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5 Biggest Baseball Brawls in MLB History
There's no denying that the typical professional baseball game has many dull moments. Even the most diehard fan can have a hard time focusing on those midseason snoozefests during the dog days of August. Still, every once in a while, fans are treated to a phenomenon as rare as it is riveting—the bench-clearing brawl.
Whether it's a longstanding feud between rivals or a random minor league skirmish, there's something mesmerizing about watching entire teams confront each each other. Here are 5 of the biggest brawls in baseball history:
October 11, 2003: Down Goes Zim
The bad blood between the Yankees and Red Sox had been brewing all season, culminating in 2003 playoffs with this infamous brawl.
Dugouts emptied and punches flew when a Roger Clemens fastball nearly took Manny Ramirez's head off. Don Zimmer, angry about Pedro Martinez's tendency to throw at Yankee players, decided to charge the diminutive hurler. Martinez responded by tossing the 72-year-old coach headfirst into the dirt, prompting a media firestorm.
Although Zimmer later took the blame for the incident, baseball fans will always remember the day that Pedro Martinez assaulted a senior citizen.
July 24, 2004: Sox Vs. Yankees Round 2
What happens when the outspoken leaders of two hated rivals occupy the same batter's box? Alex Rodriguez and Jason Varitek decided to answer that question.
Bronson Arroyo drilled A-Rod with a fastball, causing the slugger to hurl some insults toward the mound on his way to first. Jason Varitek moved quickly to block A-Rod's path, and after a brief (foul-mouthed) exchange, the two stars mixed it up. The resulting fight led to 8 suspensions, and reminded everyone that the Red Sox and Yankees just don't get along.
August 4, 1993: The Headlock Seen Round The WOrld
By 1993, Nolan Ryan was 46 years old and entering the twilight of his career. Robin Ventura was looking for a first-round knockout when he charged the mound and took on the big Texan. Unfortunately for Robin, the legendary flamethrower wasn't the average middle-aged man.
Ryan caught Ventura in a headlock and proceeded to administer the most painful noogie of all time. For the next decade and a half, the Rangers replayed the fight on their stadium's jumbo-tron before every home game.
July 3, 2001: Izzy Goes Crazy
This brawl took place during a game between the Triple A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. Red Sox minor leaguer Izzy Alcantara took exception to a pair of inside pitches, and decided to take matters into his own…well, feet. After unleashing a vicious kick straight into the catcher's mask, Alcantara charges the mound, causing an all-out donnybrook between the two clubs.
If baseball doesn't work out, Alcantara can always try out for the WWE.
August 22, 1965: Marichal Makes His Mark
The 1965 showdown between San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers is the grandfather of all bench-clearing brawls.
Pitcher Juan Marichal was batting against Sandy Koufax, and thought that catcher Johnny Roseboro's return throws were coming a little too close to his head. Roseboro took off his mask to argue otherwise, and was immediately struck by Mirachal's bat. Needless to say, a massive fight ensued between the fierce rivals.
Still, this story has a happy ending—Roseboro's personal appeal was instrumental in securing a Hall of Fame induction for Mirachal.


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Ulu Yam Loh Mee(Braised vinegar noodles soup)烏魯音卤麵(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover) ** serves 5
700g noodles ( Shan Mian ) 生麵 , lightly wash away the starch with tap water ,you may replace with yellow noodles120g green mustard ( sayur sawi ), cut into 2" length
100g lean pork slices (add 1tsp tapioca flour and a pinch of salt, mix well)
15pcs medium prawns
1tbsp fried pork lard
3 shallots, sliced
2 garlic, chopped
Seasonings3tbsp dark caramel soy sauce
1tbsp light soy sauce
2tsp salt or to taste
5tbsp dark vinegar Yongchun Laocu 永春老醋
1.7litre chicken stock (hot boiling)
3 eggs, lightly beaten35g tapioca flour + 1/4cup water, mix well (you might not use all)
- Heat oil (with fried pork lard oil) in a wok, sauté shallots and garlic till aroma.
- Add in green mustard, then immediately add in hot boiling chicken stock.
- Once stock has boiled, add in noodles, mix well. Add in all seasonings except vinegar, cook till noodles turned soft.
- Add in prawns and meat, cook for a while. Then add in egg, mix well. Add in tapioca flour water to further thicken the soup as desired.
- Last add in dark vinegar, dish out and serve hot ( add more dark vinegar as per your preference).
I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest Kuala Lumpur Selangor Month hosted by Shannon of Just As Delish

subset: commoncrawl


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New monads/MonadSupply
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Here is a simple monad/monad transformer for computations which consume values from a (finite or infinite) supply. Note that due to pattern matching, running out of supply in a non-MonadZero monad will cause an error.
{-# OPTIONS_GHC -fglasgow-exts #-}
module MonadSupply
import Control.Monad
import Control.Monad.Identity
import Control.Monad.State
newtype SupplyT s m a = SupplyT (StateT [s] m a)
deriving (Functor, Monad, MonadTrans, MonadIO)
newtype Supply s a = Supply (SupplyT s Identity a)
deriving (Functor, Monad, MonadSupply s)
class Monad m => MonadSupply s m | m -> s where
supply :: m s
instance Monad m => MonadSupply s (SupplyT s m) where
supply = SupplyT $ do
(x:xs) <- get
put xs
return x
evalSupplyT (SupplyT s) supp = evalStateT s supp
evalSupply (Supply s) supp = evalSupplyT s supp
runSupplyT (SupplyT s) supp = runStateT s supp
runSupply (Supply s) supp = runSupplyT s supp
As an example, if we want to supply unique strings for use as variable names, the following specialisation of runSupply (or its obvious analogue with runSupplyT) might be handy:
runSupplyVars x = runSupply x vars
where vars = [replicate k ['a'..'z'] | k <- [1..]] >>= sequence


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Weeknights and it has to be quick and easy. While I love spending a luxurious long time in the kitchen, a glass of tasty Italian wine on the counter next to my mis-en-place, listening to tastier Eros Ramazzotti on the stereo, I will take time to cook a lavish meal, weeknights however is a dash against time.
My dad always says "Meeta steals time to work for her!" I was never sure exactly what he meant by that until a few years ago when he tried explaining how I manage my pace to Tom. What he meant was that my one hour would be two hours for many others. I "steal" time to do several jobs or chores at once. Multi-tasking has a whole new dimension with me.
So, for example today, a hectic work day but also with several private tasks to complete. It was one meeting after another, all over the university campus. In between I found myself with 20 - 30 minutes to kill. I used this time to my advantage. I did my grocery shopping at my organic store in the first 20 minute meeting-free block, the next 20 minutes block, made a doctor's appointment for Soeren, as class rep. for Soeren's class managed to arrange a day trip to the local fire station and brought back library books.
At home it's the same. While I am cutting veggies for dinner I will get Soeren to practice guitar or his reading. Or while I am tidying up I catch up on chit-chatting with friends on the phone and while I have a roast in the oven I do a bit of newspaper reading.
Are you exhausted yet? ;-)
Tom gave up long ago trying to keep up with my pace. I admit it's fast - but I have a problem. If I slow my pace I get edgy and irritated. Then I am not a nice person to be around. Am I exhausted at the end of the day? Not really. I was very hyperactive as a child. As an adult I found a way to channel the energy to my advantage.
On weeknights I will steal time and make a quick and easy dinner - full of flavor and nutrition. My preferred method of cooking - stir frying those lovely organic veggies I bought earlier in the day.
When the Chinese invented the stir-frying method they must have been thinking of all those busy working mums of the 20th/21st century!
Stir-frying is one of the easiest and quickest techniques of Chinese cooking. All it requires is cooking bite sized pieces of meat, fish or vegetables in a wok on a fairly high heat. As the pieces are small and the heat high it enables the food to be cooked quickly and fully. This short and intensive way to cook ensures that the full flavor and nutrients are retained in the food.
Although stir frying is typically an Asian way of cooking, I often use this method to cook a lot of my meals - be it Indian or Italian. I find it the healthiest - less oil, crispy flavor, perfect texture and full in nutrients.
This particular dish uses the simplicity of root vegetables, concentrating on the freshness of the flavor and texture. Many of you know that I believe in organic produce, but will never preach it to anyone. Here though I have to say the quality makes this dish. Try buying organically grown and fresh vegetables for this dish. You will notice the difference in the aroma and flavor straight away.
I chose to serve this with quinoa, cooked according to the instructions on the package, just using strong vegetable stock instead of plain water. The result a powerful and intensive meal - veggie pure and full of incredible aroma.
Printable version of recipe here.10 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
6-8 Icicle radishes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
Bunch of green asparagus, cut into 2 to 3 cm pieces
Bunch of spring onions, cut into 2 to 3 cm pieces
Small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
Small piece of ginger, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200 ml vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Peanut oil
Soy sauce
250g cooked quinoa
In a large wok heat the peanut oil on high heat. Once it is hot add the ginger and garlic and sit-fry for 1 minute until transparent.
Add the carrots, radishes and asparagus and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add a little dash of the broth and cover to gently steam until the vegetables just start to soften.
Mix the cornstarch in a separate cup or bowl, with a few tablespoons of broth until smooth.
Add the spring onions and stir fry for another minute. Now add the soy sauce and continue to sauté for another minute or two. Finally add the remaining broth and cornstarch mixture. Bring mixture to boil, stirring until sauce thickens.
Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with hot bowls of cooked quinoa.
Notes & Tips:
- When stir-frying it is advisable to prepare all your vegetables (and/or meat) before you start cooking. Cut your vegetables and meat and place in bowls.
- Make sure all your ingredients are ready and within reach. Stir frying is fast. Often there won't be time to mix the sauce or look for the salt while things are cooking.
- It's important to cut your vegetables approximately the same size - bit size. This will ensure that everything is cooked evenly and thoroughly.
- If you are making a stir fry with meat or chicken, stir-fry the meat first. Cook completely and remove from heat. Then cook your vegetables, adding the meat at the end.
- Each item has a different time. It is advisable to start with those that take the longest to cook through.
- Heat the pan/wok first. When it's hot then add the oil. Once the oil is hot it is time to start with ginger, garlic and onions. These need to be stir-fried just for a few seconds, until they become aromatic.
- The sauce or broth should be added towards the end of the cooking time. If you find that the vegetables still need a few minutes, cover and steam until done.
Not only does the wonderful rainbow of colors makes this dish look delightful, it is also the incredible aroma of ginger, garlic and lovely vegetables wafting in the kitchen that makes for hungry mouths sit eagerly at the dinner table. I personally find that quinoa offers a fantastic alternative to rice and pairs beautifully with the root vegetables. Perfect on any occasion, but a time saver on weeknights!
Don't forget to send me your authentic Italian creations by next week. The best creation could win a one year subscription to the La Cucina Italiana magazine! Details here.
You might like these Asian style dishes from WFLH:
Asian Style Tilapia | |
Chinese Vegetable Noodles | |
Honey Teriyaki Salmon |
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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Michigan State University
The device or "platform" that a game is developed for and played on has a massive impact on the game development process. In this hands-on course you will explore how to develop a game for a variety of modern platforms, including Web, Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android. While building a complete game, you will learn intermediate and advanced game development techniques in the Unity game engine. By the end of the course, you will understand how to develop, refine, package, and prepare your game for distribution on a variety of game platforms. Particular attention will be given to developing a 2D platformer game that supports multiple forms of input (keyboard/mouse, controller, and touch), works across multiple forms of output (screen size, screen resolution, sound), and performs well on a variety of computing devices.
Specific details
Category of Education
Computer Sciense and IT


text:
Every time I go for Mexican food, I hope to find watermelon aqua fresca. There is something so perfectly refreshing about this drink for me. Making watermelon aqua fresca at home inspired me to concoct my own summer punch. I could slurp this sweet, tangy, minty punch all day long. If you are are looking for something a little stronger, add a some rum and you have a damned good cocktail.
When I was working on this punch recipe, P and I found ourselves tasting rummy cocktails at ten am - it felt totally decadent and made me think..... this would be a tasty drink to sip at brunch.
Note: Try to make your simple syrup, puree the watermelon, and chill both a few hours before you want to serve the punch. If time doesn't allow for this chilling time, just add plenty of ice and you are good to go.
- 4 cups watermelon puree ( approximately 1 medium watermelon)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (approximately 4-5 juicy limes)
- mint leaves, 1/3 cup loosely packed
- 1/2 cup, plus 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- boozy option: light rum
Make a simple syrup. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a sauce pan. Heat until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. The simple syrup you don't use for this recipe can be refrigerated and and put to other uses in cocktails or to sweeten your iced coffee or tea.
Cut off watermelon rind.
Remove seeds if there are any.
Place approximately 2 cups of watermelon flesh into your blender. Using your fingers or a spoon, push down the watermelon chunks until they release a bunch of juice (this released liquid will help make the blending easier). Blend thoroughly. Do another batch until you have yielded 4 cups of pureed watermelon. You could strain the watermelon pulp at this point, but I really prefer the thicker texture of the pulp left in. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Juice limes.
Coarsely chop mint leaves. Crush mint with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Use a mortar and pestle if you have one, otherwise use a wooden spoon in a bowl to pulverize the mint and sugar. When you are done, you will have a well-integrated mint/sugar paste. Add paste to the lime juice.
Mix pureed watermelon and lime juice (with the sugary mint). Add 2-3 tablespoons simple syrup. How much simple syrup you use will depend on the natural sugar content of your watermelon and your own personal preference for sweetness.
Served chilled. Always give the punch a stir before serving to integrate the ingredients.
If you want to transform this punch into a cocktail, I suggest adding 2 tablespoons rum to every cup of punch.


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Before I get to my NBA Finals prediction (and ask you for yours), I want to tell a not-unrelated story...
I associate the NBA Finals with what, quite possibly, was one of the worst predictions in the history of sports-TV punditry.
In 2004, I enjoyed a brief yet brilliant career on Around The Horn. Some of you might even remember when I was on the show. (Yes, I still plan to put my highlight reel -- um, "highlight" reel -- on YouTube at some point, which will be tons of amusement for everyone.)
On one of my appearances (06/02/04 episode) the topic on the table was "Who will win the NBA Finals?" Pretty standard sports-TV debate fodder: Lakers or Pistons, and in how many games?
Let me pull back the curtain a smidgen: In the pre-production meeting, we went "around" the panelist group to determine everyone's angle on that topic (and all of the others) for the show.
As the rookie, everyone declared their take before me. Like a nightmare fantasy draft, I watched all the "good" picks get taken:
Lakers in 7... Lakers in 6... Lakers in 5...
I knew I couldn't "repeat" a pick, because that would make for bad TV. I certainly couldn't ask one of the other panelists to give up their pick so that I could use it. And, like all of my esteemed "expert" colleagues, I wasn't about to stupidly say the Pistons would win. So, instead, I blurted:
"Lakers in 4."
It felt like I was outside my body, watching some idiot. Did I really believe that? Or did I just SAY I believed it? Was I making the bold claim simply to... make the bold claim? I'm sure you are shocked that sports-TV pundits might say wild things just for the sake of their wildness.
(Believe it or not, in the Quickie, I sincerely tried only to post opinions that I actually believed in -- or COULD believe in, given the half-baked nature of most of my arguments -- not just for the sake of saying something provocative. Being on TV turned me into my Mr. Hyde.)
And so through the rest of the morning, I worked out my argument, right up until the show taping. I got on the air and proclaimed it, not quite faking confidence -- but not quite exuding it. (Believe me: I was doing enough schvitzing as it was.)
In writing this post, I sincerely intended to go back to the tape and transcribe my argument, but I simply can't bring myself to watch it. I don't have THAT much self-loathing.
Anyway, I defended "Lakers sweep." I figured: If nothing else, it was bold. And isn't that what they're looking for to make "good" TV?
Again, in hindsight, I'm not quite sure why I didn't think it was provocative enough simply to pick the Pistons when everyone else was picking the Lakers.
Believe it or not, I maintained the sincere belief that there was a better chance of the Lakers sweeping than the Pistons winning at all. After all, none of the other panelists gave the Pistons a chance, either.
And so, even as I bankrupted my soul to say something I didn't believe (sweep) for the sake of my interpretation of "good" TV, I still maintained the kernel of integrity to want to get the overall pick right (Lakers).
I'd like to think that sports' governing karmic forces were tracking my muddled morality and decided to screw me as substantially as possible:
Not only did the Lakers not sweep, they didn't even win the series. Hell, they barely came away with a single win in a shocking 4-1 shellacking at the hands of your 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons.
In hindsight, the smart play would have been to pick the Pistons AT ALL. Given the other panelists' predictions for
I wanted to be good on TV. I wanted to be right.
It turns out those two things aren't necessarily compatible.
From "Lakers in 4" surreality to Pistons-in-5 reality, I can say without hyperbole that it ranks right up there in the history of sports punditry as one of the...
Worst. Predictions. Ever.
(Comment Question: Do any of you remember making an outrageously bad prediction? What was it and why do you still remember it?)
Meanwhile, have I learned anything? Well, with all 8 possible Finals outcomes to choose from and without the likes of Woody Paige or Jay Mariotti or Bill Plaschke boxing me in, here's where I come down on the 2007 NBA Finals:
Spurs in 5.
I waffle back and forth on how I feel about LeBron, I would like to see him lead the Cavs to a title in this Finals. But this Cavs team isn't constructed like that type of "shock the world" 2004 Pistons team. These Cavs are more like that 2001 Sixers team: One brilliant player surrounded by mediocrity, on a wonderful run together.
And, in the same way that Sixers team had no answer for Shaq, this Cavs team has no answer for Tim Duncan.
The NBA's "LeBron Era" must wait; the NBA's "Duncan Dynasty" continues: Spurs in 5.
Feel free to add in your own NBA Finals prediction in the Comments.


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Spicy Sausage and Eggplant Spaghetti Bake
I have had quite a few recipe fails in the past week. Three fails, to be exact, which is a lot considering I only made four recipes total. I was starting to get pretty bummed about it because it's frustrating to put a lot of work into something without any usable results. Obviously these weren't my first kitchen failures, but it was definitely the first time I had so many back-to-back. Don't worry, I only share the good stuff with you.
This Spicy Sausage and Eggplant Spaghetti Bake is that good stuff. Actually, good doesn't even begin to describe it. This dish wiped any negative cooking memories from the past week from my mind completely. They were all worth it if in some small way they contributed to me getting to make this pasta bake. The tomato sauce is cheesy to the point where you feel like you're getting away with something. I'm the kind of girl that unscrews the cap of the Parmesan cheese shaker at Italian restaurants because that little sprinkle isn't going to do it for me, so this was right up my alley. It's also spicy, not in an overwhelming way, but enough that it has a nice kick to it. The pieces of spicy sausage and roasted eggplant throughout give the perfect amount of texture to contrast the spaghetti. I don't post a recipe on here unless I really liked it, but this one is a must-make!
To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
Spicy Sausage and Eggplant Spaghetti Bake
- 1 large eggplant, cut into 1" square pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 4 oz dry wheat spaghetti
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ lb hot Italian turkey or chicken sausage, make sure to get the spicy kind, casings removed
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup 2% reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- a few basil leaves for garnish, sliced (optional)
- Pre-heat the oven to 400. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the eggplant cubes with one tablespoon of the olive oil and salt & pepper to taste until eggplant is lightly coated. Spread the eggplant in a single layer across the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
- While the eggplant cooks, fill a pot with water, salt it, and bring it to a boil. Cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions and drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the pasta water.
- While the water boils/spaghetti cooks, pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet or sauté pan and bring to medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until onions are softened and almost translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden or plastic spoon, until meat is cooked through. Stir in marinara sauce and reduce heat to low.
- When the eggplant is finished roasting, remove it from the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 375. Lightly mist a 7x11 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- When the spaghetti is finished and drained, add it to the sauce mixture and stir to coat. Add the roasted eggplant and the crushed red pepper and stir until combined. Remove from heat for about 10 minutes. Mixture will still be warm.
- Add the mozzarella cheese, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and the 1/3 cup reserved pasta water to the pasta mixture and stir until well combined. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs over the top. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the crumbs on top start to turn golden and the cheese in the pasta is bubbling throughout. Top with sliced basil leaves and serve.
9 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com) adapted from Plum Pie


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WASHINGTON—In commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) focused attention on racial and ethnic profiling at a briefing in the U.S. Capitol. (Watch video here.)
"As we commemorate this day, we must strengthen efforts to combat prejudice and discrimination here and abroad," said U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Commission, which monitors human rights in the 56-country OSCE region. "The profiling of Roma, Muslims, Blacks and other groups is unfortunately still a common practice in many places even though it ultimately fails to deter crime and terrorism."
The Commission briefing, "Ethnic and Racial Profiling in the OSCE Region," featured testimony Monday from Rosalind Williams, who spoke of her nearly 20-year struggle for justice after being racially profiled in Spain in 1992.
"Williams had the courage of her convictions to fight for 18 years to reach the U.N. Human Rights Committee, which ultimately validated her claims," Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) said. "Williams' case exemplifies how challenging it is for victims of profiling to get law enforcement officers to take them seriously, obtain necessary legal support, and get governments ultimately to respond."
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is commemorated on March 21. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid "pass laws" in Sharpeville, South Africa. Proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent agency of the Federal Government charged with monitoring compliance with the Helsinki Accords and advancing comprehensive security through promotion of human rights, democracy, and economic, environmental and military cooperation in 56 countries. The Commission consists of nine members from the U.S. Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce.


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The Mayans have plans for the Earth this Friday—destroying it to be specific. Let's pretend, however, that that forecast doesn't hold up to close scrutiny and that against all odds, we wake up in one piece on Saturday morning. That will free us to turn our attention to another way the world could end—rogue asteroids or comets—and those doomsday scenarios actually have the attention of scientists. The incoming ordnance the researchers most fear are those known straightforwardly as Near Earth Objects (NEOs). The dinosaurs could tell you a thing or two about the danger of such free-flying rocks. Oh wait, they can't.
Not any object we can see earns the Near Earth label. It has to be on track to enter the air space of our solar system, passing within 1.3 astronomical units (AU)—or 121 million miles—of the sun. (A single AU is 93 million miles—or the Earth-sun distance.) Going by that standard, NASA estimates that there are thousands of NEOs out there, though the ones that worry them the most are the ones that measure 1 kilometer (.62 mi.) across—not that a smaller rock couldn't do a whole lot of damage. (See, again, the ex-dinosaurs.)
(More: Alert Bruce Willis! Two Asteroids Pass Close to Earth)
NASA, in cooperation with a global network of optical and radio telescopes, has been standing watch against space rocks for a while, thanks to its Near Earth Object Observations Program. Telescopes in Kitt Peak, Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona; Goldstone, Calif; Okayama, Japan; Padua, Italy and elsewhere keep the skies constantly scanned, feeding what they find into a global database of any and all menacing bodies. So far, the telescopes have spotted nearly 850 asteroids that cross the 1 km threshold, and hope to have 90% of all of them catalogued within 10 years.
On Dec. 12, one of these bruisers, known as Toutatis, caught the eye—or antenna—of the Goldstone radio telescope. Today, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) released a wonderfully eerie video clip of the rock as it makes its slow, rolling approach. Toutatis measures 3 mi. (4.8 km) across and rotates on its axis once every 5.4 days. It processes—or wobbles on its axis like a badly thrown football—once every 7.4 days.
(Video: How to Save Earth From Killer Asteroids With a Paintball Gun)
But if the Earth is Toutatis's target, it's going to miss. The 64-frame video was taken when the asteroid was at two slightly different distances—both about 4.4 million miles (7 million km) from here. That, by way of comparison, is 18 times the distance to the moon. Ever since, it has been moving away and the gap has been growing.
Toutatis won't be back until 2069, when it will make an admittedly closer—but still safely remote—approach of 1.8 million mi. (3 million km). NASA puts the odds of its striking us on any of its approaches over the next 400 years at precisely—and comfortingly—zero. Still, Toutatis has thousands of brothers and sisters out there, and any one of them could turn out to be the delinquent in the family. For that reason, the telescopes will never blink. We can all go about our business, assuming we're safe—until, that is, we're not.
(More: Destroying Asteroids With Your Eyes is as Close To Being Superman as It Gets)


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Opportunity in Broken Chalk
Amina with her siblings, and behind them the brown chalkboard that Amina uses to teach them.
As a sponsored child, Amina – 11, from Tanzania – is able to go to school. But her siblings aren't as fortunate. To help give them a future, too, she collects pieces of broken chalk along what she learns and brings it all home to teach her siblings herself!
Ordinarily, broken chalk never meant much to most children, except perhaps for the purpose of pelting one another with the fragments. While most fifth-graders dash out of class and head home, 11-year-old Amina and a few others linger behind, quickly gathering leftover chalk from the day's lessons.
With enough saved-up chalk pieces, Amina will put them to good use: to teach her siblings when she visits them at her father's house. During the school term, she lives with her mother on the coast of Tanga region of Tanzania. During the school holidays, she travels over to a different village where her father, siblings, and stepmother reside.
"After school hours, I go round all classrooms to pick up pieces of chalk left on the floor so that during the holiday I make a blackboard and can teach my siblings what I was taught in school. When I am on my holiday, I visit my father and there is where I get the chance to teach my siblings. But I received text books and exercise books from World Vision so I know and I can teach my siblings to read and write," Amina says.
Amina is a sponsored child, and her school was built by World Vision Tanzania. It is here where she gathers the chalk remnants, broken pieces that are giving her brothers and sisters a glimpse of a brighter future.
Through partnerships with local families, community groups, faith-based organizations, and governments, World Vision works to break the cycle of poverty, create long-term changes, and help to ensure that over time, all children in the community benefit from improved access to healthcare, education, clean water and sanitation, nutritious food, and the chance to participate in decisions affecting their lives.
"My siblings did not get the chance to go to school because my family faced some challenges. It hurt me a lot, so when am in class I listen carefully so that I will help my brothers and sisters when I go home on holiday. I see a bright future ahead of me and also I want the same for my siblings," Amina says.
"I thank World Vision and my sponsor for enabling me to reach this point," she continues. "I can now help my younger sisters at home to read and write, and I know that next year they will all be going to school and they will be the best students because they have learned a lot even before they have started their studies."
By Lena Renju
(Photo: 2014 Jessica Biseko/World Vision)


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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Retrospective: Champions
Well-written effects-based rules are very flexible and enable players and referees alike to create a near-infinite variety of powers. When I first encountered the game in 1982, when it was released in a boxed set, I definitely considered the rules of Champions to be well-written, covering pretty much every possible power I could think of. My friends and I enjoyed creating reams of superheroes and villains, doing our best to see if we could come up with a concept the rules didn't easily cover. We found a few, of course, but we also came up with ways to make the existing rules cover those marginal cases. It wasn't until we acquired supplements, such as Champions II (released the same year as the boxed set) and Champions III (in 1984), that we realized we were "doing it wrong" and had to change the way we handled certain powers and abilities.
I'm pretty math-impaired, so Champions was never a good fit for me, gaming-wise. Its points-based system always made me mildly uncomfortable, but its flexibility was attractive enough to me that I muddled through and enjoyed the game greatly anyway. Coming primarily from a background of D&D and D&D-inspired games, Champions really was a revelation to me. I admired how it compactly provided rules for almost anything you could imagine from a superhero comic book. I also thought its segment-based combat system, while a bit clunky, was nevertheless a very good emulation of the slugfests you see in those comic books. In short, Champions seemed to be, despite my misgivings, a near-perfect game, one whose rules had managed to capture exactly what I wanted out of a superhero RPG. My friends and I played the heck out of it for several years as a result.
Over time, as I mentioned, more and more supplements were released for the game and each one added to both to the game's depth and its complexity. After a certain point, I found complexity won out and I simply would have nothing more to do with Champions. My friends and I could have just ignored the supplements and perhaps we should have, but we were young and foolish and had a thing about keeping up with the latest releases -- too many years of D&D will do that to a person -- so we simply abandoned the game and moved on. Looking back on it, I think that was a pity, because we'd had a lot of fun with Champions.
I can't say I've kept up with all the ins and outs of Champions and the HERO System since the late 80s. Every now and again, my interest is revived and I take a peek at the Hero Games website. That rather quickly cures me of any residual interest I have in the game. It appears as if the game has gone down the road of becoming ever more exhaustive and "complete," providing rules for all those marginal cases my friends and I discovered years ago -- and many more we didn't even consider. There's nothing wrong with such an approach, I suppose, but it doesn't appeal to me, particularly nowadays. I like my games short and sweet, even if that sometimes means I have make things up myself, because I consider that part of the fun, just as I did back in 1982 when I first opened that 64-page superhero RPG.
31 comments:
I think less is more when it comes to RPGs. I'm willing to bet that a beginner would have far more luck with Champions 2e than the current version. I had a similar experience with GURPS. The current edition is just too much, and I'm not sure what it does that my boxed 2nd edition can't do.
D&D has obviously grown a ton over the years, but I'm willing to bet that the growth from AD&D 1e through 4e is less severe compared to other games.
You could also argue that the rules for games like Warhammer, Magic, and the typical boardgame have become simpler over the years.Replies- AnonymousJune 3, 2024 at 10:17 PM
Warhammer has simplified (except for The Old World) but Magic tried to simplify and it backfired so there was a decision to increase complexity from where it was previously. Boardgames I think come and go, I do think designs are getting more elegant as time goes on but the heaviest games arent necessarily the oldest.
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2009 at 11:45 AM
"The Gold Standard" indeed. I played this game pretty consistently for years and years. The rules haven't changed that substantially between editions, except that some broken aspects were cleaned up in later versions. Most of additional pages came from "Champions" moving to "HERO" and having to incorporate elements from their pulp, sci-fi, and fantasy ranges.
ReplyDelete I've never been a big fan of superhero games, but I've always admired Hero System ... but I doubt I'll ever get around to running a group of, say Fantasy Hero. The work I'd need to do to customize it for whatever world I'd create is just too daunting.
On a sidenote, I've often thought character creation in Hero was a sub-hobby in and of itself, regardless of whether the character was actually played.In my "Age of Hero" installment of the "Days of High Adventure" column for The Escapist (to which James is also a contributor), I made the case that Champions/the Hero System represents the Old School Revival's best case, in the sense that players today are playing exactly the same way they did in 1981, and a player from that time could fit easily into a campaign today.
ReplyDeleteAfter D&D this was our most played and favorite RPG (Top Secret being a close 3rd). Our pre-D&D love was comics so I picked these rules up as soon as they came out. Again one booklet (like Holmes basic) covered everything. I found the rules easy to understand and we all had a blast making heroes and villains. This was probably the last RPG we all played as kids before we splintered into wargames and other things.
Someday I'll play these rules again!I started playing Champions in the mid-to-late 80's, running a character I created but which was 'built' by my GM. For nearly a year of play I had no idea what the rules of the game were.
The first edition I purchased was third I believe (the hardback with the George Perez cover illustration). While I followed the game through to 5th, the first one I bought remains the book I use whenever I play it.
I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Mearls, less is more. While it may remain the 'Gold Standard', it seems to have gone the way of becoming more and more complex as I've moved toward simpler and simpler. These days I would rather run Mutants & Masterminds, if only because its easier to do so.
Still, as a huge fan of Superhero gaming, Champions will always have a special place in my heart and at my table.Champions has more crunch than my taste, but I need to give props where their called for. The various "complete" books actually tend to be fairly light on the rules and focus much more on being comprehensive write-ups on their topic. It used to be that I'd buy GURPS books (despite not playing GURPS) because they were such a fantastic resource on whatever they were about. These days, HERO fills that niche pretty well.
I was, to say the least, shocked when I discovered this. When I first saw the complete books, I imagined them to be be vast tracts of math, best avoided by my poor brain. I picked up their Pulp book as research material and was blow away by the depth of it. They've pretty well sucked me in from there, despite my continued disinterest in actually using the system.I loved the Hero system when I finally figured out how to play it around 4th ed. For some reason, 2nd ed never clicked with me and I was 'stuck' with Marvel Super Heroes, where even the Advanced version of the game was dead simple. Hell, I still remember FASERIP for god's sake. The new edition of Champions... well, it scares me. When they start breaking Hero up into multiple books, might be a fridge too far for me.
ReplyDeleteChampions was the second rpg I had ever played, and I was hooked immediately. In Highschool we had a decent campaign going, I think we were using the second edition rules, which were awesome!
The current system is like any new rpg, way too much content to read through so it's not as friendly to newcomers. I don't like that you have to pick up the main 600 page book plus the Champions book to play it.
Jay, the Marvel RPG is great! I still have my copy. My gaming group in Highschool actually dropped Champions for a while and we used the Marvel rules. It was a great system!Definitely my top RPG in terms of play time. The earliest books were resolutely Old School in their encouragement to make it up yourself -- the "special effects" rule could be used to cover almost any special case you wanted. As James says, later supplements went back on that somewhat and encouraged powergaming (the Vehicle rules in particular encouraged abuse.)
ReplyDeletebut we were young and foolish and had a thing about keeping up with the latest releases -- too many years of D&D will do that to a person --
This is something I find interesting. Why is it that many years of D&D does that? 3rd ed was notorious for its flood of supplements, and 2nd ed was bad. But, was that which caused it? I kind of think you mean this is something you picked up earlier than 3rd ed, James. Care to elucidate a bit on that?Does it date me if I remember cruising the skies of Inguria with agents of the Science Police hunting down rumours of the infamous Dr Ruby?
After Superhero 2044 we shifted to the original edition of Villians & Vigilantes, then onto Champions when it first came out. The nice thing is that over a quarter of a century later the rules really haven't changed, despite six separate editions. A Champions character of today is as familiar as those characters from the first edition.
And whilst I believe I've tried every commercially published superhero game that has been produced since then, we keep going back to Champions. It definitely hits the sweet spot for superhero gaming (although DC Heroes did come close).This one never really clicked for us. I think the third time the GM redid the math on my character sheet I was full up on it. We got a lot of use out of V&V (which I still thin has the best shrpg art of all time )though.
These days I use a lesser known system called BASH. It combines a lot of the flexibility of Champions, but is really, really stripped down.When it comes to "point-based" and "effect-based" systems, my guilty pleasure is the Silhouette system by Dream Pod 9.
When I played Battletech, I so enjoyed making 'mechs and vehicles, I push the limits of that the system could handle! I was also unsatisfied with many of the limitations and conversions within the different BT systems.
The reason why I call Silhouette my "guilty pleasure" is because I find the paperwork slow and really tedious, but I somehow enjoy it! Even with it's vehicle design system (the reason I got into the system), I could save myself a lot of time and effort by not calculating the Treat Values (default RPG method), but I still like to make them wargaming compatible - that, and I'm a huge technical geek! @..@think less is more when it comes to RPGs. I'm willing to bet that a beginner would have far more luck with Champions 2e than the current version. I had a similar experience with GURPS. The current edition is just too much, and I'm not sure what it does that my boxed 2nd edition can't do.
This is a point I debated on the SJ Games forums to no avail. Not only the staff is indifferent to the problem but much of the fanbase is actively hostile to any idea that a ready to run version be done for any of the major genres (fantasy, space, or horror)
The staff says that none of their freelancers as an interest to write it and sales of GURPS don't warrant a major staff effort. Munchkin sales dwarfs GURPS sales.
This is a problem with many point based games. The problem is of presentation not design. It is ok in my book to have HERO 5th edition or GURPS 4th core books. But my god man have a 64 to 128 page ready to run rulebooks that allow folks to use your system to run one of the major genres.
Otherwise your fanbase will steadily become a group of hardcore grognards.
Now GURPS has done Dungeon Fantasy which is successful. But it still doesn't have all the esstential elements and also you can't just pick up DF 1 and play GURPS.I've probably played more sessions of Champions than every other RPG system combined, but there's no way I'd touch the game in its current incarnation. The publisher and main designer loves high word counts to an almost fetishistic extent. (For at least a couple of years, his year-end "state of HERO" type essays would dwell on how many words the company printed that year.) Probably his years in law school are the cause, but for crying out loud, who the heck wants to buy and read a very thick college textbook for an RPG?
ReplyDelete@Rob Conley: I think you're probably right on all counts there. Easily the most "successful" thing I've done (in terms of positive reader feedback) is my "Final Frontier" package for GURPS Lite, 3d edition. 32 pages of GURPS Lite, plus another 14 for Trek-specific foundation. It's a little sad for me, long-time GURPS fiend, to feel the best thing to happen to the line in recent years was GURPS Lite.
To meander back towards the post, I came to Champions about the same time James did (just before 3e box), but left apparently much earlier. I ended up bouncing back to it several times (4e, the Big Blue Book, as a fanpub writer; then 5e, the Big Black Brick, as a reviewer/semi-historian) but not to play, just to read.
Um, what? Coherent? Oh. No, sorry, none of that here.First edition Champions, with the wrap-around cover and the "Making Of" blurb in the back admitting that it started as margin notes during a boring lecture. ;)
Stronghold! Dr. Destroyer! Foxbat! Mechanon! VIPER! Turtle armor! Gargoyle eating microphones!
and I still can't help but read comics and try to stat out powers in Champions terms.
I'm not as enthusiastic about point-based system as I used to be. But original Champions is still one of my favorites.I am also of the less is more school of role playing and every time I attempted to learn the HERO system in its fifth incarnation my eyes would glaze over and I'd be left scratching my head, finding it somewhat incomprehensible. Despite all that, I did give the new 6th edition a look and I have to say that even though it is a 780 page beast of a game, it is a beautiful and elegant beast, much better laid out, written, and easier to understand than its previous edition. Of course, one still has to devote the time to read all those pages much less remember all of the nuances and I expect that most readers of this blog would rather get down to the business of playing rather than spend so much time just learning the system.
ReplyDeleteSo is the edition pictured in James' original posting the 2nd? That's the one I played way back in the day, and I never knew for sure which edition it is.
Actually, I should say that I sort-of played Champions back in the day. Mostly, we just made characters 'cause it was so fun. We ran the game a lot less of the time. But I have some very fond memories of Champions. I too sometimes think about checking out newer versions of the Hero System, but it's just too much for my taste.@Akiva: The picture in James' post is the first edition. I know, because I have a copy sitting on my shelf. :)
Mr. Varney is right, though, that, despite the bloat, the system is virtually unchanged from what it was at the beginning (as are many of the players). The bloat is primarily from lots of extended rules commentary and patching covering a myriad of corner-cases that have caused the game text to snowball over the years. That, and to a lesser extent, the multi-genre goals of HERO.
The real bloat that's affected the game is point bloat. In 6th ed., a standard superhero is build on 400 points. In the original Champions, it was 200. Detail has predominated over the effects-focus, so there's simply way more stuff upon which players need to spend points.
Anyway, when I encountered 1st ed. Champions in junior high, it was definitely a game-changer (no pun intended). It was like nothing we'd seen, and it was my Gold Standard RPG for quite some time. Granted, back then V&V was easier for our 11-year-old brains to tackle, so technically we played more of that. :)
I will always have a soft spot for HERO, but many, many years of playing 5th ed. has just burned me out. Much like 3.5 (which I did love), there's just too much handling time and man-hours needed to run HERO.I loved "Champions," too. I have the edition pictured above as well. That's actually the 2nd edition. (The first looked very similar, but was printed in black and white I understand. I've seen it for sale on eBay from time-to-time, but don't own it myself.)
I first bought the 2nd edition boxed set in 1984, if I remember correctly. At the time, I remember the big selling point of the game was being able to create characters by allocating points (enabling players to create exactly the characters they wanted), rather than rolling dice to generate random numbers (or, in the case of its contemporary competitor "Villains & Vigilantes," randomly generating the heroes' super powers as well).
The main problem with 2e in my mind was that character creation was so time consuming (as other posts above already mentioned). And then there was all the math, which put off my friends. Also, the layout, typesetting and artwork in that 2nd edition was quite poor, even by the standards of the day. On top of that the publisher, Hero Games, released only a few supplements, most of which were very thin (a couple were only 16 pages long). "Stronghold" was my favorite, closely followed by "Champions II."
That all changed when Hero Games partnered with Iron Crown Enterprises around 1985. That saw the release of a 3rd edition rules (a trade paperback with no box, the cover of which featured super heroes swinging across a pier in San Francisco). A few more supplements trickled out for that, too, though they were mostly forgettable. Like "The Circle and M.E.T.E" organizations book.
The 4th edition was initially released in 1989. That's the one with the George Perez cover art. That's probably my favorite. A flood of supplements poured out for that version over the next 5 years or so.
The 5th edition was released in 2002, by Steve Long's own company after he and a partner bought the rights to the game outright. I thought that the "Champions" sourcebook by Aaron Allston for 5e was excellent. But I have been disappointed by some (but not all) of the other supplements I have purchased for 5e, including "Teen Champions" and "Dark Champions: The Animated Series," both of which seemed more like long strings of potential villains stat'ed out than the genre surveys they purported to be.Not to be a pedant, but the image above is the first edition from '81 (I just checked my copy downstairs). The revised edition (they hadn't started numbering yet) came out in '82 as a boxed set. It was the same cover but, iirc, colored a bit differently and with a newer Hero Games logo (depending on printings). The included rulebook was B&W inside and out.
Third edition is the one edition of Champs I don't own. I need to rectify that.- AnonymousDecember 17, 2009 at 11:37 PM
Started with Superhero 2044, moved onto Villains and Vigilantes, then the Marvel (original and advanced) games before I finally gave in and tried Hero. Haven't used any of the others since then.
First edition was the best, and I actually preferred their old method of putting out expansions to the rules rather than complete new editions. I stuck with fourth until about a year ago when I finally made the plunge. Found it a bit overwhelming, and to be honest, from what I've read of the 6th, I doubt I'll bother with it. I'm happy with the 5th edition, even though I actually think 4th was more than satisfactory. Champions saved me from dropping out of gaming. I had just got into it about a year previous with 1E AD&D and Gamma World. I got really bored with it then a friend of mine got the 1st Edition of Champions. I borrowed it and it fascinated me with the point-allocation system. When 2E came out I got it, then 3E and finally I hit my stride with 4th Edtion. I spent a good 8-10 years playing Champions and that BBB got a LOT of use (it's the only game book I completely wore out - Half-Price Books wouldn't even take it off my hands). I bought 5th Edition but never got to play it due to my moving to OKC.
Now I look at 6th Edition and I'd like to take the plunge but 1) the pricetage is a bit steep and 2) I'm not sure I like the way they changed the basic system.
I also know about the perceived "complexity" of the system but it's always been easy for me (and if a math bonehead like me can get it, anybody can). However, I'll be using Marvel Advenced with my grandsons, as HERO is kinda daunting to a 5 and 7 year-old.
Still, maybe down the road they'd be interested in HERO if I can find a used 4th or 5th Edition copy on eBay or somewhere. I want them to experience the fun I had way back when (and who knows - it might even help their math skills).


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If you're sick and tired of people constantly getting in your face about "browsing safely," you're not alone. All the fire and brimstone warnings about internet security are such a turn-off. Besides, you bought antivirus software and you can see the little icon on the desktop doing its business.
Ah, the bliss of browsing in a soft, cottony web of denial! Who doesn't want to believe they can point, click and browse with reckless abandon hither and yon across the vast open space that is the internet? But just like the time you learned that the tooth fairy ran out of money (ahem), tough love must be meted out sooner or later. How about now?
Turn away from all those internet security lies that only made your life a shell, a sham, a wisp. The following distortions may be hard to process at first, but you'll be better off in the long run.
Lie # 1: If the lock icon is Illuminated, I'm good to go.
Before you go online and purchase that batch of glow sticks for your emergency preparedness kit, you look for that little padlock in the browser bar. Although your instinct tells you to beware, that lock is the mark of the Internet Security God, right? That would be a big, fat fail.
All that the padlock icon means is that there is a secure connection between your computer and the web server: You're still not protected from malware. Also, some hackers are quite good at faking an SSL certificate - or buying one for a spell - and throwing in some padlock clip art. Many people have been fooled into thinking a page is legit when in fact it's not. Don't get spanked by a hack attack.
Lie # 2: Only adult sites are dangerous.
Since you don't visit websites of ill repute, you're in the all clear. Buzz! Wrong answer. More than 83 percent of malware hosting sites are "trusted." You're more likely to be attacked by visiting a legit shopping or general lifestyle site than you are an adult or gambling site. Go ahead and do whatever you need to do with this information, but do it safely.
Lie # 3: There is nothing valuable on my computer.
So you don't have major financial institution spreadsheets on your hard drive or a database of Beverly Hills socialites' social security numbers. You probably do have an email password, access to at least one social networking site and a resume in your documents folder, which are all someone needs to steal your identity.
Think about it - all your juicy lifespan details are listed: your alma mater, work timeline, etc. See, you do have something valuable on your computer - and it's worth protecting.
Lie # 4: I already have antivirus software and don't need more
Antivirus protection is a slicker in the storm and it's great that you have it for inclement "conditions." However, a new virus enters the web-o-sphere quicker than you can say, "Trojan-says-what?" Buy software that updates definitions regularly, preferably automatically.
Also, antivirus software only stops viruses from infecting your system while you browse, which is great, but it's not going to save you from a hacker's super-smart coding hat trick. Get a multilayered solution that sweeps, firewalls and safeguards.
Lie # 5: My passwords are ridiculously superior
While "%14lugnut_(1776)-tutu" is better than "pass*word," you're still not completely safe. No matter how creative or intellectualized your password, there's someone (or something) out there devoting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to breaking your sweet, weak code.
Hackers also use keyloggers, which can snatch and monitor keypad activity. Encrypt all you want - there's still a chance your password will be passed along.
Lie # 6: Bells and whistles will go off when I'm infected
If you think that just because you don't have a plethora of pop-ups or a slug-like system that you have nothing to worry about, you've bitten off a chunk of a fib. Malware has evolved to the point where you won't detect it - that's kind of the point. Even more reason to get your digital duckies in a row. Today's threats are stealthy little buggers.
Lie #7: I have to download files to get infected
Back in simpler times, you just needed to watch for .exe files. Now, malware infections may occur through "drive-by" downloads. The malicious code lurks in seemingly innocent content, which then "executes automatically within the browser as a by-product of simply viewing the Web page." This dovetails from Lie #6 - you think you're safe because nothing is happening when in fact you've just been hijacked!
The Bright Side
There's a bright side to the shady land of internet security lies: Myth-busters are waiting to hold your hand and tell you the truth about your online escapades, however innocent. And while knowledge is power, taking action is a superpower.


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Warriors down 3-1 to Jazz after losing first home game of playoffs: As I said after the Game 2 loss, the same thing you loved about this team a week ago after they vanquished
Brett Favre: Trade Me! (Or maybe not): I hope this he-said-he-denied "trade me!" finally exposes Favre once and for all as not worth the idolatry. Maybe this will finally inspire the Packers to do what's best for the team, not Favre.
MLB Mother's Day Stud: Fred Lewis, hits for the cycle (a present for mom) and leads the Giants to a 15-2 win over
The most unlikely title of the year: "Phil Mickelson: Ultimate Playa"
NBA Exec of the Year: Bryan Colangelo. Saw this coming before the season started. He's the best exec in the NBA, and he has a second E.O.Y. award ('04-05 PHX) to prove it. Hopefully, his innovative international methods -- which triggered one of the most impressive one-season turnarounds in NBA history -- will inspire other teams' execs. (Either that, or pressure them. I don't care which. Colangelo shows fans that it can be done quickly and relatively easily, and they should hold their own team's GMs to a similar standard.)
Again, sorry about the delayed post today.


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Zimbabwe's longtime President Robert Mugabe has been declared the winner in elections that give him another five-year term. But the opposition says the vote was rigged.
Mugabe won by 61 percent, with his main challenger, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, trailing far behind in the official results from the July 31 vote. Mugabe's party, the Zimbabwe African National Union, also managed a comfortable win in parliamentary elections.
"Mugabe, Robert Gabriel, of ZANU-PF party is therefore duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe with effect of today," commission head Rita Makarau announced Saturday.
NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, reporting from Harare, says there's likely to be a legal challenge — but that the options for Mugabe's opponents look slim.
Tsvangirai has disputed the outcome, but called for a peaceful response to the official tally. He vowed not to participate in any government institutions to protest what he said was vote rigging.
Tsvangirai's opposition Movement for Democratic Change says it is preparing a dossier detailing wholesale irregularities and vote fraud to be handed over to the Southern African Development Community, which deployed election observers to monitor the contested ballot.
MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti, Zimbabwe's outgoing finance minister in the coalition government, called the vote "historic landslide grand theft."
"What they have simply done is to plunge Zimbabwe into a political, constitutional governance issue, because they do not have the people, they do not have the legitimacy and they do not have the capacity of running this government," he said.
However, Ofeibea reports there's been "broad endorsement for the conduct of Zimbabwe's election by the main African observer missions. Western observers were not invited."
The head of the Southern African Development Community's observer delegation, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, has appealed to all sides to accept the results.
"These elections, under the circumstances, have gone well," he said. "We cannot now say that there should be an idea of nullification. To what cost? Where elections took place under cordial, peace, nonviolent atmosphere, we must accept the facts, no matter how painful this might be."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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A photo off the front porch.
We're in love with our gnarly Halloween tree.
A shot down the street. We met some neighbors who informed us that there's a nice turnout on Halloween night, with each house getting into the spirit with lots of decorations and lights.
This is going to be a wonderful place to haunt.
And here's a pic of one of the samples from Primitives by Kathy.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Neighborhood
31 comments:
- Anonymous said...
Looks like a wonderful and quite place. Its good to hear that neighbors get into the Halloween spirit....
- June 5, 2011 at 5:26 PM
- Sharon Day said...
Was there a warning sent out to the neighbors before arriving? A pumpkin in their mailboxes or something? Hee hee Just a gorgeous place!
- June 5, 2011 at 7:23 PM
- Damian Michael AKA HalloweeNut said...
Hot Damn! Good for you, Rot n Bean!
- June 5, 2011 at 7:43 PM
- Jon said...
Absolutely brilliant. I know I keep repeating myself, but I am extremely happy for you guys. Looks like you may have found a neighborhood that deserves you.
Apart from mine, that is. - June 5, 2011 at 7:45 PM
- Rot said...
Thanks, guys.
We're really excited.
Going to be a really neat Halloween. - June 5, 2011 at 8:02 PM
- Vintage Seance said...
You are going to have so much fun surrounding the tree with your haunt and all the decorations. So happy for you!
- June 5, 2011 at 8:03 PM
- Marrow said...
I have been waiting for this post to come. ;)
I'm imagining those huge trees in the second shot around octobertime.
Orange leaves drifting down onto the road and gardens...
Do any of the neighbors know about your props and haunt? And TELL ME you left a souvenir at the old house. - June 5, 2011 at 8:09 PM
- Rot said...
Didn't leave anything behind at the old place. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. : )
None of the neighbors have seen my props going into the garage. Lots of folks have stopped by to welcome us, and one couple mentioned a house up the road that goes all-out for Halloween. So we kinda hinted that we "decorate" for Halloween. - June 5, 2011 at 9:01 PM
- Marrow said...
'decorate'. That absolutely hilarious!
- June 5, 2011 at 9:06 PM
- Terrormaster said...
Awesome spot guys. Fantastic spot and from the sounds of it a great neighborhood.
I'm quite envious of that tree. We have a nice oak in our yard but sadly the landlord is choppin her down this summer - too many dead branches and unfortunately a potential "fall on the house" hazard. Gonna miss her but considering my daughter's room is on that side the house, it's for the best.
Good luck in your new hood and can't wait to see pictures. - June 5, 2011 at 9:14 PM
- House Bloodthorn said...
Congrats to you both on the new digs. Looks great. Have fun planning the plan!
- June 5, 2011 at 9:26 PM
- Arcane said...
Place looks lovely. You couldn't ask for cooler trees than that for haunting. Awesome. Will your new home have a Halloween prop christening?
- June 5, 2011 at 11:04 PM
- Autumnleaf said...
Omg that tree is to die for. What a rich and lush environment to be in! Sounds like you've met some good people so far..they are in for a treat come October.
The large lighted pumpkin...oh ya..I'm there. Three should do it to start with. - June 6, 2011 at 12:35 AM
- Anonymous said...
Jeremy said: What a fantastic yard for a Haunt! I am on the edge of my seat to see what you will cook up this year. Congrats again.
- June 6, 2011 at 12:51 AM
- Adam said...
Little do they know what the word decorate means when it comes to you rot :D They are in for a treat indeed. That pumpkin btw, looks incredible!!!!!! I want 3 of the large ones in the near future. They are so spooky and delightful!
- June 6, 2011 at 1:16 AM
- Rot said...
Thanks, everyone.
I think I've spoken to more neighbors in the one week we've lived there than anywhere else I've lived. Nice people who have actually brought over things like a bottle of wine and a beautiful flowering plant to welcome us. It's crazy nice. I'm not used to that stuff. I must have lived in all the wrong places.
I was pulling some old plants and found two really strange dried-out branches from some twisted flowering plant. So I kept them and will probably make a small "tasteful" pumpkin-headed scarecrow for the base of that tree...just to give a heads up that the 31st is coming. - June 6, 2011 at 5:52 AM
- NoahFentz said...
For some reason I keep thinking of the quote from Flounder in Animal House...
"Oh boy, is this Great!"
Sounds to me that this year is going to be amazing for you guys on so many levels....
Congratulations!! - June 6, 2011 at 6:48 AM
- Anonymous said...
You are going to blow these people's minds when you set up your haunt......
They might not talk to you after that. :) - June 6, 2011 at 8:01 AM
- Amy said...
You guys are still in Pa right?
That street has an original Halloween walking home from school vibe. - June 6, 2011 at 8:57 AM
- Rot said...
Yup. Still in PA.
I'm so curious about how it's all going to look come Autumn. - June 6, 2011 at 9:18 AM
- JD said...
You need to do a post on peoples reactions come Halloween :D
- June 6, 2011 at 9:50 AM
- ShellHawk said...
Honestly, Rot, it's an awful neighborhood. You should have moved out here to Folsom, which is MUCH better! ;oD
Seriously, though, the lighting you can hide in the tree, along with the things you can put in it, is amazing all on its own. The driveway is begging for a nice line of corpses to greet unsuspecting children!
Your new 'hood has no idea how lucky they are! Almost wish I lived in Philly, just to see it!
Congrats to you both, once again! - June 6, 2011 at 10:22 AM
- Otaku said...
Oh, my.
It's perfect - a huge tree, a big yard and a neighborhood that loves the Dark Holiday.
Welcome home, guys. - June 6, 2011 at 12:06 PM
- Jeff said...
Looks really promising, we've just recently relocated after four years in a townhome to a 100 yr old brick house in a small town called evans city. Big yard, lots of foliage...gonna be fun. Must say i cannot wait to see what you two do there.
- June 6, 2011 at 5:23 PM
- Pam Morris said...
this is gonna' look SO cool at Halloween!
- June 6, 2011 at 6:55 PM
- Sara said...
loving the neighborhood! So grassy and wild. Woot! Halloween 2011 is going to be EPIC. :D
- June 6, 2011 at 11:29 PM
- Jason-v said...
Great looking neighborhood! If you want to really make a halooween tree, contact Brian Via facebook
hes a pro chainsaw artist and can make all kinds of monsters with the saw, check out his pics regardless!!! - June 9, 2011 at 9:41 PM
- Jason-v said...
check out his on the road photos and look at that gargoyle...
- June 9, 2011 at 9:47 PM
- ~Scout~ said...
Just got back here - the last time I checked your blog you weren't back yet! I'm curious if any of your former neighbors came to say goodbye?
The tree at the new house... is heartbreakingly beautiful. We have *plenty* of trees here in the Pacific NW, but they are all evergreens.
Doing a Haunt here really is like being Jack Skellington in Christmas Town!
Scout - June 11, 2011 at 11:38 AM
- pensive pumpkin said...
You will have to give us hints about what you are doing with that tree. I have a tree I love (that is not quite as cool as yours) but the wind issues mean I have to set up during summer if I want to do anything up there.
Have fun planning! What a great new neighborhood! - June 12, 2011 at 5:48 PM
- MorbidMariah said...
WOW! Your new hood looks just perfect for you! I am jealous! Congrats, man!
- June 14, 2011 at 2:27 PM


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Members of the city council want planning and zoning staff to cook up a plan for food trucks to legally serve their culinary creations in Alexandria.
The food truck craze, which has taken nearby Arlington and Washington by storm in recent years, stops short at Alexandria's city limits. Long-standing ordinances regulating commercial activity bar the mobile food stands from serving hungry diners, though they didn't dissuade a pair of food trucks from making an illegal stop in north Old Town earlier this year.
While Old Town isn't necessarily ideal for the wheeled eateries, City Councilman Krupicka sees fertile ground in the Eisenhower valley, particularly within the Carlyle neighborhood where there U.S. Patent and Trademark Office offers thousands of potential customers. He did not rule out Del Ray or Arlandria as potential food truck havens, but said further study is needed.
"Carlyle and the Eisenhower valley don't have the [most diverse] of choices for the many employees and people who work and live there every day," he said. "It adds to that attractiveness of Carlyle as a place to open a business … Given that we care a lot about office vacancy, it helps to have exciting food options nearby."
A self-described fan of food trucks, Krupicka said he wanted to give planning staff a chance to unveil a pilot food vendor program in Market Square before calling for an end to the city's mobile eatery prohibition.
Krupicka, joined by fellow Councilman Paul Smedberg, voiced his support for food trucks during an early December city council meeting in which members tentatively extended the pilot food cart program at Market Square for a second year.
The program, launched earlier this year, was heralded as a way to enliven Market Square. It was seen also as Alexandria's answer to the food truck craze, Krupicak said.
"The mistake we made, which was something we had concerns about from the beginning, was not opening [the program] up to restaurants anywhere, and restricting it to the Old Town restaurants really hurt the opportunity for it to work," he said. "Not every business owner has the opportunity to start something new."
Whether the program was a success depends on who answers the question. Barbara Ross, deputy planning director, said the carts created a sense of vibrancy at an otherwise quiet Market Square. Neighborhood Restaurant Group staff, who participated, likewise called the program a positive experience. But other restaurants like Union Street Pub dropped out midway through the summer.
And Vice Mayor Kerry Donley publically questioned the successes during the city council discussion. Limited to eight vendors, all with physical locations in Old Town, the program had five takers at its peak, and eventually dwindled to just two.
Were the program to continue, it would have to include at least four vendors, Donley said.
As a result, Ross is opening the program up to anyone and everyone and plans to reach out to prospective vendors in January.
"We fully expect to have a vending cart program on Market Square next year," she said. "It doesn't even have to be a restaurant, it's open to anyone who wants to come and play by our rules."
Paving the way for food trucks to make their way into Alexandria won't be as easy. At the behest of Krupicka and other members of city council, Ross expects to put together a group of staff with enough knowledge of Alexandria to lay the groundwork. While parking and sanitation issues come to her mind first, Ross admits there are many challenges ahead before food trucks become a reality in Alexandria.
One way or another, Krupicka wants to see mobile diners crossing into city limits by the end of next year. He expects resistance from existing restaurateurs, but believes the move will be a boon for the city.
"It's a great way to start a new small business," Krupicka said. "I think we're losing an opportunity to have some businesses make Alexandria their home."


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The Bowl Championship Series climaxes Monday, with a game in New Orleans between Louisiana State and Alabama for the national bragging rights to Dixie.
As there is a joke about the Holy Roman Empire — that it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire — so can the same be said about the Bowl Championship Series.
It's not a bowl; it's a game played in the Superdome.
It's not a championship, just an exhibition, because the teams have been appointed to show up without earning the right to challenge for the title.
And it's not a series, because no team plays more than once.
No wonder the BCS is so despised. Remember Diogenes? The guy who browsed around with a lantern, looking for just one honest man? Well, I am the Diogenes of the BCS — armed with a bullhorn and a searchlight, I've traveled this great land of ours, desperately hoping to find just a single fan of the BCS. But alas, I've found nary a one.
Still, we Americans continue, lobotomized, to accept the BCS as legitimate, when it's the goofiest competition this side of the Iowa caucuses and the People's Choice Awards. But if we should just think about it for a moment, and apply its arranged manipulations to other sports, we could realize how unfair and imbecilic the Bowl Championship Series really is.
If the BCS ran the Olympics, the 100-meter final would be held in September, six or seven weeks after the scheduled heats. That, you see, is consistent with the cuckoo BCS scheduling. LSU's last game was on Dec. 2. Alabama's was way back in November — 45 days ago. Nowhere else in sport is there such a pointless, bizarre interval.
If the BCS ran the NFL, there would be no playoffs. Instead, a bunch of mysterious computers and some dubious experts — many of whom have conflicts of interest — would just declare which teams qualified for the Super Bowl ... then schedule the matchup 45 days from now, of course.
If the BCS ran the World Series, tens of millions of dollars would still be made, and the leagues, and the owners, and the managers, and everyone connected with the Series would be paid. Well, everyone except for the players. But, you see, this is in keeping with the BCS rationale that players are actually much happier playing when they aren't burdened by making money.
Of course, baseball boosters would slip some cash under the table to the major leaguers, to make sure that amateurism remains pure.
If the BCS ran the World Cup, there would be no World Cup. Instead, there would just be a mind-numbing plethora of meaningless soccer matches played between disparate countries, like Peru vs. Slovenia, scheduled at random neutral sites like Sri Lanka.
I hope you enjoy watching the arranged marriage that the BCS is putting on Tuesday.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.