text:
Sunday, September 16, 2007
ABC Uses A Calm Race To Get Back On Track
Nothing works better to get a sports TV crew back on track than a nice orderly event. It could be a baseball game, a tennis match, or in this case...a NASCAR race.
The ESPN production crew that produces the races on ABC deserved a break, and they got one. A beautiful day in New Hampshire let everyone calm down and focus on providing a low-key and solid race telecast.
The only real excitement came in the pre-race show, called NASCAR Countdown. Brad Daugherty has walked a fine line this season. Sometimes, he is called "the voice of the fans" and is promoted as the common man. On other days, and on other ESPN shows, he is referred to as an "expert analyst."
On this Sunday, Daugherty was placed alongside both Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett in the beautiful ESPN Infield Studio. In talking about The Chase, Daugherty put forth his views as though he was an expert. Wallace and Jarrett ate him for lunch. Its rare to see this type of emotion from these two, and it was certainly interesting to see it on-the-air live.
This Infield Studio dynamic was made a bit stranger by Brent Musburger posed like an emperor behind a podium all alone on a hill. Musburger was relaxed this time, and did not hype the race as he did earlier in the season. Once the race began, Musburger was rarely seen again. The ESPN production team did a good job to balance his presence with the action on the track.
The pre-race show continued with the pit reporters towing the load and previewing both the race and The Chase. This group has been important to the ESPN and ABC telecasts since both Suzy Kolber and Brad Daugherty are limited in the racing experience they bring to the table. It is still a bit weird to see Kolber walk out to the starting grid for a final "feature" interview, while Daugherty sits all alone in the dark.
It was a strange time for a Jeff Gordon feature, but his 500th race brought a fun and interesting piece. It finally gave new fans a perspective on who Jeff was when he broke into the sport, and how far he has come. Once again, Shannon Spake flew under the radar, and simply asked the questions viewers want to know. She has a good working relationship with NASCAR's elite, and it shows on-the-air.
Once underway, the single file racing of Loudon was exactly what ABC needed. As the race began to become a semi-orderly parade, the network used the toys available to them in a conservative manner. The Tech Center, the side-by-side video effects, and even the FedEx race recap worked well all race long.
ESPN's graphic package looked great once again in this race, although the sound effects when graphics are inserted should be reserved for the studio. The fact that ABC does not continually keep a lower third sports ticker on the screen is a blessing. The backgrounds for the Tech Center and race recaps are fantastic.
There is no way to get around the ESPN cross-promotion or the SportsCenter Minute. At least ESPN limited the promos in-race and the SportsCenter cut-ins very well for the most part. Musburger could not help but use his college football references several times, but he should be reminded he is talking to the wrong bunch.
In "stripping down" the amount of replay material that surrounds the commercials, the ESPN crew finally solved their big problem of missed restarts. They used the pit stops and the on-track action to place the commercial load in the right spots, and what a difference it made in this telecast.
An added bonus for viewers was the continued presence of Dale Jarrett. Staying in the Infield Studio and actively involved, Jarrett really added another element to the broadcast. Credit is due to the Producer for allowing Wallace and Jarrett to speak freely with each other throughout the race, where they often played off each other's comments and brought their years of experience to the action.
The best part of today's race was that someone got ESPN to put their Dale Earnhardt Jr. hysteria behind them. What a relief it was getting to watch a well-produced race without having a "Junior update" every couple of laps. Even when he spun, the announcers handled it as they would any other car, and that was a great sign for the remainder of the season.
One awkward note was the Victory Lane interview by Jamie Little. She has been working very hard to transition from the IndyCar series to NASCAR, but has no place in Victory Lane asking questions whispered in her ear. There are several more experienced reporters on pit road, and they would have asked deeper questions involving Bowyer. Not yet knowing all the players has been her drawback in these type of spontaneous situations, and it showed again in New Hampshire.
On the positive side, the network stayed on-the-air and worked hard to fill over thirty minutes with interviews of the participants. As the time wore on, the reporters had to follow the exiting drivers all the way to the helipad as they left the speedway.
This might be somewhat ironic to veteran ESPN viewers, who remember the days when ESPN was locked out of the tracks. For many years, the lone figure of Mike Massaro would stand next to the helicopters trying to get interviews before the drivers flew back to Charlotte. Now, the company has come full-circle, as the ESPN crew produces the ABC telecasts nationwide and holds the exclusive TV rights to The Chase.
With the very tough grind of Dover looming as one of the most challenging tracks for TV coverage, this nice and orderly event in New Hampshire was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Next week the network will battle bad camera angles, a huge bridge over the track, and lots of accidents that happen so fast, its hard to even find the cars involved. Hopefully, they can capitalize on this positive telecast and continue to keep TV momentum on their side.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below, or email email@example.com if you wish not to be published. Thanks again for taking the time to stop-by and leave your opinion.
41 comments:
- jfs-va said...
Calm describes it well. As for Brent Musberger, why why why? I assume he's inserted for the authority and gravitas and legitimacy he supposedly provides, but honestly, he's such a fish out of water at a NASCAR race. And as he has aged, so has his voice. It just doesn't have the "you are looking live..." presence anymore.
There were some flubs. I think Jamie said something about Tony late in the race and mentioned that he hadn't led any laps. At another point in the race Dr. Jerry mentioned Jimmie making his way to the front when in fact he was recently passed by a few cars. In a battle between Tony and Jeff they confused who had been in the lead spot and who was passing. I think Rusty called the start of the race the restart. But anyway, I forgive them. :D
- September 16, 2007 at 7:14 PM
- darbar said...
This was a downright boring race, and just what ESPN/ABC needed. But, since when did Kyle Busch switch cars and start driving the 45 car? Even my sister, who's not a Nascar fan, caught that mistake when Rusty said that Kyle Busch, in the 45, scrapped another car. Hey, Rusty, it's Kyle Petty in the 45 car. Mistakes like this, especially for a man who was a driver for many years, should not happen. If you can't get the drivers right, time to leave the booth.
- September 16, 2007 at 7:16 PM
- SophiaZ123 said...
When I clicked over from RACEDAY, I told my room mate I would wait a few minutes to get the radio from the other room. Yes, we heard Rusty say RESTART for the beginning of the race.
Well, as my room mate put it "well, they did just finish racing last week, right?" :-)
I read about camera flubs on this blog, specifically the 41 car.
I got so involved with MRN and the pictures they painted in my head, I did not 'watch' the tv much and when in the recliner, kept my eyes close alot to just LISTEN and open up for any action on the track.
WHY DOES JAMIE LITTLE HAVE A JOB? She made myself and my roomie cringe at the VL questioning..then I heard Clint on MRN and things were much better.
Also, somebody better tell Jr this is his "VICTORY TOUR"?????????? When Jamie said THAT, I was embarrassed for Jr.
Good grief, Charlie Brown.
I am glad to read there were alleged improvements worth noting.
For SOME reason, this FM channel with MRN has to be carefully tuned in..you move the dial BARELY, it changes. I had it tuned in in one room, unplugged it and walked into another room, and a different station came on?? But still, I LOVE MY MRN.
Oh, and Harvick must have gotten 'what for' for his dissing ESPN a few weeks ago. He was nothing but a gentleman when interviewed on ESPN and I was STUNNED to see he was the in car driver duded today?? Don't know how much he spoke or anything.
- September 16, 2007 at 7:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
I agree that they have gone way overboard on Junior lately, but it would have been nice to have had a "through the field" as to what was happening to the other 31 cars that were in the race. The chase guys were well taken care of (I know, this is all about them) but if your driver isn't in the chase, then an update on his car would be appreciated, and yes I am a Junior fan. Thank you
- September 16, 2007 at 7:48 PM
- Anonymous said...
Just because I watch NASCAR does NOT mean I care about other sports. Stop interrupting the race with stale "updates" about unrelated events.
I noted the return of "I'll tell you what..."
And, no kidding, this is Junior's "Victory Tour"? Is he retiring? I noted that they also but forgot about him until they suddenly realized he'd worked his way up to the top 5.
- September 16, 2007 at 8:11 PM
- Anonymous said...
OK, it was a job pretty well done. I can overlook the little verbal gaffes by the announcing team, stuff happens in the excitement of the moment. I was surprised and impressed that ABC hung in there for driver interviews. Perhaps we are over the hump on the learning curve for the production team.(Maybe they read the Daly Planet:)
I still wonder what Musberger was doing there. I kinda feel sorry for the old guy. He just sounds lost. I'll bet that he'd rather be doing something else.
- September 16, 2007 at 8:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
Watching ABC while listening to MRN is fascinating, especially when ABC is busy shooting one car go 'round and 'round (like the 22) while all sorts of other things (we never see) are happening.
MRN tells you what's happening at the race. ABC shows you the "stories" they deem important.
And ABC has an annoying habit of taking another camera even when one is already on-air, showing you a critical move or wreck. It's as if the Director's not even wathcing what's on the air--he just forges ahead, calling the shot he's seeing in his Preview monitor, until he sees the mistake and goes back.
- September 16, 2007 at 8:21 PM
- stricklinfan82 said...
Good ESPN:
- The extended post-race show was excellent. Plenty of interviews from not only the Chase drivers but the other drivers like Newman and Mears.
- Dale Jarrett. He adds the best insights of all of the announcers. Selfishly speaking I'd like to see him retire as a driver and go into the broadcast booth full-time.
- Coverage of battle for 35th in owner's points. They did a good job of following stories like the 22-21 battle for 35th in owner's points and even showed Kyle Petty on camera for a reason other than crashing.
- No Dale Jr. overkill. Enough said.
Bad ESPN:
- Did I miss ESPN explaining why Brian Vickers lost so many laps?
- Brent Musburger AND Suzy Kolber. That is ridiculous overkill. How can it be worth 2 pennies for ESPN to pay Brent Musburger to fly overnight from Nebraska to be a useless host and add NOTHING to the broadcast.
- They missed a restart and would have probably missed more if there had been a lot of caution flags.
- Draft tracks at Loudon. I don't like seeing an imaginary color-coding of the air on any track but especially hate seeing it at a 1-mile flat oval.
- Stop with the damn Sportscenter Minutes and football and baseball promos. It is unacceptable to split screen the live race with a taped video package hyping a regular season baseball game on ESPN. And then to follow it up with a full-screen Google Earth view of the Patriots football stadium, then the Red Sox ballpark, and then NHIS during green flag racing was COMPLETELY UNCALLED FOR. Who knows how long the baseball and football hype would have continued if Harvick hadn't blown a tire and interrupted Musburger as he was about to further the baseball converstation. Can you imagine the outrage if ESPN split-screened John Miller voicing over a Yankees-Red Sox video package with a live Monday Night Football game DURING PLAY????????
SHOW US THE RACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Save the promo crap for caution flags, pre-race, and post-race.
Treat NASCAR like it matters for God's sake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- September 16, 2007 at 8:22 PM
- Steve L said...
John, I think the title "ABC Uses A Calm Race To Get Back On Track" should have been "ABC Uses A COT Race To Get Back On Track".
The reason it was a calm race was because of the COT. According to the drivers, these slow tanks are hard to drive, steer, brake, set up, etc., , and have been told to keep their opinions to themselves.
I do think ESPN/ABC has been reading your articles because a lot of our complaints in the past weeks have been somewhat addressed and some partial corrections have been made. The restarts were better this week, they are showing cars crossing the finish line and other small things were better. There's still much room for improvement but I think the season will run out before they get it right.
I did hear Rusty call Brent Brett but even more funny was Suzy calling him Brett while standing on pit road after her little interview.
It was nice to have DJ there today. He is so much better than Jerry Punch. Jerrys voice, after a couple hours, sounds like nails on the black board to me. Not only has Musbergers voice aged but so has Dr. Punch's.
Only nine weeks to go...
- September 16, 2007 at 8:40 PM
- Tripp said...
ABC's the place to go for mystery.
In a race that TV viewers might view as a yawn, ABC simply blew it. It was all about the "Chasers". The other 31 drivers might as well not have been there. Without a doubt the chase is the big story, but it's not the only one. Here's where the viewers were left in the dark.
No "through the field". Why was there no systematic update of the top 10 or 15? Ryan Newman, Casey Mears and Reed Sorenson had good runs. Why? The viewers never were told.
What happened to Brian Vickers? He was black flagged early in the race but no salient explanation was given nor was there any follow-up.
What happened to Kurt Busch? Bestwick was all over the number 12 pit but aside from that all the viewers got were stale animations from the tech center and ineffective conjecture from the booth.
What happened to Boris Said? He had a horrible day but he has a strong following and this was the first time he's run on an oval since his provisional pole was washed away.
What brought out the caution when Harvick's tire went down? ABC was in a break when it flew but all the viewers saw was Happy heading for the pits for some new shoes.
ABC needs to understand that NASCAR is racing, not just "Chase-ing". There are 43 stories in every race. While not every one is worth mentioning, they need to widen their view.
Where was the news from the pits? Bestwick was all over the Kurt Busch engine problems, but wasn't there anything interesting to talk about from the other 42 pits? Nothing?
The booth crew remains flat. The only life, and oddly enough, laughter emerged when Dale Jarrett was brought in to comment. And Rusty thinks that the only way a car can get loose is because of aero. Drivers apparently never drive in too hard and over-cook a corner.
Finally, the director needs to go back to school. Cutting away from the 41 right as it goes 90 degrees to the racing line is bush league. ABC/ESPN has been guilty of doing this all year. Switches need to be called by someone who actually watches the program monitor, not searching for the next shot.
Without alternative coverage sources like Sirius, Internet or Hot Pass, NASCAR fans will be left in the dark with coverage like this.
- September 16, 2007 at 9:07 PM
- SophiaZ123 said...
OH@ I forgot about seeing the split screen of Yankee stadium or whatever it was DURING THE RACE...I turn MRN down and the tv volume on...I thought something HORRIBLE had happened but it was a stinking BASEBALL PROMO?!?!
And, sorry, I DO NOT CARE about other sports when watching racing and as stricklinfan said, I HARDLY think they interrupt ball and stick sports for such nonsense.
Gee, the odd thing about MRN is it's about THE RACE ALL THE TIME, the guys have a sense of humor without sounding like they are trying to be stand up comedians, AND they have enthusiasm.
And no, I do not work for MRN nor do I know anybody who does, LOL.
Maybe only 9 weeks to go....
Then 7 more YEARS of this ESPN nonsense.*big sigh*
- September 16, 2007 at 9:07 PM
- Anonymous said...
Very interested to know why Musberger's college football comments are going to the "wrong crowd." NASCAR is mostly a southeast sport, the college football fans are some of the most passionate fans of any sport. Clearly many of these fans like NASCAR and vice-versa.
The Sportscenter minute works. I don't like a lot of the things ESPN does. But my NFL team doesn't play until tomorrow night. So if I can get NFL updates on games I'm not crazy about watching, while getting baseball scores, all while watching the NASCAR race, then I'm happy. I don't miss any of the race, and I get my scores WITHOUT the ESPN bottom line. If given the option, I'll take the minute over an entire race of a the scroll on the bottom.
- September 16, 2007 at 9:20 PM
- Anonymous said...
If given the option, I'll take the minute over an entire race of a the scroll on the bottom.
I have a better option:
Neither one.
ABC doesn't interrupt regular prime time shows with this crap. Why do they do it with NASCAR?
And I'd bet they didn't do a two-box with racing highlights during whatever other sports they were showing on ESPN.
- September 16, 2007 at 9:36 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
My comment about college football is because NASCAR is NOT primarily a southern sport, and has not been for many years.
Musburger knows nothing about NASCAR, and he must talk about what else he is doing right now, which is college football.
I am also a big college football fan, so it has nothing to do with the sport. No one on ESPN would be doing the BoSox vs. Yankees game and make a comment that it has all the atmosphere of a Clemson home game.
The SportsCenter minute used to be thirty seconds. It is only there because it got sponsored. Otherwise, we could see the ticker and then they would take it away like they did earlier this season.
It should be used during caution flags after the commercial has run, not inserted into action regardless of what is happening on the track. This is new, and is still being figured out. I am told it is going to be a company wide thing in all live events. We will see how long it lasts...check your watch.
- September 16, 2007 at 9:45 PM
- Anonymous said...
The bottom line IMO is the announcers.
There Are Too Many Of Them!
Some have no knowledge of the history of the sport, no knowledge of the drivers, crews, the cars, the tracks, etc., etc.
They had no chemistry when they began, and haven't developed any as the weeks go by.
They aren't a Team.
It is uncomfortable to watch them because they don't appear to like one another. It feels like there is an undercurrent among them.
Most of them come across as arrogant, condesending, patronizing.
They just aren't likeable either individually or as a group.
I think some of the issues fans are complaining about would be more easily tolerated if the announcers were genuine, a team and loved racing as much as the fans do.
- September 16, 2007 at 9:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
Eh, I disagree. NASCAR is primarily a Southeastern sport. I saw a feature on why Jeff Gordon has so many fans who dislike him earlier this year and two of the most common answers were "He's from California," and "He looks like an open wheel racer." So I think while it has garnered worldwide popularity, the most concentrated group of fans is in the southeast.
Again, I like the minute. During green flag racing, not so much. ESPN does the Sportscenter minute during all events, so it's not just NASCAR. Acutally, they do in studio wrap-arounds during every sport. If anything, the stuff they do during NASCAR is least offensive.
Musberger is referring to it being like a college game because that's how he relates to the atmosphere, which is another reason why he shouldn't be there. Bottom line is, if he's there in limited capacity, I'll deal with it. I actually wouldn't think it was the worst thing in the world if he were there at the start, and at the end to say goodbye. It'd be pointless, but that's about how much I could stand. Someone asked how it's financially worth while to fly him from his college game to wherever the race is. Reason is, he's contracted to do a specific number of events. It's cheaper for them to send him, than to contract someone else for a lot more money. So their gain is our loss.
- September 16, 2007 at 10:23 PM
- Anonymous said...
Some of you need to get out of your NASCAR bubble. ESPN is producing the races pretty much the same way as they produce everything else - it's hard to believe one of the letters in ESPN doesn't stand for cross-promotion. It's a pain, but it's not directed at NASCAR nor does it represent some sign of disrespect. It's how they do business.
Me, I like seeing some "non-NASCAR" drivers and ads. It's good for the sport.
On the other hand, Rusty's lap 1 "restart" was the laugh of the day, cutting away from the 41 just as he started to spin was unforgivable, and I would have liked to know what happened to Vickers as well as why Schrader was trying to knock the back end off Ward Burton's car.
- September 16, 2007 at 11:32 PM
- Anonymous said...
Um, non-NASCAR talking heads. Although we're getting plenty of non-NASCAR drivers lately too
- September 16, 2007 at 11:33 PM
- darbar said...
Ah, the reason they interviewed the drivers after the race was because of ONE reason only---not too many yellows and they had a lot of time left from their scheduled alloted time. You can bet the farm if this race had a lot of cautions, and the race ran overtime, you might have seen the winner interviewed, but no one else.
Jamie Little is pathetic. As a woman, I'm all for equality, but I absolutely hate it when they shove a woman in front of a camera just because of her gender. I'd rather see a knowledgeable man anytime rather than any incompetent woman. A pretty face doesn't forgive a lack of knowledge in the field in which you're working.
And please, get rid of that stupid crawl at the bottom of the screen giving football and baseball scores. I can change the channel to get any scores I want. The picture is already crowded with graphics, without adding sports information that's not germane to the sport that's on the screen.
- September 17, 2007 at 1:03 AM
- Lisa Foster said...
I didn't care for the race broadcast.
Too much other stuff. The Sportscenter minutes, the seemingly constant reference to football and baseball(and I love baseball), and the goof ups by the on air people.
Dr. Punch refering to K. Shrader as a sub for Bill Elliott
Rusty and "another restart" at the begining of the race.
Kyle Busch in the 45?
I just don't know.
It was nice that they seemed to cover more than just the top ten. It was nice that they didn't clutter the screen up with too many graphics .
I thought it was interesting that you talk about the old days when ESPN being locked out and Mike Mazarro interviewing drivers from the Helipad. That happened today. After a few drivers were interviewed after the race and Bowyer's VL interview, it was like "ooops, we forgot to interview..." and dispached the pit reporters to interview more driversbefore they flew back home. I thought Harvick's comment during his interview about "grass and dirt" flying around was funny.
ESPN, you guys have 9 more races and a looong way to go before you'll win me over!!
- September 17, 2007 at 1:32 AM
- Anonymous said...
Did anyone else read the USA Today article last Friday that referenced being in the production truck with the ESPN crew?? If you did read it, its easy to see why they are in sooooo much trouble on the air. Apparently, the ESPN executive produce (forgive me if I get these wrong) John Drake was there, and said "they put high expectations on themselves" ! Wow, what a lofty goal! How about, "we want to serve the fans who watch?" Then, there was Mr. Feenberg, another "chief", and the director who "jumped up and pointed to a monitor" because there was contact between cars....and finally Nick (?) Goldberg-the producer who seemed to be breaking his own arm patting himself on the back because they properly executed a replay sequence on a wreck.
Attention ESPN production execs..THATS YOUR JOB!!!!! If you'd just focus on the race AND FORGET ABOUT SUZY, BRENT, BRAD,BREWER, LITTLE, THE INFIELD DESK, SPORTSCENTER MINUTES AND DRAFT TRACKER, then maybe, just maybe you'd be able to realize that Punch should be in the pits, Bestwick in the booth, Rusty running his son's race team and we'd have the kernels of a decent telecast package.
"till the ESPN folks stop believeing their own hyped PR, nothing is gonna change
- September 17, 2007 at 9:19 AM
- CHASE said...
Brent is a huge mistake and it's time he retreats and stays gone. ESPN/ABC lost me when Rusty's old chestnut graphic appeared yet again, and it's still painfully obvious that ESPN still can't get their act together at all. Suzie K. needs to add some passion to her voice and for pete's sake, keep her out of the infield with a mic in her hand! In the off season, ESPN had better stop, read fans' reactions, and start fresh completely.
It's too painful to listen to and thank God for mute buttons and MRN which is still the best there is!
- September 17, 2007 at 9:41 AM
- Anonymous said...
From that article:
Director Richie Basile leaps from his seat and points to one of the 20 high definition plasma displays on the monitor wall. "Here's contact," he yells.
Now we see why there's such bad coverage of the race on ESPN. Richie, here's what should have happened:
Director Richie Basile leaps from his seat and points to one of the 20 high definition plasma displays on the monitor wall. "Ready 21, Take 21," he yells.
Richie, you don't get to be a fan. You're working. The time you waste yelling about contact means we MISS the "contact."
Basile claps his hands in approval as the network dissolves from the Hamlin/Bowyer mishap into a graphics package, then a break.
Yeah, but (a) you should have stayed on the "mishap," and (b) what, you're pleased when you go smoothly into a break? Let's see you get back in time for the restart...then WE will clap.
ESPN elects to cover Saturday's final 50 laps without interruption. That leads to a high-level decision to dismiss the night's final commercial break, some raised voices in the trailer and a promise to make good to the sponsor next week.
On a short track at Richmond? you should have gone into the race planning for no breaks at that point. It should have been a given.
The USA Today article gives us some good insights as to why we see what we see, and based on the quotes, we were right--ESPN/ABC doesn't know NASCAR at all.
- September 17, 2007 at 10:29 AM
- Anonymous said...
I can't believe that no one spoke about Rusty saying That "Here's a guy thats on the move-Jeff Gordon!"And not just once but twice. The first time, it's almost like the director tells him to hype up the Jeff Gordon angle. When he said "He's on the move", Jeff was in 19th position-One spot back from where he started! He did that twice!!! The next time was when Gordon was in 15th, Rusty says,"Man, Jeff Gordon is just picking 'em up and puttin 'em down." What??? How is three positions "pickin' 'em up and puttin' 'em down???? The same with Punch telling us that Jimmie Johnson is creeping up into the picture. He started third, and at the time of the comment, was in sixth place. Man, why doesn't Brian France step in and stop this madness?
And I have to offer my opinion of the Brad and Rusty cage match---- That sh.. needs to stop, and stop now. There is no room for that level of unprofessionalism from either party. It was almost unwatchable.
One has to wonder if there are two different races going on-the one on MRN, and the one on ESPN.
- September 17, 2007 at 12:25 PM
- Desmond said...
ESPN on ABC got lucky with a quick, orderly race at Loudon. I can't wait to see what it will be like at Talladega, Martinsville, or even Dover in the coming weeks.
That "victory tour" comment by Jamie Little made me laugh! What was she thinking? Not that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going away, he's just changing teams.
In another development, the split screen - UNDER GREEN! - of the race and the Yankees vs. Red Sox promo was insulting. ESPN should be ashamed of itself! Then again, based on the USA Today article, they probably won't care. Too bad.
Also, from now on, I will call Musburger and Kolber the "ships in the night." Musburger is coming in from college football and Kolber is going to the NFL game. Unfortunately, their collective performance is a shipwreck of "Titanic" proportions, no pun intended.
- September 17, 2007 at 12:31 PM
- todd aka blizzard said...
If you think Rusty is Bad on TV- You should have to listen to him on Radio!!
Our Local MRN station had the MN Twins game on, (Along with 20 other local AM stations) so they TAPE DELAYED the MRN broadcast. In searching desperately for another station, I found channel FM 87.1 was for some reason transmitting the local ABC television channel?? Thinking I had found the race, I listened for 15-20 minutes while I ran errands, after that short time I turned to a Music channel, I had no clue what Rusty and that bunch were talking about, but they sure liked to talk.
-blizzard West Fargo ND
- September 17, 2007 at 12:46 PM
- Anonymous said...
I agree with all regarding: missing updates on non chasers (Vickers, Boris,etc) flubs, missed action, too many people in the booth...except DJ, etc. Hate to bring up a JR thing (as a JR fan I even get tired when it's all JR all the time). However, at the beginning of the race Jr came from 19th to 10th by "passing", but after pit stops Dr. Punch said "Jr is showing in 10th spot, picking up 9 spots in the pits". Yikes! Later he dropped way back after another pit stop....they changed shocks, then went further back because he got "punted" by Denny Hamlin. That was 3 laps before he spun out. This happens with many other drivers. They can't cover everything, but there is no reason to miss many other "stories" during the race. My biggest complaint: there is no flow to the race, it is a hodge podge of "stories" instead of calling the race.
- September 17, 2007 at 12:46 PM
- LuckyForward said...
All in all, a good broadcast, even with many mistakes. I am in total agreement with the many who state that Brent is out of his element and there are way too many reporters. It seems apparent that the broadcast team in the booth has little, if any, chemistry.
The best part of the broadcast: DALE JARRETT! Time for Dale to park the Toyota, send Rusty packing (with some lovely parting gifts), and bring Dale on full-time. His insight and ability to communicate are strengths that the broadcast badly needs.
- September 17, 2007 at 12:59 PM
- Anonymous said...
I think that everyone but the ESPN producers know that Musberger and Kolber must go. I thought that Dale Jarret did a good job and should replace Rusty when he is done driving (which should be this year)
I was alittle confused when Jamie said that Denny Hamlin had been blocked in by Tony Stewart in the pits when Tony was pitting in front of Jeff Gordon. I also would have liked to have known what happened to Vickers and a "through the field" of the entire 43 cars would have covered that. Did only 7 cars finish the race? Thats all I saw listed as they crossed the finish line. I will admit that the commercials were placed right. According to Caws and Jaws there were only 45 minutes of commercials and 145 minutes of racing. I think that is the proper mix.
I don't think next week will be as good.
- September 17, 2007 at 1:08 PM
- Anonymous said...
MRN is looking better & better for listening to the race. Someone should tell Suzy Kolber she has a very irratating voice and knows nothing of NASCAR. If I were a new fan I would not understand anything about racing after listening to her.
- September 17, 2007 at 1:35 PM
- cwebs said...
I think you're being charitable with your assessment that ABC/ESPN got "back on track" with that broadcast. I feel it was barely average, at best! Just like the snoozefest at Bristol, they got lucky with another FOLLOW-THE-LEADER race that wasn't particularly challenging to cover. To use a baseball analogy, FOX would have hit a homerun covering a race like this, but ESPN barely managed to eke out an infield hit. I think ESPN has succeeded in lowering our expectations so far down that any sign of competence can be welcomed as some sort of grand accomplishment. How very sad.
I had planned to take the advice offered by others and listen to the MRN audio for this race while watching the TV broadcast on mute. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be at home on Sunday afternoon, so I was forced to watch the race on my DVR and suffer through to the TV audio. In addition to what everyone else has mentioned, here are some things that stood out to me:
Rusty's new favorite phrase is "RIGHT NOW". I noticed several instances where he said RIGHT NOW at least 3 times within the space of 2 sentences! It got to the point where it was distracting. I kept gritting my teeth when he was speaking because I was just waiting for him to throw another flurry of them out there. *THIS GUY SHOULD NOT BE IN THE BOOTH*
My favorite Rusty Moment came somewhere in the middle of the race during a sequence of green-flag pitstops. In the midst of this sequence, Crusty apparently became overwhelmed when a large number of cars happened to pit all at once, so he declared that there was a caution! It took a while, but Punch eventually made a deliberate effort to quietly point out that the race was still under green.
After last week's race, I said "Clueless Jamie Little seems to be ESPN's lead pit reporter". I think that was proven out this week. Whether she officially holds that title or not, they seem to think that she's somehow their biggest asset on pit road. While she has plenty of enthusiasm, she knows virtually nothing about NASCAR. She's often shows her incredible naïveté by taking almost every comment made on the radio or in the pits completely literally. I can only imagine how the crew chiefs privately snicker at her gullibility. She continually makes misstatements and asks stupid questions. It's really getting sickening…
I could go on and on and on with specific moments where ESPN dropped the ball, but it would take forever. There are just too many instances where these rubes just have no idea what's going on in the race. There was one time where Punch said that Bowyer had just passed the 24 car by accelerating past him as they came off the corner. I went back and looked at the pass (it happened in the background of a shot), and Bowyer had actually driven under Gordon (quite easily) in the middle of the corner. This kind of stuff is happening all the time during the race, especially with Punch and Wallace. They both need to get the boot ASAP…
- September 17, 2007 at 3:30 PM
- Bobby said...
To make viewers know this is the ESPN Broadcast Network, they identity says ESPN, and it is treated as an ESPN Network (ESPN Cable Network, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Broadcast Network), they promote all ESPN programming.
As much as it is well-criticised for Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip at Fox to grab their binoculars and watch the race from the booth window instead of the television monitors, they often "coach" the director by giving signals.
I've heard plenty of criticism of ESPN this year and it seems it started with that annoying Aerosmith song and continues into the season. Look at the fact they push races to cable which had been solid network staples. That was designed to bump ESPN Cable into the premium rent district at your local cable company.
- September 17, 2007 at 3:37 PM
- Dot said...
I read the comments and didn't see any regarding the BIG BREAKING NEWS about OJ's arrest in Las Vegas. It came on about 2 hours after the fact. There was a news conference for 3:00pm PDT and 6:00pm EDT. CNN and FOX were ready to show it. I tuned to ABC and what do you think was on? Hannah Montana!!!! Why did they have to interrupt the race for this big news?
Since I am a big DJ fan, thanks for the nice comments about him. I agree, he needs to broadcast.
- September 17, 2007 at 4:04 PM
- Anonymous said...
Please cut Jamie Little some slack!
I think she has been improved dramatically from her ackward interviews last year with IRL drivers (especially the prickly, Danica Patrick).
She does a good job with the NASCAR drivers and has been fairly impressive calling pit stops.
- September 17, 2007 at 7:55 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
I think Jamie has done a great job of hustling for stories all season long. My only point in the column was that it is not fair to put her in Victory Lane while she is still getting her feet wet in the sport.
This high profile assignment calls for someone who can talk to and deal with all the faces and the spontaneous happenings of that place while still asking the perfect questions. That is a tough task for someone in their first season of NASCAR.
You many go back and check my archives, I appreciate Jamie and her hard work this season. Certainly did not mean to give any other impression. Thanks!
- September 17, 2007 at 8:36 PM
- SophiaZ123 said...
I gotta say you were more than kind to ESPN and Jamie. After reading 1000's of posts over the last few months, I can not think of ANYBODY who is a fan of Jamie OR Shannon Spake. Jamie makes me cringe with her mode of being stuck in a REVVED UP GEAR.
Cwebs, I so agree with your take on Jamie. I DO NOT MISS HER VOICE while listening to MRN.
I TELL YOU WHAT, if it's a nice day and not overly hot this Sunday, I may just tape the race and sit in the yard with the radio on.
Much like I have turned OFF NASCAR NOW (though bless you John for watching it to give us ongoing updates) I am beginning to REALLY DREAD the end of this season, and the Talladega race.
Excuse my language but I can SEE ESP U ****ing up the TV screen with that INSIPID, GREEN FLAG WASTE OF SPACE HORRIBLE DRAFT TRACKER. I love Daytona and Talladega and boy, they will SPOIL the race with the extra graphics package. I DO want to see that race and some others on the TV as they happen.
I never thought in a 'hunnerd years' PeeSPN could do this horrible of a job.
I also find if I stay OFF THE COMPUTER with MRN ON and just kinda sorta have a tv on in a nearby room, it's MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE.
Now if I could only find the Busch races on local radio, I would be a happy camper.
Again, as others and I have voiced ENDLESSLy, and apparently USELESSLY, WHERE THE HELL IS NASCAR?
Oh, and ABC, get that UGLY, BLACK THING aka your LOGO OFF THE TRACK..Ever hear of transparent logos??
ALL TV LOGOS should be BANNED as far as that goes or they should appear every 15 minutes like they used to.
Oh, and I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED INC tonight and Mikey went out of his way to compliment Despain. If I didn't know better, I woulda thought those boys read this site after Johns' scathing review last week.
p.s. excuse my outburst but I am just so fed up and when i read all these comments, it got me revved up again.
- September 18, 2007 at 1:11 AM
- cwebs said...
I think that supportive comment about Jamie Little was directed at some of the other commenters in this thread, especially sophia, darbar, and myself.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and I stand by what I said earlier. If JL couldn't cut it in IRL, then why was she promoted to covering NASCAR? Why does ESPN treat her like their lead pit reporter when Bestwick & Massaro are both obviously far superior?
I'm sorry if anyone is offended by this opinion, but I have a sense that this is a deliberate effort on the part of ESPN to "feminize" their broadcast in a deplorable, blatant, and pathetic attempt to "diversify" the sport. While that may be a laudable goal (and I'm not saying that it necessarily is or is not), they could have picked someone with more wisdom and experience than Jamie Little. By forcing unqualified people (though certainly enthusiastic and well-meaning) like Little and Daugherty on the audience, ESPN only succeeds in hurting the network, NASCAR, and the fans, not to mention JL & BD themselves. If ESPN truly felt they needed a female presence on pit road, then they should have gone out and hired someone like Wendy Venturini that truly deserves to be there.
sophia -
Thanks for your support! I really appreciate it. I put a lot of thought and effort into my comments, so it's good to know that someone is paying attention to them!
I'm afraid of what we'll see at Talladega as well. I think there's actually a chance that ESPN might decide to air the entire race in live DAFT TRACKER mode! OK, that was a joke, but sadly almost believable!
I noticed a big difference in INC tonight too. I think JD's blog and our attached comments had a real effect! I noticed specifically that MW made of point of saying "we're knowledgeable guys" as they were beginning to answer the viewer emails. I wonder if that was directed at some of the comments (including my own calculatedly hyperbolic statement) from last week???
- September 18, 2007 at 1:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
Yeah, cwebs, the whole industry revolves around your comments.
- September 18, 2007 at 7:34 AM
- Anonymous said...
ALL TV LOGOS should be BANNED as far as that goes or they should appear every 15 minutes like they used to.
That'll happen as soon as we go back to having just 3 TV channels...like we used to.
- September 18, 2007 at 7:35 AM
- cwebs said...
Yeah, cwebs, the whole industry revolves around your comments.
HA-HA! If only that were the case! Believe me, I am under no such illusion. I'm quite aware that the rantings of the faceless masses on the Internets are not generally taken seriously (or even taken notice of at all) in the "halls of power". I was only wondering out loud if this may have been the one time in a million that some semi-anonymous comments on a blog actually somehow made a difference. Read the comments in that INC thread last week, then watch this week's show. That's all I'm sayin'…
BTW, thanks again to JD for allowing us to post comments here. It helps to alleviate some of the frustration over the poor TV coverage that we suffer through. I know for a fact that JD's blog is taken seriously and is gaining in popularity. If even a small segment of his blog audience actually takes some extra time to read our crazy comments, then it's well worth taking the time to post here.
- September 18, 2007 at 8:11 AM
- SophiaZ123 said...
Ok..wasn't going to add more but I SO AGREE with JL and the feminization of the sport. I call it the Barbie-ization (No real word for it)
Years ago they started GLAMMING up the news casts women...And then brought in attractive or semi attractive women to sports.
The boards elsewhere have little use for Little or Spake (with some calling Shannon Spake SPOOK) I think Shannon has her job due to her looks but she has asked some dumb questions as well. Let the NASCAR NEWBIES LEARN behind the scenes before putting them on TV is all we ask.
Wendy V and Krista V are great. Somebody mentioned N Nation...Remember when SPEED glammed up that show with cleavage and women wearing lingerie tops??? Show TANKED.
and STANK.
It's not pc to talk about diversity but sometimes it is what it is and it's OBVIOUS some of these folks should not be on TV.
But in ALL FAIRNESS, JL has annoyed some of us for years on IRL.
jmo, no offense to Jamie fans.
I agree, thank goodness for this blog.
After Mikey congratulated Despain on INC for a brief moment, I did wonder who from there read this site last week.
We know JD will never tell!
- September 18, 2007 at 12:26 PM


text:
This American Standard AM00.753436.224 Prestige Framed By-Pass Bath Door is part of the Prestige collection, and comes in a beautiful Oil-Rubbed Bronze finish. This European designed doors feature clear safety tempered glass, a curved European style header, 2 bracketed towel bars, and a simple out-of-square adjustment. This model stands at 56", it fits openings from 52" to 54", and comes with a hammered pattern on it's glass doors.
|Kitchen Part & Accessories
|American Standard
|Mpn #
|Shipping Dimensions
|1.0" x 1.0" x 1.0"
|53.00 lbs.
4.5 out of 5 rating is our rating for PlumbersStock, we got that rating because we have lots of experience and great people with expertise in plumbing. BUT WE WANT YOUR HELP. This product doesn't have any reviews yet, and we don't want to write our own reviews. It is more valuable to us that the customers get to share their experience with our products. Please, if you have any experience with this product, take a moment to share and help someone else who is trying to make a decision. Thank you!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A family of five is displaced after a weekend fire caused severe damage to their St. James home.
The fire broke out around 10 p.m. Friday night when the flue caught fire, causing fire damage to the roof and the attic, said St. James Fire Protection District Asst. Chief Carl Redburn.
"It wasn't a total loss, but it did a lot of damage," Redburn said. "It was a flue fire that had gotten really hot. It burned through the chimney and caught the attic on fire and the roof."
Redburn said the homeowners were at home when the fire started. One of the homeowners was using a garden hose to extinguish the fire, and "he had knocked some of it down, but it was still going really good when we got there," Redburn said.
Personnel from Rolla Rural Fire Protection were present at the St. James fire station to cover any other calls while SJFPD personnel were at the scene.
According to an American Red Cross press release, the local chapter of provided financial resources to meet the family of five's "immediate emergency needs with the purchase of food and clothing," along with comfort kits and referrals to local partner agencies.
The family is currently staying with friends.
Redburn said residents should keep their flues clean during the winter months to avoid these types of fires.
"The buildup gets hot and catches on fire, so periodically cleaning them is the best prevention," he said.


text:
|Episode Description
|Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 8:30 PM
"Little Europe: San Marino, Monaco, Vatican City, Liechtenstein, and Andorra"
Don't blink as Rick blitzes through Europe's tiniest countries. Vatican City, the world's smallest country, comes with the planet's biggest church. He also visits the fairytale princedom of Monaco, Italy's last independent hill town of San Marino, castle-guarded principality of Liechtenstein, and tiny Andorra. G
|More on LEARN/CREATE (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database


text:
Join our mailing list
We do not sell or trade contact information to anyone for any reason.
To learn more, please read our Privacy Policy.
Explore more. Go further. Stay out longer. When the sun is blazing bright overhead, Enhanced Stealth Black for Oakley Warm Up is the no-nonsense, straight forward protection you need for all-day adventure. Filtering out 92% of visible light and eliminating blinding glare, the neutral tint and polarization keeps your eyes sharp, fresh, and ready to take on the world.
We have a 60-day, hassle-free return policy for all our lenses as well as a 365-day warranty & guarantee. If you don't love your lenses, we'll refund your order or replace your lenses for free. Learn more about our warranty.


text:
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- It's no secret that financial consumers are warming up to mobile banking, largely for reasons of convenience. According to Juniper Research's report, Mobile Banking: Handset & Tablet Market Strategies 2013-2017, more than $1 billion cellphone owners will use their devices for banking purposes by 2017, up from 590 million this year. To provide some context, total world population growth by 2017 is 7.6 billion. Yet a separate study from Javelin notes that consumers are growing increasingly frustrated by their mobile banking experiences. As a result, many consumers will leave banks and turn to outside sources, mostly technology outfits. "Trust in financial institutions is under assault by a seemingly endless list of players, including Apple ( AAPL), Google ( GOOG), mobile carriers and scores of innovative
personal financial management players," the report says. "Because so many new players are fighting financial institutions for market share by offering competitive consumer‐friendly services, like personal financial management and alerts, FIs must act quickly to demonstrate they understand their customer and put their financial interests first." That's not happening fast enough for many consumers. A survey from Varolii, a Seattle technology management firm, says there is a big gap between what financial customers want from mobile banking from large financial and what they're getting. Varolii says if consumers don't get "advanced" functions such as automatic check deposit and real-time notifications, they risk losing the trust -- and possibly the business -- of customers. "There's an app for everything in today's mobile-driven consumer environment," says Brian Moore, financial services market manager for Varolii. "As the economy has suffered over the past few years, consumers are turning to apps for financial management as well. However, our study shows that most banks are failing to deliver on consumer expectations with first- or second-generation mobile banking applications." The Varolii survey says that about 66% of banking consumers expect the bank to notify them when funds are running low or if they don't have enough cash to cover a bill or payment. Another 70% say there "should be an app for that" -- and it's the bank's responsibility to create one that fits a financial consumer's needs. About half (47%) of survey respondents say banks should notify them of banking issues via email, while 22% favor texts and 13% prefer getting notices via a smartphone app. For consumers, it's all about banks keeping up with technology -- or better yet, staying ahead of the game. "We believe that most institutions are operating on second-generation applications," notes David McCann, CEO at Varolii. "Today, institutions need to upgrade to the next level by embedding more proactive, rules-based outreach into their application code. Also, smartphone apps are just one more channel that has to be orchestrated into a holistic customer experience across voice, text, email and mobile devices."
- Log In
- Newsletters
Access insights and guidance from our Wall Street pros. Find the product that's right for you.
- Action Alerts PLUS
- Income Seeker
- Quant Ratings
- Real Money
- Real Money Pro
- Retirement Daily
- Stocks Under $10
- Top Stocks
- Trifecta Stocks
- Real Money Pro Portfolio
- Chairman's Club
- Compare All


text:
Some Pocono homeowners have private water companies that supply their water, but most have individual wells on their properties that no one will check or maintain unless they are hired by the homeowners.
Water wells use ground water as their source of water. Ground water is found in spaces in soil and rock formations. A well works by inserting a pump inside a drilled hole to bring water up through a pipe.
The DEP recommends that homeowners with wells hire a laboratory to test their wells for bacteria at least twice a year. They should also have their p.h. levels tested.
The amount of lead and copper coming out of the faucets inside a home should be monitored as well, especially because children could be harmed by high levels of the elements.
Faucets in vacation homes tend to yield more lead and copper because water sits in led and copper pipes for longer.
It's important for new homeowners to obtain well-drilling records for their property.
Wells can also run dry, so well owners should notify a well driller if their faucets yield little or no water.
More information on wells can be found on the DEP website www.dep.state.pa.us.
The DEP says the following labs in the Poconos run tests on wells:
F.X. Browne, Inc. in Marshalls Creek (570) 588-7900
Pocono Environmental Laboratories (570) 839-2558
Prosser Laboratories, Inc. (570) 629-2981
Sometimes, people with or without private wells are ordered to boil their water before they drink or bath in it. Boil water advisories are issued when too much bacteria is detected in a water sample.


text:
Two Hannibal residents were arrested following a weekend incident at a local hotel.
Two Hannibal residents were arrested following a weekend incident at a local hotel.
According to the Hannibal Police Department, at 2:05 a.m. Saturday officers received information that a subject with an active warrant was staying at a hotel in the 3600 block of McMasters. Upon arrival, officers contacted 24-year-old David A. Maldonado of Hannibal.
Maldonado was arrested for open liquor and searched. Located on him were several capsules of what was believed to be heroin and a large amount of marijuana. Officers received consent to search the hotel room the subject was believed to be in and located more capsules, syringes and drug paraphernalia.
Also located and arrested was a 25-year-old Hannibal woman, Rashonda M. McClure. She had an active probation and parole warrant and an active misdemeanor warrant from Marion County. McClure was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Maldonado was charged with manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and open liquor.
Both subjects were placed on 24-hour holds at the Pike County Jail, pending warrants. On Dec. 8 a warrant was issued in the Circuit Court of Marion County charging David Allen Maldonado with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Bond was set at $100,000 cash only. At last report Maldonado remained in custody.


text:
CRL Estate Series of professional hinges
is able to accommodate 3/8 to 1/2 inch (10 to 12 millimeter) tempered safety
glass. A variety of four styles, including Wall Mount and Glass-to-Glass types,
gives design flexibility and allows the designer/installer to create custom
enclosures limited only by their imagination. These beautifully finished, solid
brass forged Estate Hinges make it possible to mount 3/8 to 1/2 inch (10 to 12
millimeter) thick shower doors without surrounding frames, so the door has an
almost "floating" appearance. The Estates heavy-duty stainless steel springs
allow the door to swing 90° in and 90° out. A friction cam allows the door to be
firmly maintained in any position, except when within 15° of the closed
position, where it is tapered to assist in centering the door.
Color: Gold Plated
Minimum Order: 1 Each
Glass Thickness: 3/8 to 1/2 inch (10 to 12 millimeter) Tempered Safety Glass
Construction: Solid Brass
Hinge Swings: 90º in and 90º out
Closing Type: Self-Centering when within 15º of closed position
Cut-Out and Hole Required
Includes: One Hinge, Gaskets, Screws and Template


text:
Central Massachusetts residents began digging out Saturday from a historic snowfall that dumped 28.7 inches of snow on Worcester and left most streets deserted except for snowplows.
Gov. Deval Patrick lifted a state of emergency at 4 p.m. Saturday that had banned most drivers from the roads, but he urged people to remain home if possible to allow crews to clear snow.
"We have a lot of snow to dispose of and remove, and it will take a long time to do that," Mr. Patrick said during a news conference.
Many of the tragedies and challenges typically associated with snowfall failed to materialize during the storm that began Friday and swirled into Saturday. Utilities reported few power outages in Central Massachusetts, and police and fire authorities around Worcester County said the day was quiet. Worcester firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze overnight Friday on Pleasant Street, but no one was injured.
The most dramatic moment of the storm may have been the birth of Nohely Gonell, who arrived unexpectedly at 3:17 a.m. Saturday and was delivered at home in Worcester because her parents could not reach a hospital. Worcester paramedics with a National Guard escort made it to Ericka Bueno's Vernon Hill home in time to help deliver the baby and later took the healthy girl, her mother, and her father, Joel Gonell, to UMass Memorial Medical Center — Memorial Campus.
The storm's inch-count, measured by the National Weather Service at Worcester Regional Airport, stood at 28.7 inches at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and constituted Worcester's third-largest snowstorm on record. The city measured its largest snowfall of 33 inches on March 31 and April 1 in 1997, a weather system that became known as the April Fools' storm. In comparison, the well-remembered Blizzard of '78, a February 1978 weather system, dropped 20.2 inches of snow on Worcester, according to the National Weather Service. It was basically remembered for all the stranded motorists who couldn't make it home.
It may be two days before weather officials confirm that the storm met the standards of a blizzard, which is defined as a system with sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more and considerable snow.
Worcester City Manager Michael V. O'Brien said he was pleased with overall conditions in the city but cautioned that more cleanup work lies ahead.
"We have had over 28 inches of snow and even deeper in areas of drifts and have experienced wind gusts in excess of 50 mph," he wrote in an email. "Our main streets, secondary streets and residential roads are passable, our electric grid is intact, and our emergency services have been able to traverse the city and respond to all 911 calls throughout the storm."
The cost of Worcester's cleanup could reach $2 million, according to Mr. O'Brien. The city recently moved $1 million into a contingency fund for storm response but funds still may be inadequate for winter storm costs, he said. Last winter, the city budgeted $3.5 million for snow removal and spent slightly more than that, he said.
The snowstorm mostly left the lights on in Central Massachusetts. Electric utility National Grid counted 28 customers without power in Worcester Saturday morning. By Saturday night, all Worcester outages were resolved, according to National Grid's online outage center. Webster, which had 198 outages Saturday morning, the most in National Grid's territory in Central Massachusetts, was connected again last night.
Convoys of utility trucks drove the Massachusetts Turnpike through Central Massachusetts Saturday, heading toward more badly stricken areas on the South Shore.
In North Central Massachusetts, utility Unitil Corp. shut down its emergency operations centers at noon and said outages had been limited.
Today is expected to bring sunny skies and a high of 33 degrees in Worcester, followed by a low temperature of 15 degrees tonight. Worcester sent its snow-removal crews home Saturday night to rest but will direct them back out on the streets today for more plowing, scraping, sanding and salting.
The Worcester Regional Transit Authority, which suspended operations during the storm, is expected to begin operation again today. The Worcester Public Library and the Worcester Common ice skating rink are scheduled to open, too.
Parking will remain prohibited on even-numbered sides of streets until further notice. But trash and recycling programs are expected to follow their normal schedules next week.
Worcester Public Schools will determine Monday's school status by 5 p.m. Sunday and post messages on its website at www.worcesterschools.org, on Twitter at @worcesterpublic and on Facebook.
For those looking for help digging out, Veterans Inc. in Worcester offered to connect people to veterans who could provide snow shoveling services.
"We have available vets," said Chris LePage, a residential adviser at the veterans' service agency on Grove Street. "We'll just expedite them to help out." The number to call is (508) 791-1213.


text:
Show 1 sample image
Performed by: Rihanna: Cheers (Drink To That) Digital Sheetmusic - instantly downloadable sheet music plus an interactive, downloadable digital sheet music file, scoring: Piano/Vocal/Guitar, instruments: Guitar;Piano;Backup Vocals;Voice; 6 pages
This sheet music has not received any reviews yet, you can be the first one to write one!
Music Notes
Musicnotes.com is one of the leading Internet-based sheet music store offering over 200,000 pieces of digital sheet music and guitar tablature from big labels with many titles from other publishers continually added to the online catalog.
This store has not received any reviews yet, you can be the first one to write one!


text:
Applying is easy and you can get started online.
Apply now
Find classes and events that enrich your faith and strengthen your congregation.
Find opportunities
Your support ensures that future church leaders can pursue their call to ministry today.
Give now
The Site List below is for the Teaching Congregations program. In 2014 - 2015, Teaching Congregations will be offered only to students completing their graduation requirements as per the distributive curriculum. This will remain a non-credit degree requirement. Students and supervisors should be in touch with Contextual Learning at firstname.lastname@example.com prior to contacting sites on this list.
<< view more sites


text:
Basement area removed to allow soil samples to be taken.
Work crews demolished part of the former Clothing Care Center site at 327 W. Washington St. in Ionia Wednesday to prepare the area for environmental testing.
Ionia City Manager Jason Eppler said a portion of the south end of the basement area needed to be removed so the city can take additional soil samples from the area.
"We're having the testing completed as we continue to work with representatives of the estate (of Mark Barna, who owns the site) on future development of the property," Eppler said.
The property has been used for a variety of commercial purposes over the years, but primarily as a commercial laundry. "A fair amount" of testing at the site has been done since a fire destroyed the building in 2006, Eppler said, but fragments of the building at the south end prevented further analysis of that area.
"We want to make sure that any pollutants of concern, if there are any, are not of a level that would be a financial liability due to financial concerns if the city wanted to pursue ownership," Eppler said. "The city's environmental consultant has reviewed results of (previous testing) and felt there were a couple of additional question marks."
The consultant will take samples from the area in the next couple of weeks, Eppler added.
E-mail Karen Bota at email@example.com. Follow Karen on Twitter @KarenB_ISS.


text:
Georgetown Church of God will be hosting a benefit singing on Saturday, May 19 at 10 a.m. There will be various local groups ministering each hour throughout the day.
The church is located at 121 Spring Court, Georgetown (next door to the Vu Tech factory on the bypass). In case of rain the event will be at 124 Gano Ave., Georgetown.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The Cynthiana Democrat, 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 The Cynthiana Democrat 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:
Turtle Swim offers swimming lessons led by qualified instructors who are either WSI certified or who have equivalent experience. These enthusiastic and caring instructors are effective in teach both children and adults.
To register for any Turtle Swim program:
1. Walk-in Registration: Come by the pool, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910
2. Mail-in Registration: To Turtle Swim attn: Jefi Harper, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910
3. Fax Registration: (619) 482-6412
4. Online Registration: To be announced.
Click here for more information about Turtle Swim and registration form.
Southwestern College is an equal opportunity educator and employer | Non-Discrimination Policy |
Disclaimer | Directions to SWC
© 2011 Southwestern College, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910. (619) 421-6700
The Southwestern College is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Thank you for visiting the Southwestern College website.


text:
Farmstand Finest Fruit Gift Basket
So fresh you can practically hear the rumbling of the old tractor engine and smell the bails of hay. Send the very finest that farm and field have to offer when you indulge someone special with this bounty of savory delights like handmade Rogue Creamery® Medium Cheddar Cheese, gourmet crackers, tangy summer sausage and sweet red pepper relish, plus ripe fruits exclusively from the orchards of The Fruit Tree™ including juicy Navel Oranges, Green D'Anjou Pears, crisp Red Delicious and Fuji Apples. Decadent chocolate covered dried pears and a sun-dried fruit assortment complete this farmstand-fresh gift, which arrives in a handsome hand-woven seagrass and willow basket.


text:
Friday, 7 September 2007
Heading Home
39 comments:
- fleckenschnitte said...
All my thoughts and prayers are with you and your mom! I wish you both the very best imaginable!
*big hugs*
- 7 September 2007 at 04:25
- robin said...
all my best wishes to you and your mom! have a safe journey home.
on lighter side, check out the duty free shop! i am kicking myself for not getting a trio of ysl touche blush minis! dah!!
-applepark from mua
- 7 September 2007 at 05:14
- ♥~Erusa~♥ said...
Hey Haru,
I wanted to send you a very big spanish hug for your and your mom! Hope she'll get well very soon.
- 7 September 2007 at 05:30
- Adessa said...
Hi Haru!! I am sorry to hear that. I hope all well for you & your mum. Wish your mum a speedy recovery from the bottom of my heart & you have a safe journey back home!! *hugz* *hugz*
- 7 September 2007 at 07:31
- A-Mused said...
oh iris :(
My dear friend.
I'm so sorry! My thoughts, prayers, and good wishes are with you, your mum, and family.
If you need anything at all please contact me and I'll do my best to help out in anyway I can!
Truly my thoughts are with you during such a hard time!
Much Love!
- 7 September 2007 at 07:47
- ~raspy~ said...
hope that your mom will recover soon! and have a safe journey back to SG. *hugs*
- 7 September 2007 at 08:43
- Taryn said...
I'm sorry to hear this, Iris. :( I will continue to keep your mom in my thoughts and prayers and hope everything turns out OK for her.
Big hugs to you.
- 7 September 2007 at 08:54
- Carolyn said...
hey... Iris...
So sorry to hear this... hope your mum have a speedy recovery. May all my thoughts and prayers are with u and your mum.
Take care and have safe journey home.
Carolyn aka CarCar
- 7 September 2007 at 09:40
- Karelessly in Love said...
So sorry to hear about your mum. But it may not be as bad. Let's hope that it's still at the least dangerous stage.
You're such a good daughter! I know not everyone can give up their plans for their parents.
- 7 September 2007 at 09:56
- Anonymous said...
i'm sorry to hear abt it, irisi ..please take care and hope your mum get well very soon :)
- 7 September 2007 at 10:14
- petitez said...
I hope your mom will get well soon! Since you said it hasn't spread yet so it must be in the earlier stages of cancer. No worries. There's a high chance that it can be cured through either removal/chemo and radiation. Take care girl!!!
- 7 September 2007 at 11:22
- neXa said...
Best wishes to your mum and you!
Hope everything will be fine :)
Hope she gets well soon, luckily it was found out in time ya?
Meanwhile take time off from everything (including makeup!) and spends lots of quality time with her!
- 7 September 2007 at 12:42
- Anonymous said...
oh dear, sorry to hear that...hope your mom gets better..
meanwhile wishing you all the best!
- 7 September 2007 at 12:47
- Anonymous said...
Hey Iris,
I am so sorry to hear about ur mom. All our thoughts and prayers are with u and your mom. Hopes she makes a speedy recovery soon!!!
Take care, stay positive and have safe journey home!!!
Lots of Hugs,
Lilian (Strawberrysc)
- 7 September 2007 at 13:55
- kye said...
Iris dear
I will keep you and your mum in my prayers. Wish all will be well for her. I had recently undergone surgery to remove some breast tissues for biopsy and was blessed with good lab results. So i do know the apprehension when one is in that unfavourable situation. Pls take care & God be with you and all your loved ones at home. *hugz*
- 7 September 2007 at 13:56
- Anonymous said...
I wish All the best to you and your mum...
Hope she'll recover fast...
(p/s: Do watch over her diet, it plays a part of helping her to get well sooner...)
- 7 September 2007 at 14:57
- Anonymous said...
Hey Iris,
one of the teacher whom i am close to also diagnosed with breast cancer.like your mum,her's didn't spread to other parts of the body.Thank god!
she is coping well with the treatment so far. your mum will need alot of support and comfort from you, be strong! if you or mum need someone to talk to, feel free to approach me, i can get my teacher to talk to you guys too .
take care!
Jess aka jazzie
- 7 September 2007 at 16:23
- dolly said...
hi haru, be strong gal, take care of your mum well. Gambatte! :)
- 7 September 2007 at 17:03
- tracy said...
Hi Haru,
My best wishes to you and your mom.Take care n have a safe trip home.
- 7 September 2007 at 19:39
- mag said...
HUGS and *be strong vibes* to you and your wonderful mother. Please take care!
- 7 September 2007 at 20:23
- Anonymous said...
Thoughts anre prayers with you & your family. Safe travels home - Betsy
- 7 September 2007 at 21:44
- Pei Li said...
Stay strong, and hopefully your mom recovers soon!!
- 7 September 2007 at 21:58
- Anonymous said...
I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope your mum gets better and that you are a constant and strong support for her.
Will pray for you.
Take Care
- 7 September 2007 at 22:06
- Anonymous said...
Be strong and have faith. It will be a long journey and a difficult one and hope you and your family will stay united for your mum. She need it right now. All the best ya!
- 7 September 2007 at 22:21
- Stephanie said...
Hi Iris,
Sorry to hear this news, but I know you and your mom will pull this through. Sending my best wishes to you and your family. Stay strong. Keep us updated on everything. =)
- 7 September 2007 at 23:20
- Anonymous said...
All the best for you mom as she starts her treatments.
Thanks for sharing .. you have a safe trip home too!
- 7 September 2007 at 23:40
- j0s1e267 said...
HUGS, please take care. Wishing you a safe trip back and a super speedy recovery for your mom.
- 8 September 2007 at 03:05
- tinkerbelly said...
My best wishes & prayers to you and your mom. Take care.
- 8 September 2007 at 11:00
- Michelle said...
All my best regards to you and your mom. I am sorry to hear that such a thing has happened to your dear mom and I wish her a speedy recovery!
Hugs to you as well!
- 8 September 2007 at 13:50
- Anonymous said...
**Big hugs**
best wishes to your mum. may she have s speedy recovery. take care and dont over-stress yourself. things will all work out fine
- 8 September 2007 at 14:22
- Angel said...
It's our pleasure to meet you and your amazing blog.
Thanks for your great informations~
best wish for you and your mom~
- 8 September 2007 at 23:17
- Anonymous said...
hi haru, sorry to hear about your mum's condition but i'm pretty sure the chances of recovery will be gd. Drug discoveries for breast cancer in the early stages are quite advanced now and in the meantime, do take care ya *big big hugs*
- 9 September 2007 at 13:36
- S said...
Take care! All the best to you and your mum.
- 9 September 2007 at 20:13
- Yolanda said...
I hope everything will be better.
Keep strong and my prayer will be with you and family.
- 9 September 2007 at 20:57
- cewek said...
Iris! *hugs* having just gone through a cancer scare myself (whereby I had to have a full laparotomy so that the surgeon could take a cyst that was sitting on top of my left ovary, along with that ovary and then do a biopsy on it), please know that my thoughts are with you and your mum.
Maybe we can catch up in Singapore? I'll be there during Christmas time :)
- 10 September 2007 at 08:15
- Anonymous said...
Will be thinking of your mum and your family in my prayers.
- 10 September 2007 at 12:50
- Jing from CC said...
Dear Haru, I hope you stay strong and give support to your mum! Maybe its fated that you get called back to spend more time with your family since you have not been in Sg for ages!
- 10 September 2007 at 14:33
- Cheryl said...
Dear Haru,
I'm really sorry to hear about your mum. Just like others, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Be strong and I hope everything will be fine.
- 11 September 2007 at 00:16
- Liz said...
Oh, Iris! I am so sorry. Thoughts and psychic hugs are coming to you and your Mum from the UK. You're being the very finest kind of daughter by putting your plans on hold for your Mum. I hope she has a quick recovery - I'm sure your presence at home will help her a great deal.
- 13 September 2007 at 04:57


text:
Rage was a mess when it came out on PC in late 2011, and while patches improved the game, it was still frustrating to play. id Software's John Carmack apologized to QuakeCon attendees on how "badly we handled the game in the PC space."
As part of his keynote, Carmack said that he was happy with Rage's gameplay, but that the company could have taken more time on things like the checkpoint save system and the weak ending. But he said it was "inexcusable" to release the game on PC when half the users could not play the game because of driver issues. "There's just no way to argue our way out of it."
He said that PC is far better as a platform when it is working right, but PC instability is always an issue when compared to consoles because of driver issues. "It was optimistic naivete. We tried to get the drivers to work the way they were supposed to, but we weren't smart about the fact that most people wouldn't have these drivers if everything had gone right."
He promised the company would do better going forward, even saying there was talk of making a Rage 2 to fix all the issues and do it right, but because of the company's limited resources, it was decided that all the efforts would focus on Doom 4.


text:
PITTSBURGH, Pa. –The Duke University men's soccer team stretched its unbeaten streak to seven with a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh in ACC action this evening at Ambrose Urbanic Field. The Blue Devils scored three first-half goals en route to the crucial victory over the Panthers.
Duke improves to 7-4-6 overall and 2-3-5 in the ACC and moves into seventh place in the ACC standings with 11 points. Pittsburgh falls to 0-10-4 overall and 0-8-2 in conference action.
"I'm really pleased with how we started the game," head coach John Kerr said. "We came out sharp and I think even could have had a couple of other goals. They played with great intensity and focus and it was nice to get those early goals."
The Blue Devils, in search of a crucial ACC win, jumped all over Pittsburgh and controlled the run of play from the opening whistle. Firing four shots and earning three corner kicks in the opening 10 minutes, Duke finally broke through with a penalty kick from junior Sean Davis to make it 1-0. The goal was his sixth of the season and third penalty kick of the year.
Just 12 minutes later it was 3-0 as the Blue Devils tallied goals six minutes apart to match their first half total from the previous 16 games. Palodichuk gave Duke the 2-0 cushion in the 23rd minute as a Zach Mathers corner kick found its way to the back post where he touched it in past the right post.
Senior Tyler McDaniel got in the mix in the 29th minute with his second career tally. The veteran midfielder collected a pass from Palodichuk and beat Dan Lynd high for the 3-0 advantage with 16 left in the opening 45 minutes.
Duke dominated action throughout the first half, outshooting Pittsburgh 12-1 and earning eight corner kicks.
Despite having a comfortable lead, Duke did not let up on the pressure as it came out attacking in the second half with three shots in the opening 15 minutes. Duke registered shots in the second half with four of those coming on goal, but couldn't find the back of the net for the fourth.
As Pittsburgh gained some momentum in the second period, the Blue Devils stalwart backline remained steady to earn its seventh clean sheet of the season. Alex Long finished with four saves on the night to secure his 14th career shutout. His seven this season match his total the previous two seasons as the starter at South Carolina.
Overall, Duke held an 18-7 advantage in shots and a 9-1 edge in corner kicks. The Blue Devils close out the regular season schedule Nov. 8 at No. 19 Clemson. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.


text: With E3 settling down, I finally got a chance to finish Red Dead Redemption last night. Loved the ending. Very cool and true to the Western genre. Then I played some League of Legends, because unlike Heroes of Newerth, I can actually get kills in LoL. Both are incredibly fun DotA games, but LoL is a bit more forgiving. Hopefully, one day I'll graduate to HoN. E3 Previews Mario Sports Mix E3 Preview. Time Crisis: Razing Storm E3 Preview. Deus Ex: Human Revolution E3 Preview. Shogun 2: Total War E3 Preview. All the rest BP sucks at not leaking oil. Help GeorgeB3DR hawk his wares?


text:
Professional Translator
To view Ana's personal page, please click here
Rocío Incera is a Science Writer, journalist and museologer (in interactive museums, mainly for children). She is starting up as an enterpreneur with projects for women from 45 to 60 years (Catarinas, las mujeres realizamos nuestros sueños y los reproducimos). And for Children, in public spaces, to accelerate citizenship and societies based on knowledge and wisdom, stand on constructive criteria and values of this XXI century (collaboration, multi and interdiscipline work... no ego!).
For Rocío - Moring Dew, in Spanish - the boundaries between knowledge and science confronted with spirituality and self-awareness, is more ideological and comes from old institutions from both sides. For her, there are not real boundaries. She loves astrology and acknowledges it as a gift from life for her: a very precise tool. She has been a meditator taking knowledge from different schools for 25 years.
She has two children in their early twenties. She is Mexican and loves Mexico. She enjoys walking and watching films. She feels happy if she can read her newpapers and drink hot coffee.
You can contact her via e-mail
Rocío Incera has translated for Astrodienst:


text:
Updated: 11/23/2012
West winds in the mountains and foothills may gust up to 25 mph at
There will be a slight chance of snow showers in the mountains and across
the far northeast plains of Colorado on Monday. Otherwise, it will be dry
through the period. Temperatures will be cooler on Monday but then will be
above normal from Tuesday through Thursday.
Day-to-Day Outlook:
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 49. South wind 7 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. South wind around 7 mph becoming west southwest after midnight.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. West wind 6 to 8 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. West southwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. West wind around 7 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Monday: A 10 percent chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 43.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Get all your local, late-breaking weather news for Brush, CO online at http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Brush&state=CO&site=BOU&textField1=40.2568&textField2=-103.632&e=0.


text:
**I am in drastic need of an update!**
A LOT has been done to the car in the last year or so. I really need to update my page. Please enjoy what I currently have posted, but come on back to see the updated, more inclusive page soon!
I bought the car on the cheap over 4 years ago and have been fixing her up ever since. Originally purchased with a mere 67,000 miles, she now has only 123,000!!
The car is not only a daily driver, but my Auto Cross and Rally Cross car as well. It actually performs very well as a Rally Cross car and took second place in the Rocky Mountain Divisional Rally Cross in 2006. Since then I have been Autoo Crossing it mostly, trying to work on that perfect line...
There were a few thousand Berettas made for the European countries with different headlights, tail lights, side mirrors and more. This car is the most complete European conversion of a Beretta outside of the European countries.
This car has been practically rebuilt! Only a few more things remain to be replaced / upgraded and it will be a "new" car! Once the engine dies, if ever... I will swap in a 3.1L crate engine for a bit more power. I hope ot have the car at its 25 year mark as then I can get classic plates for her. this car has been a part of me for a while now... and will continue to be my baby for many years to come.
Bought the car for 300 dollars
1989 Chevrolet Beretta
2.8L V6 engine
3-speed auto transmission
120 Horse Power (or more?)
Most complete Euro conversion outside of the European states!
- 3M clear bra application
- 136 DB air horn
- Sirius radio
- Trimmed antenna
- Tinted windows
- Keyless entry
- Remote start
- Sony CD player
- Infinity dash speakers
- Boston Accoustics rear speakers
- Race modified E-brake
Stock 305ci 4bbl
700r4 4-speed Trans
Base model to GTU conversion
- Full GTU body kit
- Power windows
- Power locks
- Remote trunk release
- GTZ interior upgrades
- GTZ seats with inflatable lumbar support
- GTZ Leather wrapped steering wheel
- 60/40 split folding seat
- Solid front grille
- Z26 style turn signals and fog lights
- Trunk mounted cargo net
- Beretta windshield logo
Brown Interior
Bucket Seats
305ci V8
700r4 4-Speed Auto
- Polished and painted intake plenum and valve cover
- Styluss Automotive cold air intake
- Fast Forward Performance under drive pulley
- Fast Forward Performance billet dogbone engine mount
- Magnaflow high flow cat
- Magnaflow high flow muffler
- Custom down pipe
- Custom 2 1/4" mandrel bent exhaust
- Full AC system removal
- GM Factory AC delete pulley
- Throttle body bypass on coolant line
- Best believe that engine is clean
- Fully custom black interior swap:
GTZ leather wrapped black steering wheel
- '92 Seatbelt swap
- Custom coin tray
- Custom mounted Cig lighter
- Custom mount trunk release
- Most complete European Moch exterior
Euro headlight swap
Euro fender flares
Euro side mirrors
Euro tail lights
- City lights in headlights
- Z26 fog lights w/o diffusers
- Clear Z26 style turn signals
- Clear side markers
- Z34 hood louvers
- Solar Wing
Suspension & Tires
- KYB struts
- Koni shocks
- Eibach lowering springs with 1" drop
- Full Energy Suspension poly front bushings
- GM strut brace
- GM radiator to strut braces
- GM lower sub frame brace
- Addco rear sway bar
- GM internal rear brace
- MRZ Performance shock tower brace
- Daily wheel: 18" Quantum Tek wheels in Black
- Daily tire: Barium Barvarius tires
- Race wheel: MB Motoring 15x6.5
- Race tire: Falken Ziex ZE-512 @ 205/60R-15
Hooker Supercomp Cat Back Exhaust
Camaro SS Custom Fabricated Functional Hood
Camaro RS Ground Effects
Complete Grey Interior Swap
Autometer 5" Monster Tach
Comming Soon:
Procharged LS1 6-speed Swap
Ford 9" Rearend
Corvette 17X10 ZR1 Wheels
1" Lowering!
|Points for GhostRider
|Total Votes
|Points for WiLd PoNy


text:
Performance Benchmark: Achieve Breakthrough Scalability for Ruby on Rails with Scale-out SQL
Date: Thursday, April 25, 2012
Time: 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET
Duration: 60 minutes
[click here to register]
Presented By
A Dr. Dobb's Webcast
Ruby on Rails with a single MySQL server is one of the fastest ways to create and deploy a world-class web app. Scaling that app is another story. Since you can add web capacity easily, the ability to scale a modern Ruby on Rails application rests solely upon the scalability of the database. Single instance, scale-up databases simply don't make sense in a Web 2.0 world. And non-relational databases require you to sacrifice too much - transactional integrity, consistency, durability, and security.
In this webinar, learn the results of a performance benchmark that compared the performance of Ruby on Rails using MySQL, and Clustrix, a scale-out SQL database engineered for the cloud. You will learn:
- How database performance (measured as transactions per second) is impacted by increasing concurrency (measured by total threads)
- How to quickly and easily achieve breakthrough scalability for Ruby with MySQL
- How to reduce the costs associated with scaling Rails
- How to retain all the powerful functionality of Rails, even while scaling linearly
As a special bonus, all Webinar attendees will receive the white paper, "Ruby on Rails Database Benchmark."
Featured Speakers:
Robert Taylor: — Strategic Technical Account Manager, BlueBox
Clayton Cole: — Applications Engineer, Clustrix


text:
No. 10 Huskers Face Tough Conference Matchup
The No. 10 Nebraska men's gymnastics team will travel to Minneapolis to attend their second-ever Big Ten Championships. All seven of the Big Ten men's gymnastics teams are ranked within the top 10 nationally, with Penn State holding the top spot. The championships will kick off on April 5 with the team and all-around finals competition. Gymnasts who qualify on specific events will compete in the individual finals on April 6. Both nights of competition will begin at 7 p.m. CST and will take place in the Sports Pavillion. The Big Ten Network will broadcast both nights of the championship competition live from Minneapolis. Fans who can't make it to the meet can also follow the Huskers on Twitter (@NebraskaMGym) or on Facebook (facebook.com/NebraskaMGym) for live updates from the meet and behind-the-scenes content throughout the weekend.
The Huskers finished out the regular season ranked No. 10 nationally, dropping from the ninth spot after taking the last weekend of the season off. NU enters the championships after a season-best performance on the road against reigning NCAA champions, No. 6 Illinois. Nebraska battled with the Illini all night before coming out on top, beating them 425.500-424.250.
Nebraska Holds On tO Top-Ten Status
The Huskers jumped around the GymInfo national rankings during the past two weeks. After their victory over Illinois, Nebraska moved up to the No. 9 spot, bumbing Iowa down to the tenth position. During their week off, however, NU dropped down to No. 10, just behind California.
Nebraska ended the regular season in the top ten on five of the six events, just barely missing out on rings in 11th. The Huskers jumped to fourth nationally on parallel bars, aided by freshman Sam Chamberlain's 15.10 that he earned against the Illini.
Sophomores Grant Perdue and Louis Klein remained in the floor rankings for another week, moving up to 12 and 14, respectively. The two are separated by just 0.05 points in their averages going into the Big Ten Championships this weekend.
Chamberlain also remained in the rankings, moving up to No. 13 on parallel bars. Teammate Mark Ringle joined him on the event, coming in at No. 17 with a four-score average of 14.633.
Despite not competing in the all-around against the Illini, junior CJ Schaaf remained in the all-around rankings, staying at 12 with an average score of 82.300.
Scouting the Competition
All seven Big Ten teams are ranked within the top 10 nationally, according to the latest GymInfo poll, released April 1. Nebraska hold a four-score average of 425.717, placing them seventh among Big Ten teams. The Huskers will face No. 1 Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, reigning champion Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa this weekend in the Big Ten Championships.
A total of 24 Big Ten gymnasts claimed top 5 spots on the GymInfo individual event rankings at the end of the regular season, with 15 of those athletes coming from Penn State or Michigan. On top of that, a Big Ten team holds the top spot on five of the six events in the team rankings, four of them going to Penn State.
Looking Ahead
Pending selection from the NCAA, Nebraska will join 11 other teams at this year's NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships in Penn Station, Penn. The event will be held on April 20-21 in the Recreation Building on the Penn State University campus. The NCAA selects 12 Division-1 teams, 36 event specialists and six all-around competitors to compete at the championships.
Last Time Out: Huskers Upset No. 6 Illinois
Closing their season on the road, Nebraska traveled to Champaign, Ill., to face defending champion Illinois at their home gym. The Huskers struggled individually throughout the night, but matched the Illini on each event. NU took home four of the six events as a team, missing out on rings by 0.3 of a point and horse by more than a point.
The Huskers started out the night on horse, struggling to gain their momentum at the start. Freshman Ethan Lottman (14.30) was the only horseman to earn a score above 14.00. The Omaha, Neb., native tied for second overall on the event. Junior co-captain Eric Schryver, who entered the competition looking to regain his national ranking on horse, was unable to impress the judges, earning the team's second best score on the event (13.90).
Sophomore Louis Klein grabbed the spotlight in the Huskers' second rotation, performing an almost flawless routine. His score of 15.60 maxed out the Nebraska school record on the event (15.40), which had been set by teammate Grant Perdue last year. Klein was one of two Huskers during the meet to break 15.00 - Perdue earned a 15.30 on vault later on - and was one of two gymnasts to break the 15.00 mark on floor - Illinois' Yoshi Mori earned a 15.20.
NU then moved to vault, where they earned a total score of 72.600. Klein was the only gymnast on the event that did not break the 14.00 mark. Perdue took home the individual event title, while teammates Josh Ungar and Wyatt Aycock tied for third overall with scores of 14.70.
Nebraska showed improvement on rings, grabbing a season-high 72.300 on the event. All five of the Huskers earned a score of 14.00 or better. Junior Donovan Arndt led NU with an impressive 14.90, followed by junior transfer Zach Hedval with a 14.70. The two claimed second and third, respectively, in the overall standings.
Nebraska struggled on high bar, posting only two scores with a 14.00 or better. Klein tied for second overall on the event with his score of 14.15, falling behind Illinois' Austin Phillips (14.75). Junior co-captain Mark Ringle earned a 14.00, putting him just behind Klein in fourth.
Freshman Sam Chamberlain proved his national placement on parallel bars, grabbing a personal best 15.10 on the event. He was the only gymnast to break a 15.00 on parallel bars, earning him the individual event title. Illinois' Yoshi Mori and Astin Phillips were the closest competitors to Chamberlain, earning scores of 14.80.
Nebraska ended the evening on top, finishing with a score of 425.400. The Huskers overcame the Illini by 1.15 points, boosting them to the No. 9 spot in the national rankings.


text:
Developmental Disabilities on the Rise: Straight from the CDC
There is an "increasing need for health, education and social services, and more specialized health services for people with Developmental Disabilities," reports the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With a significant increase in the prevalence of Developmental Disabilities (DDs), specific findings are alarming.
The CDC classifies Developmental Disabilities (DDs) as a "diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments." DDs present anywhere between birth and 22 years of age and generally last the duration of the person's life. Life activities that are affected include: language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living.
According to the CDC, Developmental Disabilities are on the rise, 17.1 percent in the past 12 years. This translates to 1.8 more children with DDs than the decade prior. Two areas of significant concern are Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ADHD increased 33 percent and Autism (ASD) increased a frightening 289.5 percent. This data was taken from a 12-year CDC study, "Trends in the Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities in U.S. Children."
Sifting through the report's data can be daunting. In short, the study revealed that DDs are common. Approximately 1 in 6 children in the U.S. have a DD. Examples of common DDs include, but are not limited to: ADHD, ASD, Cerebral Palsy, hearing loss, intellectual disability, learning disability, and vision impairment.
The CDC shares that acting early is key to intervention and getting appropriate supports in place for children and their families. This means, parents should carefully follow their child's development, looking at how he or she learns, talks, plays, and so forth. Children should also attend regular visits to the doctor to ensure milestones are achieved and to learn what to expect next in development. To learn more about acting early, visit www.cdc.gov/actearly.
A closer look at how a DD is analyzed for impact and occurrence, based on CDC findings, looking at a snapshot of Autism data: an estimated one in 88 children have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These children come from all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Boys are five time more likely than girls to have ASD. Medical costs for children with ASD are six times higher than medical costs for children without ASD. Intensive behavioral interventions, in addition to medical costs, can cost between $40,000 and $60,000 per year per child with ASD.
The CDC offers a huge listing of resources for professionals and parents alike, which includes links to valuable online sites specific to DDs, which saves time and provides a go-to place for information: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/links.html. Parents can also contact The Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division at 573-522-8024 or visit them online at dss.mo.gov/cd/. Another regional resource is The Missouri Department of Mental Health's Division of Developmental Disability at 573-751-4054 or online at dmh.mo.gov/dd/. Both The Missouri Department of Social Services and The Missouri Department of Mental Health can connect families with local resources and valuable information in addition to providing guidance in navigating services available to children with Developmental Disabilities.


text:
A Florida mother will serve jail time because her underage daughter was behind the wheel in crash that killed a Billerica woman.
Apryl Tucker, 37, of Navarre, Fla., pleaded no contest to a charge of allowing an unauthorized person to drive, according to the Pensacola News Journal. Her daughter, Brianna Henderson, 15 at the time of crash, pleaded no contest to charges of failure to obtain a Florida driver's license, failure to yield right of way at a stop sign and violation of learner's permit requirements.
The June car crash killed Margaret Catyb, 77, of Billerica, who traveled to Florida for her grandson's high school graduation. The News-Journal reports that Henderson ran a stop sign and collided with Catyb's car.
Tucker was sentenced to 60 days in jail, and was placed on six months of probation. Judge Robert Hilliard suspended 40 days of the sentence if Tucker completes probation, performs community service and apologizes to the Catyb family.
Henderson was sentenced to six months probation, the News Journal reports. She must speak about the tragedy at a victim impact panel and at her school, Navarre High.
Hilliard also ordered Henderson to write a letter of apology to the Catyb family, write a 1,000-word paper on the effects of driving a vehicle carelessly and perform 75 hours of community service. She was also ordered to have no contact with the Catyb family, not to possess alcohol or drugs and not to operate a vehicle.
Her driving privileges were revoked for one year, and she must pay fines and court costs in addition to restitution in the case.
Contacted by the News Journal on Friday, son Alley Catyb of Dracut said the family did not wish to comment.