text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, January 17, 2013, 8:18 AM
Town Square
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to speak at Stanford
Original post made on Jan 17, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, January 17, 2013, 8:18 AM
Comments (4)
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 17, 2013 at 1:18 pm
The US is still paying 25% of the UN's bills—yet it has only about 6% of the world's population, and is providing more-or-less worldwide security—either with US troops directly, or through the various mutual defense organizations in which it is a member.
Europe, with more people than the US, and the source of most of the wars waged over the past two millennia, should be paying more than the US.
The UN has never really achieved its envisioned goals of stopping wars—using its energies to attempt to become a defacto world government instead. It is way past time for the US to exit this organization. It has failed more often than it has succeeded.
Time for US to go!
a resident of Midtown
on Jan 17, 2013 at 1:35 pm
The US uses the UN as a proxy to take up some slack we don't want our DoD to perform. Saves costs, lives, and let's other countries be perceived as the cops or bad guys, all for a few billion a year. Compare that to what we spend on the Pentagon!
Here is what we spent in 2010. Compare that to the $60 billion in Sandy relief, or the HUNDREDS of billions on the Pentagon, or the trillions in Iraq and Afghanistan!
Leave your tinfoil, black helicopter conspiracy theories at home. "attempt to become a defacto world government" Get real. Sheesh!
U.S. Contributions to the United Nations System
Total Contributions by Agency
($ obligations in thousands)
Contributing Agency FY 2010
Department of Agriculture 100,309
Department of Commerce 8,017
Department of Defense 2,168
Department of Energy 4,500
Department of Health & Human Services 139,350
Department of Interior 395
Department of Labor 49,125
Department of State 5,420,372
Department of Transportation 3,348
Department of Treasury 30,000
Environmental Protection Agency 10,575
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 700
National Science Foundation 474
Peace Corps 100
U.S. Agency for International Development 1,921,572
U.S. Postal Service 307
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission 510
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jan 17, 2013 at 1:55 pm
> Compare that to the $60 billion in Sandy relief,
> or the HUNDREDS of billions on the Pentagon
Well .. the Sandy relief, as ill-considered as it is, will be spent here in the US, for US taxpayers/residents/businesses. Not so much for the billions thrown away at the UN.
Expenditures on the Pentagon are always hard to track, since the US is now spending more that about 160 other nations combined on its defense apparatus--effectively stabilizing the world via "The PAX Americana". The UN, while it does, from time-to-time, send men into various troubled areas, their performance, more often than not, should be characterized as "farces", rather than "forces".
Recent attempts by Islamic Countries to pass binding treaty obligations on member nations would effectively have neutered our 1st Amendment--which gives us the right to critisize Islam, Christianity, and "government". Any organization that attempts to remove our rights, and direct how we live our lives--is most surely a "government". Whether it is "defacto" or not--it is trying to force its agenda down the throughts of the world's people.
Why don't you wake up and smell the stench of that organization--rather than seeing "tinfoil helmets". But then, you probably are also a big fan of the League of Nations, aren't you?
a resident of Midtown
on Jan 17, 2013 at 1:58 pm
@blackdog helicopters: Pretty good deal, given what we spend money on in this country. If it keeps our military from having to go 'boots-on-the-ground' in even one country in the next decade, it more than pays for itself.
Are the tinfoil hat dead-enders still whining about a giant one world government???? That's almost funny, if it wasn't so sad.
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A's looking for insurance in Meetings
Club in need of veteran for rotation, offensive punch entering Vegas
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
ROTATION INSURANCE -- The A's won't come out and say it, but they could use a veteran starting pitcher to provide some stability and leadership for a unit that returns exactly nobody with more than one year of rotation experience. General manager Billy Beane says it's not a priority, but he's been known to change his plans in a hurry.
MORE HITTERS -- Publicly, the priority is to add more punch to an offense that's already been upgraded by the acquisition of Matt Holliday. Free-agent SS Rafael Furcal is the top target, and there's also interest in free-agent first baseman Jason Giambi. Oakland also could use some insurance for 3B Eric Chavez, who is coming off four surgeries in less than a year, and Beane is forever on the lookout for ways to improve his bullpen.
Whom they can or need to trade:
SS Bobby Crosby -- He's entering the last year of his contract, which will pay him $5.5 million, and if the A's add Furcal or another shortstop, Crosby almost certainly will be moved. There aren't many untouchables on Oakland's roster, including oft-injured, arbitration-eligible All-Star RHP Justin Duchscherer, but Duchscherer isn't being actively shopped.
Top prospects:
RHPs Trevor Cahill and Vince Mazzaro, LHP Brett Anderson, 1B Chris Carter -- Cahill, Mazzaro and Anderson could very well be the backbone of the Oakland rotation for years to come, so they'll only be moved as part of a monster deal. Carter had a monster year in the low Minors, and is the latest "first baseman of the future."
RHPs Craig Italiano and Jared Lansford, OF Javier Herrera -- Italiano and Lansford aren't far behind the aforementioned trio of pitching prospects, and scouts still love the oft-injured Herrera's five-tool package. These prospects are more likely to be included in any winter trades.
Big contracts they might unload:
Chavez, who turns 31 on Dec. 7, has a limited no-trade clause, and the A's are confident he'll be healthy enough to help them in 2009. But he's due $11 million next season, $12 million in '10 and there's a $3 million buyout on the $12.5 million club option for '11, so the A's might be open to moving him if the return package included a younger, big league-ready third baseman.
Arbitration eligible:
Duchscherer, DH Jack Cust, C Rob Bowen -- Bowen would be a non-tender candidate if there were a healthy young catcher ready to step in as iron-man starter Kurt Suzuki, but there isn't, so Bowen likely is safe.
Payroll summation:
Including pro-rated bonuses, it was under $50 million at the start of 2008. Holliday, Chavez and 2B Mark Ellis will make nearly $30 million combined in '09, and Duchscherer and Cust will get nice bumps from the $1.2 million and $410,000 they made, respectively, in '08. Adding Furcal and Giambi would likely push Oakland north of $50 million, but everyone else on the current roster -- save Crosby -- is making close to the big league minimum, so expect something in the neighborhood of $60-65 million depending on what moves are made.
Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


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12/13/04: Having some fun on Pennsylvania Mountain's broad and flat summit. Note how wind-swept the area is: barely any snow in mid-December! The peaks in the background include a sampling of what was visible to the NE.
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OMV AG has agreed to sell the wholly owned subsidiary that has maintained its obligatory oil inventories to ELG, a private firm appointed as the Austrian central stockholding entity.
To meet Austrian legal requirements, OMV must guarantee availability of 25% of its annual imports for use in supply emergencies. Until the sale, it used the subsidiary, Lagermanagement, to maintain an oil inventory for that purpose.
Like many countries, Austria requires private companies to maintain enough stocks for the country to meet strategic-supply standards of the European Union and International Energy Agency By acquiring the subsidiary, ELG assumes that portion of OMV's emergency stocks.
"This transaction will make OMV's refining and marketing business more comparable to its peers who, for the most part, either do not have a similar stockholding obligation or have already outsourced the stockholding," OMV said in a statement.


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To celebrate the release of his debut album "Removed", Billy "bring him in" Burke will be playing a show, which you can win passes to:
For those who live or will be in the Los Angeles area on June 22nd, we'll be kicking off the release with a party at The House Of Blues in Hollywood where the band and I will be performing a few cuts from the record.
This will be an invitation only event, however WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY SOME PASSES TO SUBSCRIBERS so if you haven't yet already, sign up (top right corner of this page) and stay tuned if you're interested in attending the show.
Someone book the Twitards a ticket!
Check for more info and to download music go to BillyBurke.net
- Lorabell
P.s. Who does he remind me of in this pic? It's driving me nutso!


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Behind 10 hits and stellar pitching, the Dolores baseball team crushed Navajo Prep 12-0 Thursday afternoon in Farmington, N.M.
Starting sophomore pitcher Dalton Madden pitched a one hitter over four innings, as the game was mercy ruled. He struck out nine guys in the win.
"His curve ball was breaking wicked strong," said first-year Bears coach Chris Barry. "He had a decent shot at a no-hitter and perfect game. A lot was good."
Things went nearly perfect for Dolores (1-4) in its first game of the Piedra Vista High School tournament. It's been a rough start to the season for the Bears, but coach Barry feels his team is getting better every week.
"Our varsity team is a real young team. We have a lot of young kids. We have 35 kids in the program, which is phenomenal for a school this size," Barry said. "It felt good to get that first win. By playoff time, we'll be as good as we can be. We'll see if we can make some noise."
Brandon Lively hit a two run triple for the Bears that almost went yard. Evan Moore and Madden each recorded two hits with a double apiece. Josh Hartle went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and four stolen bases. Drew Morgan also belted two hits.
Dolores remains in Farmington to play its last game of the PVHS tourney today.


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Closer Cordero drawing interest
Right-hander rumored to be targeted by handful of clubs
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
Cordero missed most of the 2008 season because of a labrum tear in his right shoulder. He had surgery on July 8 and is expected to be ready for Spring Training. The right-hander visited Dr. Lewis Yocum for a checkup last week and is expected to start throwing in a week. Before he touches a baseball, however, Cordero is expected to get married on Saturday and go on his honeymoon.
Cordero's first choice would be to sign with the Angels because he is from Anaheim and grew up an Angels fan. Cordero also wouldn't mind having a reunion with Mets general manager Omar Minaya, who drafted him in the first round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft when he was with the Expos.
Cordero was not available for comment.
According to the source, the Nationals are not in the mix even though Cordero said last week he wouldn't rule out going back to Washington. The source did not say if Cordero was still mad at general manager Jim Bowden, who announced to Sports Talk 980 AM in Washington last July that Cordero would be non-tendered.
Cordero made $6 million this past season. Sources indicated at that time that Cordero would not come back to the Nationals if Bowden were still the general manager. Bowden later apologized to Cordero and his agent, Larry Reynolds.
Cordero, 26, is considered one of the best closers in Nationals/Expos history, saving 128 games and compiling a 2.78 ERA during his career. His best season was in 2005, when he saved 47 games to go with a 1.82 ERA.
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
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Each set comes with (4) two-piece panels which will cover one side of a carbine rail.
Impact Guns is the gun shop for all your shooting needs. We offer a wide selection of firearms, including: handguns, shotguns, rifles, ammunition, rifle scopes and optics, as well as collectible machine guns and other NFA/Class 3 guns. Impact also services the needs of law enforcement and military with our wide variety of tactical weapons and accessories. Shop online through our 256-bit Secure Sockets Layer encrypted online gun store 24 hours a day!


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This home has been beautifully renovated from it's purchase in 2012. The custom kitchen has Kraftmaid cabinets, granite countertops, copper farmhouse sink…$425,000
This home is as comfortable as it is understated and elegant. Redesigned and filled with rich hardwood floors, crown molding and walls of windows to overlook…$749,900
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A horse farm and equine property to be sold at absolute auction has been scheduled for October 22 in Chesterland, near Cleveland. The farm is located at…SOLD
Builders home,2x6 construction imported hardware arched peachtree windows. Merrilat cabintry Vaulted ceilings 1st floor and 2nd floor master suites. Bonus…SOLD


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Submit News
CERN Develops Possible Internet Replacement, Unfathomably Faster
Jason Mick
April 7, 2008 12:15 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Cern's grid network connects computers and research stations and unheard of speeds, by implementing a brand new high-tech network with no legacy components.
(Source: University of Victoria)
Internet up to 10,000 times faster deployed, may see consumer use within a year or two
CERN, the Geneva-based particle physics center which spawned the world wide web in 1989, is looking to create the next internet, and has
already laid down the essential ground work
for it. Experts
say it is sorely needed
. Recent industry analysis, such as
's recent piece "
American Broadband: Pathetic and Disgraceful
," has revealed that most customer languish under poor data rates and
high costs
The new internet from CERN could change all that. The proposed system averages speeds of up to 10,000 times the typical broadband connection today. The new internet is known as "the grid" and could send the entire
Rolling Stones
catalog from Britain to Japan in two seconds, a scenario akin to the
RIAA's worst nightmare
Among the fields the new internet may revolutionize are online gaming, holographic image transmission, and HD video telephony. Under the new internet you would be able to complete a high definition video telephony call for the price of a normal call on a land line.
David Britton, professor of physics at Glasgow University says that the grid will surpass many peoples current conceptions of the internet. He states, "With this kind of computing power, future generations will have the ability to collaborate and communicate in ways older people like me cannot even imagine."
After years of work the grid is coming online this summer on what is termed the "red button day". The new network will help to transmit the massive data load from
CERN's new Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
The LHC designed to probe some of the most complex mysteries of the physics world is a prime example of research application, which would be impossible without the grid. The LHC creates an amount of data equivalent to the content of 56 million CDs annually -- or a little more than 36 petabytes per year. If the data demands were steady this would equate to almost two CDs per second, but unsteady demand leads to a need for the ability to transmit dozens or more CDs worth of data in a second.
The demands of the LHC meant that the CERN scientists could not use the traditional internet, created by CERN researcher Sir Tim Berners-Lee, for fear of a worldwide collapse. The current internet, a hodge-podge of high speed equipment and older equipment originally designed to work with telephone calls, simply is not robust enough to handle the capacity needed for the LHC or other potential future internet applications.
The grid, on the other hand, has been built from the ground up to a high tech standard. It utilizes almost entirely fiber optics and has numerous cutting-edge routing centers. The new network will not be slowed by outdated components. The new grid already has 55,000 servers, and this is expected to rise to 200,000 within two years.
Professor Tony Doyle, technical director of the grid project explains the need for it, stating, "We need so much processing power, there would even be an issue about getting enough electricity to run the computers if they were all at CERN. The only answer was a new network powerful enough to send the data instantly to research centres in other countries."
The new "parallel internet" runs along fiber optic lines from CERN to 11 research locations in the United States, Canada, the Far East, Europe and around the world. Each of these 11 locations radiates out to other academic locations, using existing academic high-speed networks. In Britain, 8,000 servers are current online and it is projected that by the fall a student at any university could connect to the grid rather than the traditional internet.
Ian Bird, project leader for CERN's high-speed computing project, believes that the grid will make desktop data storage obsolete. With the incredible speeds and data rates, it is only a matter of time, he says, before people entrust all their information to the internet. Says Bird, "It will lead to what's known as cloud computing, where people keep all their information online and access it from anywhere."
By using its blazing speed, the grid can leverage the power of thousands of connected computers, when challenged with a particularly tough task. Researchers hope the new power will allow the LHC to detect a Higgs boson, an elusive never-before seen theoretical particle, which is supposed to be what gives matter mass. The LHC will only be able to detect a few thousand particles a year and will need to leverage the grid's full power to analyze these particles in coming years.
It is uncertain whether the grid will branch into a domestic network, or whether business will elect to build their own similar networks. Some telecom providers and businesses are beginning to implement one of the grid's most powerful features, so-called dynamic switching. Dynamic switching gives the user a dedicated channel during a particularly big task. This can allow a movie to be downloaded in 5 seconds instead of 3 hours.
For now students and other researchers such as astronomers and molecular biologists will be able to use the grid, though. Using the grid's power scientists analyzed 140 million
possible malaria fighting
compounds to develop more effect drugs. This analysis would have taken a traditional internet PC hundreds of years.
Doyle believes strongly that the grid's technology is coming soon to businesses and the consumer. He says, "Projects like the grid will bring huge changes in business and society as well as science. Holographic video conferencing is not that far away. Online gaming could evolve to include many thousands of people, and social networking could become the main way we communicate. The history of the internet shows you cannot predict its real impacts but we know they will be huge."
"We shipped it on Saturday. Then on Sunday, we rested." -- Steve Jobs on the iPad launch
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text:
The month of August started like the month of July ended: hot, dry and windy. In other words, the conditions were perfect for wildfires.
Difficult summers, however, are something we're used to. In response to the weather and in anticipation of wildfires, I placed all 77 counties under a State of Emergency due to drought. When dozens of fires broke out across the state, Oklahomans were prepared.
Because of the statewide emergency declaration, state and local governments were able to make emergency purchases and immediately begin protecting their communities. And although they couldn't stop the fires that spread across the state-- especially those that may have been started maliciously and intentionally -- the statewide governor's burn ban protected us from a scenario that could have been even worse.
As always, Oklahoma's first responders proved and continue to prove why they are considered on par with the best in the country and the world. Firefighters worked relentlessly through the weekend -- many with little or no sleep -- protecting our communities, saving homes and saving lives. Many are still going.
In the town of Drumright, which was threatened by the massive Creek County fire that burned over 58,000 acres, exhausted first responders told me how they had joined with other local fire departments to halt the blaze and save their community. Sure enough, while the grasslands and forest around the town were scorched black and the surrounding area had lost several houses, the town itself was untouched. Drumright residents rallied to support their heroes: the fire department and city hall were stocked to near-bursting from ice, water, Gatorade and snacks donated by local families.
For those who did lose their homes to wildfires, help is coming. My office is working with groups like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, as well as Insurance Commissioner John Doak, to help those individuals and communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible. Additionally, as the state moves from response to recovery operations, I expect to be able to request a Disaster Declaration from the federal government, and to hopefully receive federal assistance for individuals and families affected by the fires.
As heartbreaking as it is to see so much destruction, it is inspiring to see how Oklahomans band together in a time of crisis -- neighbor helping neighbor, and community helping community. The response and recovery effort has truly been statewide, with help coming from the National Guard, state first responders, emergency volunteers, and thousands of men, women and children who are collecting and donating resources to support firefighters or neighbors in distress. It is yet another demonstration of the "Oklahoma Standard" of community and selflessness for which we have become known for.
Moving forward, we have a lot of work to do. There are many people who still need help. Fortunately, this is Oklahoma, and there are many who are willing to provide that help. In the last few days, we've had countless people contact our office to ask how. Below you will find contact information and instructions for donating resources to some of the most effective and engaged organizations in the state.
My sincere thanks go out to the tens of thousands of Oklahomans who have worked to fight wildfires, support recovery efforts or simply comfort their neighbors.
Source: http://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=223&article_id=8588


text:
Fondant Cupcake and Cookie Toppers
Fondant Cupcake and Cookie Toppers Help You Fake It
Fondant Cupcake and Cookie Toppers Help You Fake It
Decadent dessert decorations are sure to make a big impression, especially when mounted on a scrumptious swirl of frosting. If you opt to make your own treats for a kiddie soiree to keep party costs down and add a personal touch to the affair, wow your guests by icing your little cakes with edible cupcake and cookie cover embellishments. These designs by Etsy seller Cookie Covers, range in cost from $11 to $12 for a dozen, so you can fake fantastic fondant skills for less than a dollar a pop.
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HOUSTON - A man accused of vandalizing a Picasso at the Menil Collection has turned himself over to authorities.
According to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Uriel Landeros turned himself in at the Hidalgo Port of Entry shortly after crossing the border from Mexico into the United States about 4 p.m. on Tuesday. He has been charged with criminal mischief and felony graffiti, both of which are third-degree felonies. He's being held at the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office awaiting extradition to Harris County.
After defacing the 1929 Picasso painting on June 13, Landeros vanished and has remained silent until an exclusive interview with Local 2 in November.
The 22-year-old artist, who's been hiding out in northern Mexico, detailed his motivation behind the crime that rocked the Houston art community.
"I don't regret anything that I've done," Landeros said.
Landeros said he's not apologetic for spray painting a stenciled image of a bull, a matador, and the Spanish word "CONQUISTA," which means conquest, onto Picasso's "Woman in a Red Armchair."
"(Expletive) his painting. It's just a piece of cloth. What matters most is the people who are suffering," Landeros said.
Landeros said his actions were fueled by a mixture of social and political defiance.
"I'm part of the whole Occupy movement," Landeros explained.
Landeros said he chose the 13th of June because the number refers to a power structure. He said all he wanted to do was shed light on the corruption of banks, government and large institutions in the United States and Mexico.
"If I wanted to destroy that piece, I could have done it," he claimed. "The spray paint that I used was easily taken away."
The act was caught on cellphone video by a museum patron as it happened, then quickly posted on YouTube.
While many art lovers believe what Landeros did was a disgrace, he seemed unfazed and said what he did wasn't vandalism, but a call for justice.
"I really don't give a (expletive) about the 15 minutes of fame," Landeros said. "If anything, I made that painting more famous than what it is."
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
I find it very ironic we have created so much pressure on ourselves as a culture, especially in the United States, to have such a perfect event that often misses the real point and purpose of what happened on that Christmas night so long ago. Just when I am worried I may have forgotten why I am doing all that I am doing, it is Christmas Eve again.
For me, the central act of Christmas Eve is worship. To hear again the simple power of the story of Jesus' birth in Luke 2:1-20 is to cut through it all to the most amazing news of all. In order to help us finally "get it," God decides to come and live among us as one of us that we might be able to finally see what God has desired since the beginning of creation. Since the first "let there be light," God has loved this planet and all of its inhabitants, and yet we could not see it. After centuries of reaching out to us and us not getting it, God decides to become human and dwell among us that we might finally know the depth of God's love and find the path to God.
This year I have read several times the stories of Jesus' birth and the events leading up to his birth in the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke. God decides to become Emmanuel or God with us. God comes to us as a vulnerable baby born to Mary — a teenager from Nazareth, a small out-of-the-way town in rural Galilee. Mary was engaged to Joseph, who was originally from Bethlehem, a town about 80 miles away. The Roman Emperor Augustus called for a new census, which was a regular practice of his that allowed him to know exactly how many subjects he had. This allowed him to maximize the efficiency of his taxing of the people.
In the midst of all of this, the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and announces she will give birth to the Son of God. It was Mary's obedience to God's choice of her as the mother of the Messiah and Joseph's courage to listen to the angel who told him to stay with Mary that helped make the plan of God go forward. It is amazing to me that God is sending his son to change the very nature of human history and he uses the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph as the way to make it happen.
This year I have been especially aware that God still works through us and touches the world through those who are willing to be obedient to God's desire to love creation and those within it. Jesus is God's greatest gift of love to the world. As we share the love of God with others, we confirm again that "Jesus really is the reason for the season!"
Roy Smith is senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Russellville.


text:
Social media has evolved a lot in the last couple of years, yet there are still a lot of misconceptions out there. Here are some of the biggest mistakes
many of us may be making:
1. You think you are your audience.
The way a marketer, PR pro, community manager, or anyone else who works in technology views and uses social media is likely 100 billion times different
from how your customers use social media. The most harmful thing you can do is assume your audience consumes and uses the tools the same way you do.
2. You assume there's a direct correlation between the number of "likes" and sales.
I've lost count of the number of times I've heard, "How we can get a million likes on Facebook?" Every time I try not to roll my eyes and laugh out loud.
It's easy to "like" something. Heck, you can even buy likes. (Please don't). But it doesn't necessarily translate to more customers, sales, etc.
3. You think just being present is enough.
Thankfully many more companies have realized the vast potential of social media for their businesses. It's awesome that brands now acknowledge and reply to
their customers through Twitter and Facebook. However, replying is only the first step. The rest is much harder, and involves making your business a truly
social business. This requires change and a lot of hard work.
4. You buy in to data overload.
Do you know the saying, "You can never have too much data"? Whoever said that was very wrong. Have you seen some of the social media reports that "social
media consultants" use? Statistics are only as useful as the context you put them in. A 50-page report with pretty charts and graphs may look great on your
boss's desk, but chances are it's just Excel bloat.
Instead, focus on two or three metrics that really matter for your business, and measure those. That's a lot more meaningful than a 50-page monthly report.
5. You keep social media in a silo.
It's important to have a dedicated team that handles social media. However, this team must close the gap between all departments. Nothing good ever comes
from working in silos. Social media touches every aspect of your business, from sales to marketing, legal, PR and HR.
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The Southwest Times Record reports that the park will hold events Friday through Sunday.
Activities include Civil War-era re-enactments and a re-creation of an 1896 trial of a man accused of selling American hops in Indian Territory.
Students from the University of Arkansas are to perform a courtroom scene from the Charles Portis Novel "True Grit," part of which was set in Fort Smith.


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Blanton in good form in final spring tuneup
By Jay Greenberg / Special to MLB.com
"Missing a big chunk of last year makes you feel better to go out to the mound again," Blanton said after retiring the first 10 Pirates batters Monday in the Phillies' 4-3 win. "You have a different sense about yourself, a little extra pep in your step in appreciation of being healthy."
The Phillies broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh when Freddy Galvis -- who will be the starting second baseman in the absence of Chase Utley on Opening Day in Pittsburgh on Thursday -- tripled off right-hander Ryan Beckman to score Ty Wigginton. Blanton, the No. 5 in the Philadelphia rotation, tuned up well for his first regular season start, which likely won't come until April 13.
He can easily wait that long if the elbow problems that abbreviated his 2011 season are behind him.
"Last year I was already starting to feel it at this time," Blanton said. "This year I don't feel anything at all.
"My velocity is decent. I'm throwing all pitches with full intensity. My last Spring Training start, I lost my changeup a little bit. That's a big pitch for me, and luckily I found it in one bullpen."
Blanton was perfect until Jose Tabata's soft single started a two-run rally in the fourth. Tabata stole second and scored on Neil Walker's single to right. Walker, who moved up to second when Hunter Pence's throw to the plate got away from Carlos Ruiz, scored on Garrett Jones' double.
The Pirates, who will close the exhibition season with James McDonald on the mound Tuesday night, used seven different relievers. Tony Watson, competing with Daniel Moskos for what could be just one lefty slot out of the bullpen, saw action, along with Juan Cruz, Evan Meek and Beckman, who is headed for Double-A Altoona. All gave up runs, although Watson was not helped when outfielder Juan Pierre's leadoff bloop fell out of the lunging Alex Presley's glove.
Pierre scored on Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly, and crossed the plate again on a double by Rollins, who was thrown out at third on Walker's relay from Tabata.
Andrew McCutchen's home run in the sixth tied the game. The long ball was the outfielder's fourth of the spring.
Up next: The teams wrap up their two-game exhibition series Tuesday at 7:05 p.m ET at Citizens Bank Park before opening the regular season Thursday at PNC Park. Cole Hamels, who's submitted a solid spring (3.42 ERA), will face the Pirates' James McDonald (9.16 ERA) in both pitchers' final action before the games that count.
Jay Greenberg is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Kozma, Cedeno look to fill void at shortstop
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
VIERA, Fla. -- With setbacks also come opportunities, and that is certainly what both Ronny Cedeno and Pete Kozma now see, given Sunday's news that Rafael Furcal has been shut down indefinitely due to inflammation in his right elbow.
With Furcal's readiness for the start of the season now in doubt, the Cardinals will spend the rest of spring evaluating what their next best option would be. Cedeno offers experience. Kozma has greater upside. General manager John Mozeliak described the situation on Sunday as "an open competition."
Both players offered similar responses when asked to assess the changing landscape of the shortstop situation.
"I don't make the decisions, so I'm going to try and do the best I can and try to get an opportunity whenever [manager] Mike [Matheny] needs me," said Cedeno, who started at third base on Sunday.
"I need to take that time to take advantage as much as I can," Kozma said. "If he puts me in the lineup, I'm definitely going to give it my best shot."
Kozma didn't make much hard contact, but still went 3-for-3 on Sunday, boosting his spring average to .450. He said that it's the defensive side that is coming along more slowly, since he's reacting to balls off the bat for the first time in months.
Cedeno, on the other hand, is more heavily invested in his swing right now. Taking a suggestion from hitting coach John Mabry, Cedeno is attempting to shorten up his swing.
"My timing is off a little bit," said Cedeno, who is 2-for-15 in Grapefruit League play. "It's getting better. That's part of Spring Training, working on what I need to get ready for the season."
Salas to represent Mexico in Classic
VIERA, Fla. -- Cognizant that he is still competing for a spot in the Cardinals big league bullpen, Fernando Salas departed for Arizona on Sunday, overjoyed by the opportunity to represent Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
While interest in the 16-team tournament may be underwhelming to some American-born players, it is a source of pride for many who grew up outside of this country. Salas described the Classic as Mexico's most important baseball showcase.
"It's a big deal," Salas said. "It's different here because you have the Major Leagues, which is the wish for everyone. But in Mexico, this is very important. All Mexican players want to play in the World Baseball Classic. For us, it's really exciting, because it's an opportunity for players from the Mexican League and the Major Leagues to play together."
Salas was on Mexico's Classic roster in 2009, but did not make an appearance. Four years later, he's expected to be a critical piece in a bullpen that is headlined by Giants closer Sergio Romo.
He leaves the Cardinals, however, knowing that the Classic won't be his sole competition this month.
Though they gave Salas their blessing when he asked for permission to play, the Cardinals also made it clear to Salas that he still has to earn a spot in St. Louis' bullpen this spring.
"We'll watch it as close as we can," manager Mike Matheny said. "Obviously, we'd get a better view here, but we never want to deny these guys the opportunity to do something that they'd really like to do. It's for the good of the game, too."
A year after posting a 2.28 ERA and leading the team in saves with 24, Salas endured an up-and-down 2012. He dealt with a kidney stone problem for the first two months of the season and stayed mostly in a middle-relief role when he returned.
Salas spent the offseason throwing cutters, hopeful that the new pitch will develop into one that he is comfortable enough to use during the regular season. Salas began experimenting with the pitch last summer, but only in the bullpen.
"I'm trying it in games and it's been good," Salas said. "Every player knows you, so you need to work a little more to add to your game. It's another option for me."
Matheny dealing with ruptured disk in back
VIERA, Fla. -- Additional medical tests have determined that manager Mike Matheny's back condition is more severe than initially believed. What had been diagnosed as a bulging disk is now confirmed to be a ruptured disk, which, Matheny said, is releasing particles that are pushing against a nerve.
Matheny was in the dugout for Sunday's game, but was clearly in immense pain after sitting on a bus for about two hours while the team traveled north from Jupiter, Fla. He is experiencing numbness and pain on his right side.
"I've had problems for a while, a long time off and on," Matheny said on Sunday, before having to cut off a session with reporters so he could try to walk off some discomfort. "I've been on a program to strengthen it. But something set it off and sent it in a bad direction. I don't know what it was."
Matheny is still scheduled to have an epidural shot on Monday. If that doesn't alleviate the pain, Matheny said he would have to consider surgery. He is providing some information to physicians back in St. Louis to seek additional opinions on his options.
Matheny was unable to manage on Friday due to discomfort from this issue and a bout of food poisoning. His condition worsened after managing on Saturday.
Worth noting
• On a day when he had to battle windy and cold conditions, Jaime Garcia allowed two earned runs, five hits and one walk against the Nationals in his first three-inning start of the spring. Garcia threw 39 of his 63 pitches for strikes. Both of his spring starts have come on the road.
"It's one of those things where this year, just to be here and be healthy, that's all I can ask for," Garcia said. "I don't really care about where I'm pitching next, as long as I'm going in the right direction. I'm at the point right now where I'm just going to compete and go out there with the positive mentality, just like I did when I came to camp. "
• Two of the Cardinals' recent high Draft picks -- James Ramsey (first round, 2012) and C.J. McElroy (third round, 2011) -- made their Grapefruit League debuts on Sunday. The Cardinals plucked both players out of early Minor League camp to fill out Sunday's roster.
Ramsey reached base in both of his plate appearances and scored one run. McElroy contributed a pair of RBI singles and also scored once.
"I think there's some excitement down there [in the Minors]," manager Mike Matheny said. "It's fun to get those guys in."
• Cedeno made his first spring start at third base, a position he hasn't played all that often. In eight Major League seasons, Cedeno has made only five starts at third. His work this spring, while focused at shortstop, will continue to include time at second and third base.
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: Running Windows XP SP3 and ZoneAlarm Extreme Security. Getting a lot of Firewall alerts most of them Medium and a few High. Sometimes the source DNS is a strange address. Some of the medium rated ones seem redundant and probably related to the cable modem I guess. Here is a screenshot of the alerts. Thanks for any help.


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UNIONTOWN, Pa. — In an effort to ensure that Penn State's capital campaign goal is met, a unique opportunity is available to those businesses and individuals who are interested in helping students in the area. Now in its final year, For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students includes a major goal of raising scholarship funds for students, and the University is now offering a way to maximize the impact of private gifts through the Trustee Matching Scholarship program.
The program directs matching funds to the neediest students as quickly as possible. Penn State matches 10 percent (up from 5 percent for a limited time) of total gifts or pledges of $50,000 or more for newly created Trustee Scholarships, making funds immediately available for student awards. This University match continues in perpetuity, essentially tripling the support available for students with financial need. The 10 percent match is available through the end of the campaign in June 2014 or until the pool of matching funds has been awarded.
"For anyone who ever thought of creating a scholarship, now would be the opportune time, as the University match is a deal that's too good to pass up. Donors are able to help our students with the satisfaction of knowing that their gift will have triple the impact of an ordinary scholarship endowment," said Lori Omatick, director of development at the Fayette campus.
For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, which began in 2007, is the most ambitious effort of its kind in Penn State's history with the goal of securing $2 billion by June 2014. The start of the University's fiscal year on July 1, 2013, marked the beginning of the campaign's final year. One of the campaign's top priorities is keeping a Penn State degree affordable for students and families.
Locally, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, has raised more than $3 million toward its campus goal of $3.5 million. Committee co-chairs Joseph A. Hardy III and Terry McMillen; attorney Henry Beamer, Jeffrey Erdley, Paul Kania, attorney Wayne Port, Robert Mocniak, Josh Swimmer and Philip Savini currently assist in this fundraising effort by serving as members of the campus' volunteer campaign committee.
For more information on ways to give to Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, call Lori Omatick at 724-430-4190.


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With a roster full of players such as Larry Hughes, Chris Duhon, Al Harrington, Darko Milicic, Nate Robinson and David Lee that have one year remaining on their current contracts why does watching this team play like the '97 Denver Nuggets not take me by surprise? Is it because most these players know that they won't be Knicks next season and would rather get paid a boat load of cash and bring their C game to the hardwood floor every night? What a way to finish out a wonderful Knick contract by embarrassing an already battered organization even more.This team cannot possibly be this awful after going on a mini run last season and giving their fans post season hopes.I think that most of them just don't care about playing winning basketball and putting in the extra effort.If you were playing out the last year of your contract and knew that you weren't going to be a part of your team's future plans wouldn't you do the same thing?
If the Knick players are tanking this season on purpose then David Stern needs to step into this.He could begin by either suspending these players or by voiding some of their contracts.Maybe this intervention will wake this Knick team up and get them to compete harder.At the pace that this team is going they're destined to make Isiah Thomas' Knicks look like the Bulls of the 90's.Not only is this hurting Knick fans it's hurting the rest of the NBA in general.I'm sure that David Stern would do anything to make the Knicks relevant again.
I promised myself that I wouldn't rant on the Knicks this season but how can any Knick fan not feel disappointed by watching their team start the season losing 7 out of their first 8 games? And the way that the Knicks have lost these games is probably the worst thing to swallow from this.A few heart breaking over time losses combined with some blow out defeats and a nationally televised laugher on their home court would drive the average Knick fan insane. This is suppose to be a year of new beginning, a year in which the Knicks exorcise most of their past demons and a year in which they prove to everyone that they will no longer be the cellar dwelling/non competitive side show of the NBA.I know that they're 74 games regular season games left for the Knicks to play but if they continue to lose 87 percent of the games on their schedule it's best to call it a season.


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Kansas City, Kan.-based J&A Industries is a manufacturer of signal equipment to major railroad industry leaders, including BNSF and Union Pacific. B & B Roadway and Security Solutions designs, manufactures, distributes, and services an extensive line of crash-rated vehicle barriers, traffic warning gates, and navigation light solutions. Industries include perimeter security, moveable bridge structures, HOV lane systems and railroad traffic control that meet critical government standards.
Carrollton, Tex.-based B&B has a manufacturing facility in Russellville, Ala. (photo above left), and a service center in Fairfax, Va. J&A Industries will continue all current operations at both of its Kansas City facilities, RR Mergers said.
Paul Matthews, B&B CEO, stated, "We welcome J&A and its employees to our family of companies. Jim Ferree and his team built a fine business, and we look forward to working to grow our opportunities together."


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Paul Ryan, named Saturday Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, said the following in his speech: "Real solutions can be delivered. But it will take leadership. And, the courage to tell you the truth." Bravo! But after a little thought, the famous Jack Nicholson movie line came to mind: "You can't handle the truth!"
Apparently, that is what most politicians believe of the public. Sadly, they seem to be right in many cases. The public is often ill-informed, sometimes by design, but too often by choice. So, how often at the local level are we not told the whole truth because somebody thinks we might not be able to handle it? Because we might make a different decision if we had a clear understanding? How often do we, as citizens, fail to seek out the whole truth?
What is the whole truth about the city of Durango franchise fee? In place for decades, maybe it seemed there was no need for a clear explanation to voters. But to the surprise of some, the voters rejected the vague, unsupported measure. La Plata Electric Association did little to clarify the fee by how it passes it on to customers. Now the issue is set to show up again on the November ballot. More individuals will be eligible to cast a vote. Will they understand what they're voting for or against?
What is the whole truth about the proposed Organically Managed Parks Ordinance? What will be the true impact to the city? What are the facts and what are scare tactics? Maybe we should ask more questions before signing a petition. We definitely need to ask more questions when the measure makes it to the ballot.
Yes, the truth can be hard to swallow. It doesn't always fully support a position we might hold and sometimes we hear only what we want to hear. But let's try to be adults here. Insist on the truth. And take some responsibility for seeking it out. Go after the whole truth and nothing but the truth as we weigh choices that will impact the future of this community.
Sidny Zink is a CPA and former Durango city councilor and mayor. Reach her at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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It is difficult to explain why I am an atheist without starting at the beginning. I was born in the mid-70s in rural Oxfordshire, England. My parents where Born Again Christians of the 'burn your Beetles records' variety, and believed with all the passion and transparency of youth that they where blessed and anointed to do the Lord's work. They met at a Christian youth event and that has set the tenner for the rest of their lives together. Needless to say, my siblings and I where raised to treat Jesus as the other member of our family, albeit an invisible and all-powerful one. Jesus was firstly the saviour of our family, and only then the saviour of our church, country and the world. It was an intensely personal faith. Our parents believed in strict parenting. Child-rearing and the training of working dogs could be accomplished using essentially the same approach, although children seemed to have longer memories and where better at dissembling than hounds, and while the dog got a newspaper on the nose, we got the cane. It was enough to know that we had done wrong; there was little need to explain why. They loved us dearly (and still do), but I felt we always came a distant third behind Jesus and my parents to each other, in that order.
From a young age, I had an inquiring and scientific mind. My favourite program during the week where Tomorrow's World and Dr Who, and Sunday mornings before Church where spent watching Open University programs sandwiched between the Dungeon's & Dragons cartoons and Thunder cats – surely one of the more eccentric scheduling choices brought to us by the BBC, but it meant I was introduced to relational database design and combinatorial chemistry at a formative age. By the time I was working my way though Secondary School, I was beginning to distinguish between things that we knew because they surely just must be true (Jesus had saved me from my sins, my parents would live for ever, presents will appear at Christmas) and things we knew because we had found out (what happens to dead pigeons, how many teeth a dog has, whether grass was a flowering plant). I can remember several times in my childhood where these two kinds of knowledge where at loggerheads. While playing on the lawn, I found structures on the grass that resembled flowers, but very small and not very colourful. Over the next few weeks, in the bits of the lawn that escaped the mower I watched these become the seed-heads, but I got short-thrift when I asked my parents about grass flowers. I guess they had never really thought about it before, but I was left in no doubt that grass is not a flow, and that received knowledge must trump whatever untrustworthy ideas I may have come up with. On another occasion, after watching a lot of nature programs about space, I told my father that the sun was a star. This did not go down well. Genesis says, "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." Gen 1:16. How could the Sun be a star if it was not created as one of "the stars also", but distinctly as one of the "two great lights"? This clash between faith-based and empiric knowledge began a process that wouldn't fully ripen until I was in my early twenties.
By now, our family had fallen into a fairly regular routine. My parents where for ever 'Church Planting'. This meant severing ties with all the people we knew before, making new friends and acquaintances with which to form a church, and then later on voluntarily (or perhaps with a bit of a push) leaving again as they where 'called on'. While we had not moved house since I was 1 year old, we never kept the same social circle for more than a handful of years, as each time we changed congregation or planted another one, there was a mutual ostracisation of us from the past community. A similar pattern emerged with my parent's closest friends, even if they where not involved. Invariably they where also the parents of our best friends. They would get on fine for a year or two, and then over some point of theology or ethics have a falling out. We children would be forbidden to see each other, and again we'd have our social life transplanted without ever moving home. We where also moved between schools more often than was strictly required, again wrenching us from those key friendship ties. Effectively, we experienced all the transience of Army Brats, and lived through a succession of broken families.
Throughout all of this, the one constant was that we, as a family, where doing Jesus' work. Whatever Satan threw at us, however badly churches and people where corrupted, we where anointed and appointed by Jesus. Looking back on it, some of the church situations we left where not pretty, with people in authority abusing their position. Even now, when yet again the same cycle repeats, my parents are shocked to find a pastor arranging marriages or diverting church funds.
We where raised in an environment where laying-on-of-hands and casting-out-demons was a part of every-day life, and each time someone was shown to be a charlatan, our parents would be the first to decry the deceit, but come the next week, also the first to put their faith in the new holy man. After all, Satan is the arch-deceiver, and each of these individuals are counterfeiting true miracles. You can't have a counterfeit without an original. Every unmasking of a magician posing as a miracle worker further strengthened their faith that those who either had not yet been unmasked, or were personally deluded that they had a healing gift was the genuine article.
Over time, I became aware of the credulity required. You needed a huge reservoir of faith to believe in things when lauded examples where constantly being exposed as frauds. Your personal relationship with Jesus had to be very strong if disagreement over minor points of theology could mean breaking off a friendship that had lasted years. I was asking myself if this approach to life really was healthy, and if it was necessary.
Throughout school I had an aptitude for maths and science, and was an abject failure at arts and languages. During A'levels I wasn't sure if I should go into physics or biology, but ended up studying a genetics degree, partly in response to reading The Blind Watchmaker (and other books), and partly because of some fortuitous summer placements in various genetics labs in and around Oxford. I was then privileged to do my PhD at the Sanger Centre, on the Human Genome Project, writing bioinformatics software that helped others analyse genomic sequences.
Soon after my initial spell as a summer intern in a genetics lab, in the ecology department of Oxford University, I came face-to-face with belligerent creationism for the first time. I'd grown up in an atmosphere ambivalent over the historical nature of the Bible and the voracity of science. Any apparent contradictions had little practical import, and could be left as philosophical problems, where "different sorts of truth" could be in-play at any one time. However, this was all to change when Roberts and another gentleman (but not Wyatt, I think) stayed at our house, and after the Sunday Roast, did a presentation on their discovery of Noah's Ark. They showed us 'gopher wood' from the Ark which was laminated, and told us about conspiracies to hide skeletons of giants and of chariots excavated from the Red Sea. I tried to ask questions, to clarify what they where saying and test their claims. Their response was robust enough that my father told them this was not the way to speak to his son in his house. The difference could not have been more stark to that just a few weeks earlier where I, as a 15 yr old summer student had been able to question world-class ecologists over his evidence that energy was a major factor in how many eggs birds laid in a clutch, questions that where answered with courtesy and to my satisfaction. Science seemed to both get the goods and accept questioning and inquiry. Religion seemed to both be powerless to do anything much but breed dissent, for ever leading to schism upon schism, but at the same time was hostile to honest questioning and challenge. Surely as religious truth was self-evidently higher than scientific truth, it should be more able to withstand criticism, without needing to lash out at the criticiser? Indeed, should it not encourage honest questioning to show time after time that it passes all tests? Apparently not creationist religious truth, a pattern I've seen repeated to this day on creationist forums and websites.
My move from being a passionate believer in a personal God and Saviour to accepting atheism started in earnest from about the age of 14. In the run up to my GCSE's, I became very aware of the pervasive influence of the religious hierarchy in our faith school, and the way it reached it's grubby, manipulative fingers into every aspect of our thoughts and feelings. We where told what to think, how to think, and given potent examples of what would happen if you did not follow this through, heart and soul, especially when not being watched. Denouncements in the churches associated with the church school where very public affairs.
During my A'levels, spent at an Anglican boarding school, I learned the difference between being a true believer, and doing the things that true believers do. Over the first two years of my degree, transplanted into a strange, new city and with the opportunity to see various churches without any familial or personal obligations or entanglements, I began to see all the manipulation and petty corruption rife within them, despite being full of well-meaning, trusting and nice people. It seemed innate to the environment, not the aberrant effect of a rotten individual here and there who could not be predicted or taken account of. Whatever the Christian Church should be, this was not it.
I also went through a period of looking at the tenets of my personal faith and of my spiritual experiences. The more I dug into it, the less substantial things seemed to be. Faith seemed to have gone from "belief in things not seen," to "belief in things you've seen credible evidence against," and I saw no reason to believe that this trend would turn around. Yet another wave of revival swept through the international charismatic churches (ironically, only to be terminated by the SARs outbreak and its effect on restricting the movement of the faithful and their shepherds through fear of earthly disease). Whenever I attended the revival meetings, all I could see where conjuring tricks and stage-show hypnotism. Yet it was all the same things that I'd been raised to believe in as 'signs and wonders'. Occam's razor fought an ongoing battle with the need to believe, but ultimately I came to realise that this need in itself had no reasonable basis. I had, in effect, been conditioned from birth to need to believe. By the end of the first year of my PhD, this last toe-hold was broken.
It has been a long road recovering from the effects of my childhood. I have been left with a propensity to long periods of depression fuelled by feelings of no self-worth. At the same time, I can't listen to relaxation and meditation tapes without falling into an almost blind rage at the thought of having my emotions manipulated. The very regimented and strict rules of childhood have left deep scars, some of which may never fully heal, although I am now able to walk a more balanced line between guilty binge spending and miserly penny-pinching. Our constant uprooting from our social circles has left me very careful about how I make and keep friends, and probably with a tendency towards not giving enough to the friends I do have, but I am blessed with the friendships I've kept, some of which have lasted for all of my adult life.
My wife and I are now expecting our first child, a daughter. We're by turns excited and apprehensive about becoming parents. I am determined not to visit the sins of the (grand-)parents upon the children. I hope that we will be able to provide a loving environment, with structure but without dogmatic rigidity. I hope that her life will be free of constant superstition, yet bathed in the numinous and magical. I hope she will be able to make moral judgements without recourse to a cosmic Moral Judgement, and love nature without invocation of The Goddess. Perhaps things will not all work out as we wish, but I hope they do, and refuse to fear that they will not, even though they may not. This is my decision and my choice.
I spent my entire childhood living under superstition and the constant, background fear it engenders. This has cast a long shadow from my childhood across the rest of my life. With the starting of our family, it's well past time to put this firmly behind me and take responsibility for myself and my future with my family. Religion isn't a safety-net, it's a spider's web, a phantasm of our own making. This is why I am an atheist.
Matthew Pocock
United Kingdom


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The weather was warm, the grass was green and everyone was excited for football. Unfortunately for Mancos fans, players and coaches, the excitement did not last long.
Opening the high school football season at home against the Sangre de Cristo Thunderbirds on Aug. 31, the Mancos Bluejays looked young and inexperienced, getting thumped by a score of 50-6.
From the very start, the Bluejays looked out of sorts, allowing Thunderbird receivers two long receptions on the game's opening possession before giving up a 34-yard touchdown run to Thunderbird running back Corey Cooley. After receiving a pitch from quarterback Kyle Beiriger, Cooley darted to the left, cut hard back towards the middle and outran the Bluejay defense to the end zone.
After the Bluejays went three and out on their first offensive possession, the Thunderbirds again came up big, blocking a Ty Koppenhafer punt and falling on it in the end zone to go ahead 14-0.
The tough times continued for the Bluejays on their next offensive possession when quarterback Andrew Morgan was flushed out of the pocket and intercepted at the Mancos 22-yard-line.
After forcing the Thunderbirds offense back 9 yards, the Bluejays secondary broke down, allowing Troy Fritz to get behind them for a 31-yard touchdown reception that put the visitors up 20-0.
As the first quarter dragged on, the Thunderbirds continued pouring it on, scoring again on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Beiriger to move ahead 26-0.
Throughout the second quarter, the Thunderbird onslaught continued as Beiriger threw touchdown passes to Fritz and Victor Eriquez. By the time that the second quarter expired, the Thunderbirds were ahead 42-0 and the game was all but in the books.
The Bluejays refused to give up, however, and midway through the third quarter, finally came up with a big play. After the Bluejay defense pressured the Thunderbirds' second-string quarterback, Bluejay defensive end Bryan Jaime intercepted a weakly thrown ball and returned it to the Thunderbird 7-yard line.
""We were running a blitz on the outside," said Jaime. "Our middle linebacker came hard and hit (the quarterback). The ball kind of flew out and I got it."
Clearly invigorated by Jaime's effort, the Bluejay offense scored its first and only touchdown on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Morgan to tight end Brandon Hood-Farley. With the score, Mancos cut the Thunderbirds' lead to 42-6.
Describing the touchdown play, Hood-Farley stated, "It was a solid fake by (Morgan). It iced everyone on that defense and it helped me get open in the back of the end zone. It was just pitch and catch."
After the Bluejays allowed another touchdown run to Beiriger, both defenses held and the game ended with the Thunderbirds up 50-6.
"We've got a lot of work," said Bluejay head coach Adam Priestley. "Every position has a lot of work. The young guys have to step up for us."
Asked what the Bluejays will do to improve, Priestly said, "We might spend two hours watching film so we understand what we're looking at. We've got to build football knowledge and make sure our guys understand why they're getting beat."
Looking to rebound from the tough loss, the Bluejays will next travel to Blanca on Sept. 7 to face Sierra Grande.
"It's going to be tough," said Priestley. "Sierra Grande is loaded for bear."


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An Albuquerque landlord was judged to be discriminatory in his treatment of a man who has multiple sclerosis.
APD released night-vision helicopter footage of neighbors in Ventana Ranch shooting at each other.
North Korea is sustaining their rhetoric against the U.S. and South Korea. Here's why this is happening.
This article about North Korea has a great mixed metaphor.
Rush Limbaugh concedes (in his own way) the same-sex marriage debate.
Many of you probably heard Justice Scalia say this.
Surprise! A Republican National Committee guy posted something offensive about gays on his Facebook page.
The show was cancelled but Michelle Shocked showed up anyway.
The U.S. Navy's "Little Crappy Ship."
Florida "polo tycoon" loses bid to legally adopt girlfriend in order to avoid losing millions after a possible wrongful death judgement.
Paul Williams, founder of Crawdaddy and executor of P.K. Dick's literary estate, died.
Firesign Theater's Peter Bergman died.
Vintage covers from lesbian pulp novels.
The first Santa Fe spice arrest.
Steven Seagal is being sued.
Another unexplained light phenomenon appeared over Phoenix.
Delicious sounding egg in an onion ring. *[8pm]original site is down because everyone wants to know how to make these delicious eggs.
The stoning of Iraqi emo kids has begun.
Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk show hosts are losing advertisers faster than fleas jumping off a dead rat.
No cowbells or saxophones allowed under Nazi rules for jazz.
Watch this guy completely lose his shit over a role playing game.
Dick Clark's nifty Flintstones home is for sale.
Today is the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.
Canada's conservative government is going all Reagan on your ass with this crime bill.
This bicycle plays records.
"This year my wife is attempting to drink 4 pints of sherry while free falling from 1500 feet...."
You must watch this nifty/naughty stop-motion Spike Jonze short.
Loretta Lynn is sick.
Was Gaddafi the richest man in the world?
Uber-expensive new metallurgy laboratory (read as "nuclear bomb factory") in Los Alamos continues to freak everyone out.
C&O Canal water-bridge (aqueduct) over water has been restored. Neat.
These occupy wall st. signs are hilarious. So are some of these. "I shaved my balls for this?"
Take the psycho ex-girlfriend test.
Which RUSH song is stuck in your head right now?
Did you know RUSH had a drummer BEFORE Neil Peart?
Is The Faith's "More of the Same" a rip-off of RUSH's "Bastille Day?"
Geddy Lee meets Alex Lifeson for the first time.
Happy birthday, Sam "Evil Dead" Raimi!
Wicked-bad live music abounds this week—the gang and I just didn't have the space to cover it all. That, and I didn't get an interview with Geddy Lee. That's OK, though—what the hell would I have asked him? "Um, soooo, Mr. Lee, are you from Middle Earth?"


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© 2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Figgins' Final Vote campaign in full swing
Angels catalyst rallying support from family and friends
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- With her cell phone fixed on MLB.com, Chone Figgins' most ardent fan -- his mother, Eva -- was up in the wee hours on Tuesday morning doing her part in the Angels third baseman's bid for the American League's final roster spot in the All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote.
"Mom was up until 3 o'clock," Figgins said. "I told her, 'You gotta go to bed, Mom. You need some sleep.' She said, 'I'm going to stay up and vote some more.'"She's staying with me until Friday, then going home [to Plant City, Fla.]. Hopefully, we can celebrate on Thursday." Figgins was running in the middle of the five-man pack on Thursday afternoon, trailing Detroit third baseman Brandon Inge and Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler, with Tampa Bay first baseman Carlos Pena and Toronto DH Adam Lind rounding out the field. "I've been voting so much, my battery is going dead," Figgins said, looking up from his phone. "I'm voting for myself, and I don't care who knows it. I want to be in that All-Star Game." Figgins is hoping to join teammates Torii Hunter and Brian Fuentes on the AL roster, representing the two-time reigning AL West champions in the July 14 Midsummer Classic at St. Louis' Busch Stadium. It would be Figgins' first appearance. Now in its eighth year, the Final Vote gives baseball fans around the world the opportunity to select the final player on each All-Star team. Balloting began immediately following Sunday's Major League All-Star Selection Show presented by Pepsi and continues until 1 p.m. PT on Thursday. The winners will be announced on MLB.com shortly thereafter. Mobile voting in the U.S. is exclusive to Sprint, Nextel and Boost subscribers. To receive the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote mobile ballot text the word "VOTE" to 1122. To vote for a specific player, simply text message your choice to 1122. EXAMPLE: Text "A3" to vote for AL Player 3 or "N3" to vote for NL Player 3. Standard rate messaging fees also may apply; check with your carrier. Mobile voting in Canada is open to all carriers; fans should text their choices to 88555. The fun doesn't end there, however. Fans, having already decided the starters and final player on each team, once again will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player presented by Chevy via the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint MVP Vote on MLB.com during the All-Star Game. The 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 5 p.m. PT. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of the XM All-Star Futures Game. Kinsler, Inge and Figgins each had drawn more than two million votes, a figure that impressed the Angels' leadoff man. "That's a lot of votes," he said, shaking his head. "We're going coast to coast, into Canada with Joe Saunders [whose wife has family in Winnipeg and Vancouver] and Australia with [Sydney resident] Rich Thompson -- and all over Latin America, of course. "The guys are really going to work for me." Saunders dropped by to report that his wife, Shanel, had her people taking care of business north of the border, and Reggie Willits reported that the plains of Oklahoma are a Figgins stronghold. "I've got about 100 votes in for Chone," Willits said. "And I've got all my family in Oklahoma voting for him. We need one of us little guys in the All-Star Game with all those big guys." The Angels' public relations department plans to pump Figgins' candidacy for what would be his first All-Star Game appearance on the radio and TV airwaves along with in-house promotions highlighting his multiple talents on the stadium video boards. Figgins has been a driving force on manager Mike Scioscia's club with his all-around offensive production and sensational defense at the hot corner. He is in the midst of arguably his best all-around season, leading the AL in runs scored (63) through Monday while ranking among the leaders in batting average (ninth at .311), on-base percentage (seventh, .393) and steals (fourth, 24). "I'm a little disappointed he's not already in," Scioscia said, AL manager Joe Maddon having chosen Texas' Michael Young as the backup at third to the Rays' Evan Longoria. "I understand the selection process. I know what Joe has to go through. "I think it's a great chance to be involved [in the Final Vote] as Figgy is."
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Too Many Mothafuckin Changes and Other Pleasantries That Were Exchanged This Week
Happy Gay Pride, all you movers and shakers out there. Please enjoy this week's hatemail roundup, courtesy of you guys. Also, if you're new to the site you may want to show yourself to our informative, completely inaccurate Wikipedia page. G'night!
Subject: Life
Get a life you Fucking Maggot
Bristle Bristal
no one gives a shit about bristol ( bristle bristal) palin.... here's the tip. Stop printing anything about her and people will stop thinking that you are assholes for perpetuating this crap.
Lift More Weights, Hamilton
This sounds like an article coming from a jealous hater. Get with it. Maybe some of us exercise to vent emotions or deal with the drama of everyday life. And the fact that a mirror is at a gym is so you can keep your form, not be some narcissistic idiot. It doesn't make people self-absorbed to want to go to the gym and actually take care of themselves. I stopped reading after the second paragraph because your poor attempt at bashing "gym rats" by using overemphasized adjectives wasn't amusing and I should know amusing because I voted for Obama. If you want to take your anger out on something, don't be a lanky prick and pick up a weight before you become an amorphous blob. You mad bro?
I Genuinely Don't Understand the Below Email
Thank you. Oprah and 50 cents, that was excellent confrontation skills, to solve he said she said rumors an perceived slights or insults. This is the way adults are suppose to talk.
lets be real here. you get on rosenberg because he's white and talking about a black woman in "hip-hop." nicki minaj aint hip hop unless you think a bunch of teenage girls with wide ass pussies at age 17 is hip-hop. that shit is trash. being black does not make you hip hop. being white does not make you not hip-hop. having a blog does not mean you can talk about shit you dont know about.(JK, IT TOTES DOES). you like nicki, you shout out her songs in the comments. your a total goon, bruh. rosenberg knows people in the game, hes an NY vet who happens to be white. its cool to be white and jewish in hip-hop when you die (i.e. MCA) i guess. the real issue is that you blame rosenberg for nicki minaj not performing in front of her thousands of wide pussy young bitch fans. she's soft. she couldnt take it. thats rosenberg's job—-talking shit. hes on the radio. hes down with the real ny cats. summer jam has been a joke for 15 years now but dont blame rosenberg for speakin the truth about some garbage ass pop songs that wannabee sluts purchase on itunes with their ipad on the way back from private school in white plains in their moms new vovlo hatchback. just cause you heard "crossover" for the first time last week on the sirius old school rap channel doesnt mean you know shit, duke. just stick to writing about pop shit bc thats what you do and thats what gawker does. (besides d-spin, and i bet most of the dudes over there think youre straight trash, homie.) go enjoy a penis in your booty area and while you're at it ask Gawker for a transfer to Jezebel. I think you'd connect more with the readers over there.
Hey dip shits responsible for all these muthafuckin changes,
I'm sick of all these muthafuckin changes on this muthafuckin website! I actually used to enjoy browsing through this muthafucka, especially the muthafuckin comments, which were usually insightful and clever. Now y'all hired a dumbshit muthafucka who's driving away your fan base. I know y'all have noticed the deteriorating quality of the comments and stories. I'm having to go to muthafuckin Deadspin and Kotaku just to get my fix.
You guys should make one last change, and that's back to the good ol' days, when you had the formula nailed down and your readers actually enjoyed your site. Good luck with the future, I'll check in periodically.
Kiss my ass bitches,
Pride Week!
Gay or not gay? Seriously?
Pride Weekend!
This new series of yours is absolute bullshit. Retire it and don't continue to embarrass your publication or post.


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I don't know anything about him, so I can't really judge him.
There is a letter that he's written on Stephenie Meyer's site, and he seems quite nice.
Hope he does a good job, because New Moon will be difficult to film, what with all the werewolves, cliff diving etc. He also has high expectations from fans. Good luck!


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Fare Thee Well, Noble Prince
February 12th, 2010, 12:46 pm
True to Doug Wilson form, a move has been made that I think will surprise almost everybody, yet make sense when you hear it. Jody Shelley has been traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for "a draft pick", according to TSN. This, coming after the Rangers drop Donald Brashear like a bad habit. Given that the Sharks only gave up a 6th round to get Shelley in the first place, it's likely only a seventh rounder changed hands, but this is primarily a cap-clearing move. Shelley's $700k, while not onerous, gives the Sharks a little bit more room now that Nic "Nic, the Nickname" Wallin is now in town. While I know the feelings about Shelley's efficacy on the ice have been all over the map, I personally will miss him a little bit. Sure, he's not the best hockey player I've ever seen, but he seemed like a really good and generous person, and was someone Randy Hahn picked to possibly move into the broadcaster's booth some day. He could surprise you sometimes, like just this week when he beat Colton Orr into next:
I'm also reminded of the Jumbotron interview when players were asked three things to bring to a desert island. One of Shelley's choices was "a can of beans".
So, strong tough man with two women's names, we wish you the very best. And hope to hear you in the booth some day. Now, we have to think there's more to come, don't we?


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text: hi can any of you very intelligent people help me?. I am trying to make a singly linked list of class instances. I can do this with one class definition. However I have an abstract base class, four derived classes and two doubly derived classes. Instances of each of these must all be included on the same list!!. I have already written code to define each class along with the functions associated with each class. This is in 14 different files so I have not posted it here. After that... I am stuck. If anyone could help me , or knows any tutorials dealing with linked lists and inheritance. I have tried three books and they don't mention it at all!. My computer teacher at school was also very vague when I asked him...... This makes me think it must be a very hard thing to explain or understand. Do I need to use separate linked lists for each derived class(I tried this and it works, but is massively complicated!!). Any code, links, help at all would be brill!, but I know it is very difficult so I won't expect miracles :O)


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A smarter Whitehall? Sir Humphrey agrees
1 November 2012
Tonight I am giving a seminar entitled "In Defence of Bureaucracy". So "Sir Humphrey defends Mandarins" — where is the news in that?
But bureaucrats do find themselves in the news. Michael Heseltine's report into growth yesterday makes clear that the Civil Service will be central to creating wealth. However, "the government machine needs to work in a fundamentally different way to deliver growth", he argues. Whitehall must do less and do it better.
The Civil Service has already responded to the "less" message: it is now the smallest it has been since the Second World War, at a time when public spending is more than 45 per cent of GDP. Civil servants are getting better too — they are drawn from more diverse backgrounds and more have specific professional expertise.
I agree with a lot of what Lord Heseltine recommends. He is absolutely correct that if we want the right skills in government, particularly in areas such as procurement, then pay must be much closer to market rates. He is spot on in suggesting that the business experts who act as non-executive directors in each department should have a bigger role, including in the appointment of permanent secretaries. This has been happening for some time and is appreciated by the Civil Service. Having real experts who will be around for a long time and are politically impartial is invaluable in choosing the right candidates.
It is right, too, that departments should bring in expert knowledge on economic and policy issues. In my time I always emphasised the need for the civil service to operate with pace and professionalism, pride and passion. The best civil servants combine these traits with expertise while still preserving the traditional values of honesty, objectivity, integrity and impartiality.
I also agree with his call for a stronger central role to mastermind growth policies. Gordon Brown, established a National Economic Council that started to make all departments feel they were partly responsible for delivering faster growth. So the whole of Whitehall will welcome a National Growth Council, chaired by the Prime Minister. Let me repeat, all of Whitehall, including the Treasury. That will come as a surprise to many in other Whitehall departments and, I expect, to Lord Heseltine. But I believe it is true for the simple reason that faster growth will help to reduce the deficit — the Treasury's No 1 objective.
If real progress on policy and delivery is to be made, ministers and civil servants will have to work closely together in a spirit of mutual trust and respect. Lord Heseltine's idea of a shadow Growth Council, led by the Growth Minister, with permanent secretaries sitting on it, is an excellent proposal that mirrors other successful attempts to work together, such as the National Security Council.
But as Hezza rightly points out, this must extend beyond Whitehall and be accompanied by real devolution of power to cities and regions. Where I disagree is with his view that it will be resisted by Whitehall. This is not true. On a recent visit to Leeds, I saw what can be achieved by business and the various tiers of government working together. But we should not kid ourselves this is easy. Local business leaders focus on keeping their businesses alive and are somewhat cynical about initiatives that have in the past drizzled away.
I have argued passionately that we need a more devolved system, and that, most importantly, local areas must be responsible for collecting more of the revenue they spend. Alas, no party has been willing to take on this challenge despite numerous reports.
The first thing that the Government can do to help growth is to stop shooting itself in the foot. A big barrier to growth is an immigration policy that deprives the UK of skilled workers in certain disciplines. Lord Heseltine, while at pains to avoid criticising the Government, clearly sympathises with the difficulties that businesses face in recruiting these workers.
Some wrongly think that the Civil Service is a defender of excessive regulation. So it is good that Michael remembers asking businesses, when he was President of the Board of Trade, to tell him the changes they wanted to existing regulations. He did not get a single submission. That is why the coalition tried a more innovative, online approach to cutting red tape. Lots of proposals were received and civil servants have put them to their political masters; now let's see if ministers bite the bullet.
In two areas I would have a different emphasis from Lord Heseltine. First, we cannot restate often enough that the UK has benefited from being an open economy which welcomes foreign investment. Second, we should beware measuring success by GDP growth. As the Prime Minister has said, there is much more to life than GDP. We need to create a more equal society with an emphasis on the wellbeing of its citizens.
So what does all this mean for the bureaucrats? We should drop the meaningless jargon of a "post-bureaucratic age" and concentrate on making our bureaucracy fit for the 21st century. In doing so we should leave "no stone unturned".
Lord O'Donnell was Cabinet Secretary and head of the Home Civil Service, 2005-11
Article ©The Times 2012


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Shortly after committing my life to Christ in 1970, I was introduced to the writings of the late Kenneth E. Hagin Sr. As I read his books on faith, prayer, healing, the authority of the believer and so on, I found myself motivated to spend more time in Bible study and prayer. I also found myself motivated to step out in faith and pray for people in need. The core teaching was the faithfulness of God to fulfill His Word and promises to those who would believe and act on those promises.
Overall, this early experience with what later came to be called "Word-Faith" teaching was very positive. There were, of course, abuses even then, and through the years criticism of the movement proliferated as Word-Faith teaching became more popular and extremes found their way into the movement.
It was during this same time that I heard Kenneth Copeland for the first time. Shortly after enrolling as a student at Christ for the Nations Institute in 1973, he taught there as a guest for one week. During that week he made the emphatic statement, "I will never be sick." About 20 years later, however, I heard Copeland speak to a small group of faculty and students at the Oral Roberts University School of Theology and Missions. He shared honestly about a time of sickness he went through during which he thought he might die.
Copeland's experience seems to be typical of many in the movement who have been mellowed by the experiences of life. Bob Nichols, pastor of Calvary Cathedral International in Fort Worth, Texas, and a long-time Word-Faith proponent, says that he sees a definite maturing of the movement in the last 25 years.
Bill Kaiser, director of Word of Faith Bible College in Dallas in the 1970s through the 1980s, agrees that the core teaching of the Word-Faith movement is the faithfulness of God to fulfill the promises in His Word to those who believe. He goes on to say, however, that the "Achilles' heel" of Word-Faith teaching is that "the faith it preaches is too often placed in a principle of faith rather than in the Person of Faith, Jesus Christ."
When this happens the faith walk becomes formulaic rather than relational, and legalism inevitably follows. Kaiser says that while some Word-Faith churches remain entrenched in a formulaic approach to faith, many have "quietly moved away from a high-handed approach to faith and positive confession."
In his book, A Different Gospel, published in 1988, D.R. McConnell argues that the historical roots of Word-Faith teaching can be traced through E.W. Kenyon to the metaphysical, New Thought philosophies of the late 19th century. Other critics, such as Hank Hanegraaff and Dave Hunt, have embraced McConnell's thesis as a basis for their own vitriolic criticisms of the movement.
McConnell, however, fails to recognize the many examples in church history of the core teaching of Word-Faith (for example, that God's promises can be appropriated by faith). For example, Martin Luther, commenting on the prayer of faith in James 5:15-16, ties it to Mark 11:24 and declares, "If such prayer were made, even today, over a sick man—that is prayer made in full faith by older, grave and saintly men—it is beyond doubt that we could heal as many sick as we would" (Prelude to the Babylonian Captivity of the Church).
Such declarations of faith and its potential are also found among the 18th-century Methodists, the evangelical revival movements of the 19th century and among early Pentecostals. Knowing this gives credibility to Hagin Sr.'s statement, quoted in the June 1990 issue of Charisma magazine: "All I know about faith and healing I learned in the Assemblies of God."
With the opening of Rhema Bible Training Center by the Hagins in 1974, Word-Faith teaching proliferated, and with the growth came additional criticism. One area of teaching that came under intense scrutiny and criticism from those outside the movement was the "prosperity doctrine." Although this teaching was accepted throughout the movement, it was extravagant claims and practices by some Word-Faith teachers that eventually provoked criticism even from those within the movement.
For example, Darrell Ellis, a pastor from North Carolina and Word-Faith proponent, attended a conference in Texas and was turned off by the excessive emphases on material prosperity and wealth. According to Ellis, who also oversees the Anointed Word network of churches, certain teachers came across as "bragging" about their $8,000 suits and Rolls-Royces. For Ellis, such a materialistic fixation seemed immature in light of the many needs in the body of Christ around the world. But Hagin Sr., in his book The Midas Touch, also criticized the extreme elements in prosperity teaching, including the use of "gimmicks" in fundraising.
Probably no teaching stirred more controversy than the "born again Jesus" doctrine. This teaching postulates that Jesus became a sinner with our sins, died both physically and spiritually, and suffered the torments of hell during the three days that His body was lying in the tomb. In the resurrection He was made alive, not only physically but also spiritually. He was born again. His born-again experience out of spiritual death into spiritual life is seen as a prototype of what happens to every person who believes on Him. This teaching was used to emphasize that the believer is on a level equal with Jesus, with the same authority and potential.
The critics pounced on this teaching and rightly pointed out the danger of not honoring Jesus with the uniqueness and preeminence that is given Him in the New Testament. These same critics, however, overlooked the fact that not everyone in the movement prescribed to this teaching.
Quoted in The Word-Faith Controversy by Robert M. Bowman Jr., Hagin Sr. said: "It seems our friends, the book writers, have invented an entirely new theology called the 'born again Jesus' built upon a conglomeration of quotations taken from six or seven ministers, pulled out of context, and combined as though we all believed identically the same thing. … And the reader is told that we all believe this 'born again Jesus' theology, believe exactly alike about it, and we're all heretics. Yet I am diametrically opposed to some of the doctrines held by those who are quoted on the same page as me."
It is obvious from the above examples that the Word-Faith movement is not one homogeneous unit in all areas of practice and doctrine. It does appear, nonetheless, that some of the major players in the movement have made honest attempts to deal with the criticisms. For example, both Copeland and Fred Price have statements of faith posted on their Web sites that are both biblically and historically orthodox. Most Pentecostals and many evangelicals would find nothing offensive in these statements that are presented as their core beliefs.
Yes, the Word-Faith movement has been misjudged. Although there remain problematic areas of concern, there is no question that progress has been made and many of its adherents have matured in their walk with the Lord. Perhaps a question should now be asked concerning the movement's most vehement critics who have labeled the movement as heretical, cultic and occultic. Have they also grown in their walk with the Lord?
Eddie L. Hyatt holds a D.Min. from Regent University, and an M.Div. and M.A. from Oral Roberts University. His book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, is published by Charisma House. To learn more about his ministry go to his Web site at www.eddiehyatt.com
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LAFAYETTE — A 51-year-old Pittsburg man was found dead in the water at the Lafayette Reservoir on Wednesday evening, said a spokesman from the East Bay Regional Park District police.
It appears the man, identified as Ricardo Ojeda, drowned. Foul play is not suspected, said Lt. Jon King.
King said the man went to the reservoir Wednesday morning to walk his dog and do some fishing. When he didn't return home by 5:30 p.m., family members called authorities who searched the park and reservoir and found his body in the water, police said.
The Contra Costa County coroner's office said the cause of death appears to be drowning. The case remains under investigation.
Reach Kristin J. Bender at email@example.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/kjbender.