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Santa Clara men's crew is aiming for a great 2007 campaign. Junior rower Dave Merselis will be there every step of the way, providing Bronco fans with insight into the season. From early morning workouts in the Leavey Center to regattas across the country, Merselis will be the eyes and ears of the Bronco men's crew team.
Posted: May 11, 2007
One Last Early Morning by Stephen Smoker
Before we get started I just want to let all of the David Merselis fans in the house know that they can stop reading here. Yes, it's true he took this week off due to his Philadelphia trip to which the men's team sent the V8+ and the N4+. They are off to the Dad Vail regatta, which is the largest collegiate regatta in the United States. Our crew will be among over 100 other crews from all over the United States and Canada. This will be the 69th running of the Dad Vail Regatta, and we a proud to be a part of the great history and tradition that is this regatta.
As for the rest of the team that stayed behind we are all just enjoying life without crew. We now enjoy sleeping in every morning and working out on our own watch. However, the end of the season is very bittersweet. I have noticed now that I do not see most of the guys as often as I would like, and it is especially weird to go to breakfast all by myself. I hate walking into Benson in the morning without seeing at least five of the guys sitting at rectangular table and joking about anything and everything.
The last couple crew events that I am looking forward to are the end of the year team bbq where we will take a team picture and swap stories of our favorite crew memories. And next Wednesday's Athlete's Ball. This was a lot of fun last year to hang out with the team and the rest of the student-athletes at the school.
Well hopefully you enjoyed this week's crew blog according to Stephen Smoker and I will leave you with this quotation from USRowing.com, "Physiologists claim that rowing a 2,000-meter race - equivalent to 1.25 miles - is equal to playing back-to-back basketball games."
Posted: May 4, 2007
Home Stretch!
The 2007 WIRAs were once again an exciting and action packed event. Success was seen on both the men's and women's teams as numerous boats placed well in their preliminary heats and went on to make their mark in the finals. Saturday started off bright and early with our novice 4 destroying their heat in a time of 7:01 and making the grand finals. Soon after our V8 cruised down the course in an improved time of 6:18 and made it to the petite finals. The rest of the day seems to be a blur as races were coming down the course every minute and it was quite hard to keep track of the results. By the time the day had drawn to a close, some of us had rowed in three separate races and were DEAD tired.
Sunday was then a big day. Amongst our achievements the novice four and the varsity pair placed 4th in their respective grand finals. The V8 placed just behind OCC (Orange Coast College) in the petites, which was a major improvement from last year. Also, on the women's side of things, the V8 and JV8 destroyed their WCC competition. Especially the Saint May's squad that had been giving them trouble all year in previous races. Congrats ladies!!
Outside of rowing, this past weekend was awesome! Every night we had amazing meals provided to us by the Marweg's, Reeve's, Shoven's, and Shumsky's. Saturday night was extra special as our entire team gathered at Joshua Shumsky's house for an amazing BBQ. After playing a couple rather competitive rounds of Bump (a basketball game) the evening was topped off when one of the family guests came out and started doing magic tricks. All of us were `wowed' by his talent, and I was especially captivated. I even went as far as to creep up behind him to peer over his shoulder and steal his tricks. However, he became wise to what I was trying to do and `kindly' asked me to step back. Tee hee hee!
Before I go any further with this blog, I'd like to send out a huge thank you to all of the families who have helped and supported us this entire year on behalf of our team. To the Marweg and Shumsky families, thanks for housing and feeding us during our multiple trips to Sacramento. To the Fette family, thank you for all of the food and goodies that you provided our teams with during the regattas. Last, but definitely not least, thank you to anyone and everyone who has showed up to our races and cheered us on this year!! We definitely appreciate it!
As for funny moments this past weekend, freshman Ryan Amante brought a DVD player with the movie Top Gun to the race course Sunday. In the midst of rigging and preparing for our races, we would all be quoting the lines from the movie along with the actors as they said them. This was then taken up a notch when the bar scene in the movie came up. When this occurred, we all stopped what we were doing and began role playing the scene as if it was happening right there by our boats! While most people at the regatta were quietly awaiting the next race to come down the course, there we were over on the side, surrounded by random teams, belting out the Righteous Brothers song that was made famous by that movie. Now...to most this would have been a rather awkward moment, especially with lots of random girls watching. However, after a year full of embarrassing moments and lots of sing-a-longs, this was just another ordinary day for our team! :-)
Anyway, that's about it for now. Currently our men's and women's varsity eights are preparing to head to Philadelphia next week for the Dad Vail regatta. I will make sure to update you on our status early next week before we head out.
Until then, have a great week and weekend everyone!! Take care!
Posted: April 11, 2007
WIRA's Time!! (Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association)
Hey all!
First of all, I tooooootally forgot to say a "thank you" to all of those who came out to support us last weekend at Lexington!! It was great to see all of our friends, family, and alumni out there to support us. We all wished we could've spent more time hanging out and mingling with the crowd. However, as you may know already, we were a little pressed for time since we had to get up to Stanford for our race at noon. Still though, I would like to reiterate how much our team appreciated your support. A special thank you goes out to the parents who set up the food tents and barbequed for us after our races! That was awesome!! Also, we would like to thank the teams that showed up to support us. Most notably these were the women's water polo team and the club volleyball team! We realize that you all sacrificed a sleep in day to come watch us race, and that definitely means a lot to us. Thanks again!
Anyhoos...this week is a `biggy' for us as it's the annual WIRA competition up in Sacramento. For the past two weeks we have been doing nothing but seat racing and preparing for this regatta. Last week we spent most of our time in fours in an attempt to get the fastest possible lineup of rowers together. By the time this week rolled around we had a new lineup and a new perspective on our race strategy. Now Jimmy Shoven is back in stroke seat and I'm sitting in stroke pair with him at the 7 seat. Behind us sits Brendon Bula, Mark Elfving, Steve Kwei, and Steve Shanley in the "engine room" portion of our eight. Then we have Joshua Shumsky and Erik Moles sitting in bow pair.
With this new lineup in place and a couple of practices under our belt, we have high expectations for our upcoming races this weekend! Also, we as a boat feel that we made some great improvements in our race plan during the Lexington regatta. Hopefully, all of these newly found aspects of our race will carry forward and bring us some success this weekend!
As for what's happenin' in my life, two days ago I got `the eye of pink'! (Better known as Pink Eye, but I like to be clever like that sometimes.) Anyway, I didn't know what it was at first when I woke up in my apartment and started crashing into things while I was trying to pry open my eyes. By the time I finally got them open I found that I looked just like Rocky after he had been worked over in the ring (only there was no way I was gonna take a blade to my eye to lessen the swelling like he did...that's the next time I get pink eye I guess.) Even though my eyes have been hurting throughout the day, having pink eye has brought me a lot of entertainment. First off, I have discovered that I give off the `married with kids' vibe to strangers as that's what all of the nurses kept asking me about while I was in the hospital. Secondly, people keep asking me whether or not I've seen the movie 28 Days Later. According to them I look just like one of the zombies in that movie...Thanks FRIENDS! (Hmm...that would explain why a few kids ran away from me in the hospital though, as well as why I had a comfortable cushion of open seats next to me when everyone else was packed into the waiting room area.)
Finally, this weekend I'm looking forward to going head to head with my best friend from home in the first heat of the varsity 4 race. He goes to Western Washington University and I always see him once a year at the WIRA regatta. Unfortunately though, over these past two years his boats have seen more success than ours. However, I believe this year we will duke it out the entire way as we now have a new lineup for our 4.
Hmm...I guess that's about it for now. Wish us luck this weekend!! I will let you know how we do first thing next week in my blog, so stay tuned!!!
Until then, take care and have a wonderful week/weekend!!
P.S.: Our men's rowing team is trying to find a way to update our current contact list for alumni. This past year during the time that we did our fundraising we noticed how a lot of our alumni's addresses or phone numbers are out of date. If possible, we would greatly appreciate it if you could send us your current address and phone number so that we can update our contact list. Amongst the things we are looking to send out to you in the future would be new editions of The Rusty Oarlock as well as any other fliers or pieces of literature about our upcoming crew events. For convenience, just go ahead and email me at email@example.com and feel free to add any suggestions that you might have for my blogs while you are at it! Thanks!
Posted: April 11, 2007
Entering into competition this past weekend we knew we had our work cut out for us. UC Davis, Sonoma, and Cal Lights were all teams that we had seen earlier in the season up in Sacramento. In fact, we had already gone against both Sonoma and Cal Lights on several different occasions at various regattas, but we had yet to come away with a single victory in the 8 event. Thus it would be fair to say that we a rather big chip on our shoulder that we were looking to offload in a hurry at the Lexington Cup Saturday morning. Right from the start of the race we showed the other crews that our rigging was not the only thing that had changed in our boat over the past couple of weeks as we tore out in front of everyone. Following the stroke of Mark Elfving our boat fought neck and neck with UC Davis for the first 500meters of the race and led both Sonoma and Cal Lights by a fair margin. Crossing the 650meter mark our 8 made a strong move and called for a power ten to apply more pressure on Davis and to move further away from the other two crews. Immediately we lurched forward and halted the move that UC Davis had tried to put on our boat. After coming back down from our power ten we crossed the 1000 and realized that Sonoma was picking up their pressure with a counterattack. By the time we reached 500meters to go in the race Sonoma had walked their way back up to our boat and were pushing out a slight lead over our bow. Crossing the finish line we were in 3rd place with contact on Sonoma. However, despite how these results look on paper, this race definitely showed some progress!!
Quickly de-rigging our boat following the race, our Varsity 8 headed up to the Windermere Crew Classic to face Stanford in the pouring rain. "Race for the bridge" was our plan entering into this second race of the day as we thought Stanford might get flustered if we could hold them off for 1000 meters. Unfortunately, even though we had another strong start to our race, our boat just couldn't match the intensity of the Stanford boat and we immediately found ourselves a boat length down. By the time we crossed under the bridge and entered the last 1000 meters we knew the race was out of hand and our focus shifted towards fighting against the strong wind conditions that we were experiencing for a decent finishing time. Returning for round two of the Crew Classic the next day, our boat headed out to face UC Davis's Varsity `A' boat. Again our plan was to race for the bridge in hopes that we could fluster the other crew and pull out a win. This time we were able to put up a rather strong fight against the crew as we maintained contact with their boat through the 1000 meter mark and beyond the bridge. Unfortunately, with about 500 meters to go in the race our boat experienced a few bobbles with the set of our boat. These bobbles allowed UC Davis to slip even further away and increase their victory by almost 20 seconds.
Despite these losses, we were still quite pleased with our overall performances both at Lexington and at Windermere. After all, most teams with our size and experience would have been rather intimidated by these other crews such as Stanford and UC Davis as the average size of their rowers was 6'6" and 210+lbs!! Also, and something I didn't quite take note of until after the race, but all of the rowers on these teams are strongly recruited (even from other countries!) I finally came to this realization after I asked the 5 seat rower for Stanford his name and how he was doing, and the only reply I got while being given a confused look was "Guhood vrace." So even though we lost, I came away from this weekend rather proud of our crew and how we never backed down from the "impossible." Looking back on it, I can't help but to think of the saying "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters." It is only a matter of time until we force other crews to acknowledge this.
Hmmm... Recently I have not had much time to do anything besides race and practice for crew. So far it appears that class-wise this quarter will be another `doozy' for me, yet I'm maintaining some hope that I might be wrong with this initial impression. Outside of both crew and the classroom, I'm loooooooving the weather here in California!!! Being from the Seattle area, I love it when I call home to chat with my family and I hear about how miserable it is up there!! Hearing that always brightens up my day! Hahaha
Alright, well I guess I will end this blog here since I don't have much more to say. Until next time, have a great week everyone!!! Take care!
P.S. Thanks for reading these blogs b.t.w.! I love hearing about how you guys read these, and I especially like hearing your feedback!
P.P.S. Stay tuned for an in depth article about S.C. crew and the motivation that drives its rowers in the upcoming Santa Clara Broncos Sports Magazine (Spring Edition.)
P³. S. Thanks to Jimmy Shoven's family for the awesome BBQ following our races Saturday!
Posted: April 11, 2007
Half-Way Through the Season!
Unfortunately nothing too newsy has happened lately...Since we had a break in our racing schedule this past weekend, a lot of us headed home to be with our families for Easter. Aside from the fun that came along with crashing little kids Easter egg hunts (haha just kidding, I'd never do that...or would I?!?) we all really enjoyed this time away from crew as it allowed us to catch up on some much needed rest. After all, it had been almost two full weeks since we had a day off from crew and crew related activities.
As Monday rolled around practice started up again and we had our first double-water day of the year. In spite of the hard work that we did during these two practices, the day was quite enjoyable as I'd consider the weather here in Santa Clara to be very "summer-like." Most of the time in these practices was spent on perfecting our racing lineups and strategies for this upcoming weekend. One major change that we have made with our lineup was that we re-rigged our boat so that it would be starboard stroked! (I have to admit that it felt a little "odd" the first time we rowed in it, but we are all definitely looking forward to seeing how it works out for us in the races.)
Speaking of the upcoming races...This weekend is our major home regatta, the Lexington Cup. We will be racing against UC Davis, Cal Lightweights and Sonoma in both the 8 and the 4 events. The first race, which is the men's varsity 8, starts at 8am and I believe the races go until 11am. (Now I know this is reaaaaallly early for some of you folks out there, but heck you should still come and watch!! It will be fun!!) Once these races are over, our varsity team will immediately load our boats onto the trailer and head up to Redwood Shores where we will be squaring off against Stanford at 2pm!!! (Again I think you all should make it out to this race as well!! But if for some reason you can't... you can tune in to jamco.com and watch it live on the internet!) Following our hectic day of racing Saturday, we will then return to Redwood Shores on Sunday to race UCD around 11am. (I hate to beat a dead horse here, but you should make it out to this race as well!!!)
Ok that's really all that is new with us this past week. Outside of crew I'm getting use to my new class schedule for the spring quarter. I'm kind of upset though because the one class I really wanted to take (Mechatronics and yeah, I know I'm a nerd but whatever) was cancelled!! So I guess I will have to put up with an extra math class...oh well.
Until next time, have a great week and take care!!
Posted: April 6, 2007
Fun In the Sun
Hello again!
As you may know, this past week was our "Spring Break." Yet while most college students were going wild on their vacations, we were practicing day in and day out in preparation for our upcoming races. Our mornings would begin around 6am when we would travel to Lexington for our first water practice of the day. After a couple of hours of intense training we would head back to campus for a quick bite to eat before returning to the reservoir for our second water practice. Following this practice, which was usually focused on technique, we would often find ourselves lifting in the weight room while blasting our favorite tunes on the stereo (most commonly this was Justin Timberlake a.k.a. J-Tizzil.) Even though most of this time in the weight room was spent on "crew exercises," I would be lying if I said we weren't making sure our beach muscles were in tip-top shape for our upcoming trip to San Diego.
When Thursday rolled around we were finally ready for the weekend so we all saddled up and headed towards sunny San Diego. These trips in the vans, both to and from San Diego, were approximately 10 hours in length. However, that period of time flew past as we continued our road trip rituals and sang at the top of our lungs to all of the songs we knew on the radio. Once in San Diego, we spent Thursday afternoon and all day Friday practicing on the race course. While out on the water we noticed that jelly fish were swimming (or I guess more floating than swimming) around underneath us near the area where we were putting our boats into the water. As a result, following these practices we would often engage in jelly fish wars as we would pluck them from the water and throw them at other rowers in our boat. At first I was rather hesitant to take part in these games, but then I was informed that these were the "non stinging jelly fish types," so I became an avid player of this competition.
Bright and early Saturday morning we found ourselves sitting on the starting line in the first race of the day. Conditions were ideal compared to past years as the waters were calm and there was only a slight breeze on the course. However, despite these conditions, we had a rather slow start out of the blocks and immediately found ourselves down to all of the crews in the race. Once we were able to finally establish the rhythm we wanted there was already a fair margin of distance between our boat and the team in first place. We ended up in seventh place with a time of 6:26. Despite the results of this race, we still remain extremely optimistic about the upcoming races in our season. It seems that each race so far has shown us what we need to work on, and it is only a matter of time before we get all of our kinks worked out. When that happens we will definitely make our mark on whatever race we are in. With that said, our next race is two weeks away! In fact, this happens to be a weekend full of races at nearby courses. Saturday will start bright and early at our home course at Lexington Reservoir when we take part in the Lexington Cup. Later that same day we will take our boats up to Redwood City and race in the first day of the Windermere Cup.
Following this busy day, we will then return to Redwood City Sunday morning to complete our final races of the Windermere Cup (one against Stanford!!). Now.... I know that you all have been dying to get an opportunity to watch us race.... So now is the time!!! With multiple races each day, and each course being within 20minutes driving distance from our school, there is nooooooooooo excuse for not coming to see us race! Be there!
So I guess that is all for now! I hope you all are having a great week! Have a great Easter weekend and I will talk to you soon. Take care!
Posted: March 29, 2007
Santa Clara Crew Gone Wild!! (Spring Break Edition)
Ok... so as rowers we don't really get a spring break, but we do know how to live it up and make the best of our situation!! Starting last Thursday night a group of us went up to the boathouse and prepped our brand new Concept 2 oars for painting while sitting in the dark. Early the next morning we then returned to continue this task. As we waited for the different layers of paint to dry throughout the day we found creative ways to pass the time. Amongst these creations was a rather competitive version of baseball we like to refer to as "stickball" since it literally involved a gi-normous stick that had fallen from a nearby tree and a random ball. Rowers Tim Huss, Corey McGuire and James McGrath took this game to a new level of seriousness as they started throwing overhand pitches, wearing hardhats as batting helmets, and arguing fair and foul balls as rowers from the Los Gatos Rowing Club were calmly trying to take out their boats.
Meanwhile, I found this day to be an opportune time to catch some rays!! However, since I consider it to be very faux pas for a man to use sun screen, I neglected to do so as I spent hour upon hour out in the sunlight. It wasn't until later that night when I was back in my apartment when I could finally see my new solid orange/red skin tone. The first thought that crossed my mind was that I was looking directly in the mirror at a 6 foot 3 inch, 180 pound oompa loompa (of course minus the green hair, overalls, and motivation to spontaneously break into improved jingles about random people.) Either way, let's just say that I'm thankful I was able to make it through the past couple of days.
Later that night our shenanigans continued as some of us went to play mini golf just a few hours prior to our first hard practice of break! But what is a game of mini-golf without an important wager placed upon the outcome?!?! Therefore we determined that the losing team (based on overall strokes of the match) would have to do some embarrassing acts while down in San Diego this upcoming weekend. Unfortunately, I sorely underestimated my opponents (one of whom had played the course multiple times before) and my partner Brad Marweg and I got destroyed!! Of course this came after 18 holes of golf, 3 lost balls (on a putt putt course mind you), a couple of fences hopped, a few full swings, and several awkward conversations with management about why our golf balls were bouncing violently around the course instead of rolling nicely down the greens. Tee hee hee!!!
With such random acts aside, our spring break has been rather challenging. With multiple water practices each day we are finally getting the opportunity to fine-tune our strokes in preparation for our upcoming races. Also, since we have more free time without having to worry about classes, we have had more opportunities to do some workouts back on campus to rebuild and maintain the strength that we have going into the main portion of our season. Outside of workouts, the evenings provide us with ample time to hang out and bond with our entire team. Each night we have a team dinner at one of our houses near campus. On that note I would like to give a shout out and thanks to those who have done most of the preparation and cooking for our team this week. Those individuals include Stephen Kwei, Stephen Smoker, Stephen Shanley (aka The Steve's) and Brendon Bula. Thanks guys!!
Anyways I guess that is about it for now. I should head to bed as we have yet another 5 a.m. practice tomorrow morning!! Until next time, have a great week everyone!!
Take care!!! Dave
Posted: March 21, 2007
A Busy Week
"This boathouse isn't big enough for the three of us!" - (Read as if said by Marvin the Martin)
Hello once again everyone!
As mentioned in last week's blog, USC recently came up to Lexington for five days to do their spring break training. Even though I knew they were coming to visit, it was still a shock for me when they showed up early Monday morning and came strolling down the hill towards the dock with their boats. From that moment on it seemed every piece we did had a new level of intensity and focus in our boat. Simple drills, such as when we row with our outside arm only during our warm-up lap, took on heightened levels of concentration and a strong determination to get each stroke as sharp and efficient as possible. Wednesday and Friday were the most exciting mornings of the week as we got to go head-to-head with the five USC 8 boats in some sprint pieces. Having this opportunity to go against such a high caliber team like that of USC only benefited us as it forced us to drastically raise the level of our "game" in order to be competitive with them during the pieces.
Also, in between these sprints against USC we were able to test out new lineups for our boat. Whereas we have to wait a few days following our races to actually make changes in our lineup, these practices enabled us to immediately make changes and adjustments to our boat on the spot. One of the adjustments we made was pushing Jimmy Shoven up to stroke seat. Although he had never stroked our 8 before, his "all or nothing" mentality towards racing gave us the edge in some of our final pieces against USC. Therefore we learned a lot about ourselves and our boats as a result of these pieces. However, by the time Friday's practice came to an end and USC began to pack up to leave, we as a team were ready to have our boathouse back to ourselves (well I guess not completely to ourselves as we share it with the Los Gatos Rowing Club.) Now we are all looking forward to this upcoming Saturday when our final examinations are over and our spring break regimen begins!!
As for the "Dear David's Diary" section of this blog, my mechanical engineering project/competition is now over!! Since the last time I wrote about it, our project underwent another complete overhaul and didn't see completion until the night before it was due. The day of the competition was really exciting though (especially since we had never tested our machine at all!!). Luckily, since my group was composed of some really smart people, everything came together and we were able to get our system to create steam. Unfortunately though, we had spent so much time focusing on making our machine small and efficient that we were never able to truly develop an effective collection system for our purified sample of water. With about 15 minutes to go in the contest and all of our evaporated water being funneled back into its contaminated source, we rushed to make a new collection system out of a sponge... but then with 5 minutes to go a kid kicked it over and ruined everything..... Grrr to that kid!
Outside of school I got a chance to meet up with my friend from high school who is on the Gonzaga dance team and was in town to dance at their women's basketball game at Stanford. After a long and stressful week, it was definitely a fun and relaxing day to get to see her and her teammates while just `chillaxin' by the pool.
(Oh and p.s. Although I didn't show it, I was happy on the inside when they lost! Go Broncos!)
Until next time!
Posted: March 15, 2007
Headed in the Right Direction
This past weekend was round-two of racing for us. Once again we found ourselves at Lake Natoma in Sacramento, but this time it was for the Sacramento State Invitational. Among the crews present were teams such as Cal Maritime, Sonoma, Cal Lightweights, and of course, Sac State. The day began bright and early for us as we had to be at the race course to rig our boats and get prepared for our team's first race at 8 a.m. Immediately setting the tone for the day was our men's novice four as they came cruising down the lake and finished their race in a time just over seven minutes. Later in the morning they would follow up this performance with another dominating race in the 8 event. All in all I must say that it was quite the impressive outing for them!
In the meantime our varsity squad was preparing to compete in our only race of the day, which was the varsity 8 event. After "putting in" and having a decent warm-up, our boat jumped out in front at the start of the race. After this good start however, we were unable to establish the rhythm that we needed in order to maintain our speed. Gradually the Sac State and the Cal Lightweight crews pulled away from us and ended up winning the race with a fair margin of distance between our boats. Although slightly discouraged following the race, we still remain positive as we realized that we had only had a week to solve the problems that we saw in our first races. Without any races this upcoming weekend, we are definitely looking forward to having more time on the water to practice these changes and to make these adjustments before we enter the main chunk of our season.
Now for the fun and funny things that happened this past weekend...
First of all, after about a month of quoting and reenacting scenes from the movie "300" while walking around campus as a team (and getting some rather weird looks in the process mind you) our team went to see the movie opening day on our way up to Sacramento. Finally our practice had paid off as we all yelled "This is Sparta" and kicked the air in front of us right along with the actor in the movie. Later that night, while back at the Marweg residence and still hyped up about the movie, we had yet another competitive game of Pictionary while devouring pizza. Somehow though, throughout all of the yelling and the cheering, freshman varsity rower Erik Moles was able to fall asleep!! Taking advantage of his mistake, some of us (okay, just me) took the pleasure of putting objects on him and taking pictures for later use as blackmail! For your viewing pleasure I've included one of these photos in this blog.
The next memorable moment happened the next day during the car ride home as we all sang at the top of our lungs to songs by Garth Brooks. Our favorite song to sing along with was "That Summer" as we even went ahead and created a little jig (dance) to go along with it. Amongst all of this excitement and singing, there were still two members in our car who sat rather quietly in the back. Their names were Stephen Smoker and, once again, Erik Moles. It took a change of pace and a song on the radio to get these two to come to life with the rest of us. What song was it though?!?! Well it was none other than "Since You've Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson! (Haha I bet they will be thrilled to know that I have gone ahead and included that tidbit in my blog.)
Outside of crew it's been a rather rough week. The mechanical engineering project that I've been mentioning has encountered its third major problem and complete revision in as many weeks. Within that time period we've gone from a rowing machine, to a bike system, to now a simple crank mechanism. However, this current system seems to be more efficient and productive, and it should give us a better chance at succeeding in the overall project.
Other things aside, it's hard times like these that remind me of the saying that "things get the darkest before dawn." Luckily, due to daylight savings time, I now have the opportunity to be reminded of this fact every morning as we arrive to the boathouse underneath the lighting of the stars. It doesn't take long however for the sun to rise and the light of a new day to make everything better again. Therefore, I'm sure everything will always work out for the better.
Enough philosophy from me for now... Until next time, have a great week everyone!! We will be racing USC almost every day at practice this week so stay tuned to hear about how it goes!
Posted: March 7, 2007
Novice?.... What novice?
In crew terminology, a novice rower is someone who is in their first year of competition on the collegiate level, and in most cases this is someone who has never had any rowing experience at all. Entering into our first races of the season this past Saturday our team had twelve novice rowers listed on its roster. However, this would not have been obvious to anyone who viewed the races as the novice 8 boat pulled a sub 6:40 time and beat Sac St. with a fair margin of open water! Having just lost in our own 8 race, we varsity members of the team were amazed to see our teammates comfortably pull away from their competition and calmly cross the finish line as if they had done so many times before.
Following the race I had a chance to catch up with some of the novice rowers and ask them what their thoughts were of the race. An exhausted but definitely pleased "Fun!" was the most common answer that I got from rowers such as freshman Tim Huss, Ryan Amante, and James McGrath. Luis Manrique then added in that, "We couldn't have done this without Matt (Coach Matt Pinschmidt)!" In my opinion Luis couldn't have said it any better as in my three years of rowing for Santa Clara I have never seen a novice crew row such a fast time for their first race.
Could it have been a fluke though?!? Heck no! Within a 24 hour time period the novice were back at it again in the Davis Invitational where they battled for a hard fought second place in the 8 event, but were able to pull out another victory in the 4 event held later in the day. Watching these races unfold and our novice rowers experiencing their first tastes of success was definitely one of the highlights for us varsity rowers this past weekend.
As for the varsity side of events, we were unable to achieve the goals we had set for ourselves going into this past weekend. After having decent starts in our 8 races, we lost our head of steam crossing the 1000 meter mark and gradually fell behind the other boats as the races neared the end. These race results were definitely a source of some concern and frustration for us. However, after a lengthy discussion following our last 8 race of the weekend, we as a boat feel as if we have addressed the appropriate issues and now have a good idea of how to go about correcting our problems and doing some damage on teams in our upcoming races.
There were a few bright moments for our team this weekend though. After having a sub par performance in their first race, our JV boat made some vast improvements overnight and put up a strong fight against the Cal Lightweight team during the Davis Invitational. Unfortunately they were unable to hold off the lightweight crew in the last 200 meters and they lost by a single seat. Also, having lost against Sac State on Saturday, our varsity four came into the Davis Invitational with a chip on its shoulder and jumped out in front immediately at the start of their race. They went on to win their event by a bow-to-stern margin of victory against some good crews that they will face again in this coming weekend at the Sac State Invitational.
Racing aside, my favorite times of the weekend came at night when our team would gather at the Marweg residence and feast on pizza or pasta while watching movies and playing Pictionary. I couldn't imagine a better ending to a long day of racing than lounging around on some huge couches while eating Round Table Pizza and quoting Jack Black lines from the movie "Orange County"! In fact, having just looked at our upcoming schedule, I have noticed that we will be back in the Sacramento area again this coming weekend...... soooo if Brad Marweg or anyone from his family just happens to see this blog and wants 30 mouths to feed.... Eh eh?!?!? Wink wink, nudge nudge!!
Finally, to quickly wrap this up, nothing too exciting is happening in my life outside of crew. My mechanical engineering project that I mentioned in my previous blog has taken a temporary (or I'm hoping it is temporary) turn for the worse and my group might have to completely restructure our project with only a week left before it is due. Not fun! Aside from school, everyday is a constant battle for me to try and keep my apartment clean. After about half an hour of washing dishes and folding clothes, I immediately turn around and have a pile of dirty laundry on the floor or a mound of dishes in the sink. But all in all, I have no complaints as the weather here in California is getting better by the minute and spring is just around the corner!!
Until next time, take care and have a great week! Also, if you are in the Sacramento area this next weekend come check out our races!
- Dave
Posted: Feb. 28, 2007
Black Velvet if you please!
With another successful week of practices under our belt, our team entered into this past Saturday with high spirits. After all, this Saturday was none other than our annual Black Velvet celebration which marks the beginning of our racing season. The day began bright and early around 6 a.m. with cozy temperatures reaching into the low 30s. For the first time this year both the men's and women's crews were at the boathouse and on the water at the same time. This made the day a little more interesting as it was fun to be able to watch all of the boats start to gel as cohesive units in preparation for their first races. Also, since this day is traditionally one of the most challenging days of practice during the year, it was exciting to see how hard everyone else in the program was pushing themselves to get faster and better as individuals as well as a team.
For our men's varsity program, this day was rather eventful as it was the first day that our novice rowers took part in the same practice with us. Prior to this day, we, as varsity rowers, had been keeping an eye on the progress of their team and we had noted how quickly they had improved. In fact two weeks ago we were able to experience first hand all of the hard work and effort they have been putting into this year as we watched them compete at an local indoor rowing competition. Therefore, going into Saturday's practice we knew we were going up against some fierce competitors. Fortunately, with more experience and practice on our side, we were able to prevent any major upset from occurring.
Later that same day, our entire program met once again at a restaurant nearby for the dinner portion of the Black Velvet celebration. Personally, this is one of my favorite parts of the day because for once everyone wears something other than spandex or workout clothes! Also, it's always fun to listen to the stories that the coaches and alumni share about the year and their rowing experiences. Anyway, as the day came to a close our attention shifted towards the upcoming week and our final steps in preparation for our first race of the season.
Aside from crew, nothing too newsy is happening in my life. School is going well and luckily I haven't fallen behind with any of my class assignments. One interesting note though is that I have a junior design project that I am working on for one of my mechanical engineering classes. This project is a national competition and the goal is to build a man-powered machine that boils water. Without getting into too much detail and spilling some of our valuable secrets, my project group has decided to go with a machine design that is based off of the principals of an erg (rowing machine). However, since I am the only member in my group who rows or has had any rowing experience, I have this sickening suspicion that I will be doing most of the "man-power" for our actual competition...I guess I will have to keep you informed on that!
Well that is about all I have to share for now. I hope all of you out there have a wonderful week! If you happen to be in the Sacramento area this coming weekend, stop in and watch us race! Otherwise make sure you check back in here next week and I will give you a full update of how our races went.
Take care and I'll talk to you soon!
Posted: Feb. 22, 2007
Opening Blog
Hi all!! My name is David Merselis and I have been given the opportunity to be the men's crew team blogger for the 2007 season! This is very exciting for me as I am definitely looking forward to sharing all of our stories and events with you on a weekly basis. However, before I get too far along with this first blog, I would like to tell you a little about myself so that you can get an idea of the person that I am.
The first thing that comes to mind that I would like to share is that I am a Hoosier at heart! Although I've spent a good portion of my life in Indiana I have also had the opportunity to live in Seaford, England, and my family now currently resides in Sammamish, Washington. So, you might now be asking yourself, `why did he decide to come to California for school??' It's quite simple actually! If you know any of those places you'd be aware of the fact that they are cold and rainy (with the exception of Indiana's hot summers) and Santa Clara was the exact outlet that I was looking for.
Anyway, I started rowing my freshman year here at Santa Clara University and this is now my third year on the team. Outside of crew I'm studying mechanical engineering and in my free time I like to road bike, mountain climb, or anything else that involves the outdoors.
Okay, now for the important stuff!! This is a big week for our program as it is the week of our Black Velvet celebration. For those of you who aren't aware of Black Velvet, it's a tradition that was started back on the East Coast and it symbolizes the first day in the winter when the ice on the water melts and you are able to row. Luckily, even though we had a couple straight weeks of 20 degree weather this year, we have never had such extreme conditions on the water (but we like to celebrate the occasion anyway!) For our program, the day itself marks the beginning of our racing season as it will be exactly one week prior to our dual with Sac State.
In addition to the fact that we like to celebrate the arrival of our long awaited season, we as rowers also appreciate this day as it gives us an opportunity to meet up with the alumni rowers at our evening dinner. It is always a lot of fun for us to hear as well as share stories and experiences with the alumni during this dinner. Furthermore, it's always enjoyable to see slide shows and pictures from past years as it adds to the sense of the tradition that our program has.
Alright well I guess I better get back to studying for my midterm... (Not fun!) I hope you all have a great week! Make sure to check back in every once in a while so I can keep you updated with what's going on!
Until next time....


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518: The Fight
The BAU team travels to San Francisco to investigate the murders of several homeless men and teams up with a separate group of BAU operatives who are working another case they think is connected. Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker ("Last King of Scotland") guest stars as "Special Agent Sam Cooper, and Academy Award and Golden Globe Awardwinning actress Mary Steenburgen ("The Proposal") guest stars as "Director Beth Griffith.
520: ...a Thousand Words
The BAU team must profile a serial killer covered in tattoos who commits suicide, but leaves clues to the whereabouts of his last victim. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings guest stars as an evidence tech at a crime scene, and Dean Norris ("Breaking Bad") guest stars as "Detective Barton.
523: Our Darkest Hour, Pt. 1Today 5|4cPM
A series of rolling blackouts in the city of Los Angeles lures a serial killer out of hiding, giving him renewed opportunities to continue his killing spree. Tim Curry ("The Rocky Horror Picture Show") guest stars as the serial killer, Eric Close ("Without a Trace") guest stars as "Detective Spicer and Robert Davi ("Profiler") guest stars as "Detective Eric Kurzbard.

subset: commoncrawl


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New Student Orientation
The New Student Orientation (NSO) program annually welcomes over 10,000 new incoming Freshman, Transfer, and International Students just prior to the beginning of each semester.
NSO Goal: To support the continuous process of integrating new students into the academic, cultural and social context of CSUN.
In addition to NSO, other programming efforts produced through the Office of Student Involvement and Development (OSID) include:


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Facebook users who obsessively become fans of all kinds of ridiculous pages just for the sake of it, regularly appearing in the highlights column for their latest fan-up.
A load of Facebook fannies have again misunderstood the real reason for fanning up to a page -- to actually receive wanted updates.
by WhiteKnight82 June 14, 2009
buy the domain for your foodie vlog


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Now that the budget "sequester" is in effect, Congress is shifting its attention to entitlement reform. There's simply no way to achieve long-term reductions in federal spending without touching the big health programs, particularly Medicare. Although raising the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67 appears off the table, at least for now, the budget plan that Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) is proposing would shift a greater share of the program's growing costs to beneficiaries in the years to come.
The bipartisan deal that kept the federal government from hurtling over the "fiscal cliff" on Jan. 2 actually increased Medicare spending. At the last minute, a powerful bipartisan group of senators inserted a provision into the bill that blocked Medicare, for two years, from getting a better price on an expensive drug used by kidney dialysis patients. This was in addition to a previous two-year extension obtained by Amgen, the drug's manufacturer. The move saddled Medicare with roughly $500 million in added costs over the next two years and generated a windfall for Amgen.
This is but one example of how Congress publicly criticizes growth of Medicare costs while privately restraining the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, from getting a better deal for Medicare patients and U.S. taxpayers.


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The unthinkable has happened. Google has removed the Samsung Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store after Samsung lost its appeal to stop the injunction against the phone which was granted in Apple's lawsuit against Samsung. The injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is based on Apple's 8,086,604 patent which targets Android's universal search capabilities.
The Court is persuaded by the evidence in the record that the '604 unified search functionality drives consumer demand in a way that affects substantial market share. Even accepting Samsung's argument that the intelligent voice-recognition aspect of Siri, as advertised, also contributes to consumer interest in the iPhone 4S, Apple has shown that the '604 Patented feature is core to Siri's functionality and is thus a but-for driver of demand for Siri. Accordingly, the Court finds that Apple has adequately established the requisite causal nexus between Samsung's alleged infringement of the '604 Patent and Apple's risk of suffering irreparable harm.Google
In order to make the injunction stick, Apple has posted a $95.6 million bond which will not be refunded if the final outcome of the patent dispute does not go in their favor.
While this is devastating news for most Android loyalists, it appears Google is already working on an update which would "fix" the issue and should allow sales of the handset to resume sometime next week. The update is expected to tweak Android's search functionality by removing its local search capabilities. This would remove the handset's abilities to search through contacts or applications on the device and will limit search functionality strictly to Google web searches.
Since the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was pulled from Google Play, the handset's status has changed from "Coming soon" to "Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ (soon with Android 4.1, Jelly Bean)" which leads us to believe Google will be working overtime to incorporate the fix into Android 4.1 and make sure the phone is back on its virtual store shelves by next week.
For now, Verizon, Sprint and third-part retailers are still listing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on their sites. Hopefully Google will be able to push out an OTA update which "fixes" the universal search functionality before the injunction has a negative effect on sales of the Galaxy Nexus. We'll do our best to keep you updated on the issue as best we can.
Do you think Apple's universal search patent (#8,086,604) will hold up in court? Personally, I could live without Android's universal search capabilities, but I'm sure there are many who would hold a grudge against Apple for quite some time if they are granted this victory.


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Aliza is Tour Director for an Extraordinary Culinary Tour: Fragrant Fields & Turkish Delights
Together with top culinary tour specialist, Epicopia, Aliza will be leading an incomparable Turkish Culinary Experience, Fragrant Fields and Turkish Delights: Exploring Aegean & Ottoman Flavors featuring Chios, Greece, Aegean Turkey and the fabulous city of Istanbul.
We begin our memorable two week experience on the fascinating Greek Island of Chios, the only place on the planet where delicious mastic resin is cultivated, harvested for use throughout the Mediterranean and Arab world world as a secret ingredient in pastries, breads, confections like halva, and marinades.
From Chios we follow the precious resin into Turkey, only seven miles away, spending several days in the Çesme (named one of the New York Times 31 Places to Go in 2010 ) and nearby Alaçati. We'll visit the extraordinary ancient sites of Ephesus and Troy. We'll visit markets full of lush fruit, fresh-harvested pistachios, piles of grape leaves, and encinara (Turkish for artichoke) ready for the pot. We'll share meals in traditional local restaurants, stroll the back streets of villages, visit organic farms, meet artisanal craftsmen, enjoy exclusive cooking classes with local chefs , and enjoy several meals in the private homes of friends and culinary authors.
We'll discover exactly why Turkey is THE "exotic culinary destination." From the fruit wines of Şirince and the Aydin Valley and the exceptional wines of Bozcaada and Doluca, to the sweet, dark coffee, we'll imbibe the best of Turkey. We'll gather herbs from the mountainside of Mt. Ida for a cooking class of regional specialties. In Istanbul we'll learn about the marvelous culinary specialties of Eastern Turkey from a master, Chef Musa Dagdeviran, the passionate mind behind his justly famed Ciya Restaurant–where Aliza would be happy eating every day!
As Tour Director, Aliza is eager to share her passion and love of this complex and stimulating region with participants on this small group tour. Her extensive knowledge of regional foods will enhance hands-on events and behind the scenes visits while excursions to cultural and archaeological sites will enhance our adventure as we explore Aegean and Ottoman influences on Turkish Cuisine.
View a sampling of the itinerary by following the link below for pricing and contact information. Space is quite limited so don't delay!
Condensed Fragrant Fields and Turkish Delights flyer


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- Champons League
Mourinho repeats final hope
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho says his team will first go out to ensure they win Tuesday's Champions League semi-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund, and only then look to see if they can score enough goals to reach the final.
After losing the first leg 4-1 in Dortmund last week, Madrid need one of the club's historic remontada comebacks to reach May 25's decider at Wembley. Over the past few days, however, hope has been building in the Spanish capital that their side can achieve the almost impossible.
Mourinho, though, was more reserved at Monday's pre-game press conference, saying that anything could happen, but only if his players remained focused and played their usual game.
"We will go out to play, and try and get in front," Mourinho said. "If we are 1-0 up, we need two goals to win. We must go minute by minute, goal by goal, until the last minute of the game. We must first try to win the game, then if we are ahead, try and score more and see if we can make the final. Football is football, and everything is possible."
Mourinho confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to play after missing Saturday's 2-1 city derby win at Atletico Madrid with a thigh problem, but, unlike last week, did not name the starting XI a day early.
"We all knew the team which was going to play, apart from [Angel] Di Maria with his situation," he said. "It was a team which everyone knew - you, me, Dortmund. There were no doubts. Tomorrow the situation is different, we might play different players who do not normally play, or a different system than usual."
Di Maria was a substitute last week having arrived in Germany late due to the birth of his child, but should start on Tuesday after a match-winning display against Atletico. A defensive reshuffle could see Michael Essien in at right-back, with Sergio Ramos moved into the centre of defence. That would mean Pepe, who struggled against Robert Lewandowski at the Westfalenstadion, dropping to the bench.
Mourinho said his players needed to show more "mental aggression" in dealing with Lewandowski and his attacking colleagues this time around.
"We are so pure and so innocent and so naive, that Lewandowski scored four times and we did not even foul him," he said. "You play a game for 90 minutes, and there is no foul on a player who scores four. Ronaldo was fouled four or five times. You must be concentrated, with mental aggression, and we must be more a team like that."
However, the Portuguese said he was generally avoiding the emotional remontada media campaign launched by the club this week - which included a rousing video featuring various players calling on fans to help the team to another historic comeback.
Mourinho did not appear in the video as he had been busy elsewhere focusing on more important work, he revealed.
"I am not very concerned about trying to build a mood among fans. I am more concerned with my analysis of last week's game, and tomorrow's game," he said. "The best way to motivate the fans is to get a better result than in Dortmund. There are people who work in other areas, who motivate people with videos or other things. In my job I motivate the fans with results."
Speculation that Mourinho had told Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp before last week's game that he was heading for Chelsea next season, and that current Paris Saint-Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti was replacing him at the Santiago Bernabeu was dismissed.
"It is a pity that people read the newspaper story and then don't read Klopp's statement that I never told him I was going to Chelsea," Mourinho said. "I do not know about any contact between Ancelotti and Madrid, you must ask him. I do not feel anything about this maybe being my last game in the Champions League at the Bernabeu for Madrid. It is the most important game for Madrid in the last ten years, and I think about that."


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The orchestra's annual Valentine Pops concerts feature three of the touring Broadway Tenors: Brent Barrett, David Burnham and Lewis Cleale.
Music: Stockton Symphony
The orchestra's annual Valentine Pops concerts feature three of the touring Broadway Tenors: Brent Barrett, David Burnham and Lewis Cleale. They'll sing 20 suitably romantic songs, including tunes from "Chicago," "The Lion King," "The King and I," "The Secret Garden," "Jersey Boys," "Phantom of the Opera" and "Threepenny Opera." Peter Jaffe conducts the orchestra through a "West Side Story" medley, "Night Music Waltz," from "A Little Night Music" and "That's Entertainment." Feb. 9-10, Atherton Auditorium, San Joaquin Delta College. $22-$60. (209) 951-0196.
Music: Anthony Hamilton
This Grammy Award-winning R&B vocalist and producer does double duty as the speaker and performer during University of the Pacific's Black History Month program. Feb. 7, Bob Hope Theatre, Stockton. ticketmaster.com.
Event: Disney on Ice
"Dare to Dream" brings together scenes from "Tangled," "The Princess and the Frog" and "Cinderella." Feb. 7-10, Stockton Arena. ticketmaster.com.
Music: Anita Wilson
A gospel singer from Chicago, Wilson's debut 2012 recording - "Worship Soul" - made an immediate impact, being nominated for a Grammy Award as best gospel album. "I am incredibly grateful," she said. (The Grammys will be presented on Feb. 10.) J.J. Hairston and Youthful Praise, from Bridgeport, Conn., also perform during Gospelfest 2013: Reach Out and Praise. It's part of University of the Pacific's Black History Month program. Feb. 15, Progressive Community Church, 2820 S. B St., Stockton. $10. (209) 946-2474.
Music: Patricia Barber
Barber, 57, a jazz singer, performs music from her new "Smash" recording. Feb. 20, Atherton Auditorium, San Joaquin Delta College. (209) 954-5151.
Music: Esther Kemalyan Roche
A Lodi-born pianist and Pacific graduate demonstrates skills she uses as the Stockton Symphony's principal keyboard player and Stockton Chorale accompanist. Feb. 17. Hutchins Street Square, Lodi. (209) 333-5550.
Music: Carrie Underwood
A two-time Grammy Award nominee this year, Underwood - a former "American Idol" winner (2005) - has evolved into a major pop-country success. "Blown Away," released in 2012, has sold more than 1 million copies. The title tune reached No. 1 on the country charts. It's been nominated for Grammy Awards as "best country performance" and "best country song." Now 29, the Muskogee, Okla., native sold out Stockton Arena in 2010. Hunter Hayes, from Beaux Bridge, Ala., opens the show. Feb. 26, Stockton Arena. Ticketmaster.com.
Music: B.B. King
Now 87, Louisiana-born Riley B. King - and his guitar, "Lucille" - remains a revered embodiment of the electric blues. With Tommy Castro & the Painkillers. Feb. 27, Bob Hope Theatre.
Music: Elvis the Tribute
Mark W. Curran, based in Long Beach, sings Elvis Presley songs supported by the Suspicious Minds Show Band and Memphis Soul Singers. Feb. 23, Grand Theatre Center for the Arts, Tracy.
Theater: "Little Shop of Horrors"
This version of the well-known romantic comedy with the blood-craving plant (Audrey II) stays "really true to the actual story," said director and choreographer James Reed. "It's a little bit different than the (1986) movie. We're sticking to the original (1982) Broadway version. At the hearts of it, it's a love story." His eight-member cast includes Eddie Hargreaves as Seymour, owner of a wilting skid-row flower shop, and Holly Halay as Audrey, one of his employees. "It's nice to see the magic of the puppet onstage," Reed said. March 6-30, Stockton Civic Theatre, 2312 Rosemarie Lane. (209) 473-2400.
Event: Senior Follies
Some of the more experienced, 50-and-older singers and dancers in San Joaquin County pool their talents in this Broadway-based variety show. March 3, Hutchins Street Square, Lodi. (209) 333-5550.
Music: House of Floyd
This East Bay group specializes in re-creating the full effect - lights, sound, high-tech effects - that were the trademark of Pink Floyd. March 2, Grand Theatre, Tracy. (209) 831-6858.


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Well here it is, the last day of 2009. One of the things I've found and enjoyed toward the end of this year is over at Stacy Julian's new web site. Every Tuesday she posts Sprinkles , challenges intended to spark curiousity or creativity or compassion. Today's sprinkle was to set a timer for 12 minutes, and in that time select 12 photos you love from 2009. I loved this. It was fun to take a quick look back through the year in pictures and remember all of the milestones and good times that made up a really great year. So here are 12 photos I love from this year~
I'm sorry to see 2009 end. It was such a big year for us. It was a year of graduations and growing up, driver's licenses, big birthdays, good friends, fun trips, moving out and moving in. It was a year that definitely showed me in a big way that I can not stop time, or keep my kids from growing up. It was a year of change, but I think we did ok. Bring on 2010!


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HUMBLE, Texas (AP) – The putter D.A. Points once took from his mother paid off nicely for him Thursday in the Houston Open.
Points opened with five straight birdies and wound up with an 8-under 64 on a pleasant morning with only moderate wind at Redstone Golf Club. He had a one-shot lead over Cameron Tringale and John Rollins.
Rory McIlroy had to fight hard for a 73.
In his final tournament before the Masters – and his first event since August at No. 2 in the world – McIlroy caught the lip of a bunker and followed with a 5-wood into the water for a double bogey on the par-5 eighth hole that put him at 3-over par. He rallied strong on the back nine with three birdies in a four-hole stretch, only to miss a 7-foot par putt after a flop shot over a wide bunker.
"I felt like on the front nine I was a little tentative,'' McIlroy said. "I just tried to commit to myself a little more on the back nine and it seemed to help. If I could have got it back to even par, I would have been pretty happy, but I'm 1-over par and, hopefully, the conditions are a little calmer tomorrow morning.''
Points first borrowed the Ping Anser from his mother during his junior years in Illinois, and like most golfers, he abandoned it once he stopped making putts. But he recently asked Ping to clean it up for him and add some weight. He also got a putting lesson – no, not from Steve Stricker – and he was on his way.
"Maybe I'm an idiot for not having used this putter the whole time,'' Points said. "It worked well today.''
Points, whose only win came with actor Bill Murray at his side at the Pebble Beach National Pro-am, made all five of his opening birdies from inside 15 feet. He dropped only one shot along the way.
A mild wind gained strength in the afternoon, and Rollins still managed a 65.
"I knew the conditions were going to be tough out there, knew the greens were fast, so that makes it tough as well,'' Rollins said. "I just kept the ball in front of me and gave myself a lot of opportunities and got a solid round out of it.''
Angel Cabrera of Argentina, a two-time major champion who lives in Houston, was in the group at 66.
Phil Mickelson was at 4 under and right in the mix until he hit his tee shot into the water on the sixth hole and made double bogey, nearly hooked a 3-wood into the hazard on the next hole and three-putted for bogey, and then made bogey on the par-3 ninth from a bunker to wind up at 72.
"It was a disappointing finish,'' Mickelson said. "I feel really good with the putter, and I believe that as the tournament goes on, I'll get better.''
Mickelson played with defending champion Hunter Mahan, who didn't hit the ball his best and it finally caught up with him at the end for a 74. Also in the group was Geoff Ogilvy, who needs to finish in the top 50 in the world to get into the Masters. Ogilvy is currently at No. 50, though he will lose spots through the formula this week. He had three penalty shots in his round of 73.
Lee Westwood hit two shots in the water and still salvaged a bogey and was in the large group at 68 that included Riviera winner John Merrick and Jimmy Walker.
Charles Howell III had a 69 in his bid to get into his hometown major at Augusta National. Howell would need to finish at least in fourth place alone to have any chance of moving into the top 50.
For Points, Tringale and so many others, they need a win to get into the Masters.
Points was just trying to see some reasonable results, having made only two cuts all year. He did manage to join a group of stars in the Tavistock Cup earlier this week and, upon leaving home Tuesday, he grabbed a handful of putters. One of them once belonged to his mother.
Ping rep Matt Rollins had some weights added to the putter, and equally important was an impromptu lesson from Lamar golf coach Brian White.
"It's one of those things,'' Points said. "I holed some nice par putts yesterday in my pro-am. I didn't hit it great, but I made a few good putts and the ball was going in the hole with nice pace and rolling real tight. And I thought, `All right, this might be the key that kind of gets me going.'''
That it did.
For McIlroy, it was another slow start. He has yet to break par in his five opening rounds this year – that includes the Match Play Championship – and found himself behind early. He was in a fairway bunker on the eighth hole, opened the face of 9-iron to advance the ball as far as he could, and caught the lip. With some 250 yards for his third shot, a 5-wood leaked into the water and he walked off with a double bogey.
But he never got down on himself.
"I think I learned from that over the last few weeks. I've got to keep my spirits up,'' McIlroy said. "I felt like I was doing that a bit too much at the Match Play and the Honda, and obviously we saw what happened there.''
Frustrations boiled over at the Honda Classic halfway through the second round when McIlroy walked off the course. He vowed not to do that again.
Still ahead of him, though, is making it a long week in Houston. He starts Friday's second round outside the cut line.
Mickelson, meanwhile, was going along nicely despite some errant tee shots, such as his one on the 12th hole. He sliced the tee shot so far left that it bounced off the cart path, across the 13th tee box and down a slope toward the bushes. He was about pin-high, only 100 yards left of the green. He hit wedge into about 15 feet and turned to the gallery and said, "It's all about angles.''
The angles caught up with him. Mickelson tee shot on the sixth never cleared the water, leading to his sloppy finish.
Mickelson enjoys playing the Houston Open before the Masters, but this is a different year. Because of the way the calendar falls, the Masters is a week later, and Houston is now two weeks before the first major of the year. This is only the second time in the last 15 years that Mickelson won't be playing the week immediately before Augusta.
Lefty also plans to skip the week before the U.S. Open.
"It's a very unusual situation for me here,'' he said. "I usually like to play the before. I'm going to have to learn how to do that, now that we're not really having tournaments conducive to getting ready for those events. This is a good opportunity for me to work on getting prepared properly in another spot outside of a tournament.''


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That Free Financial Aid Seminar May be Just a Worthless Sales Pitch
Mark Kantrowitz
November 18, 2011
From time to time I receive solicitations for free financial aid seminars that are really sales pitches for a product or service. I attend these seminars to monitor the information (and misinformation) that these seminars disseminate.
The latest one was a bit different, in that it was affiliated with a national asset management and financial planning firm. It's not a very well-known firm, despite being publicly traded and managing a family of mutual funds, but nevertheless the company has a good reputation. The financial adviser running the seminar claimed to have more than 10 years experience with financial aid, and presented himself as an expert.
But this free seminar did not differ much from previous seminars offered by less reputable firms. The solicitation letter was similar, headlined with a powerful hook:
Discover How to Pay For College Without
Spending Your Life Savings…
The rest of the letter talked about "new secrets and strategies", increasing eligibility for college funding, avoiding the most common mistakes, picking colleges that give the best financial aid packages, and a list of various types of financial aid.
That certainly would sound intriguing to parents of college-bound children. But the seminar itself fell far short of the mark. The quality of the information presented in the seminar was lousy, filled with errors and inaccuracies. The speaker was far from a real financial aid expert, and was unable to answer the few questions I asked to test his knowledge.
An expert is an expert because of detailed factual knowledge of and insights into the subject matter, not because of an ability to state false information emphatically. When someone sprinkles "believe me" and "trust me" throughout a talk, that's perhaps a warning sign that the information is less than trustworthy. Unfortunately, the speaker was charismatic and convincing enough that the other parents attending the free seminar were likely lead astray by all the incorrect information, some of which was potentially harmful to their financial well-being.
The speaker also disparaged college financial aid administrators and high school guidance counselors, saying that talking to them was "like asking the IRS for tax help." But financial aid administrators can provide the same or better information for free and with greater accuracy. The toll-free hotline operated by the Federal Student Aid Information Center, 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243), has a very good track record for providing accurate information concerning federal student aid and completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
I kept careful notes during the seminar, writing down every error verbatim. Hardly a minute or two went by without another significant error. Here's a list of three dozen of the more noteworthy errors, with each error followed by a corresponding correction.
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Great House Designs Has Your Custom Home Design and House Plans with Photos
Are you currently looking to start building your very own home?
For most individuals, building a home is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is extremely important. When it comes to building your own home, there are so many different things to consider! At Great House Designs, we understand that the right home plan is one of the most important things that you need to take into account when designing your own home.
House Design Styles
No matter what type of style you want your new home to be in, we've got a huge selection of house plans with photos to help you choose exactly what you want. We believe that photos tell a much better story than any description, and include photos with every single one of our home plans.
We offer a huge selection of design styles including:
- Traditional
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Custom Home Design
Do you want to make a house design all your own? We offer customization services that will help you take your dream to reality.
The Great House Design Difference
At Great House Design, we don't just create cookie-cutter house plans that are plain and boring, we aim to create designs that will maximize your space and help you feel right at home the moment you step into your new house.
- Experience. With over 20 years of experience creating architectural design house plans, we have the experience necessary to guide you along the process .
- Knowledge. Our architects and home planners have the knowledge to help you take advantage of wherever your home will be.
- Customization. We offer customization for any individual or family who has specific needs and requests. We will work with you to ensure that you get exactly what you envision.
If you have any questions about the home plans that we have available, please do not hesitate to contact us today! Whether you are looking to make a grand appearance with a beautiful colonial home, or rustic done just right with huge master suites, let Great House Design make help you find the perfect home design .


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How to fix the scroll button (spindle) [step-by-step] [pics]
This tutorial will teach you how to fix the scroll button (AKA spindle) from misfiring (scrolling like crazy in every direction).
Most importantly, have a clean, organized and well lit work area. Make sure you don't forget or lose any components.
You may want to read all the instructions before starting.
This can be done regularly, as part of a cleaning schedule.
Don't be afraid to use your brain if something goes wrong.
Full-size pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/elfakyn/SpinnFix#
Things you need:
Step 1.
Insert the needle into the hole shown, and remove the cap.
Step 2.
Remove the black screw.
Tip: a magnetized screwdriver works best.
Note: as you can see in the picture, there are two screw holes, but only one screw (yours may vary).
Step 3.
Turn the spindle 90 degrees, then remove it.
Step 4.
Remove the white cylinder by "opening" the two clickies shown. The tweezers may come in handy.
Step 5.
Remove the spring and the small, white disc.
Carefully remove the center stick. Tip: it may not come off from the beginning, spin it a little and try again.
Step 6.
Put some cleaning fluid on the cotton pads and clean the stick (bottom of the image). Note: the 'stick' has a hexagonal end which fits into a hole inside the device (examine it with the flashlight). Do not force it back inside.
Tip: the hexagonal end may have some lubricant on it. You may safely remove it (at least that's what I did without any problems)
Try to clean the inside of the socket (hole, however you may call it) using the tissue and a bent paper clip. CAUTION: make sure no tissue gets blocked inside. If this is the case, carefully remove it with the clip.
Put cleaning fluid on a cotton pad and moist the stick (with the fluid, using the pad). Do not place fluid directly on any component.
Put the stick back into the device, turn the device on (don't worry, it's safe) and spin it. Examine the results.
Tip: you can use the white cylinder placed upside-down to spin the stick.
Try again and be patient if it doesn't work on the first go. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, POUR LIQUID INSIDE THE HOLE (COMMON SENSE).
Tip: to maximize efficiency, spin it gently, and make sure it is spinning easily and without any noise. The bumps are normal, they translate the motion of the spindle into actions.
After a few tries, it should work fine.
Just to be on the safe side, carefully clean every component.
Step 8.
Reassemble the spindle, following the steps backwards.
DO NOT FORCE ANY COMPONENT BACK INTO PLACE. Use your brain.
Please note that the spring is wide-side up, and don't forget the small disc under the spring.
Do not force the screw. Use the other hole if it's not working.
Place the cap back on (notice the glue on one side) and marvel at your handiwork.
Happy SPINNing!
Last edited by elfakyn; 07-26-2010 at 05:01 PM.
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Gray Cook is a physical therapist, board certified in orthopedics. He also is a certified strength coach with experience in several sports at the youth, college, and professional levels. Cook is a nationally recognized lecturer and consultant to the NFL, NBA, NHL, and WNBA as well as numerous college sports medicine and conditioning facilities. His innovative research and applied work are found in many rehabilitation and conditioning publications.
Cook is the director of orthopedic and sports physical therapy at Dunn, Cook & Associates. He also serves as the creative director of sport-specific training for Reebok® and is Reebok's® first master coach.
Gray Cook received his graduate degree in physical therapy education at the University of Miami School of Medicine with a focus on orthopedics and sports rehabilitation and research in motor learning. Cook is a faculty member of the North American Sports Medicine Institute and is the codeveloper of the course titled Functional Exercise Training and Rehabilitation. He lives in his hometown of Danville, Virginia.
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text: Last November we spent a week at Ashmore Palms, This was our fourth visit to Ashmore Palms and each time we go it just gets better, We have already booked for our 5th visit this year. The display of exotic birds is fantastic, as are the childrens playground and activities. There are 2 swimming pools that are equally as nice... More


text:
The U.S. Treasury Department said it plans a floating-rate note sale as early as the fourth quarter this year and signaled it may decide to "gradually" reduce coupon auction sizes.
In its quarterly refunding statement today, the Treasury said a final rule on the floating-rate note auction is planned for coming months, with a first sale estimated to occur either in the fourth quarter this year or the first quarter of 2014. The department said it will use the weekly high rate of 13-week Treasury bill auctions as the index for the notes.
With a budget deficit of more than $1 trillion last year, the Treasury needs to expand its base of investors. So-called floaters may appeal to those who are seeking to protect themselves from a possible increase in interest rates or faster inflation stemming from the Federal Reserve's unprecedented monetary stimulus.
Guidance on FRNs "would give people more concrete road map on time frame on how this is going to play out," said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities LLC in Stamford, Connecticut, before the report. "Market participants are waiting for the final go ahead in making changes to their computer systems to accommodate floating-rate notes."
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes stayed lower after the announcement, paying 1.64% compared with 1.67% late yesterday.
The floating-rate notes would be the first added U.S. government debt security since the Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, known as TIPS, were introduced in 1997.
Auction Sizes
The Treasury will auction $72 billion of coupon securities next week, comprised of $32 billion in three-year notes on May 7; $24 billion in 10-year notes on May 8; and $16 billion in 30- year bonds on May 9. The Treasury has kept its quarterly refunding auctions unchanged at $72 billion since November 2010.
"Depending on how the fiscal situation develops, Treasury may decide to gradually decrease coupon auction sizes," the department said in the statement.
The Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, the bond dealers and investors who meet quarterly with department officials, said in minutes of their meeting that it might be more prudent for the government to wait before deciding on adjusting financing.
Any reduction in the amount of coupon debt issued by the Treasury this year would cut the supply of bonds available for the Federal Reserve to purchase in their latest round of quantitative easing.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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After proposing that the fate of the controversial Fourth Nuclear Power Plant should be put to a referendum, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) yesterday said he would resign if the government "loses the vote" and construction of the plant is halted.
Fielding questions from Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) at a question-and-answer session in the legislature, Jiang said he had not yet decided whether he would cast his ballot in the plebiscite.
He said his decision to participate in the referendum was contingent on "how the referendum question is phrased."
A decision was made at a meeting called by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) earlier last week that the longstanding issue be settled through a referendum, and that the vote is to be initiated by KMT lawmakers tabling a proposal in the legislature, with voters being asked: "Do you support halting construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant?"
The government has come under fire from the opposition and anti-nuclear groups, saying the move was designed to weaken the anti-nuclear movement, given the high threshold required for a referendum to pass. A referendum would require mobilizing more than 9.15 million people, or half the eligible voters, to vote and earn 4.57 million "yes" votes to have the plant cease construction.
Judging from the low turnout in the previous six referendums, all held on the same day as a national election, the chance that the referendum would pass appears low.
Lin said Jiang's immediate response to her question showed that the referendum was politically motivated, adding that she would otherwise have encouraged people to vote so that they could express their views.
"As an initiator of the referendum, he [Jiang] should show his enthusiasm for the referendum and call on all people, regardless of their position, to cast their ballots. ... Isn't he supposed to encourage public participation in the referendum?" Lin said.
During the meeting, Jiang engaged in a fierce exchange of words with several opposition lawmakers.
According to the Referendum Act (公民投票法), at least five debates must be held for national referendums.
If the question is phrased as the KMT has proposed, it would lead to a "ridiculous" situation during debate because KMT lawmakers, who initiated the referendum, are on the side in support of the referendum and government representatives are against the vote, the side against the topic, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said.
Jiang said that KMT lawmakers do not necessarily have to attend the debates.
"We don't know who will be on the affirmative side in the debates yet. Maybe anti-nuclear experts can be on the side in lieu of KMT lawmakers," Jiang said.
"It's so irresponsible. You leave the issue to be decided by a referendum and you cannot represent yourself in the debates. Isn't that preposterous?" Pan asked.
Jiang bluntly rejected the idea advocated by the DPP and anti-nuclear groups that the referendum question should be phrased in a way that asks people if the government should continue construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
"If we have a plan to build a new nuclear power plant and we will have a referendum on that, we should ask people if they support the plan. Since the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has been under construction, the question should be whether people want to change the policy to cease construction," Jiang said.


text: Dr. Ilana Harrus Program Executive and Program Scientist for RXTE Astrophysics Division, NASA HQ 202.358.1250 (voice) firstname.lastname@example.com June 18, 2009 Dear Colleague, This letter is to call your attention to the opportunity to propose investigations requesting observing time on NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). NASA headquarters has approved continued operations of RXTE through September 2010, and we need to produce an observing plan covering this period. In light of the reduced funding for RXTE during Fiscal Year 2010, and in consultation with the RXTE Users' Group, we are issuing the present call ("Cycle 14") for observing proposals. Cycle 14 will be implemented in the same manner as Cycle 13. Public Data For Cycle 14 the data from all new observations will be immediately public, and the two categories of observing programs defined for Cycle 13, the "Core" and "Open-Time" programs have been kept. Only Open-Time programs will require proposal submission. The Open-Time program solicits proposals for the time frame from January 1 through September 2010. We emphasize that no funding to support guest investigations is available for Cycle 14. Core Program The Core Program was first proposed to the 2008 Senior Review, and became part of the observing plan for Cycle 13. It comprises observations uniquely suited to RXTE and in which RXTE has taken a lead role in the past. In general, observations of the type included within the Core Program are widely recognized to be of the highest priority for the mission, having passed a peer review in many successive observing cycles. A description and list of Core Program observations planned to be carried out during Cycle 14 can be found at: http://rxte.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/cycle14/core_program.html Please note that all of the data from the Core Program is made public immediately upon processing. Proposal submission is not required for observations in this category. Open-Time Program The purpose of the Open-Time Program is to make RXTE observing time available to the international science community for science investigations not included in the Core Program. To request such observations, investigators must submit a short proposal and associated target forms as described below. In order to maintain an innovative science program, this announcement solicits observing proposals for new science investigations or extensions of existing programs not covered by the Core Program. Such proposals may also involve coordinated RXTE observations of targets with other space-based and/or ground-based facilities. We emphasize that Open-Time proposals should not duplicate observations in the Core Program. Availability Proposers may submit requests for the observing period covering January 1 through September 30, 2010. Proposals for Open-Time observations must be submitted via HEASARC's Remote Proposal System (ARK/RPS): https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/ark/xte/ The proposal must consist of the following: * Cover Page - containing basic information about the proposal * General Page - containing co-investigator information * Target Forms - containing target request information and instrument configurations * Scientific Justification and Feasibility Proposals should establish the science case briefly, and describe how RXTE's unique capabilities will be exploited. Proposals must be submitted electronically using ARK/RPS and received by Thursday, August 13, 2009 (17:00 EDT). The scientific justification and feasibility are limited to one page, to be uploaded as a pdf file. Proposals must use a 10pt font or larger. Evaluation Criteria Cycle 14 proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria: * The suitability of using the RXTE observatory and data products for the proposed investigation * The degree to which the investigation uses RXTE's unique capabilities * The feasibility of accomplishing the objectives of the investigation within the time, telemetry, and scheduling constraints * The feasibility of the proposed analysis techniques This program is relevant to the astrophysics strategic goals and subgoals in NASA's Strategic Plan. Proposals that are relevant to this program are, by definition, relevant to NASA. Review and Selection A peer review committee will be convened to evaluate proposals for Open-Time investigations, including recommendations concerning the approved observing targets and times. Prospective proposers can get more information from the RXTE Guest Observer Facility's Web page: http://rxte.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/cycle14/ Any additional questions should be addressed to the XTE Help Desk via their feedback form: http://rxte.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/Feedback Ilana Harrus Program Executive and Program Scientist for RXTE