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|Linn Classik Movie System Di - Complete Home Entertainment
|Thursday, 15 May 2003
Classik Movie Di technology is developed from the new Linn Unidisk 1.1
flagship Universal disc player. A new processor platform supports
surround sound playback of external analogue and digital sources. The
Classik Movie Di is an all-in-one total entertainment system and an
alternative to audio and video separates.
The Classik Movie Di, like the standard Classik Movie, integrates DVD and CD playback with an AM/FM tuner, multi-channel power amplification and multiroom distributed audio.
Classik Movie Di also offers the performance and multi-room plug-and-play features of the Classik Movie together with additional processing power and surround sound decoding from external digital and analogue sources. With two digital audio inputs for external sources as well as composite video, S-video and component video inputs and outputs, the Classik Movie Di outputs concurrent digital and analogue audio.
The complete Linn CLASSIK range now consists of:
• Classik Movie System Di
• Classik Movie System
• Classik Music System
• Unik + Afekt 5.1 Loudspeaker Package
• Kolum loudspeaker stands and Classik Accessories
The Classik Movie Di is compatible with both high quality television and projection systems and the latest movie and video game software together with surround sound and picture quality. The Classik Movie Di, complete with its luminescent handset, is available with a choice of five attractive colors, and is on sale worldwide, only from authorized Linn dealers. Further information is available at www.classik.com.


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Marion Mitchell "Duke" Morrison (born Marion Robert Morrison; May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an Academy Award-winning American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height. He was also known for his conservative political views and his support, beginning in the 1950s, for anti-communist positions.
A Harris Poll, released January 2009, placed Wayne third among America's favorite film stars, the only deceased star on the list and the only one who has appeared on the poll every year since it first began in 1994.
In 1999, the American Film Institute named Wayne 13th among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hockey fans can get a first look at Team USA, Canada and Russia who all play Thursday (though not each other), while fans of more elegant ice sports can check out the men's figure skating competition.
Snow sport enthusiasts can tune into slopestyle skiing — the final event of the Sochi Games to be held on the Rosa Khutor slopestyle course — as well as the women's cross-country 10k classic.
Here are the viewing details on the events you shouldn't miss:
12 a.m. ET: If you're up late and missed Wednesday's action, turn on NBC for replays of the historic women's downhill race, Shani Davis' defeat in the 1000m speed skate, snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington's stunning halfpipe victory and the medal round of the pairs figure skating competition.
2:30 a.m. ET: Americans Noelle Pikus-Pace and Katie Uhlaender make their face-first, 90 mph Sochi debut at first of four women's skeleton runs at the Games. (Watch them here.) The second and final heat of the day is underway at 3:40 a.m. ET.
4:30 a.m. ET: This is your last chance to see Olympic action on the Rosa Khutor slopestyle course. Men's freestyle skiers compete for the medal podium at the final slopestyle event of the Games. To catch the full event, beginning to end, tune in to the qualifying round at 1:15 a.m. ET here.
5 a.m. ET: Favorites heading into the women's cross-country 10k classic are Norway's Marit Bjoergen and Sweden's Charlotte Kalla. Watch the race here. Plus the U.S.men's curling team tries to win their second game of the Olympics (after defeating Norway Wednesday) in their game Thursday against Great Britain.
Short track fans, meanwhile, can cheer on Emily Scott--the only American to advance women's 500m quarterfinals. Watch live as she competes for a spot in the final round (7 a.m. ET).
7:30 a.m. ET: A day after the USA's controversial loss to Canada in women's ice hockey, the men's team makes its Sochi debut. The team takes on Slovakia, which placed fourth at the Vancouver Games. Goalie Jonathan Quick will start for the U.S. Watch the game on the NBC Sports Network.
9 a.m. ET: Men go for gold in mens' individual 20km biathlon, while Americans Heather Richardson and Brittany Bowe face home crowd favorite Olga Fatkulina on the ice for the women's 1000m speed skating race. Watch biathlon here and speed skating here.
10 a.m. ET: Americans Jeremy Abbott and Jason Brown compete in the short program of the two-part men's figure skating event. It's a fresh start for both, especially Abbott, who botched his routine during the team competition. Reigning Olympic champion Patrick Chan from Canada will attempt to defend his Olympic gold against Russian star Yevgeny Plushenko, who will have a home-crowd advantage. Watch the complete competition here.
Meanwhile, the U.S. women's curling team, which has yet to win a game, has another try against Japan. Watch it here.
1:15 p.m. ET: The luge team relay makes its Olympic debut with recently crowned bronze medal winner Erin Hamlin kicking things off. Hamlin will take the first run, Chris Mazdzer from the men's singles team will take the second, while Christian Niccum and Jayson Terdiman of the U.S. pairs team will take the third and final run down the ice track for the medal podium. The fastest team wins. Watch the event live here.
2 p.m. ET: For a first look at the U.S. hockey team's top competition, tune in to the men's Canada-Norway game here. Goalie Carey Price will make his Olympic debut for Canada, the defending Olympic champions.
3 p.m. ET: NBC recaps the biathlon, 20km individual and luge team relay.
8 pm. ET/PT: NBC replays the freestyle men's slopestyle ski competition, speed skating 100m figure skating and skeleton.


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No longer in businessOpened: 2010-08 Closed: 2015-11
956 Embarcadero Del Norte, Isla Vista
Phone: (805) 965-1600
Yes, it's great to have a twist on the standard Mexican tacos. Kogilicious is simply tacos and burritos with Korean style fillings: beef, pork, chicken and tofu. The kimchi is cooked so it's even a good first step for those timid about trying fermented chile-spiced cabbage. Try the extra sauce provided in nearby squeezy bottles, that's a Korean specialty rather than the regular Mexican salsas or Tapatio.
I've had the chicken, pork and beef tacos, and the pork burrito. My general preference is for tacos, but these spiced meats are juicy so it can get messy. If you need the meal in a tidier packet, go with the burrito. Tacos are about $1.50 each, burritos are around $6.50.
The folks there have been super nice, they're the same people running the Korean BBQ fast food place about 15 feet away in the same building. Again, this is not to be mistaken for the Los Angeles Kogi people - although the logo sure does look similar - this is not Bon Appetit award-winning gourmet stuff. It's a simple version of fast eats with a blessedly different niche on the standard fare of tacos and burritos. And it's cheap. It is Isla Vista, after all.
Have you eaten here? Write a review of this location!
Terms of Service


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Brandeis welcoming 126 midyear-entering students
Provost's advice: Take control, take risks, take care and enjoy
Brandeis is welcoming 126 midyear and transfer students to campus.
In addition to people from throughout the United States, the entering students hail from locations far and wide, including India, Israel, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Korea, Georgia and Panama, among other countries.
The students moved into the Village Residence Hall in the morning, and were greeted by midyear orientation leaders who will guide them through an orientation program specifically designed for midyears. Orientation concludes Sunday, Jan. 13 and classes begin Jan. 14.
At a welcoming reception in Levin Ballroom, Provost Steve A.N. Goldstein '78 said he remembered being in the new students' shoes back in 1974.
"I was scared, I was excited, I wondered what I was going to do," Goldstein said, noting that his Brandeis years ultimately informed all of his experiences since.
He offered students four bits of advice: Take control, take risks, be responsible – and enjoy it.
Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren added another piece of advice to the list: Don't forget to call your mother.
She told students that the interactions they have with fellow students, with professors and with other members of the community are "the interactions that bounce against each other in your head," influencing the development of all those individuals and of the university itself.
"The Brandeis you graduate from won't be the same as it is now," Birren said, "because of what you discover here."
Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel noted that this year Brandeis saw a 30 percent increase in early decision applications and a 7 percent increase in applications overall.
"I know a lot about you. You have exceptional potential," Flagel said. "It no longer matters what course you took to get here."
Flagel told the students that the university has confidence in them to feed the hungry, cure the sick and bring peace to the world.
"You are the change we all want to see in the world," Flagel said. "You are Brandeis."
Categories: Student Life


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Liza Ryabkina netted two goals against Yale, including the game-tying tally with 14 seconds in regulation (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Down 3-2 with less than a minute to play, senior tri-captain Liza Ryabkina blasted home a shot from the left point with 14 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and a 3-3 tie against Yale, Friday night in the 2010-11 home opener. Harvard extends its unbeaten streak in season-openers to 10 years with the result.
With the score tied at 2-2 after the second intermission, the Bulldogs grabbed their third lead of the evening as Alyssa Zupon was able to stuff home a loose puck in front of the Harvard net, giving Yale a 3-2 edge with 9:06 to play in the game. A delay of game penalty on Yale goalie Erin Callahan with 1:52 showing on the clock put Harvard on the power-play for the remainder of regulation. The Crimson pulled it goalie for a six-on-four advantage and after putting a handful of shots on frame, Leanna Coskren whipped the puck from the Yale blueline back to Ryabkina who fired true for the equalizer.
Despite a 4-0 shot advantage in the overtime period and a power-play opportunity, the Crimson was unable to net the game-winner, forcing a 3-3 final. The Crimson had a commanding lead in shots at 42-13, holding Yale to single-digit shot totals in all three regulation periods.
Harvard didn't allow the Bulldogs any space through the opening eight minutes, holding the guests without a shot during that time and holding an 8-0 advantage in faceoffs. The Crimson maintained its aggressive play through the remainder of the period, but resulting penalties allowed Yale to grab two leads in the stanza.
Jackie Raines broke the scoreless tie for Yale, converting a pass from Bray Ketchum for an early 1-0 lead. The hosts answered back swiftly, evening the score just over two minutes later as rookie Marissa Gedman found Katharine Chute in front of the net, and Chute buried the puck for a 1-1 score. The Bulldogs had the last laugh in the first as they converted their second-straight power-play opportunity as Jennifer Lawrence put home an Aurora Kennedy pass, giving Yale a 2-1 edge at the break.
Harvard killed off a five-minute major penalty to start the second stanza, but was unable to knot the score despite two Bulldog penalties. Late in the period, two quick Bulldog infractions gave Harvard a five-on-three and the Crimson took advantage as Ryabkina tipped in a Marissa Gedman shot to knot the score at 2-2. Harvard ended the period with a 27-9 overall shots advantage.
The Crimson is back in action tomorrow evening as it welcomes Brown to Bright Hockey Center for a 4 p.m., showdown.


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Latest News
PETA plans Wichita ad campaign sparked by Tiller's shooting
A national animal rights group plans to erect billboards in Wichita urging people on both sides of the abortion debate to go vegetarian.
One version of the billboard says, "Pro-Life? Go Vegetarian." The other says, "Pro-Choice? Choose Vegetarian." Both feature a photo of three baby chicks.
Lindsay Rajt, campaign manager for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the billboards were prompted by the recent shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller, who was killed Sunday at his church.
"The discussion of the value of life is front and center right now in the public conversation," Rajt said.
"We think we would be irresponsible if we don't talk about how we're all guilty of extreme cruelty to animals every time we sit down to a meal that includes meat."
Rajt said her group contacted Wichita-area billboard companies Tuesday but was waiting to hear back about availability. She did not know where or when the billboards would be posted.
The Virginia-based group opposes eating animals or using any animal byproducts. It also opposes animal testing, hunting, fishing and factory farming.
To read the complete article, visit www.kansas.com.


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BALTIMORE – UMBC forced 25 UMass Lowell turnovers, but shot under 33 percent from the floor and fell to the visiting River Hawks, 71-61, in an America East Conference contest at the RAC Arena.
Once league newcomer UML got shot attempts, they were extremely efficient, hitting 19-of-35 shots from the floor (54.3%), 9-of-14 from behind the arc (64.3%) and 24-of-30 from the free throw line.
UMBC freshman guard Rodney Elliott (Baltimore, Md./John Carroll) tied his season high with 26 points. The four-time America East Rookie of the Week (and today's AE Player of the Game) is averaging 22.7 points per game in his last three outings.
River Hawk senior guard Akeem Williams led all scorers with 30 points, becoming the second UMBC opponent to hit the 30-point plateau since Feb. 1, 2012.
UMass Lowell outscored UMBC, 26-11, from the four-minute mark of the first half until the 16-minute mark of the second half. The River Hawks led, 29-23, at the break and hit four consecutive treys on four possessions after an initial miss in the second half to build a 43-30 lead with 16:15 remaining.
UMBC would claw back, forcing 13 UML second-half miscues and shaving the deficit to 54-50 after a pair of Brett Roseboro (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) free throws with 5:20 remaining. But UMBC committed its ninth team foul on the inbounds play and Williams hit two free throws, starting an 8-0 run over the next 2:15 to put the game away.
The Retrievers attempted 23 more shots than did the River Hawks, but made the same number (19) of field goals (32.8%). They also committed 18 turnovers, and only outscored UML, 19-18, in points off turnovers.
UMBC senior guard Quentin Jones (Baltimore, Md./Mount St. Joseph) scored all ten of his points in the second half and was the only other Retriever in double figures. Elliott added five rebounds and three assists to his 26 points in 38 minutes of work.
Williams was magnificent, hitting 7-of-9 shots from the floor, 4-of-5 from behind the arc and 12-of-14 from the charity stripe.
The Retriever built a 16-11 lead in the first 13 minutes, but were whistled for five illegal screens in the first 18 minutes, and gave up the advantage in the latter stages of the half. The 29 fouls committed by UMBC are the most they have been guilty of in America East play this season.
UMBC completes the three-game homestand by welcoming defending league champion Albany to the RAC Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The contest will be broadcast by ESPN3.


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Terms of Use
As a condition of using and continuing to use the University's Blue Waters System ("Blue Waters"), you ("You" or "Your") agree to the terms and conditions of usage stated herein ("Terms of Use"). The University reserves the right to change these Terms of Use at any time and at its sole discretion, but will make reasonable efforts to inform users if any Terms of Use specifically based on export control and trade regulations are materially changed. However, the foregoing does not relieve You of Your responsibility to review the Terms of Use periodically for changes. The Terms of Use are available online at: https://bluewaters.ncsa.illinois.edu/terms-of-use. Continuing to use Blue Waters constitutes your acceptance and agreement to such changes.
I. I. Applicable Laws and Policies
You agree not to use Blue Waters in violation of any applicable law. The use of Blue Waters is subject to all applicable laws, and to all applicable policies and regulations of the University. See especially the University's Web Privacy Notice at: http://www.vpaa.uillinois.edu/policies/web_privacy.cfm and the University's Policy on Appropriate Use of Computers and Network Systems at: http://www.cam.illinois.edu/viii/VIII-1.1.htm.
Applicable laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, export control laws and regulations and the regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) with respect to sanctioned countries and regions. See http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx. Unless otherwise indicated by OFAC, currently the following countries are the most severely sanctioned: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
Regardless of Your citizenship or permanent residency, You agree not to access Blue Waters from any country identified above as the most severely sanctioned.
For the purposes of these Terms of Use, "national" means an individual who is not a U.S. citizen, not a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., and not a "protected individual as defined in 8 U.S.C. Section 1324 (such as an asylum visa holder).
If You are a national of one of the countries identified above as the most severely sanctioned, You agree to the following special terms of use:
- You will access Blue Waters only as authorized pursuant to applicable anti-terrorist asset control laws, regulations, rules and Executive Orders, or pursuant to a "specific license" as described below (i.e., a license issued specifically for You by OFAC pursuant to OFAC regulations, as opposed to a "general license" or authorization, which is set forth in the OFAC regulations).
If You are authorized to access Blue Waters pursuant to a visa-related general license or authorization, You will not access Blue Waters unless You possess a current, valid U.S. visa in an authorized visa category, and the scope of Your visa encompasses Your use of and/or access to high performance computers (as applicable), including research requiring the use of high performance computers. (Authorized visa categories for Iranian nationals are found in 31 C.F.R. § 560.505, at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=eb8e181eb434ceb45ddb1e519f7d6f7b&mc=true&node=se31.3.560_1505&rgn=div8. Authorized visa categories for Sudanese nationals are found in 31 C.F.R. §538.509 at: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=eb8e181eb434ceb45ddb1e519f7d6f7b&mc=true&node=se31.3.538_1509&rgn=div8. Authorized visa types for Cuban nationals are found in 31 C.F.R. §515.571(a)(5) at: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0bdcc94c02744d64e8ab9047fe6e34e1&mc=true&node=se31.3.515_1571&rgn=div8.
Further, you will not access Blue Waters while You are located outside the U.S. You will not access Blue Waters during any period in which You are out of status.
- If You are required to obtain a specific license from OFAC, You will only access Blue Waters subject to the conditions of a valid specific license that You have obtained before accessing Blue Waters.
II. Security
The University is committed to maximizing the availability of Blue Waters while protecting the security of users. To achieve this high level of security, user cooperation is required.
You agree to:
- not utilize Blue Waters for any criminal activity;
- not attempt to disable or circumvent any Blue Waters security controls:
- abide by all applicable intellectual property rights;
- protect access credentials and authentication devices;
- report lost or stolen Blue Waters credentials or authentication devices;
- not share access credentials and authentication devices;
- not intentionally interfere with system operation or other system users; and
- report any suspected security breaches or misuses of Blue Waters.
While You are subject to University policies, including the web privacy policy found at: http://www.vpaa.uillinois.edu/policies/web_privacy.cfm, the following clarifications are provided specifically with respect to using Blue Waters:
- Logged information, including information provided by the user during registration processes, shall be used for administrative, operational, accounting, research (subject to IRB approval as applicable) and security monitoring purposes only. This information may be disclosed to other organizations anywhere in the world for these purposes. Although efforts are made to maintain confidentiality, no guarantees are given.
- Unanonymized, personally identifying information may be externally shared only with law enforcement, legal or regulatory bodies and if officially requested by authenticated parties as well as pursuant to University policies.
- The University's National Center for Supercomputing Applications ("NCSA") may retain logs indefinitely. Note that full keystroke and command history logging is currently stored only for a short time. Policy regarding this special type of logging is described in the Blue Waters Security Monitoring Policy approved by the University of Illinois' Chief Information Security Officer.
Blue Waters is shared by many users and provides the standard file permission tools for users to protect their data from unauthorized access by other users and groups. It is the PI and his/her team's responsibility to set appropriate permissions or use any extra tools (e.g. encryption tools) to protect their data. It is possible to expose confidential data through misconfiguration of permissions by the user. Blue Waters does use many best practices to monitor and protect the system but proper data management is primarily the responsibility of the user.
III. Data
The Principal Investigator is the project lead and is responsible for all data associated with the PI's project and for compliance with data management policies. All data associated with the project must be removed from the Blue Waters system within 90 days of the project's allocation being terminated or the announced decommissioning of the Blue Waters system. Data placed on the Blue Waters system for internal University purposes other than research are the responsibility of the University employee overseeing the work on behalf of the University.
IV. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability
In no event will NCSA or the University or its trustees, officers, employees or agents be liable for any use by You of Blue Waters, or for any loss, claim, damage or liability that may arise in connection with Your access to or use of Blue Waters, unless imposed by law. Access to Blue Waters is provided to You on an "As Is" basis without any representations or warranties, whether express or implied. If you are dissatisfied with Blue Waters for any reason, Your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue accessing and using Blue Waters.
V. Authorized Use
You agree to use Blue Waters only for projects for which an active project account exists, or for other purposes specifically authorized by NCSA, and in accordance with the directions of the project's PI or the PI's delegate, or in accordance with the directions of NCSA as applicable.
Email communications sent to the email address associated with Your user account by the University, NCSA, and/or their agents is considered an official communication to You as the user of the account. Reading and responding, as appropriate, to these communications is an obligation of using Blue Waters.
Last Revised: Dec 22, 2015 Approved by the Office of the Chief Information Officer


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Simplified, Unified Management of Collaboration Networks
Accelerate site rollouts and ongoing maintenance, lower operating expenses, and help ensure a world-class quality of experience for end users with Cisco Prime Collaboration. This comprehensive, unified management solution for voice and video collaboration networks provides automated provisioning, simplified monitoring and troubleshooting, and long-term trending and analytics.
Cisco Prime Collaboration Contact Center Assurance
Reduce costly contact center downtime and improve agent productivity. (04:52 min)
Features and Capabilities
Cisco Prime Collaboration helps enable rapid installation and maintenance of Cisco Unified Communications and Cisco TelePresence components as well as the provisioning of users and services, substantially increasing productivity and lowering operating expenses. By significantly reducing the complexity in performing moves, adds, and changes, the solution facilitates delegation of these tasks. This helps network operators to optimize IT resources and further reduce total cost of ownership.
This solution also provides efficient, integrated assurance management of applications and the underlying transport infrastructure. This includes real-time monitoring and troubleshooting of Cisco TelePresence solutions and the entire Cisco Unified Communications system, including Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unity Connection and Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise. The solution expedites operator resolution of service quality issues before they affect end users and helps avoid system and service outages for a greater end user qualify of experience.
Cisco Prime Collaboration also provides historical reporting of key performance indicators and enables IT network managers to analyze trends for capacity planning, resource optimization, and quality of service. The solution helps track collaboration technology adoption rates in the network and provides metrics to help analyze how users are actually using the collaboration endpoints daily. It also can show status and rollout progress of a collaboration network deployment.
Cisco Prime Collaboration offers:
- Efficient, policy-based provisioning of Cisco Unified Communications and Cisco TelePresence users and services through a single interface
- Delegation of voice and video provisioning changes for operational savings
- Real-time monitoring of voice and video networks with dashboard summaries and alarm correlation
- Consistent, reliable service delivery through proactive fault detection and rapid isolation
- Advanced diagnostics tools, including traffic simulation and testing of circuits and endpoints to help identify core issues
Cisco Prime Collaboration Standard is included with all Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing and Cisco User Connect Licensing, beginning with Cisco Unified Communications 10.0. This takes the complexity out of provisioning and monitoring your voice and video deployments. For deployments that require more advanced management capabilities, Cisco Prime Collaboration Advanced offers additional automation, deeper diagnostic capabilities, and long-term reporting.
Prime Collaboration Training
Learn to deploy Cisco Prime Collaboration for provisioning, assurance, and analytics.
Product Demonstration Webinars
Attend a live webinar to learn more about Cisco Prime Collaboration. (PDF - 227 KB)Find Out More
Try Cisco Prime Collaboration
Get a trial version of this solution (Cisco.com login required).Download Now


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Like you, I am deeply concerned with current plans for rapid, large-scale industrialization of the Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage Site we all treasure.
Please take decisive action to ensure this precious icon is protected. I strongly urge you to:
1. Stop the dredging and dumping of 100 million tonnes of sand and rock into the Reef's waters.
2. Not allow fast tracked approvals of four new mega ports.
3. Prevent shipping superhighways where more than 7,000 industrial ships can cross the Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef is for all Australians and visitors from around the worldnot just big industry. And these new developments would surely be the quick demise of an already stressed ecosystem.
I know that the international pressure of respected bodies like UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee is critical. That's why I'm asking you to take a stand for this important World Heritage Site.
I look forward to the World Heritage Committee taking leadership and urgently ensuring the Reef is protected.
WWF (World Wildlife Fund / World Wide Fund for Nature)
This petition closed over 5 years ago
If successfully, we will stop the Australian government from allowing dumping and port development on the Great Barrier Reef.


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Portico Quartet, Performing at L'Astral in Montreal, Canada on October 2, 2010. From left: Jack Wyllie, Duncan Bellamy, Milo Fitzpatrick, Nick Mulvey.
Uploaded: 2010-10-03
Size: 3,000 x 1,571 pixels
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December 09, 2012
Sunshine Sunday - Christmas, shoveling, and Tony Stark
13 comments:
I can't get over that lamp post! Where on earth did you find that? And is your tree real? It's the perfect tree. Everything is so, so lovely! Hope you're in the full Christmas spirit now!ReplyDelete
From snowless Nebraska (sad face),
Your boys are just the cutest ever. I love the suit! My little brother had a hand me down suit when he was in nursery. I remember a guy asking if he was all ready for his job interview. Little boys in suits are so cute!ReplyDelete
I can totally see my oldest citing 'Tony would wear this!' for picking out clothing. Boys are awesome :)ReplyDelete
I love the spiked hair story.. so true!! And Tony Stark DOES wear a suit when he's not in his ironman suit...Rex is so funny. Does he go around call you 'Jarvis' yet? Owen's new thing is .. "Can you get me a glass of milk Jarvis?" "Jarvis, I sure am hungry for a carrot". I have become Jarvis.ReplyDelete
PS I am in love with the lamp post as well. You'll have to let us know where you found it!!
My little girl saw this post and immediately asked, "Mom, who is that handsome boy?" I love your tree!~ReplyDelete
So adorable! I love Christmas with kids! Makes it soooo much more fun ;)ReplyDelete
Great suit! I'm jealous of your snow!ReplyDelete
Oh that suit and the reason for wearing it! What a riot! Your sweet boys are just too cute. And yay for a little snow! We went to get our tree today and had to put the A/C on in the car.....ugh!ReplyDelete
So cute! And the reasoning behind Rex wearing the suit is hilarious :) Reminds me of when my oldest son (then about 4 and 1/2) got a pinstripe suit from his grandma. He insisted on wearing it every Sunday. Why? Because Two-Face wears a suit, so he needs to wear one too! (he likes the bad guys for some reason)ReplyDelete
I was just reading that part about Rex to my husband and he was cracking up. He then promptly said, "When we have a little boy, we'd better raise him to be that awesome." Parenting: You're doing it right, Cheri! :)ReplyDelete
Love you and your blog so much!
Your little Rex has grown so much! He looks like a little man. Your tree is beautiful.ReplyDelete
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Welcome to the Louisville's Burger Boy Diner Site!Come down for a visit and say hi! We're perfect for breakfast before work, a quick lunch, and a hearty dinner. We welcome UofL students and people of all types. New ownership since July of 2008.
MenuUpdated menu coming soon!
|1450 South Brook Street
(Corner of Brook & Burnett)
Louisville, KY 40208


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New to Bullseye? Subscribe to our podcast in iTunes or with your favorite podcatcher to make sure you automatically get the newest episode every week.
And if you're looking for a particular segment to listen to or share, check us out on Soundcloud.
Carl Wilson is a music critic. His job is to tell people why certain music is good, and why other music isn't. You could call him a tastemaker. But he started to wonder. How does taste even work? To find out, he immersed himself in the music, life and fandom of Celine Dion.
Wilson is the author of Let's Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste, a reissued and expanded version of the book he published in 2007. It's about Celine and her bestselling album from 1997, but more importantly it's an exploration of why we like some music and hate other music. Wilson's journey made him question how we place value on art, and has affected the way he approaches his work in music criticism.
He talks about Dion's Quebecois background (and why it matters), how she and her music relate to "coolness," and why experiencing a Celine Dion concert in Las Vegas helped open him up to her true appeal.
Looking for Rich Juzwiak's "Celine Dion is Amazing" compilation video mentioned in the interview? We'll save you a Google search.
If you liked this, let someone know! Click here to share this segment.
We're joined by Carolyn Kellogg, book critic for the Los Angeles Times, to talk about two new books that recently hit the shelves.
Her first recommendation is a thriller called The Fever by Megan Abbott. The novel explores what happens when teenagers in a small Northeast town get hit with a mysterious illness, which tests teenage friendships and the strength of a family.
Kellogg also recommends a memoir about a girl and her father. It's not your typical father-daughter-bonding tale. Maria Venegas writes about reconnecting with her estranged father in Bulletproof Vest: Ballad of an Outlaw and his Daughter.
You can find Kellogg's writing in the Los Angeles Times or on their blog, Jacket Copy.
If you liked this, let someone know! Click here to share this segment.
Moby is one of the most successful electronic musicians in the world. But he didn't start fiddling with synthesizers and drum machines as a kid -- he was studying classical guitar. Then, his world changed with just one song.
Moby tells us about the song that changed his life, Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as performed by Sid Vicious.
Moby's newest album is called Innocents.
If you liked this, let someone know! Click here to share this segment.
Max Greenfield stars as Schmidt on FOX's series New Girl. His character is so sweet and enthusiastic in his bro-y-ness, you can't help but love him. Schmidt is frequently shirtless, occasionally naked, and never less than transparent in his striving.
Schmidt was a breakout role for Greenfield, and before he got it, he would read audition lines with his wife, who happens to be a casting director. He talks about how she can be his toughest critic, how he and Schmidt are most alike, and how mispronouncing words like "chutney" came to be part of Schmidt's essence.
New Girl just ended its third season on Fox. Both the show and Greenfield's role have been submitted for Emmy consideration.
If you liked this, let someone know! Click here to share this segment.
You probably know what a low rider is. But what do you know about low rider oldies? Jesse talks about the perfect music for driving low and slow.
If you liked this, let someone know! Click here to share this segment.


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Prayer, Scripture, Conversation Every Thursday from 7:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. we meet in Harlem to connect with community through prayer, scripture, and conversation. Each week we will spend some time getting to know each other, have an intentional time of prayer, and discuss the scripture from the previous night's sermon. Plus, there will be snacks! This group is open to anyone who would like to join. For further information contact Brittney Wilcox or Josh Fong.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: April 18Tuesday Midsize Groups
Later Event: April 22Saturday Morning Bible Study


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Reactions to Ridley Scott's Prometheus have been all over the map. Many people are embracing the movie for its ambition, while others have expressed frustration over how (infuriatingly) close the spinoff came to being a proper Alien prequel. A noteworthy number of people are having far more extreme reactions, judging by the number of claims online about Prometheus screening walk-outs.
As was discussed during the SR Underground 'Prometheus' Podcast: the important thing is that virtually everyone who has seen Prometheus has been very passionate in their response (be it enthusiastic or enraged). If you subscribe to the school of thought that there's no such thing as bad publicity, then it's near impossible to argue that the moviegoing masses won't (at the least) consider a sequel to Prometheus as something they want to see. Going by the early global box office returns, 20th Century Fox is likely to heed those wishes.
So where do you go with a sequel to a film that's literally about... well, everything? As anyone can tell you (including, Scott and co-screenwriter Damon Lindelof), Prometheus raises more questions than it answers - be it about the mythology of the greater Alien universe or the cyclical nature of creation, destruction, and evolution, as explored in the movie. Obviously, in order to touch on what details the filmmakers have announced so far, we have to venture into spoiler territory.
In a recent THR interview, Scott had the following to say about Prometheus:
"From the very beginning, I was working from a premise that lent itself to a sequel. I really don't want to meet God in the first one. I want to leave it open to [Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace)] saying, 'I don't want to go back to where I came from. I want to go where they came from... Because [the Engineers] are such aggressive f**kers, I always had it in there that the God-like creature that you will see actually is not so nice, and is certainly not God. I'd love to explore where [Dr. Shaw] goes next and what does she do when she gets there, because if it is paradise, paradise can not be what you think it is. Paradise has a connotation of being extremely sinister and ominous."
Check out one of said Engineers (via Rope of Silicon) below:
Ultimately, the connection between Alien and Prometheus was as tenuous as the cast and crew of the latter had insisted throughout the build-up to its theatrical release. Hence, it's no surprise to hear that Scott intends to carry on the central narrative thread left dangling by the ending of Prometheus with a sequel - rather than concern himself primarily with filling in lingering holes in the tapestry that links Prometheus to Alien. Is it possible the followup could accomplish both tasks, in spite of that?
In order to break down that question, let's first examine two big plot elements that should be covered in a Prometheus sequel:
The History and Culture of the Engineers
By the conclusion of Prometheus, very little information has been provided about Engineer culture. As Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) voices aloud before setting off to the Engineer planet with David (Michael Fassbender) - or, rather, David's severed head - there is much to be explained in terms of where the creatures came from, and what inspired them to create humanity in the first place (before attempting to eradicate it).
Furthermore, there is a whole lot of ambiguity surrounding such issues pertaining to how many planets the Engineers have populated with life via rituals similar to that portrayed during the opening minutes of Prometheus; whether Xenomorphs are regarded as higher-evolved beings and (essentially) worshipped as deities by the Engineers, as one could interpret from the presence of a Xeno-like carving in the Ampule Room on LV-223; and if the Engineer's decision to manufacture black goo material that transforms other sorts of organic life, is the true allegory for the mythological tragedy of the demigod Prometheus overstepping his boundaries.
The Relationship Between Elizabeth Shaw and David
When we say "relationship" between those two characters - who were also the most fully-realized and engaging players in Prometheus - we're speaking both literally and on the figurative level. By the conclusion of that film, David's "creator" Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) has perished, and is thus no longer around to command the android. Does that mean Shaw will now become David's "god," or are the two on more equal footing - a pair of explorers out to uncover certain truths about the universe, rather than a master and their servant?
During an interview with Time Entertainment, Lindelof addressed that very topic:
"I think they're going where [Shaw] wants to go. [David's] fundamental programming has been scrapped. Weyland [the man who built and programmed him] is dead and so now his programming is coming from God knows where. Is he being programmed by Elizabeth, or is it his own internal curiosity now that Weyland isn't telling him what to do any more? He's always been interested in Elizabeth, remember that: He's watching her dreams when she's sleeping in much the same way that he watches 'Lawrence of Arabia'. He's a strange robot that has a curious crush on a human being, and when Weyland is eliminated, I think he is genuinely interested in what she's interested in. He reaches out partly for survival, but partly out of curiosity, and I think he's sincere that he'll take her wherever she wants to go."
Prometheus disposed of the less interesting characters - along with those whose primary purpose was to explain how Elizabeth and David came to be on their personal space odyssey, and an explanation for their mindsets at the outset of that journey. It will also be interesting to see how the dynamic between that duo (an actual human being and anthropomorphized machine) unfolds in the sequel, and how the relationship ultimately reflects upon and parallels that of Elizabeth and her "creators."
In summation: a Prometheus sequel could certainly branch out beyond the realm of being an Alien spinoff, so as to move closer to establishing a science-fiction mythos that stands on its own. However, over the course of doing so, the film has the potential to also provide more backstory on the Xenomorph, along with the history behind how one Engineer crashed on LV-426 - and, inadvertently, unleashed a dangerous new species similar to the monster(s) birthed on LV-223. Ironically, that means a sequel has the capability to provide Alien fans with something closer to the answers they were seeking from Prometheus, while also fully succeeding where its predecessor fell short: being a satisfying, standalone work.
Bear in mind, Scott is about to commence with shooting on The Counselor, so don't expect to hear news about a Prometheus sequel being put on the fast-track for production in the immediate future. However, so long as the final box office total is satisfactory for Fox (re: results in a profit), everything else is in place for the project to happen.
What are you hoping to get out of a Prometheus sequel? Do you even have an interest in seeing one? Sound off in the comments section.
Meanwhile, Prometheus is currently playing in theaters around the world.
Source: THR [via Worst Previews], Time Entertainment, Rope of Silicon


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Singapore Airlines offers couples private suites with double beds on the A380 jet.
In Kosota, Minnesota, a small business lets people drive battle tanks and crush cars ... no joke!
Meet the man who makes his living tailgating his way across the nation in an RV.
Seasoned road warrior, Tom Stuker, shares tips from more than 6,000 flights and millions of miles logged in the skies.
Victoria Stillwell, host of Animal Planet's 'It's Me or the Dog,' offers tips on how to stay calm on long flights and staying in touch with your family while on the road.
Travel Channel's food critic Andrew Zimmern spends 32 weeks a year exploring foods from around the world. Here's a few travel tips he's picked up along the way.
Storm chaser Reed Timmer spends nearly 200 days a year on the road living off a diet of energy drinks, beef jerky and adrenaline.
From 'Entourage's' Perrey Reeves to the Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire, celebrities and athletes gush over their favorite wheels.
Zoom around your neighborhood in a customized Hummer, Cadillac Escalade or even a limo golf cart.


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[ncc-services-wg] 2012-07 Last Call for Comments (RIPE NCC Services to Legacy Internet Resource Holders)
Marco Schmidt mschmidt at ripe.net
Mon Nov 18 15:09:11 CET 2013
Dear colleagues, The proposal described in 2012-07, RIPE NCC Services to Legacy Internet Resource Holders, is now in its Concluding Phase. The RIPE NCC Services Working Group co-Chairs have declared that consensus for the proposal has been reached and it will now move to Last Call. As per the RIPE Policy Development Process (PDP), the purpose of these coming four weeks of Last Call is to give the community the opportunity to present well-justified objections in case anyone missed the previous two phases and want to oppose the proposal. Any objection must be made by 17 December 2013 and must be supported by an explanation. If no substantive objections are raised by the end of Last Call, the proposal will complete the PDP and will be evaluated by the co-Chairs of all RIPE Working Groups for consensus. You can find the full proposal at: https://www.ripe.net/ripe/policies/proposals/2012-07 Please e-mail any final comments about this proposal to ncc-services-wg at ripe.net before 17 December 2013. Regards Marco Schmidt Policy Development Office RIPE NCC


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Arguments that don't add up. Unintentional courtroom comedy. More fun with the word "entitlement." Welcome back to the Laboratories of Hypocrisy, Sports on Earth's semi-regular roundup of the unfairness, dissimulation and sheer, head-shaking absurdity that characterizes amateur campus sports.
For the previous installment, click here. Otherwise, let's get started …
Sticky Business
The biggest story in college sports -- perhaps in the history of college sports -- is the ongoing federal antitrust lawsuit filed by former University of California, Los Angeles basketball star Ed O'Bannon against the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Generally speaking, the suit makes two claims:
1. O'Bannon and other former college players, including fellow plaintiffs Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson, are entitled to a share of the millions of dollars in revenue the NCAA earns from video games and other products that use their names, images and/or likenesses;
2. Former and current athletes also deserve a share of the billions of dollars in television revenue the association, conferences and schools earn from selling sports broadcast rights.
On both fronts, O'Bannon and the other plaintiffs argue that college sports amateurism -- the no-pay-for-play system defined and enforced by a cartel of schools -- acts as an illegal price-fix, a trade-restraining, competition-neutering mechanism that prevents athletes from realizing their market value. The NCAA, unsurprisingly, argues otherwise. Two weeks ago, a federal judge in California held a hearing to help determine whether to certify the case as a class action -- a crucial decision, given that the potential damages to the association resulting from a class action loss could be enormous and landscape-altering, whereas a lack of certification likely would string out the status quo, forcing individual athletes to bring suits and go through trials by themselves.
A certification decision is expected later this summer. In the meantime, NCAA lawyer Donald Remy has accused the plaintiffs of engaging "in a process of throwing things against the wall to see if anything sticks." Impressively, Remy said this with a straight face. During the certification hearing and in court filings, the association has put forth a crazy-quilt series of defenses as hypocritical and confounding as amateurism itself. In legal circles, this strategy is known as "alternative pleading" -- offering multiple, simultaneous theories that don't have to square with each other.
To illustrate, imagine a dispute over a mail-order vase:
Defense 1: I never got the vase in the mail, so why do I owe you for it?
Defense 2: Moreover, once I got the vase, I returned it right away, unharmed, so actually you owe me a refund.
Defense 3: And anyway, the vase arrived at my house shattered into fragments, so how can you expect me to pay for it?
Back to O'Bannon. The NCAA's first -- and favorite -- defense rests on a 1984 Supreme Court case, NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, in which the court ruled that the association violated federal law by restricting the number of television appearances college football teams could make. What does this have to do with price-fixing for sports talent and the names, rights and images of college athletes? The ruling's majority opinion, written by former Justice John Paul Stevens, includes the following language:
… moreover, the NCAA seeks to market a particular brand of football -- college football. The identification of this "product" with an academic tradition differentiates college football from and makes it more popular than professional sports to which it might otherwise be comparable, such as, for example, minor league baseball. In order to preserve the character and quality of the "product," athletes must not be paid, must be required to attend class, and the like … (bold added)
As ESPN.com writer and Friend o' the Labs Tom Farrey notes, most legal scholars do not consider "three sentences in a 19,000-word brief, on a topic (player compensation) separate from the issue at hand (television contracts)" to be settled, ironclad federal law. After all, Farrey writes, "no testimony was taken on the question, no formal arguments made and tested. The lack of rigorous thought is reflected in Stevens' casual, almost off-hand language. What is the exact definition of 'paid,' given that checks are being written as part of scholarship contracts that can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars? Does the ban on pay include endorsements from outside entities?"
Good questions. Questions the NCAA usually answers by referring to its voluminous rulebook, policing acceptable bagel toppings and defining amateurism as whatever the association says it is. Moreover, a halfway-intelligent person could read Stevens' aside as a no s-t marketing observation -- colleges sell college-affiliated football, duh -- and not as a court-decreed antitrust exemption for the entire college sports industry.
But never mind that. The NCAA long has argued that Stevens' language confers blanket immunity to conspire to not pay players for anything, including name, image and likeness rights -- a totally sweet and utterly un-American business practice -- with Remy recently stating that the current college sports system is both "pro-competitive" and "the law of the land."
Also, we have always been at war with Eurasia.
Still, maybe you're not convinced. No worries. At the certification hearing, lawyer Gregory Curtner also argued that the association isn't profiting off college athletes via television broadcast contracts, because it isn't selling their names, images and likenesses. Nuh-uh. Instead, the NCAA is simply peddling access to its facilities. Read that again. By Curtner's logic, networks like ESPN and CBS aren't forking over billions of dollars for the exclusive rights to show athletes performing, but rather for the exclusive opportunity to lug cameras and satellite transmission equipment into arenas and stadiums during scheduled game times. As my Sports on Earth colleague Gwen Knapp argues, this is completely ludicrous -- like asserting that ESPN's College Gameday crew is simply shooting Saturday afternoon footage of the turf at Michigan Stadium, and if a bunch of football players "keep wandering into the screen, well, what are you gonna do?" -- and when Curtner made his case, he seemed to prompt a chuckle from federal judge Claudia Wilken.
Note: I'm not a law school graduate, but I'm fairly certain that most legal theories are not designed to work equally well as Improv set material.
In order to certify college athletes as a class, Wilken must find that their common issues of law and fact outweigh their individual considerations, including potential damages. O'Bannon and the other plaintiffs assert that each player whose likeness has been used without compensation has suffered roughly the same loss. The NCAA counters that those losses -- assuming they existed, which they do not, because Curtner also argued during the hearing that athletes don't have name, image and likeness rights in the first place, at least not in certain states, never mind professional teams, and did I mention how alternative pleading works? -- would vary wildly. After all, a star quarterback's likeness is worth more than that of a second-string offensive lineman, which in turn is worth more than that of a walk-on long snapper. As Curtner said during the hearing:
… there's a handful of players who might have value, and there's the great bulk of the players who have no value. And so … the hold-out, the star quarterback, the [Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winner] Johnny Manziel could say, 'I'm only going to play if you -- the broadcaster gives me a lot of money, right?' And everybody else is going to get nothing …
Curtner isn't wrong: Manziel's name, image and likeness have lots more market value than those of his third-string backup, because Johnny Football is a much better and more celebrated player. As a NCAA argument against class commonality, this is pretty good; as a self-defeating argument against the association's entire position, it's even better. How so? Because by acknowledging that some college athletes have more market value than others, Curtner is tacitly admitting that amateurism prevents all players from realizing that value.
Consider Manziel. He can't profit from selling T-shirts. Or signing autographs. Or appearing in commercials. Neither he nor his teammates can negotiate for a cut of the television and video game revenues generated by the
on camera stadiums athletic contests they perform in. Instead, college athletes are strictly limited to scholarships -- anything more, like a free meal from the wrong booster, triggers a "suspension." Which is really an industry-wide employer boycott. The campus sports system stymies competition. It denies market outcomes. This is why antitrust law exists in the first place. Break down the association's arguments, and they go something like this:
Defense No. 1: College sports price-fixing isn't actually price-fixing, because the Supreme Court once said so, according to our self-serving interpretation of three whole sentences.
Defense No. 2: We have never conspired to fix the price -- at zero -- of any college athlete's name, image or likeness for broadcast purposes, because we only sells access to our facilities. Have you ever watched the sun set over an Arizona beach?
Defense No. 3: The athletes suing us for price-fixing shouldn't be certified as a class, because each individual has a market value that can vary wildly, the same market value our price-fixing system denies, and did we mention the Supreme Court?
What was it that Remy said? Oh, right: throw stuff against the wall. See what sticks. It's enough to make anyone chuckle.
The Curt Flood of College Sports?
Speaking of class certification, the O'Bannon plaintiffs dropped a quiet bombshell during the hearing: in order to include current college athletes in their proposed class, they plan to add at least one current player to their suit. This is a prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay big deal, for a number of reasons:
* As Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples points out, a class consisting of only former players makes the case about revenues deriving from archival video and video games, while a class that contains current players makes the case about broadcast rights, too. The latter is where the real money is -- add up bowl games, conference networks, broadcast packages and the men's basketball tournament, and we're talking about roughly a billion and a half dollars annually.
Here's how the legal maneuvering works: the case has two classes, a damages class and an injunctive class. The damages class involves claims for name, image and likeness use during live broadcasts and in rebroadcasts and video games. It does not -- and will not -- include current players. Potential damages for this could be large, but on their own, they wouldn't necessarily end college sports amateurism as we know it.
By contrast, the injunctive class includes current players. It does not seek a payout per se. Instead, it seeks an injunctive order that would forbid schools from price-fixing. The result would be an actual competitive market, which would almost certainly put amateurism out of its misery and result in current athletes getting a larger piece of the college sports pie.
* Is an injunctive class absolutely essential? No. And yes. Let me explain. Suppose no current athletes signed on to the case. Wilken likely wouldn't grant an injunction -- after all, neither O'Bannon nor the rest of the plaintiffs in the damages class are currently being harmed by the NCAA's price-fixing.
Now imagine that the case went to a jury. And imagine that O'Bannon and the other former players won damages. The NCAA would still be in trouble. Why? Because each and every year, a new class of college athletes would exhaust their eligibility and become former college athletes, now armed with a slam-dunk antitrust case against the association. Injunction or not, college sports would have to change, or else face annual losing lawsuits with trebled damages.
Of course, there's a way for the NCAA to avoid the above outcome: settle with O'Bannon before the case goes to trial. Buy off the former players. Silence their anticompetitive complaints. A settlement would be costly, but unlike a trial loss, it wouldn't create future liability. The next class of former college athletes would have to file an entirely new lawsuit, go through the same protracted legal fight and hope for the best. In the meantime, the association could keep on keepin' on with the college sports status quo, and perhaps get lucky with a more sympathetic federal judge.
An injunctive class makes all of that unlikely. It creates a duty -- either via settlement or trial outcome -- to current players. And that matters. A lot. As a friend and close observer of the case puts it, adding an active athlete amounts to "sell-out insurance." It prevents the NCAA from simply opening up its overflowing checkbook and making everything go away.
* National College Players Association executive director Ramogi Huma reportedly believes that multiple current players will join the suit. Will we learn their names? Hear them speak out? Hard to say. During the hearing, plaintiffs' attorney Michael Hausfeld expressed concern about possible retaliation by the NCAA -- a concern that could lead to active athletes being referred to as John Doe plaintiffs, which as Staples explains is actually less paranoid than it sounds:
… those on the plaintiffs' side have said for months that they have current players ready to add their names to the suit provided the NCAA guarantees in writing that it won't retaliate by threatening the players' eligibility. No one trusts the NCAA to do the right thing and allow the players to proceed unhindered. It was only April when several high-profile athletic directors asked for anonymity before criticizing the NCAA because they feared NCAA officials would take out their frustrations on their schools' athletes. As we've seen how some of the sausage was made in the NCAA's investigation into Miami's football program, we've learned that some NCAA employees don't mind doing things the organization considers unethical to achieve a desired outcome. An NCAA attorney said in open court that there would be no reprisals against players who joined the suit. The plaintiffs still want that guarantee in writing. That's probably sound reasoning.
If they get that guarantee, a player -- or players, depending on whether the plaintiffs want strength in numbers -- will step forward. Any player who does will get ripped in the media and by fans who want to cling to the illusion that sports with billion-dollar television deals are amateur enterprises. That player will have to be strong. Coaches and athletic directors will want him to fail, because money diverted to athletes means less money for them …
Staples is right: the college sports powers-that-be don't want amateurism to change, any more than Marie Antoinette wanted guillotines instead of brioche. And with the exception of occasional loose cannons like South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier, the people inside campus athletics who desire a more equitable system are afraid to speak out.
A few years ago, former University of Massachusetts guard Rigo Nunez told HBO's "Real Sports" that prior to the opening games of 1995 NCAA men's basketball tournament, a large number of teams from across the country -- including UCLA and Wake Forest -- intended to walk to the middle of the court, sit down and let the ball bounce, a demonstration that would alter "the whole scope of amateur sports." Instead, the players got cold feet. They were afraid of getting blackballed by the NBA. Afraid of retaliation from their own schools. Some are still afraid: I've tried to speak with Nunez and other former players about the planned boycott. None of them will go on the record.
While researching a law review article on the viability of a college athlete union, lawyer Thomas Frampton ran into similar reticence.
"A few have alluded to having certain memories of that time period and the organizing that happened, but declined requests for interviews," Frampton told me earlier this year. "Or they weren't willing to go into any substantive detail. A lot of the figures who were on the teams that Nunez has talked about are now working as assistant coaches or in the athletic departments at various D-I programs. I can understand their wariness to go into detail about how they almost brought the entire house crashing down."
True story: during a private conversation last spring, I asked a major college basketball coach about pay-for-play. He spent the next five minutes eloquently describing how amateurism is, in a word, bulls-t. When I asked what it would take for him to say the same thing with my digital recorder turned on, he sighed.
"Maybe if I win four national championships," he said.
Spend a bit of time around college sports, and what's striking is the pervasive sense of powerlessness. Of learned helplessness. Coaches, players and even administrators know the status quo is unfair. None of them believe they can do anything about it. And these are mostly a bunch of alpha males. Of course, they're mistaken. The people who constitute the NCAA's product -- particularly the athletes -- have the power. All of it. Without them, there's nothing to sell. (Besides stadium access, of course.) In 1969, former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood challenged Major League Baseball's reserve clause. He was ripped by the public. Ostracized by the sport. He lost his case -- but by going public and refusing to stay silent, he also inspired his peers, ultimately ushering in the era of professional sports free agency. Staples writes that active players joining the O'Bannon suit could make a similar impact. I hope so. I hope they speak out, too, and forego John Doe status. Other athletes might follow. Someone always has to be the first.
Cruella De Plonsky
Regular readers may remember University of Texas women's athletic director Christine Plonsky, an ongoing Labs
punching bag favorite. When we last checked in on her, she was arguing against giving college athletes multiyear scholarships because guaranteed educations are the last thing NCAA schools should be handing out willy-nilly. (By the way, did you know that most athletic scholarships are annually renewable contacts that can be revoked at any time, like when John Calipari recruits new players who are better at basketball than his old players? Fun fact.)
"Who gets a four-year, $120K deal guaranteed at age 17?" Plonsky wrote in an email to The Chronicle of Higher Education. "The last thing young people need right now is more entitlement."
Guess what? Plonsky is at it again. Still flogging the "entitlement" chicken. Soon after O'Bannon filed his lawsuit, the New York Times reports, Plonsky exchanged a series of emails with then Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe:
… "has our NCAA board decided not to defend the notion that playing NCAA sports is not forced?" Plonsky wrote. "It is a voluntary sign-up. We're like a version of the Army."
Referring to student-athletes, she added: "We have things we have to do a certain way to raise funds and pay for the scholarships and other things that [student-athletes'] and their parents expect. I view these cases as being the result of the entitlement attitude we've created in our revenue sports" …
Right. That makes complete sense. By which I mean: it's utterly dunderheaded. For one, the Army involves shooting people. Travis Waldron of ThinkProgress says it best:
… whether participation in college athletics is compulsory is irrelevant. Employees in other occupations aren't forced into their jobs either, but that doesn't mean they don't have a reasonable expectation of compensation for their work. The comparison to the Army is especially odd, since the U.S. government pays members of the military. And other voluntary employees have the ability to bargain for fair compensation too, because they have the option to take their services to another employer.
College athletes can't do that, first because the NCAA has unilaterally determined that a scholarship constitutes fair compensation and that anything above that is a violation of its rules. And in addition, no competitor organization, with different rules and different compensation, exists …
Oh, and since we're already discussing "entitlement attitudes," a few questions for Plonsky:
Do college athletes and their parents expect Texas to have a separate women's athletic director making a reported $359,000 annually, a salary and position that likely wouldn't exist without athletic department gold-plating?
Do they expect the school's men's athletic director, DeLoss Dodds, to clear more than $1 million a year, even though he apparently can only handle working with one gender at a time?
Do they expect Dodds and Plonsky's combined salaries to be in the same ballpark as the $1.8 million Texas spent to cover total scholarship costs for 85 football players in 2011-2012 -- never mind that the school's athletic department boasted a $25 million operating surplus (read: profit) that same year, thanks largely to $103.8 million in football revenue?
Heck, do they expect Plonsky and Dodds to at least risk Army-style physical damage -- in this case, getting hit in the head without a uniform concussion protocol -- in exchange for that much money?
If Plonsky is truly concerned about the freedom-killing scourge of hands-out entitlement run amok, then perhaps she should invest some of her sizable earnings in a mirror.
"Police Academy" 8: Mission to Indianapolis
Weakened by staff turnover. Stung by public criticism. Looking in vain for leadership. Weary of embarrassing scandals. According to recent reports by Sports Illustrated and Yahoo! Sports, the NCAA's enforcement division is a reeling, wheezing mess. And according to Yahoo's Pat Forde, that means one thing:
… ready, set, cheat. That's the tacit message the NCAA currently is sending to its membership. The time is now to break the rules.
If you're an agent or runner looking to pay your way into a player's inner circle, go for it. If you're a coach looking for a corner-cutting advantage in recruiting, take a shot. If you're a player or recruit seeking an impermissible benefit or an academic quick fix, no time like the present …
Open cases are wallowing in limbo. There is almost no street chatter about new cases underway …
Forde makes this sound like bad news. And it is. It's bad news for NCAA president Mark Emmert. For his demoralized staff. For anyone and everyone who thinks the association's enforcement of amateurism is as vital as, say, the Food and Drug Administration's enforcement of bacterial contamination standards for beef.
But if you don't buy into the college sports status quo? This is wonderful news. Akin to learning that your local traffic camera -- you know, the one that tickets cars for going 32 miles per hour in a 23 mph zone -- is on the fritz. Schools conspire to deny athletes basic market rights, creating a vibrant underground economy. They then attempt to police said economy with all the unshakable professionalism and steely competence of Hightower and Mahoney. Oh noes! The NCAA turns a silver-platter investigation of amateurism violations involving the University of Miami into an epochal botch job? Good. Enforcement cases that generally lead to a reduction of available athletic scholarships -- punitively culling the very same educational opportunities the association otherwise touts when defending restraint of trade -- are now "wallowing in limbo?" Even better.
Forde seeing things differently, lamenting that it's "harder than ever to catch a cheater." He blames Emmert for being a glory hound. (Not coincidentally, Sports Illustrated reports that association staffers call him "King of the Press Conference.") He faults newspapers for abandoning investigative sports reporting. He argues that the association needs to offer higher salaries in order to attract better investigators. Ominously, Forde warns that the "temptation to cheat without getting caught" is growing and that "cheaters are continually getting smarter":
… coaches are using "burners" -- cheap secondary cell phones -- to make phone calls that skirt the rules. They're buying pre-paid gift cards for small amounts for players and recruits. They're buffering themselves from agents and bag men through third parties. Money is changing hands through relatives and friends of athletes instead of the athlete himself …
Much like the NCAA, Forde seems to regard the above economic activity as a problem. Something to be stamped out. Like cancer. This is a misapprehension. The college sports black market isn't a disease. It's a symptom. The underlying pathogen is amateurism. Get rid of the association's beleaguered cops -- and the rules that make them necessary -- and the burners and bag men go away. They become superfluous. You know why student employees at campus cafeterias don't attract runners and aren't compensated for their work with pre-purchased gift cards? Because it's not illegal to give them paychecks.
Napoleon -- Bonaparte, not Dynamite -- once said that "one should never forbid what one lacks the power to prevent." They still teach French history at colleges and universities, don't they?
* * *
The Beginning of the End
No matter what happens in the O'Bannon case, amateurism is dead. Finished. Might as well be chasing Brad Pitt around the streets of Philadelphia. Only don't take my word for it. Ask the credit rating agency Moody's, which recently threatened to downgrade the NCAA's debt -- not because the association is hurting for cash, but because its entire business model is unsustainable.
Thing is, the people who run big-time college sports aren't dumb. They see the train coming. They know they're running a shell game. In a recently unsealed O'Bannon deposition, Horizon League commissioner Jon LeCrone referred to scholarships as "some sort of salary." A fixed salary. Other O'Bannon documents show former NCAA president Myles Brand essentially admitting that the entire system is a sham: "The presidents have been professing that they do not want (to) support commercialism, most especially when student athletes' images are involved," Brand wrote in an email. "Of course, the conferences and schools are already doing that -- for example, the Pontiac ads that they complain about are a staple in the fall football season, which they control. The presidents want it both ways: they want to be able to rail against commercialism and they want the revenue that comes from corporate ads." In a shameless legal maneuver to rival anything pulled by Lionel Hutz, Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany submitted a statement to the court claiming that if athletes end up getting a cut of television revenues, the schools in his conference might drop to Division III --- and after ample and deserved ridicule, he later admitted he didn't even write his own declaration.
All of this begs a question: why is the NCAA fighting so hard against the inevitable? Strip away amateurism, and schools stand to lose money. Power, too. No question. Moreover, athletes stand to gain. Still, it's not as though anyone involved is about to go broke. Not when the Pac-12 is scheduled to earn $3 billion in rights fees over from ESPN and Fox over the next 12 years. Not when the Big Ten Network could eventually earn an extra $200 million annually just by adding Rutgers University and the University of Maryland to its cable subscriber footprint. So what's the holdup? Sheer greed? Fear of change? Unsinkable faith in the amateur ideal? (Editor's note: Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ha.). The Olympics gave up the no-pay-for-play ghost years ago. The Games have never been more lucrative or popular. Alabama fans care about watching football. They won't care if the school's athletic department pays top-ranked recruits more and coach Nick Saban less. Dump amateurism, and the entire tacky, unsavory, disingenuous morass exposed by the O'Bannon case disappears. Like magic. Poof. No more convoluted legal arguments. No more embarrassing emails. No more Keystone Kops policing. No more LOL moments in federal court. Just college students playing sports, and earning a market rate for the hard work of making the rest of us happy.
Would that really be so terrible?


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BALTIMORE – UMBC women's basketball shot 62.5 percent from the field in the second half and outscored VCU 36-33 in the stanza, but the Retriever's first-half deficit proved to be too much as the Rams defeated the black and gold, 75-55, in Saturday afternoon's non-conference matchup at the RAC Arena.
VCU's senior forward Robyn Parks, the Co-Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, and freshman guard Isis Thorpe, the A-10 Rookie of the Week, sparked a pair of first-half runs for the Rams, which helped to open up a 23-point advantage at the break and proved to be the difference in the game. Thorpe and Parks combined for 48 points in the game, with 26 and 22 points, respectively.
The Retrievers spread out their scoring on the afternoon, with freshman forward Sara Tarbert (Delta, Pa./Kennard-Dale) finishing as the only UMBC player with double-digit points. while sophomore center Bridget O'Donnell (Belle Mead, N.J./Montgomery) and junior guard Janelle Saling (Lahtrop, Mo./Lathrop/Highland Community College) each added nine points. Tarbert added seven boards and three assists on the afternoon.
VCU (7-1) picks up its sixth consecutive victory and its second straight in a meeting against UMBC, while the young Retrievers fall to 1-8 after eight straight losses.
The Retrievers were able to get the reigning America East Rookie of the Week Tarbert involved early, as the freshman forward made a move inside the paint for a bucket and added a three from the corner to bring UMBC within two, 7-5. Classmate Emily Russo (Woodbine, Md./Glenelg) added a trey with 14:07 to go to bring UMBC within one at 9-8, but that sparked the Rams to a 10-0 run over a four minute span to give VCU some breathing room.
Saling, he America East Player of the Game, provided the Retrievers with a spark off the bench, coming in and knocking down a three, followed by a pair of hustle plays that resulted in an offensive rebound and defensive board. The junior guard's hard work brought UMBC's deficit back within single-digits, 26-17, with five minutes to go in the stanza, however, the Rams were able to build upon their advantage by going on a 16-2 run prior to the break, putting VCU out in front 42-19 at the half.
Parks and Thorpe provided a one-two punch for the Rams in the opening half, combining for 28 points in the period. Thorpe knocked down five of her seven treys in the contest in the first half, while Parks picked up five of her nine field goals.
The Rams added to their run out of the locker room, scoring the first five points of the second half, but the Retrievers continued to show fight, chipping away at the lead as a trey from Saling capped off a 17-9 UMBC run, to trim the deficit to 56-36, with 11:14 to go. Despite its high shooting percentage in the second half, the Retrievers turned the ball over 16 times in the second stanza, making it difficult for UMBC to get any closer. The black and gold finished with 24 turnovers in the contest, its third straight game with 20-plus turnovers.
UMBC returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 10 when it travels to Bucknell for its first of four consecutive road games. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion.
Game Notes
-After back-to-back victories against the Retrievers, VCU owns an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series.
-UMBC allowed a pair of 20-point scorers for the first time since Dec. 10, 2011 when Hampton had a pair of 20-point performers.
-The Retrievers are in the midst of an eight game losing streak, its longest since the 2003-04 season.
-VCU is the third team this season to pour in 10-or-more threes against the Retrievers this season.
-Sara Tarbert reached double-digit points for the seventh time this season, finishing with 12 points.
-Janelle Saling earned America East Player of the Game honors. Saling finished with season-bests in points (nine) and rebounds (three).
-Liz McNaughton finished with a career-best five assists.


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Los Angeles Times-
LOS ANGELES — Bob Banner, an Emmy Award-winning television producer and director whose credits included "The Garry Moore Show," "Candid Camera" and "Solid Gold" and who gave a career boost to a young Carol Burnett years before becoming executive producer of her popular comedy variety show, has died. He was 89.
Banner died Wednesday of end-stage Parkinson's disease at his home at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement community in Los Angeles, said family spokeswoman Lauren Cottrell.
A television pioneer, Banner launched his career in Chicago in 1948 as a production assistant on the children's puppet show "Kukla, Fran & Ollie." But he quickly rose through the ranks and became the director of "Garroway at Large."
Banner died Wednesday of end-stage Parkinson's disease at his home at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement community in Los Angeles, said family spokeswoman Lauren Cottrell.
A television pioneer, Banner launched his career in Chicago in 1948 as a production assistant on the children's puppet show "Kukla, Fran & Ollie." But he quickly rose through the ranks and became the director of "Garroway at Large."
After moving to New York, he produced and directed "The Fred Waring Show" and went on to be a director on "Omnibus," the acclaimed cultural series hosted by Alistair Cooke. He also directed "The Dave Garroway Show" and produced and directed special shows for "Wide, Wide World" and "Producers' Showcase."
As the producer-director of "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show," Banner won an Emmy for directing in 1958.
The same year, he formed Bob Banner Associates and took over production of "The Garry Moore Show," a variety program whose cast of regulars came to include Burnett. Burnett has Banner to thank for that. Her first appearance on the Moore show was in early 1959 as a replacement for an ailing guest, comedian Martha Raye.
"I had worked for Bob in California in 1958 when he was doing 'The Dinah Shore Show.' I was a guest, so he knew my work," Burnett told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. "So Bob, whom I always call Bubba, called me to come over and replace (Raye) on Garry's show."
Burnett was starring in the off-Broadway production of "Once Upon a Mattress" at the time. And that fall, after "Once Upon a Mattress" had moved to Broadway, "Bubba called and said, 'We'd like you to be a regular on our show and that was a huge break for me.' "
Banner went on to produce Burnett TV specials, including "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall" and "Carol Plus Two," before he became executive producer of "The Carol Burnett Show."
"It was he who talked me into opening the show myself with questions and answers," Burnett recalled. "He said, 'Carol, you can't just go out and do sketches. The audience has to get to know you first as a person.' I said, 'I can't do that. I'd be terrified that, A, the audience wouldn't ask anything and, B, that they would.'
"But he talked me into it, and it became one of my favorite things to do. And it was a good opening for the show."
Recalling the soft-spoken Banner as "a very gentle man" with a good sense of humor, Burnett said that "he could always talk to me about certain things that I wasn't cottoning to so much, but whatever road he wanted us to take was terrific. He had great taste and great instincts."
Among Banner's numerous credits as an executive producer are "The Jimmy Dean Show," "Solid Gold," "Star Search," "It's Showtime at the Apollo," numerous specials with Perry Como, the TV special "Peggy Fleming Visits the Soviet Union" - as well as the TV movies "My Sweet Charlie" and "Bud and Lou."
He also executive-produced "That's What Friends Are For," a 1988 AIDS benefit concert at the Kennedy Center hosted by Dionne Warwick.
Born Aug. 15, 1921, in Ennis, Texas, Banner graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1943 before serving three years in the Navy during World War II.
At Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., after the war, he received a master's degree from the school's theater arts department in 1948 and was an instructor in speech and drama there when he got his first taste of television.
He didn't initially have a high opinion of the new medium.
"Oh, horrors," he recalled thinking of working on "Kukla, Fran & Ollie" in a 2000 interview with the Dallas Morning News.
"I didn't want to tell the people at Northwestern that I had been assigned to do a puppet show. ... A puppet show didn't seem quite like theater at Northwestern," he said. But Banner changed his tune after the show became a hit.
"I went around Northwestern saying I was on 'The Kukla, Fran & Ollie' show," he recalled. "This show I didn't want to admit I was involved with changed my life."
Banner is survived by his wife, Alice; his sons Baird, Robert and Chuck; and two grandchildren.
BANNER, Bob (Robert Bruce Banner)
Born: 8/15/1921, Ennis, Texas, U.S.A.Died: 7/15/2011, Woodland Hills, California, U.S.A.
Bob Banner's western - executive producer:
The American West of John Ford (TV) - 1971


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Joe Salazar hardly alone in his insulting attitude
Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton, may believe college women are trigger-happy hysterics who will "pop out that gun and you pop, pop a round at somebody" if they have the vaguest sense that a man might be following them, but this insulting nonsense is actually a common theme on the left when it comes to guns and gun rights.
Sen. Jessie Ulibarri, D-Commerce City, made a similar point in a slightly less offensive (although much sillier) manner in commenting on current gun legislation, although I only learned of it at another blog.
"I don't think we should take it light-hearted that when Congresswoman Giffords was shot and there was a shooting in the Arizona supermarket people who were unarmed took that person down when he stopped to reload," Ulilbarri said. "And so there are other ways to address violence and it doesn't mean we have our kids exposed to a whole crossfire of multiple folks in a room shooting simultaneously. And that Congresswoman Giffords' life was saved and so many others when very valiant folks stood up to defend themselves and protect themselves, and they did it with ballpoint pens."
Forget the peculiar reference to ballpoint pens. Ulibarri is actually arguing that it's more dangerous to have an armed citizen or two return fire at a murderous madman intent on killing as many as possible than waiting until the madman empties his magazine and must pause to reload – when perhaps a few bystanders will muster the courage to rush and disarm him.
Can he be serious?
Why, of course he is. And so is Salazar — and for that matter all of the others who believe that average citizens are fearful incompetents who, having been given the right to bear arms, are just as likely to plug a Good Samaritan as a threatening thug.


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The Nine 1 screams race ready; it's the perfect balance of incredible ride quality and razor sharp handling that help put you on the podium. The premium UHC Advanced carbon fiber Nine frame matched with full SRAM X0 2 x 10 components and a World Cup winning Rockshox Sid 100mm fork—you just need to supply the legs!
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Ever wanted to see what goes on behind the scenes at Cahaba Brewing Company? Tours are every Saturday at 2 pm. $10 covers tour, free pint glass and stickers. No need to call ahead, just meet at the taproom and sign up at the bar!
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: December 22Food Truck: Chubbfather's
Later Event: December 24Food Delivery: Tropicaleo


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GIANT-Coli: A novel method to quicken discovery of gene function
Think researchers know all there is to know about Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli? Think again. "E. coli has more than four thousand genes, and the functions of one-fourth of these remain unknown," says Dr. Deborah Siegele, a biology professor at Texas A&M University whose laboratory specializes in carrying out research using the bacterium.
Harmless E. coli strains are normally found in the intestines of many animals, including humans, but some strains can cause diseases.
Siegele and her co-workers at the University of California San Francisco, Nara Institute of Science Technology and Purdue University have devised a novel method that allows rapid and large-scale studies of the E. coli genes. The researchers believe their new method, described in the current online issue of Nature Methods, will allow them to gain a better understanding of the E. coli gene functions.
The principle behind this new method is genetic interaction. Interaction between genes produces observable effects, and this allows researchers to identify the gene functions. The research team has called their new method GIANT-Coli, short for genetic interaction analysis technology for E. coli.
The team believes that its method has great potential to quicken the progress of discovering new gene functions. The use of GIANT-Coli has already allowed researchers to identify some previously unknown genetic interactions in E. coli.
To study genetic interaction, researchers need to use what they call double-mutant strains. GIANT-Coli allows large-scale generation of these double-mutant strains (high-throughput generation). And this is the first time that a high-throughput generation method for double mutants of E. coli has been developed.
Why is it so important to know the E. coli better? "Much of what we know about other bacteria, including the more dangerous ones like Vibrio cholerae, comes from our knowledge of E. coli," says Siegele. "The E. coli is a model organism."
Siegele says that GIANT-Coli can be developed to study genetic interactions in other bacteria, and because some proteins are conserved from bacteria to humans, perhaps some of the results can even be extrapolated to gene function in humans. Moreover, Siegele points out that the method has obvious application in medicine because understanding gene functions in harmful bacteria will help in developing better treatment approaches.
Source: Texas A&M University
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