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Pikmin 3
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Resources. Includes gathering times
This gray, dull metal makes a good wall or machine early on. If you just want to go with something basic, you want Iron. It'll armor your tanks, your buildings, make weapons and armor, Iron does what you need. While weak to extreme fire, it's just a good, standard metal. You may want to replace it with a stronger metal later.
Strength: 3
4 days=100 units
Water Pebbles:
These can be used as ammunition as well as for building. They look like light brown, brittle rocks. They are completely immune to all watery effects, and won't even move if gallons of it are dumped on them. As a projectile, they burst into a spray of water which splashes on the target.
Strength: 2
4 days=100 units
A. Dweevilite:
This shiny yellow metal is generally used as armor, as it is completely immune to all electrical attacks. It won't weigh the unit down too much since it's fairly light, but it protects the unit a good amount for the weight--And most of all makes stuff resistant to electrical attacks.
Strength: 2
4 days=100 units
This gray substance with a bright sheen is extremely strong. It is very light, so it could be made into armor if you had enough time. It takes awhile to whittle Titanium down enough to smash it, so it's best to take it apart piece by piece. Titanium immune to acid, decent on everything else, and is pretty much the best metal around. It's one of the few things that can make aircraft. Make no mistake, Titanium is not invulnerable; but if you're unprepared it sure might seem like that.
Strength: 7
4 days= 5 units
It weighs a lot more then you'd think for the strength of 3. It can take any amount of heat, but is broken apart by water and ice. It's bright red.
Strength: 3
4 days=75 units
Gold is very heavy and valuable. It actually poses a bit of trouble for thieves because of its huge amount of weight, though it won't do much besides slow a thief down. Gold is one of the only resources the Special Store accepts, and thus makes a great trade item to other armies.
Strength: 1
20 days=20 units
This shiny metal is resistant against corrosion in general, but trumps everything at conducting electricity. It looks nice too, but... not as nice as gold. Still, it's worth a lot. Silver is one of the only resources that the Special Store accepts. Fine trade item.
Strength: 2
10 days=20 units
This metal looks like a yellower, duller gold. It crumbles when faced with electricity, but is resistant against fire and blunt attacks.
Strength: 2
4 days=100 units
It looks a little like silver, except darker with a better shine. It conducts electricity. Really, though, it's best just for trading--It's extremely rare and valuable. One of the only resources the Special Store accepts.
Strength: 2
30 days=20 units
Once made into armor or walls, the reddish substance will be wet for 12 days slowing down a unit using it and will have build strength 1. It will also be weak against water. Once the 10 days are up, it'll dry and harden, and become build strength 2. It then becomes resistant against electricity. Fire and heat only harden it more.
Strength: 1, then 2 after twelve days
4 days= 200 units
Chopped down from trees, it's in plentiful supply. To be honest, it isn't even remotely strong. Use it for building that you really don't care about or rudimentary armor. It burns easily, so don't rely on it. Wood is, however, one of the few things that can make aircraft. Regardless, if you made a plane out of it, just pray that a pebble doesn't hit it.
Strength: 1
4 days = 300 units
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Initially, this green metalloid is useless. It has a very low melting point, so just heating it up a little bit will melt it. However, You can refine it
Strength: 1
4 days=100 units
Refined Crawmadine:
A refined version of crawmadine. It has a much higher melting point, and it is corrosion resistant, making it much harder to destroy.
4 days=50 units
This colorless crystalline is completely transparent, making it good for surprising enemies with defenses they couldn't see. It's a good all-rounder, no specific strengths, but no weaknesses. It's fairly light, so it can be made into just about anything. For a 10-day project, you can polish 50 units so it reflects light, good for lighting up tunnels or blinding enemies.
Strength: 2
4 days=75 units
This orange metal conducts electricity well. It can be easily charged for electric fence purposes, and the electricity will remain present until discharged. Extra effective against water-based units.
Strength: 3
4 days=5 units
This white material is completely fire immune. It's all-round good, except against large amounts of wind or air. A big gust of wind could knock it down, as it's not very heavy. Decent armor for a troop with enough weight to hold its own.
Strength: 4
4 day=75 units
Groinkium, a blue metal with sort of an orange shine, has very special properties. It attracts other kinds of metal since it's magnetic, so if a machine made of metal (Not wood or stone) came close enough, it would start to pull towards it. If the machine goes in the opposite direction, it'll be slowed a little bit, and it'll go a little bit faster if moving towards it. If Groinkium makes contact, it'll stick to the metal object and enough could completely weigh it down. After the battle these things could be looted if they're still intact. Could be used for a variety of purposes. It corrodes very easily, but otherwise holds up its structure well.
Strength: 3
4 days=25 units
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With a good build strength, Dumplium is best in cold environments. Water, ice, and any kind of frostbite-inducing temperature won't phase it. Unfortunately, sustained fire will slowly melt it. It's average against other things.
Strength: 4
4 days= 75 units
Just a completely normal metal. Looks sort of like Iron, but a lot more shiny. No real weaknesses or strengths.
Strength: 4
4 days=50 units
Stainless Steel:
This metal is very special. It takes eight days to upgrade 50 units of Steel to Stainless Steel, which then have a build strength of 6. Things such as electricity and fire seem to "Wash" off of it, so you pretty much need straight ballistic or energy-based attacks to damage it. This is also one of the few materials that can be used to make aircraft.
Strength: 6
4 day=20 units
A special metal, though not very strong. It could be made into armor, but it isn't recommended. You could also make it a wall for backup or something, but again, not recommended. Its main purpose is to be made into flying machines, as Aluminum is one of the only resources that can do so.
Strength: 2
4 days=75 units
H.F. Rocket Metal:
H.F. stands for Hocotate Freight, the company that Olimar and Louie work for. This is a special black metal coated with a special paint that protects it from fire and corrosion. This can only be gained from a random event or some kind of special appearance--For example, the Special Store might have some pieces. It's one of the few things that can make aircraft; in direct comparison, it's a little weaker than Titanium, but still epic. A machine's engine made out of H.F. Rocket Metal moves 15% faster!
Strength: 6
Not really a resource, but tar is still a special substance. Tar sticks to units and won't come off easily, which can suffocate them or at least slow them down. Tar also catches on fire easily, so effective use of it could pretty much render light vehicles useless or even coat large areas of the ground in fire.
Strength: N/A
4 days=75 units
A tough metal that can be mixed with metals to give them more effects.
Strength: 5
4 days=25 units
A soft powdery material, can be used to make tar.
Strength: 1
4 days=200 units
A strong radioactive metal that can do damage over time, as well as a good power source for machines made out of it. Machines move 5% faster as well as 5% more damage.
Strength: 4
4 days=10 units
Just to let you guys know, there is no more universal store. I want to encourage trade between players.
Come join the pikmin wars!
Pendragon71037 5 years ago#6
Waiting for the rules to be posted, but I claim the all-pikmin army.
Chuck Finley is Forever! People that agree: 4
Official Torterra of the W2 board.
Newbie Rules:
1) Give all of your information in a basic log. It doesn't matter exactly how you organize it, just that you follow the rules and get all the basic information in it.
2) You don't need to post detailed descriptions of stuff in the log, just concise stuff.
3) To begin, make your general's name and species. Include your army's name and location. The general may not be a boss creature, or one that is obscenely powerful.
4) Your general is somewhat more powerful than a special troop, but not invincible.
5) You may begin with 550 troops of your choice. 50 of them may be "Special". Every in-game "Day," you may add 100 ordinary troops or 10 special soldiers to your army.
6) The troop caps are 5,000 for special troops and 50,000 for ordinary soldiers.
7) Ordinary troops are weak things such as Pikmin, Dwarf Bulborbs, and Shearwigs. Special troops are anything as large as a grown Bulborb or a powerful animal, like a Careening Dirigibug.
8) Making up your own species of creature is absolutely allowed, as long as it is reasonable.
9) Leave a small description by every creature or project you have in your army. .
10) It takes a 50+ Day project to get a boss creature in your army. Bosses and similar creatures are identified as "Super" creatures. No more than 5 Super creatures in your army!
11) Six external hours constitute a "Day" in the game. One external day is four internal days.
12) Breadbugs are Special units. Each Breadbug you have gets you one resource (Item) every four days.
13) You cannot have more than 50 Breadbugs in your army at once.
14) To get resources faster, you can make a 4-Day (Minimum) project to get more. Breadbugs don't get you these, but are automatically added to your army when you finish a project.
15) A resource mission can get you one to five hundred resources, based on the value and rarity of them.
16) In your log, write down the projects you have going and how many days it will take to complete them. You may have six active projects going at once. You may not have any more, but you can have fewer than six running at a time if you wish.
17) In your projects section, state how many resources you'll spend building something. An ordinary building would be about 100 Steel or Iron pieces. A typical tank, maybe 50. Based on the strength of the materials and how many you use to build them, your buildings, machines, and so forth may be stronger or weaker than others. Please be honest with the number you use, and look at other peoples' logs to get proportion.
18) Begin with 150 Iron.
19) To start off, you may only have one or two base defenses. More, such as walls and traps, must be built by themselves with individual projects. One project slot for one gate. One project slot for one bomb-rock cannon. You could, if you wanted, fill all of your slots with the same projects if you want multiple copies of them. This usually applies to base defense.
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20) Because you must build them individually, base defenses have quite a lot of defense, meaning that they aren't easily destroyed--If you attack someone, remember this! Building a factory to automatically make something every certain number of days is allowed.
21) Making a project to upgrade a defense or species of creature is perfectly allowed. Example: "Upgrade Careening Dirigibugs to Zooming Dirigibugs." With this in mind, you cannot start with Zooming Dirigibugs, but must undergo an upgrade project to get them.
22) Start with a Weapons Storage, Resource Storage, Ammunition Storage, and Barracks. These are fairly generic buildings that just give you the ability to hold the appropriate thing without having it cluttered around on the floor. You can rebuild a destroyed one in a 4-Day project.
23) Currency is Petals. Depending on natural resources and what projects you have going, you can sell items and such for Petals. With this, you can establish trade with people and actually get something else from the natural resources.
24) To start a project, you must spend two petals to pay the workers every day the project will run. Example: 15 day project costs 30 petals. Subtract the Petals when you start the project.
25) Start with 300 Petals.
26) With three Petal Gathering Centers, you can get up to 25 Petals every day. Originally you get 10 per day. For each Petal Gathering Center you build (20 day project each) your max will go up by 5. You can't have more than three, however, and once you reach 3,000 Petals, you can only gain 5 a day no matter how many PGCs you have. This is to prevent inflation.
27) Based on your natural surroundings, you can get various plants and resources as Items. Make a project to get a number of them at a time. These can be sold/traded to fellow armies for Petals, other items, war machines, you name it.
28) It takes six Days to walk from one end of an above-ground area to the other, to give you a size estimate. Sublevels depend on the size of it, but usually they aren't too large.
29) If your base is underground, there is a ramp between sublevels. You could use this to your advantage in building defenses.
Veteran Rules: This is what you'll be looking at after you have played for a bit, and are more complex.
30) Once you reach a total of 5,000 troops total, you cannot grab them randomly as before. To get a specific kind of troop, you must build a Recruitment Center for at least 12 Days. Once it is finished, you can get that kind of troop in your daily 100/10. If you have no RCs, once you hit 5,000 troops, you can't get any more until you build some.
31) Once you reach 5,000 troops total, you may recruit a Captain. This is another Special-grade creature that can help manage your army. It is almost as powerful as your General, but not quite. Your Captain can do logs for you, lead attacks so your General can stay home and hold down your base, and replace a fallen General. Once you get 15,000 troops total, you may recruit a second Captain. When you get 30,000 troops, you may gain a third. The last Captain you may get requires 55,000 troops--Max Ordinary and max Special. If a Captain dies, you must wait 30 Days to recruit another and must remain above the required troop total.
32) Recruitment Centers should be general for small families (Snitchbugs, Wollywogs, etc) and specific for large families, like Bulborbs. This means that a Shearwig Recruitment Center could get Shearwigs and Sheargrubs, but an Orange Bulborb RC could only get Orange and Dwarf Orange Bulborbs. This is because there are more Bulborbs than Shearwig-like animals
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33) RCs for Pikmin can cover three colors.
34) You can have one ally and one peace treaty. Send letters to establish these.
35) Letters to each other are automatically received--It is extremely hard to intercept them, unless you've got an enemy surrounded. Everyone can read the letter and see your plans, of course, but in the game they can't magically know what you sent someone.
36) Special weapons may be designed for your army with projects. They can be unique to specific creatures. (Bulborb holds sword in its, mouth, etc)
37) Weapons are not individually made--Flame Swords, for a random example, could be made in a project, and then theoretically you have an endless supply. If a supply/base was destroyed, then you would lose them, but otherwise you basically can't run out.
38) If you want to use a war machine that uses ammunition, such as a Mini Missile Car or a Bomb Rock Tank, you must have the ammunition to be able to use the machine. To get an infinite supply of it, you may build a factory for a 10+ Day project. You will have unlimited ammo until the factory is destroyed.
39) War Machines and Base Defenses can be made in a normal project, but there are some restrictions for factories. First off, only 3 War Machine Factories and 2 Base Defense Factories can be running at any one time. Each factory can only have one work line, meaning each factory can only work on one project at a time. The time to build a factory that produces either land, air, or water machines (not any combination) OR base defenses is 40 days. A factory that can build all types of war machines (land, sea, and air) takes 60 days to build, 120 for half-resources, and 180 days for no resources. No machine or base defense factory can produce anything over 40 days in length.
40) Much like a factory, You can build research centers, these allow you to research different things, but you may only have 3 at once, and they take a 40 day project to build.
41) Aircraft can only be built using the following resources: wood, aluminum, titanium, and Hocotate Freight Rocket Metal. Also, due to their speed and terrain-crossing capabilities, a 20 day aircraft has significantly less defense than a 20 day tank.
42) When you attack someone or are attacked, you must formulate your strategies before the battle. You will then send your plans into a player that has agreed to moderate, or write the battle.
43) You may not attack someone with more than a force of twice the size of his. This is to prevent experienced players from easily wiping out new armies.
44) When an army is destroyed, the attacker receives 1/3 of the defender's petals, as well as any resources not destroyed and blueprints for war machines, base defenses, etc. In a battle, all of these things can be stolen without the army being destroyed, but the attacker will receive less.
45) There are three kinds of attacks: "Raids" are the smallest. These are usually small hits at the enemy to take down defenses, steal things, prod key points, and that sort of thing. "Attacks" are pretty generic attempts to paste your foe and cause damage, and "Assaults" are full-scale hits meaning to cripple or even wipe out your enemy.
46) There will be the occasional random event. This could be a treasure hunt, or earthquake. They will not do anything unreasonable to your army.
47) You cannot have more than one base. For a 50-day project, you can move yours to somewhere else. This, however, shuts off all of your other project slots since you can't work while you move.
48) You may build mines. You may only have one per resource. Mines do not have a set cost and build time, just make sure you make it reasonable.
Come join the pikmin wars!
A) These are the number of days it takes for certain specific productions.
10+ Days: Ammunition factory
40+ days Factory-Automatically builds something every certain number of days or builds a certain number of something every day. Once it is built, it does not take a project slot to run.
40+ days research center-automatically researches things and troop upgrades.
12+ Days: Recruitment Center-Lets you gain a certain type of creature with your daily breed.
50+ Days: Boss Breed-Gives you a Super creature for your army.
20 Days: Petal Gathering Center-Lets you get five more Petals every day, up to twenty-five.
B) This is what a beginner's first log would resemble. You don't have to organize it this way, though--This is just one way of doing it.
Army: Sneaking Snitchers
General: Snatch (Bumbling Snitchbug)
Location: Distant Spring, the lake
100 Blue Pikmin (Water-resistant, drown-proof)
200 Mini Snitchers (Tiny Snitchbugs that make good thieves)
150 Water Dumples (Small, chomping ground units, water-resistant)
Subtotal: 450
20 Swooping Snitchbugs (Can lift up and drop small enemies)
20 Bumbling Snitchbugs (Can lift up and drop single large enemies)
10 Yellow Wollywogs (Hopping frog-like crushers)
Subtotal: 50
Total: 500
Petals: 88
100 Iron (Basic building material, strength=3)
Barracks (Troops sleep here)
Ammunition Storage (Ammo is kept safe here)
Resource Storage (Resources go here)
Weapon Storage (Troop equipment is stored here)
Base Defense
2 Whirlpool Generators (Suck enemies in and drown them)
1. Get 75 Aluminum (4/4 Days)
2. Build a Floodgate: 50 Iron (Manages water levels in the lake) (25/25 Days)
3. Mine 100 Iron (4/4 Days)
4. Mine 100 Iron (4/4 Days)
5. Mine 100 Iron (4/4 Days)
6. Breed an Imperial Jellyfloat (Super: Huge Jellyfloat with advanced suction powers) (65/65 Days)
Snatch: Made the army today. We're setting up base defenses and organizations for now. We'll hold back on attacking or making allies until we're more organized. Just focusing on defense, although I am getting the materials for a flying war machine just in case.
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As Marcum battles injury, Mets face uncertainty
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Shaun Marcum's injury is that the Mets have no idea when he might make his debut.
"I wish I did," manager Terry Collins said. "Because it has to do with the nerves, I'm not really sure how to approach it. I haven't really had to deal with something like that before. So we'll just go on what the doctors tell us and see where he is when it's time to resume some throwing."
The Mets on Thursday gave Marcum a diagnosis of nerve inflammation in his neck, administering trigger-point injections to relieve his discomfort. They will re-evaluate him in Florida this weekend, but that does not necessarily mean a return to the mound.
Even once Marcum does begin pitching, he must build his arm strength back to Major League levels. Because the right-hander has not even completed a bullpen session over the last two weeks, that could take significant time.
"It's all about being able to get his arm up to a consistent release point," Collins said. "If the nerves are flaring up again, he's going to have a tough time doing it, which is going to cause some discomfort. Until a few days from now, we're not really sure where we're at."
In the interim, Aaron Laffey will pitch Sunday, with a chance to stick in the rotation depending on his performance.
Collins gives athletic Valdespin chance in outfield
NEW YORK -- Continuing to seek outfield answers, Mets manager Terry Collins gave Jordany Valdespin his first start of the season Friday, leading him off and slotting him in center.
A natural second baseman, Valdespin began learning the outfield last spring and has played it sporadically over the past year, including a few dozen appearances at all three outfield positions in the Majors. Part of his daily routine includes tracking fly balls during batting practice, and any defensive improvement he displays in the near future could affect his playing time going forward.
"We'll find out," Collins said of Valdespin's outfield chops. "We won't know until we run him out there a few times and see how he does. But he's so athletic, there's no reason why he can't make the adjustment. And if he's going to make a difference with the bat in our lineup, we've got to get him in there to find that out."
Valdespin's bat is what most intrigues the Mets. Though Collins indicated earlier this week that Collin Cowgill, who hit a grand slam on Opening Day, would play nearly every day in center field, Cowgill sat Friday in favor of Valdespin. With Collins hoping to give Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter starts this weekend and the Marlins scheduled to throw three right-handed pitchers, it is possible that Cowgill could sit again.
Cowgill's absence Friday left the Mets with a hole atop the lineup, which Valdespin was happy to fill.
"He brings the same things that Collin Cowgill does," Collins said of the leadoff position. "They make a bad pitch, it's 1-0. He gets on the bases, he scores runs, he can steal bases. If you have him in your lineup, that's probably where he needs to be."
Davis proactive in working his way out of slump
NEW YORK -- This time, the Mets are being a bit more proactive with Ike Davis' struggles at the plate.
Manager Terry Collins addressed the first baseman's early-season woes after Thursday's game, talking to the slugger about his 1-for-12 start. A day later, Davis was the first player to report to an extra batting practice session at Citi Field.
"One thing about him," Collins said, "he's not satisfied with the way he's starting, and he's trying to do something about it."
With most players, a 1-for-12 start would prompt little concern. But Davis knows how quickly slumps can accelerate, after his 0-for-18 to start last season morphed into a .158 average and .507 OPS by mid-June. The last thing Davis wants to do is descend into a similar funk in 2013, now that he is fully healthy for the first time in nearly two years.
"I felt good all spring," Davis said. "I'll be fine."
Wheeler fights butterflies in Las Vegas debut
NEW YORK -- With so many clashing opinions surrounding the Mets' decision to start top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler in Triple-A Las Vegas, Wheeler could have added fuel to the debate by dominating in his Vegas debut.
Instead, Wheeler needed 86 pitches to record 10 outs Thursday, walking three batters and throwing a wild pitch. He acknowledged afterward that he was "maybe just a tad nervous."
"I was a little quick," Wheeler said. "My delivery, I was pushing the ball because I was so out in front of myself, instead of staying back and finishing through the pitch."
How Wheeler copes with the hitter-friendly conditions in Vegas will determine how quickly he can make his Mets debut. Matt Harvey, who was in Wheeler's exact position this time last year, struggled with consistency early at Triple-A and did not debut until late July.
"You've definitely got to keep your mind here," Wheeler said. "That's where you're at. You're playing here with all your buddies and you're trying to win, trying to get better every time you go out there."
The Mets' top overall prospect, Travis d'Arnaud, had a better go of it in Thursday's Las Vegas opener, finishing 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks, four runs scored and one RBI.
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Broad Institute and Rockefeller University disagree over which scientists should be named as inventors on certain patents involving the gene-editing technology.
Speaking of Science
November 1, 2012|
November 2012's selection of notable quotes
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November 2012's selection of notable quotes
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Studying the consequences of behavior has shed light on a wide range of life-science phenomena, pathological as well as everyday.
November 1, 2012|
Researcher salaries continue to buck the trend of the millennium's first decade, remaining flat or even declining across most life science disciplines.
November 1, 2012|
Check out the breakdown of this year's Salary Survey data, including how compensation differs between sex, sector, and state.
October 23, 2012|
Bees, sheep, and chimps are just a few of the animals known to self-medicate. Can they teach us about maintaining our own health?
October 22, 2012|
Biomedical researchers would benefit from emulating the logically rigorous reasoning of the late Alan Turing, British mathematician, computer scientist, and master cryptographer.
October 19, 2012|
The blogosphere voices widespread condemnation for a sexist comment made by a researcher attending this week's annual Society for Neuroscience conference.
October 4, 2012|
Music videos could be helpful tools for science communication and education, but anti- and pseudoscience activists are also using this medium to spread their views.
October 1, 2012|
Check out image finalists and winners, as well as other memorable submissions to this year's Labby Multimedia Awards.
October 1, 2012|
In Chapter 3, "Out of the Tropics," author Nina G. Jablonski, explores the genes behind skin pigmentation and makes the distinction between color and race.


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The Georgia Superior Court Clerk's office did everything in its power to thwart the very filing of a legal appeal in Weldon v Obama, the case in which Judge Michael Malihi ruled that Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and therefore eligible for the Georgia ballot.
And the Superior Court itself has just dismissed plaintiff David Weldon's appeal of that ruling.
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The numerous questions surrounding Malihi's February 3rd decision and the clear errors of law and procedure upon which it was based have been discussed by countless members of the new media.
And now Van Irion, head counsel for Liberty Legal Foundation (LLF) and the attorney who represented David Weldon in his lawsuit questioning Obama's eligibilty before Judge Malihi, relates what has happened since the decision.
TRENDING: LiAngelo Ball Tells Truth About The Day He Said 'Thank You' To President
The story he tells of improper and illegal conduct on the part of the Superior Court arguably reveals a more blatant and callous disregard for the law and the rights of the American people than was displayed in the ruling itself.
Irion relates that:
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- Malihi's Georgia Court refuses to forward LLF's Motion for Contempt against Obama to the Georgia Superior Court despite state law providing the Court no such discretion.
- The Superior Court refused to respond to LLF's letters on the matter, or demand the Malihi court forward the Motion.
- The Superior Court Clerk initially refused to file LLF's Appeal of Malihi's ruling, relenting only after 48 solid hours of legal and procedural "education" on the part of Irion.
- The Superior Court Clerk refused to file LLF's Motion for Preliminary Injunction because a $1 filing fee had not been included. After HAND DELIVERY of $1, the Clerk then SAT ON the Motion for 10 days, finally claiming the $1 fee had been hand delivered to the "wrong staffer." The Motion had to be completely re-filed. The Court itself refused to admonish the clerk.
And here is the clincher:
- Obama filed a Motion to Dismiss LLF's Appeal of the Malihi ruling and the Motion was FILED IMMEDIATELY by the Superior Court Clerk. Obviously no problem in the Clerk's office with Mr. Obama's paper work.
- THREE DAYS after Obama's Motion to Dismiss was filed, the Court informed Attorney Van Irion that he had LESS THAN 1 DAY to file an Opposition to that Motion; thoroughly improper behavior on the part of the Court.
- Late that SAME DAY, the Chief Judge of the Superior Court denied Irion's motion to be admitted as a visiting attorney (Irion practices in Tennessee) in spite of his impeccable reputation and the fact that his Georgia sponsor is a member of the Georgia State Legislature who has practiced before the Court! The Court had deliberately held up this particular decision for 2 weeks, effectively preventing LLF from filing the Opposition the Court had RULED only 6 hours earlier that LLF must file on that day! All of this represents unheard of behavior on the part of a court.
- Finally, just 90 minutes after plaintiff David Weldon personally filed the Opposition–as the Court had prevented Irion and LLF from doing so–the Chief Judge issued a 3 page Opinion granting Obama's Motion to Dismiss the LLF Appeal!
Incredibly, neither Judge Malihi nor the Secretary of State sent the Weldon v Obama case record to the Superior Court for review until AFTER the Court had ruled in Obama's favor! That means the Chief Judge agreed to Obama's Motion to Dismiss an Appeal of a case the Judge NEVER READ!! This is the extent to which judicial corruption has replaced judicial review in the State of Georgia.
Moreover, given the Judge's Opinion was produced just 90 minutes after the Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss was filed, it is obvious that the Court had decided to grant Obama's Motion and probably had its Opinion prepared before ever considering the Opposition argument. LLF's Motion for Preliminary Injunction, the Opposition AND the Contempt Motion against Obama for failure to appear at the Malihi hearing, ALL were completely ignored by the Georgia "legal" system.
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In short, the FIX WAS IN as the Superior Court of Fulton County had undoubtedly decided there would be clear sailing for the White House Manchurian Candidate immediately after Michael Malihi made his ruling one month earlier. And the legal rights of plaintiff David Weldon, the people of Georgia and of the United States are casualties of the corrupt behavior exhibited by members of the Georgia judicial system.
Van Irion writes, "The Founding Fathers understood that when dishonorable people begin to take high office, the system of government they set into motion would begin to fail. Unfortunately America's judicial system is proving this principle."
Liberty Legal is preparing an Appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court. Will it matter? We can only hope that, for the sake of the American legal system and the American people, Mr. Irion will find at least ONE honest judge in the State of Georgia. Time will tell.
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The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website.


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Music For A Re:Generation
The Recording Academy has partnered with Hyundai for Re:Generation, a documentary making a powerful statement about music's creative process.
Re:Generation chronicles the creative journey of leading DJs the Crystal Method, DJ Premier, Pretty Lights, three-time GRAMMY winner Mark Ronson, and Skrillex as they interpret and put a new spin on traditional styles of music. From classical music and jazz to rock and funk, the DJs collaborate with some of music's top artists, including GRAMMY winners Erykah Badu, the Funk Brothers, LeAnn Rimes, and Dr. Ralph Stanley; Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients the Doors; the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra; and the Dap Kings, Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, Nas, Martha Reeves, and Trombone Shorty.
Listen to exclusive previews of two tracks from Re:Generation below, Pretty Lights' "Wayfaring Stranger" featuring Rimes and Stanley, and Skrillex's new rock remix of "Breakn' A Sweat" featuring members of the Doors.
Don't miss the opportunity to watch these five DJs turn the tables on the history of music. Presented in partnership by The Recording Academy and the Hyundai Veloster, Re:Generation will be released in January. For more information, and to view a documentary trailer, visit www.regenerationmusicproject.com.


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Equitrans, L. P.
Original Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 11/19/1998, Docket: CP96-532-001, Status: Effective
Original Sheet No. 35 Original Sheet No. 35 : Effective
115 DAY STORAGE SERVICE (Continued)
5.1 Generally, Equitrans will inject gas into storage on behalf of
Customer during the period from the beginning of the gas day on
April 1 through the end of the gas day on October 31 ("the
injection period'"). However, individual service agreements may
specify different injection periods.
5.2 The maximum injection quantity of gas which Equitrans is
obligated on any day to inject into storage for any Customer
under this Rate Schedule shall be the MDIQ specified in the
applicable storage service agreement, which shall be calculated
as 1/200th of the Customer's TASQ. If operating conditions permit,
Equitrans may allow any Customer, upon request to inject gas into
storage in excess of the Customer's MDIQ. Equitrans shall be
obligated to accept gas for storage for Customer's account only
when and to the extent that Customer's storage inventory is less
than its TASQ.
Scheduling of injections including overruns shall be provided by
Customer to Equitrans in accordance with Section 8 of the General
Terms and Conditions of Equitrans' FERC Gas Tariff.
5.3 Winter injections shall be permitted on an interruptible basis
subject to Equitrans' management of storage to preserve
5.4 Customer is required to inject ninety-seven percent (97%) of
its TASQ under this Rate Schedule by the end of the injection
period. If the Customer fails to inject up to the level of
97% of its TASQ by the end of the contractual injection
period, the Customer will not be permitted to draw upon the
undelivered storage quantities in the subsequent withdrawal
period and will be subject to a reduced MDWQ during the subsequent
withdrawal period. Depending on the operating conditions of
its storage reservoirs, Equitrans may elect to inject gas into
storage on the Customers behalf, and may assess a Storage
Imbalance Penalty on any quantities so injected, up to the
level of 97% of the Customer's TASQ. The Storage Imbalance Penalty
shall be equal to the cost of acquiring gas for injection into
storage based on the average price of Appalachian spot market gas
delivered to CNG Transmission Corp. and Columbia Gas Transmission
Corp., as such prices shall appear in "Inside FERC's Gas Market
Report", or similar publication, during the period of time that gas


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Alma Village, formerly known as Alma Plaza, is perhaps Palo Alto's most famous, or infamous, example of "planned community" zoning, a designation that allows builders to bypass zoning regulations by giving "public benefits." What this means varies from project to project. In 2009, when the City Council approved the Alma development — which includes a grocery store, 37 homes and 14 apartments — the main public benefit was the grocery store. Despite heavy criticism from the surrounding community and a recommendation to reject the project from the Planning and Transportation Commission, the council green-lighted it in hopes that the new store would fill a vacancy left by Albertsons in 2005.
The project also exemplifies the changing nature of planned-community — or PC — projects in Palo Alto. The city introduced the zoning designation in 1951 as a way to foster valuable developments that would fill community needs and that would otherwise be impossible under existing regulations. Senior-housing developments such as Lytton Gardens, Palo Alto Commons and Channing House all relied on this designation, as have, more recently, the Opportunity Center, which provides services for the homeless, and the Tree House, which offers affordable housing in a city that sorely needs it.
A shift began in 1978, when the city revised its zoning code in the aftermath of a development boom and introduced the intentionally vague concept of "public benefits" — that is, benefits that are not intrinsic to the project but that would be provided by the developer in exchange for zoning exemptions. That summer, developer Harold Hohbach became the first builder to pitch public art as a benefit for a large development — a residential complex on Sheridan Avenue. In exchange for building at greater density, Hohbach proposed, among other things, having winged, angel-like sculptures grace the four corners of the building.
The angels idea didn't fly, though nearly two decades later, Hohbach finally got the zone change he needed after offering a list of benefits that included a public plaza with sculptures of Greek warriors. The most prominent of these is the 12-and-a-half-foot bronze statue called the "Body of the Urban Myth," which features a Grecian female lifting a spouting washing machine over her head. While the fountain is still around, the public plaza has essentially been appropriated by Caffe Riace for outdoor seating. For critics of the city's PC zoning, this Riace plaza is a prime example of disappearing public benefits and feeble enforcement by the city.
Past efforts to reform the process haven't gone very far. In the late 1990s, then-Vice Mayor Ron Andersen and Councilwoman Micki Schneider argued that PC zoning allows developers to benefit at the expense of the city. At the time, Andersen described it as "zoning for sale." But despite their arguments for a clearer definition of "public benefits," no major overhaul was undertaken.
That debate over benefits has escalated in recent years, as developers propose more planned-community projects. Judith Wasserman, who retired from the city's Architectural Review Board after more than a decade, wrote in a Weekly opinion piece last year that "nothing brings out Palo Alto citizens with the pitchforks as fast as a Planned Community application." The topic has become even more urgent since then, with land-use watchdogs now calling PC projects a "scam," council members demanding profit projections from developers and planning commissioners looking at more substantive changes to the planned-community process, including establishment of benefit "menus" for developers to use.
And land-use watchdogs aren't the only ones who argue that the process is failing. Councilwoman Liz Kniss said at a recent hearing that she shares the sense of many of her constituents that developers have been getting too much from these projects at the expense of the public. She called the "misuse" of the planned-community zone one of the top issues raised by constituents during last fall's council campaign.
"There were very few issues that we heard about more than the misuse of the PC and how it's been interpreted in such a way that developers have been advantaged," Kniss said.
The closure of Miki's adds even more fuel to a debate that has grown more critical with every giant proposal that arrives at the city's Development Center. This month, the council is set to consider the grandest and most controversial of these — a proposal by developer John Arrillaga to build four tall office towers and a performing-arts theater at 27 University Ave., a site that currently includes MacArthur Park restaurant in the historic Hostess House. (Though no formal PC application has been submitted, the concept proposes major zoning exemptions in exchange for negotiated benefits.) And later this month, the Planning and Transportation Commission will grapple with a PC proposal from San Francisco-based developer Jay Paul, who last year approached the city about building two, 71-foot-tall office towers with 311,000 square feet of commercial space at 395 Page Mill Road, site of AOL's Silicon Valley headquarters.
At the same time, staff is trying to fix problems with planned-community projects that have already been approved. This includes both the sudden grocery-store vacancy at Alma Plaza and the renovation of Edgewood Plaza, where a construction company erroneously demolished a historic building whose restoration was listed as a public benefit. The city is also considering another PC project at the central and often congested intersection of El Camino Real and Page Mill Road.
The tidal wave of controversial PC developments and the recent mishaps involving planned-community projects are prompting a fresh evaluation by the city. In an unprecedented move, the city has just hired an economic analyst to evaluate the economic "private benefits" of the Jay Paul proposal so that the council can more easily gauge how much it should demand in public benefits. It's a procedure that City Manager James Keene said last December would become standard for large projects.
Planners have also become more diligent about enforcement, compiling a list of recent PC projects and performing regular inspections, according to Planning Director Curtis Williams. As a result, one violation has been corrected. And the Planning and Transportation Commission last month began what promises to be a long and complex conversation about ways to bring more clarity, transparency and quantifiable standards to the process. The result could be the biggest transformation of the "planned community" in more than three decades.
Last month, in a highly unusual step, three planning commissioners co-wrote a memo calling for major changes to planned-community zoning. In the first sentence of the memo, Chair Eduardo Martinez, Vice Chair Mark Michael and Commissioner Michael Alcheck call the existing process "the greatest challenge to land-use planning in Palo Alto today" and predict that the issue will become more pressing in the coming years.
"The forces for development in Palo Alto, the scarcity of available land, the impact of higher density land uses, and the infrastructure required to support existing and new development demand that we revisit this aspect of the 'Palo Alto Process,'" the memo states.
PC projects — the city has around 150 of them — were supposed to be exceptions: projects so laudable that they warrant bending or tossing aside standard zoning regulations. Instead, they have become the rule. Planning Commissioner Carl King observed at the March 27 discussion that developers these days are looking for "planned community" zoning for just about every major project. If he were a developer, King said, he'd do the same thing.
While developers still routinely talk about the benefits intrinsic to their proposals, that argument is getting harder to make in an era of lucrative office developments. Last May, the council approved the four-story "Lytton Gateway" building at the intersection of Alma Street and Lytton Avenue, a site formerly occupied by a Shell gas station. Developer Lund Smith said the project is meant to be a "beautiful, memorable building" that would greatly enhance a prominent entrance into the city for Caltrain commuters.
"I genuinely feel that is one of the public benefits," Smith said.
That argument didn't get much traction in the downtown neighborhoods, where residents have long complained about worsening traffic congestion and insufficient parking. The council approved the project only after debating the building's effects on parking in downtown neighborhoods, particularly in Downtown North. In this case, the developer agreed to contribute $2 million for future parking improvements, such as a new downtown garage, as a public benefit.
The irony of Palo Alto's planned-community projects is that they're usually neither planned nor communities. Other developments are forced to abide by the regulations in the city's zoning code, which includes restrictions on height, density and setbacks from adjacent properties. The zoning code, in turn, draws its logic from the Comprehensive Plan, the city's official land-use bible, which is developed and revised over many years and includes extensive feedback from city officials, staff planners and members of the wider community.
With planned-community projects, the zoning code effectively goes out the window as the city engages in ad hoc negotiations that combine elements of poker and auctioneering. Notes get passed at City Council meetings and projects have changed in the 11th hour without an opportunity for the public to review the latest changes. The council typically spends a few hours asking developers if they are willing to trim some square footage off the proposal, reduce the building's height, contribute more funds or add some public amenities — parks, community rooms and so on. During the discussion of Lytton Gateway, Councilman Greg Schmid proposed upping the ante and requiring a greater financial contribution from the developers, prompting Councilman Pat Burt to say, "This is starting to feel like 'Squeeze the applicant until he screams "Uncle."'"
Usually, after a few revised pitches and several rounds of nodding and head-shaking by project applicants, the two sides come to a late-night agreement and the developer gets to build a project that is a bit smaller than initially proposed and a bit larger than residents and council members hoped it would be. In the end, most people are satisfied but few are thrilled, as befitting a compromise.
The ad hoc and largely reactive nature of the approval process has long rankled local watch-dogs. At a recent hearing on the Jay Paul proposal, Fred Balin, a College Terrace neighborhood resident who has long advocated for more transparency in the planning process, urged the council to give more weight to what should be appropriate for the site and less to what the developer is pitching.
"Zone for what you want — not for what's presented to you ad hoc," Balin said.
Burt made a similar point at the September discussion of the Jay Paul project, which includes as one of its benefits the construction of a new police building for the city. Burt shared the view of most of his colleagues that the proposal — while laudable in many ways — is out of scale with the site. In this case, Burt said, it would take more than cosmetic changes to make it work.
"If we had a developer come and propose a doubling of existing zoning — an additional 200,000 square feet — ordinarily, our first reaction would be that we would say, 'Holy cow! That's a lot,'" Burt said. "Now, because they're proposing 300,000 square feet, we think we can nip and tuck and cut a little tiny bit.
"We need to take a step back as a council and say: 'What do we think would be an approximate reasonable amount of building for this site that would balance the interests?'"
The word "community" in the designation is also a bit of a misnomer these days. When PC-zoned projects were approved based on their intrinsic value, it was easy to call them communities — or community-oriented. While the term can still apply to developments like Edgewood Plaza, Alma Village or the proposed senior complex at 567 Maybell Ave., it's a little harder to make it jibe with dense, office-heavy projects like Lytton Gateway, the College Terrace Centre on El Camino Real and the mammoth commercial proposals pitched by Jay Paul and Arrillaga.
With financially lucrative office buildings on the rise and the concept of "intrinsic benefit" on the wane, it's extrinsic public benefits — sculptures, road improvements, grocery stores, bike lanes and contributions to the city's housing and parking funds — that now dominate the conversation. Local law offers little guidance. The zoning code specifies that planned-community zoning is "intended for unified, comprehensively planned developments which are of substantial public benefit" and that these developments "will result in public benefits not otherwise attainable by application of regulations of general districts or combining districts." What exactly this means is anyone's guess. Nor does the code say anything about the challenge of sustaining ephemeral public benefits like Miki's Farm Fresh Market — benefits that disappear after a few months, leaving the city with a vacant space and a housing project that no one on the council or in the surrounding community really wanted.
Wasserman, who had reviewed a myriad of PC projects while serving on the architectural board, blames the ordinance's vagueness for fostering public rancor. In her opinion piece, she presented three possible solutions to eliminate the confusion: eliminate the PC zone altogether; specify that public benefits refer only to things outside the project itself; or do the opposite and limit the definition of the term to the project itself — a throwback, in a sense, to the 1950s.
The three planning commissioners proposed in their memo three categories of public benefits: those intrinsic to the project, those that come from enhancement of the project and those that contribute to the city's overall need. Yet even with the categorization, the memo states, "the definition of a public benefit remains elusive."
"Without a precise definition, measuring a public benefit and determining whether it meets the general purpose and intent of a PC-zone designation is cumbersome and unpredictable," the memo states.
The memo proposes, as a possible solution, a menu of benefits that could be "expanded or tailored to meet our unique priorities and concerns." The commissioners cite the example of Santa Monica, which in 2010 adopted a system that provides developers with five categories of benefits (traffic management, affordable housing, physical improvements, cultural facilities and historic preservation) and allows them to earn points based on these elements. If a developer proposes a certain amount of benefits, the project becomes eligible for a second zoning "tier," which allows greater height and density. Those who provide even more benefits become eligible for "Tier 3," which grants even greater height and density exemptions. But the system has its own problems. Since Santa Monica adopted its land-use plan in July 2010, the number of development-agreement applications has skyrocketed, prompting city planners to request in December a slowdown in application processing. At least a dozen of these applications are for Tier 2 or Tier 3 projects, according to a recent report from Santa Monica's planning director.
The memo from Palo Alto planning commissioners also cites other cities, including Portland, Seattle, Berkeley and Chicago, that have adopted incentive-zoning programs similar to Santa Monica's.
A menu of benefits could bring a little more clarity and transparency to Palo Alto's public-benefits discussion, but even this would come at a cost. The existing process gives the City Council complete discretion for negotiating benefits. A menu-based system would limit this discretion and effectively allow developers to automatically get density bonuses and other exemptions if they offer a menu item as a benefit. It's also not a given that a menu would eliminate the ambiguities in the public-benefit discussion.
"They've got a pretty long list," Williams said, referring to Santa Monica's system. "It probably covers almost anything you can come up with."
Palo Alto is still a long way from solving the problem, but some changes have already been made. During recent hearings on planned-community projects, various council members talked about the need to get more information about the economic impacts of the proposed projects, both for the developer and for the city. Citizen critics of the PC process, including Bob Moss and Winter Dellenbach, have consistently urged officials to get financial data from developers and then demand the same level in public benefits.
"The benefits to the public should approximate the increased value that the developer derives by being granted a PC zoning change," Dellenbach, a Barron Park neighborhood resident who spent three years investigating public-benefit violations, told the planning commission on March 27. "So figure out the gazillion dollars more that the developer will derive from getting a PC-zone change, and you would have a very rational yardstick about the value that public benefits should equal."
The city is unlikely to go that far. Some benefits, including historic preservation, are hard to measure. And some projects, including affordable-housing projects like 567 Maybell, truly fill a deep city need. Who can argue that the Palo Alto Housing Corporation, the nonprofit seeking PC zoning for the Maybell development for seniors, should be forced to commission sculptures or construct bike lanes? And for some council members, at least, even major commercial projects could have intrinsic benefits.
In February, when the council was considering a PC zone for a property on the central intersection of El Camino Real and Page Mill, Councilman Larry Klein made the argument that the building, if done properly, would be a great benefit in itself. The corner is currently occupied by an empty lot that until recently was used by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. The city, Klein said, "missed the boat" with the other three corners of the busy intersection (which feature AT&T's retail store, soccer fields and the northern parking lot of the sprawling Palo Alto Square complex).
"My public benefit — I expect this to be the best building you've designed in your career," Klein told project architect Ken Hayes. "If the city asks for less in terms of public benefits — that's fine by me."
Not everyone bought this argument. Most council members agreed that the application should be revised and that more benefits should be added.
"There's the public benefit and the developer benefit — and I think they're out of whack at the moment," Councilman Marc Berman said, reflecting the view of the majority.
But even if the city doesn't require the two columns to be equal in every scenario, it plans to at least be more informed in future negotiations with developers. Williams said in an interview last week that the city has recently hired the consulting firm Applied Development Economics to evaluate the economic impacts of the Jay Paul proposal, which is undergoing revisions. If the information proves useful, the firm (which also worked with the city on evaluating the economic impacts of the recent Stanford Hospital expansion) would also be retained to evaluate the proposal for the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) lot at El Camino and Page Mill.
It remains to be seen whether these evaluations will become a regular part of the planned-community rezoning process. At the council's meeting last Dec. 3, Keene said he's directed staff to hire an independent analyst to assess the development value and public benefits for each large project before the city, information that would help the council reach its decisions.
Williams noted in a recent interview, however, that in many cases the information simply would not be pertinent.
"Sometimes, it's relevant how much a developer is making versus how much the developer is giving," Williams said.
"At other times, it's much more intangible and not quantifiable," he added, citing the Maybell development.
The city's drive toward requiring more economic data is also catching the attention of developers. Jim Baer, who consulted on Lytton Gateway and who is now working on the VTA-lot proposal, offered for the latter project a meta-benefit of sorts. In addition to the usual things like road improvements and a public easement for the corner property, Baer offered the city a methodology for evaluating benefits of planned-community projects.
"We'd come into a study session ... and say, 'Here's a methodology on how you analyze what the applicant gets, what it costs the applicant to derive that and how we're managing public benefit,'" Baer said.
Most planning commissioners agreed during their March 27 discussion that economic data could be valuable, citing the old adage: "You can't manage what you can't measure." For Martinez, things were a bit more complicated. Martinez, who grew up in Los Angeles, invoked the example of the Century Plaza Hotel, an iconic building that went up in the 1960s and that hosted numerous dignitaries and civic functions (it was also featured in the first "Die Hard" movie). Over the next few decades, the hotel fell into disrepair and the developer was looking to demolish it. The building was saved only after a heavy push from historic preservationists and an agreement by the city to allow incentive zoning at the site, which enabled construction of two commercial buildings next to the hotel and conversion of some rooms to condominiums.
"The Century Plaza Hotel has been restored to its previous glory, and it's a beautiful building and a symbol of L.A. — but you can't measure the public benefit of that," Martinez said. "You can't say that it was a win-win because I'm sure the developer won 10 times as much.
"But nevertheless, this historic building is still there. It's part of the L.A. landscape. It lives on for another generation or two — who knows? And it's an example of a public benefit in a development of this site that is immeasurable."
Figuring out the level of public benefits isn't the only issue that the city is wrestling with when it comes to planned-community projects. Enforcement is another hot topic. While Caffe Riace remains a poster child for planned-community critics, it isn't the only example. A small plaza that the city approved as a public benefit for the 800 High St. development in 2003 transformed five years later into an outdoor seating area for Saint Michael's Alley, a restaurant on High and Homer Avenue. For critics like Dellenbach, the two projects have become synonymous with lax enforcement. During her investigation, Dellenbach said, she had found numerous instances of public benefits not materializing or being transformed into other uses.
"Enforcement is absolutely critical," she said.
From Williams' perspective, the problem is a bit overstated. The overwhelming majority of public benefits, he said in a recent interview, get delivered as promised and do not require enforcement. For things like road enhancements, grocery stores and community facilities, once construction is completed, they are there for good. In his view, two most-often cited examples — Caffe Riace and the plaza near Saint Michael's Alley — are glaring exceptions but certainly not the rule. In fact, the public plaza near Saint Michael's Alley was almost never used before the restaurant took it over, he said.
About a year ago, Williams said, the planning department put together a list of all planned-community projects that the city had approved over the past decade, including Alma Village, the Campus for Jewish Life, and 800 High St., and began inspecting them for compliance with public-benefit approvals. In the case of the Campus for Jewish Life and the Tree House (an affordable-housing development at 388 W. Charleston Road), this means checking to see whether the projects are meeting their traffic-management goals. For other projects, this means making sure the promised public art or public plazas are where they should be. Most comply, though city inspectors found one project on Lytton Avenue that had blocked off what was supposed to be a public-access road. The city got the public access reopened, Williams said.
Checking every PC project may be next to impossible, given the sheer number of them, but the city is trying to be "more systematic" about enforcement, Williams said. In addition to the projects on the list (which get checked either annually, biennially or every three years, depending on the project), the city also performs inspections based on complaints.
Sometimes, the problem sprouts from the individual PC ordinance. In the case of Caffe Riace, the ordinance creating the planned community doesn't prohibit the restaurant from setting up tables outside its establishment. It only calls for a "plaza which will be accessible to the public" and which includes "a water feature, benches and landscaping." The city has been checking periodically to make sure the conditions are met. In 2010, after complaints from Dellenbach and others, planners directed the cafe to relocate its furnishings and create more space for the public near the fountain.
The often-cited cases of Caffe Riace and Saint Michael's Alley may be exceptions, but they offer a valuable lesson, Williams said. When the city approves public plazas as "benefits," it needs to make sure they are designed in such a way that they cannot be taken over by adjacent businesses.
"There are a very small portion of public benefits that have been a problem, in that respect," Williams said. "But those are good lessons. When we designate outdoor areas to be specific to the public, we need to do that with eyes wide open."
This story contains 4308 words.
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Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel probably will be confirmed as President Barack Obamas next secretary of defense. That is as it should be. In the absence of actual scandal or demonstrable character flaws, the president any president should be given wide latitude in Cabinet choices.
Hagel has faced criticism about remarks he made about Israeli influence on U.S. affairs, the direction of U.S. foreign policy and gay rights.
He once referred to a Clinton ambassadorial nominee as openly, aggressively gay. At one time, he also opposed same-sex marriage and supported dont ask, dont tell.
But gay rights is a fast-moving social evolution, and Hagel is hardly alone in playing catch-up. He has recanted his position on gays in the military and apologized to the ambassador. He should be allowed to move on.
His comments about Israel are more substantive, but no more disqualifying. That a powerful lobby supports the state of Israel is undeniable, and questioning its influence is legitimate. But it includes a large number of Christians as well as secular Americans who see U.S. security linked with that of Israel. For Hagel to refer to that element as the Jewish lobby was a factual misstep, but hardly a disqualifying slur. In any case, the endorsement of Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senates highest-ranking Jewish member probably has put that issue to rest.
Hagels real problem may be with neoconservatives who resent his early criticism of the Iraq war and fear his approach to Iran would be by their lights insufficiently bellicose. Their real problem, however, may be that his stances on those issues put him closer to the American people.
Also at issue are questions about Hagels perceived willingness to cut defense spending. But defense cuts are coming regardless of who runs the Pentagon or who is president. Better to have a combat veteran such as Hagel in charge than someone whose understanding may more closely align with contractors than with the troops.
Beyond that, though, this nomination is the presidents call, and making it a political football does no good. The Constitution says little about Cabinet members, beyond the fact that their appointment must be confirmed by the Senate and that the president may seek their advice.
That is pretty open-ended, presumably by intent, and has generally been treated as such. The thinking is the president embodies the executive branch, is elected by the people and is entitled to surround himself with advisers he feels he can trust.
That is not to say the presidents Cabinet picks are above criticism. The chief executives choices for cabinet officers say a great deal about the administration, its thinking and direction, and the president himself.
It does not follow, however, that Congress gets to pick a Cabinet of its liking. That remains the presidents prerogative.
There are, of course, situations in which presidential cabinet nominees are rightly denied. In 1989, the Senate rejected Texas Republican Sen. John Tower as secretary of defense. But Tower was widely seen as a womanizer and a drunk hardly policy questions and, in any case, had offended many in his own party in internecine fights.
It also is true that Supreme Court nominations are different. While there, too, a presidents pick deserves a certain deference, Supreme Court nominees involve lifetime appointments to an entire third branch of government. In those instances, the role of Congress is necessarily heightened.
Cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the president and effect his policies. Absent some compelling reason to the contrary, the president should be allowed to pick whomever he wants including, in this case, Chuck Hagel.


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Mountain Loop Highway > Del Campo Peak > Climber's Log
Del Campo Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Very popular!
Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2017
|I was amazed how many people were visiting the peak, similar to what I experienced several weeks earlier on Sloan Peak. I think the word is out on these cool peaks near the Mountain Loop Highway. Nice summit with a fun scramble.
|Posted Sep 17, 2017 12:39 pm
|DC Summit
Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2017
|Nice view except for a huge plume of smoke from Jolly Fire.
|Posted Sep 2, 2017 12:25 am
|Ian Culhane
|Standard Route
Date Climbed: Aug 19, 2016
|Had extra time when we arrived at Gothic Basin, so decided to do attempt up Del Campo. Route was very straightforward, with a fun scramble up the summit block. Though very steep, there were excellent holds, and I definitely would rate it as class 3 rather than 4. Great views!
|Posted Aug 19, 2016 3:16 am
|Jake Robinson
|Fun and straightforward
Date Climbed: Aug 13, 2016
|After a stressful week it was nice to be able to quickly escape to the beautiful Gothic Basin area. I found nothing on the scramble that exceeded class 3 and overall thought it was quite enjoyable and non intimidating. Very accessible climb in a stunning area!
|Posted Aug 14, 2016 2:27 am
|Fun Scramble
Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2016
|Was expecting it to be a lot harder than it was. Enjoyed the whole scramble.
|Posted Jul 29, 2016 5:06 pm
|Tom Robinson
|Foggy but sun at summit
Date Climbed: Jun 22, 1971
|We climbed up the Gothic Basin trail, dumped our backpacks at the lake, and climbed right into the clouds, ascending the main route on a firm snowfield. Midway, we heard a slide break above us, but maybe a little left. There was nowhere to scramble to. We just stood in our crampons and waited for it to pass. Which it did, indeed off to the left. We got to the summit and sunbathed a bit, looking at surrounding summits. Before we got sunburned, we put on all our wet clothes, returned to the base, grabbed our packs, and hiked out. No way we were camping overnight in that damp weather. We were home for cocoa three hours later.
|Posted Dec 7, 2015 10:22 am
Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2015
|I've had my eye on this one for years and was finally able to make it out here on a HOT summer day! It was everything I had hoped it would be, well besides the absurdly hot part. I took a bike for the first mile and did the main trail and SE ridge. The scrambling was amazing, super solid rock and reliable holds. I probably picked a class 4 line up the scramble section starting at top of the talus field. Super fun scrambling. I had planned on doing Gothic the same day, but decided to save to for later so I'd have an excuse to come back soon. Gothic Basin is BEAUTIFUL! Loved it! I'll be back for sure.
|Posted Aug 2, 2015 11:22 pm
|Del Campo and Gothic Peak
Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2015
|Did this one as part of a long (14 hours) day hike during which we also hiked to the top of Gothic Peak. Weather was hot but views amazingly clear - could see nearly every major summit in the cascades. The North West face of this peak has some amazing exposure - I couldn't even fit it all in one vertical camera shot from Gothic. A truly gorgeous mountain. This has to be one of the top scrambles for easily accessible peaks in the cascades. Worth it!
|Posted Jun 8, 2015 12:50 pm
|Josh Lewis
|Quality Peak
Date Climbed: Sep 30, 2012
|Anyone who is into scrambling who visits the Mountain Loop Highway should climb this peak. Great views with a quality scramble.
|Posted May 13, 2015 5:59 am
|Good One
Date Climbed: Sep 22, 2014
|Setup camp at foggy lake, swam, laid out on some boulders in the sun then made an afternoon scramble to the summit. It's a classic!
|Posted Sep 27, 2014 8:31 pm
|Standard Route, Solo
Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2013
|Began up the wall at the top of the notch, then decided against it.
Descended a bit for the main route.
|Posted Aug 1, 2013 5:15 pm
Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2013
|Total snow cover from lake to summit rocks. Took short class 4 up out of notch, then standard scramble to summit. Great mountain for only being 6,600 ft. Upper part of trail was somewhat rugged. More enjoyable than I thought it would be.
|Posted Jul 23, 2013 5:23 pm
|A very satisfying summit,
Date Climbed: Oct 7, 2012
|especially for a dog!
|Posted Oct 13, 2012 2:23 am
|Big rock
|Feel like you did something after this one.
|Posted Sep 19, 2012 8:47 pm
|Del Campo
Date Climbed: Aug 15, 1992
|Still one of my favorite mountains after all these years.
|Posted Sep 17, 2012 9:53 pm
|Excellent Scramble
Date Climbed: Aug 27, 2011
|One of the finer scrambles i've done in the Cascades, would very much like to return for a real route.
|Posted Sep 16, 2012 12:39 pm
|long time ago
Date Climbed: Jul 15, 1988
|Date is a wild guess
|Posted Sep 30, 2011 11:08 am
|Scramble Route
Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2011
|After trail disappeared in snow, climbed gully to east base of summit. Solid snow to the beginning of the scramble. The scramble was a little exposed but not too bad. Great trip on a perfect day.
|Posted Jul 24, 2011 1:29 pm
|Del Campo
Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2011
|Had a great hike on a nice sunny summer day with superb views of all of the snowy surrounding peaks. Excellent trip.
|Posted Jul 24, 2011 10:20 am
|Snidely Whiplash
|Normal Route
Date Climbed: Jul 24, 1988
|Great mountain. Hot. Some guy puked on the route on the way down from heat exhaustion. This turned a Class 3 down climb into a Class 4 white-knuckle down climb.
|Posted Jan 2, 2011 1:07 pm


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From: juliette kouauo <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Reply-To: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:23:08 +0000
Subject: From: Juliette Kouaou
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Chapter 02 - Territorial Planning Commission Rules
Chapter 02 - Territorial Planning Commission Rules
5.0201 Definitions.
As used in this chapter the term definitions in 10.0101 ASCA shall have the meanings ascribed to terms in that section and as supplemented, explained and further defined in this chapter.
5.0202 Authority.
The territorial planning commission derives its authority to promulgate these rules pursuant to 10.0102(e) ASCA.
5.0203 Chairperson and officers.
The chairperson of the commission shall be designated by the Governor from among the commissioners. The commission may elect one of its members as secretary. Should the chair- person be unable to attend a meeting, the members shall elect an interim chairperson.
5.0204 Meetings.
The commission shall meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. in the office of development planning, unless otherwise announced. Such other meetings and hearings as are necessary for the efficient conduct of its business may be held at such times and places as determined by the chair. All meetings shall be public and may be recorded.
5.0205 Attendance.
The commission by a majority vote shall recommend to the Governor the need for a replacement for any member who misses 3 consecutive meetings without cause. Cause shall include health reasons and off-island business trips.
5.0206 Quorum.
A quorum shall be one-half or more of the appointed members in attendance at a meeting. A quorum shall not be lost when members leave the meeting unless the quorum is questioned by at least 1 member still in attendance. No official business can be conducted without a quorum.
5.0207 Duties.
In addition to duties found in 10.0101 et seq. ASCA the commission shall have the following jurisdiction and authority:
(1) To review and approve a comprehensive general plan for the future development of the territory and to make a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature following public hearings;
(2) to initiate a review of the provisions of the zoning law and to make a report of its findings and recommendations based on the comprehensive general plan;
(3) to hold public hearings on elements of amendments to, and the total comprehensive general plan to review public opinion;
(4) to prepare revisions annually as needed coinciding with the fiscal year;
(5) to prepare necessary documents for the Governor and Legislature summarizing the highlights and the budget implications, if any, of the comprehensive general plan.
5.0208 The comprehensive general plan.
(a) The comprehensive general plan may be concerned particularly with industrial, commercial or agricultural development; with education, social services, housing, essential fire, water and electric utilities services, and with transportation, communications, recreation, conservation, cultural services and with other relevant aspects of life in American Samoa.
(b) In order that a comprehensive general plan may be developed for the territory, it is desirable that any of its foregoing subjects be considered in terms of:
(1) defining existing problems, policies, and
(2) establishing goals;
(3) developing and evaluating the impact of alternative strategies;
(4) determining any necessary revisions to local decision-making processes; and
(5) developing an implementation plan, having broad-based community support, which defines priorities and assigns responsibilities for action
(c) The comprehensive general plan shall be established for the following purposes:
(1) to promote the public health, safety, morals, convenience, comfort, prosperity and general welfare of the residents of American Samoa;
(2) to preserve a wholesome, serviceable and attractive community that increases the safety and security of home life;
(3) to prevent congestion, disorder and changes: and
(4) to prevent overcrowding, and other conditions which generally tend to diminish the well-being of residents.
(d) To accomplish the purposes stated in this section, the territory is divided into 6 planning districts as stated in 10.0105 ASCA to promote the public health, safety, welfare and morals.
5.0209 District planning areas and boards.
The commission shall meet with each planning district boards or all such boards as a need arises but shall meet with them at least once each year.
5.0210 Advisory committee.
(a) Pursuant to 10.0102(c) there is an advisory board to the commission which shall consist of 7 department and office heads or their delegates of the government of American Samoa. The commission shall name the advisory committee annually at its meeting in October or as needed to replace members.
(b) The commission by majority vote shall decide what departments or offices shall be requested to serve on the advisory committee and may request particular talent, expertise or persons in such departments or offices.
(c) Members of the advisory committee shall be expected to attend certain commission meetings and may work with the planning district as well.
(d) The following departments or offices shall be ex officio members of the committee:
(1) Office of development planning;
(2) Department of public works;
(3) Office of the attorney general: and
(4) Department of parks and recreation.
5.0211 Other committees.
The chairperson may name additional committees of the commission to perform certain investigations or tasks to report back to the commission. These may be committees of the whole or committees of no less than 3 members of the commission. Committees shall report to the commission in a public session with its recommendations or report. The commission may accept, reject or amend the recommendation or report of any committee.
5.0212 Public participation.
(a) All persons addressing the commission at a public hearing shall identify themselves by name, village of residence, and, if applicable, employment or group affiliation. Persons may make oral or written presentation in person or through a representative or attorney. The chairperson may limit any oral presentation to no more than 5 minutes duration to allow for full participation. The chairperson may require pre-presentation scheduling of persons who wish to address the commission to ascertain the number of presentations for full participation and to set equitable time limits.
(b) Prior to recommending a plan to the Governor and Legislature the commission shall hold a public hearing(s) so that all parties in interest and residents will be given an opportunity to be heard in respect to the plan. Notice shall be sent to the press and media and all other means reasonably to attract public attention at least 15 days prior to any hearing relative to a plan or the comprehensive general plan. Said notices shall also be sent to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, director of the office of development planning, the attorney general, director of public works, members of the advisory committee, and members of the district planning boards(s) affected.
5.0220 Business licenses.
(a) Pursuant to 27.0201 et seq. ASCA the commission will review all new applications for a business license including those filed by individuals, partnerships and corporations. ew business licenses, includes first applications for a business license, for additional locations and relocations, and applications for businesses which have changed ownership. All individuals, partnerships and corporations regardless of race, sex, national origin, or status in the territory will be subject to this review.
(b) The applicant shall file with the commission the business license application, the partnership agreement or articles of incorporation if a partnership or a corporation, a copy of any requests filed or to be filed with the zoning board for a variance, including but not limited a description the location, a plot plan showing existing and proposed structures with necessary dimensions indicating yard spaces id adjoining structure when required, and a ground and typical floor plan of the building, towing work area, bathrooms, water and wage facilities, storage area, and other uses with all necessary measurements.
(c) The applicant shall be given at least a 5y notice of a hearing at which time the applicant shall be prepared to discuss with the commission the following factors:
(1) traffic safety;
(2) adequate parking facilities;
(3) availability of water and sewage facilities;
(4) effect on land resources and economic opportunities for resident Samoans;
(5) effect on Samoan customs, culture and traditions; and
(6) conformity to the general comprehensive n and the general economic plan.


text:
TxDOT now covered by state Move Over/Slow Down law
Aug. 11, 2013 at 3:11 a.m.
Updated Aug. 12, 2013 at 3:12 a.m.
Drivers will have to move over or slow down when approaching Texas Department of Transportation workers stopped with overhead lights flashing blue or amber.
The Legislature expanded the state's Move Over/Slow Down law to include TxDOT employees, effective Sept. 1.
"We are very pleased the Legislature recognizes the dangers our employees face each day while working to maintain and build the state's vast highway network," said Phil Wilson, TxDOT's executive director. "We are hopeful that this new protection for our crews will lead to fewer preventable deaths and injuries."
Since 1938, more than 100 TxDOT employees working in a construction area have been struck and killed by motorists, according to data collected by the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Reports.
More than 12,000 on-system crashes and 4,288 off-system crashes occurred in a work zone in 2012, according to the data.
The law passed Sept. 1, 2003, in the Texas Legislature traditionally required drivers to yield to police, fire and emergency personnel and vehicles.
During the 2011 legislative session, tow trucks were added to the existing law.
Under the law, drivers are required to move over to the next lane or reduce their speed by 20 mph when they spot transportation vehicles flashing their emergency lights.
Drivers could be fined if they fail to comply. That fine would double if the violation occurs in a work zone. Violators can be fined up to $2,000.
"We are working constantly to increase safety for our workers and the traveling public," said Marc Cross, TxDOT's Yoakum spokesman. "People move swiftly through work zones and may not always adjust their speed. These are the types of things our construction workers encounter throughout the day."
The amended law does not cover contract construction workers, Marc said.
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining 8,000 miles of road and employs more than 11,000 people.


text:
How to Hydrate Dry Winter Hair and Skin
When shopping for their body type—pear, hourglass, athletic—most women already know what styles work best. But did you know that switching up your neckline could make a big difference, too? Read on for the best necklines—from crewneck to scoop neck—for every shape as well as a few of our favorite dressy and casual finds.
Sleek hardware down the arms dresses up this tri-blend tee, while the v-neck flatters a bigger bust by drawing the eye upwards. Plus, the relaxed fit and draped sleeves are a forgiving cut for the curvy girl. Dolman hardware T, $19.50
10 Pretty Valentine's Day Dresses


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NAD T785 A/V Receiver
Key Features
|$3,999 Nadelectronics.com
|• 7 x 120 watts • 4 HDMI v1.3a inputs, 1 output • Transcodes component-, composite-, and S-video to HDMI • Upconverts analog and digital video, up to 1080p format • Decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio • Audyssey MultEQ auto-setup/equalization with supplied microphone • Audyssey Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Volume DSP for low-level compensation • HD onscreen displays; displays appear on all outputs • FM/AM tuner with 40 presets • XM satellite-radio-ready • Optional iPod dock with onscreen metadata • Assignable powered-zone 2/3/4 or front-biamp amp channels • 8-component preprogrammed/learning remote • IR 1-in/3-out; 3x 12-v trigger; RS-232 serial port Dimensions • Weight 171?4 x 71?4 x 153?8 in; 56 lb
The A/V electronics maker NAD may be more easily defined by what it is not than by what it is. NAD is not a brand of a huge Asian multinational firm, whether Japanese, Korean, or Chinese. It is not a small, high-end American company. And it is not a private label for some huge big-box chain.
What NAD indisputably is, is unique on today's A/V scene. The firm is small and international, with design offices in London, Toronto, and Hong Kong, a corporate center in Ontario, Canada, and distributors around the world, with manufacturing contracted to select Asian factories, usually on a product-by-product basis. And the products themselves eschew features and flash for solid performance basics, frequently with a proprietary technological twist or two. This approach necessarily means that NAD is not often first to market with a new standard or processing mode, but it also means that it can enjoy a period of contemplation and refinement before jumping on (or off) this or that bandwagon.
Such would appear to be the case with the firm's new top A/V receiver, the T785. NAD is a good 12 to 18 months behind the big Asian brands when it comes to HDMI 1.3 connectivity, Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio processing, and high-def video upconversion - all features found in its new receivers. But the firm has used that time wisely, designing entirely new modular underpinnings for the T785 and its sibling T775 and T765 receivers (and T175 surround preamplifier). In essence, these receivers devote half of the component's chassis to a seven-channel amplifier with a unique, twin-toroidal power supply and the other half to a computer-like "card cage" with five slots to accept modules.
As it stands, the T785 comes with three standard modules that deliver the input/output basics. In addition to these, it features the AM200 audio module, which incorporates Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio processing (and all the rest of the Dolby and DTS broods, of course) via high-speed Texas Instruments audio DSPs, and the VM200 video card, which delivers top-tier video processing and onscreen graphics via Sigma Designs VXP silicon. Future options will offer at least some protection against the obsolescence so dreaded in the A/V world. An HDMI v1.4 module is currently in the works, and third-party options - including a Control4 home-automation integrator - are also pipelined.
The T785 looks handsome in the classic NAD way, with its dark-charcoal-gray chassis, simple Euro-styled controls, and uncluttered front panel. Hookup was facilitated by nicely staggered, heavy multiway binders for all seven speaker connections, a generous complement of HDMI inputs, and Audyssey's automated setup routine for speaker calibration and MultEQ room/speaker correction. The NAD receiver's crisp onscreen displays are simple and text-based, but they pop up and down ultra-fast - a very welcome attribute.
Audyssey's routines worked their familiar magic, determining my speaker layout and setting appropriate crossover points in all cases, as well as dialing in relative channel levels that correlated nicely with my subsequent checks using a handheld meter.


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In a statement, Boardman said, "Amtrak applauds Gov. McDonnell for continuing to offer a true vision and tangible support of intercity passenger rail as a relief to the growing problems of highway congestion. Passenger rail is a vital alternative in Virginia's overall transportation solution and will be a contributor to Virginia's future economic success."
Amtrak's CEO added that the governor's declaration "marks the beginning of the return of intercity passenger rail to Roanoke as Amtrak Virginia. It would be the fourth expansion of intercity passenger rail in the Commonwealth since 2009 following new or additional service to Lynchburg, Richmond, and Norfolk. These services are made possible through a partnership between Virginia's Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Amtrak, and the host railroads along the routes."
McDonnell on Wednesday unveiled a long-term transportation funding proposal, "Virginia's Road to the Future," designed to provide the Virginia Department of Transportation with approximately $1.07 billion in new funds for rail and transit projects.


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Andruw, Smoltz NL Players of Week
Center fielder belted five homers; Righty posted 2-0 mark
By Dan Blank / MLB.com
Center fielder Andruw Jones and starting pitcher John Smoltz shared the award, presented by Bank of America. Jones launched five home runs in six games, vaulting him past the Cubs' Derrek Lee for the Major League lead.
Jones has hit 12 home runs in June despite going homerless in the first 10 games of the month. Jones, who has 24 homers this season, hit a walk-off blast to defeat Baltimore on Saturday.
"Right there, in that situation, I was just trying to get a ball to drive [out of] the park," said Jones, who hit .450 for the week, with 11 RBIs. "I'm not trying to keep the game going. In my mind, I was just trying to hit the ball out of the park, and it happened."
For his part, Smoltz went 2-0, throwing two complete-game five-hitters. Smoltz shut out division rival Florida on Tuesday and followed that with a one-run effort against Interleague foe Baltimore on Sunday. With the pair of performances, Smoltz brought his ERA down to 2.74, good for fifth in the National League.
"Even in [1996], I don't know if I threw this many games in a row like this," said Smoltz, who has gone 5-1 with a 2.50 ERA in six June starts, "I'm on the attack, and I'm not walking too many people."
"I think we've got two locks, Andruw and John," said Atlanta manager Bobby Cox of his team's potential All-Star selections.
Smoltz also delivered an RBI double in Atlanta's 8-1 win Sunday. Jones hit his fifth home run of the week in the contest as well.
Both players have stepped up while the Braves roster has been decimated by injuries. Third baseman Chipper Jones and starting pitchers Mike Hampton and Tim Hudson are all on the disabled list.
Other nominees include Lee -- who hit three home runs this week -- as well as his Cubs teammate, Aramis Ramirez, who collected three homers and 11 RBIs. In his only start of the week, Dontrelle Willis struck out seven and threw a shutout for Florida. The Cardinals' Chris Carpenter was 2-0 with an 0.53 ERA and 19 strikeouts. St. Louis had a league-high four players up for consideration, with Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and So Taguchi joining Carpenter.
Dan Blank is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Larry David: "Pretty Good Chance" There's 8th Season Of 'Curb'. (Sharapova's Thigh)
Looks like there's another hottie in the Greenberg family…heartbreakers all around!(SportsByBrooks)
Luke Cothron decommits from NC State – Hopefully that means CJ Leslie is coming back home.(StateFansNation)
"Batman vs. Shark w/ Lightsaber" Need we say more? (Tasty Booze)
You don't have to be a lesbian to like lesbian stuff(warning: no nudity) (Prose and Cons)
So seriously, is the chatroulette piano guy Ben Folds? or Jemaine Clement? or neither? or both….?(yes, I know I linked a dump in our dump)(Holy Taco)
It's official, Michael Jordan owns the Bobcats. Probably paid 20 grand at least! (No Guts, No Glory)
Jeremiah Masoli is bad at stealing. (Rumors and Rants)
Dennis Horner just wants to keep playing bball apparently…wills NC State past USF in the NIT (yet another…N.C. State Sports Blog)
I always kinda liked that bitch Kristin Cavallari, don't know why (Sharapova's Thigh)


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The Soccerwhos: the five unknowns in Australia's World Cup squad
Bailey Wright
Position: defender
Club: Preston North End, England
The 21-year-old is the genuine bolter in the extended squad and is largely the beneficiary of a knee injury to Trent Sainsbury. But that's not to say he may not be able to cement a spot on his own merits. Regular football in England's third tier with Preston North End in the last two seasons has hardened him and he has clearly caught the eye of Ange Postecoglou.
He's strong on the ground and good in the air, but is lacking experience playing in the top flight or against world-class competition. That in itself is not unique in this Australia squad, but is cause for some concern in the back line. Even if he does make the final squad, it's unlikely he will pip Matthew Spiranovic, Curtis Good or Ryan McGowan for a place in the first 11.
Chances of making the final 23: Slim, and must compete with Alex Wilkinson for the fourth and final centre-back spot.
Ben Halloran
Position: winger
Club: Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany
Another uncapped player. Halloran adds genuine pace and a clinical eye for goal to Australia's attack, and has only improved with his year in the German second division. The Former Brisbane Roar player has the ability to make the final cut, but it's the competition that could kill his chances. Coming up against the likes of Tommy Oar, Dario Vidosic and James Troisi for places makes for a difficult 10 days in camp.
That said, Halloran has a pace advantage over many others and, as he has proven at club level, he can match that with composure inside the box.
Injury prevented him from making his debut against Ecuador in the recent friendly, but he's been on Postecoglou's radar for some time.
Chances of making the final 23: Strong, if Postecoglou chooses to take four wingers.
Adam Taggart
Position: striker.
Club: Newcastle Jets
Sixteen goals by a 20-year-old in the A-League couldn't be ignored, but is it enough to earn a seat on the plane to Brazil? Taggart's inclusion in the preliminary 30-man squad will apply much pressure to the more experienced strikers, but he could find himself an unlikely inclusion in Brazil should he impress in the training camp in Gosford. He possesses the attributes Postecoglou admires in strikers: pace, technique and composure, which bodes well for his cause. However, the competition he faces in Josh Kennedy, Tim Cahill and Mathew Leckie could prove a big hurdle for the youngster. That said, if Postecoglou is serious about building for the future, bringing Taggart to Brazil could be preparation for the 2015 Asian Cup.
Chances of making the final 23: Likely an outside chance, but his inclusion will make Kennedy somewhat nervous.
Josh Brillante
Position: defender/midfielder
Club: Newcastle Jets
One of the biggest surprises in the 30-man squad, but there is no doubting the youngster's ability and potential to become a regular international. Brillante is considered unlikely to make the final cut, but his inclusion for the training camp will likely be used to prepare him for future internationals, as well as test his credentials.
He was one of the best performers at the under-20 World Cup last year and scored a stunning long-range strike against El Salvador to make a name for himself.
He's able to play centre midfield, right midfield and at right back to such effect that Alessandro Del Piero was impressed enough to trade jerseys with him after an A-League match. If he leaves a similar impression on Ange Postecoglou, he could add the shirts of Alexis Sanchez, Rafael van der Vaart and David Silva to his collection.
Chances of making the final 23: An outsider and will need to rely somewhat on injuries or dips in form.
Adam Sarota
Position: midfielder
Club: FC Utrecht, Holland
A debut World Cup appearance could cap off an impressive return from a serious knee injury for the young defensive midfielder. The former Brisbane Roar man didn't play his first match of the season until mid December, but since then he was a regular starter in the Eredevisie, playing almost everywhere along the midfield.
Primarily a holding midfielder, he's equally adept at playing on the right and has deputised on the left on many occasions. His versatility further strengthens his bid for a spot in the final squad, but there will also be many rivals vying for similar roles.
Chance of making the final 23: Possible. A strong player, but in the one area of the park the Socceroos have plenty of depth.
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