafson chipped in with 19 points and five assists. Brodie VanRiper scored 14 points.
Ionia was led by Austin Gregory, who earned 20 points and seven rebounds. Austin Wolcott scored 19 points and dished out five assists, while Bryce Cashner and Mike Corey finished with five points. Cashner also pulled down eight boards.
Portland (10-7) will travel to Stockbridge on Friday, while Ionia (2-15) will head to Owosso.


text:
Very small leak down the barrel
Using 0 carrier, no shims, short spring or cut spring, seems like no matter the setup, it still leaks a little down the barrel. It's very small leak but agravating. Arrg.
Very small leak down the barrel
Using 0 carrier, no shims, short spring or cut spring, seems like no matter the setup, it still leaks a little down the barrel. It's very small leak but agravating. Arrg.
Last edited by Bulldog; 10-11-2002 at 04:14 PM.
ok so here goes, got level 10 kit and have been trying to get it installed and working. i have read a couple of pages of threads and hasn't fixed my problem.
as far as the o-ring carrier goes, i am using the loosest one that won't leak as per the instructions. i have no idea how you guys are coming up with the labelings as 1.5, 2.0, etc., however according to what i have read i am using the correct one.
i have tryed all the springs that came with the kit, including chopping an extra stock spring.
intially the gun would take pressure but pulling the trigger resulted in nothing. i read about the main spring, so i chopped the extra one i had. the gun now fires and even stops on a folded dollar bill.
however, i cannot and i mean absolutely can not rapid fire.
when i pull the trigger with no paint i can rapid fire all night. when i have paint in the gun i get off no more than 2 shots per second. i can hear the bolt resetting after each shot.
I just recently installed a Level 10 on my MinniMag and I can gas the gun up no problem without it leaking. But the trigger wont engage when I screw on my tank. It just sits there like there was no gas in the gun... Thanks for all the help
November Rain & Knocking On Heavens Door...
You can tell the size of the carrier by looking on the outside of it. If you see 1 ring, and 1 dot on it, then it is the 1.5 carrier. Rings= 1 and dots = .5
What is the velocity at? I am no tech, but I think you need to increase either the velocity, or the Pressure from your tank, if it is adjustable.
Same thing I am guessing, either increase tank pressure, or increase velocity.
Like I said before, I am no tech or anything, but reading all the responses by techs always seem to say to increase pressure/velocity if it isn't firing well...
Hey Zero, how much did that Chipley cost ya?
Originally said by Boggerman When I got married I thought it would go down too... The insurance, not the wife.
Well thats the problem it's not firing at all. When I gas it up there is no leaks but my trigger sear wont ingage so it is just flat. But as I turn the velocity up it starts to leak outta the front of the barrel and makes a clicking sound(the air does)...Once again any help with this would be appreciated...
If it is not doing anything at all, then usually turning up your velocity fixes that issue.
However if you start leaking down the barrel as you turn up your velocity, use the squeegie test to see if you need to drop to a different carrier.
Also, make sure that all o-rings are lubed thoroughly...
My Ebay Feedback
What about polishing or sanding down the bolt a little bit??? any reccomedations???????? Thanks in advance.Originally posted by bunkerhugger
Try honing out the barrel slightly, but only the breech part. Then you still have a small bore barrel, but the bolt won't hang up on it anymore.
Level 10 Mini Mag
Blade Intelliframe
Ideal Splash Drop with On/Off
10" .695 Small bore CP
10" Taso Eliminator
12" Dye Excel
88/4500 Centerflag 420
Spyder Compact W/PMI reg & Esprit frame
2 12v x-board Revi's
Today I switched to the "stock" spring, I had 4 springs that were given to me with the kit (remember I had bought it used). I used the second smallest one, but not one with the cut-end. I also took out the third Shim I had installed.
So now I am running the 1.5 carrier, 2 shims and that spring:
Today during play I broke a few balls, but I am not sure how. I know of at least 1 barrel break, but there was TONS of goo in the breach again today. That is either from it chopping (don't think so, it hardly made the level 10 PFFT noise at all), or me using bad paint (I had crappy 32* compitition... hey, its cheap!), or the brand new HALO I was running. It was a halo-A, so it could have got a little exited and ran the balls in too far... coupling that with the crappy paint, and that would equal goo in the breach.
Either way I am going to try to add the third Shim for my next day of play, see if that will make any difference, then I will send the halo for the B upgrade, and I'll be set for life!
What is the bore on the paint. I had a similar problem with crappy Severe paint, which was tiny bore and my HALO B. It could be because the small bore paint, force fed by the HALO caused a jam.
Or that the tiny paint, able to roll down your barrel, is then hit by another ball that is shot at it, in the barrel, causing the barrel break.
The bore was pretty small, the paint barely rolled out of the Boomy on the mag, every 6 balls or so I put through it stopped in it, but a very small "blow" and it went right through. I don't know any specifics on the 32* paint though....
Will Level 10 be standard on future AGD markers? I have been toying with the idea of getting a nifty new RT Pro or E-Mag, or getting the Retro valve for my Automag Classic, but I was wondering whether I should wait until they came standard with Level 10.
well, i tryed jumping the pressure but to no avail. i am not sure what the pressure was at (i am using CO2, yes i am still using CO2) so i looked around and finally found someone with tech stuff on bolt pressure through a normal bolt. a little more searching told me the pressure of CO2 should be way over that (duh it works). within this site i found people who had to go 800+psi (still under CO2 tank pressure), but with my reg as far in as it would go still nothing. i eventually came to the conclusion that i should try doing what everyone always told me to not to do: clean the regulator. i did and it is working awesome. my shots are stable to within 3 f/s. i would still not recommend as a general maintenance to clean out your reg. but it was my last ditch attempt to get this to work and it did.
note: i did have an airsmith at a pro-shop check my cleaning to verify i wasn't going to blow anything up prior to gassing up.
Last edited by dugger; 10-18-2002 at 09:15 AM.
Just got my level 10 bolt today. I had a problem getting it to fire. Turns out to be my hyperframe, though the battery is old.I'll try with a fresh battery. It took me a few hours to figure it out after much tinkering. Anyone else have this problem? I'll wait till tomorrow to fine tune it.
I replaced my battery in my Hyperframe and everything was fine. It was weird, with the stock bolt, the hyperframe was fine but with the Level 10, it had problems.
Last edited by pbzmag; 10-18-2002 at 04:18 PM.
foamie fell off while chronoing the gun at the shop today.. i have the xtra one... but wat should i use to get it back on? and what will the affect b if i play without it? can i use a rubber cement? or hot glue (shudders)? i need help asap.. got game in 9 hours (and its 12:15 in the morning here by the way) so please help pronto!!
oogaboogawigywee!ITsa me! BLONDIE!
Please resize your sig image - thanks.
my feedback:
WOW I havent checked this thread in a while! everyone's being a great help!
Bulldog if your getting leaks with the 0 carrier you need to use a new o'ring.
it's important to know what your chrono'd at to get the full effective use of your gear. I'd suggest that you and your friends all pitch in to buy a radarchron so you are more organized(and safe) when playing on your own land.
2 shims are fine, they only change the position that the bolt vents at, if you not getting bolt stick then your fine.
If balls were rolling out of your barrel, then check your nubbins. Halo's do put a lot of pressure on the ball stack so a bad nubbin could easily double feed and break paint.
32* paint is not very consistent in it's size, if you want to shoot great you need to buy good paint, sorry but that's the way it is.
the cut spring will be softer on paint(a lot softer) than the standard size spring.
Duke Henry
if you can't get the cut spring to chrono below 300(while your using the biggest carrier that doesnt leak) you could cut the spring down a bit more till you can chrono just right so it will be softer on paint than the standard spring.
also, you don't really want to oil the carrier o'ring directly cause it gives a false sense of friction so you will have to keep constantly oil'ing it for it to work properly.
it's a classic problem, try polishing the bolt stem a bit. (if your already using the biggest carrier that doesnt leak)
sounds like a bad bolt stem if your using the cut spring with the cut side on the bolt. get your hands on some calipers and see that the bolt stem tip to the front of the bolt measure to 2.010-2.015"
the level 10 bolt is thicker so help with blowback, that's normal with small bore barrels. Do what bunkerhugger said if you can get your hands on that type of equipment, but dont polish the bolt, it's hollowed out as it is. All I can say is use another barrel with paint that fits it good.
are you putting at least around 800-850psi into the marker?make sure your trigger rod length is 1.98". use the cut spring(cut side on bolt). turn up the velocity till it fires reliably, if it leaks down the barrel, try a smaller carrier. if it leaks from the velocity adjuster, get a new reg. piston.
DoubleDutch the valve's will eventually come with the level 10 installed(right not the only ones that do are Extreme's) but it most likely wont happen until AGD sales a good chunk of their current level 7 bolts and parts.
that happened because the hyperframe has to use more power to move the sear with a level 10 because there is more pressure on the bolt. You will most likely run through batteries faster(I prefer the Iframe over the Hyperframe)
It happens, you should use superglue, not rubber cement or hot glue. make sure you scratch off all the old glue, scratch the surface a bit with a screw driver so the glue has more contact surface and you should be fine. Put pressure on the foamie when you glue it for a while, and let the bolt air out anywhere but inside the marker so it could cure in time. Good luck.
www.havoc-online.com <--- Your AGD Lifeline
Products & Services
I spent 3 hrs at the field and could not get my lvl 10 working properly. First the 2 carrier worked, but i guess the oring "broke in" so now .5 is the largest carrier that wont leak.
Any way my setup right now is .5 carrier no shims smallest lvl 10 spring. The behaviour of my system is as follows.
1. If i add shims it leaks.
2. If i use the middle or longest spring i cant get it below 300 fps.(i get like 350 with longest and like 335 with medium)
3. It is very inconsistant in its current state. Velocity goes something like this.
278 286 290 215(not a typo) 284 291
My understanding is that this type of inconsistancy is usually caused by to small a carrier but anything above .5 leaks. And i have oiled the thing several times.
4. If a ball only goes half way in the breach the bolt hits and cracks the ball(2 bounce paint) then resets and the ball falls into the breach where the next trigger pull nicely distributes the paint evenly throughout the breach and barrel.
5. This is just odd. I was first testing with my dye stainless steal barrel but i noticed that when i rested my barrel on the cronograph that it started leaking. So i pushed up on the end of the barrel with my hand and it leaked, but stopped leaking when i stopped putting pressure on it. I switched to my j&j ceramic(larger bore than dye) and it stopped.
Help me please, i am very confused
BlackVCG: Here's what you need to do. Put in a new o-ring and test fit it to the bolt Start with the 1.5 carrier. If it feels like it has friction, but is pretty loose, then go down in size. If it's nice and tight to begin with, then leave it at that carrier/o-ring combo. Get a pair of side-cutters and cut off about 1/2 of a coil on your middle spring. Test it out and see if you can get it shooting right around 280fps.
LX is very inconsistant at first until the o-ring has broke in. Just cycle it as much as possible and then go the to chrono station. The leak when you push on the barrel means that the carrier size is one size too big. You can put double o-rings on your barrel, put some black electrical tape in the grooves and then put on your barrel o-rings to tighten up the barrel and keep it from moving around as much when you push on the barrel tip.
Last edited by BlackVCG; 10-19-2002 at 01:02 PM.
Thanks alot Havoc!
My original problem was that it was pushing paint into the breech, and not firing it... so it was ventin too early.
My thought was that it was pushing against too hard a spring, so it would move faster, and vent later with shorter spring, so thats what I tried. It worked really good, but I still got some ball breaks, I am just unsure about where they came from. I won't be able to play for a while now (no job = no money! doh!) so I won't be able to test some new Ideas...
Only two issues during the install of my level 10.
A. The foamie shot out of the bolt almost immidiately.
B. The bolt did not fit inside my JJ Ceramic barrel.
Neither are that big of a deal in my opinion. Barrel thing is kind of annoying but I had planned on getting a new barrel anyway.
More of an FYI than a request for help.
You may want to run a search on the thread, but I beleive there is at least one other person who reported problems with the Level 10/JJ Ceramic Barrel combo.
I was having the exact same problem with my J&J 12". The small amount of play in the barrel was enough to cause my gun not to fire. However, I was using the middle spring at that time. I went to the shortest spring and it solved that problem!
If you're still getting some barrel stick, try lapping the breech on the barrel a little. Or even check the barrel 0-rings.
Hope this helps.
Lvl X TKO Automag PF/HL, Intelliframe, a Simmons 30mm Red Dot and a J&J 12" Ceramic barrel.
Crossfire 68/4500
Die Hard Woods Player
I put the level 10 in my automag classic.....i have the smallest spring that comes with the kit, 2 shims and the #1.5 carrier, i got it to work fine but, i have to turn in my velocity screw in the back way up and it is now too far in for my tourney lock on the back...I cant get the tourney lock on any threads of the velocity adjustemt...What can i do? is there a longer adjustment screw you guys sell or can i mill the back of the cylinder itself a few thousand so i can get the tourney lock to catch the threads?? Need to know in a hurry if at all possible...thanks alot
i hear people complain about sex all the time too. that doesnt mean it isnt worth the occasional problem (ie dealing with the gf).
i had issues with this at first like many others but they have been resolved. my advice to you is play with your mag for a while. if you chop balls upgrade the bolt. if not, leave it alone. before i put in a two finger trigger i chopped > 1/1000, afterwards i had issues due to short stroking.
my gf thinks i care more about my mag than i do her?!? what do you think?
o-ring kit/oil $$
fires everytime i finger the trigger
doesnt get handled by other guys
ugly green AA barrel
going out $$$$$$
gets @#$king "headaches"
goes to random house
has hottie roommates
ok...so maybe its close.
i just got a level 10 for my minimag yesterday. i set it up exactly how the instructions said on the website, and it worked fine. then today when i went to shoot my gun again, it wouldn't shoot at all. i turned up the velocity and tried all three mainsprings but nothing worked. please help me fast!!
For Sale:
Hopperleft Minimag
Level 10 Upgrade
Dye Drop-forward
Black Macroline
PMI 10 degree ASA
3 weeks 4 days until Christmas!
I had the same problem. Try changing your carrier to a looser one. Find the loosest carrier that you have, that will not cause a carrier leak down the barrel. Also, as you switch carriers make sure to keep using the same o-ring with the carrier.Originally posted by DonkeyKev
i just got a level 10 for my minimag yesterday. i set it up exactly how the instructions said on the website, and it worked fine. then today when i went to shoot my gun again, it wouldn't shoot at all. i turned up the velocity and tried all three mainsprings but nothing worked. please help me fast!!
Seeg images? Vee don' need no steenkin' seeg images?!?
i already tried a different carrier but it leaked. i think i used a dif o-ring on the second carrier though. i also tried replacing every part in the lvl 10, including the mainsprings, but nothing.
dugger - why upgrade?
If you don't have chopping problems, that's great, I didnt either, infact a lot of ppl I've talked to didnt see the need to upgraded because they never chopped. But then some ppl change thier because...
... everyone wants an accurate marker. When it comes to accuracy the things that matter most are the barrel, paint/barrel match/ consistency, and recoil(reciprocating mass) which matter under rapid fire.
Pretty much all high-end markers are capable of being equally consistent and of course the barrel/paint doesnt apply between markers much since you can get the same barrel for most markers and obviously use the same paint. So what does it all boil down to? Recoil. The level 10 bolt give the marker less recoil(since there is less mass moving when the marker is fired) than any other marker. So, in theory, the level 10 mag is capable of being the most accurate marker(not including the factor of a persons preference).
try a higher input pressure. what are you currently running?
I couldn't get my mag to shoot with level 10 until I took the barrel off, then it fired fine. So I took the valve out put the barrel back on and found out the barrel was slightly offline from the body. At first I assumed it was the barrel but it was a problem on each barrel, with more examination I found out it was the barrel lock pin that was sticking up too high and causing the barrels to be off center. The body rail I got from smartparts wasn't drilled properly and the lock pin didn't seat right in the rail. So watch out the pin could be the problem, if it shoots fine without the barrel then you know its the barrel or the pin that holds it. That was my problem hope this helps someone.
To start off, I've read this whole thread a couple of times trying to figure out my problem, so essentially done my research on this topic trying to troubleshoot the problem.
I got my level ten two weeks ago, as per the instructions, I put in the 2.0 carrier, longest spring, 2 shims. Turned up the velocity until it fired consisently and a small leak developed down the barrel(~100 dryfires). At this point I switched over to the 1.5 carrier, with the same o-ring, leak stopped, the gun worked. I don't have a chrono but I was satisfied with the being able to get it to fire consistently under rapid fire and put my gun away.
A week later, I decide to install the new Palmer sideline reg that I got. I put it on, wouldn't fire, so I turned up my Stab until it did. Fired about twenty shots, then it stopped firing no matter how high I turned up the velocity on my Stab. At first, I thought their was too much friction preventing the gun from firing, so I switch to the middle spring. Still didn't work. Switched to the 2.0 carrier. Still didn't work. Then with the shortest spring it would fire halfway.
It occurs to me that I might be out of CO2, but my 20oz still feels pretty full. And having read previous posts in this thread about how the gun stops firing when there's 800-900 PSI left in the tank(BLACKVCG can you confirm this?)
Anycase, I go over the Glenn Palmers website and I dig up this info from one of his FAQs
amount of liquid CO2 in a 20oz tank pressure
21 oz 1150 psi+
20 oz 950 psi
19 oz 875 psi
17 oz 825 psi
15 oz 815 psi
12 oz 810 psi
6 oz 805 psi
2 oz 800 psi
Here's my hypothesis-
a) IF the above information is correct(no reason why it shouldn't be, coming from Glenn himself the Co2 expert)
b) AND If the level 10 does indeed stop working at around 800-900 psi left from the air source
THEN following the above conditions
The level 10 will not work with a Co2 air source, given that output PSI drops below 850 somewhere between 19-17 oz of CO2 left in the tank! So basically, with a 20 oz Co2 tank, I can only get 2-3 ozs of shots with it before the output pressure drops into the questionable range of 800-900 PSI where LX isn't going to operate with the middle or the longest spring?
I am going to the store to get my 20 oz CO2 tank weighed this afternoon to see how much CO2 is left and to see whether my hypothesis is correct. I am reasonably sure that this is why I can't get my level 10 to work.
Help is sincerely appreciated, especially from Havoc and Black.
Here's the link from which I got the info-
Last edited by Tankdriver; 11-04-2002 at 06:10 PM.
Red Chord V2 RT Pro
It sounds as though you're low on air. Go ahead and get your tank filled and see what happens. You might run into some problems running the stabalizer with Co2 and LX. Since that's a double regulated system and the output of the Co2 tank fluctuates with temperature, then you might experience certain times where it doesn't fire consistantly or at all. Test it out and see how it does, but if you experience problems with not being able to get the velocity you want, not firing or something of that sort, then try switching to the shortest spring or the cut middle spring.
Thanks for the fast response, but my question wasn't answered.
The level 10 will not work with a Co2 air source, given that output PSI drops below 850 somewhere between 19-17 oz of CO2 left in the tank! So looking at that table above, with a full 20 oz Co2 tank, I can only get 2-3 ozs of worth of shots with it before the output pressure drops into the questionable range of 800-900 PSI where LX isn't going to operate with the middle or the longest spring?
"Since that's a double regulated system and the output of the Co2 tank fluctuates with temperature, then you might experience certain times where it doesn't fire consistantly or at all. "
I don't see why I should have any more problems using a secondary regulator than another that is using a nitro setup. Using a Stab on an automag makes it into a dual regulated system, same as anyone else that is using regulated nitro airsource(assuming that most nitro tanks have a built in reg) therefore reducing variations in input pressure. Isn't that the purpose behind having a regulated airsource? I don't really understand what you said about temperature fluctuations on Co2, isn't the regulation ratio from the secondary regulator supposed to take care of that? 50:1 change in PSI, or whatever.
Co2 tank pressure(very unstable, affected by outside temperature, liquid phase etc) -> Palm Stab, regulates it down to whatever I set it to -> the automag valve with LX, which I'm assume operates at 800-900 PSI when using the middle or the longest spring.
Following the above statement, if I want to use Co2 with LX, then I am limited to using the shortest spring in order for the marker to fire consisently(taking into consideration the outside temperature, and how much co2 is left in the tank), correct?
Sorry if these are dumb questions to anyone, I am just trying to learn about my automag and how to get the LX to operate with co2.
Last edited by Tankdriver; 11-04-2002 at 06:26 PM.


text:
We're less than a week away from the trade deadline, but there's already been plenty of madness. The Pittsburgh Penguins have added Brenden Morrow, Douglas Murray, and Jarome Iginla, making their team enviously deep and talented. They might go with a line of Iginla, James Neal, and Evgeni Malkin, which would arguably be the most dangerous unit in the NHL – with the possible exception of the Penguins' other projected top line: Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis, and Chris Kunitz. Crosby and Kunitz are the first and third top scorers in the NHL, respectively, and Dupuis is tied for sixth place in goals at the time of writing. Morrow is the real X-factor, though, from a fantasy perspective. If he somehow finds his way on either of those lines, due to an injury for example, he'll be worth taking a chance on.
With that said, let's take a look at this week's Waiver Wired picks:
Jared Spurgeon (D – Minnesota Wild) – The Wild are fiercely battling for the Northwest Division lead and seem to finally be clicking after some initial issues. Spurgeon has been a big benefactor of the Wild's rise with three goals and 10 points in 13 games this month. As long as the Wild stay hot, Spurgeon should, too, and with every game critical, it wouldn't be surprising to see the team and player have a strong April.
Troy Brouwer (RW – Washington Capitals) – Since being traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Washington Capitals, Brouwer has grown from a decent secondary scorer to a top-line talent. After getting off to a slow start, Brouwer has scored 10 goals and 21 points in his last 25 games. He's averaging a career high 18:39 minutes per game, including 3:34 minutes with the man advantage. He's still available in 64% of Yahoo! leagues and you shouldn't be afraid to grab him.
Guillaume Latendresse (LW – Ottawa Senators) – Latendresse has endured far more than his share of injuries over the years but, for now at least, he's healthy. Since returning from a neck problem, Latendresse has averaged 16:24 minutes per game and he's made the most of that playing time. He has five goals and seven points while firing 23 shots on goal in nine contests this month. Latendresse is clearly a high-risk option given his injury history, but if he can stay healthy, he's not a bad bet to record about 0.7 points per game for the rest of the season.
Radim Vrbata (RW – Phoenix Coyotes) – Vrbata is a pretty easy recommendation. He broke out last season with 62 points in 77 games and has proven it wasn't a fluke by scoring six goals and 11 assists in 20 contests in 2013. He's still only owned in 36% of Yahoo! leagues, likely because of a combination of owners not trusting his breakout performance and the fact that he missed a month due to a foot injury. However, Vrbata picked up right where he left off upon his return, scoring two goals and five points in five games. Grab him if he happens to still be available in any standard leagues.
Tomas Fleischmann (LW – Florida Panthers) – Fleischmann bounced back from an injury-shortened 2010-11 campaign by setting new career highs with 27 goals and 61 points in 82 games last season. He's been solid all season, but has been particularly effective lately, with three goals and five points in his last seven games. He's not as exciting as some of the other players on this list and he doesn't have as much upside, but he is a safe bet to record 0.6 to 0.7 points per game for the rest of the season. However, he also has a minus-13 rating and it's likely to dip further, so take note of that if your league values plus/minus.
Nikolai Khabibulin (G – Edmonton Oilers) – Khabibulin is finally healthy, although he's been a bit of a mixed bag since his return. He posted a 43-save shutout and followed it up by allowing four goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets before getting yanked. All the same, if you have a spare roster spot and are looking for a gamble, Khabibulin is as good a bet as any. If a team like the Carolina Hurricanes, who are still weeks away from getting Cam Ward back, trades for Khabibulin before the April 3 deadline, then his fantasy value will skyrocket. Just don't pick him up unless you're willing to dump him next week if the Oilers decide to keep him.
Artem Anisimov (C/LW – Columbus Blue Jackets) – Anisimov got off to a slow start with the Columbus Blue Jackets after joining the team over the summer as part of the Rick Nash trade. However, he's been hot lately with three goals and seven points in his last five games. He's more of a short-term option, but with Columbus still very much in the race for a playoff spot, it wouldn't be surprising to see Anisimov finish the 2013 campaign on a high note.
Shawn Matthias (C – Florida Panthers) – Matthias has never been much of a fantasy option, but then he's never gotten much playing time either. Still, with the Panthers devastated by injuries, Matthias has averaged 16:12 minutes per contest in March. He's taken advantage of the opportunity with 11 points in his last 15 contests. Matthias is only owned in 2% of Yahoo! leagues, but he's worth holding onto as long as the Panthers continue to give him top-six minutes.
Martin Havlat (RW – San Jose Sharks) – Havlat's more of a guy to take a chance on in deeper leagues. He hasn't consistently logged over 15 minutes per game, which makes him less desirable than most of the other players on this list and probably not worth the trouble in standard leagues. However, he's been economic with his playing time lately. He has a goal and five points in his last six contests and that hot streak might not have run its course yet. There's always a chance that this is the start of a bounce- back, too, given that the 31-year-old is not far removed from his better days.
Martin Erat (RW – Nashville Predators) – Erat has been nothing if not consistent throughout his career. Over his previous eight seasons, he has recorded between 49 and 57 points per campaign. That streak will end because of the lockout. At the time of writing, he'd have been on pace for 51 points if this had been an 82-game season. So in the long run his current pace looks maintainable, but odds are if you're picking him up, it'll be in the hopes of short-term gains. The Predators' offense has woken up recently and Erat has been a big part of that, with a goal and eight points in his last four contests.
Tyler Johnson (C – Tampa Bay Lightning) – Johnson went undrafted, but he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning because he was tearing up the competition in the WHL. He then proceeded to score 31 goals and 68 points in 75 AHL contests in 2011-12 as a rookie. After averaging roughly a point per game in the AHL this season, the Lightning have called him up and so far he has three goals and six points in nine NHL contests. He's a gamble, as all rookies are, but given his offensive upside, he's a great player to take a chance on in standard leagues.
Jakob Silfverberg (RW – Ottawa Senators) – Silfverberg had just one point in January, but he was also averaging 14:33 minutes per game at the time. His responsibilities with the Senators have gradually grown and so has his output. Silfverberg has five goals and eight point in his last 10 contests. Rookies tend to be more prone to hot and cold streaks than your average player, but as long as he's performing, he's worth taking a chance on.


text:
We will begin this week's Saturday Dose with some player news and outlooks, before transitioning to an extended look at the ideas of statistical parity and scarcity. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of everything that happened on Friday, let alone the past week. My goal is to provide a broader context for specific events, and a deeper understanding of recent trends. Now, on with the show.
1. Mike Brown's ouster was shockingly swift, but hardly surprising given his faulty grasp of offense in the NBA (including but not limited to his insistence on staying with a quasi-Princeton offense which didn't play to his team's strengths and simply wasn't working). I won't spend too much time opining about his replacement, since we don't know who it will be. I will say that regardless of who is hired (there's a growing sense that Phil Jackson is the guy, but Mike D'Antoni and Brian Shaw have also been mentioned) the Lakers will score more than their current average of 97.2 points per game -- a reasonable number for most teams, but not for a team as stacked as L.A. In general terms, the change should improve the fantasy prospects for each of the Lakers' primary options.
2. Dwyane Wade was ruled out on Friday with an illness, but the odds seem good that he'll play on both Sunday and Monday. As usual, check Rotoworld's player news for up-to-the-minute updates.
3. Gerald Henderson (sprained foot) did some light shooting before Friday's game and could return toward the early side of his 2-4 week timetable. He's playing for a contract and was personally challenged by Michael Jordan last week, so I'm interested in seeing how he responds over the next month. From a fantasy perspective, however, I tend to avoid him -- he doesn't do enough in any category to stand out in head-to-head leagues, and his lack of 3-pointers and generally mediocre numbers make him a forgettable roto option. In his absence Ramon Sessions and Ben Gordon have traded off big games off the bench, while Jeff Taylor has been forgettable in a starting role. I'm not comfortable starting either Sessions or Gordon, especially with Henderson's return visible on the horizon.
Follow me on Twitter: @Knaus_RW
4. For everyone who's wondered whether the Pacers could improve by trading Danny Granger and unleashing Paul George, you have your answer: through five games without Granger, the Pacers are 25th in the league in points per game (91.0) and 26th in FG percentage. They have a 2-3 record, including Wednesday's meltdown in Atlanta, in which they blew a huge lead by being outscored by 13 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes.
Granger can score in isolation or transition, and he's a decent passer, but just as importantly he spaces the court with volume 3-point shooting. His numbers from downtown the past two seasons are nearly identical -- 2.0 makes on 38% shooting. Leandro Barbosa and Darren Collison, both departed, were equally adept at penetrating defenses and shooting from the perimeter, and Indiana's addition of D.J. Augustin and Gerald Green has thus far been a failed remedy -- Augustin is shooting 23.8 percent from the field, and Green is at 39.5 percent.
It adds up to a stagnant and one-dimensional offense that favors jump shots and allows defenses to collapse on Roy Hibbert, effectively taking him out of many games (Hibbert is averaging 8.8 points). Modest improvement can be expected as Frank Vogel tweaks the gameplan and players comfortable with new roles, but there's no dramatic 'fix' for the Pacers offense. Hibbert already struggles with inconsistency, and I'd try to trade him once he inevitably goes off for 25 & 15. Gerald Green is in a shooting funk and simply isn't getting enough minutes, and I've already cut him for guys like Nikola Vucevic, Alonzo Gee and Carl Landry, who all have strong season-long outlooks. Deep league owners should also keep an eye on Lance Stephenson. He has quickly jumped ahead of G. Green and D.J. Augustin in the rotation, and he's knocking down 1.0 threes per game on 44.4 percent shooting.
5. In his first three games with the Wizards, Trevor Ariza had a combined 11 points on 22 percent shooting, six rebounds, six assists and six steals. He looked better on Friday (15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block) but I'm going to watch him for a few more games before deciding that he's back on track. The Wizards are obviously not going to win anything this season, so I don't expect them to increase the workload for veteran Ariza as the losses inevitably pile up.
6. Mo Williams aggravated his groin injury, and this is a real concern since he's been fighting this for a long time. His status going forward is uncertain, so check RW news for updates.
7. Steve Nash (leg) has been ruled out for at least another week. I'm not at all surprised, and the Lakers are wise to play it safe with the former league MVP.
8. Glen Davis is shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from the FT line, and unfortunately I don't expect vast improvement as the season progresses. Davis is a career 70 percent FT shooter, so he'll creep toward that number, but the guy simply lacks the height and/or explosiveness to be an efficient go-to post option. Seriously, who in the league gets their shots blocked more often than Davis? I'm sure I could dredge up an answer to that, but suffice to say Big Baby gets swatted more often than flies on a dairy farm.
9. Anthony Davis returned from his concussion in style, racking up 23 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, five blocks and just one turnover in 37 minutes (the Hornets won, improving to 3-2) . His blocks are highlight-worthy and his offense is more refined than I expected -- I'm typically leery of rookies in fantasy leagues, but I'm sold on Unibrow for season-long value.
10. I received the following question from loyal Rotoworld reader Benjamin Braun: "[Deron Williams'] points and shooting are all well down. Looks to be settling for a lot more jumpers, not driving to the basket like he used to. Is his ankle holding him back? The eyeball test corroborates. Your thoughts?"
The first quarter of Friday's game provides an instructive example of a few basic themes. Less than three minutes into the game, D-Will scores on a beautiful spinning layup between two defenders, making a personal fast break out of what for most PGs would have been a set-up-the-offense moment. On the next possession, he makes two innocuous passes around the perimeter. Then he makes one innocuous pass before Joe Johnson launches a 3-pointer. Another by rote pass to Johnson, who throws away an entry pass to Brook Lopez. The next two possessions are a concentrated effort to have Johnson handle the ball while D-Will posts up a smaller defender, but poor spacing and a deflection scuttle those plans. He dumps the ball into Brook Lopez on the post for each of the next two possessions. Then he makes a half-hearted attempt to post up E'Twaun Moore, only to dump it into Lopez. Then he finds Lopez at the top of the key for a jumper. And finally, he pulls off the amazing stunt of traveling while shooting a 3-pointer. This leads to a merciful timeout.
I am concerned about D-Will's ankle after the All-Star break, but until then I'm watching how the Nets offense comes together with Johnson frequently initiating the offense and Brook Lopez re-emerging as a focal point after his lost 2011-12 campaign. D-Will is too good and too smart to struggle for long, but I'm no longer expecting first-round value.
11. A.J. Price looks like a decent pickup for the next few weeks, especially if you own John Wall. Price's overall value is depressed by his 30.6 percent shooting, which sadly isn't far off his career mark of 37.2 percent. However, he's drained 2.3 three-pointers per game so far, with 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. It's not easy to find a quality source of assists on the waiver wire, which in my mind gives him an edge over similarly-valued FAs. (Update: I wrote that during Friday's game, at the end of which he had racked up 12 points, one 3-pointer, six rebounds, nine assists and three turnovers. He shot 4-of-12 and didn't steal the ball, but he logged 36 minutes and I'm just as convinced of his short-term value.)
12. Ersan Ilyasova continues to be one of the biggest busts of the early season, shooting 31 percent and averaging 24 minutes per game. His owners have no real choice but to wait until his shot starts falling or his minutes increase, as either one should result in the other. Until that happens, you'd be forced to trade him for Elton Brand and chewing gum.
13. Kyle Singler has reportedly taken over the Pistons' sixth-man role, which doesn't surprise me very much. I've watched a few Pistons games, and when I wasn't wincing or shielding my eyes to prevent a Raiders of the Lost Ark moment, I was impressed with Singler's solid play and basketball IQ (which stands out even more thanks to his teammates ineptitude, but let's not hold that against him). Through five games, the rookie SF is averaging 9.4 points on 55 percent shooting, 1.0 threes, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in just 22 minutes per game. The return of Corey Maggette could be a buzzkill, and I wouldn't pick up Singler just yet, but his scoring, perimeter shooting and potential for blocks have him squarely on my radar. I just found, to my surprise, that despite the low playing time Singler is already ranked No. 143 in nine-cat leagues (considerably lower in eight-cat, of course).
14. Emeka Okafor had his best game of the season with 11 points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks vs. the Bucks, but I view this as nothing more than a brief window to trade him. Kevin Seraphin is the obvious future of the Wizards' frontcourt, despite Friday's two-point, two-rebound dud. Even the Celtics resorted to immediately double-teaming him during Wednesday's game (resulting in six TOs for Seraphin, who needs to work on his recognition and passing). Nene will eventually return from his plantar fasciitis and there's simply no upside for Okafor in fantasy leagues this year, unless you're scraping the bottom of the barrel for a cheap source of blocks.
Speaking of Seraphin, I am not reading anything into his lousy night, a result of his scant 13 minutes off the bench. For one thing, Seraphin had scored double-digit points in 18 consecutive games prior to Friday's game, a streak stretching back to last season. I'll be surprised if he doesn't enter the starting lineup in the next few months, but even in a reserve role I view him as a must-own player in 12-team leagues.
15. Ryan Anderson came into Friday's game ranked No. 87 in nine-cat roto leagues, a far cry from his elite value with Orlando last season. He was shooting 37.5 percent through four games, but on Friday, even as Anthony Davis' return moved him to the bench, Anderson scored 25 points on 10-of-16 FGs with five 3-pointers, seven rebounds and two assists. He had zero steals or blocks, but that's typical. Let's hope this is the beginning of a hot streak for last year's leading 3-point shooter.
16. Hornets backup PG Brian Roberts notched 16 points and eight assists in 30 minutes. He is the only guy backing up Greivis Vasquez, and as a rookie he's an unknown commodity, but I can't imagine him having reliable value while Vasquez is healthy. During the preseason, he averaged 9.1 points on 38 percent shooting, with 1.1 threes, 2.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.5 TOs in 23 minutes.
17. Corey Brewer scored 20 points in 20 minutes off the Nuggets bench vs. the Jazz on Friday. The speedy swingman is a great fit in Denver, but shouldn't be owned in standard leagues unless his playing time increases. Elsewhere in Denver, Kenneth Faried has shook off his slow start and is on fire over the past four games, averaging 17.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 30 minutes per game. Nasty.
18. Now it's time for fun with numbers. Or, there will at least be numbers, but maybe not fun. Bear with me. If you isolate the top 150 nine-cat players in the very young 2012-13 season, the mean statistical line is 13.7 points on 49 percent FGs and 76 percent FTs, 1.0 threes, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.8 turnovers. The median line is 13.8 points on 47 percent FGs and 80 percent FTs, 0.8 threes, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.6 turnovers.
Multiplication reveals that those 150 players have cumulatively scored 2,055 points, for instance, while blocking 120 shots. Successful fantasy owners recognize the value of statistical balance and across-the-board contributions, but let's use Al-Farouq Aminu to gain a new perspective. I choose him largely because I've been perhaps unduly harsh on AFA in the past, on account of his inconsistency. This year he's averaging 12.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks. Very nice numbers. Making use of the mean statistical values above, we can scramble that line without changing Aminu's overall value. From a sheer fantasy-value standpoint, assuming all categories are weighted equally (which won't be the case depending upon your format/team/strategy), Mr. Aminu might as well be averaging 22.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks.
That line jumps off the page a lot more, does it not? It's based on these simple ratios, which will change as the cumulative averages change, but not by very much:
1 block = 17.1 points1 point = .06 blocks1 steal = 2.4 assists1 assist = 0.4 steals
Similarly, if you swap point values and block values, Larry Sanders might as well be averaging 51.3 points and 0.7 blocks. There are obvious caveats here, including the aforementioned need for statistical balance in fantasy leagues, and the fact that certain statistics are 'rarer', since they are concentrated in a smaller group of players. Lots of players can give you the 'statistical mean' 13.7 points per game, but fewer players can give you the mean 1.0 threes. The latter caveat, however, merely strengthens Sanders' fantasy outlook, since blocks are hard to find (see below).
To be exact, among the top-150 there are 52 players who are currently blocking 1.0 shots or more, but there are 76 players averaging 13.7 points or more. I'm getting carried away and this isn't a discussion for fantasy initiates, but here is a quick list showing how many of the top-150 players exceed the statistical mean in a given category -- the lower the number, the harder it is to find value-added players. (I could use last year's numbers for a much bigger sample size, but the lockout may have skewed a few things and these are more current. Besides, I've already started.) Another thing to note: the numbers for FGP and FTP shouldn't be taken as the Gospel, since they fail to account for the fundamentally important volume of shots attempted, which is even more crucial given the small number of games played this season.
Points (13.7) -- 76Field Goal Percentage (49.0) -- 66Free Throw Percentage (76.0) -- 893-pointers (1.0) -- 74Rebounds (5.6) -- 70Assists (2.9) -- 61Steals (1.2) -- 68Blocks (0.8) -- 52Turnovers (*below 1.8) -- 90
I will probably return to these numbers and other related ideas in future columns, so let me know if this is helpful or sleep-inducing, or both. The end.


text:
From Construction to Collaborative TrainingQ&A with Chris Dorsi
What do you call a former construction worker that knows how to dance the tango? Chris Dorsi. Okay, so maybe it's not the best punch line, but it is certainly interesting. And that's not the only thing we learned about Dorsi when we finally caught up with him.
Currently gearing up for regional conferences to be hosted by his newly founded company Habitat X in Portland and San Francisco, Dorsi is focused on combining professional training with good old-fashioned fun. Read on to learn more about how Dorsi got involved in home performance (38 years ago) and what he's up to now.
Home Energy: How did you get into home performance?
Chris Dorsi: I entered the home performance industry accidentally in 1974. I had founded a construction company that designed and built custom homes in the foothills of California, and one of our early clients was an engineer who was interested in energy conservation. Building an efficient house sounded like a funny idea to us at the time—this was before the Arab oil embargoes—but since he was willing to fund our head-scratching and template-building, we forged on ahead to design, build, and commission a reasonably efficient 3,000 ft2 home. It was the first of many high-performance homes that our firm was involved with.
Twenty-five years later, working then as a construction consultant, I was called in to tune-up this very same house. It was in pretty good shape, except for—you guessed it—some moisture problems in the crawl space, and 25 recessed light fixtures that poked up into the attic. We installed a proper cross-linked ground moisture barrier on the bare soil in the crawl space and eliminated those ridiculous recessed fixtures.
I later moved on to write some books, do some training, develop curriculum, and build knowledge management systems as a principal of Saturn Resource Management. It was at this stage that I captured and recorded a lot of what my colleagues and I had learned in the construction business. And to this day I've intentionally maintained that direct connection to industry, because I've seen that the real work of home performance does not begin until properly trained men and women pull up in front of a house, with a truck full of tools, and are ready to go to work.
HE: You recently started a new business venture, Habitat X. Tell me a bit more what does the company does and why were you inspired to start it?
CD: I founded Habitat X in 2012 to develop a meeting platform for learning and collaboration among professionals in the housing industry. Our core service is the Habitat X Conferences, which include both regional events that are held in conjunction with local sponsors, and an annual national conference that's held in our hometown of Helena, Montana.
I founded Habitat X to bridge the gap between raw knowledge, which we all seem have in plentiful supply, and actual useful learning, which I've seen is sometimes rare. Most people in this day and age have access to plenty of information by way of the Internet and other sources, yet many of us find it increasingly difficult to sort through this flood of information, and to place it in a meaningful professional or personal context. One of our core missions at Habitat X is to provide a place where forward-looking professionals can sort, consider, and capture that information as a group.
I recently attended a session at a respected conference where a knowledgeable presenter spent 90 minutes telling a group of 50 hopeful people what he had learned about a specific technical procedure. Two attendees were at laptops in the back of the room fact-checking everything he said, and relaying the results of their flash research in Post-It notes and whispered tones to a small group of people who had gathered around them. They were doing a fabulous research project in real-time, and were offering a valuable community service in doing so. The presenter had his facts correct about 90% of the time, not bad for a technical topic, but what was of real interest to me was the lively discussion among the back-of-the-room group. During the session, they took the presenter's topic to a more industry-relevant discussion than did the presenter himself. When the presenter was ready for the sanctioned questions at the end of the session, few people chimed in, including those in the back who had already integrated his research and moved on. The back-of-the-room group later moved their discussion out to the hallway where it took on a life of its own.
At the Habitat X Conferences, we try to integrate all these types of discussions in a productive and inclusive way—no one is left out if they have something important to contribute. As facilitators, we have an important role in maintaining control over the discussion, but since we know that some of the best expertise is often embedded among the attendees, we work hard to tap into and leverage that knowledge to the benefit of everyone. Attending a Habitat X Conference is not a spectator sport. People come to learn, both from the presenters and other attendees, and to build permanent collaborative relationships with anyone in the room they choose.
HE: What does Habitat X specifically do differently than other conferences or training organizations?
CD: Much of the educational magic we create at the Habitat X Conferences is a function of scale. At our events, every single person can choose to meet and learn about anyone else. Everyone gets to participate in fine-tuning the agenda. And anyone who wants to stand and speak to the assembly of attendees can do so. This creates a powerful collaboration and connection among attendees that is hard to duplicate at either traditional conferences or at standard technical training sessions.
We also take ample advantage of technology at our events, focusing on digital tools that act as real accelerators of learning or workplace production. But we pick and choose our tools carefully, since we've noticed that technology is often used just for the sake of showmanship. Then we integrate these tools throughout the conference, rather than present them as isolated doo-dads in a single session, so attendees get to see and touch all the techno-toys. This show-and-tell works best in small groups.
But we also recognize the great value of well-run large conferences. When you have a few thousand people in attendance at a conference, there is depth of expertise and a level of energy that is hard to replicate at a small event. I will be forever indebted, for example, to the Affordable Comfort (ACI) conference for facilitating the growth of the entire home performance industry, and for giving a voice to stakeholders who would not have otherwise been a part of the industry dialogue. And in the future? I won't ever miss an ACI conference.
HE: What do you think is the most important move for the home performance industry going forward?
CD: The home performance industry is already deep into a period of transition that I suspect will take an entire generation to shake out. We've learned a lot about construction, energy-efficiency, and even physics in the last 20 years, and we now have the methods and materials to build and maintain safe, efficient, comfortable, and long-lived homes. Whether we can overcome the barriers of markets, politics, and personal habits to do so is yet to be seen. We now need a shift in attitude among ourselves, our customers, and our policy-makers, if we want to truly get to work and improve our housing stock.
In the home performance industry this shift will require a recognition that no one outside the industry really cares about the technologies that we in the industry have invented and love. You can be assured that when electricians swept across North America selling the benefits of home electrical wiring during the 1920s and 30s that they didn't lecture homeowners on the beauty of Ohm's Law and other principles of home electrical wiring! Yet that is what many sales people in the home performance industry do when they elaborate to homeowners on the value of, for example, pressure diagnostics. The truth is that most people will only buy a few things in this life: comfort, security, and social status among them. If you bundle these personal values into home performance, and market the whole package to people who can afford it, you'll have a home performance industry.
HE: What would our readers be surprised to know about you?
CD: Readers of Home Energy may be surprised to learn that I've guided myself down most of the major rivers in the West, spending as many days as possible each summer at either the helm of an oar-powered raft, or in the seat of a solo canoe. I've climbed Chimborazo in Ecuador, which at more than 20,000 feet in elevation is the tallest mountain on Earth (if you measure the height of mountains as their radius from the center of the planet). And I'm an accomplished dancer of Argentine tango.
Enter your comments in the box below:
(Please note that all blog entries and comments are subject to review prior to posting.)
<< Back to blogs
While we will do our best to monitor all comments and blog posts for accuracy and relevancy, Home Energy is not responsible for content posted by our readers or third parties. Home Energy reserves the right to edit or remove comments or blog posts that do not meet our community guidelines.


text:
...and to say I'm mad as can be is an understatement. It is NOT the color I requested, I wanted a bright red, what I have is a blue-ish magenta. The barrels look like they were painted by monkeys or a third-grader with finger paints.
I've been struggling for over 3 hours to clean out the paint that oversprayed inside all componants; barrels, Z-grip, body tube, twist lock tube, power feed. There is trapped dirt speckled all over and some parts of the frame are just barely covered.
Nothing was prepared like his web-site states, the AGD logo is still on the frame, but now covered in orange-peel. It wouldn't be there had the frame been bead=blasted as advertised.
The only parts that look good, despite the wrong color, are the ASA and the DF that I bead-blasted before I sent them.
I can no longer support Mr. McBain, nor his enterprise, and will recommend others to find alternate painting companies.
PS: This whole saga began on May 12th of this year. The first mailing was insured for too much and customs wanted big $ from Eric before he could recieve my package. He sent it back and I recieved it on May 28th. I re-mailed it the same day with much less insurance and Eric was able to have it delivered to his address. From this point on, I was informed by Email only once in over two months, on the progress of my gun. I Emailed him many times to inquire about it and only once was Email sent back to tell me he found a flaw and would have it sent out by the weekend; this was the 3rd of July. Yesterday, I Emailed again to ask where the heck my gun was. No response. Today, the nice mail lady said there is a package at the PO I need to pick up.
A total of over three months, $34 in shipping, $65 for the work (I added an extra $15 over his quote for extra attention to detail), only to get a piss-poor job of the wrong color.
[This message has been edited by Army (edited 08-14-2001).]


text:
Houma's motorcycle lovers are dusting off their jackets and polishing up their bikes as the city prepares to host the state's largest Harley-Davidson rally next year.
Houma's motorcycle lovers are dusting off their jackets and polishing up their bikes as the city prepares to host the state's largest Harley-Davidson rally next year.
Two thousand or more Harley riders could flock to Houma on April 4-6 for the 2013 Louisiana HOG rally.
The rally's website with schedules, hotel offerings, registration and other information is online at lastatehogrally.com. Participants can pre-register now through Feb. 14.
"It's been a huge effort for us, because we're going to have people from all over the country," Champagne said. "I know we've got people from California and Washington, and I think last year we had some people from British Columbia."
Organizers say Houma's bayou roads and swampy scenery are a perfect place to put some wind in riders' hair.
"The wetlands and the trees and the swamps are something our riders are really going to enjoy," said James Champagne, who is coordinating the event.
It's the second time the state HOG rally has come to Houma. About 2,000 bikers from across the country attended the last one in 2007, packing Houma-Thibodaux area hotels and filling the streets with motorcycles throughout the weekend.
To participate, you must be a member of the Harley Owner's Group by the start of the rally. Members can sponsor one guest each.
Registration for both HOG and the rally are available on the website. The rally costs $35 for those who register beforehand and $40 for those who register on site.
Champagne encouraged riders to register early. The more people he gets signed up in advance, the bigger a party he can afford to throw.
Based out of the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, the event will feature guided rides to Grand Isle and through nearby wetlands. There will an early bird party at Mike Bruno's Bayou Country Harley-Davidson and a biker's scavenger hunt throughout Houma.
Concert organizers are also encouraging riders to visit Downtown Live After Five, an open-air concert happening on April 14th.
The rally closes on Friday with a decidedly south Louisiana finale — a Mardi Gras Biker Parade.
"You're going to have hundreds of motorcycles all in one huge parade," said Houma HOG Chapter Director Glynn Prosperie. "It's going to sound like a thunderstorm coming up the bayou."
Local businesses are hoping the festival will rev up commerce for a few days as bikers swarm Houma. The event's website includes a section listing local hotels, and the guided routes are designed to bring riders past local restaurants and tourist attractions.
"We're really going to try direct people to restaurants that show off that special food we cook down here," Prosperie said. "It's all about showing off the flavor."
Champagne said people should watch the roads during that time for motorcyclists. But they probably don't need to watch their backs.
"We're not the kind of Harley-Davidson riders from the old days," he joked. "We're a bunch of everyday people who just really enjoy the thrill of being on a bike."
Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at email@example.com.


text:
To the editor:
Once again, St. Valentine was right on time. Our business, Kayak Cedar Keys, has awakened from a long winter nap. Business is good, particularly on the weekends. It is great to see so many of our winter guests back with us, as well as first time visitors to Cedar Key.
I am particularly happy to see so many folks out on the water paddling and enjoying our winter birds, dolphin and magnificent sunsets.
I am encouraged by the new leadership at our Chamber of Commerce.
Eric Jungklaus, owner of Tony's Seafood, will be a strong leader as our new president. Eric has built a solid business, as has Bruce Wilson, owner of Cedar Key Sunset Isle and RV Park. Bruce was voted in Monday night, as a director for the Chamber of Commerce. Both of these men know on a day-to-day basis how difficult it is to move their businesses forward in these challenging times. I strongly support our new Board of Directors.
Cedar Key is the heart and soul of the Florida Nature Coast. Our island community is a strong and resilient town. We have seen hard times before! Cedar Key keeps reinventing itself, getting better with each new challenge.
Tom Liebert
Kayak Cedar Keys
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
If your taste for lady egg exposure lies closer to Victorian rather than Elizabethan standards, this message is for you. Perhaps the skin two handbreadths from the base of your neck morally reddens with bashful manifestation or perhaps you care not to reveal the previously smooth valley which age has begun to furrow.
As an admitted bashful bosom, you are no doubt skilled in the application of the neckline rising power of a camisole. But why not try a solution that includes built-in propriety?
Shabby Apple is a modest Camelot, home of treasures like the 90 Words Per Minute Secretary Dress. Let us admire each facet of this gem.
1. Neckline. Tying the neckline around the literal neck, keeps the entire bust and all that leads up to it divinely sequestered.
2. Sizing. While this frock is labeled "generously sized," I found the size smaller I ordered to be just a bit snug. I believe the draping would be more flattering if ordered in the traditional size.
3. Seasonality: This light-weight jersey is the perfect weight for a spring or summer day-dress. If you want to transition this piece into fall and winter, I recommend pairing it with a pair of embellished stockings and a sweater vest or core-warming cardigan. And let that playful little neck-tie peak out. With its ability to layer or stand-alone, the 90-Words Per Minute Secretary Dress could quickly become an all-season favorite.
4. Elementals. The rouching on the sides helps the dress to drape smoothly over shapely hips, however, given the overly cozy size I selected, it created a few unsightly lines across my generous bottom. Pick the right size, and this will not happen to you.
Does your closet need one of these too?
Then, click on over to Shabby Apple's Blog and find a promotional code cloaked like your sweater puppies, and redeemable on any Shabby Apple dress (see some of my high-necked favorites below).
Or you can enter up to two times for a chance to win your own Shabby Apple 90 Words Per Minute Dress.
Way to Win 1: Visit Shabby Apple's Blog, become a follower, and leave a confirming comment on their blogpost with the hidden promotional code.
Way to Win 2: Visit the Shabby Apple Store, and leave a comment on this Cardigan Empire post detailing your favorite dress, and why you think it would suit your body type.
The winner of Shy Décolletage Bosom Friend will be selected on Friday, October 9th. The winner gets to select a 90 Words Per Minute dress in her size of choice.


text:
Dear Editor:
As of January 29th, 2010 children with diabetes have been allowed by NJ law to self-manage their diabetes in public schools.
NJ law N.J.S.A. 18A:40-12.11-21 allows a parent to provide written authorization to the school nurse requesting that their diabetic child be allowed to self-manage on school grounds. The law states "C.18A:40-12.13 Development of health care plans for students with diabetes:
The parent or guardian of a student with diabetes who seeks diabetes care while at school shall inform the school nurse who shall develop an individualized health care plan and an individualized emergency health care plan for the student provided that the parents or guardians of the student annually provide to the board of education written authorization for the provision of diabetes care as may be outlined in the individualized plans including authorization for the emergency administration of glucagon and, if requested by the student's parents or guardians pursuant to section 5 of this act, authorization for the student's self-management and care of his diabetes; and if a request is made by a student's parent or guardian pursuant to section 5 of this act, the student's physician or advanced practice nurse provides written certification to the board of education that the student is capable of, and has been instructed in, the management and care of his diabetes."
The problem is that the law does not specify how long a school board has to approve the child to go ahead and start self-managing. A school board may take 3 weeks or 8 months to finally allow the child to self-manage. Of course, a reasonable and prudent school board would complete the authorization as quickly as administratively possible. Once all the proper medical and parental authorizations have been provided to them by the school nurse.
I recently wrote to Senator Nicholas J. Sacco through the legislative web site. I asked him if it was possible for him to insert language into this law that would require school boards to have an approval within 6 weeks of receiving all proper authorizations.
I am eagerly awaiting his response.
Parents may log on to diabetes.org, or the NJ Department of Education web site for more information on this law.
Jose A. Chinea
North Bergen