text:
Share technology, compete on content
Jump to navigation
In 2011, the BBC proposed a partnership aimed at growing online radio listening. Launched as a shared web player with 157 stations, UK Radioplayer quickly grew to 500 stations, and now has apps for iOS and Android, integrations with Amazon Echo and Sonos, and works with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Chromecast, Airplay, Apple Watch, Android Wear, and other platforms.
Our non-profit philosophy of 'sharing technology, and competing on content' has spread to 8 countries around the world and now serves thousands of stations. We focus on three strategic areas....
We're a non-profit organisation, and everything we do is aimed at keeping radio simple in connected devices. We always work in partnership - with broadcasters, developers, technology platforms, car companies, and hardware manufacturers. If you want to work with us, you'll find some information and a contact form below.
Your competition is no longer just from the radio station down the road, but from global entertainment and technology products with multi-milion dollar R&D budgets.
Radio is a tiny industry in comparison. We can only capitalise on the opportunities offered by connected devices like smart speakers, if we work together.
You can download a one-page infographic on the benefits of joining Radioplayer here.
If you're already around a table, talking to your industry colleagues about DAB, marketing, or audience measurement - then you're ready for Radioplayer.
Typically, a country organises itself into a small group of broadcasters, then we work with you to roll out your back-end systems, apps and players. We ask each country to contribute to the further development of Radioplayer through a small annual fee, calculated according to the number of stations you list. We're non-profit, so every penny goes towards growing radio.
Radioplayer partners with car companies and technology platforms which want to integrate radio. We prioritise these areas...
- Home devices (speakers, TVs etc) with high-quality audio and great interfaces, both visual and voice
- Hybrid radio, which switches platforms automatically (particularly effective in cars)
- Metadata feeds, to power the above
Get in touch if you're interested, particularly if you want to integrate with our new API.
In Radioplayer's first year in the UK, official RAJAR audience figures showed a 32% year-on-year increase in online listening hours.
In Belgium, where they launched with just the web player, online listening hours rose by 23% in their first year.
In Canada, groups are reporting 47% year-on-year increases in streaming hours since launch.
But every radio market is different, and we're very flexible. How can we help you?
Get in touch
Interested in learning about our services and want to find out how Radioplayer's solutions can work for you?
Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll get back to you


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New 2020 Chevrolet Trax FWD LT VIN 3GNCJLSB1LL174541 Stock Number LL174541
Sale Price $20,949
See Important Disclosures Here
2020 Chevrolet Trax LT Steel Metallic
Priced below KBB Fair Purchase Price! 26/31 City/Highway MPG
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subset: commoncrawl


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POLITICO e-book: Obama campaign roiled by conflict
President Barack Obama's campaign team, celebrated four years ago for its exceptional cohesion and eyes-on-the-prize strategic focus, has been shadowed this time by a succession of political disagreements and personal rivalries that haunted the effort at the outset.
Second-guessing about personnel, strategy and tactics has been a dominant theme of the reelection effort, according to numerous current and former Obama advisers who were interviewed for "Obama's Last Stand," an e-book out Monday published in a collaboration between POLITICO and Random House.
Story Continued Below
The discord, these sources said, has on occasion flowed from Obama himself, who at repeated turns has made vocal his dissatisfaction with decisions made by his campaign team, with its messaging, with Vice President Joe Biden and with what Obama feared was clumsy coordination between his West Wing and reelection headquarters in Chicago.
( PHOTOS: Obama 2012 campaign staff)
The effort in Chicago, meanwhile, has been bedeviled by some of the drama Obama so deftly dodged in 2008 — including, at a critical point earlier this year, a spat that left senior operatives David Axelrod and Stephanie Cutter barely on speaking terms — and growing doubts about the effectiveness of Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
( Also on POLITICO: White House stands by Wasserman Schultz)
The e-book, produced as part of a two-month reporting project that included interviews with two dozen current and former members of Obama's team, illuminates how the mood and character of the 2012 reelection effort is flowing from the top — with Obama's own personality and values shaping his campaign just as powerfully as he did four years ago.
This has produced a campaign being animated by one thing above all. It is not exclusively about hope and change anymore, words that seem like distant echoes even to Obama's original loyalists — and to the president himself. It is not the solidarity of a hard-fought cause, often absent in this mostly joyless campaign. It is Obama's own burning competitiveness, with his remorseless focus on beating Mitt Romney — an opponent he genuinely views with contempt and fears will be unfit to run the country.
Obama is sometimes portrayed as a reluctant warrior, sorry to see 2012 marked by so much partisan warfare but forced by circumstance to go along. But this perception is by most evidence untrue. In the interviews with current and former Obama aides, not one said he expressed any reservations about the negativity. He views it as a necessary part of campaigning, as a natural — if unpleasant — rotation of the cyclical political wheel.
( PHOTOS: Obama over the years)
Obama's trash-talking competitiveness, a trait that has defined him since his days on the court as a basketball-obsessed teenager in Hawaii, was on display one night last February, when the president spotted a woman he knew was close to Sen. Marco Rubio in a Florida hotel lobby. "Is your boy going to go for [vice president]?" the president asked her. Maybe, she replied.
"Well," he said, chuckling, according to a person who witnessed the encounter. "Tell your boy to watch it. He might get his ass kicked."


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| For other characters in the Fallout universe named Graham, see Graham.
For other characters named Joshua, see Joshua.
Joshua Graham (known formerly as the Malpais Legate, and in folk legends as the Burned Man) is a Mormon missionary, co-founder of Caesar's Legion, and its first Legate.
Graham led Caesar's troops to a humiliating defeat in the First Battle of Hoover Dam. Afterwards, Caesar, showing that failure was unacceptable regardless of rank, ordered him to be coated in pitch, lit on fire, and tossed into the Grand Canyon. He survived, however, and left Caesar's Legion behind him. He is the acting leader of the Dead Horses in 2281.
Mormon missionaryEdit
Joshua Graham was born in Ogden, Utah and spent his formative years learning to do the work of a missionary. In 2246, he left to spread the word of God across the wastes. He traveled across the I-15 and Route 89 south to Arizona. It was there, in the Grand Canyon, that he would have his fateful encounter with two Followers of the Apocalypse, Bill Calhoun and Edward Sallow, who had been dispatched to study the tribal dialects that had begun to emerge in the post-apocalyptic world. Graham, who was fluent in many of these languages, decided to help them on their task and joined their nine-person expedition.
In 2247, the group visited the Blackfoot tribe. Whether they were tricked or whether Graham made an error with translation is not clear. What is known is that the small group of Followers soon realized that they would not be allowed to leave. At the time, the Blackfoots were at war with seven other tribes, a war they were clearly losing. Unwilling to be destroyed along with them, and against the wishes of Calhoun, Sallow chose to use his knowledge to train the Blackfoot tribe in the art of warfare after witnessing their lack of knowledge firsthand. He showed them how to clean and maintain guns, operate with small unit tactics, create their own explosives, and to strike at their weakest enemies first: divide et impera - divide and conquer. He quickly impressed them enough to the point where he was made their leader and took the name "Caesar." Joshua Graham remained with Caesar as a translator, but soon enough, translation became giving orders, and giving orders became leading in battle, training, and terrorizing. Calhoun, for his part, was sent back to the Followers to inform them of Caesar's actions. Eventually, all seven tribes were either destroyed or incorporated into Caesar's army, and at this time, Caesar, together with Graham, formed Caesar's Legion out of the tribes that had either been conquered or had chosen to capitulate to avoid extermination, and Graham became Caesar's first Legate.
Malpais LegateEdit
Though he was neither a particularly brilliant strategist nor tactically flexible, his menace and brutality were infamous. The atrocities he committed made him feared by friend and foe alike. He was dangerous, unpredictable, and above all else legendary for being impossible to kill, even by NCR Rangers. His death at the hands of 1st Recon sharpshooters was reported no less than five times. Such was Caesar's trust in him that he was tasked with leading The Legion at the First Battle of Hoover Dam, so that they could use it as a power source and a staging point from where they could eventually take the city of New Vegas. The Legion was initially successful, and the NCR initiated a tactical retreat to Boulder City, laying explosives and sniping Legion officers as they approached. Graham, unable to adapt his tactics, and intoxicated with his own victory, did not know of the C4 until it was too late, and the Legion were dealt a crushing blow, as the city exploded around them. Caesar, infuriated with this loss, held Graham personally responsible and ordered his execution. The Legate was coated in pitch, set on fire and thrown into the Grand Canyon by the praetorian guard as an example to the rest of the Legion that Caesar wouldn't accept failure from even the highest-ranked members.
The Burned ManEdit
Even years after what is generally assumed to be his death, Caesar's Legion still does not speak of him by his true name under penalty of death, on the orders of Caesar. Any rumors of his survival are played down by the higher ranks of the Legion, but lower ranking legionaries, tribals and slaves speak of the Burned Man as if he was a vengeful spirit, waiting to return. Caesar is very much aware of his survival, sending scouts and assassins to patrol the territory east of the Colorado River for any sign of him, fearing that the Burned Man may seek revenge.
His second baptism at the hands of the Legion and subsequent survival transformed him, rekindled his faith and removed his pride and vanity. After an agonizing three-month journey, he returned to New Canaan, where he was welcomed as if he had never done anything to shame them. His return would inevitably mean doom for the Mormon city, as Caesar desperately wished to see him dead. In 2281, the White Legs, on orders from Caesar, wiped out the majority of the city's residents. The remaining thirty or so refugees scattered, and Daniel, a Mormon missionary, and Graham made their way towards Zion Canyon, where they settled together with the native tribes. Still pursued by the tribe, Graham invested his efforts defending the valley, becoming the War Chief of the Dead Horses and attempting to rally them against the White Legs as Caesar had rallied the Blackfoots against their enemies years ago. In the hopes of breaking the spine of the enemy tribe and taking vengeance for New Canaan, as well as finding redemption for his past crimes.
Despite his former allegiance to Caesar's Legion, the Burned Man does not hold any ill will towards any allies of the NCR. To him, the NCR is still redeemable in his eyes, stating that the greed of man is what led to the Great War and that only through faith in God and prayer and genuine acts of kindness can humanity hope to prevent history from repeating itself.
He also has a dim opinion of Mr. House, seeing him as another Caesar; a man who rallied together his own set of tribes using his own methods to assume domination over others.
His hatred towards the Legion stems not just from the fact he was made an example by Caesar, but also Caesar's belief that his will alone will unite the wasteland under the Legion's banner and his refusal to let anything stop him. Ultimately his greatest enmity is for himself - for letting himself get swept up in Caesar's rise to power, for falling in line as his Legate and for willfully perpetrating the innumerable atrocities that helped establish his rule. What he believed may have been the start of a society of equals under one banner has become a totalitarian culture dominated by one man.
Interactions with the player characterEdit
Van BurenEdit
|The following is based on Van Buren and has not been confirmed by canon sources.
Joshua Graham (then referred to as the "Hanged Man") was to be a CNPC in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios. He was to be the first, and statistically best, CNPC that the player character encountered, but was also very evil and in some ways made the game extremely difficult for a character with poor negotiating skills. He was intended to be a "jinxed" non-player character, like the pariah dog.
Effects of player's actionsEdit
The Prisoner was to encounter somebody hanged by the neck from a pole at Fort Abandon, obviously still alive and enraged. If cut down, the Hanged Man would tag along with the Prisoner. He was wrapped from head to toe in bandages as he had been burned all over his entire body. Save for the fact that he had a connection to Caesar's Legion and was particularly ticked off at them, he would not provide many details about himself.
Rescuing the Hanged Man would cause all the tribals in the region to be angry with the Prisoner as the tribals would blame him for future crimes committed by the Hanged Man. In addition, the Hanged Man may anger any tribals he encounters and try to butcher any Twin Mothers tribals he could find. Having him in the party would make dealing with tribals and some towns extremely difficult.
The Hanged Man would not enter New Canaan. Upon arrival, he would initiate dialogue with the Prisoner and tell him/her that he had something to take care of, offering to meet at Burham Springs later on.[1] Bishop Mordecai would be able to reveal some details about him.
Upon entering Burham Springs, the Hanged Man might quote 2 Chronicles 28. The Hanged Man would laughingly refuse to drop his weapons if commanded to by Phil, possibly even inciting Phil to open fire on the party. It would be very difficult for the Prisoner to defuse the situation.[2]
|End of information based on Van Buren.
Honest HeartsEdit
Interactions overviewEdit
|This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed.
|This character is a temporary companion.
|This character is a merchant.
|Caps: 1500-2000
Sells: ammunition
weapon mods
|This character can repair items.
|Repair cap: 100
|This character starts quests.
|This character is involved in quests.
- Arrival at Zion: The player must speak with Graham to complete the quest.
- Chaos in Zion: Killing Joshua Graham (or another storyline-essential character) will start this quest.
- Civilized Man's Burden: Joshua may be asked of his opinion on Follow's-Chalk leaving the tribe and exploring the civilized lands.
- Flight from Zion, Crush the White Legs: During the final quests in Honest Hearts, Graham will become a temporary companion to the Courier.
- Gone Fishin', Roadside Attraction, Tourist Trap: After speaking to him, he will instruct the Courier to collect items to supply to the Sorrows.
- The Grand Staircase: After having obtained the map of the Grand Staircase, the Courier may give it to either Joshua or Daniel.
|Voice-over narration
|In-game condition
|After a long and troubled life, Joshua Graham finally found rest in Zion. In the end, his unswerving militancy had accomplished what the NCR's finest sharpshooters and Caesar's wrath could not. The New Canaanites took comfort in the belief that their brother's soul would again dwell in Zion at the end of days.
|Kill Joshua Graham.
|The threat of the White Legs ended, Joshua Graham helped the Sorrows and Dead Horses tend to their fallen comrades and secure Zion. The Courier's words had stayed Joshua's wrath in his darkest hour, and in sparing Salt-Upon-Wounds, he was changed. While he continued to advocate militant opposition to the enemies of New Canaan, he sometimes showed quarter to those who crossed his family. Eventually this new spirit would diminish the myth of the Burned Man in distant lands - a small price for the peace it brought to Joshua Graham.
|Help Joshua Graham Defend Zion Valley and exterminate the White Legs, then convince Joshua Graham to spare Salt-Upon-Wounds.
|With the White Legs crushed, Joshua Graham led the Sorrows and Dead Horses in tearing apart and burning the corpses of their enemies. He set about training his army in the "Way of the Canaanite," and soon the New Canaanites and tribes of Zion were feared well into the Mojave. Legends of the Burned Man grew even more depraved, and terrifying.
|Help Joshua Graham crush the White Legs and then allow Joshua Graham to execute Salt-Upon-Wounds.
|Though the Courier had stopped Joshua Graham from executing Salt-Upon-Wounds, the war chief still fell in battle. The White Legs defeated at Three Marys, Joshua led the Sorrows and Dead Horses in tending to their comrades and burning the corpses of their foes. He continued to advocate militant opposition to the enemies of New Canaan and showed little quarter to those he fought. And yet he was changed. He no longer reveled in the brutality and cruelty for which he had been known in his former life. His inner demons, if not extinguished, were at the least... appeased.
|Help Joshua Graham crush the White Legs and kill Salt-Upon-Wounds yourself.
|Other items
|Joshua Graham's armor
Joshua Graham's headwrap
|A Light Shining in Darkness
Joshua's Pistol Whippin' .45
|Random tribal consumables
- Joshua, along with Calhoun and Caesar, appears on the back of the Legion Denarius.
- Despite claiming that he accepts all forms of currency (in his words, "even Legion coin") you cannot sell Legion Denarii to him.
- Even when he was the Legate of Caesar's Legion, Joshua Graham always wore his personal SLCPD armor.
- Joshua Graham is an expert with the .45 Auto pistol (from the tradition in New Canaan), and possesses a unique model, which can be obtained without killing him.
- He is also a master with melee weapons and uses the butt end of his unique .45 Auto pistol as a powerful melee weapon.
- In-game, Joshua's bandages cover most of his face, and despite being horrifically burned, the flesh around his eyes appears slightly grey and his eyebrows appear to have been able to regrow fine.
- When first entering dialogue with Graham, he will refer to the player character as "the Courier he didn't expect," and then go on to say, "then again, he wouldn't have come with a caravan." The implication is that he expected Ulysses, rather than the player character, to come and attempt to assassinate him, adding to the evidence of Ulysses' allegiance to Caesar's Legion.
- A Legion affiliated Courier can confront Graham and ask him what would happen if Caesar is to be aware of his survival. He simply says even if he were to be killed, Caesar will not acknowledge his death in order to avoid admitting failure in killing Graham.
- If the Courier has killed Caesar, they will have a dialogue option to tell Graham that Caesar is dead. He does not give much of a reaction, but notes his surprise that Caesar died before he did and gives his opinion about the future of the Legion. He believes that Legate Lanius is not capable in leading the Legion in the long run and states it has died alongside with Caesar.
- If the Courier asks him a "personal" question about his burns and passes a Speech check of 70, he says that he is in constant pain from them. He reveals that he is immune to chems (only stimpaks work on him) and every day has to remove the bandages he wore the previous day and put on fresh ones. He mentions the pain he feels when removing the bandages, saying it feels the same as when he was set on fire and tossed into the Grand Canyon. He does this because "it is better to be clean than comfortable," implying that he replaces his bandages daily to avoid infection.
- Similar to Father Elijah and his holographic avatar image, Joshua Graham has a slightly different in-game appearance when compared to the Honest Hearts cover art. In the game, he has pale blue eyes instead of bright blue and his burned skin is more gray around his eyes.
- As a follower, Joshua will refuse to open his inventory or wait and he will neglect the Courier's requests to talk with him.
- Joshua Graham can repair equipment to 100% condition. He accepts and will repair every weapon in the game, but doesn't repair all types of apparel, making him only the fifth best non-player character with the ability to repair to max condition, the other four being Paladin Sato, Raul Tejada, Major Knight, and the Sink Central Intelligence Unit.
- Pickpocketing only works on Joshua while he is asleep.
- Joshua Graham is the only Fallout: New Vegas companion with "good" Karma, while all of the other companions have "neutral" Karma.
- If he survives all events, the Honest Hearts endings state that Joshua Graham leads the Dead Horses tribe. He is nowhere to be found upon the Courier's return to Zion, presumably having returned to Dead Horse Point with the majority of the tribe.
- If the Courier throws frag mines around Graham when he is following them, he will tell them not to throw mines all over Zion.
- Joshua's pre-burned face is shaped differently than his post-burned face.
- Joshua is one of two characters in Fallout: New Vegas to possess an irremovable mask - the other being Ulysses.
- Joshua Graham is one of the few named non-player characters in the game to be affected by the Sneering Imperialist perk.
- During Eureka!, if the player has completed Honest Hearts and Lonesome Road, the Courier can confront Lanius and mention Graham's actions as Legate during the first battle as part of a Speech check.
- If you pass, Lanius will berate and threaten the Courier for speaking his name and comparing Graham to 'any man of Caesar'.
Notable quotesEdit
- "I have been baptized twice, once in water, once in flame. I will carry the fire of the holy spirit inside until I stand before my Lord for judgement."
- "Caesar would never admit this openly, but he knows I'm alive. I've killed enough of his frumentarii and assassins that have come looking."
- "I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other."
- "Die where you stand!"
- "We have made and kept covenants with our Lord, God, to honor his laws. In exchange, we are promised eternal salvation after this life."
- "I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me. I fell down into that dark chasm, but the flame burned on and on."
- "In the best of all possible worlds, they would just leave us in peace. But they won't."
- "I want to have my revenge. Against him. Against Caesar. I want to call it my own, to make my anger God's anger. To justify the things I've done."
- "Lastly, waging war against good people is bad for the soul. This may not seem important to you now, but it's the most important thing I've said."
- "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Remember, O Lord, The Children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said, "Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation." O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed. How happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."King James Bible
- "I know Daniel doesn't approve, but destroying the White Legs is the only way to ensure the Sorrows can remain in Zion."
- "Leading in battle became training, punishing, terrorizing. A series of small mistakes before a great fall. And I stayed in that darkness until after Hoover Dam."
- "Stand up and look at what's come for you!"
- "I don't know if you were close to the other members of your group, but you have my sympathy. I pray for the safety of all good people who come to Zion - even gentiles. But we can't expect God to do all the work."
- "Show no quarter to the White Legs we come across. Make no mistake about why we are here. This is an extermination."
- "We should have given you a better welcome on your first visit to Zion, but from what I hear, the White Legs beat us to it."
- "I can always see it in my mind. The warmth and the heat. It will always be a part of me. But not today."
- "You're a good neighbor to us. We all go through periods of darkness. In such times, we can turn to the Lord, but it's good to have friends."
- "We warned you at Syracuse, and you persisted. You took advantage of us at New Canaan to drive us out, and like the dogs of Caesar you are, you followed us to Zion. And now you stand on holy ground, a temple to God's glory on Earth. But the only use for an animal in our temple is sacrifice!"
- "We have more than enough food and medicine to offer. Good news is our most valuable commodity."
Joshua Graham appears in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Honest Hearts. He is mentioned frequently, for example: in a loading screen in Dead Money and by Ulysses in Lonesome Road.
He was also to appear in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios.
Behind the scenesEdit
- A malpaís is a landform characterized by eroded rocks of volcanic origin in an arid environment. This describes many areas, but is strongly connected to the southwestern United States because of the Spanish settlers that gave the landform its name (malpais means "badland" in Spanish).
- His first name is a reference to the Book of Joshua which tells the campaigns of the Israelites in Canaan.
- It may also be a reference to the character's creator, Joshua Sawyer.
- Within the G.E.C.K. there exist references to a map above the western cliffs of the Colorado River designated "MalpaisLegionCamp," indicating that such a location once existed in an earlier version of New Vegas but was later removed. Notably, a reference for Benny is found there, should he survive the events that took place at the Fort.
- Both in Van Buren and in Honest Hearts, Joshua Graham was written by Joshua Sawyer.
- His calm, collected incarnation in Honest Hearts is vastly different from the angry, uncontrollable Van Buren version.
- Graham's return to Mormonism is based upon the parable of the Prodigal Son.[3]
- Graham's self-described "baptism by flame" seems to be a dual reference to both his "death" at the hands of Caesar, and his symbolic rebirth by way of the Mormon laying of hands, which is also known as "baptism by fire" which is the conferring of the Holy Ghost.[4]
- The inspiration for Graham came from a lot of sources, such as Paul the Apostle, Rodrigo Mendoza from The Mission, and Lawrence of Arabia. Also, the tribal markings on his armor were a reference to Rodrigo Mendoza as well.[5]
- The animation of Joshua Graham inspecting .45 Auto pistols consists of him grabbing a pistol from the table, pulling the slide back into slide lock, removing the magazine, looking into the ejection port and the barrel, reinserting the magazine, pulling the slide back into place and putting the pistol back onto the table.
- Joshua Graham states he and the Dead Horses use .45 Auto pistols because he actually descends from its creator's tribe, implied to be the Mormons. Furthermore, the real life reference to the .45 Auto pistol is the M1911 pistol, which was created by John Browning: a Mormon firearms maker who lived in Ogden, Utah close to where New Canaan would be in the Fallout universe.
- Joshua's class in the GECK editor is given as "Destroying Angel." The Destroying Angels were an alleged militant secret society in the early years of the Mormon Church who were dedicated to violently removing enemies of the church.
Developers' quotesEdit
See alsoEdit
- New Canaan design document by J.E.Sawyer
- Burham Springs design document by J.E. Sawyer
- Blackfoot design document by Sean K. Reynolds
- ↑ compare New Canaan folks negative reaction, when Alexandra entered the town
- ↑ Burham Springs design document
- ↑ WHAT? After all he has been through and all the bad things he has done and Joshua Graham still claims to be a christian? | Formspring
- ↑ Fire and the Holy Ghost - Ensign June 1995
- ↑ This is a two parter. 1. Why did you decide to make Joshua Graham a good character instead of an evil character like in Van Buren? 2. Where did the inspiration of the Joshua Graham character come from? | Formspring


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We recently traveled to the "south", giving my other half his first true exposure to the Bible belt and the United State's "interior". This was a fun trip, which will be written up later, but the flights were... complicated.
We booked what is known as an "open jaw" trip in the industry, or as "multi-city destination" by normal humans - flying from San Francisco to Memphis then from Memphis to Atlanta and home again to San Francisco. I do stuff like this all the time - it rarely costs extra, and in this case, cost way less than flying directly to Atlanta from San Francisco.
I am well aware of the NWA and Delta merger, as my brother-in-law is a Delta pilot, but I still booked my flight on the NWA website since I've been a long time frequent flyer with them and all of my information was already on their site.
Our first problem was encountered when our credit card was rejected. I tried multiple times, assuming I had done something silly like type in the wrong expiration date. No luck. Finally called our credit card company, CitiBank AAdvantage card, who claimed that buying airline tickets was an "unusual" purchase for us so they determined it was fraud and blocked the purchase. Hrm. I have racked up several hundred thousands of air miles with American, United, and Northwest. How is buying airline tickets suddenly an unusual activity for me? I think it was unusual for me to buy non American Airline tickets, so the company decided to make it awkward. Now, this was totally a weird problem with CitiBank and had nothing to do with Delta/NWA (except they weren't AA).
We were off a couple of weeks later - I reviewed both Delta and NWA's websites for information on the merger and where to check in at each airport, and everything started very well when we checked in with Delta in SFO. No problems.
Now, when it was time to go from Memphis, TN to Atlanta, GA, we hit a snag. First, I noticed the check-in reminder email came from Delta instead of NWA (unlike the first one), but figured they are actively merging more things each day so no red flags were raised. We arrived at the airport and went to the e-checkin kiosk, which made us choose if we wanted to check in with NWA or Delta. I chose NWA, because that's where I booked my tickets. The kiosk let me check in my bag, but reported an error about our boarding passes. The agent was ready to help us, but she could not find our itinerary in the computer under either Delta or NWA. Uh, oh.
She noticed my bookmark was my boarding pass from San Francisco to Memphis, so she asked to have it. With that she was able to pull up my itinerary, but not my husband's. So we dug through our bag until we found his old boarding pass and she was able to do the same thing. This took about 20 minutes and quite a line stacked up behind us. I'm glad we showed up with more than an hour 'til take off time.
Convinced I did not want to go through this same thing again at the airport when leaving Atlanta, I clicked on the email from Delta to check in the day we were flying home. My husband's seat was the same one on our reservation, but I was not able to get a boarding pass - only a "Seat Request Card". That's right - Delta had moved me to standby! Bumped me right off the flight! Now, why would you split a party? Also, I didn't think they could do this without making requests for passengers to volunteer off of the flight. This was a disaster. Fortunately, a call to a very wonderful kind soul in Delta Reservations got this worked out, but even he could not figure out why I had been bumped.
The actual flight experiences were very nice, and I really enjoyed the DirecTV on the flight from Atlanta to San Francisco. Just a heads up to any of you that might be traveling on an itinerary that crosses combined routes from these merging airlines, that you'll want to check in in advance if at all possible. I'm sure once the kinks get worked out, things will be great - but in the meantime, beware.


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An 20-month-old boy from Cambodia is healthy and strong after nursing directly from a cow for more than a month.
Tha Sophat began feeding himself directly from the cow in July, after a storm destroyed his family's home and his parents left for Thailand to find work. His grandfather said the boy initially became ill, but saw calves nursing and followed suit. When the grandfather, Um Oeung pulled him away, the boy cried. So, Oeung told Reuters, he let him continue.
Neighbors in the village of Pheas in Siem Reap province, about 195 miles from the capital Phnom Penh, are disgusted and blame the grandfather.
"They blame me and have told me not to allow him to suckle from the cow anymore. They say the boy will be ashamed when he grows up and that he will be naughty," he said.
Since Saturday, he has limited the suckling to once a day.
"His health is fine, he is strong and he doesn't have diarrhea," said Oeung.


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Sausalito Cooking School, with Recipes
Join a cooking class at Cavallo Point Lodge
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The route to Cavallo Point Lodge is almost a secret -- a quick right turn off the exit on the Sausalito side of the Golden Gate Bridge leads down a narrow twisty decline and around a corner. There, a tidy half-circle of cream-colored buildings faces an incredible vista of the San Francisco skyline; to the right of this picture-postcard view is the graceful, stupendous span of the famed bridge.
Established in 1897 as Fort Baker and now part of Golden Gate National Park, the former Army post opened as Cavallo Point Lodge in July 2008. Its spacious officers' quarters have been renovated into comfortable eco-friendly accommodations. The lodge boasts a superlative restaurant, a 13,000-bottle wine cellar, spa facilities, an art gallery, and -- the reason we're here -- an excellent cooking school.
Photography: Micheal Venera
Cooking school director Kelsie Kerr is a former chef at Chez Panisse, the restaurant owned by sustainable-food advocate Alice Waters. Kelsie has co-authored four books with Waters.
Classes cover heirloom produce and the triumvirate of chef, farmer, and vintner. "The opportunity to provide an empowering (and delicious) culinary experience and introduce people to our network of local producers marries what is most important to me," Kelsie says. Her day starts at the San Rafael market, a bustling hodgepodge of colors, fragrances, and tastes where home cooks and local chefs banter with farmers who are experts in organics. For tonight's menu, Kelsie gathers shelling beans for ragout, plump fresh figs, curly frisée, escarole, and just-ripe pears.
Today's once-a-month class, "Cooking from the Farmers Market," showcases the area's rich abundance. We'll prepare a seasonal dinner with ingredients Kelsie purchased this morning from the farmers market.
Our class begins with a glass of Prosecco, crunchy crudités, and a discussion of the menu. We divide into groups to prepare the dinner recipes. The first course is Escarole and Frisée Salad with Roasted Figs. Kelsie shows how the best frisée is "blanched," that is, covered during growth so the tender inner leaves retain a delicate white-green hue. Sturdy escarole provides contrast to the frisée. Dressed with red wine balsamic vinaigrette enriched with pan juices from the roasted figs and accompanied by pancetta-wrapped croutons, the salad is a pleasing combination of salty, sweet, and tart.
Fresh figs, like Kadota and Mission, are in season from late summer through fall.
Kelsie and cooking school manager Jayne Reichert start students with salad preparation. Several chefs are on hand to assist in teaching classes.
A second group handles the main course, Lemon-Fennel Roasted Pork Loin. A generous seasoning of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper ensures a delicious crust; the lemon-fennel stuffing imparts a subtle tartness to the meat. "The secret to this dish is seeking out the best pork you can find, preferably from farms that support sustainable practices and allow livestock to free-range," Kelsie advises.
Slow-simmered cranberry beans and French horticultural beans just out of their shells yield a creamy seasonal side dish, Fresh Shell Bean Ragout.
Golden Pear Cake bakes in a cast-iron skillet for even caramelization of the pears. A gooey brown sugar-and-butter topping seeps into the tender cake when it's turned onto its serving platter. Kelsie stresses finding the best produce available for this homey dessert and checking fruit for fragrance and absence of bruises.
Chicory Salad with Roasted Figs
2 medium heads frisée
1 medium head escarole, torn
9 fresh ripe figs
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Red Wine Balsamic vinaigrette (see recipe below)
4 3/4-inch-thick slices levain or country bread
12 thin slices pancetta or 12 slices bacon
Tear off and discard tough dark outer leaves of frisée. Remove root end. Separate leaves; wash and dry well. Remove root end of escarole; remove any blemished leaves. Separate leaves; wash and dry. Toss leaves together in very large bowl; set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut figs in half; arrange in a 2-quart baking dish cut side up. Drizzle with 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until soft and puffed.
Prepare Red Wine Balsamic Vinaigrette; set aside. For croutons, cut each slice of bread lengthwise into three 1/2-inch-wide sticks. Cut off and discard crusts. Brush bread sticks with 2 tablespoons oil. Wrap each with pancetta slice in a spiral. Place on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until pancetta is crisp.
Gently toss greens with vinaigrette. Serve with figs and pancetta croutons. Makes 6 servings.
Red Wine Balsamic Vinaigrette:
In bowl combine 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red wine vinegar. Stir in shallot. Let stand a few minutes to allow shallots to macerate. Whisk in 5 tablespoons olive oil. Adjust to taste with additional vinegar, oil, or salt. Stir in any roasting juices from figs.
Lemon-Fennel Roasted Pork Loin
Ask your butcher to remove chine bone from roast, but leave rib bones attached. Kelsie accompanies the roast with Fresh Shell Bean Ragout and roasted tomato halves topped with olive oil stirred into a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, and basil.
1 (3-pound) pork loin center rib roast
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup snipped fresh fennel fronds or 2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh sage or rosemary
Salsa Verde (see recipe below)
Cut pork loin along rib bones lengthwise to separate meat from bones. (Do not cut all the way through.) Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Place lemon slices and fennel inside cut. Tie roast into original shape with kitchen string.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place roast in shallow roasting pan fat-side up. Roast, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours or until thermometer inserted into meatiest part of roast registers 130°F to 135°F.
Cover roast with double thickness of aluminum foil. Let stand 20 minutes or until temperature registers at least 145°F. Remove string. Cut ribs from meaty portion; discard lemon and fennel. Slice roast. Separate ribs; serve alongside roast. Serve with Salsa Verde. Makes 6 servings.
Salsa Verde:
In bowl combine 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel; 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; and 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped. Season to taste. Cover; let stand while roast cooks. Finely chopped herbs may be substituted for parsley. Hard-cooked egg, anchovy, or shallots may be added. Add lemon juice or vinegar to brighten salsa to taste.
Fresh Shell Bean Ragout
Fresh shelling beans, such as cranberry, cannellini, flageolet, lima, or French horticultural beans, show up at farmers markets at the end of July through the fall months. The color of the pod generally indicates the color of the bean. Look for pods that have a leathery feel and are lumpy, an indication the beans inside are plump and ready to be eaten.
2 pounds fresh shelling beans, such as cranberry, cannellini, flageolet, or lima beans
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 to 3 teaspoons fresh savory
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Shell beans. Place shelled beans in 4-quart Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; add the 1 teaspoon salt. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; let beans cool in their liquid, about 1 hour.
Drain beans, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. In same Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Add garlic, savory, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more. Return beans and reserved liquid to pot; stir. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Season to taste. To serve, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
*Dried Bean Option:
Rinse 8 ounces dried cranberry or cannellini beans. In Dutch oven, combine beans and 5 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 1 hour. (Or, omit simmering; soak beans in cold water overnight in covered Dutch oven.) Drain and rinse. In same Dutch oven combine beans and 5 cups fresh water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain beans, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Proceed with paragraph 2 above.
Make Ahead Tip: Beans may be shelled the day before use. Store, covered, in refrigerator.
Golden Pear Cake
The next four slides (after this one) demonstrate technique for making Golden Pear Cake.
3/4 cup butter, softened (divided)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 medium or 3 large pears (11/2 pounds), cored, peeled, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Poire Williams Cream (see recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 1/4 cup butter in 9-inch cast-iron or other oven-proof skillet. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is melted and bubbly; remove from heat. Set aside; cool. (Or, make brown sugar-butter mixture in saucepan; pour into 9-inch round cake pan, spreading evenly, and allow to cool.) Arrange pear slices in skillet or pan.
In small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. (Batter may appear curdled.) Spread batter evenly over pears.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen cake from pan; invert onto plate. Serve with Poire Williams Cream. Serves 8 to 10.
Poire Williams Cream:
Beat 1 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on medium speed until cream just thickens. Add 1 tablespoon Poire Williams or other pear brandy and 2 teaspoons sugar. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form.
1. Arrange sliced pears in concentric circles over melted butter and brown sugar.
2. Spoon batter over pears and spread evenly to edge of pan. Bake 40 minutes.
3. Insert wooden pick into center of cake to test for doneness. Cool cake 5 minutes.
4. Use two hands and pot holders to carefully invert cake onto serving platter.


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The only driver to have beaten Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to the top of the podium this campaign, Ricciardo won a dramatic Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday to seal his second victory of the season, underlining his class with a high-quality drive and further shading Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel.
Ricciardo's success has raised Australian hopes of a first F1 title-holder since Jones's 1980 triumph and the former Williams driver said the expectation was justified.
"He's a contender, there's no doubt about it," the 67-year-old told Reuters in a phone interview.
"He's not a contender this year obviously because Mercedes have got the jump on everyone. Get him a good car next year. If you put that (Mercedes engine) in that bloody Red Bull, he would be a contender.
"Or get him a Mercedes, because he's proven he can qualify consistently in the top four. He can run up there with the best of them. He doesn't pile up the road or have any accidents."
After a two-year apprenticeship with feeder team Toro Rosso, Ricciardo has proved a revelation this season, mounting the podium five times, including a maiden win in Canada last month.
Sunday's win at Hungaroring put him third in the standings behind the Mercedes pair, 71 points adrift of Rosberg and 60 below Hamilton with eight races remaining.
While Ricciardo has benefited from safety car interventions in both victories, his calm in a frenetic finish in Hungary, in which the top four drivers were separated by a little more than six seconds, left few in doubt he belongs in the A-grade.
Ricciardo has also had to vie for top honours with a Renault engine, which remains well off the pace of the Mercedes power unit, according to team principal Christian Horner.
Webber's Hier
"I think Daniel's drive was exemplary," Jones said. "He did a really super job in looking after his tyres, displayed a lot of maturity and I think he's well and truly cemented himself in the team now.
"Daniel took a fantastic overtaking manoeuvre on (Fernando Alonso) to get the job done," Jones added, referring to the two-time world championship winning Ferrari driver.
"There was some speculation that in Canada that he got it handed to him to a certain degree but this one he well and truly earned. He just drove really well."
Ricciardo took his Red Bull seat from hard-bitten compatriot Mark Webber, who came close to breaking Australia's championship drought in 2010, only to blow his chance late in the season with a crash in South Korea.
In contrast to the straight-talking Webber, who sometimes wore a face of thunder at post-race media conferences, Ricciardo is rarely seen without a big toothy grin and has tried in vain to convince fans a cold-blooded competitor lurks within.
"Don't be fooled by the sunshine exterior," Ricciardo wrote last year on his blog, explaining why he has an image of a honey badger, one of the animal kingdom's most ferocious fighters, on the back of his helmet.
"Press the right buttons and I can be a very dark individual. Very angry. No, honestly I can be. Stop laughing."
Already boasting the toughness to step out of quadruple world champion Vettel's shadow at Red Bull, Ricciardo also had the temperament to deal with the pressure of being his country's motor sport standard-bearer in the post-Webber era, said Jones.
"I call him a baby-faced assassin. He hasn't got that honey badger on the back of his helmet for nothing," he added. "He's very affable, he's a terrific kid and he's always smiling but he grows horns when it counts, when he's got his bum in the car."
Though lavishing praise on Ricciardo, Jones said he could see little of himself in the young driver.
"No, he's too nice. I know I couldn't race Formula One in this day and age," he said.
"There's too much corporate bloody pressure on you and you've got to be nice with everybody, you've got to watch your Ps and Qs. You've got to be half a bloody politician."
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports).
© 2010 Ahram Online.


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Juan Pablo Montoya turned his first laps in an Indy car in 13 years Monday during his first test with new team Penske Racing.
The test at Sebring International Raceway was Montoya's first opportunity to get in his new car. He last drove in IndyCar in 2000, the year he won the Indianapolis 500 driving for Chip Ganassi.
Montoya spent seven seasons in NASCAR driving for Ganassi, but signed with rival Roger Penske in September to return to IndyCar when Ganassi decided not to bring the Colombian back for the 2014 season.
"I still don't believe it that I'm here, to be honest with you," Montoya said. "I look at the car and everything, my name on the car. It's really exciting. It's nice because there's been excitement (from) everybody that I'm coming back to open wheel."
New Penske teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves both attended the test, and Power prepared the car before turning the No. 2 over to Montoya. Also on hand was Penske adviser and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears.
Power was impressed with Montoya's first 20 laps, which weren't far off the pace Power set over 10 laps while shaking down the car in the morning. Montoya's speed did not surprise his new teammate.
"You don't win races in Formula One and poles in Formula One and races in the CART Series on your first try if you're slow," Power said. "I actually expected to learn from him. He's already brought some good ideas to the team even before he got in the car. Just from what I see from the data, he has a very similar style to me. The way he brakes and everything. That should be good as far as our setups."
Added Castroneves: "He felt really comfortable in the car. I wasn't expecting anything different to be honest. He was really relaxed."
Montoya described the first run as "really, really weird," because of all the personal adjustments he had to make to the car.
"The position of the wheel was really different. With a Cup wheel, you try to put it as low as you can, but it's so big, the wheel is a lot higher, so getting comfortable is a little bit different," said Montoya, adding that braking was difficult.
"You get on brakes and there's a bit of lag while the brakes get hot. So it takes a while to get used to that, but you get used to it. We're miles away from where I think I need to be, but second and third run it was going through the gears, through the motions. It's just so different. It's going to take a little bit of time."
Montoya was grateful Castroneves, Power and so many people from the Penske organization were on hand.
"Really, everybody works together and is trying to get me up to speed as fast as I can," Montoya said. "The faster I get up to speed, the better it is for everybody."
Montoya had modest goals for Monday: He wanted to get comfortable in the car and figure out what has changed since 2000, when he won the Indianapolis 500 driving for Ganassi.
"I'm not going out there to try and break the track record on the first lap," he said. "I'm going to build up to it and keep working on the car and get the car to do what I want. You learn that as you go through the years. When you are young, you drive the car anywhere it is. Then you realize you can make it drive for you, you can achieve the same things with half the effort."
Montoya won seven races in CART and the Indy 500 in his two seasons competing in open wheel with Ganassi. Their run together also included the 1999 CART championship. He then moved to Formula One, where he spent six seasons before abruptly quitting to return to the United States to compete in NASCAR. He reunited with Ganassi, but the results never came.
Montoya won one Nationwide race in 2007, and had two Sprint Cup victories in 253 career starts. His last win in NASCAR was in 2010, a year after he made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship and finished a career-best eighth in the standings.
At a fan event prior to his final NASCAR race earlier this month at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Montoya was blunt about his hopes for his move to IndyCar — "I'm tired of sucking," he said.
He'll have an opportunity to be competitive with Penske, a consistent contender in IndyCar for both the series championship and at the Indy 500.
"He told us he'd drive anything in the building as long as it could win," Penske team President Tim Cindric said at Sebring. "He's a quick learner, for sure. I think the difference is going to be getting him to understand what it takes to win ...
I don't care who you are, it's going to take some time to learn those nuances.
"One strength that Juan has is that he's mentally tough. He doesn't let the little things bother him much. I think he takes a pretty simple approach and I think that could pay off for him in the series."
Montoya said he's not sure yet how he'll define success in IndyCar.
"Do I want to win? Of course I want to win. Do I want to do the best I can? Yeah. How good is that going to be? I don't know," he said. "You have to beat Will, who is one of the fastest guys in the series. Helio has a ton of experience. I ran against him when I won the championship, and he's still doing it.
"For them to get in the car every day it's no big deal. This is their home, and I need to make this my home."
Power, winner of 19 races since 2007 and a three-time runner-up in the IndyCar championship race, believes Montoya will be a strong addition to the Penske organization. Power hopes he can measure his own ability against Montoya.
"It's cool to be a teammate to a guy that was successful in Formula One. I've been wanting someone like that to go up against and see where I'm at," Power said. "When I was younger he was one of the guys I looked at as the best when I was trying to get to that level. Even in CART, when you look at some of those qualifying laps at Detroit, he was a very fast solid good racer and driver."
Cindric is hopeful Montoya can push both Power and Castroneves and get Penske another championship. Penske's last IndyCar title was in 2006 with Sam Hornish Jr., and the team hasn't won the Indy 500 since Castroneves in 2009.
Castroneves finished second to champion Scott Dixon this year, and Power was runner-up in 2010 through 2012.
"For us a team, we have to figure out how to put a whole season together," Cindric said. "There hasn't been a race in the last how many years that I didn't feel like we couldn't win. Trying to understand that championship mentality is something we failed the last four, five, six years. We should have half the championships from that span, but we don' t.
"Maybe Juan can bring us that kind of mentality. He's learned a lot from his transition from Formula One to NASCAR. He hasn't had a successful teammate and we're going to be able to give him a gauge."
Montoya climbs back into an Indy car at Sebring
Juan Pablo Montoya turned his first laps in an Indy car in 13 years Monday during his first test with new team Penske Racing.


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Hey gang!
I had a fun idea to color some of the vintage "Battle" art from the "1981 Masters Of The Universe Licensee Book!!" You probably had some of the images from that book on your lunchboxes, stickers, etc. as a kid, (I know I did! ) ...I always enjoyed the illustrations (although I have not been able to find out who the artist is, any help is appreciated) & I thought coloring some of that fantastic line art from the book would definitely be a great nostalgic exercise for the 30th!! So enjoy! Line art copyright of Mattel & Colors by Jafaristew!
Vintage Colors:
Classics Colors:
My other recent MOTU fan arts for the 30th Anniversary:


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VAIL, Colo. - Lindsey Vonn dropped into a skier's tuck as if she were trying to gain a little extra speed on a downhill course.
Only, this was simply while balancing on a ball at a local gym. Soon, that could actually take place on snow.
Vonn's surgically repaired right knee is nearly fully healed and she plans to ski this weekend in Portillo, Chile.
For the moment, the plan is to have Vonn ski with the U.S. team, just a few easy runs to test out her knee. But later at the camp, she's hoping to navigate through some slalom gates and maybe, just maybe — knee willing, of course — even open it up on the course.
"But my expectations are sometimes a little bit out of whack," Vonn said Wednesday after a 30-minute workout.
The four-time overall World Cup champion is eyeing a possible return to competition in late November at a stop in Beaver Creek, Colo., which is near her hometown of Vail. That's about three months ahead of the Sochi Olympics in February, where she will defend her downhill title.
Vonn shredded two ligaments and broke a bone during a bad crash at the world championships in Schladming, Austria, more than six months ago. At the time, it looked as if the Sochi Games might be in question for her.
That no longer appears to be the case. She said her knee is feeling so good these days that she no longer needs to ice it after workouts.
"It's about 98 percent equal (to the good knee)," said Vonn, the scar on her knee barely visible.
To build up her knee, Vonn spends about four hours a day in the gym under the supervision of trainer Martin Hager. On this day, she warmed up on the treadmill and then went through a series of stretching exercises, most of which designed to increase her balance and stability.
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"Light workout," she said, with a laugh.
Listening to everything from Selena Gomez to rapper Wiz Khalifa, Vonn breezed through the workout, hardly even needing a break.
"She's doing great," Hager said. "We're happy with her progress from her knee injury. We're very happy."
Although Vonn is optimistic about her skiing in Chile, Hager remains more grounded. His goal is to have her get down the hill with no swelling in the knee.
"That will be the focus for the first few days," he said. "Just skiing without any pain. No reaction of the knee. That will be the most important factor."


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Enjoy surfing the site for free but if and/or when you become inspired to put a project together or be a part of someone else's, we suggest you Register to our network for the necessary assistance.
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[Berkeley, December 2. Image via Getty]
BERKELEY, CA - DECEMBER 02: Muslim American teenager Shaymaa Mahmoud (R) looks on during her Gender and Women's Studies class at U.C. Berkeley December 2, 2009 in Berkeley, California. Eight years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Muslims in America are once again fearing a backlash following last months Ft. Hood shootings. Muslim groups have started to organize campaigns to educate the public about Islam and its adherents. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)


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Spot clean. Made from 100% cotton fabric, 100% polyester fill.
Made in China.
PLEASE NOTE: We make every effort to ensure colors are represented accurately online. Due to possible variances in manufacturer dye lots, however, colors may vary slightly from what is depicted. Also, due to the printing process of the pattern, slight imperfections in the pattern may exist.


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Friday, April 11, 2008
An open letter to douchebag 500-level drunken brawlers
No seriously. Fuck right off.
What do you think? That by starting scraps in the stands and on GO Train platforms that you're gonna prove to all of your pathetic friends what a man you are? That you're gonna show the world how no one should fuck with you after a couple of $10 beers? That you're at the game to drink some beer and kick some ass?
You know what you are? You're not a scrappy drinker with heart who's out to show how tough you are. You're not a tough guy.
You are pathetic.
You are the scum of the fucking earth. The lowest of the low.
Why is it that when there's something that is good (like cheap seats to Jays games for those who aren't made of money), idiots like you want to come along and smear yourselves all over it? So now there will be no beer sales for anyone in the 500s during those games, including those that can handle it. Everyone is going to get patted down, and it's going to take forever to get into the building because we're going to get felt up and patted down by security every game.
Do you realize that the rest of the world is laughing at us because you stupid fucking idiots? They're not saying "Hey man, don't mess with Toronto fans! They're tough!" They are saying "Toronto fans can't hold their liquor." They are mocking you.
Are you happy? Are you pleased with yourselves? Do you get a big boner when you watch yourselves on shakey YouTube videos? Do you fancy yourselves as some Tyler Durden type of primal manly man because you let your drunken adrenaline get the best of you? What's wrong with you? What is your fucking purpose?
If you want to get drunk and pick fights, then stay at Hooters and get charged up on chicken wings and pitchers, and then spill out onto John Street and fight amongst yourselves.
Stay away from our team. We'd rather be mocked by other baseball fans for not being able to fill our seats than to be mocked for being a bunch of lightweight hooligans.
(Thanks to the Drunk Jays Fans, Neate's guest Andy Grabia and others for their thoughts.)
8 comments:
- Navin Vaswani said...
"We'd rather be mocked by other baseball fans for not being able to fill our seats than to be mocked for being a bunch of lightweight hooligans."
well put Tao, well put...
- April 11, 2008 at 12:42 PM
- the ack said...
bad ass post, Tao. I dig it.
- April 11, 2008 at 12:43 PM
- Colin said...
I'd rather be mocked for having a bad team than bad fans, at least a bad team can be blamed on management. Now I get lumped in with a bunch of dickwads who have no real interest in baseball anyways.
- April 11, 2008 at 5:05 PM
- Darren Priest said...
Open letter to Tao from the douchebags:
You got a problem, budday? You wanna go right now? I'll kick your bitch ass!
- April 12, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Quality post Tao, fucking loser student douchbags to a man. I gotta ask though, $10 for a beer !!!! Do these losers have trust funds ??
- April 12, 2008 at 1:01 PM
- Mike said...
Send 'em over to Europe - they'll not be so quick to fight with our Ultras ;)
- April 12, 2008 at 1:32 PM
*Sigh*.... unfortunately, between $2 night, and any night involving the red sux/yankees (which, with a mix of bandwagon jumpers and a good chunk of fans from these cities who cant get tickets at home) you can expect the drunken dumbasses to show up in force. I'd love to blame the visiting fans (The bandwagoners are the worst), but the Jays fans are pathetic. I was personally hit in the back of the head by a beer thrown from a luxury box last week, intended for the dude in the Ortiz jersey in front of me.
Having done security at the rogers center, Im quite glad its beefed up. I look forward to your drunken asses whining about big brother when your watching the game on TV, while REAL fans watch the gam
- April 12, 2008 at 6:49 PM
- Darren Priest said...
Not only is anonymous preaching to the choir, but he seems to hate the choir. Intriguing.
- April 12, 2008 at 7:20 PM


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Tamilo - Gray/Brown - RECT Dining Room EXT Table, 4 UPH Side Chairs & UPH Bench
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Made with Pine solids and veneers in a lighter natural honey tone with significant distressing and aged detailing. Server features cross buck side detailing, asymmetrical look with open slat shelving. Planking effect on tops constructed with multiple thickness veneers for a hand-made effect. Dining chair features fabric seat and exposed bolt-head look. Hardware is an industrial styled bar pull with textural vintage bronze color. D714-45 extension table has a trestle base.
|RECT Dining Room EXT Table:
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Quick post of an article that caught my eye from the recent newsletter from the Center for the Future of Museums:
275,000 Groups Lose Tax Exemptions After Failing to File Paperwork With IRS
The CFM estimates that's about 1,000 museums. Some of those museums, of course, haven't existed for years. You can actually see the full list here. (There are at least five or six museums in Massachusetts, for example.) Organizations were given three years to comply with the new regulations, so you can't really argue that this was a surprise.
For some of the nonprofits that are still active, and didn't get their paperwork together, this could be a devastating blow. They'll be allowed to re-apply for charity status, but not all of them will make it.
Is this kind of accountability a good thing? I'm not sure the IRS is going to recoup vast amounts of taxes from this exercise, and you could argue that targeting nonprofits, who don't always have the resources to hire tax lawyers and accountants, isn't entirely fair. Especially since big corporations, who are in theory taxed at as much as 35%, often find all sorts of loopholes, and in the end pay less in income tax than anywhere else in the world. In fact, lost of them don't pay taxes at all.
One of the AAM advocacy points is the argument that museums actually can be economic boosters in their neighborhoods. Cultural centers often are – see this great report from NPR about an arts center in Omaha, Nebraska, that's bringing $100 million to its neighborhood.
No real conclusions, here, just lots of questions and things to consider – which is exactly what one hopes for from a newsletter about the future of museums.
PS – if you're not on the mailing list for the CFM, you're missing out. Go, run, and sign up.


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The 2019 Mazda CX-5 balances exceptional sports car inspired styling and design with a sleek, aerodynamic performance. It challenges convention by combining outstanding efficiency with driving excitement. It's an SUV, but not as you know it.
The flowing lines and sculpted body provides a striking and distinctive appearance, while beneath the surface a full array of SKYACTIV Technology delivers responsive performance, outstanding fuel economy and low CO2 emissions. The Mazda CX-5, for drivers who don't believe in compromise.
As a mid-size SUV, Mazda CX-5 is built with visual hints to both sports car agility and SUV confidence. It's crafted using Mazda's exciting and innovative design language– KODO: Soul of Motion – resulting in smooth and flowing lines that show the vehicle's power in a subtle yet striking way.
(Standard Features)
(Standard Features in addition to SE-L Nav+)
(Standard Features in addition to Sport Nav+)
The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the 2019 Mazda CX-5 range: Combined 36.7 (7.7) - 49.6 (5.7)*. CO2 emissions (g/km) 150 – 128*
Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load.
*There is a new test used for fuel consumption and CO2 figures. The CO2 figures shown however, are based on the outgoing test cycle and will be used to calculate vehicle tax on first registration.


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IFT Member Named Teacher of the Year
by Beth Camplain | Oct 23, 2012
Schaumburg High School, District 211 high school teacher named the 2012 Teacher of the Year by The Illinois State Board of Education.
The Illinois State Board of Education named high school English teacher Brian W. Curtin as the 2013 Illinois Teacher of the Year. Brian teaches 9th-12th grade at Schaumburg High School in Township High School District 211 and was chosen from nine finalists. Curtin was announced as this year's top educator during Saturday night's 38th annual Those Who Excel/Illinois Teacher of the Year banquet in Normal.
"Great teaching is about making a connection with students and Brian Curtin makes those important connections every day," said State Superintendent Christopher A. Koch. "Brian is one of those inspirational teachers who makes creative and engaging lesson plans look easy and leads through example and self-discipline."
Now in his tenth year of teaching, Brian maintains a great rapport with his colleagues, parents and most importantly, students. Known for his enthusiasm for learning, he encourages students to be proactive in their education and life goals.
While a junior at the University of Illinois, Brian studied abroad in Granada, Spain and it was there he decided that he wanted to be a teacher for the rest of his life. Brian also draws upon his own experiences playing various sports to guide him as a lacrosse and football coach who builds students' self-confidence and skills.
Brian graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign and holds a Masters of Art in English Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is currently awaiting National Board Certification after completing the requirements earlier this year.
Students, parents and colleagues describe Brian's teaching style as innovative and engaging. Former student and lacrosse player Chris Flight said he and other students naturally gave 120 percent on the field or in the classroom because of Brian's leadership skills. In his letter of recommendation, Chris described his lively freshman English class when `Mr. Curtin' let students choose roles, dress in character and act out the Odyssey. As part of a mythology unit, students were challenged to put Greek gods up for adoption, market their best qualities and ensure they found a good home, and in another assignment, students demonstrated what they learned about civil disobedience and Antigone by making videos. Chris also described a teacher who always made time for him and other students inside and outside the classroom.
"The fact that this teacher has had such an incredible impact on my life is something to be praised," Flight wrote in his letter. "The fact that I'm one of many such students who have been impacted this way speaks volumes about not just the teacher, but also of the incredible quality of the man himself."
Brian's impact is not limited to the classroom or athletic field. Brian is the Teaching Chair of Schaumburg High's Saxon Pride, a group of faculty members who meet regularly to address school culture and behavior issues. Using the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS), Brian has developed a series of popular commercials starring students. The commercials are designed to reinforce the program's goals of exemplifying positive behaviors rather than merely reacting to negative behavior. Brian's active participation in Saxon Pride is credited with enhancing Schaumburg High's positive culture.
More than 200 nominations for Those Who Excel were reviewed and scored three times by a selection committee comprised of administrators, teachers and school board members. Principals, faculty, parents and students submit letters on behalf of candidates as part of the nomination process.
The nine finalists for Teacher of the Year were interviewed and videotaped, and those interviews were scored again before going to State Superintendent Koch for a final decision.
As Illinois Teacher of the Year, Brian will have opportunities to share his knowledge and expertise outside the classroom. Beginning in the 2013 spring semester, Brian will be available to speak at teaching workshops, educational conferences and community meetings. He will receive a lifetime tuition waiver to state universities and will represent Illinois at the NASA Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., and in the National Teacher of the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers, ING and Target. Curtin will also receive products from SMARTer Kids.
"Brian Curtin's creativity, innovation and energy are well known within District 211," said State Board of Education Chairman Gery J. Chico. "But thanks to this program and honor, we hope that he can share his talent and skills with dedicated teachers across the state who, like Brian, want their students to succeed and find happiness inside and beyond the classroom."


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If you had to pick one man whose leadership is most essential to the future success of the Nuggets, would you go with coach George Karl or general manager Masai Ujiri?
My vote: Ujiri is more valuable. By a power of 10.
Contrary to popular belief, the potential free agent Denver really needs to lock up this offseason is not Andre Iguodala, a $15 million guard who shoots 58 percent from the foul line and is professed to be an all-world defender, yet can't be entrusted to lock down Stephen Curry in the NBA playoffs.
Ujiri rescued the Nuggets from the chaos caused by Carmelo Anthony's trade demand.
Ujiri has discovered real talent late in the first round of the NBA draft, while bringing Kenneth Faried and Evan Fournier to Denver.
Ujiri would be far harder to replace in the front office than Karl would be on the bench.
After being recognized as the league's executive of the year, Ujiri picked a good time for his contract to expire in Denver. Sports executive Tim Leiweke helped bring the Avalanche to Colorado. Now Leiweke could steal Ujiri from town. Leiweke oversees the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have cast covetous eyes at Ujiri.
Ujiri deserves a big raise from the Nuggets. Pronto.
During the playoffs, the Nuggets practiced at the historic, tony and musty Olympic Club in downtown San Francisco.
The doors to the basketball court were closed, much to the dismay of two club members, who wanted to take a peek inside to catch a glimpse of point guard Ty Lawson.
When Ujiri exited the gym to make a cell call in private, the club members were disappointed he wasn't somebody famous.
"Who was that?" a guy dressed in sweats asked as Ujiri walked away.
"One of the most brilliant basketball minds in the NBA," I replied.
My statement was met with an incredulous look and a one-word challenge: "Really?"
With all due respect to Lawson, Ujiri is the MVP of the Nuggets.
Lose Ujiri, and the Nuggets would be lost.


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You thought it was a victimless crime, a Portland rite of passage.
You drive across the Columbia River, fill your trunk with powerful fireworks that are legal in Washington, and then smuggle them back to Oregon to put on a show.
Erin Janssens says you must stop.
Portland's new fire chief is hell-bent on extinguishing illegal fireworks this Fourth of July.
"People want to have fun," she says. "They believe it to be patriotic in some way. But they're not recognizing that they really don't have control. I don't think they realize the impact on others."
Kat Whitehead and Jasper Shen know what Janssens means.
They spent last Fourth of July comforting their yellow Labrador, Daisy, who panicked so much at the explosions of neighborhood fireworks that she barked and tore around until she started to hyperventilate.
Eventually Whitehead went to bed, exhausted. Shen had collapsed on the couch in his boxers when his cellphone buzzed.
"Oh my God," the text message read. "I saw the fire trucks. Are you guys OK?"
Shen didn't understand the message—and then thought about Aviary, the Northeast Alberta Street restaurant he and Whitehead had opened five months earlier, already gaining a following for dishes such as crispy pig ears.
They dashed the 15 blocks to Aviary, where firefighters on top of the restaurant were throwing off glowing chunks of roof. Heat from the fire and four inches of sooty water from the sprinklers had turned the kitchen and dining room into a muggy swamp. It would take five months and $1 million to repair it.
"Water was pouring out of anything it could pour out of," Shen says. "It was nobody's fault—except whoever threw the fireworks."
This isn't supposed to happen here. Since 1951, state law has banned most fireworks except in professional displays.
But fireworks are still exploding in Oregon: Not just bottle rockets and firecrackers, but Roman candles and mortars. As for cherry bombs or ash can M-80s, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives classifies these as homemade explosive devices, and the Oregon Fire Marshal instructs local authorities to call the bomb squad.
The vendors who set up temporary shop in Oregon can sell only ground fireworks, like sparklers and fountains, that don't launch anything more than a foot in the air.
But Oregonians have a proud tradition of hauling illegal fireworks over the Columbia River from Washington, where they're legal and create a frantic seasonal border economy. In Clark County, vendors, including the fireworks superstore Blackjack, rake in at least $6 million in a single week.
Nationwide, the fireworks industry moves 200 million pounds a year—most from China—worth $600 million. Despite the dangers, rules against fireworks are being rolled back across the United States. When cities try to tighten controls—as in Vancouver last week—the plans often fizzle with howls of big-government meddling.
Janssens believes she can defy a half-century of history.
Portland's fire chief believes she can persuade Portlanders to stop setting off banned fireworks—and, if people don't listen, make sure they get caught.
She thinks she can make the Fourth of July a silent night, except for city-sanctioned shows, and bring some civility back to your neighborhood. The new chief is behind the biggest public-service campaign ever aimed at warning people in the Portland area about fireworks.
She's already upended convention once this year. On June 5, she became the first female fire chief in the 159-year span of Portland Fire & Rescue—a bureau that had just two other women firefighters when she joined in 1988.
If Janssens is going to douse illegal fireworks, however, she'll first need to extinguish a statewide culture.
"I am an optimist," Janssens says. "But I'm also tenacious."
Janssens became a firefighter on a dare. Growing up in Boring, she wanted to be a doctor or an architect. At age 20, she tried to convince a friend he should become a firefighter. "You think it would be so great," he told her, "why don't you do it?"
"I didn't know of women being in the fire service," Janssens says. "Everybody used the term 'fireman,' and that's where I began to really appreciate the power of language."
When she joined the Portland Fire Bureau in 1988, most of the fire stations didn't have women's restrooms, because they didn't have women. The union—famously an old boys' network—sued the city in 1994, accusing it of reverse discrimination in job promotions. The suit alleged Janssens' exam to become a lieutenant didn't weigh seniority fairly; the case was dismissed a year later.
Some firefighters are still rankled about Janssens' appointment as chief—City Commissioner Randy Leonard, a former fire union boss, picked her over the rank and file's preferred choice.
"There's a lot of people who like her," says Jerry Alvarez, who recently retired from the Bureau. "There's a lot of people who don't. It's an authoritative thing."
But Leonard says he appointed Janssens—who most recently worked as the city's fire marshal—because of how she had stepped up Portland Fire & Rescue's public-relations barrage against illegal fireworks. "Which I greatly appreciated," Leonard says, adding, "Firefighters dread the Fourth of July."
In their hatred of fireworks, Portland firefighters can sometimes sound like hyperbolic worrywarts. (Here's Bureau spokesman Paul Corah describing a sparkler: "The tip of it is 1,200 degrees. That's the same temperature as a blowtorch. Would you hand a kid a blowtorch?") But they have real evidence of destruction.
Last July 4, the Bureau responded to 40 fires, 19 of them caused by fireworks. That's down from the 10-year high mark in 2004, which saw 75 fires on July 4—55 caused by fireworks. But it's still more than three times as many fires in a single day as the 12 fires the Bureau sees in an average week.
For the week preceding the Fourth, fire patrols routinely witness amateur fireworks displays on nearly every corner, with staffing too stretched to cite them all. "It's like a mini-Vietnam," says Michael Silva, a senior inspector with Portland Fire & Rescue. "You can't be fast enough."
There's other collateral damage: wildfires. Traumatized war veterans forced to relive the sounds of combat. Injuries and frightened children and scared pets. (Multnomah County Animal Services sees a 25 percent spike in wandering dogs and cats on the week of July 4.)
Emails to the Bureau from citizens show a lot Portlanders have had enough, too.
"We have one neighbor on [Northeast] 28th between Tillamook and Hancock who shoots professional-level fireworks from his driveway, until midnight, with risk to cars and houses nearby," reads one. "He and his buddy, drinks in hand, light one after the other while their children run about and the entire scene feels like an accident waiting to happen. We have asked them, year after year, to please stop—but they refuse."
"My kids are up, and my dog is petrified, to the point that I need to sedate him," reads a complaint from Southeast 167th Avenue. "I have a simple question. Is Portland a city where laws are enforced?â
Aviary's owners now give a testimonial in a new fire and police training video about fireworks. "We don't want to be the annoying kids who are ruining everyone's fun," Whitehead tells WW. "I think until you've been impacted, you think it's not a big deal. But for us, it was huge."
The Aviary fire is a poster child for fireworks-caused blazes, but it's not alone.
On July 25, 2009, a firework landed in the landscaping outside Four Seasons Beauty Supply at Southeast 122nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard. The salon burst into flames and began to explode. "We just went to bed and heard, 'Kaboom, kaboom, kaboom,ââ a neighbor told KATU. The salon never reopened.
The next year, on July 4, fireworks debris ignited accumulated dryer lint under an exhaust fan on the roof of Park Place Assisted Living Community near Tualatin. A fire spread into the building's attic, and the 80 seniors in the residential center were evacuated by staff.
In 2007, a 4-year-old Sherwood boy lit a stash of illegal fireworks in his father's bedroom closet. The seven other people in the two-story duplex ran outside before realizing the child was still trapped in the room. The boy was the most recent death in Oregon from fireworks.
Janssens didn't begin the Bureau's anti-fireworks efforts. Portland Fire & Rescue began a PR campaign in 2006, along with an enforcement program called Operation Lower the Boom. But Leonard says Janssens has taken the most aggressive approach to fireworks of any fire marshal he's seen in the last 35 years.
Janssens is still moving into the chief's office in Old Town. Boxes are half unpacked. Commemorative plates are strewn around her desk. A watercolor print of the great San Francisco fire of 1906 is propped against the wall on the floor.
Janssens talks in the cadences of the NPR shows she listens to during her commute. She could be the host of one of those shows, with her soothing repetitions of words like "impact" and "awareness." It's the language of someone who runs a human resources department, not a paramilitary organization.
"We're trying to do educational outreach, and give people the opportunity to make a decision," she says. "And if they continue to disregard other people and the law, then there will be consequences. And most people don't like the consequences."
Janssens' allies and critics in the Fire Bureau agree she possesses two central characteristics: a self-possession in conversation, and a close attention to detail that her supporters call precision and her detractors call micromanaging.
She's put both of those qualities to use fighting fireworks.
The $70,000-plus educational campaign sees Portland Fire & Rescue partnering for the first time with four other fire departments: Gresham, Clackamas, Lake Oswego and Tualatin Valley. The blitz includes billboards, radio and newspapers (the Bureau is advertising with WW, The Oregonian and The Portland Mercury), movie theater pre-show ads and TriMet bus placards.
Janssens is also giving police more muscle—effectively deputizing every officer as a fire marshal by giving them authority to issue citations and fines. (Police have had only one option before: arrest and book violators.)
"That's my last-ditch effort," Janssens says of fines. "Worst-case scenario, if being a good neighbor [isn't] important to you, then, OK, here's the law. Because there's going to be different ways that you reach different people."
But some very different people are just a bridge away.
Frank McKoy is stocking the metal shelves in a section of Blackjack Fireworks he calls "mortar central" with explosives named Packing Heat, One Big S.O.B. and Outta Control. One mortar is titled That's Your Problem, and shows a cartoon Uncle Sam as a skull with one eyeball. "WARNING," the labels say. "SHOOTS FLAMING BALLS."
McKoy, who owns Blackjack, is a burly man with a Santa belly, a week's worth of stubble on his chin and a personal weakness for a novelty firework called Poopy Puppy: a cardboard puppy that excretes a brightly colored snake out its backside. "That is funny," McKoy says. "My other stores sell these like hotcakes."
McKoy was there in 1981 on the day his father opened the now-landmark yellow Blackjack store, easily visible from Interstate 5. "I was 16 years old," he says. "There were about 150 people waiting in the pouring rain. It was a mob house.â
Despite the pirate's face on the store's billboard, Blackjack isn't breaking any laws. The store has been operating for 31 years in Clark County, where Washington state law says McKoy can sell a wide range of Roman candles and mortars from June 28 through July 4. Citizens are allowed to set them off only during that week.
But Blackjack makes enough money from that single week to pay the yearly mortgage on its 10,000-square-foot building and surrounding properties. And the vast tents of competitors spring up each summer to wage a price war. Ten days before sales open, banners facing the highway read, "We beat Blackjack every day."
McKoy now lives outside Austin, Texas, and his family also runs stores in South Dakota and Nevada. He imports his wares from China, and each year in a week's time sells three to four truckloads at the Washington location.
In the early 1980s, McKoy says Portland police tried to conduct stings of Oregonians buying fireworks in Washington by using undercover detectives to call in Oregon vehicle licenses in the parking lot of Vancouver fireworks stores.
McKoy says he isn't encouraging any scofflaws. "What people in Oregon don't know is you can set them off here [in Washington] and be legal," McKoy says. "They can go down to the river and light 'em over the river like everybody in Washington does."
McKoy won't say how much he rakes in, but the four for-profit tents within Vancouver city limits that compete with him reported $1.1 million in earnings in a week last year, according to city records. The Fort Vancouver National Trust, which oversees nonprofits, estimates that charities' fireworks stands brought in $5 million in Clark County last year.
The American Pyrotechnics Association says consumer sales of fireworks topped $649 million in 2011—up from $433 million a decade earlier.
In the last two years, five states looking for new tax revenues relaxed their regulations; Kentucky and Michigan legalized every firework not banned by federal law.
When officials in Vancouver try to move in the other direction, the idea blows up in their faces. On June 18, the Vancouver City Council intended to pass a fireworks ban just like Oregon's.
The proposal would force vendors selling anything but "safe and sane" fireworks—nothing traveling more than a foot in the air—to unincorporated Clark County, where Blackjack operates.
The Council chambers are packed. The Council hears that Vancouver's 22 seasonal fireworks stands raise money-—$2.86 million last year in the city limits—for the likes of the Evergreen High School band and a veterans' organization.
One person who testifies is Brent Pavlicek, general manager of Aurora-based Western Fireworks, which supplies the Vancouver vendors. That's right: The fireworks sold in Vancouver are imported to the U.S. via Oregon. Western Fireworks is owned by Wayne Scott, a former Oregon House majority leader (R-Canby). It's Oregon's largest importer and supplier of fireworks, most of them from China.
Pavlicek tells the Vancouver City Council that if it passes a ban like Oregon's, it will be destroying all fireworks business in the city.
Among many foes, there is also an unmistakable subtext of culture warfare. A teenager quotes Thomas Jefferson. Another man references Bill O'Reilly. Two people recite the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner."
It's as if somebody crossbred gun control with the War on Christmas. "If we didn't have Fourth of July," says a man in his 20s, "we wouldn't have Veterans Day, we wouldn't have Memorial Day, there wouldn't be America. Our founding fathers, if they weren't dead already, I think they'd die."
The Council caves and, near midnight, rejects the ban by a 6-1 vote.
Banned fireworks will keep pouring south across the Columbia River from Vancouver. What's a crusader to do?
Janssens hopes a new generation will think differently.
"What I'm just focusing on is, how can we change the culture here?" Janssens says. "How can we have an impact on Portland? I mean, wouldn't it be nice if everybody thought the same way we did?"
To better understand how people think about fireworks, we blow some up.
Blackjack hasn't opened by our deadline, but tribal fireworks stands—not limited as to when they can open—are selling.
So we drive 101 miles to Thunder City Mall, a kind of flea market of fireworks on the Chehalis Reservation outside Oakville, Wash: plywood booths around a parking lot—like little bunkers, or the world's most depressed county-fair midway—with names such as Bomb Shelter and Pyro-Maniac's.
A light rain falls. A lanky boy throws party poppers into the grass. A man outside the square fires rockets into the mist.
At one booth, called War Party, we buy the Excalibur, with its 24 canister shells, four Roman candles, 100 Black Cat bottle rockets, and mortar cakes called Aquarium, Robot Rage and The Hustler.
Our haul is illegal in Oregon, so we decide to set them off in Washington—although setting them off so early in June isn't allowed.
At Lacamas Lake Regional Park in Camas, we open with a few cheap and disappointing bottle rockets. Then we shoot a Roman candle that unloads five orange projectiles into the sky out of our hand. It's louder than we expected, like a missile strafing in a violent '80s cartoon.
With night falling, we set up two Excaliburs and light one. The mortar fires a flaming ball 30 feet high, a real pink-and-blue flower of fire blossoms above us, and the finishing boom echoes through the firs. The ashes drift down onto our hair and forehead, like a sacrament on a holy day.
Knowing all that Erin Janssens has told us about fireworks, we ought to feel guilty. And not just because we're interrupting people's peace and risking their property.
We might notice that it feels like a political act, in a larger debate about whether our individual good time should trump the quiet society others want to enforce. Knowing the law, the rancor, the border war—being, in short, educated—we might sense that setting off fireworks is taking sides in an endless argument.
But we also understand the allure—the burning colors, smells of spent gunpowder, the percussion of the blast.
âAwesome,â we say.
After the second Excalibur explodes, the Camas police cars pull up.
âDo you guys have any idea how illegal you are right now?â an officer asks us.
The officer has a friendly face and a white mustache. He seems less angry than perplexed that we could be so stupid. His partner, a younger man, has a flashlight, which he uses to look over our stash. We explain that we are from Oregon, and we donât normally get to set these things off.
We would be legal, the officers tell us, on another day. But not in the park.
The mustached officer says he heard Excalibur from more than a mile away.
The cops write down a name and address in a notepad, but donât cite us.
âYou get out of here,â the younger officer says, âand weâll call it a night.â
They let us take our unexploded mortars back to our car and drive back across the river.
Theyâve decided this is Oregonâs problem.


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