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In "Honey Boo Boo''s Amurrican Starquest" and "Beautimous," the painter Ingrid V. Wells creates saturated candy-colored portraits of the young stars of TLC's reality television series Toddlers And Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. The hit show follows the world of child beauty pageants, filming in homes and hotel ballrooms across the country; Wells's paintings remove these made-up living dolls from this context, hurling them into an unsettling space where dreams and nightmares collide.
In many ways, the work is fantastical and wondrous; painted in watercolors and "girly-girl" tones, the figures are as fanciful as pages of a picture book. In the world of pageantry, the toddlers are shown as princesses, gifted with an endless supply of jewels, unicorns, sunny days, and balloon animal pinkness. The sit enthroned and proud, hoisted to the highest heights by fame and fortune.
Upon closer inspection, though, the pageant girls are seen through a lens of despair and disgust. Their saccharine smiles melt under the sweaty pressure of thick paint, mascara and lipstick desperately oozing from their pores. Wells transforms the medium of watercolor, using the normally delicate, ethereal paint in heavy, unappealing globs. The unicorn is revealed to be a pig, an animal symbolic of excess; her gleaming, swollen utters hang, and she, like the girls who awkwardly bear their midsections, is suddenly cast in a profoundly uncomfortable sexual light.
Here, prettinesss becomes both revolting and dangerous; beneath their bedazzled cupcake dresses, the girls are defeated, their eyes cast down in sorrow, still tragically yearning for a judge's approval. (via BUST and Huff Post)


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To provide a forum for practitioners, researchers, and educators working in the multidisciplinary areas of information architecture where they can continue the conversation begun at the March 2000 ASIS&T Summit on Information Architecture. This conversation includes but is not limited to:
- Stimulating collaboration among practitioners, researchers, and educators.
- Stimulating design, development, and execution of research activities and the development of new research fronts
- Sharing applicable research to reduce redundancy.
- Sharing experiences with all aspects of information architecture practice.
- Shaping the education and training of future information architects.
- Building a shared vocabulary about information architecture.
- Chronicling emerging concerns and trends related to information architecture.
Above all, the SIG-IA will be guided by an ethic of inclusion, where the full range of participants — from those who are self-taught to those with considerable academic training — will feel comfortable helping each other develop the professional practice of information architecture. To support this ongoing conversation, the ASIS&T SIG-IA has developed an E-mail list, will develop a web site and explore other mechanisms to promote communication and collaboration.
E-mail Discussion List
instructions for joining the discussion list

subset: commoncrawl


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The fox hunt.
Thank you for looking! Please feel free to comment. I was raised on a horse ranch where I learned the value of hard work and the taste of dirt. I spent my teens like most do, trying different jobs and meeting new friends. I started writing poetry after I settled down into the city life. I started to draw, eventually putting pictures to the words in my poems. Photography soon became my poetry in motion. I learned to use computer software to blend art, photos and words the way I wanted. My art has been shown/purchased at the Letterbox Gallery in Lumsden Saskatchewan. I am also working on two books which I hope to have completed soon. The next step is getting the books into film. I have five poems published in two different books called...
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Wednesday, August 17, 2011
How badly do you want Carlos Lee gone?
You hate Carlos Lee. I mean, he makes you so freaking angry that you can't stand it. You would kiss Ed Wade's beanbag if it meant moving Carlos Lee somewhere else.
But would you take Carlos Zambrano in return? That's what Stark says could happen, as the Cubs probably won't just release him - they'll want something in return (think Carlos Silva-for-Milton Bradley).
Amazingly, and this proves that Wade isn't the worst GM in baseball, Zambrano is more expensive than Carlos Lee in 2012.
If this happens - and it's doubtful that it would (remember, Jim Crane wants to pay the players $2.13/hour + tips in 2012) - I vote for routine public humiliation of Zambrano every 5th day.
Later on, Stark checks in on the Pence PTBNL: Domingo Santana:
"This guy has a chance to be Vlad Guerrero," one scout said. "He's still crude right now. But he has the highest ceiling imaginable. You put him in there with the other guys they got, and this has a chance to be like the [Bartolo] Colon deal was for Cleveland." To refresh your memory, the Indians got back Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips -- whoever they are -- when they shipped Colon to Montreal in 2002.
9 comments:
- Juvenile Court Clerk said...
I would absolutely do this deal. If baseball-reference is correct, it saves us $500k and it frees up 1st to give Wallace another shot at being Lyle Overbay without clogging up the outfield. Z is still young enough to regain his form, too.
- August 17, 2011 at 11:33 AM
...actually? Actually... I would do that deal - Carlos-for-Carlos. Especially if the Astros ship out Wandy & Myers between now and next April. I friggin' hate Big Z, but one year of Zambrano won't significantly block anyone the Astros have in the minors right now. If Carlos Lee is still here next year, then you've got to push either J.D. Martinez or Brett Wallace down to AAA. I'd rather have both of them, and Zambrano, in Houston, with Carlos Lee gone.
- August 17, 2011 at 11:50 AM
I agree with the Clerk, I would definitely do the deal, because Crazy guy actually could turn a good season and we could trade him, I think Carlos Lee trade value is crap even if he hits 47 homers next season.
- August 17, 2011 at 11:50 AM
If you're going to make that deal, you might as well just buy El Fatso out. I wouldn't want Zambrano in a young clubhouse any more than I want Lee blocking young players from getting ABs at the major league level.
- August 17, 2011 at 12:23 PM
- Reuben said...
So I take it under this make-believe scenario the Cubs would make Lee their 1B, since they have Soriano signed through the year 2043 "playing" LF? Sorry, I don't see it happening. For either team.
- August 17, 2011 at 12:26 PM
One non-Zambrano question sparked by Stark's article: he says that Lee "loses his no-trade protection this winter." How? His 10/5 rights kick in after this season.
- August 17, 2011 at 12:46 PM
- Juvenile Court Clerk said...
If I recall, there may be a narrow window this off-season between the expiration of the no-trade and the date Lee gains the 10-5 rights.
- August 17, 2011 at 1:33 PM
How I wish we had contracts similar to the NFL, with bonus money being the only guaranteed, I believe.
- August 17, 2011 at 1:56 PM
- Hal said...
Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors suggested Zambrano & $12.5 million for Brandon Lyon.
- August 17, 2011 at 11:42 PM


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
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Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Annual to subshrub
Leaves generally basal and cauline, alternate, generally simple; stipules 0
Inflorescence: generally raceme
Flower bisexual; sepals 4, free; petals (0)4, free, generally white or yellow, often clawed; stamens generally (2,4)6, generally 4 long, 2 short; ovary 1, superior, chambers generally 2, septum membranous, connecting 2 parietal placentas, style 1, stigma simple or 2-lobed
Fruit: generally capsule ("silique") with 2 deciduous valves, sometimes breaking transversely or indehiscent
Seeds 1many per chamber
Genera in family: 300+ genera, 3000+ species: worldwide, especially cool regions; some cultivated for food (especially Brassica, Raphanus ) and ornamental
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Capparaceae [Rodman et al. 1993 Ann Missouri Bot Gard 80:686699; Rollins 1993 Cruciferae of Continental North America. Stanford Univ Press]
Family description, key to genera by Robert A. Price.
Roy E. BuckAnnual to perennial herb, generally tapered-hairy on leaves and lower stem
Stem generally ascending to erect, ± glaucous
Leaves ± entire to deeply cut; basal generally rosetted, withering, generally oblanceolate to obovate; cauline generally linear to obovate, clasping, reduced
Inflorescence becoming more open; bracts generally 0
Flower biradial to ± bilateral; calyx ± urn-shaped, sepals often ± pouched below, generally not green, generally not darker in bud, generally erect after flower; petal (and sepal) margins often scarious, wavy or not; filaments generally in 3 pairs, generally free (or longest 12 pairs ± fused below); style < 4 mm, stigma generally 2-lobed
Fruit ascending to reflexed, generally cylindric
Seed generally ± oblong, generally compressed, generally ± brown
Species in genus: ± 14 species: ± sw North America
Etymology: (Greek: stem flower, from use of some as cauliflower-like vegetable)
C. amplexicaulis S. WatsonAnnual, glabrous
Stem generally branched below
Leaves < 10 cm, lighter on main veins; basal coarsely dentate, tapered to short, winged petiole or ± sessile; cauline widely (ob) ovate, entire to coarsely dentate, sessile, clasping, tips obtuse
Inflorescence open
Flower: sepals 49 mm, ± pouched below; petals 718 mm, tips generally reflexed, upper pair longer, purplish, lower generally straw-colored or paler purple, margins wavy; style < 0.5 mm, stigma lobes 0 or shallow
Fruit ascending to spreading, < 15 cm, often curved
Ecology: Open, sandy or rocky areas
Elevation: 10002800 m.
Bioregional distribution: s Outer South Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges.
var. barbarae (J.T. Howell) Munz
SANTA BARBARA JEWELFLOWERSee the CNPS Inventory for information about endangerment and rarity.
Flower: sepals yellowish or cream
Fruit < 15 cm
Ecology: Serpentine
Elevation: ± 1000 m.
Bioregional distribution: s Outer South Coast Ranges (San Rafael Mtns).
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Now on view
Discover the story of P-22, L.A.'s famous mountain lion that roams the hills of Griffith Park.
Discover all the new K-12 curriculum for teachers that can be used with Age of Mammals Learn more >
Go in depth with our researchers and the unique specimens from the
Age of Mammals exhibit.
Learn More
Age of Mammals tells an epic evolutionary story that spans 65 million years! But its theme can be distilled into just six words: Continents move. Climates change. Mammals evolve.
They're six loaded words, however. "It's the first permanent museum exhibit to trace mammal evolution — from the extinction of large dinosaurs to the rise of humans — within the context of epochal changes in the Earth's geology and climate," says Dr. John Harris, lead curator for the exhibition. "We believe this new way of telling our story is not only exciting, but it also provides a powerful message. It puts climate change and human impact on our environment into the context of long-term geological and evolutionary processes."
Our diorama halls are iconic, and they're not going anywhere. But in addition to providing these snapshots, these habitats at one moment in time, the Museum is newly focused on telling a more complicated, "big picture" story of mammal life. We want to tell our visitors what we know about mammal evolution in a larger context, and why we
know it.
Age of Mammals features a total of 240 specimens, including 38 articulated mammal skeletons, illustrating to visitors the wondrous diversity of mammal life as it's evolved over the past 65 million years. Taxidermy specimens of extant species include a sprinting cheetah alongside a similarly posed cheetah skeleton, an alpaca, a zebra and more!


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Children (and adults) rejoice! Tomy's Tomica toy cars are getting a handful of iconic wheels, such as the Batmobile, Optimus Prime, and Mario's kart.
The toy cars race out later this month in Japan, with each costing ¥630 ($US7.50). Have a look, courtesy of Kotaku Japan.
『バットマン』や『ポケモン』がミニカーに! トミカ新シリーズ「Dream TOMICA」がリリース [Kotaku Japan]


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A letter in the Aug. 7 Tomahawk Leader:
Dear Editor,
Because Dr. Sally Sarnstrom and the MAPS School Board are intent on saving money, I would like to make a suggestion and present some facts publicly, so voters in the Merrill Area School District are aware options exist, while the school board continues to mull over the district's declining school population.
The Midway School was conceived in 1961 and built by the towns of Birch, Merrill, Russell and Schley. Loans were taken out by those towns to pay for the school and the 40 acres and paid off by those towns. They also donated land to the town of Russell for a new access road to the school.
On June 30, 1962, according to State of Wisconsin law, the Midway School and property were turned over to the City of Merrill for management purposes. Then in 1982, again because of new state of Wisconsin legislation, the city of Merrill schools (all 11) were turned over to the new Merrill Area Public School District.
Since the Merrill Area Public School District did not pay for the Midway School and the 40 acres it sits on, I propose the MAPS School Board transfer the deed to Midway to the towns who built and paid for the school and want it back. This would allow the school board (since MAPS voters at the annual meeting said no property can be sold in the next 12 months) to save their current cost of mowing grass, snow removal, heating and other required maintenance for forever. (This process is typically referred to as "the return of property to the original owners.")
Wolfgang Cahn
Transfer school to owner
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During last week's biennial Church Wide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the church affirmed major policy recommendations to allow for the blessing of same-sex unions (which practice will soon inflate to same-sex marriage) and the rostering of gay and lesbian pastors in partnered relationships.
Earlier in the week it also passed by one vote—out of over 1,000 total votes cast—a Social Statement on Sexuality that admitted there was no consensus on the moral evaluation of homosexual conduct, and offered no compelling biblical or theological reasons to support the policies it later in fact adopted. The Statement was firm and bold on issues that everyone agreed upon—the moral condemnation of promiscuity, pornography, sexual exploitation, etc.—but indecisive and vague about contested issues—co-habitation, premarital sex, the importance of the nuclear family, and, of course, homosexual conduct.
Right before the vote on the Social Statement a totally unexpected tornado hit the Minneapolis Conference Center where we were meeting as well as the huge Central Lutheran Church next door, knocking the cross off one of its towers. Orthodox voting members saw the work of God in the tornado's cross-toppling effects and in the vote that passed with a .666 majority. Revisionists noted that the sun came out after the vote. In response the orthodox quipped that the sun comes out almost every day, but rogue tornados are pretty rare!
Those in the orthodox camp warned the assembly not to vote on binding church doctrine, especially if it had no convincing biblical or theological arguments to overturn the moral consensus of the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church held throughout the ages ...1


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Artichoke Pizza & Red Pepper Corn Pizza (vegan)
I had another fab evening cooking in SF with my friend, C. I met C. at one of my Millennium cooking classes and we have had many a good old time cooking and eating vegan food, both at the classes and outside. Above, C. put together a lovely little appetizer plate of roasted baby beets, roasted red peppers, olives, and sliced baby artichokes cooked with capers, meyer lemon and olive oil.
Due to my bounty of baby artichokes, we made this hearty Artichoke Pizza with a cashew-cream white sauce with garlic, capers, and white wine. The rich sauce was topped with chopped tomatoes, artichokes that were sauteed with lemon olive oil, garlic, white wine, and a light dusting of flour, and julienned basil:
This was the appetite pleaser without the heaviness.
This much lighter pizza was made with a roasted red pepper sauce (2 roasted red peppers, processed with a large spring onion), uncooked corn kernels, chopped tomatoes, and a cashew cream-cilantro sauce (cashew cream, cilantro, olive oil, fresh jalapeno, lemon juice) that was added after cooking:
I loved the fresh tastes of this pizza and it was an excellent light partner to the creamy Artichoke Pizza. The cilantro sauce gave the freshness a nice zip!
I'm thinking maybe red pepper soup for dinner!


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Remember Half-Life: Counter-Strike? Team Fortress? Some of the biggest games start off as fan-created mod projects, and Damnation has a decent shot at being the next big hit. Damnation's development began several years ago as a UT2004 mod that introduced adventure game-styled platforming elements and presented this new hybrid gameplay in a slick steampunk-influenced setting. Years later, this mod has been turned into a full commercial project slated for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Damnation's aesthetics set it apart from any other shooter you may have played, taking a steampunk approach that allows the game to include the sort of magical or science-fiction gameplay functionality you'd expect from a game in those genres without being limited to depicting the world within those trappings. This way, the characters in Damnation can use things like triple-barreled shotguns without necessarily having to wear a space suit. After all, the protagonist's cowboy hat is far more stylish.
The idea behind Damnation is to create an American epic, like a counterpart to "The Lord of the Rings." Damnation sets out to accomplish this by utilizing powerful themes from America's past, meshing together imagery reminiscent of wartime propaganda posters with the timeless look of the Wild West. This is a world where nine-foot robot soldiers named Auto-Men patrol the streets of this stark, totalitarian state, and it's up to one bad-ass cowboy with steam-powered weaponry to save what's left of the United States.
What sets Damnation apart from most other shooters (except perhaps Capcom's Dark Void, which seems cut from the same cloth) is its focus on verticality. While most shooter levels sprawl on the horizontal plane, Damnation's stages will also zoom upwards, offering thousands of feet of vertical height to explore. This is intended to truly open up the exploration experience, making traversing any given level a far richer experience than that found in your typical grounded shooter.
Damnation also makes use of a preparation system that makes it so you never have to worry about lining up exactly with a ledge or jumping blindly due to a bad camera angle, taking the tedium out of the leaping and climbing.


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Relax, explore the natural landscape or enjoy numerous water sports: the southern tip of Bali – the Bukit Badung peninsula – offers a wide range of leisure opportunities. From the hip surf destination Kuta to the mythical Padang Padang Beach and upscale beach resort Nusa Dua.
Nusa Dua was built in 1973 to create a luxury beach resort on Bali to attract foreign tourists, relieving the pressure of popular destinations such as Kuta and Denpasar. The Nusa Dua Golf and Country Club is one of the top 3 golf courses in Bali and is conveniently located close to Denpasar. End the day in style at Alam Alang Bali Spa, famous for its outstanding service and many facilities.
Another 'must see' destination is Padang Padang Beach. Although quite small, this beautiful beach is truly unforgettable. Many people arrive in Bali and head straight for this tiny paradise on earth. The walk to the beach begins with a descent down a long staircase wedged between 2 huge rock faces. The reward will be a stunning view of the green-blue sea, a cave and enormous rocks along the coast. Many believe that this beach in South Bali is the most beautiful beach in the world. Perhaps it's the pleasant temperature of the water, the protection of the rocks, the captivating view or the perfect surf waves. Those may be a few reasons why Padang Padang Beach was chosen as the setting for the Julia Roberts film 'Eat Pray Love'.
Kuta is a real paradise when it comes to surfing. The southern part stretches across the Bukit Badung peninsula and with its white sand ocean floor and perfect high waves, this may be the best spot in Bali for very experienced surfers. Many hotels have sprung up to cater to this crowd. A former fishing village, Kuta was one of the first towns on Bali to develop a tourist industry and is still a very important tourist destination in Indonesia.


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Live Music At LuLu's in Gulf Shores at LuLu's at
Homeport Marina
Tuesday, 16 January, 2018|
LuLu's Homeport Marina
Live Music, Southern Food in Gulf Shores Alabama
Jimmy Buffett's sister Lucy Buffett has one of the most popular venues on the Alabama Gulf Coast in Gulf Shores - her restaurant, LuLu's Homeport Marina, offers a combination of live music and southern cuisine that her made her a local celebrity in her own right. LuLu's opened in 1999 under the bridge on Weeks Bay has since become a destination experience for more than 100,000's of customers each year. Losing the lease at Weeks Bay location in 2002 was a catalyst for the for the current success. LuLu's at Homeport Marina is now located off Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores under the Intracoastal Bridge, and the restaurant bears a rooftop sign stating - "One Love – One Ocean."
The open-air restaurant offers delicious Southern favorites like fish tacos and fried green tomatoes combined with live music nightly. There is an indoor stage and the "Crazy Sista" outdoor stage has hosted some great bands, including a surprise show by Freddy and the Fishsticks (aka Jimmy Buffett). The kids will have a ball playing in the sand while the adults relax at the outside bar, watching the yachts, boats and barges go by.
Check-out the link below for Live Music scheduled at Lulu's Homeport Marina
Gulf Shores Real Estate For Sale
Lighthouse Condo For Sale, Gulf Shores Real Estate
Gulf Shores Condo For Sale, at the Lighthouse Price: $479,000 Details: 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Beachfront Home with 1150 sq. ft. Address: 455 East Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores, AL The unit is complete with stainless steel appliances & granite. Lighthouse offers a sun drenched deck encircles 2 outdoor pools...
Gulf Shores AL Real Estate For Sale, The Beach Club Condos
Beach Club Condominium For Sale, Gulf Shores AL Price: $515k Property Info: 3BR, 3BA Gulf-front condo with 1250 sq.ft. Address: 527 Beach Club Trail, Gulf Shores, AL 36542 This is a corner unit with magnificent Direct Gulf Views from the living area & master bedroom! The wrap-around balcony spans the width of the master bedroom/living room plus..
View All >> Gulf Shores Condos For Sale
Resort Property
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Homeport Marina
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
Phone: 251-967-LULU (5858)
Website: Click to Visit
Event ContactLuLu's at Homeport Marina
Phone: 251.967.LULU (5858)
Website: Click to Visit


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Guys our age self-tan, whiten their teeth and hit the treadmill, hoping to look youthful and healthy. They certainly don't lack role models: Everyone from Denzel Washington to Rob Lowe is making 50+ sexy nowadays. On June 15 – yup, Father's Day is approaching that fast – let your guy know he's still got it with gifts that fit his style. A few gift suggestions for five lovable father figures:
The tough softie. Is the man you have in mind a bit spiky on the outside but a marshmallow within? He shouts at televised sports but cries at romantic movies, likes beer and barbecue over wine and brie, and loves to hold your hand in public. Cater to his sweet side with a fruity masculine fragrance and a colorful hoodie: David Beckham The Essence (drugstore.com), Old Navy Lightweight Colorblack Hoodie (oldnavy.com).
The cool dude. A boomer with the brain of a millennial, he knows all about rap music and selfies but loves the way you change your hair color to keep things fresh. Surprise him with hip reader sunglasses and a unique scent: The Paparazzi Bi-Focal Sun Reader (readers.com), Ocean for Men by Bath & Body Works (bathandbodyworks.com).
>> Get entertainment and dining discounts with your AARP Member Advantages.
The hippie at heart. He listens to Dylan and rocks a beard (possibly even a ponytail). And not only does he love your maxi dresses and butterfly tattoo, but he lets you add Adele to his playlist. Flash back to his past with some unisex patchouli oil and and a pair of sandals: Karma by LUSH Perfume (lushusa.com), Gap Molded Flip-Flops (gap.com).
The hottie. He runs at 6 a.m., gets Botox, shaves his head and drives a convertible. He loves your skinny jeans, long hair and high energy level. Give him attitude with a high-tech skin buffer (to unclog his pores and buff away dead flakes) and a fiery scent: Clarisonic Mia 2 in Graphite (macys.com), Ralph Lauren Polo Red EDT (ralphlauren.com).
The throwback. He lives in blazers, button-down shirts and loafers (even on weekends), prefers old movies and Sinatra but brings you coffee in bed and whisks you to Paris on big birthdays. Emphasize his Old World charm with a classic scent and an airline-approved travel kit: Aramis Bracing Body Splash (bloomingdales.com), Ahava Starter Kit for Men (ahava.com).
And always keep him guessing; a little mystery is the secret to sexy chemistry.
>> Sign up for the AARP Health Newsletter
For beauty and fashion tips for women 50+, check out The Wardrobe Wakeup: Your Guide to Looking Fabulous at Any Age by Lois Joy Johnson (amazon.com).
Photo: bathandbodyworks.com
Also of Interest
- Favorite Flicks for Father's Day
- 6 Places Never to Use a Debit Card
- Fight fraud and ID theft with the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
- Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being
See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more


text:
TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - A 19-year-old mother of two registered on Wednesday as the millionth refugee to flee Syria, part of an accelerating exodus that is piling pressure on neighboring host countries.
Wearing a green headscarf and holding her young daughter, Bushra smiled nervously as she waited at Lebanon's main registration center in the northern city of Tripoli, which processes 800 Syrians a day.
"The situation is very bad for us. We can't find work," she said. "I live with 20 people in one room. We can't find any other house as it is too expensive. We want to return to Syria. We wish for the crisis to be resolved."
Syrians started trickling out of the country nearly two years ago when President Bashar al-Assad's forces shot at pro-democracy protests inspired by Arab revolts elsewhere.
The uprising has since turned into an increasingly sectarian struggle between armed rebels and government soldiers and militias. An estimated 70,000 people have been killed.
Around half the refugees are children, most of them aged under 11, and the numbers leaving are mounting every week, the United Nations refugee agency said in statement.
"With a million people in flight, millions more displaced internally, and thousands of people continuing to cross the border every day, Syria is spiraling towards full-scale disaster," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said in a statement.
"We are doing everything we can to help, but the international humanitarian response capacity is dangerously stretched. This tragedy has to be stopped."
In addition to the refugees, more than two million of Syria's 22 million people have been internally displaced and more than four million need humanitarian assistance, UNHCR says.
UNHCR said the number of Syrians quitting their country has increased dramatically since the beginning of the year with more than 400,000 - nearly half the total - leaving since January 1.
Most have fled to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt and some to North Africa and Europe, arriving traumatized, without possessions and having lost relatives, it said.
Syria's smallest neighbor Lebanon, whose population is only four million, hosts the highest number of refugees, with arrivals doubling to 4,400 a day in the past three weeks, UNHCR representative in Lebanon Ninette Kelley told Reuters.
Including Syrian workers and self-supporting Syrian families, one in five people in Lebanon is now Syrian.
Ghassam Mahmoud, a mechanic, had brought his two wives and 12 children from Lebanon's northern Akkar province to the Tripoli registration center. He said he was sleeping in a tent after escaping Khan Sheikhoun, a Syrian town in Idlib province that has been shelled by Assad's military.
"I've looked for work (in Lebanon) but there is none. When it comes along, I'll do it," he said, adding that he had waited for two months to be registered due to the backlog.
Several hundred families, mostly women and children, sat behind Mahmoud waiting to be registered.
Sixteen offices made of wood and plastic have been built where the families are interviewed. Some have high walls to protect the identities of victims of sexual abuse.
Despite pledges of $1.5 billion by international donors for a U.N. response plan to help Syria's displaced, only 25 per cent has been funded, UNHCR said.
In Jordan, a country of six million, the refugee influx has strained energy, water, health and education services to the limit.
Turkey says it has spent more than $600 million setting up 17 refugee camps, with more under construction. But Fuat Oktay, president of the country's disaster and relief management body, AFAD, said on Wednesday the overall cost of caring for the refugees was closer to $1.5 billion.
There is no end in sight to the conflict in Syria, which has divided world powers. Russia and Shi'ite Iran support Assad, while the United States, along with some European and Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab nations back a fractured opposition.
Damascus and some of its opponents have said they will consider peace talks, but no meetings have been arranged.
Additional reporting by Dominic Evans in Beirut and Jonathon Burch in Anakara; Editing by Alistair Lyon


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Around the country, the Republican Party is mounting legal challenges to keep third-party candidates off the ballot in November.
Writer Karl Dickey reports in the Examiner that "in recent weeks, with the full support and legal assistance of the Republican Party, [Gary] Johnson's ballot status has been challenged in Michigan, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Iowa and now Ohio." Gary Johnson (pictured) is the former governor of New Mexico and the Libertarian Party's candidate for president of the United States. As of this writing, Johnson is on the ballot in 43 states.
On September 1 the Ohio voters challenging Johnson's appearance on the November ballot officially withdrew their opposition. In the one-page notice filed with the office of Ohio's secretary of state, Kelly Mills and Cynthia Rees did not explain their decision to drop their protest.
It could be related to the decision of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision handed down on August 31 dismissing the Ohio state legislature's appeal of a U.S. district court ruling putting the Libertarian Party on the ballot for 2012.
On August 31, a senior advisor to Johnson released a statement regarding the various efforts to block Libertarian ballot access:
The national Republican Party may not want to publicly acknowledge the presence of a true fiscal conservative in this race, but they are certainly taking Gov. Johnson seriously enough to engage in a concerted campaign to get his name off ballots in key states before voters even get a chance to vote.
In states across the nation, Republican operatives, lawyers, and in some cases, elected officials, are filing frivolous challenges to Governor Johnson's ballot status. They know that even if their challenges fail, fending them off is a drain on our resources and a distraction from the real issues in this campaign. We don't have hundreds of millions of dollars to throw around, nor do we have the Republicans' endless supply of lawyers.
We have dealt with many challenges in this campaign from the major parties, who clearly don't want voters to have a viable third option in this election, but this attack on voting rights and democracy is over the top.
Governor Johnson has made it clear that we will fight every one of these challenges and do everything in our power to be on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The prospect of a successful two-term governor who is a proven fiscal conservative and champion of social tolerance may be a thorn in the sides of the two so-called major parties, but Governor Johnson will not be deterred in his effort to give voters a real choice in November.
Despite the frustration such legal wrangling must cause the Johnson campaign, they were likely pleased by the decision announced late last week to allow Johnson's name to appear on the ballot in Iowa.
As reported by the Washington Times:
Two Iowa voters had challenged his candidacy last week and Jay Kramer, a Romney campaign staffer, signed as a witness the challenge that Libertarians' convention at the Iowa State Fair wasn't real.
Republican Secretary of State Matt Schultz, Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller, and Warren Jenkins, the chief deputy for Republican Auditor David Vaudt, said Iowa's law on holding conventions to get on the ballot is vague and they opted to err on the side of open ballot access, the AP reported.
Johnson reportedly told the Washington Times that he will be the only third-party candidate whose name will appear on the ballot in all 50 states.
Remarkably, this may be the case.
On August 21, the Constitution Party withdrew their petition to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania. According to a story published online by Philadelphia Weekly, "the decision came after multiple warnings of the court costs by attorneys for the Republican Party, who have challenged the Constitution and Libertarian parties' ballot petitions."
Former Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode is joined on the Constitution Party's presidential ticket by Pennsylvania attorney James Clymer.
"The challenge represented a monolithic establishment party which is intent on denying people the opportunity to vote for anyone who might criticize it from a limited government, non-interventionist perspective," Clymer told Philadelphia Weekly. "It used its almost limitless resources to take advantage of laws designed by Republicans and Democrats to make sure no other party has a place at the election table and court decisions that have supported raising the hurdles a third party has to jump over to get to a general election," he added.
The Philadelphia Weekly story reports that the Constitution Party presented 35,000 signatures to Pennsylvania state election authorities on August 1, more than the minimum number needed to qualify for ballot inclusion.
"This means yet another voice in Pennsylvania is stilled," said Bob Small, facilitator for the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition, the blog reports.
Despite the setback in the Keystone State, the Washington Post reports that Goode's name will appear on the ballot in his home state in November.
According to the story in the Washington Post, the Virginia State Board of Elections ruled September 4 that Goode has qualified for the presidential ballot in Virginia.
The story indicated that the opportunity for Virginians to vote for a third-party candidate could be "a potential obstacle to Republican Mitt Romney's hopes of winning the pivotal state."
Republicans in the Old Dominion are desperate to keep their state in the Romney tally, however, and are continuing to challenge the board's decision. The Washington Post reports that the Virginia GOP is alleging petition fraud on the part of the Constitution Party in the hopes of keeping Goode's name off the ballot. They are afraid the former congressman could "siphon votes from Romney."
If the last presidential election is any guide, Romney may have reason to fight for every vote. In 2008 Barack Obama won the state, the first time the Democratic candidate had done so in over 40 years.
Recent polls have Romney and Obama running neck and neck in Virginia.
Results of a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling in July show Goode receiving nine percent of the vote, up from five percent in May.
Finally, although many hoped that Ron Paul would have announced a third-party run during his appearance Tuesday on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the good doctor made no such declaration.
Paul's apparent absence on the ballot leaves many wondering where to look for relief from the rule of the two major parties, both of which seem to be controlled by the same small coterie of Establishment insiders.
For their part, the Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party are promoting their candidates as attractive alternatives, at least in those states where the Republican Party isn't threatening them with expensive and protracted legal battles.
Photo of Gary Johnson: AP Images
Related article:
Republican Convention Rules Changes: How the Establishment Stole the GOP


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News editor
Marion County Commission voted Monday to refund part of a fee the City of Marion had paid for a permit application.
County Planning and Zoning Director Richards told the commission she had received a letter from the City of Marion withdrawing an application for a conditional use permit and requesting a refund of any "unused" portion of the $200 application fee.
Richards said there had been several material costs already incurred processing the application, as well as a lot of time spent. She calculated the unused portion of the fee, without charging for county employee time, was $71.94. Commissioner Randy Dallke said he was OK with refunding the entire $200 fee, despite the county having to pay the full fee for a radio tower permit to the city after earlier paying for a permit for the new jail.
"We are big enough to step in and take a look at it," Dallke said.
The commission voted 2-1 to give the $71.94 refund. Dallke was opposed.
Permit fee for small sheds slashed
The commission voted to reduce the county building permit fee for structures 120 square feet or smaller from $50 to $10.
Richards said she had received several complaints about charging the $50 fee for small structures, such as garden sheds, particularly from residents at Marion County Lake and Eastshore. Before the change Monday, all accessory structures had a $50 fee.
Commissioners discussed several possible ways to differentiate between structures that need to pay the higher fee and those that qualify for a lower fee before settling on a 120-square foot maximum. At first, they discussed a 200-square foot maximum, then commissioner Roger Fleming suggested the difference could be whether the structure has a permanent foundation, but the commission settled on square footage being the determining factor.
Work should improve communications to Peabody, Florence
The commission approved spending $2,933 for repairs on communications equipment in Peabody that connects dispatch to Peabody Fire Department and ambulance. Equipment had degraded, Emergency Communications Interim Director Linda Klenda said.
The commission delayed approval of $3,613 for similar work in Florence. The commission wants to know if moving the location of the radio repeater will improve the connection in Florence before approving expense to repair equipment.
In other business:
- Commissioners met with structural engineer Don McMican to discuss work that may be needed on the courthouse. McMican has done a study of Douglas County Courthouse in Lawrence, which is similar. After examining the courthouse Monday, he said most of the stonework is in relatively good condition, although some stones will need replaced. He also said the pointing on the building was done with too hard of mortar, which has trapped moisture and caused some problems.
- The Appraiser's Department will pay $4,600 for a map layer showing the location of oil and gas wells — active, abandoned, and plugged — to be created for the county's geographic information system. Appraiser Cindy Magill said the map would be useful for emergency management.
- Magill met with the commission in closed session for 10 minutes to discuss matters protected by attorney-client privilege. No action was taken on return to open session.
- The commission met in closed session for 35 minutes to discuss personnel matters. No action was taken on return to open session.
- Marion Country Club's Class B club license was renewed, effective Jan. 1.
- The county clerk's office will purchase two new computer workstations from GHA for $1,382 each. Great Plains Computers & Networking in Marion bid $1,572 or $1,424, and CDWG big $1,161. The winning bid was chosen because the computers from GHA had twice the hard drive space of the other choices.
- Storm spotter training will be at 6:30 p.m. March 4 at USD 408 Performing Arts Center in Marion.
- Marion County will have to pay $1 per ton more to send garbage to Butler County Landfill starting July 1. That will raise the cost to $35 per ton.
- The transfer station will purchase four skid steer tires from Setco Tire for $1,064 each. Other bids included $766 or $900 each from Rod's Tire in Hillsboro or $1,020 from Cross Midwest Tire, but the solid rubber tires are hoped to last longer, Transfer Station Director Rollin Schmidt said.
- The commission instructed Schmidt to seek a quote for a new spraying rig for the Noxious Weed Department's spraying truck. A motor on the current sprayer unit has gone out, and parts aren't available for it. The current sprayer was purchased 16 years ago, Schmidt said.
The next commission meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 27.


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VIDEO: The Daily Zap for games played Feb. 6
Paul expected to return Sunday | Lillard looking forward to busy All-Star weekend | Pistons' Cheeks, Bynum not talking to each other | Sixers' Noel continues to progress
No. 1: Paul expected to return to lineup Sunday — The L.A. Clippers have held up pretty well since All-Star point guard Chris Paul went down with a shoulder injury on Jan. 3, going 11-6 during that stretch. They'll likely be happy come Sunday, though, as Paul is expected to be back in the starting lineup, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com:
Point guard Chris Paul, who has been sidelined since Jan. 3 with a separated right shoulder, likely will return to the starting lineup Sunday when the Los Angeles Clippers play the Philadelphia 76ers.
Paul has been participating in contact drills and shootarounds, but the Clippers have not had a full practice in almost two weeks, preventing him from practicing with the team.
The Clippers canceled practice Thursday and are expected to sit Paul for Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors. If Paul practices Saturday without any problems, he will play Sunday.
"He did some one-on-ones today at shootaround and looked pretty good, so I think he's very close," coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday. "I don't think he'll play Friday but he could play after that. He took contact today in one-on-ones, but it's still not a 5-on-5."
VIDEO:Doc Rivers talks about how Chris Paul is healing up and more
No. 2: Lillard embracing his busy All-Star weekend — As of a week ago, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard locked up his first All-Star berth when he was named as a Western Conference reserve. Apparently, just playing in the NBA's showcase event wasn't enough for him as Lillard yesterday was announced as a participant in All-Star Saturday's BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest and the Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout. In short, Lillard is going to be a busy guy in a week or so, but tells USA Today's Sam Amick he's more than looking forward to a jam-packed couple of days in New Orleans.
"A lot of people don't get the opportunity," Lillard told USA TODAY Sports by phone."So I just felt like it was something that had never been done, and I'm capable of doing all the things that need to be done in all the competitions, so I figured why not go out and be the first one to do everything and get that experience?"
As Lillard knows, though, there will be some who question his decision to take on so many tasks during this time that serves as a much-needed breather for most of his colleagues. And as is typically the case when it comes to Lillard, he's not concerned with the critics.
"The skills competition takes two minutes on the court, the dunk contest maybe will be three or four minutes on the court, and three-point shooting is about two minutes," said Lillard, whose Blazers (35-14) are the surprise team in the NBA this season. "And it's not like the rookie-sophomore game is a real regular season game, so I mean I'm looking at maybe an hour total of actual activity with all five things. People think there's more energy being exerted than there actually is. It's really not that much when you think about the time that you actually spend doing it."
Lillard said he's looking forward to the three-point contest more than the rest.
"That's something I've always wanted to do," he said.
As for the dunk contest, he's in the beginning stages of coming up with a creative way to compete with the likes of defending champion Terrence Ross (Toronto), Paul George (Indiana), John Wall (Washington), Ben McLemore (Sacramento) and Harrison Barnes (Golden State).
His personal favorites from years past were Dwight Howard's 13-foot dunk in 2007 and James "Flight" White's flight crew jam from the most recent All-Star weekend.
"I like stuff like that," Lillard said. "When there's a story attached to it, I like all that…The dunk (contest) will be fun. I think there will be a lot of surprises. People don't really know that I can dunk."
VIDEO: Damian Lillard has had plenty of memorable dunks this season
No. 3: Tension rising between Pistons' Cheeks, Bynum — A near-complete overhaul of the on-court product in Detroit hasn't gone how the Pistons' brass has hoped it would this season. New coach Maurice Cheeks has had his struggles with frontcourt stars Josh Smith and Andre Drummond this season and now, he and veteran Detroit guard Will Bynum aren't getting along. In Detroit's blowout loss to Orlando on Wednesday, Bynum was pulled from an ugly loss to the Magic about midway through the second quarter. Bynum got into a heated argument with Cheeks and had to be pulled away from him by Chauncey Billups and Smith. Brendan Savage of MLive.com has more on the spat between player and coach:
After practice Thursday, Cheeks said he hadn't spoken with Bynum about the incident – Cheeks also became testy when pressed about it – while Bynum said he wouldn't initiate a conversation with Cheeks and didn't think they'd speak.
"It was in the heat of the moment," said Bynum, who was the last player off the practice floor. "I care. It's hard for me to sit back and act like I don't care because I do. All I'm really concerned with is winning. If I see something that's not right, sometimes in the heat of the moment you kind of say something.
"I don't regret it. I regret the fact that maybe I was a bit too passionate about it. But other than that, I don't."
Will Bynum approach Cheeks?
Does he think they'll speak?
"We're going to have disagreements," Cheeks said. "You're not always going to agree. That's part of it. At times you're going to have disagreements. That's OK. They don't agree with everything I say and I don't agree with everything they say.
"That's part of it."
Bynum, in his sixth year with the Pistons, has come off the bench in 28 of the 31 games he's played this season. Bynum started the first three games of the season when Brandon Jennings was sidelined with a fractured jaw and impacted wisdom tooth.
Cheeks admitted that – like many coaches – he'll give his starters a little more leeway when they make mistakes.
"That's been around a long time, been around for years," Cheeks said. "Starters sometimes get a little bit more leeway than guys come off the bench. That's the way it is. I'm probably a little bit harder on guards and point guards than normal because I think they have a huge impact on the game."
When the line of questioning went back to the incident with Bynum, Cheeks appeared a bit irritated and asked a reporter if he was defending Bynum.
"If I'm going to have a conversation with Will, if I have a problem with Will, he and I will probably have a conversation at some point," Cheeks said. "I will say this again: Through my years – coaching, playing – starters usually have a bit more stretch. They do.
"That's probably not going to change. That's it. I don't know any other way to say it."
No. 4: Noel looks solid in drills for Sixers — The last we heard about Philadelphia 76ers rookie Nerlens Noel in mid-January, he was cleared by the team for some on-court work and could play in an actual NBA game in a few weeks from now. That timeline appears to be in tact as Noel was seen working out yesterday with Philadelphia's assistant coaches and put on an impressive display of low-post moves, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News:
For nearly 30 minutes after the team's practice yesterday, Nerlens Noel put on an impressive display of moves close to the basket under the guidance of assistant coaches Greg Foster and Billy Lange. The workout mostly consisted of baby hooks from each hand after quick moves across the lane. Noel also caught passes on the wing and made quick, one-dribble moves to the basket, mostly finishing with dunks where his head was close to the rim. His surgically repaired left knee seemed very sound for the workout and his excitement couldn't be denied.
"You can see, even though it's just sort of shadow boxing, you can't help to see how quick he jumps, his athleticism, his length," said coach Brett Brown. "It is exciting to just look out there and see what you project to be. He doesn't appear to favor [the knee] at all. Things are going well. All those things that we have to get through in order to at some point get him on a court, are going well."
Brown said that the next steps are to get Noel to play with others and, of course, against others. That's when he will have to make unscripted cuts that will be the true test of how strong his knee is.
SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: Carlos Boozer sat out the Bulls' game against the Warriors because he hurt his calf muscle while warming up in the locker room … Kemba Walker thinks the Bobcats deserve (and need) to be in the playoffs more than they need to be in the Draft lottery again … Former Knicks, Nets and Timberwolves star Stephon Marbury was ejected from his first game back in the Chinese Basketball Association for throwing a punch …
ICYMI of the Night: Two blowout-ish games last night but that doesn't mean we'll deny Draymond Green his props for this nice dunk on Joakim Noah …
VIDEO: Draymond Green finishes strong over the Bulls' Joakim Noah


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Create a dining room that you can be proud of with these woven accent back dining arm chairs. Clean lines, neutral woven rattan seats and back upholstery give these chairs an updated and sophisticated style while scroll arms give it a classic, timeless feel. Replace your old worn-down dining chairs with these upholstered dining side chairs to give your dining room a facelift. Match the contemporary style of these chairs with a coinciding dining table for a complete look.
The Summer Shade Woven Accent Arm Chair by Wittman & Co. at Morris Home in the Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Northern Kentucky area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
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The Summer Shade collection is a great option if you are looking for Relaxed Vintage
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St. Vincent
Strange Mercy, the beguiling new album from St. Vincent, is an unsparing examination of personal catharsis cloaked in some of the most sublime music of Annie Clark's career.
"Many of the songs are about wanting relief from pain, and searching high and low for release," attests Clark. Such powerful emotions prompted — demanded, really — not just a bracingly candid lyrical style but a new musical approach. St. Vincent's acclaimed 2007 debut album Marry Me was created almost entirely on a laptop; the exquisite follow-up, 2009's Actor, was a collection of arrangements fashioned into ornately structured songs. Strange Mercy, she says, is different. "I just wrote the songs first and didn't worry about the embellishments. On the last album, I could play about three songs by myself on guitar. On this album, I can play every song that way."
Strange Mercy features very little of the baroque strings, woodwinds, and reeds that marked Actor, and the grooves are sturdy, deep and beguiling. "I wanted to make things direct and immediate," Clark says. "I didn't tinker. I tried to keep the arrangements pretty simple and use just enough instrumentation to get the point across. I didn't want anything to get in the way." Consequently, it's a much more guitar-oriented album than Clark has ever made. Clark is one of the most gifted guitarists to come along in the new millennium, and Strange Mercy is filigreed with indelible hooklines and ingenious rhythm parts, not to mention a concise and debonair solo on "Neutered Fruit" and a couple of Frippy freakouts on the glorious "Northern Lights."
And with all that musical real estate opened up, Clark literally sings more on Strange Mercy than on the previous two — there was just much more to say. So the voice is paramount, shape-shifting to the demands of each song: on "Chloe in the Afternoon," Clark goes breathless and high; on "Cruel," she's practically wailing; she's languorous on "Surgeon" and r&b-inflected on the title track and "Dilettante."
Clark again conjured her impeccably vivid soundscapes with brilliant producer/engineer John Congleton (Okkervil River, Wye Oak, Explosions in the Sky). Ace modern gospel organist Bobby Sparks "did all the really sexy keyboard parts," Clark says, helping to take St. Vincent's music where it hadn't gone before. Midlake's McKenzie Smith reprised his Actor role and once again played drums. Also contributing were Daniel Hart, Evan Smith and Beck's musical director Brian LeBarton. "Chloe in the Afternoon" is a stunning opener, vaguely sinister and frankly kinky, serving notice of the album's intense candor and darkling tone. "Cruel" is St. Vincent you can dance to, like some phantasmagorical Abba track. The aqueous confessional "Cheerleader" is the thematic touchstone; Clark is just not going to politely mince words (or sounds) anymore.
"Surgeon" blurs the line between summer daze and barbiturate haze, its suave '60s Euro-pop miraculously morphing into a slinky disco inferno, keyboards dissolving into a blaze of hysteria. The heartbreaking "Strange Mercy" is an almost Hendrixy ballad, the album's soulful core, strong at a broken place. Strange Mercy is what happens when the very picture of elegance and poise confronts turmoil and grief: You can either gaze in mute despair at those pieces lying on the floor, or you can make something beautiful, even transcendent out of them, but only by confronting yourself. "Marry Me is very cute — it's funny and sarcastic, and that's fine, I was 22 and that's who I was," Clark says. "And Actor was cerebral — not that I would have known how to do it any differently — but I've grown beyond that now. I want to make a record that's more human every time."


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Help Praisealujah's Food Ministry Feed Neighbors at Food Drive Nov. 9–11
Praisealujah's Food Ministry (a non-profit organization) which helps feed area residents, will be holding a Food Drive the weekend of Nov. 9–11 at the Saar's Super Saver Store at 10616 16th Ave SW in White Center.
"Over 3,000 people in Des Moines/SeaTac communities receive food each month through Praisealujah's Food Ministry," according to an announcement. "Please help us fill the BIG BLUE BARRELS at 3 locations on Friday, Nov. 9th @ 10am-7pm, Saturday, Nov, 10th and Sunday, Nov. 11th @ 9am-5pm."
- Saar's Grocery Store – 10616-16th Avenue SW, White Center
- Saar's Grocery Store – 9000 Rainier Avenue S., Seattle (MLK location)
- Saar's Grocery Store – 3208 NE Sunset Blvd., Renton
All food donations will help local families in the surrounding communities during this holiday season.
"Your donations will be a huge blessing in people's lives. Be a part of the community and help your neighbors in need!"
For more info, check them out on Facebook.


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Preston tries to salvage grants, loans for former Norwich Hospital cleanup
Preston - Town leaders are negotiating with state and federal officials in attempts to salvage grants and loans for the cleanup of the former Norwich Hospital property so they can present new packages to residents at a town meeting on Thursday and a referendum Dec. 18.
Residents last week rejected an $8 million loan package that included accepting a $4 million low-cost state loan and matching it with a $4 million town bond. The loan match also would have counted as a match for a $964,000 federal grant from the Economic Development Administration.
With the first referendum defeat, the federal grant expired on Saturday.
But town officials hope to keep both the federal grant and the favorable state loan terms alive and win voter approval for a smaller loan package totaling $4 million, with $2 million from the state Department of Economic and Community Development and a $2 million town bond.
Just hours after the referendum defeat, Town Planner Kathy Warzecha was in contact with federal EDA officials in an effort to receive a one-month extension of the grant deadline to Jan. 1. Warzecha told the Preston Redevelopment Agency Thursday that the initial grant application was very complicated and the town was fortunate to win grant approval. She did not want to give up on the effort.
Warzecha said if the grant extension is not approved, then the town will reapply for the EDA grant at the end of March if voters approve the smaller loan package. She said EDA officials promised "extra scrutiny" of any future Preston application.
PRA Chairman Sean Nugent said Monday that officials have reached out to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney for assistance in getting the grant extended.
Nugent said he also is in contact with state DECD officials to determine if the state will retain the loan offer for half the original $4 million. The original terms included a 1.5 percent interest rate, deferral on principal and interest payments for five years and a provision that would forgive $1 million of the loan for every 100 permanent jobs created in development of the property.
The PRA sent the new $2 million state loan proposal to DECD Deputy Commissioner Ronald Angelo and is awaiting a response. Nugent said town officials received no written approvals from either the state or federal agencies Monday.
While the larger loan package would have covered environmental cleanup and demolition of most of the remaining buildings on the hospital campus - including the large Kettle and Lodge buildings - the smaller package would leave the largest buildings standing and focus on smaller projects, PRA officials said.
If the loan package is rejected a second time by voters, the PRA might be forced to shut down operations when environmental abatement and demolition grants in hand are spent. That work is expected to be done by March or April.
The town also has applied for three $200,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency grants, but if approved, that money would not become available until next fall.
Upcoming events
Preston Town Meeting on $4 million loan proposal for cleanup of Norwich Hospital: Thursday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m., Preston Veterans Memorial School.
Referendum on $4 million loan proposal: Tuesday, Dec. 18, noon to 8 p.m., with voting at Preston Town Hall.
Stories that may interest you
History Revisited: Groton's Memorial Park a great place to honor vets
Beginning with the Revolutionary War and continuing through today, men and women from throughout the United States, including Groton, have proudly served their country in the military service.
Man plans to bequest money to the soul mate he deserted
DEAR ABBY: Many years ago, I had a romance with a young girl in a faraway town. After a year, thinking I could do better, I moved on. With the benefit of hindsight, I now realize she stood head and shoulders above all the others, and I had tragically discarded my soul...
West Side Middle School evacuated after potential threat; students get home safely
Superintendent Michael Graner said West Side Middle School was evacuated after a potential threat was identified around dismissal time.
Motorcyclist injured in Monday crash in New London
A driver of a motorcycle was taken to the hospital Monday afternoon .
Billionaire says he'll pay off student loans of entire college graduating class, estimated at $40M


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RV Forum flags - click HERE
Bus Conversion Magazine website has a classified section for that. You can also find them on sites like RVTrader and RVT.com.When you say "bus conversion", do you mean a professionally built motorhome on a Prevost, Bluebird or MCI bus chassis, or any "home built" motorhome on what used to be a transport or tour bus? I can see reasons for wanting an an older but pro-built coach, but no particular reason for somebody else's hand made rig. Just asking...
Thats a personal favorite of mine also,, but,, your still stuck with a 96 inch coach and a split level floor.
I have a club member that has one with a series 60 Detroit, automatic and super single wheels and tires all around
MAYBe buying one that someone already converted if its been done properly, i cant afford a expensive, im looking for the biggest bang for the buck
Scott,,, goes to prove you need to do the homework,,the twin 4/71s only existed the first production year (1953) it did not work out so most were switched out with 8V71s.. #2. the Scenic's were also a monocoupe and if you put large holes in the body it will fold up like cardboard, the 04s and 06s were the same. ( There is also NO source for any of the Scenic's glass).>>>Dan
Three mill would buy a VERY NICE Newell that you could be proud of immediately.>>>Dan
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Hello all! This is my first post on the forum. I joined because I have a question for you (I hope it isn't too long!)
I've been a member of Curves on and off for about 10 years now, always at the same club, which has been under wonderful attentive ownership for the last several years. This September I moved to a different city to go to university, and decided to transfer my membership to a club that is on my way to school. I had never been there, but I saw on the website that they were a "Shining Star" club so I was expecting great things.
Boy, was I wrong! I could make a very long list of things that I find less-than-satisfactory about this club, starting with the cleanliness. (I also find the decor horrible and depressing, but I understand that is at the owner's discretion.) But the dust! It was the second thing I noticed (after the long, bare, sickly-lime-green main wall with no decorations). I wiped down a decorative plaque in the bathroom today cause I couldn't stand how dingy it was. Every time I go I just want someone to let me loose with 12 Swiffer dusters and a vacuum with a long hose attachment. I've never been to a club with Curves Smart before, but surely it is acceptable to vacuum the dust away from the area around the cords connecting the machines? Compared to my original club's obsession with cleanliness - half the time I'm there one of the staff is cleaning something or other - I was completely shocked.
The staff, also, have been less than stellar. The two different trainers (one working each time) I encountered on my first few visits there, well, just didn't know what was going on. One of them didn't know how to use the debit machine, and neither of them seemed to be able to find anything in the mess of paperwork behind the desk. Today was the first time I've seen anybody come out from behind the desk to talk to the ladies or engage in the circuit at all. I'm kind of afraid to sign up for Curves Smart in case the person showing me what to do doesn't know what she's talking about!
My question to all of you is: What should I do? Is there anything I can do? My mom mentioned the cleanliness issues to the owner at my original club, and she said I should complain using the form on the Curves.com website. Is that the most appropriate way to go about it, or is there any tactful way to mention to them that I think their club is a mess? I'll keep going because they do have the machines and I want to exercise and the location is ideal, but urgh. I find it very unpleasant.


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Strom brings St. Louis pitching model to Houston
HOUSTON -- Brent Strom admits it wasn't an easy decision to leave the comfort of the Cardinals, a winning organization for which he had worked for seven years, to return to the Astros, a rebuilding club that is coming off three consecutive 100-plus-loss seasons and has nowhere to go but up.
That challenge of trying to help build the Astros into a consistent winner like the Cardinals, as well as having a talented stable of young pitching in the Major Leagues and Minor Leagues, was what convinced Strom to leave St. Louis and reunite with general manager Jeff Luhnow in Houston as the Astros' pitching coach.
HOUSTON -- Brent Strom admits it wasn't an easy decision to leave the comfort of the Cardinals, a winning organization for which he had worked for seven years, to return to the Astros, a rebuilding club that is coming off three consecutive 100-plus-loss seasons and has nowhere to go but up.
That challenge of trying to help build the Astros into a consistent winner like the Cardinals, as well as having a talented stable of young pitching in the Major Leagues and Minor Leagues, was what convinced Strom to leave St. Louis and reunite with general manager Jeff Luhnow in Houston as the Astros' pitching coach.
Strom has been on the job only a couple of days, but he was hard at work Wednesday watching the Astros' instructional league team play a Nationals squad in Viera, Fla. He has plenty work ahead, too, in getting up to speed on the organization and staff, and getting to know the pitchers he'll have at his disposal.
"The opportunity to get back to the Major Leagues and see if we can build something here was a little too strong an allure to me," Strom said. "I was perfectly fine doing my work with a great bunch of people. It's a new challenge, so we'll see. I'm already getting to work on a bunch of things."
Strom, 64, served as the Astros' pitching coach in 1996 under manager Terry Collins in an entirely different era of baseball in Houston. The team was still a few years away from a move out of the Astrodome and was on the verge of becoming a perennial contender in the National League.
Strom wouldn't stick around long enough to see the Astros make their first of six playoff trips in a nine-year span beginning in 1997, but he's seen his share of success. He's worked with the Cardinals since 2007 as a Minor League pitching instructor and got a World Series ring in '11.
Prior to that, he was the Royals' pitching coach in 2000-01 before serving as the Minor League pitching coordinator with the Nationals/Expos for five seasons from '02-06.
"I had some wonderful years with the Cardinals that I'll cherish forever," Strom said. "They're great people to work for, work with. This is a new challenge for me, and the big thing is Jeff Luhnow brought me aboard with the Cardinals and really allowed me to work over there and do some things he thought would be beneficial. Hopefully we can do some of that here with the guys that they have in place here, who are excellent. I have some familiar faces."
Familiar faces indeed. Strom is reunited with Minor League pitching coordinator Dyar Miller, who was the Cardinals' bullpen coach in 2012 and their Minor league pitching coordinator from '08-11. Astros roving pitching instructor Craig Bjornson and Strom are close friends, and Bjornson was a Minor League pitching coach in the Montreal/Washington system for four years.
"I'm only here to add to the things, not to dictate," Strom said. "Just to be part of a group of guys who are really outstanding."
Like the Cardinals did when Luhnow was with St. Louis, the Astros rely on a great deal of analytics, something Strom is completely on board with. He's learned from Dave Duncan, regarded as one of baseball's best pitching coaches, and plans to implement some ideas of his own.
"I've kind of brought in a little bit different idea in terms of trying to develop power arms, trying to utilize whatever a pitcher's strength can be and trying to maximize what that strength is," Strom said. "With Jeff Luhnow as the scouting director there, especially in the late rounds, he was able to find some people like [Trevor] Rosenthal and [Kevin] Siegrist, who are in the playoffs right now. We were able to utilize some basic things like momentum, understanding how the body wants to work when it throws the baseball."
Strom has also studied what makes pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee successful, but admits everybody is different.
"There's no one particular delivery that is superior to another, but there are movements that we're trying to identify and still looking at that will possibly enable a guy to be more consistent with his command and his control and perhaps prevent arm injuries and things like that," Strom said. "That's what we're trying to do. We were doing that down in St. Louis and hopefully we can do that down here in Houston."
While he doesn't have pitchers of the caliber of Kershaw and Verlander, Strom sees promise on the horizon. He knows about the young arms which played key roles last season, led by Dallas Keuchel, Jarred Cosart, Brett Oberholtzer, Brad Peacock, Josh Zeid and Kevin Chapman. And he knows about the arms on the horizon, led by prospects Mike Foltynewicz and Asher Wojciechowski.
In the coming years, Strom will get to work with 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel, while getting promising arms like Alex White, Rudy Owens and John Ely back from injury soon.
"The strength of this organization -- from what I read and what I see -- is young pitchers," he said. "It's more than just the Major Leagues we're concerned about here. It extends all the way down the system. And if this is going to be a consistent, winning ballclub it has to go that way.
"That's what's happened pitching with the Cardinals. I think anybody who's watching the playoffs right now will see the youth that [St. Louis manager] Mike Matheny is not afraid to use in critical situations, and hopefully we can do the same thing. We want to provide the organization -- all the way from the lowest levels to the top -- with some quality people that can make the jumps and be successful big league pitchers."
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter.


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Richard II, (born January 6, 1367, Bordeaux [France]—died February 1400, Pontefract, Yorkshire [now in West Yorkshire], England), king of England from 1377 to 1399. An ambitious ruler with a lofty conception of the royal office, he was deposed by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) because of his arbitrary and factional rule.
Early years
Richard was the younger and only surviving son of Edward, the Black Prince, and his wife, Joan of Kent. Because his father died prematurely in 1376, Richard succeeded his grandfather Edward III as king in June 1377.
The king's early years were overshadowed by the Hundred Years' War, a prolonged struggle with France. The heavy cost of the war led to the introduction in 1377 of a novel, and highly regressive, tax, the poll tax. In November 1380 Parliament granted permission to impose the tax for the third time at a flat rate much higher than before. The tactless attempts the government made in the following year to enforce collection of the tax led to the outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt. Richard's role in ending the revolt was rightly acclaimed, but it should not be supposed that he was influential in making policy. Almost certainly, the confrontation with the rebels at Smithfield was engineered by a hard-line group of his counselors.
In the years after the revolt, Richard's interest in the affairs of state intermittently increased. According to the chronicler Thomas Walsingham, a contemporary of Richard's, the choice of Anne of Bohemia, the daughter of the Holy Roman emperor Charles IV, as his bride in 1381 was very much Richard's own. By 1383 his personal initiative showed in the choice of his friends and counselors, including two figures of particular importance—Sir Simon Burley, his former tutor, and Burley's ally, Sir Michael de la Pole, chancellor from 1383. Richard was also on close terms with some ambitious younger men, notably Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, and the knights Ralph Stafford and James Berners. These younger men were deeply jealous of the power and prestige of John of Gaunt, the duke of Lancaster. Their repeated criticism of the duke and their involvement in an attempt on his life led to an atmosphere of rancour and suspicion at court. By 1385 Richard's relations with the higher nobility were quickly deteriorating.
In October 1386 there was a major crisis in Parliament. In the wake of Lancaster's departure for Spain in July with a large fleet to pursue his claim to the Castilian throne, the French planned an invasion of England. De la Pole, hastily organizing the coastal defences, sought an unprecedentedly large grant of taxation from Parliament. The massive scale of his demand provoked resistance, and the House of Commons clamoured for his resignation. Richard, stung by the Commons' effrontery, retorted that he would not remove one scullion from his kitchen at their behest. Eventually, however, he had to give way. De la Pole was replaced as chancellor and put on trial, and a commission of government was appointed to hold office for a year.
Richard reacted to the Commons' assault by retreating to the Midlands to rally his supporters. At Shrewsbury and Nottingham in August he received vigorous reaffirmation of his rights from the royal courts. News of the judges' opinions frightened the king's critics, who reacted by bringing an accusatio, or formal appeal, against his allies of treason. The Lords Appellant, as they were now called—the duke of Gloucester and the earls of Warwick, Arundel, Nottingham, and Derby—mobilized their retinues in self-defense. Richard dispatched his friend Robert de Vere southward with an armed force, but de Vere was defeated at Radcot Bridge on December 20, 1387. A few days later London was occupied by the Appellants. Richard returned to his capital humiliated.
In the aptly named "Merciless Parliament" that followed, the Appellants purged the court. Two of Richard's main allies were executed, and others were dismissed from office. By the following spring, however, the Appellant tide had subsided. At a council meeting at Westminster on May 3, 1389, Richard formally resumed responsibility for government. He dismissed the Appellants' ministers and appointed new officers of his own. At the same time, he published a manifesto promising better governance and an easing of the burden of taxation.
Richard's mature kingship
In a five-year period beginning in 1389, Richard went some way toward honouring his promises. Taxes fell sharply following a truce with the French in 1389, and from 1389 to 1391 no demands for a tax on "moveable" property were made. Richard also showed greater circumspection in his patronage. Previously he had concentrated favour on just a few, but he now rewarded a wider circle, though each in smaller measure.
Yet the seeming moderation of Richard's rule was matched by a strong emphasis on the reassertion of royal authority. Richard was determined never again to suffer a humiliation of the kind inflicted upon him by the Appellants. Accordingly, in the 1390s he developed a program to strengthen the material foundations of his rule. In a novel initiative he built up a large baronial-style affinity, whose members wore the king's badge of the white hart. At the same time, he attracted to the central offices of government a corps of hard-working ministers deeply committed to his cause, notably John Waltham, the treasurer (1391–95), and Edmund Stafford, the chancellor (1396–99). Richard also sought to enhance the dignity and mystique of his monarchy. He encouraged lofty new forms of address—for example, "your highness" or "your majesty," instead of "my lord." He also elaborated the ceremony and protocol of his court, making the rebuilt Westminster Hall the focus of a grand monarchical cult. He stressed the quasi-religious dimension to his kingship, and solemn crown-wearings in Westminster Abbey formed an increasingly important part of his kingly ritual.
The highly assertive nature of his kingship revealed itself in his first expedition to Ireland. In 1394–95 he led a substantial force there to buttress the position of the English administration. The native Irish were overawed by the presence of an English king, and the local chieftains, or "High Kings," all attended the court in Dublin to submit to his authority. In letters of submission made for the penitent chieftains, Richard articulated his political vision. Rebellion and disobedience were to be rewarded with appropriate punishment, the rebel Irish were to enter into the king's obedience, and all Irish, of whatever status, were to perform their accustomed obligations to him.
Tyranny and fall
The exalted notions that Richard articulated in Ireland formed the background for his dramatic reassertion of royal authority two years later in England. In July 1397 Richard ordered the arrest of the senior Appellants—Gloucester, Arundel, and Warwick. The first two were imprisoned and executed, and the last exiled to the Isle of Man. In letters that he sent to foreign rulers shortly afterward, Richard justified his actions in terms of his political beliefs. He said that the lords' earlier rebellion and disobedience called for "an avenging punishment" that would "thresh the traitors out even to the husk," and that the destruction and ruin of their persons would bring to his subjects a "peace" that would last forever. By peace, Richard meant not only the absence of war but also "unity," the foundation of a strong realm.
But Richard's peace was illusory. In reality, his entourage was riddled with factions and feuds. In January 1398 a quarrel broke out between Henry Bolingbroke, Lancaster's son, and the king's former ally, Thomas Mowbray (duke of Norfolk and earl of Nottingham). Mowbray apparently warned Bolingbroke of a plot by some of the king's intimates to destroy the Lancastrian inheritance. Bolingbroke reported the conversation to the king, who ordered that the conflict created by this betrayal of confidence be settled by a trial by combat. A day was set for the adversaries to meet, but at the last moment Richard, fearful of Bolingbroke's possible victory, cancelled the engagement and gave judgment himself. Bolingbroke was sentenced to exile for 10 years, and Mowbray for life.
In February 1399 Lancaster died, and Richard took possession of his inheritance. Three months later, his coffers replenished with Lancastrian gold, Richard set off again for Ireland; the settlement of 1395 was in danger of unraveling, and his personal attention was required. While he was away, his cousin Bolingbroke returned from exile. Landing in Yorkshire, the duke met the earl of Northumberland and quickly won his support. Then he began a triumphant march across central and western England. Richard was slow to return from Ireland. By the time he reached Wales in mid-July, popular support for him had melted away, and in the meantime York, "the keeper of the realm," had ceased resistance. Around August 15 Richard surrendered to Northumberland at Conway. Northumberland took him under guard to Bolingbroke at Flint; from there he was taken to Chester and later to London.
In September Bolingbroke summoned a Parliament in his adversary's name, and a committee was appointed to draft articles of deposition. On September 29, after a series of meetings in the Tower of London, Richard was induced to lay aside his crown. On the following day the king's statement of abdication was read in Parliament and approved. The assembly also assented to the articles of deposition, because abdication alone, as an act that could be rescinded, was insufficient. When the proceedings were concluded, Richard was taken from the Tower to Leeds and later to Pontefract. In January 1400 a group of his former courtiers, led by the earl of Salisbury, plotted to restore him to the throne. Their rebellion was crushed, but it convinced Bolingbroke, by now Henry IV, that he could no longer allow Richard to live. Sometime in February the former king was put to death; by what means is not known. After a requiem mass at St. Paul's Cathedral, the body was obscurely interred at King's Langley, England. Early in Henry V's reign Richard was given honourable burial in the tomb that he had made for himself in Westminster Abbey.
Character and ideas
Richard articulated a radically new vision of kingship in England, rejecting the tradition of warrior monarchy epitomized by Edward III. Richard's kingship owed much to the ideas of the 13th-century writer Giles of Rome. Giles argued that all personal honour and privilege flowed from the king, whom the subjects should obey. Richard said the same about honour in his patents of ennoblement, and he and his ministers likewise emphasized the need for obedience. Giles's influence on the king overlapped with that of Roman law. In the deposition articles, the king was alleged to have cited the Roman legal principle that "the laws were in his mouth…or alternatively in his breast."
However, Richard's political outlook also owed much to his religion. He was a man of deep piety who saw government as a burden placed on him by God. He believed it his duty to ensure the acceptability of his government to God. In order to win such acceptability, he took firm action against the English heresy of Lollardy. Indeed, the epitaph on his tomb expressed the pride that he took in "suppressing the heretics and scattering their friends." He was devoted to the saints and delighted in reports of miracles, because they strengthened his faith. He showed particular devotion to the cult of St. Edward the Confessor, whose reputation for "peace" validated Richard's own search for "peace." He also was strongly devoted to two other saints, St. Edmund and St. John the Baptist. All three saints are shown as his sponsors on that icon of Ricardian kingship, the Wilton Diptych.
Richard was a tall, vigorous man, handsome with fair hair, highly self-conscious, and much preoccupied with his self-image. There are indications that he had the characteristics of a narcissistic personality. The very public way in which he achieved his ends in and after 1397 can best be understood in terms of the narcissist's craving for recognition and outward success.Nigel Saul
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
United Kingdom: Richard II (1377–99)Richard II's reign was fraught with crises—economic, social, political, and constitutional. He was 10 years old when his grandfather died, and the first problem the country faced was having to deal with his minority. A "continual council" was set up to "govern…
France: Charles VI…followed by a reconciliation between Richard II of England and Charles VI in 1396, when the truce was extended for 28 years. Meanwhile, French nobles were reviving the Crusade, imagining a reunited West following their lead; John the Fearless's defeat at Nicopolis in 1396 was the most famous of several…
Wales: Rebellion and annexation…the century the deposition of Richard II, who had influential Welshmen among his partisans, released from allegiance to the monarchy a group that, associated with Owain Glyn Dŵr), raised a great rebellion which drew its strength from the community as a whole. In the period 1400–07 the royal government lost…
Geoffrey Chaucer: Diplomat and civil servantWhen Richard II became king in June 1377, he confirmed Chaucer's comptrollership and, later, the annuities granted by Edward III to both Geoffrey and Philippa. Certainly during the 1370s fortune smiled upon the Chaucers.…
Henry V: Early Life.…his father's exile in 1398, Richard II took the boy into his own charge, treated him kindly, and knighted him in 1399. Henry's uncle, Henry Beaufort, bishop of Winchester, seems to have been responsible for his training, and, despite his early entry into public life, he was well educated by…
More About Richard II19 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- major treatment
- significance in Peasants' Revolt
association with
- Charles VI
- In Charles VI
- Chaucer
- Edward
- Henry V
- John V
- John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster
- Northumberland
- Oxford


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In the film "The Wizard of Oz", the scarecrow elucidates great thoughts and shows astute judgment throughout the movie but feels inadequate because he hasn't got a brain. The wizard hands him a diploma recognizing his academic prowess and he immediately is filled with an internal sense of erudition and wisdom.
What is it in athletic performance that signifies iconic greatness?
America loves winners, and ultimate greatness is conferred on players who perform dramatically in winning a championship. Whether it is a high school, collegiate or professional team and whether it is a league championship, a state championship, the Super Bowl or NBA championship, it is playing a critical role in bringing a team to penultimate achievement which defines "greatness."
Consider the curious case of Miami Heat star LeBron James. Here is a man who has dominated basketball play at every level. He has won three MVP awards as the best player in the NBA. He has played in eight All-Star games. He was the first pick in the 2003 Draft and Rookie of the Year.
When he left the Cleveland Cavaliers the team dropped back into mediocrity. And, because he entered the NBA directly from high school, after nine years he is still in his prime.
But in last year's championship series he underperformed and the Heat lost to the Mavericks and the talk radio shows and sports press were filled with criticism. He was seen as lacking because he couldn't elevate his level of play and lead his team to victory.
"LeBron can't win the Big One!."
Until this year when he completely controlled the NBA Finals with a spectacular performance and the Heat won the championship. The airwaves and sports press are filled with testimonials this week, some arguing that James is not only great, but perhaps the greatest player ever.
Kevin Durant led the Western Conference in scoring for the last three years for Oklahoma City . He was NBA Rookie of the Year. He is largely responsible for the success of the younger Thunder team and is considered among the most dynamic of young NBA stars. He now carries the stigma of "can't win the big one."
There were other issues with LeBron. Fans resented his designing a free-agent winning package in Miami. There was serious criticism of his circus-like televised press conference when his home city of Cleveland (Akron) learned for the first time he was leaving and signing with Miami. Some fans felt he was arrogant and immature. But the past was washed away over the course of the final series and James is now the wunderkind of the NBA. Expect non-stop endorsements and exposure.
Alex Rodriguez was arguably the best player in baseball, but he had massive numbers of detractors until the New York Yankees won the World Series with him batting the ball around. Think of iconic NFL quarterbacks – Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning.
I was with Troy when the Dallas Cowboys won their first Super Bowl in 1992. He entered the game as a high draft pick and a good player. He left the field as "TROY AIKMAN SUPERBOWL MVP." A national star was born.
Steve Young finally emerged from the shadow of Joe Montana in 1994 when he threw six touchdowns and led the 49ers to victory. His life was never the same. He had multiple endorsement deals and new respect.
In our hypercompetitive sports environment can a player be recognized as great even if he doesn't lead a team to a championship?
At the professional level, players are assigned to their teams via a draft. The most promising players go to the teams with the worst records who are high in draft position. A player can't recruit his teammates. He can't scout and sign and develop talent. He can't control the coaching.
Does statistical dominance or selection to all-star games factor in? Dan Marino and Warren Moon threw for massive amounts of yardage and carried their teams. They both made the playoffs but never won the Big One. They are both enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Shouldn't we broaden the definition of greatness and recognize brilliant heart and performance that doesn't result in a championship?
Are we dispiriting thousands of athletes who are also winners?
The Buffalo Bills achieved the unique accomplishment of playing in four consecutive Super Bowls. They had a roster filled with stars including Hall of Famers Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas. They lost all four of the games. They were the second-best team among 32 franchises for four straight years. In the opinion of most in the sports community, they weren't seen as the second-best team and great, they were the worst team in football.
There are players throughout sports who have absolutely brilliant careers without winning a championship. There are teams that are incredible, but stuck in a conference or division with the best team in sports.
Finishing in the top third of a sport might also define greatness. When AYSO soccer players feel that they are a failure at age 10 because their team didn't win the championship, the winner-take-all mentality has gone too far.
LEIGH STEINBERG is a renowned sports agent, author, advocate, speaker and humanitarian. His column appears weekly. Follow Leigh on Twitter @steinbergsports or blog.steinbergsports.com.


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April 19, 2000
Josh Hoffman has been tending to a flock of flamingos. He is using
them to raise money for the American Cancer Society through the
upcoming Relay for Life.
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Upcoming Theater in Providence!
The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, is playing at Trinity starting April 10 – May 10. Gwendolen loves Ernest, and so does Cecily. But wait, Cecily's intended is actually Algernon. And Gwendolen's fiancé is really Jack. So who is Ernest? In Wilde's best-loved comedy of manners, mistaken identities backfire and Lady Bracknell is not amused. Trinity Box Office: 401.351.4242