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Setting up a home for a family to live in, to make memories in, is no small feat - picking out exactly what you need from the wide variety of choices that are offered and remain within your budget is something that can send you into a tizzy. Each room in the house needs a specific set of furniture and furnishings - with easy browsing and helpful refiners, Flipkart is a one stop solution, providing both variety and discounts on all your home needs.
Make your bedroom comfortable with a range of cheery comforters and fluffy pillows available on Flipkart. The kind of bed sheet that you need depends on whether you have a single or a double bed - choose from colors and prints from brands that are available on Flipkart like Bombay Dyeing, House This!, Portico and American Swan, among others. Blankets and duvet covers from established brands also make their appearance, to keep you cozy on those cold, winter nights and generally lend a very classy, inviting appearance to your bed.
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Verb | It's alive! |
24-27 Sept 2009
ROOMING MY WORLD - When Invading Memories meet Whatdoyouwanttobe, Strange•R?
Showing at 100%Design, Designersblock, London Design Festival 2009! Find out more: Rooming My World
11 Sept 2008
...and...today's 1st Prize is...
...and...today's 1st Prize is...
now showing at SINGAPORE SUPERGARDEN , the 11th Venice Biennale International Architectural Exhibition.
[ ]
1. a parameter
2. a platform
1. to put into practice
2. to add ; to fill ; to include
1. the absence of any or all units under consideration; an empty space to allow for all things possible.
2. an intermediate between positive and negative values; an in-between ; circular movement of 2 opposites.
3. a shape that implies a non-hierarchic holistic synergy.


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Ernest Hemingway said writers should develop a built-in bullshit detector. I imagine one reason he said that is because readers have their own BS indicators. They can tell when we writers are winging it. We have to know well the worlds in which our characters act. Readers don't have to believe the story really happened, but they need to believe it could have happened. So with that in mind, I offer a few thoughts on research for fiction.
1) You can't do too much research. In the military, we often say time spent gathering intelligence is seldom wasted. The same concept applies in writing a novel. You never know what little detail will give a scene the ring of authenticity. In a college creative writing class, I wrote about how a scuba diver got cut underwater, and in the filtered light at depth, the blood appeared green. Though the professor didn't think much of that particular story, he did concede he liked that detail. In fact, he said, "The author must have seen that." And indeed, I had.
(11 ways to assist a friend in promoting their new book.)
Guest column by Tom Young, author of the military thrillers
The Mullah's Storm and Silent Enemy. His newest novel,
The Renegades, was released by Putnam in July 2012. As
an instructor flight engineer, Young flies with the West
Virginia Air National Guard, and he has served in Iraq
and Afghanistan. He is a former writer and editor for the
broadcast division of the Associated Press. You can find
Young's website at www.tomyoungbooks.com.
2) You can write what you know. We've all heard it before. Experience may be a cruel teacher, but it is a thorough one, and experience is the purest form of research. Things you've done in life (like scuba diving) can inform your writing in surprising ways, even if your characters aren't doing those same things. When I watch the old Star Trek shows, I can tell the creator of those stories knew something about how a military flight crew works together. He understood the dynamics of a chain of command, how a commander learns the strengths and weaknesses of his team, how those team members communicate and work together. Turns out that Gene Roddenberry flew B-17 bombers in World War II. Roddenberry, of course, never flew a starship. But he knew from experience how the crew of a starship might interact.
3) You can do research on the cheap. If you can't visit an exotic location, you can pick up the phone and ask questions. The worst that can happen is somebody thinks you're crazy and they hang up. Then you just call somebody else. (Believe me; I used to be a reporter, and I've learned a lot by asking questions.) You can visit a museum, or a museum's website. Develop an eye for small details.
(Tom's written for the blog before. See his previous column, "The Advice I Needed as a New Writer But Never Got.")
4) You can find anything on YouTube. Seriously. But you have to know your topic well enough to know how to search for it. In The Renegades, I have a character whose lungs collapse from a bullet wound. I wanted to find out how a medic would treat that condition. Sure enough, someone had posted on YouTube a video with detailed instructions on how to perform a needle decompression.
5) You can find things anywhere. You're a writer, so keep pen and paper within reach during all waking hours. You might get an idea from a news story on television, a song on the radio, or a Tweet from a friend. About a year ago, I was driving along on a warm day, listening to the radio with the windows down. An oldies station played "Wind of Change," the Scorpions' 1990 ballad hailing the end of the Cold War. I hadn't heard that song in a long time, and I cranked it up loud. The power chords brought back memories of flying relief missions to Bosnia while based at a disused Cold War alert facility in Germany. Not really a pleasant memory–for Bosnia, the end of the Cold War brought something worse. But that flashback from early in my military career inspired a scene in the novel I'm working on now.
6) You can use all your senses. Find out what things taste like, smell like, feel like. Say, for example, you set your novel in Warsaw. Maybe you can't afford to go to Warsaw, but you can go to a Polish restaurant. (See item number three above, about doing research on the cheap.) As you write one of your scenes, include a line about the texture and flavor of something your character eats. You've just made your writing more alive and authentic.
(Hate writing synopses? Here are nuts & bolts pointers for you.)
7) You can leave some things out. If you do thorough research, you'll find more material than you need, and no reader likes a data dump. In my own writing, I could bore you to death with the details of aircraft and weapons. But a very good creative writing professor once advised me to let the reader "overhear" the tech talk. Say, if my character punches off a HARM missile, that might sound authentic and pretty scary. But scary would turn to dull if I stopped the action to tell you that HARM stands for High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile, which homes in on anti-aircraft missile radars. Who cares? The damn thing goes boom.
Since I began this discussion with a quote from a literary heavyweight of the twentieth century, I'll end it with another: Ezra Pound said literature is news that stays news. And a novelist has nearly the same obligation for accuracy as a news writer. Your made-up world must ring true. Not even fantasy writers can completely escape reality; the old Star Trek episodes sometimes referred to real science, which made them more believable within their context. Though we invent tales that didn't really happen, we drape them over a framework of real-life facts.
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- Literary Agent Interview: Tamar Rydzinski of Laura Dail Literary.
- Be True to Yourself, and Your Writer Voice Will Come.
- Sell More Books by Building Your Author Platform.
- Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and how to write a query letter.
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Expedia-Verified Reviews
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelOahu's Only All Suites hotel, just steps from Waikiki Beach
Popular property highlights
Near Waikiki Beach
This all-suite hotel is located in the entertainment district and is 50 yards from Waikiki Beach Access, adjacent to the Waikiki Beach Walk Shops, 2 miles from the Hawaii Convention Center, and 4 miles from Honolulu.
Complimentary breakfast
This 21-floor Waikiki Beach hotel features multiple restaurants, complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast, and a Grand Lanai with an outdoor pool, whirlpool, and Keiki pool. A daily evening reception features complimentary drinks and light snacks.
Free WiFi
Suites at Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk offer wet bars, compact refrigerators, microwaves, complimentary wireless Internet, and 37-inch flat-screen TVs.
Languages Spoken
- English
Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk features a Grand Lanai with an outdoor pool, drink service, a spa tub, and ocean views. Massage and yoga classes are available on-site. A complimentary evening reception offers live entertainment several nights on the Grand Lanai. The property is smoke-free and family-friendly.
The business center and the fitness center are open 24 hours a day. Both Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary. Secure valet parking is available in the hotel's garage (surcharge). Services available on site include translation, tour assistance, room service, dry cleaning, and event catering.
- Express check-in
- Bar/lounge
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- Local Expert Concierge
- 24-hour front desk
- Poolside bar
- Free breakfast
- Conference space
- Porter/bellhop
- Express check-out
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Meeting rooms 3
- Restaurant
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free WiFi
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Free wired Internet
- Outdoor pool
- Smoke-free property
- Children's pool
- Conference space size (meters) - 145
- Spa services on site
- Free reception
- Luggage storage
- ATM/banking
- 24-hour business center
- Concierge services
- Conference space size (feet) - 1560
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Shopping on site
- Laundry facilities
- Total number of rooms - 369
- Number of floors - 21
- Number of buildings/towers - 2
- Multilingual staff
- Free newspapers in lobby
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Children's pool
- Separate living room
- Free Wi-Fi
- Kitchenette
- Laundry facilities
- Sofa bed
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Languages Spoken
- English
- Chinese
- Filipino
- Japanese
- Korean
Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Kitchenette
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Cable TV service
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free newspaper
- Free toiletries
- Desk
- Free local calls
- Hair dryer
- Daily housekeeping
- Iron/ironing board
- Number of bedrooms -
- Number of bathrooms -
- iPod docking station
- Separate living room
- Microwave
- In-room massage available
- Premium bedding
- Premium TV channels
- Private bathroom
- Refrigerator
- Turndown service
- Separate sitting area
- Shower/tub combination
- Sofa bed
- Video-game console
- Room service (limited hours)
- Separate bedroom
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
Where to Eat
A complimentary breakfast, cooked to order, is provided each morning. A daily manager's reception features complimentary drinks.
Roy's Waikiki - Hawaiian fusion cuisine blending local ingredients with European sauces and Asian spices. Featuring seafood. Serving appetizers, entrees, fresh Hawaiian fish dishes, and desserts. Open for lunch and dinner.
Ruth's Chris Steak House - Featuring prime steaks, fresh local fish, and a New Orleans-inspired menu. Tropical decor and artwork. Serving dinner.
Yard House - Casual restaurant offering a large selection of draft beer. American cuisine featured; menu includes appetizers, salads, pasta, sandwiches, personal pizzas, seafood, steak, ribs, and chops. Open for lunch and dinner.
Pakini Bar - Casual poolside bar serving fresh-off-the-grill menu items as well as tropical beverages.
Kaiwa Waikiki - Tokyo-based teppan-fusion restaurant combining traditional and contemporary styles in innovative and sophisticated dishes.
Nearby Things to Do
Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk includes an outdoor pool, spa tub, and a fitness center. The hotel organizes free morning yoga classes (lasting 1 hour) on-site.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Golfing nearby
- Snorkeling nearby
- Parasailing nearby
- Surfing/boogie boarding nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Scuba diving nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
Spa Services
- Massages
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Check-in time ends at midnight
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Up to 2 children 17 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding. Children may not be eligible for complimentary breakfast.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Optional extras
- Valet parking fee: USD $38.00 per day
Hotel Name
- Embassy Suites Hotel Waikiki Beach
- Embassy Suites Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk Hotel
- Embassy Suites Hotel Walk
- Embassy Suites Walk
- Waikiki Beach Walk
- Embassy Suites Hilton Walk Hotel
- Embassy Suites Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk
- Embassy Suites Hilton Walk
- Embassy Suites Oahu
- Embassy Suites By Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk Hawaii/Honolulu
- Embassy Suites Honolulu
- Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk Hotel Honolulu
- Honolulu Embassy Suites
We should mention
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the resort prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Up to 2 children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. Children may not be eligible for complimentary breakfast.


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Pancho Villa's
Spiced chicken wings were a triumph in this tapas-style restaurant
Pancho Villa's, 240 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH8 8AB (t: 0131 557 4416)
RATING: Food 3.5, Atmosphere 4, Service 3.5, Drinks 4, Toilets 3.5, Website 3.5
My contact promised a friendly atmosphere at busy Pancho Villa's and he was right. He also promised good food and he was right again. He suggested we stayed away from tequila. Sadly, we didn't heed his advice and suffered.
However, that's a side issue. What about the food? The branding says an authentic taste of Mexico and the establishment in Edinburgh's atmospheric Canongate (there is another in Glasgow's vibrant Merchant City) is where creator Mayra Nunez says you savour the flavours and most popular dishes of her home town in Mexico, Valle De Bravo.
Well, the Edinburgh restaurant has been a firm favourite for many over 25 years so they must be doing something right and the in-house team answered a number of questions from diners unsure of what to order particularly as the food is served tapas-style so you to try different dishes. Beware, the bill can mount.
The Alitas de Pollo spiced chicken wings cooked in garlic, coated with chilli and honey proved a wonderful starter, the flavour exploding in the mouth.
My rustic lamb, picked from the specials menu, was interesting without being spectacular. It is lamb cooked with pasilla chillies, roasted garlic and mushrooms and topped with goats cheese. It was served with rice and the first few forkfuls were great but then I became bored with the taste. A pity. The tequila came later so that did not kill my taste buds.
I enjoyed the overall experience – it was busy without being rowdy – but I'll not rush back and I'd hate to be there on a big party night. The noise may be too much.


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More than 200 Norwood School students, parents, teachers and staff members walked the grounds of the school's Potomac campus earlier this month to raise money for schools devastated by Hurricane Sandy in New York City.
"The Norwood community raised and will donate $4,000 to help Literacy Lifeboats purchase books, rugs, easels and bookcases to reconstruct literacy-rich classrooms," said Leanne Gill, spokeswoman for the Norwood School.
Norwood Walks 2012 was part of the Literacy Lifeboats Initiative, which was started by Columbia University's Teachers College Reading and Writing Project to help New York City's K-8 schools after Hurricane Sandy.
"This was a way that our students could participate in coming to the aid of people far away."
- Michele Claeys, associate head and middle school principal, Norwood School
"The walkathon gave us a chance to have some fun together as families and as a community, but also to dedicate that to a worthy purpose. It was a small thing to do, but we believe these little deeds accumulate in the minds and hearts of our kids and help them learn how to be caring, giving people as they get older, which is right at the heart of our mission at Norwood," said Leslie Wallace, president of the Norwood Parents Association and lead organizer of Norwood Walks 2012.
Michele Claeys, associate head and middle school principal said, "This was a way that our students could participate in coming to the aid of people far away. Plus, there is something really nice about students and teachers coming together to help other students and teachers."
Gill said that each time participants completed a lap, they stomped pieces of poster board and signed their names. "At the end of the event, we had six large pieces of poster board covered with little feet," she said.
Students took pride in helping those in need. "I participated because I wanted to help people affected by the storm and because we would have liked it if another school did this for us," said sixth grade student Stephanie Hong.
Norwood officials want the walk to become a school tradition. "Norwood Walks 2012 was so successful, we are hoping this becomes an annual event," said Gill.


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When its corporate members began to announce their plans to cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC, as the group is better known, reacted defensively. The exodus, ALEC charged in a press release, was the result of an "intimidation campaign launched by a coalition of extreme liberal activists." (Click here for more on ALEC and what prompted the corporate defections.)
Just a few days later, ALEC is singing a very different tune. The group is shutting down the task force that worked on Stand Your Ground and voter ID laws, the two types of legislation that prompted progressive groups to pressure corporations to leave ALEC.
In announcing the decision, though, ALEC failed to mention the controversy, framing the move as a simple re-prioritization of resources: "We are eliminating the ALEC Public Safety and Elections task force that dealt with non-economic issues, and reinvesting these resources in the task forces that focus on the economy," a press release stated.
The transparency of this turnabout is almost funny. Who exactly does ALEC think it's fooling? The move is a clear reaction to the increasing toxicity of its brand (with yesterday's departure by Blue Cross Blue Shield, 11 companies have now publicly left the ALEC fold). The real question is how sincere a change ALEC is making.
Bob Edgars, president of advocacy group Common Cause, one of the groups that led the boycott, calls the latest news a victory for public pressure: "The American public has wised up to ALEC's misguided and secretive attempts to co-opt state legislators for corporate profit. In folding its Public Safety and Elections Task Force, ALEC is abandoning under pressure the most controversial part of its agenda."
Rasad Robinson, executive director of boycott leader ColorOfChange.org, is more cautious, calling the move "nothing more than a PR stunt aimed at diverting attention from [ALEC's] agenda."
Even if ALEC truly does drop its focus on the controversial laws that started the defections, though, it's not quitting its economic agenda, which includes bills that take away the unionization rights of workers, privatize schools, protect corporations from environmental regulation, and more. These bills—as well as their corporate origins and their cookie-cutter dissemination—are also controversial, and ALEC is unlikely to find that closing one task force will save it from scrutiny.
The last few months have seen a surge in coverage of ALEC's activities; the corporate departures kept it in mainstream news, and now groups in a number of states are conducting reviews of how ALEC has influenced their laws. Scrutiny is the new norm for ALEC, which, as Brendan Greeley of Bloomberg Businessweek points out, is very bad news for its future functioning:
"If the American Legislative Exchange Council operated with complete openness, it couldn't operate at all. ALEC has attracted a wide and wealthy range of supporters precisely because it does its real work in a black box. Membership lists are secret. The origins of the model bills are secret. Deliberations and votes on model bills are secret. The model bills themselves are secret. The council has designed its entire structure to disguise industry-backed legislation as grassroots work from state legislators. If this becomes clear to everyone, there's no reason for corporations to use it."


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When Jane Levy told family and friends she'd star (and have a demon inhabit her) in the "Evil Dead" remake, she didn't emphasize that she'd spend the shoot freezing in just her underwear, vomiting blood on people.
"You explain it like, 'I get to be the villain and I get to be possessed and I get to be in New Zealand, which is the most beautiful place in the world,'" said Levy by phone from her car in L.A. "All that sounds good, but the details--it starts to get not so much fun anymore."
The 23-year-old star of ABC's sitcom "Suburgatory," who spent a short time in Chicago during her stint on "Shameless," is the best thing in the new "Evil Dead," opening Friday. In the film, adapted from Sam Raimi's 1981 cult favorite (Raimi produced the remake), Levy plays Mia, whose attempt to kick drug addiction during a Midwestern cabin excursion turns deadly after she and her friends unleash evil spirits.
If you, like the characters in "Evil Dead," walked into a room full of dead cats and found a book that was elaborately bound, what would your reaction be?
I would definitely open it. If it said, "don't read it," there's a chance I might. I don't know. I like to think I wouldn't. I might be scared of reading it, but I would definitely open it. I would definitely take the book from the basement and look what's inside.
Would you be more likely to read it if it said "read it" or "don't read it"?
[Laughs.] That's funny. I don't know. That's a really funny question though. [Laughs.]
Thanks to all the fake blood during filming, you had the worst ear infection that a doctor had ever seen. Did you tell him how it got that way?
Yeah, I did. I think he thought it was a little bit entertaining, which is messed up for a doctor to think that but … He didn't say it was the worst ear infection, he said it was the most inflamed ear canal he had ever seen. Which is sort of, I guess, the same thing. He gave me antibiotics, and sure enough I was back to being healthy, but it took a long time for all the blood to actually come out of my ear. Months after we stopped shooting there was still blood coming out of my ear.
Dripping at random?
No, of course not. [Laughs.] No. When I would clean my ear, there would be red residue.
What did you tell the doctor then?
Well, he had visited me on set, so I was in full make-up. I was as evil Mia when he came and saw me on set to look into my ear. So he knew. He knew everything.
A lot of people who were involved in the original were on board for the remake and there was more money to create the vision. In general, how should people determine if a remake is worth doing?
That's a good question. I'm not sure, but I trusted that there was a reason for this remake because, like you said, the original people wanted to make it again. When they made the first movie it was never released in theaters, and they wanted a chance now to make this movie to be released on the big screen, which is where everyone should watch a movie. There's something really magical about the cinema ... And especially this movie when you watch it, I think people should definitely see it in a movie theater because feeling the audience's energy around you is a lot of fun. When I saw it at SXSW with an audience, they were cheering, they were laughing, they were screaming, they were crying, they were yelling. It is a blast to have that experience with a bunch of people.
Can you think of something that has been remade that you were not glad to hear about, or something you hope is never remade?
No, I don't really understand why people get upset. You can still have your other movie. You can still enjoy your other movie, and if you really don't want to you don't have to see the new one. But it's not going to erase the fact that the other one ever existed. So no, I've never gotten upset by a remake but I've seen remakes that were [bleepy]. I've also not seen remakes because they looked [bleepy]. I'm not someone that gets outraged by the thought of a classic movie being made again. The only reason it gets annoying is when that's the only thing being made in Hollywood and it's frustrating because you think that these people are supposed to be artists, and sometimes it feels really uncreative when they just want to remake stuff for money. But that's not how this movie came about at all. It wasn't about ticket sales for Sony. It was about the original creators--they were very much in charge of the whole movie. And they wanted to make it again, so we got the chance.
Why do you think the horror genre tends to get the treatment more often?
I don't know. Horror fans are die-hard. I feel like they are the truest fans there are out there. And that's what originally fascinated me about making a horror film, because I'm not one of those people. I don't flock to the theater every time a horror film comes out. But there are people that just live for it. I don't know why they get more angry; I guess they're just more passionate.
Something that came to mind as I was watching the remake is that as someone [SPOILER ALERT!!]] cut their arm off with an electric knife, a lot of people were hooting and hollering. What do you make of that reaction to extreme violence?
I don't even know. I don't know. It's like really over the top, and our movie is very much a fantasy. None of it is actually real, which makes me feel a little better about it. It's not like a serial killer chopping a little girl up into pieces and we're all screaming and cheering. That makes it a little bit better. I don't know! [Laughs.] I don't want to alienate my fans by saying something mean about it. I don't have an answer for you. It's baffling.
It seems like we discovered something that bothers you in horror movies. There are a lot of them that emphasize a serial killer doing terrible things—
No, I'm not saying it bothers me. I'm just saying when you watch that, usually people don't cheer, right? I mean, if it was a movie that seemed really real or it was based on a true story, I don't think the audience would cheer. I'm not saying they wouldn't want to watch the movie, but there's a difference between the two.
Sometimes I'm confused why they'd want to see it in the first place. Does that ever strike you?
Yeah, but when it comes to that kind of stuff, I think that's different. I think that's being curious about human nature or people that aren't human. And that's sort of fascinating to think of a person on this planet that doesn't have the same feelings that you do. Usually you go see art to feel like you're not alone; I think you look at a painting or you go to a play, art is all about that. But sometimes it's fascinating because you learn about stuff that you don't even understand. Which is, like, why someone could kill—[Laughs.] I feel like we're so far away right now from the original question.
In the long run, how much will this role impact your interest in camping?
Camping? [Laughs.] Oh, I've actually never been camping before. That's really funny, but I think if the opportunity arises any time soon I won't be scared.
Watch Matt on "You & Me This Morning," Friday at 6:55 a.m. on WCIU, the U
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.


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I remember watching Johnny Knox make a few big plays a few years ago.
Apparently, after playing the Seahawks in 2011 he took a career ending hit from Anthony Hargrove (no longer a part of the team). You never want to see anyone have their careers shortened - but a part of me couldn't help but think about the identity that's being formed of the Seahawks all around the league.
Our physicality, discipline & hard hits are officially turning us into a nightmare for WR's & offenses all across the league.
Link - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... -moving-on


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JaCoby Jones and Ty Ross have been near the bottom of the LSU baseball team's batting order and batting statistics, but both were on top of their game in an 11-1 rout of No. 9 Kentucky on Friday night in Alex Box Stadium.
Jones and Ross were both hitting under .200 entering the game, but Jones had his first three-hit game of the season, including a two-run single during a four-run fifth. Ross had his first multi-hit game since Feb. 22, starting two rallies with singles and also walking.
They led a 14-hit attack as Jones raised his average from .188 to .208, and Ross raised his from .179 to .195.
"Wasn't that great to see Jones and Ross have good at-bats and get base hits?" coach Paul Mainieri said. "You knew that sooner or later the breaks would go their way."
The No. 2 Tigers won their 10th straight to match the school-record 28-2 start of the 1986 team and improve to 9-1 in the Southeastern Conference. They can become the first LSU team to go 29-2 when they host the Wildcats (22-7, 6-4) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
LSU, which had a 13-game winning streak earlier in the season, has multiple double-figure winning streaks in the same season for the first time since the 1995 team had 15- and 11-game streaks.
Tigers starter Aaron Nola (5-0) was in control except for some trouble in the fourth and fifth. He allowed just four hits, three walks and one run and struck out seven in seven innings. Will LaMarche pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth.
Nola walked the bases loaded in the fourth, giving him just the second three-walk game in his two seasons at LSU.
That pushed his season total to 10 — three more than he had last season. He gave up the run on two singles and a hit batsmen in the fifth but got out of a first-and-third, one-out jam by getting a double-play grounder to preserve a 1-1 tie.
"Walks bother me the most; they're more frustrating than hits for me," Nola said. "But I bounced back and made the right pitches in the right situations."
LSU bolted from the 1-1 tie in the fifth. Sean McMullen led off by getting hit by a pitch by Kentucky starter A.J. Reed (2-4). Mark Laird tried to sacrifice but forced McMullen at second, and Alex Bregman lined to left.
Raph Rhymes beat out a grounder to third, and Mason Katz walked on four pitches to load the bases. Christian Ibarra hit a slow roller that third baseman Paul McConkey threw past first. Ibarra got an RBI single and went to second as Rhymes scored on the throwing error.
Jones' two-run single made it 5-1, and he clapped his hands repeatedly as he reached first.
"I was pretty excited," he said. "You always want to come through for your team with a two-out hit. It feels real good. It's a confidence booster."
The Tigers increased the lead to 8-1 in the sixth. Ross led off with a single and, after a flyout, Laird forced Ross at second. Bregman walked, and Rhymes singled him home and went to second on the throw home. Katz followed with a two-run single that made it 8-1.
Jones started a three-run rally in the seventh with a leadoff single. After a balk and a groundout, Ross walked and McMullen hit a sacrifice fly. An error by shortstop Matt Reida allowed Ross to score and kept the inning alive for Bregman, who hit an RBI triple to extend his hitting streak to 18 games and push the lead to 11-1.
"Me and JaCoby feed off each other," Ross said. "He's my best friend on the team, and we live with each other. Maybe that has something to do with it. Who knows?"
After Nola struck out the side in the second inning, the third started with McMullen losing McConkey's fly to straight-away right in the lights as he ran to shallow right-center, but Laird came over from center to make a diving catch.
"I saw Sean lost the ball, then I saw the center fielder diving," Nola said. "And I thought, 'My goodness.'
"It was unbelievable how far he came."


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A small number of SLU LAW students are selected each spring to spend the fall semester of their third year at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The program offers many courses in English, so SLU LAW students do not need proficiency in a foreign language, although some knowledge of German or French may enhance the students' experience in Bern. SLU LAW students with adequate command of French or German may also take law courses taught in German at the University of Bern or in French at Bern's sister university, The University of Fribourg.
Students who successfully complete courses at the University of Bern receive credit toward their J.D. degrees from the School of Law. Participants typically take at least 12 credit hours during the exchange and the School of Law will accept a maximum of 14 credits. These credits will not factor into the student's cumulative grade point average, but appear as letter grades on the student's transcript.


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Adam Silver spoke with authority, boldness and precision. When the NBA commissioner made the first major decision of his tenure, banning Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life, Silver spoke as if he had been groomed for the job for some time.
In fact, he had.
In October 2012, when David Stern announced he would retire 15 months later, the NBA owners immediately anointed his deputy, Silver, as the successor.
In September 2013, Bud Selig announced he would retire 16 months later. We're halfway there, with no new baseball commissioner on deck.
That sets the stage for what could be some mighty interesting conversations this week, when baseball's owners meet in New York. While Selig and a small group of owners have launched preliminary discussions about a successor, according to people familiar with the matter but forbidden to speak publicly about it, other owners say they have no idea that any process has started.
"A lot of clubs want to see a search," said one, "and they want to see it soon."
If Selig has his way, there will be no announcement of any formal search. He fears that qualified candidates might excuse themselves from consideration if their names are disclosed. He worries that even putting forth a timetable might hamper the search.
Yet, even within ownership circles, the absence of information fuels speculation. Could Selig change his mind about retirement, as he has done previously? Could a search committee decide he is the best candidate and persuade him to stay on, at least through the 2016 labor talks? Could the executive council of owners decide to run the sport itself until after the labor talks, then appoint a commissioner?
The answers are no, no and no, at least from those close to Selig. That those questions have arisen at the ownership level speaks to a process that values confidentiality over consensus, at least so far.
That is remarkable, given how Selig treasures consensus. He works the phones like a lobbyist, trying to ensure every vote is 30-0. For now, he is gathering input, very deliberately.
We hear that Jerry Reinsdorf of the Chicago White Sox and Arte Moreno of the Angels each is among those involved in the early talks about a new commissioner. Ultimately, though, would the owners simply let Selig pick his successor?
"Absolutely not," one said.
Selig has positioned his deputy, Rob Manfred, as his successor. Manfred is the logical choice, as baseball's longtime labor negotiator, and indications are that owners are not inclined to favor candidates from outside the sport.
Still, if the owners want a full search that would allow for at least the possibility of someone besides Manfred, time is of the essence. If Manfred is not the selection, then a new commissioner would need a fair amount of time to get up to speed, because labor talks would command his immediate attention.
Selig refused to return calls for this column. When he spoke to the Associated Press sports editors last month, he reiterated his intention to retire but declined to explain how a successor would be selected.
"The only thing I can tell you, the only thing I'm going to say about it," he said, "is it's going to be a very comprehensive process, and it needs to be quiet and thoughtful if it's going to be successful."
It needs to be more inclusive, and perhaps a little less quiet, if Selig does not want to risk a fight among a new wave of owners with no great loyalty to him. The new commissioner will need a unified front when collective bargaining talks start. For a man who takes deserved pride in two decades of labor peace, Selig ought not to leave a divided house of owners behind him.


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Daintree's glass plates slideshow
The Richard Daintree collection at the National Museum of Australia consists of ten glass photographic plates depicting various people and places in Queensland between 1864 and 1870.
These images portray miners and their families, Aboriginal people and Islander labourers and life in mining settlements and missions. They extend the much larger body of Daintree's work, which tends to focus on landscapes and geological features.
More on Richard Daintree and his glass plates
Reprography by Lannon Harley.
Image Gallery Page Navigation
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Body of missing Thibodaux man found
Body of missing Thibodaux man found
BELLE ROSE, La. —
Assumption Parish Sheriff Mike Waguespack says the body of the missing 23-year-old Thibodaux man believed shot in the head during a Belle Rose robbery was found by fishermen.
Waguespack tells the Daily-Review the body of Tony Rodriguez Jr. was recovered in the Rocky Canal, at the Iberville/Ascension parish line near Donaldsonville Wednesday afternoon.
The sheriff said a caller on Tuesday to the Sheriff's Office 911 dispatchers stated that someone had just stolen his vehicle and his friend was shot during a robbery on Highway 998 in Belle Rose.
Waguespack said his officers still are sorting out the details concerning the events leading to Rodriguez's death.


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With over 280 million registered users, Sina Corporation (新浪公司) (Nasdaq: SINA) is the largest online Chinese community in the world. [1] [2] The company's main services are its web portal, Sina.com, and its microblog site, Weibo.com. The company's main revenue stream is advertising sales on its web portals (sites offering aggregated local news, entertainment, sports, etc. content). The company also sells mobile phone applications, ringtones, and other content to mobile phone users. Although the company's main audience is in mainland China, it also delivers local content to Chinese communities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and North America.
With an already sizable community, Sina is well positioned to take advantage of the of the growing popularity of Web 2.0 and has begun to focus on user generated content. Sina Blog grew tenfold in the past year, and during the same time, the company launched Sina Podcasting, a service similar to You-Tube that lets users to upload videos. These efforts contributed to a 10% increase in revenues to $212.9 million with online advertising revenues increasing 44%.[3]
Revenue grew +12.3% YoY to $403 million, with strong sales in Advertising (+27.6% YoY) offsetting weakness in MVAS (-27.8% YoY). Advertising growth was driven by demand related to the World Cup. The decline in MVAS revenue was mainly due to China Mobile implementing policy changes, including suspension of WAP billing, limiting the service offerings and partnerships allowed for each SMS code, and requirements for additional confirmations and notices before purchasing.[4]
Gross profit grew +14.8% YoY to $248 million, driven by strong YoY sales and gross margin expansion in the Advertising segment (gross profit margin grew from 56% to 60% in 2010).
Operating profit grew 130.3% YoY, driven by improved gross margins and proportionally lower SG&A spending. Total operational expenses declined 15% YoY, driven by lower marketing expenses for the Advertising and MVAS segments and lower stock-based compensation charges.
Net income for the year was $-19.1 million, the company's first net loss since it achieved profitability in 2002. The company spun off its online real estate advertising business and recognized a loss of about $129 million, pushing net income into the red.[5]
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Matrix Transmission Problems
I would like to talk with you and will call you? Here is the message I recently posted which is closely related to what happened to you:
#25 of 26Re: Matrix engine and steering failure [richardi1] by robincm Oct 09, 2009 (9:08 pm)Save | Reply
Replying to: richardi1 (Feb 15, 2008 7:56 pm)
"On October 7th, 2009, I experienced a very similar situation to what Richard described. In my case, my 2007 Matrix lost engine and steering power in the middle of the freeway while I was on my way to work. Thank God I was only traveling 40 or so miles per hour because of traffic; if I had been traveling faster, I have no doubt this incident could have resulted in injuries and/or fatalities. Did I mention there were four other vehicles involved? After investigating the incident, my insurance company told me I'm not at fault because the car stalled. The CHP and highway transportation personnel at the scene also told me it looked like a mechanical problem. My car was towed to the local Toyota dealership and they've had it since that date. I have received a phone message from Toyota service each day, near the end of the day, telling me they are testing my car, their computer reports aren't showing any problem codes, and they need to keep working on my car. Finally this afternoon, around 4:00 p.m., I received a call from the service manager who told me "there is nothing wrong with your car", "come and pick it up", and (by the way), the daily rental car fee clock is ticking. To top things off, I was told by service I would not be charged for a rental vehicle and have no intention of paying them one penny. Toyota is taking absolutely no responsibility whatsoever for this situation, and I have decided I will not drive the car again because I believe it is unsafe. This is a warning to other Toyota customers...Beware!"
Here is an update on what I wrote above:
We went back to the Toyota dealer and were told the car is in perfect condition and there is nothing wrong with it. This report was given to us by the assistant service manager. The person who was with me asked to see a report showing us what the dealership did to check the car and what the results were. We were given a copy and realized the only things Toyota did were 1). Ran a computer report which they claim showed nothing was wrong with the vehicle, and 2). Test drove the vehicle. They never even checked the transmission, fuel line, battery (whatever else) that may have caused the problem. Toyota did offer to let us leave the Matrix in their parking lot because I stated that I am not comfortable driving the car because I believe it is unsafe. I also will not take the car back to try and pass it off by selling it to someone else. I am looking into all of my rights. I believe this is a potentially very serious problem and people's lives are at stake. PS. We weren't charged for the rental car--Thanks so very much, Toyota!0
I don't believe in joining the ranks of those threatening a lawsuit unless I have very valid concerns. Well, I do. I was in what could have been a potentially life-threatening accident when my Matrix stalled on a major freeway (please read my other posts for details). I am not only concerned about myself--I am also concerned about the others on our freeways who may be hurt or killed because of what appears to be a serious problem and a smoking gun for Toyota. Toyota is telling me nothing is wrong with my car and are washing their hands of the problem; this is based on their computer printout results. We all know computers can fail, and in the event of such a serous problem, my car should have been thoroughly and completely examined. I refused to drive it home, and it's still sitting in the Toyota parking lot. We are looking at a big loss because we spent $20,000 when we purchased it. I am interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit because I can't ethically or consciously sit back and do nothing. The money is important but warning others about the problem is much more important.0
scubamunda Posts: 3My manual 2003 transmission also went out but with about 72,000 miles. We took out the original and put in another used transmission. That one started to show signs of problems and we decided to take the original transmission to AAMCO to get it re-built. They found that one of the bearings was shot and replaced others that were showing signs of wear. Now we are at about 150,000 miles and are having the SAME EXACT problems all over again! If I had known that I would have to replace the transmission every 70,000 miles, I would never have bought this car! Of course, we were just outside the warantee when the first incident occurred and now we're out several grand in repairs. http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0d9b0e!make=Toyota&model=Matrix&e- d_makeindex=.f0d9b0e seems there is a class action suit in the making. Toyota should have taken care of this one before it came to that! I have always bought Toyotas because they have been so reliable . . . next time maybe I should consider a Honda or a Nissan... or... another make.0
I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal...
Did you read message #345?
Apparently that's the way to go if we want results..
Mine is an automatic and at 115 thou miles its being replaced.My last Toyota.0
No dont buy a sorry [non-permissible content removed] Matrix0
blueprint2jayz Posts: 1Occasionally when going down hills, while applying brakes, the transmission will downshift and the rpms shoot up to 4 or 5 thousand, is this a feature in toyota's auto trans??0
vandy22 Posts: 2Another victim! I have a 2003 Vibe with 5 spd manual transmission that experienced catastrophic transmission failure while driving down the highway. 110,000 miles on the car. Mechanic said the bearings disintegrated causing extensive damage in the transmission. $3200 to replace it with a used one with 44K on it. After reading these posts I'm reluctant to get it fixed but feel like i have little choice. I filed complaints with www.safercar.gov, Toyota and Pontiac. If you have been victim of this faulty transmission, PLEASE take the time to file complaint at www.safercar.gov We could have easily been killed when the transmission blew. Toyota needs to step up and take responsibility for their inferior product.0
Hello, I filled a complaint with Toyota and also tried to fill out the claim at that website. There seems to be some kind of technical problems with their site... when I hit "second page" or continue to second page, it doesn't go anywhere... thus never finalizing the claim...
Have you had similar experience? Any suggestions?
trans07 Posts: 1hi everybody
The 5 speed trans on my matrix 07 have the same trouble and I have only 140,000 km...0
Hello, did you check message #345?
If we all follow through, we might see some results....
mat04rix Posts: 1Unfortunately we will add ourselves to the hundreds of others who are having similar transmission issues w/ our 2004 Matrix. With 98k we were told to replace the throwout bearing, clutch and pressure plate as we were on the highway when a horrific grinding noise occurred- the car grabbing & bucking, lost 5th & 4th gears.
Now that this work has been completed, the car appears to be making the same noises indicating the tranny main bearing in need of replacement. Reading on line found hundreds of similar complaints and wanted to register ours as we firmly believe Toyota has produced an inferior product. We had owned a few other Toyota's in past years, Corolla, Celica and P/U trucks and kept through a couple hundred thousand miles with no major engine/tranny issues. NOW, we are surprised and disgusted that this once reliable car company has put safety and dependability as a LOW priority. It appears-Buyer Beware- and I am hoping all others with similar issues display their experiences in hopes Toyota will acknowledge and be accountable for such a disgraceful product and assist consumers with these extraordinary repair expenses. Should we decide to now replace this vehicle- not put good money to bad (and a hardship to replace a dead 5yr old vehicle), it will NOT be a Toyota as we are afraid they DO NOT stand behind their products. PLEASE write in, call and make your issues known to Toyota, the media and other resources so that perhaps our voices will be heard and perhaps reconsideration by Toyota be made to make good on this. :sick:0
Sorry to hear you're one more upset Matrix driver...
Make sure you read and follow through with recommended actions on message#345
Happy Holidays
Bryan: Hey, the phone number you gave is not good and I have no other way to contact you. I have a 2005 Matrix 5sp with 117k miles. Tranny going.
I live right next door in NH.
What are we going to do??
[email protected]0
caseyd1 Posts: 1I have a 2004 Toyota Matrix XR with about 90,000 miles. I took it in because my gears were slipping, specifically when I was getting up to speed on the freeway. Pretty scary and very unsafe to have gears slip! I couldn't believe that I would need a new clutch. I grew up driving manual cars, and I have never had a clutch problem. When I took it in, I found out that the transmission was the problem. The transmission was leaking fluid onto the clutch causing the clutch to be greasy...hence why my gears were slipping.
I did purchase the extended warrantee with Toyota. Unfortunately, it expired on June 29th of this year. It was a year OR 100,000 mile warantee (their Gold Plan). I am very disappointed with Toyota. I have taken my car to get it service at the dealership since I took it off the lot. Its very discouraging to learn that other people are having the same (or general) transmission problems. I purchased a Toyota vehicle because I believed in their company and their cars. After this experience, I don't know if I would buy another one.
Anyway, after learning that there is a widespread problem with the Matrix transmission, I would like to do something about it! Toyota needs to fix this and make their customers safe.
Please let me know what I can do.
[email protected]0
Sorry to hear...
did you read message #345?
make sure to follow through to help build a case...
Happy Holidays
johnc19 Posts: 15I have a 2005 Matrix with the 5-speed manual that has been trouble-free to this point (63K miles). Before reading your post about problems with your 2007, I believed that the Matrix manual transmission problems were limited to the 2003 and 2004 model years. I've also read on this thread that the manual transmission design was changed for 2005 and subsequent years.
I'm wondering if you can expand on the issues with your 2007 and whether or not it has been resolved?
Has anyone else heard of Matrix manual transmission issues for 2005 and subsequent years? Up until now, I've been thinking I wouldn't be affected.0
I just did a bearing change in my '05 Matrix 5 sp with 117k miles. There were two bearings inside the tranny that had started to fail. Not the bearing on the input shaft.
the independent shop who did the work also changed out the clutch. the total bill was $1242 which is 1/3 what it would cost for a replacement (new) transmission.
It turns out those bearings were accessible through the back of the tranny-after removing a housing.
the symptom was a low but distinct growling sound anytime the clutch was engaged. It was especially noticeable when the car was stopped and the clutch engaged in neutral. Once we had diagnosed the problem, I babied it for 2 weeks until a window opend up at the shop.
We'll see how it goes after another 10-15k miles.0
jclinard Posts: 1Last night on my husband's way home from work the car starting to make a grinding noise. He drove the car to our mechanic's shop and we found out today that the transmission is shot and a new clutch should be installed. The car has about 144,000 miles on it and we have been having a hard time to find someone to rebuild the transmission - no one will touch it since it is a known conditiion and they don't want to warranty it. Found a transmission in FL but the cost is $2300 with another $900 to install.Have complained on the safecar.gov site and to Toyota. Sad part is we also own a 2009 Matrix 5 speed XRS which the book value is half of what I paid for it 18 months ago. Toyota vehicles have always held their value but I don't think this model is. I have had other issues with the new Matrix and found Toyota to not stand by their vehicles like they use to - no quality assurance in the vehicles anymore either.0
Same issue here - grinding noise that is diagnosed as needing a new transmission for a cost of $3200. Car has about 115,000 miles. We've never had this happen to any of our cars, including Toyotas. I have emailed the person from message #345, but have not heard back. Has anyone else heard of any activity with a class action suit? In the meantime, I will add my vehicle to the safercar.gov site.0
are you still collecting information?0
mariano_torres Posts: 1This is happening to my '05 which I bought at nearly 58K and didn't start making that noise till probably 60K. I'm approaching 62K+/- and am concerned with the actual problem. I hear this grinding when i turn the car on a cool day and it slowly goes away. What is that?0
marmac Posts: 1THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 04 MATRIX 5 SPEED IS ON IT'S WAY OUT. MY MECHANIC SAYS I HAVE MAYBE ANOTHER 1000 MILES. ONLY 94K ON THE CAR. ANY NEWS ON A CLASS ACTION SUIT? THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. NEVER NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION ON ANY CAR EVEN THE BMW I OWNED WITH 450K ON THE ORIGINAL ENGINE.0
As I write this my '04 Matrix with the 5 speed manual is getting it's transmission replaced. $3,000. About a year before it failed it crunched 4th to 5th or 3rd to 5th when passing a car or quickly accelerating. If you took your time shifting, it didn't do this. About a week before the failure it sounded a little loud, but I just blamed the sub zero weather. The failure sounded like filling your blender with rocks, and turning it on. 5th did not work. I will never buy a Toyota again. Duh! This car also had more squeaks and rattles than my 65 Corvair convertible!!!
I'm following up with message 345.
I have no idea about that car by my post!
Reply to Bryan, I just called Toyota, all I can say was they were polite. I filed a complaint with safercar.gov.
Stop driving it now, take it to a trustworthy transmission shop and have it fixed before it massively self destructs. It's to last for me.0
k00dalgo Posts: 1I have an 04 Matrix XRS 6 speed with 115,000 miles. So far it has been a wonderful car. I had the clutch changed a little less than a year ago. The car had about 108,000 when I changed the clutch maybe a little less. It was still on the OEM prior to the repair.
Today something happened to the clutch. The car did not make any horrific noises or anything. I was simply unable to put it into gear while I was trying to get on the freeway. It didn't start to slip first or anything. I also could not press the clutch pedal all the way to the floor.
When I changed the clutch several months ago, I knew it was coming because it had started to slip about a month prior.
So now when I start the car it idles just fine. No noise. It's just as quiet as ever. It only made a noise when I tried to put it in gear. I was not able to get it into gear at all. It made a brief smell of clutch at the time, but it faded quickly.
So I am reading here about all these people with transmission issues, and I am trying to get a clarification on what these other cars did when the transmissions went out?
I am no car expert. I am just hoping it is just a clutch issue and not a "you need a new transmission issue". It seems in this thread that there are people with clutch issues and people with bad transmissions. Can anyone clarify their experiences with their Matrix? What happened exactly when the transmission went out? and when it made the grinding noise? Did it make the grinding noise while it was just idling?
In checking other forums, it seems that if the transmission is going then the car would be making an awful noise. But my car is not doing that. It just wont go into gear?
Since it's a weekend, I can't get it to my mechanic until Monday.
so in the meantime, I am just sitting here worried...
can anyone clarify for me?0
peteretal Posts: 1Just unfortunately had this same problem!
Thanks for the info about reporting to www.safercar.gov
Hopefully there will be some recourse for us all!
Below is my report:
While driving down the highway one evening, an odd clicking sound was heard from the front end of our 2003 Toyota Matrix (manual transmission with 88,000 miles). The sound was louder with acceleration. After getting off the highway, the sound was noted to be louder in higher gears, and absent when the clutch was pressed down. The vehicle was brought in for service at our local Toyota dealer the next morning. After paying a $95 diagnostic fee, we were told the vehicle needed a new transmission at the estimated cost of $3300, with nothing being covered by any warranty or recall.
We brought the car to a transmission specialist for a rebuild. The bearings, rings, and two transfer gears were replaced, along with the clutch, at a cost of $2100. It is noted that the mechanic had a delay in getting the parts due to a manufacturer back order, reportedly from a high demand due to many others with the same problem with this makek/model car!
This is our first Toyota, which we bought due to their good reputation. It has been regularly maintained and subjected to only normal driving conditions. We have never had a vehicle with transmission problems and are shocked that this expensive repair was needed on such a young car. Toyota should be held responsible for covering the cost of what appears to be widespread transmission failure due to defective/inferior parts used on this vehicle!0
I would tow it to the dealership before driving it any further. If the bearing is starting to fail you may need to just replace that. If you drive it and the bearing blows, the whole transmission and clutch is gone. Might be just a clutch problem as it seems to me from reading these that XRS has more clutch issues than transmission issues. Not sure if the parts are different than the non-XRS? Getting the clutch or bearing replaced is MUCH less expensive than the whole transmission obviously. Don't take the chance, get it looked at.
Mine seemed fine on the highway expect for a high pitched whining noise. Prior to that it just sounded like a hole in the muffler. One the whining started, and I tried to shift down to stop, crunching noises started. After stopping and then starting again to continue driving to the nearest town, shifting was very difficult and crunchy sounding. Once I got into highway speed it went along fine, until of course I had to shift down again to stop. After that it would not shift again into any gear and I could not drive it at all. Horrible sounds when I tried to shift.0
By the way, this happened (message 378) Oct 2007 on a 5.5y old 2003 Matrix 5 spd. I bought mine within 3mths of them coming onto the market so mine was one of the earlier ones to die, back at message #86 or something on this board. I replaced the trans at a cost to me of $3000, Toyota paid the other $2000, and I sold the car immediately. I had an '84 Corolla from 1990-1998 that never gave me quite that much trouble until it was old. I'll never buy another Toyota the rest of my life and I tell everyone about my crappy experience.
I can't believe that just the other day I saw a commercial from Toyota advertising their great reliability! Must be a reason why they all of sudden have to advertise that. Used to be a well known fact, but not anymore! I really want to see a news story about this issue, but no luck yet after 2.5y of cars falling apart one by one.0


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NEW ORLEANS — Leonard Fournette and Speedy Noil will be wearing purple and gold at LSU on Saturday.
But don't read too much into that, recruitniks.
Fournette, the running back from St. Augustine, and Noil, the wide receiver from Karr, ranked the nation's No. 1 and 8 football prospects by ESPN, will be sporting their high school colors, both, coincidently purple and gold, in the Class 4A state track championships at LSU's Bernie Moore Stadium.
Fournette is in the 100 and 200 meters along with the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. Noil, hampered by an ankle injury suffered a Nike camp last month, is in the long jump and 4x100 but missed qualifying in the triple jump, in which he has the state's top mark.
And while a curious few might be checking out the meet just to see the two in the flesh, for Fournette and Noil it's a not a day when whether or not someday they'll suiting up in Tiger Stadium is on their agendas.
"I'm leaving the recruiting stuff up to my parents right now," Fournette said. "And I won't focus on football until track season's over."
Echoed Noil, who, like Fournette, has said he won't commit until January, "I've put football and recruiting on the side."
It's not always easy.
At last week's regional meet, Noil was wearing a pair of purple LSU socks ("They don't make any Karr socks, or I'd have been wearing them") and when some snapped a photo of the Karr relay team and then put a cropped version online featuring only Noil and his socks, he received several text messages congratulating him on his choice of schools.
Actually, LSU isn't even in Noil's top three right now — that's Southern California, Florida and Texas A&M. But in the digital age, recruiting rumors can run rampant.
"I just try to ignore it," Noil said. "Nobody knows how I really feel but my mother, my grandmother and my aunt."
Similarly, Fournette does his best to make the recruiting hullabaloo just so much white noise.
That's where track comes in.
They're going to be playing on Saturdays in 2014 and quite possibly Sundays a few years down the road. But right now, they're high school juniors representing their schools.
"More than anything else, I want to help Karr win the state championship," Noil said. "Any time I'm representing this school in any sport I try to be the best I can be and help us come out with the victory."
Said Fournette, "I love the competition. Who wants to be second or third?
"Everybody wants to be first."
Until this season, Fournette had been somewhat of a reluctant thinclad. But it's finally kicked in that it was an ideal conditioning too.
At 225 pounds, 10 shy of his football playing weight, Fournette is hardly the ideal size for a sprinter. He outweighs Noil by 45 pounds.
However, his 200 regional mark of 21.57 seconds is tops in 4A and his 10.68 in the 100 is only .02 off the best time. The Purple Knights' 4x200 relay is No. 1 at 1:26.83 and the 4x100's 41.35 is second to Karr's 41.37.
"I don't know how much faster he'd be if he weighed about 20 pounds less," St. Aug Coach Darren Dixon said. "The main thing is that this year Leonard's been consistent about coming to practice and doing the right things.
"And you've seen his times drop every week. You can tell he knows what it takes to win."
Noil, as his nickname indicates, has been track-oriented since he was a youngster, although he credits his track training with his trademark explosiveness on the football field.
"It helps keep me in shape," he said. "I always want to be the fastest one on my football team."
No matter how things turn out Saturday, both Fournette and Noil should take pride in their dedication to track.
While most elite prep athletes specialize, they've chosen a second sport not just for the personal benefit but to help their teams win a state championship.
"Track isn't for everybody," Noil said. "A lot of guys won't do it because they know if you just play around with it you're not going to be successful.
"I take everything to heart. We were No. 1 in football and we're going to be No. 1 in track."


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H1N1 flu confirmed in Iowa cat
Prior to this diagnosis, the H1N1 influenza virus had been found in humans, pigs, birds and ferrets.
The 13-year-old cat tested positive for the H1N1 virus after it was taken to the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, according to reports from the Iowa Department of Public Health.
The confirmed diagnosis was achieved through a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Advanced Host Defenses, Immunobiotics and Translational Comparative Medicine, USDA, and IDALS Animal Industry Bureau.
In a related briefing, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) reminded pet owners that some viruses can pass between people and animals. Owners should seek veterinary care when signs, symptoms occur, the association says in a prepared statement.
AVMA says it is actively tracking cases of H1N1 in animals and posting updates on its Web site at www.avma.org.


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Also immortal
I'm not sure you'll ever persuade many people that government spending is actually FREE, tho' I follow the argument. For me the more persuasive answer is that the US Government isn't like a household because it is immortal. We mortals can take out a 30 year mortgage without being considered out of our minds because 30 years is on a par with a human working lifespan. If we all lived -- and could continue making a consistent level of income -- for CENTURIES, it would make as much sense to borrow for an indefinite period. Just as Britain paid for the Napoleonic Wars with perpetual bonds. And far from killing themselves with debt, the 19th century was a period of unprecedented prosperity for the UK -- at least for those with enough social status to get a share of the goodies. (Don't it ALWAYS boil down to being in the club?)


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|MLB Career Stats
|West Tenn
|January 16, 2013
|Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent Juan Cruz.
|August 23, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates released RHP Juan Cruz.
|August 20, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates designated RHP Juan Cruz for assignment.
|August 12, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates activated RHP Juan Cruz from the 15-day disabled list.
|August 6, 2012
|sent RHP Juan Cruz on a rehab assignment to Altoona Curve.
|July 21, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates placed RHP Juan Cruz on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 18, 2012. Right shoulder inflammation.
|June 1, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates activated RHP Juan Cruz from the restricted list.
|May 28, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates placed RHP Juan Cruz on the restricted list.
|April 4, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of Juan Cruz from Indianapolis Indians.
|April 4, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates activated RHP Juan Cruz.
|February 1, 2012
|Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent RHP Juan Cruz to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|February 1, 2012
|Juan Cruz assigned to Indianapolis Indians.
|October 30, 2011
|RHP Juan Cruz elected free agency.
|August 2, 2011
|Tampa Bay Rays activated RHP Juan Cruz from the 15-day disabled list.
|July 30, 2011
|sent RHP Juan Cruz on a rehab assignment to Charlotte Stone Crabs.
|July 18, 2011
|Tampa Bay Rays placed RHP Juan Cruz on the 15-day disabled list. Right groin strain.
|March 30, 2011
|Tampa Bay Rays selected the contract of Juan Cruz from Durham Bulls.
|February 3, 2011
|Tampa Bay Rays signed free agent RHP Juan Cruz to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|February 3, 2011
|Durham Bulls signed free agent Juan Cruz.
|April 23, 2010
|Kansas City Royals released RHP Juan Cruz.
|September 23, 2009
|Kansas City Royals activated RHP Juan Cruz from the 15-day disabled list.
|August 6, 2009
|Kansas City Royals placed RHP Juan Cruz on the 15-day disabled list. Strained Right Shoulder
2007 Postseason Highlights: Tossed 0.1 inning, allowing 1 hit, in the NLDS against his former Cubs teammates...saw action in 3 NLCS games against Colorado, tossing 4.0 innings and allowing 1 unearned run.2006 Cruz worked both out of the starting rotation and in relief in 2006. He wasn't very consistent as a starter. After pitching out of the 'pen in April, he was moved into the starting rotation until he rejoined the bullpen when the D-Backs acquired Livan Hernandez from the Nationals. Cruz was a candidate to pitch in relief as he strained his right shoulder, which landed him on the disabled list for nearly a month. His best start of the season came on Aug. 8 against the Giants, when he gave up one earned run over 7 1/3 innings. Cruz finished the year with a 5-6 record and a 4.18 ERA. 2005 Opened the season in the A's bullpen but struggled in that role, posting an 8.49 ERA in 21 relief appearances...was sent to Triple-A Sacramento in the middle of June and moved into the starting rotation...returned to the Oakland bullpen in September and posted a 4.82 ERA in seven games...combined to go 0-3 with a 7.44 ERA in 28 games with the A's, all in relief...struck out 34 batters in 32.2 innings, an average of 9.37 per nine innings...allowed a .290 opponents batting average which broke down to .296 (21 for 71) against right-handed hitters and .283 (17 for 60) against left-handers...allowed four of his five home runs to right-handers...allowed 13 extra base hits for a .489 opponents slugging percentage...his opponents average rose to .314 (11 for 35) with runners in scoring position...allowed a .237 (18 for 76) opponents batting average over his first 15 pitches in a game and .364 (20 for 55) after that...first batters faced were 7 for 26 (.269) with two walks and he allowed 4 of 16 (25.0%) inherited runners to score...posted a 4.11 ERA (7 er in 15.1 ip) and allowed a .214 (12 for 56) opponents batting average in 14 outings on the road compared to a 10.38 ERA (20 er in 17.1 ip) and .347 (26 for 75) opponents batting average in 14 outings in Oakland...allowed at least one run in 15 of his 28 outings, including two or more nine times...struck out at least one batter in 20 of his outings, including 13 in a row from April 23 to May 29 (22 so in 15.0 ip)...allowed a run in each of his first four outings (9 er in 5.0 ip, 16.20 ERA)...including April 11 against Toronto when he matched his relief career high with four runs...allowed just one earned run over his next six outings (7.2 ip, 1.17 ERA) through May 11 but then posted a 10.13 ERA (12 er in 10.2 ip) over his next 11 outings through June 16 and was optioned to Sacramento on June 17...brought back to Oakland when rosters expanded on September 1 and did not allow a run in four of his seven outings...first hitters faced went 1 for 7 following his return...tossed 3.0 innings on September 7 against Seattle, matching his longest career outing as a reliever...allowed three runs on five hits in 2.0 innings on September 21 against Minnesota...the hits were his most ever allowed in a relief appearance...spent the balance of the season in Sacramento's starting rotation and went 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 13 starts...struck out 90 batters in 75.0 innings, an average of 10.80 per nine innings...finished second on the River Cats in strikeouts despite spending just 2? months of the season there...walked just 28 for a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.2 to 1...allowed just four home runs or one every 18.8 innings...allowed a .192 opponents batting average which included a .179 (22 for 123) mark against left-handed hitters and .203 (29 for 143) against right-handers... opponents hit .184 (9 for 49) with runners in scoring position, including .125 (3 for 24) with RISP and two outs...allowed a 1.41 ERA (8 er in 51.0 ip) over the first four innings of the game and a 4.50 ERA (12 er in 24.0 ip) from the fifth inning on...tossed six or more innings in nine of his 13 starts, allowed two runs or fewer nine times and walked two batters or fewer seven times...allowed two runs or fewer in each of his first seven outings, going 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA (7 er in 41.0 ip)...was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week twice over that span...first time came for the week of June 27 to July 3 as he struck out 10 in 5.1 shutout innings on June 27 against Portland and 11 in 7.0 innings on July 3 against Salt Lake...won it again for the week of July 11-17, striking out a season high 13 in a season high tying 7.0 innings on July 16 against Colorado Springs...suffered his only loss of the season on July 31 at Nashville to start a four start stretch where he went 1-1 with a 5.09 ERA (13 er in 23.0 ip)...did not allow a run over his final two starts (11.0 ip), including August 23 at Salt Lake when he pitched 4.0 innings without allowing a hit. 2004 Pitched exclusively in relief for the first time in his career and was 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 50 games...the wins and games pitched were a career high and the ERA and his .224 opponents batting average were career lows...allowed 4 of 13 (30.8%) inherited runners to score, first batters faced were 10 for 45 (.222) with five walks and he did not have any save opportunities...struck out 70 in 72.0 innings for an average of 8.75 strikeouts per nine innings which was second best among Atlanta relievers...fanned four or more batters in a game five times...allowed a .239 (26 for 109) opponents average against left-handers and .214 (33 for 154) against right-handers...opponents average dropped to .159 (10 for 63) with runners in scoring position...finished 22 games, which ranked second on the Braves, and 17 of his outings were 2.0 innings or more...pitched a season-high 3.0 scoreless innings April 9 vs. Chicago (5 so) and August 15 vs. St. Louis (3 so)...struck out a season-high seven batters in 3.0 innings on June 13 at Chicago (AL)...posted a 1.88 ERA (3 er in 14.1 IP) in 10 games in the month of August...picked up his fifth and sixth wins of the season in consecutive outings against Montreal on September 11 and 12...made three postseason appearances for the Braves in the NLDS against Houston and posted a 9.82 ERA, allowing four runs on six hits in 3.2 innings...walked four and struck out four. 2003 Had four stints with the Cubs, going 2-7 with a 6.05 ERA...made six starts and 19 relief appearances...opened the year in the Cubs' bullpen before being optioned to Triple-A Iowa on June 3...was also in the Majors June 26-July 4, July 26-August 14 and August 31 through the end of the year...went 1-3 with a 5.45 ERA (20 er in 33.0 ip) in his starts...became just the second Cubs reliever to strike out six consecutive batters in one game on Opening Day 2003 at New York (March 31)...the only other Cub reliever to accomplish that feat was Bruce Sutter (September 8, 1977 vs. Montreal)...his next outing April 4 at Cincinnati, he fanned the first two batters he faced (Brandon Larson, Adam Dunn) to tie a Cub mark for consecutive strikeouts (8)...picked up his first win of the season May 1 at San Francisco, working 2.0 perfect innings in the Cubs' 10-inning, 5-1 victory.... made his first start of the campaign July 26 at Houston and took the loss in a 3-1 contest (6.0 ip, 4 h, 3 r, 3 bb, 5 so)...picked up a victory September 5 at Milwaukee (4-2), allowing two runs and six hits in 6.2 innings...it was his first big league win as a starter since May 21, 2002, vs. Pittsburgh (4-3)...in a September 13 start against Cincinnati, he tripled off John Bale...was the first Cubs pitcher to leg out a three-base hit since Kevin Foster on August 20, 1996, vs. Florida...appeared in one postseason game for the Cubs, going 1.0 inning in relief in Game 4 of the NLCS against Atlanta...started nine games for Iowa, going 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA...fanned 47 batters in 50.2 innings while allowing 37 hits and just one home run...allowed two or fewer runs in all nine starts at Iowa...issued two or fewer walks in eight of his outings. 2002 Appeared in 45 games and went 3-11 with his first Major League save and a 3.98 ERA...opened the campaign in the starting rotation and went 1-7 with a 3.74 ERA in nine starts...errors resulted in 11 unearned runs being scored off him in his starting assignments...worked at least 6.0 innings in four starts, allowed two or fewer earned runs in six starts, issued two or fewer walks in three starts and allowed nine first-inning runs...the Cubs went 2-7 in his starts...lost his first seven decisions...was the fourth Cub to open a season 0-7, joining Bill Caudill in 1979, Danny Jackson in 1992 and Mike Morgan in 1994...finally earned his first win of the season May 21 in a 4-3 affair against Pittsburgh...after allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits in the first inning, he settled down to throw one-hit ball over his final 5.0 innings...following that start, he was shifted to the bullpen...in his 36 relief outings, he went 2-4 with a 4.18 ERA...in his bullpen appearances, he held opponents to a .217 batting average...retired the first batter he faced in 23 of his outings...had a pair of 3.0 inning relief stints...ended the campaign with a 2.32 ERA (8 er in 31.0 ip) over his final 23 appearances...earned his first career win out of the bullpen September 1 in a 5-4 victory against St. Louis...recorded his first ML save September 21 at Pittsburgh, working a scoreless ninth inning in a 4-2 contest...was on the disabled list August 10-August 24 with a strained right arm...had allowed two runs in 13.1 innings in his final 10 outings before going on the injured list. 2001 Saw his first big league action, going 3-1 with a 3.22 ERA in eight starts after his contract was purchased from Double-A West Tenn on August 21...made his first ML start August 21 against Milwaukee and suffered the loss in a 3-1 contest (6.0 ip, 3 h, 2 r, 1 bb, 8 so)...in his second start August 26 vs. St. Louis, he picked up his first victory in a 6-1 contest...allowed four hits in 5.2 scoreless innings...picked up his first two hits October 2 vs. Cincinnati (singles off Lance Davis and Chris Reitsma)...was utilized three times as a pinch runner (August 28 vs. Florida, September 1 at Atlanta, September 30 vs. Houston)...in 23 starts for West Tenn, he was 9-6 with a 4.01 ERA...fanned 137 batters in 121.1 innings of work and allowed fewer than two earned runs in 10 of his starts...at the time of his promotion to the Cubs, his strike-out total ranked third in the Southern League...averaged 10.2 strikeouts for every 9.0 innings of work...surrendered just 6 homers (1 every 20.2 innings) while holding batters to a .238 average...worked at least 6.0 innings in 10 of his starts, including a season-high 8.1 innings July 14 vs. Jacksonville...in that contest, a 1-0 loss, he took a no-hitter into the 9th inning...in an 11-strikeout game June 28 against Huntsville, his homer was the margin of victory in a 1-0 affair...was one of the Cubs' representatives at the Major League All-Star Futures Game, pitching for the World Team. 2000 Split the season between Single-A Lansing and Single-A Daytona...in 25 games, 24 starts, he combined to go 8-5 with three complete games and a 3.27 ERA...struck out 160 batters in 140.1 innings while allowing 11 homers...opened the year at Lansing, going 5-5 with a 3.28 ERA in 17 starts...went the distance twice, including his only professional shutout...began the campaign 0-5...over his final 11 starts for the Lugnuts, he went 5-0 with a 1.00 ERA, 80 strikeouts (in 71.2 innings) and a .187 opponents' batting average...after a midseason promotion to Daytona, he went 3-0 with a 3.25 ERA in eight games, seven starts...after the season, he was selected by Baseball America as the second best prospect in both the Midwest League and the Florida State League. 1999 Started 15 games for the Cubs' Single-A Eugene affiliate and went 5-6 with a 5.94 ERA. 1998 Began his professional career with the Cubs' Mesa (Rookie) club, where he was 2-4 with a 6.10 ERA in 12 contests, five starts...allowed two homers in 41.1 innings while fanning 36 batters.


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The FBI says it believes it knows who perpetrated the biggest art museum heist in history.
In a press release issued today, the FBI said it is seeking new leads on a theft that took place in 1990 at the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum in Boston. As The New York Times explains, the thieves were let into the museum in the early morning hours because they were dressed as police officers.
They tied up the two guards on duty and made off with 13 items in 81 minutes. "Included were two large Rembrandt oil paintings that were cut from their frames; single works by Vermeer, Manet and Govaert Flinck; five Degas sketches, and three other items, among them a small etching by Rembrandt," the Times reports.
The total potential sales value? Anywhere from $300 million to $500 million.
"The FBI believes with a high degree of confidence that in the years after the theft, the art was transported to Connecticut and the Philadelphia region, and some of the art was taken to Philadelphia, where it was offered for sale by those responsible for the theft." Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office, said in a press release. "With that same confidence, we have identified the thieves, who are members of a criminal organization with a base in the Mid-Atlantic states and New England."
The problem is that they don't know where the art is at the moment and they want to bring publicity to it outside of Boston, hoping it'll bring some results. The last time the FBI launched a publicity campaign this big, they netted Whitey Bulger. The FBI is planning on purchasing space on digital billboards in Philadelphia and they want to remind people that the Gardner is still offering a $5 million reward.
The museum clarified that that the reward is for "information that leads directly to the recovery of all of our items in good condition."
"You don't have to hand us the paintings to be eligible for the reward," Anthony Amore, the museum's chief of security, said in a statement. "We hope that through this media campaign, people will see how earnest we are in our attempts to pay this reward and make our institution whole. We simply want to recover our paintings and move forward. Today marks 23 years since the robbery. It's time for these paintings to come home."
The frames that held the stolen works remain empty.
The FBI has put together a page with photographs of all of the stolen pieces.
Update on Tuesday, March 19 at 5:22 p.m. ET. FBI Has Suspects
Ulrich Boser, author of The Gardner Heist, says the FBI has had a list of suspects for a long time. He tells Melissa Block, host of All Things Considered, that the bureau thinks Boston mobster David Turner and his friend George Reissfelder were involved. The statute of limitations, however, has long passed.
"David Turner is currently in prison for armed robbery; George Reissfelder is dead," Boser says. "The paintings have probably moved through a number of hands, if not some hands beyond them."
Boser says he doesn't believe Turner knows where the paintings are now. "If he knew ... he would try and use them as a 'get out of jail free card,'" he says.
You can listen to the rest of their conversation at the top of this post.
They stole a painting by Vermeer, three Rembrandts, five drawings by Degas - 13 works of art in all, valued at half a billion dollars. We're talking about the notorious art heist from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, 23 years ago this week. The artworks have never been recovered, and the thieves remain at large. Well, yesterday came a remarkable announcement from the FBI. It says it knows, after all these years, who orchestrated the heist. But FBI officials did not release those names.
For more on the theft and the investigation, I'm joined by Ulrich Boser, who wrote a book about it, "The Gardner Heist." Welcome to the program.
ULRICH BOSER: Thanks so much for having me.
BLOCK: Take us back to the night of March 18th, 1990. What happened?
BOSER: Sure. So in the early morning hours of March 18th, 1990, two men approached the side entrance of Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. They were thieves, and they were dressed as police officers. They buzzed in on the intercom. They said that they were investigating a disturbance. And the night guard buzzed them in.
They tied up the security guards down in the basement. After that, they ransacked the museum for over an hour. They stole Vermeer's "The Concert," one out of only 36 paintings ever created by that Dutch artist. They also stole Rembrandt's "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee," which is the only seascape created by the Dutch master.
BLOCK: There are empty frames that hang where these paintings were; still in the museum, to this day?
BOSER: That's exactly right. Isabella Stewart Gardner was very specific in her will - nothing should ever be moved. And as a memorial to the theft, the frames - the empty frames - still hang in the galleries today.
BLOCK: Well, tell me about the investigation, and the best leads that the FBI had early on.
BOSER: The FBI has run down countless leads. They've gone to Paris, they've gone to Tokyo; all in an effort to return these priceless masterpieces. And until yesterday, the FBI has never sort of come forward and said that the paintings have really popped up, that they've ever been offered for sale. And that's really the big news here. We've known, I think, for a pretty long time who robbed the museum. We've had good evidence about that - a Boston mobster named David Turner, and a friend of his named George Reissfelder.
But what's new here is - two things. One, the FBI is saying, we're not looking to put someone in prison; we're looking, simply, for these artworks to come back. And second, they believe that the paintings have moved from the Boston area - where most people widely believed that they were stashed - and that they were offered up for sale; that they were transported down to the Philadelphia-Connecticut area, and that somewhere in that area, the paintings are today.
BLOCK: Why would they not want to put somebody in prison for this?
BOSER: Right now, such a long time has transpired that really, what's important is the paintings. David Turner is currently in prison for armed robbery. George Reissfelder is dead. The paintings have probably moved through a number of hands, if not some hands beyond them. I don't believe David Turner knows where these paintings are today. If he knew where these paintings are, he would try and use them as a get-out-of-jail-free card.
BLOCK: This investigation has been going on for so long. Why are they coming out now - why is the FBI coming out now?
BOSER: I think there's - two reasons. One, it's the anniversary. It's a time of year where many people reflect back and wonder what happened to these paintings. The second reason is that in Boston, there have long been big mysteries. One of them was, where is Whitey Bulger, who was on the FBI's Most Wanted List. And the second mystery was, where are the Isabella Stewart Gardner paintings?
The Bulger case was solved, and it was solved through a publicity push. The FBI said - again - the public, we need your help to solve this case. And I think they've learned from that case and are applying the same methods here. No tip here is too small.
BLOCK: Ulrich Boser - his book is titled "The Gardner Heist." Thanks for coming in.
BOSER: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.