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Integrity in sports as a whole is eroding, sending the wrong messages to our youth about what it means to be an athlete, a success, a winner. The youth ball field has proven to be a feeding ground for overzealous parents, coaches and administrators who, often without knowing it, taint children's minds with a warped sense of what it means to be a competitor. Lacking a strong frame of moral reference, the result is too often a broken spirit rather than an uplifted and enriched heart.
"It's a boot camp because it's an intense, three day leadership and advanced skills clinic for passionate baseball and softball players. The kids work hard and are rewarded in so many ways, both physically and spiritually. With the addition of softball, we're certain to capture the imagination of many girls in our community," said Mark Moreno, Board Memebr of STRETCH.
The boot camp costs $150. This includes professional training, a ball cap, a warm up shirt, two lunches and two dinners, a BBQ on Sunday and other goodies.
About STRETCH - The STRETCH Ministries mission is to provide a superior off-season baseball and softball experience that will infuse character filled leadership skills into the minds and souls of young ball players – Respect / Teamwork / Dedication / Integrity / Enthusiasm / Self-Control / Confidence / Humility - through the moral teachings of Jesus. Our hope is that a portion of the community's top young athletes put these skills to use while participating in their respective civic leagues (e.g., Pony, Little League, Babe Ruth, Pleasanton Girls Softball League, etc.), fighting to bring integrity back to ball fields and to sports as a whole.
Additional information about STRETCH is available at www.gostretch.org . Email STRETCH at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Ashley Newcomb's January Flowers quilt uses a fabulous large-scale print and some beautiful quilting to great effect.
Here's what Ashley had to say about her quilt:
"This quilt is completely inspired by Denyse Schmidt, and is my recreation of this particular quilt of hers. It has been a favorite for a long time, but it took a while for me to find just the right focal print to use in my version of this quilt. As soon as I saw this floral print from Melody Miller's latest line, Ruby Star Shining, I knew it was just what I had been looking for. I love the colors of this print and decided to play up the bits of pink and purple by adding in as many shades of those colors as I could find in my stash. I used one or two other printed fabrics for interest, but Melody's floral print is definitely the star of this quilt!"
Read more about Ashley's work on her blog, Film in the Fridge.

subset: commoncrawl


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A Connecticut woman who was mauled and severely injured by an out-of-control chimpanzee and is now suing the state says Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, as then-mayor of Stamford, knew the animal was dangerous.
A Connecticut woman who was mauled and severely injured by an out-of-control chimpanzee and is now suing the state says Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, as then-mayor of Stamford, knew the animal was dangerous.
In an interview with The Hartford Courant, Charla Nash said the chimpanzee got loose and roamed Stamford in 2003. She says Malloy knew the chimp's owner, Sandra Herold, and allowed her to take him home and warned that he should be locked up. She was attacked by the animal in February 2009.
"I know he was the mayor when Travis was running loose that time in 2003. . (Herold) knew him. And she said he allowed her to take Travis home and said (to) keep him locked up," she said. "I think it was said that if he got loose again, they were going to shoot him. That's what Sandra told me."
Malloy's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso, said Friday that the governor may have met and spoken with Herold when she attended one or more of his periodic meetings with the public. But he said it was "never about the chimp" and not about the incident Nash mentioned.
Nash's lawyers say state environmental officials received reports and complaints about the danger and that the state was required by law to remove Travis, but did nothing.
She said the chimpanzee was "a known danger" in a residential area.
"With a dog, you've got to keep him on a leash," she said. "Animals have to have rabies shots. How come he was excluded?"
A spokesman for the state environmental agency would not comment because Nash's case is before the state claims commission.
Nash has a $50 million lawsuit against the estate of Herold, who died in May 2010. She also has a request before the state's claims commissioner for permission to pursue a $150 million lawsuit against the state for allegedly failing to protect the public, including herself, from a dangerous animal.
If her request to sue the state is denied by the Claims Commission, she can appeal to the legislature. Nash's lawyers have hired a lobbyist to represent her if necessary at the state Capitol.
The state has "sovereign immunity" against most lawsuits unless such permission is granted.
"I hope that I do get my day in court," Nash said.
In addition to her legal challenges, Nash has medical hurdles to overcome, including another operation to give her new hands. A double transplant failed last year.
Part of her current therapy regimen is to gain weight, she said, and she needs to build strength, especially in her arms.
"I don't know what the future's going to bring ... so I don't get my hopes up," she said.


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Release Details
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) system for targeting certain high-risk cargo continued to net results in the last half of fiscal year 2013 leading to the identification of about 8.2 million units of consumer products that violated U.S. safety rules or that were found to be defective. For all of FY2013, more than 12.5 million units of violative imports were prevented from reaching the hands of consumers.
CPSC's targeting system, known as the RAM (risk assessment methodology), was deployed as a pilot project in late 2011. Currently, CPSC is proposing to expand the RAM program, so that the program can reach its full potential of actively preventing dangerous imports from entering the stream of commerce, while facilitating compliant trade.
The RAM allows CPSC investigators to analyze certain data provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) about shipments of consumer products arriving at U.S. ports of entry, and then make risk-based decisions about which shipments to inspect. The RAM also allows CPSC to recognize low-risk cargo and facilitate its movement through the ports.
Using the RAM, CPSC investigators and their CBP counterparts were able to screen more than 14,000 different imported consumer product shipments during the last two quarters of FY 2013 -- April through September 2013.
During that six-month period, the screenings led to the identification of more than 600 shipments containing violative or defective products, totaling about 8.2 million units -- all of which CPSC and CBP prevented from moving into the U.S. stream of commerce and into the hands of consumers.
About 550 of the 600 product shipments investigators stopped were children's products totaling about 2.1 million units.
The leading hazards identified in shipments of children's products from April through September 2013 continued to be lead content or lead in paint in higher than allowable amounts. Additional hazards identified were products that contained phthalates and toys and other articles with small parts that present a choking hazard for children younger than 3 years old.
During the period when retailers imported products for the Memorial Day and Independence Day holidays in 2013, investigators stopped 51 shipments of violative fireworks. The more than 4.1 million units of fireworks made up the bulk of non-children's products that were stopped in the six-month time frame.
A shipment of 100,000 disposable lighters was also stopped and seized for destruction due to the importer's failure to demonstrate that the lighters successfully met performance safety requirements, including child resistance. Before cigarette lighters were required to be child-resistant, fire loss data revealed an estimated annual average of 7,250 residential structure fires, 190 deaths and 1,290 injuries that resulted from children younger than 5 playing with lighters.
A significant number of other products were identified for a variety of administrative violations.
Acting CPSC Chairman Bob Adler said the success of the import surveillance mission is a win for both consumers and retailers.
"Every day, our investigators, working with our federal partners in CBP, are focused on keeping U.S. families safe from harmful products," Acting Chairman Adler said. "Our RAM program is a win-win-win for CPSC, consumers, and industry, which is why we are working to expand our defenses at the ports."
A complete list of products found in violation of safety requirements enforced by CPSC is at https://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/Violations.
The RAM was developed to meet the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, which directed CPSC to create a risk assessment methodology to identify products imported into the U.S. that are most likely to violate consumer product safety statutes and regulations.
CPSC has been screening products at ports since the agency began operating in 1973. The agency intensified its efforts in 2008 with the creation of an import surveillance division and again in 2011 with the creation of the Office of Import Surveillance.
CPSC Import Stoppage Report
3rd & 4th Quarters, FY 2013
NOTE: Data are from samples collected from April 1, 2013 to September 30, 2013. The quantities below are approximate. Minor changes may occur due to updated data.
Total number of screenings – 14,111
Total number of products stopped – 616
Total number of units stopped – 8,214,887
Children's Products
Total number of products stopped – 548 (89%)
Total number of units stopped – 2,091,737 (25%)
Products Stopped by Primary Violation/Defect
Lead – 225 (paint 14; content 211) (41%)
Phthalates – 114 (20%)
Tracking labels – 62 (11%)
Art materials – 49 (8%)
Small parts – 39 (7%)
Certification – 21 (3%)
Durable nursery products – 21 (3%)
Misbranded toys – 15 (2%)
Misbranded balloons – 8 (1%)
Battery-operated toys – 5 (1%)
The remaining 3 percent included drawstrings, pacifiers, and rattles.
Non-Children's Products
Total number of products stopped – 68 (11%)
Total number of units stopped – 6,123,150 (75%)
Products Stopped by Primary Violation/Defect
Fireworks – 51 (75%)
Cigarette/Multi-purpose lighters –8 (12%)
Mattress flammability – 6 (9%)
Generator labeling – 2 (3%)
Hair dryers – 1 (1%)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800


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Anastasia was my maternal grandmother. She was born February 23, 1889 to Andrew Przybylski and Frances Rochowiak. There were seven siblings that I could locate, and Anastasia was the sixth in line. The last two siblings were twins, Eva and Adam. Adam had died in infancy.
Here is a screen snap of her branch of the family tree.
She married twice. First marriage was to Stanley Lawecki. They had a son, Daniel, born July 21, 1910 and baptized July 24, 1910 in St. Stanislaus parish.
Daniel's baptismal record is transcribed below:
Nomen Infantis Et Residentia: Daniel
Dies Mensis Annus Navitatis: 21a Julii Baptismi: 24a Julii
Nomen Parentum: Stanislaus Lawecki, Anastasia Przybylski
Nomen Patrinorum: ?? Lawecki, Eva Przybylska
Stanley passed away in October 1910 due to typhoid, and Daniel passed away a month later due to cholera.
Stanley and Daniel are both buried in Calvary Cemetery, Toledo.
Stanley's burial record is transcribed below:
No. 12404
Name of deceased: Stanley Lawecki
Late residence: 1637 Vance
Age: 25 years, 0 months, 18 days
Color: W
Sex: M
Disease: Typhoid Fever
Date of interment: 12 Oct.
Married, Single, Widowed: M
Place of death: Toledo
No. of Grave: 269
No. of Lot: 26
No. of Sect.: 27
Name of Physician: E. Story
Name of undertaker: WJ Gasiorowski
Daniel's burial record is transcribed below:
No. 12461
Name of deceased: Daniel Lawecki
Place of Nativity:
Late Residence: 1637 Vance
Color: W
Sex: M
Age: 3 months, 11 days
Disease: Cholera Infantum
Date of deceased: 11/2
Date of interment: 11/5
Place of death: Toledo
Name of physician: A. Kreiger
Grave 3, Lot 180, Section 29
Anastasia married John Plenzler on November 2, 1912. They resided at 722 Brown Street and had three children: Raymond, Florence, and Virginia.
Marriage record from St. Anthony's Parish for Anastasia Lawecka Przybylska and John Plenzler.
Anastasia caused me a bit of confusion while researching her. The first record I was able to locate for her was her death certificate, which states her birth as February 23, 1891. As I went further, looking into St. Anthony's and St. Stanislaus parish records, I stumbled upon the marriage record for Anastasia and John Plenzler. The marriage record indicated that she was baptized on February 20, 1889.
Baptismal record for Anastasia Przybylski
Anastasia was widowed again when John died in 1936. Two of their children were grown adults by then; however, my mother was only 10 years old when her father passed away of stomach cancer. Anastasia herself passed away in March, 1946 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Death certificate Anastasia Przybylski
She was buried in Calvary Cemetery. Here is the transcription of the Calvary burial record:
Name: Anastasia Plenzler
Residence: Toledo
Age: 55
Cause of death: cerebral hemorrhage
Date of interment: 3/16/1946
Grave: 3740, Range or lot: 8, Section: 32
Undertaker: Sujkowski & Son


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I Have Alzheimer's Diseasealz.org | IHaveAlz
- Taking Care of Yourself
- Reducing Stress
- Tips for Daily Life
- Helping Friends and Family
- Leaving Your Legacy
- Take Action
We Can Help
- Call our 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900
- Find your local chapter
- Join our online community
Reducing Stress
Living with Alzheimer's or dementia brings demands to your life that can result in stress. But too much stress can be overwhelming and affect your health and ability to function. Taking steps to reduce stress can help improve concentration, decision-making and your quality of life.
Symptoms of stress
Each of us handles stress differently. But it can diminish your quality of life if not managed properly. If stress becomes too much for you, or you find you're coping with additional alcohol or medication, see your doctor. Ignoring symptoms can cause your physical and mental health to decline. It's important to recognize the warning sign of stress:
- Denial: Are you having a difficult time acknowledging your diagnosis and the effect it will have on you and your family?
- Anger/frustration: Do you find yourself frequently angry with others because they don't understand what you're going through?
- Social withdrawal: Do you find yourself withdrawing from friends and family, and activities that once brought you pleasure?
- Anxiety: Do you find yourself feeling frequently anxious about the future?
- Depression: Are you experiencing any symptoms of depression?
- Exhaustion: Do you feel so exhausted that it makes it nearly impossible to complete necessary daily tasks?
- Sleeplessness: Do you lose sleep frequently because of the concerns you have?
- Irritability: Do you feel moodier than usual or frequently lose your temper?
- Lack of concentration: Do you have a difficult time staying focused on tasks or conversations with others?
- Health problems: Are you experiencing physical symptoms that may be taking a mental or physical toll?
Tips to reduce stress back to top
- Identify sources of stress in your life.
Remove yourself from these situations whenever possible.
- Address the triggers that are causing you stress, and accept help with these situations.
Work on changing how you view the situation. Even the most difficult situation may have both negative and positive aspects. Challenge yourself to look for the positive whenever possible.
- Establish boundaries and let others know your limits.
What are you willing to tolerate and what are you not? Be as open as possible about this with others.
- Learn what works best to relax you.
Use these techniques regularly when feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
- Talk with a trusted family member or friend about how you're feeling.
- Change your environment.
For example, if you are in an environment that has too much stimulation that is causing you stress, find a quiet place where you can relax and regroup.
- Take breaks when you need to.
Also, get plenty of rest to help conserve your energy.
- Let it go.
If something becomes too difficult for you, come back to it later.
- Use relaxation techniques.
Examples include:
- - Exercise
- - Going for walks
- - Writing your thoughts and feelings in a journal
- - Taking long baths
- - Working in your garden
- - Listening to music
- - Watching a television program that you find relaxing or enjoyable
- - Yoga or meditation
- - Deep breathing exercises


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Shrewd reporting about the Ukraine crisis comes from The Onion, which declared that American reaction is evenly divided — between the "wholly indifferent" and the "grossly misinformed."
In the latter category, it seems, belong the chest-thumpers who blame the Crimea catastrophe on President Obama.
"We have a weak and indecisive president that invites aggression," scolded Senator Lindsey Graham (revealing his own weakness: grammar). "President Obama needs to do something!"
Likewise, Senator John McCain complains that Obama's foreign policy is "feckless," so that "nobody believes in America's strength anymore."
Representative Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, worries that Russia is "running circles around us." The Washington Post warns in a stinging editorial that "President Obama's foreign policy is based on fantasy." The Wall Street Journal cautions that the basic problem is "Obama's retreat from global leadership."
Oh, come on! The villain here is named Putin, not Obama, and we should have learned to feel nervous when hawks jump up and down and say "do something!" We tried that in Iraq. When there are no good options, a flexing of muscles by NATO or by American warships in the Black Sea would only reinforce President Vladimir Putin's narrative to his home audience while raising the risk of conflict by accident or miscalculation.
Look, it's true that Obama's foreign policy has often been disappointing. Tripling the number of American troops in Afghanistan was a mistake. So was rejecting the advice of Hillary Clinton and David Petraeus to arm the moderate Syrian opposition. The Obama pivot to Asia has stalled, serious engagement with Pakistan ended with the death of Richard Holbrooke, and Obama has appointed some appallingly uninformed campaign donors to be ambassadors.
Then again, Obama's focus on nation-building at home is a nice change of pace from the Bush years. Moreover, Middle East peace talks are a plus, and talking to Iran is preferable to loose talk about bombing Natanz.
The basic constraint is that there are more problems in international relations than solutions. The critics I cite often rely on two fallacies: first, that Putin is driven by Obama's weakness; second, that the seizure of Crimea is a great win for Russia.
The Soviet Union didn't invade Hungary because of President Eisenhower's weakness, nor Czechoslovakia because of President Johnson's weakness. Russia didn't help dismember Moldova because of George H.W. Bush's weakness or invade Georgia because of George W. Bush's.
We don't have much leverage because Putin cares far more about Ukraine than he does about being in the G-8. So, by all means, let's raise the cost of aggression with banking sanctions (which proved most effective against North Korea and Iran), but let's also recognize that, in the long run, it's Putin who has stumbled here.
Russia has just driven Ukraine into the West's orbit and acquired a long-term headache. Russia is already pouring billions of dollars into the bits of Georgia and Moldova that it pilfered, and now it'll have to subsidize Crimea (which depends on Ukraine for water and electricity).
Putin's other problem: If Crimea becomes independent, its pro-Russian population will no longer vote in Ukrainian elections. The upshot would be Ukraine skewing even more to the West.
My father grew up in western Ukraine, near Chernivtsi. Our family house was in better shape in the 1930s than it is today. A highway that my grandfather helped build a century ago was barely passable on my last visit. Corruption is far worse today. The entire system has failed, so, of course, western Ukrainians look across the border at a thriving Poland, now firmly embedded in Europe, and see that as a far better model for the future.
Likewise, in a couple of decades, Russians may well look over the border at a thriving, European Ukraine and want that model for themselves as well. So be strong, Senators Graham and McCain: Putin's advantage is temporary.
Republicans should be pointing to Obama's genuine giant foreign policy failure — Syria — and not Ukraine. The right's demands that Obama confront Putin also seem odd because many on the right have praised Putin and his traditional values. The American Conservative suggested in December that Putin might be "one of us," and Rudy Giuliani lately hailed Putin's decisiveness and said: "That's what you call a leader."
Giuliani's proposed solution to the Ukraine crisis: "We push him around. That's the only thing a bully understands."
It's heart-stoppingly brave of unarmed Ukrainian soldiers, singing for courage, to walk toward Russian troops who point machine guns at them and then fire in the air. But idle calls from a television studio for Obama to "do something" or to push Putin around, that strikes me as not brave, just puerile.


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Coralene glass was made by firing many small colored beads on the outside of glassware. It was made in many patterns in the United States and Europe in the 1880s. The glass beads formed patterns on the outside of the glass. Reproductions are made today. Coralene-decorated Japanese pottery is listed in the Japanese Coralene category.
Enter your email below to receive Kovels Komments for the latest antiques & collectibles news, answers to readers questions, marks and tips. In your inbox every Wednesday.
Current & Past Issues
Buyer's Price Guide
Words of Wisdom (Letter to Lee)


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UK Cheapest O'Brien Water Skis
O'Brien offers a fantastic selection of great quality and very keenly priced combo waterskis for the beginner / intermediate, plus a range of slalom waterskis that can take you from your first steps on a mono ski right up to a podium placement if you so wish. OBrien have been creating great watersports products for over 50 years and they work tirelessly to design, test, manufacture, and improve each and every product they make. They also believe in pushing the sport forward, providing the newest technology and the latest manufacturing techniques to build advanced watersports products that stand the test of time.
Jobe are one of the largest and most successful of all recreational water sports brands. Their mission is to simply get you on the water and they are continually evolving and developing new products to make life on the water easier and more fun. Jobe produce a great range of recreational waterskis and packages that are aimed primarily at the family user. Their skis offer surprisingly good designed and visual appeal all at very low prices. Perfect for beginners and family applications, Jobe waterskis will get you out on the water and help you on your fist steps to success.
UK Cheapest Connelly Water Skis
Connelly water skis are renowned for their quality and performance. They offer a wide range of water skis from those designed just for kids to their top-of-the-line tournament series. Connelly originally began producing and selling waterskis back in 1965 from a garage in Lake City, Washington. Since then, Connelly have become one of the most respected brands in the watersport industry and their commitment to excellence continues. Many of their ski designs are on the leading-edge of watersport technology and are uniquely innovative. Some of these design features have since become industry standards. All Connelly products are skillfully crafted utilizing the best that technology has to offer and their reputation and reliability for enthusiasts and beginners alike is unrivalled.
Radar build skis with a purpose in mind. They build from the outside (shape) to the inside (materials) thinking purely about the intended user and what creates the ultimate experience for them. They believe that if they wouldnt want to use it themselves then they wont build it. The Radar developers and test team stand behind every single product they make because theyre used every day. Every Radar waterski is directed at customers, from the early morning skiers to the evening lake dwellers. If this is you, then Radar could be the brand for you.
Established in 1982, HO sports (originally named after the legendary Herb O'Brien) are known for their limitless imagination and continuous innovation of their products, ideas, and expertise. Their rich history of creating industry defining technologies and revolutionary gear is fueled by their passion to do what they love. They innovate so that you can elevate your game to make every single experience on the water unforgettable.
Syndicate Water Skis are part of HO Skis and are a collection of athletes, designers and engineers, comprised of inquisitive minds, colorful personalities and critical thinkers. They are known for their limitless imagination and continuous innovation of products & ideas. Established in the great Pacific Northwest in 1982, their deep-rooted expertise and collective love for life on the water keeps them leading the way in watersports equipment year after year. Syndicate have a rich history of creating industry defining technologies and revolutionary gear, fueled by their passion to do what they love. Make every single experience on the water unforgettable.
Waterskis come in 2 main types - Slalom Skis (a single mono ski that is so called as it is designed primarily to be used on slalom courses) and Combo Skis (a pair of skis that are so called as they can be used as a combination of beginner pair or a mono ski as one ski has a single binding and the other has two bindings). Beginners should always start with a combo pair as skiing with one ski takes a lot of practice. Modern Combo skis are perfect to learn on as they are wide and forgiving with extra volume on the tips for easier deep water starts.
Progressing from 2 skis to one is a fairly simple task but it can take time to perfect. To start with, most people will spend a few sessions deep water starting on 2 skis and then kicking one ski off when composed and up to skiing speed. This is a great way to get the feel of using one ski without needing the skill required to deep water start on just one ski. Eventually though, you will want to progress with your slalom skiing and this will mean learning to deep water start on just one ski.
Beginner's Waterskis tend to be long and wide with as much "lift" as possible, especially at the tips. Longer skis track better and are more stable in a straight line than narrow skis, and wider skis offer more volume and lift so are easier to deep water start on. Wider and longer skis also tend turn more forgivingly so are more predictable and desitrable for novice waterskiiers.
Most Combo Water Skis vary in length from 57" - 69" inches and these dimensions are important when deciding which are the right skis for you. The golden rule is that if you are a novice and are likely to share your skis with other people (which basically covers most family / recreational skiiers) then go for longer skis.
Combo Water Ski Size Chart
Rider Weight
Rider Weight
Rider Weight
Ski Length
Up to 120
5 - 10.5
32 - 68
110 - 250
8 - 18
50 - 113
Waterski bindings are designed to hold your feet firmly to your skis and to support your ankles, but in such a way that they will "release" in the event of a tumble to prevent injury. Waterski bindings come in two basic types - boot style or squeeze heel. Boot style bindings fit your feet very snuggly and are tightened efficiently around the foot via strong nylon laces. These types of bindings can be closed toe or open toe and tend to appear just on better quality combo and slalom waterskis. Squeeze heel bindings are generally rubber and only adjust forwards and backwards to clamp around the foot. These types of bindings appear on cheaper combo skis. Squeeze heel bindings are fine on family / recreational combo pairs but they cannot hold the foot strongly enough for more advanced skiing. They are, however, very easy to adjust when treading water.
Fins are the tracking and turning devices located on the back of the waterskis and are there to help stabilize and steer the ski. Beginner waterskis generally have fixed neutral sized fins that are often brightly coloured so that you can find an upturned ski when it is floating in the water. Slalom waterskis on the other hand often have quite complicated and fully adjustable fins so that individual prefferences can be dialed in.
Waterski ropes are usually 60-75 feet long (including the handle) and are made of a relatively stretchy rope designed to be forgiving and cushion the load on the arms as the skier loads the line and crosses the wake. Competition ski ropes are split into sections. These enable the rope to be shortenned in pre-determined lengths during slalom competitions, thus increasing the skill required to complete a slalom course.
Waterski handles are generally 12 inches wide as opposed to Wakeboarding handles which are 15 inches wide. Wakeboarding handles are wider mainly to assist with tricks that involve passing the handle behind the rider's back. It is possible to water ski using a larger 15" wakeboarding rope but it will feel quite cumbersome and could hinder progression, especially for younger skiers.
"Easy-Up" water ski handles are aimed specifically at beginners. They are like normal ski ropes but they have the addition of a large "V" section that you put the tips of the skis in to keep everything nice and stable during deep water starts.


text:
The Aldrich Alert
A Publication of the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty
by Gary Aldrich
July 30, 2001 - Volume 1 Issue 37
Robert Mueller reports to a Senate Committee today to be examined for his nomination as the new FBI Director. His record has been hashed and rehashed in the media and most agree that unless some surprise is waiting in the wings, he will be confirmed.
Two questions loom large. If confirmed what will Mueller do about the entrenched dysfunctional management system that is the cause of most of the FBI's recent missteps? Many in Washington think that Louis Freeh's resignation and the appointment of a new FBI Director will be enough to get the matter of serial FBI goofs off the front pages. Some cynics claim that this is as far as it will go, and the new administration will pay lip service to any recommendations that will result from the five different studies and investigations into the troubled agency's operations.
When J. Edgar Hoover was first offered the job of Director of the young, unseasoned agency that was riddled with incompetence, laziness and corruption, he said he would only take the job on the condition that he be allowed to make the changes necessary to turn the agency around. President Coolidge and Attorney General Harlen F. Stone agreed, and Hoover made the FBI into the premier law enforcement agency that it is - or should we say was - at the time of Hoover's death.
Mr. Mueller should be given the same blank check to make sorely needed change. But there are other matters that deserve his attention.
Shortly after Bill Clinton and his gang took over the White House, the FBI was coerced into conducting investigations that were anything but thorough. The quality of background investigations of White House personnel was downgraded dramatically due to the scheming of "Clinton's clan." That's not all. A few examples were the inappropriate criminal investigations of career White House employees because they might be in the way of an ambitious first "lady;" the turning over of more than 900 confidential FBI summary reports on former Reagan and Bush political appointees.
And last, but not least, a conspiracy with my former agency to silence two career FBI agents who were sick and tired of the threat to national security that Bill and Hillary Clinton's Administration had become.
These two agents, of whom I was one, were given the usual abuse in store for government whistle blowers, but with an added twist. I tried to get my book, Unlimited Access, approved through the FBI before it went to print. There is a rudimentary process that exists to protect an FBI employee's free speech rights, so I thought it only right to do so. However, when Howard Shapiro, FBI senior counsel and friend to Louis Freeh, got a hold of my manuscript, it was dashed to the White House and turned over to Clinton White House Counsel Jack Quinn.
This political "heads up" enabled the White House to formulate a very successful media campaign against me and the book I wrote, so much so that it effectively kept me off prime time TV.
Later, an agitated George Stephanopoulos, then top-advisor to Bill Clinton, declared to the world (with my family and friends watching) that I was a "pathological liar." The FBI Director and the thousands of FBI agents and employees who knew better were ordered to be silent, and like the "good soldiers" that they were, they did indeed remain silent.
Was the nation served by their failure to follow my lead in revealing the ugly truth about the Clinton Administration? I have my own opinions, but history will be the judge that. I think when the entire story is told, I'll come out looking pretty good.
While the FBI stalled the approval of my "tell-some" manuscript, running up enormous legal fees that nearly bankrupted my family and me, they were in active cahoots with an obviously corrupted administration bent on destroying my FBI partner, Dennis Sculimbrene, and me.
Dennis and I had worked together at the White House for nearly six years. I knew him to be only honest and hard working. He was a patriot and a stickler for national security concerns. In other words, he was doing the job the FBI sent him to do at the White House. But when the FBI found I had written a book, they pounced on Dennis. Dennis told them that he didn't know I was writing a book, and that he had nothing to do with my project.
But that was not good enough for top-level FBI managers who worked with the White House to destroy my credibility. They insisted that Dennis supply them with evidence that I was a liar, or that I was dishonest in some way. They were looking for something to corner me with, and Dennis refused to play along. Shortly after they failed to recruit Dennis to their questionable cause, they removed him from the White House where he had worked for fourteen years, under four presidents.
Dennis was brought back to the FBI Office, and this decorated Vietnam Veteran was given a do-nothing assignment. He was then ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination. His work area and computer hard drive was searched for evidence of something - anything that they could use to hang on him.
They found nothing on Dennis, but they had seriously damaged Dennis's reputation and effectively destroyed his career. Dennis refused to compromise his conscience for political reasons and disgusted with the evidence that his agency had lost the ability to fend off crooked politicians, Dennis retired.
Former FBI agent, Dennis Sculimbrene, has since filed a federal civil suit against the FBI, the Department of Justice, and certain officials in the Clinton White House. It will, however, be years before he obtains satisfaction for what was done to him by a federal agency that exists for the sole purpose of truth gathering, and more important - truth telling.
As for my book, it was never approved for publication in spite of enormous evidence that I was indeed telling the truth - that I was not a pathological liar - and that I revealed nothing classified about the corruption in the Clinton White House. The FBI had no cause to delay the publication of Unlimited Access, but they did achieve their major objective. Because the printing was delayed four months by their failure to approve, and the FBI stood silently by while the Clinton White House tried to destroy my credibility, the strong medicine for what ailed the Executive Branch - the truth - did not have time enough to do its good work. Though the book rose to a #1 spot on most best seller lists, Bill Clinton was reelected.
Of course, in time Bill Clinton was impeached, as I had predicted. I did receive some personal and professional satisfaction, as well as vindication, in the long run.
The nominated FBI Director arrives at the time when new FBI scandals takes center-stage, so the matter which occurred during Bill Clinton's first term may not even be surfaced during the Senate hearings. And yet, where is the evidence that "firewalls" have been erected between the FBI and some future corrupt White House?
Will a new FBI Director have the power and the courage to say "no" in the event the White House wants to use federal law enforcement powers to punish political enemies?
The FBI can benefit from new management techniques to be sure. But I am hopeful that a new director will help the agency avoid political abuses and regain the nation's trust by finding and reporting the truth, no matter whose political ox is gored.
Maybe as a sign of good faith and recognition, a new attorney general and new FBI director can offer an apology and a settlement to my good and decent friend, Dennis Sculimbrene. Dennis is only guilty of being honest and loyal - to the best interests of the FBI, to the flag, to the Constitution, and to a friend.
A new FBI director could make certain this kind of unfair treatment is never meted out again by ordering his management to celebrate honesty within the ranks - and not vicious and unfair punishment for the messengers who are trying to surface serious wrongdoing.


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BEIRUT - Turkish artillery fired into Syria for the fourth day in a row on Saturday, retaliating for mortar shells that landed in Turkish territory. Rebels clashed with Syrian government troops in the border area, activists said, as fears revived that the Syrian crisis could spiral into a regional conflict.
The latest shelling comes a day after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Syria not to test Turkey's "limits and determination" and insisted that his country "was not bluffing" with its warnings.
Two mortar shells landed in rural areas near the village of Guvecci in the early morning and at midday. Both shells prompted Turkish return fire, Turkey's media reported. The first exchange happened shortly after intense fighting broke out across the border in Syria's Idlib province between Syrian rebels and the forces of President Bashar Assad's regime, the private Dogan news agency reported.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels had attacked army positions in the Syrian villages of Khirbet al-Jouz and Darkoush about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Guvecci. Rami Abdul-Rahman, the Observatory's chief, said both sides were exchanging mortar fire in the province where they were located, Idlib.
The Observatory added that rebels later took over Khirbet el-Jouz and were advancing toward army positions in nearby areas. It said dozens of soldiers were either killed or wounded while three rebels died in the fighting.
At least seven rebels wounded in the fighting in Idlib province were brought across the border into Turkey for treatment, the Turkish Anadolu agency reported. The rebels told authorities there were many more wounded waiting to be brought in, the agency said.
Relations between Turkey and Syria, once strong allies, deteriorated sharply after the uprising against Assad began in March last year. Turkey became one of the harshest critics of Assad's crackdown while Syria accused Ankara of aiding rebels.
Also Saturday, Assad made a rare public appearance when he laid a wreath at the country's Unknown Soldier statue in Damascus to mark the 1973 war with Israel, also known in Syria as the October War. Syrian state television broadcast the ceremony.
The Syrian likened the current crisis to the war with Israel. Damascus denies it is facing a popular uprising, instead blaming the violence on a foreign conspiracy linked to its support for anti-Israeli groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah.
"There are few differences between the current aggression and the circumstances during the October War, as Syria is facing an enemy armed with Western and Israeli weapons aiming at destroying the Syrian state and punishing its people for foiling all the hegemonic and hostile schemes planned for the region," the official news agency SANA commented.
Lebanese security officials meanwhile said Syrian troops backed by warplanes and helicopters gunships began a major attack against rebel-held areas near the Syrian town of Quseir adjoining Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. The Lebanese-Syrian border has also been the site of deadly border incidents.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said no shells fell on the Lebanese side of the border on Saturday. They added that Lebanese troops were put on high alert in the border area to make sure the fighting does not reach Lebanon.
The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, reported intense shelling at rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Homs. They said the government shelling of the town of Taibeh near Homs killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens.
No one was hurt by the mortar shells that fell in Turkey. The first landed some 50 meters (yards) inside Turkish soil and some 700 meters (yards) away from the village, while the second hit 100 meters (yards) across the border and 1,500 meters (yards) from Guvecci, according to separate statements from the office of the governor for Turkey's border province of Hatay. An army unit based near Guvecci promptly responded, firing four 81mm mortars in the first instance and two shells in the second, it said.
The governor's office indicated that the Syrian mortar had landed in Turkey accidentally, saying it was believed "to be have been fired by the forces of the Syrian Arab Republic at Syrian rebel groups on the Syrian side of the border."
Villagers rushed out of homes and gathered at a safer point in the village, away from the border area, Dogan reported.
The latest tensions with Syria began Wednesday when a Syrian shell hit a home at a Turkish border town, killing two women and three children and sparked unprecedented artillery strikes by Turkey.
Turkey's parliament on Thursday also voted to allow cross border military operations in Syria, further raising tensions between the neighbors that were once close allies.
On Friday, the U.S. sided with Turkey, condemning what White House spokesman Josh Earnest called the "aggressive actions of the Syrians." Earnest said Turkey's response was appropriate and that the U.S. stands by Turkey, a NATO ally.
Saturday's shelling came as both sides appeared to be trying to defuse the situation. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said Friday that Syria has pulled tanks and other military equipment away from the border.
Turkey, along with other countries siding with the rebels, is averse to intervening militarily, while Assad has also tried to avoid provocations he believes would trigger a foreign intervention.
Syria's 18-month-old conflict began with a peaceful uprising against Assad, inspired by last year's Arab Spring rebellions against authoritarian rulers. Amid an escalating regime crackdown, the rebellion gradually turned into a civil war. The regime's troops are stretched thin, enabling rebels to control large stretches of countryside in Syria's most densely populated west.
Activists say more than 30,000 people have been killed since the crisis began.
But neither side has been able to deliver a decisive blow, even though the Syrian military has superior weapons including combat aircraft.
Fraser reporter from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus, Syria.


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This lobster thermidor is a classic dish and an unbeatable one. One good-sized lobster serves two people to make one of the finest special-occasion dishes I can think of. Ideally, the lobster flesh, smothered in the finished sauce, is piled back into the two half shells and finished under the broiler. If you should happen to make a mess of splitting the lobster (I often do) and thereby spoil the shell, you can pile the lobster thermidor filling into one or two individual ovenproof dishes. It may look slightly less spectacular, but it will taste every bit as good. Most recipes stipulate heavy cream for the sauce, but I find it almost too rich, so I prefer to use béchamel sauce.–Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
LC Lobstah-Polooza Note
Can't get enough lobster recipes? Try Steamed Lobster with Drawn Butter, Steamed Lobster and Lobster Bisque, and Cedar-Planked Lobster Tails with Corn-Smoked Chile Relish.
Lobster Thermidor
- Quick Glance
- Serves 2
IngredientsEmail Grocery List
- 1 live lobster, weighing 2 to 3 pounds
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- A small glass of white wine
- 3/4 cup thick béchamel sauce
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)
- 1 teaspoon strong English mustard
- Leaves from a sprig of tarragon, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- A good pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1. Kill your lobster by the officially sanctioned method of putting it in the freezer for about two hours to reduce it to a torpid state, then put it straight into a large pan of rapidly boiling water (salt water in the ratio of 2 tablespoons of salt per 4 cups water). Cooking times are 12 minutes for a minimum-size lobster of 1 pound, 15 minutes for anything up to 1 1/2 pounds, and an extra 5 minutes for every pound after that. Then let cool.
- 2. Twist off the claws, crack them with a hammer or nutcracker, and remove all the meat. Set this aside. The body of the lobster should be split lengthwise along the lateral line with a large, heavy, and very sharp knife. This is most easily done if you lay the lobster on its back on a large wooden board, press the point of the knife into the tip of the tail, and bring the knife down the length of the lobster, bisecting it evenly between the two sets of legs—do this carefully, so as not to damage the shell. Once you are through the flesh to the shell at the back of the lobster, press hard on the knife with your free hand to cut through the shell. You may want to use a pair of kitchen scissors to snip through any bits of shell that are not quite cut through.
- 3. Carefully remove the tail meat from each half of the lobster, chop coarsely, and add to the claw meat. Scrape out any brown meat from the head, along with any pink coral, and add that to the white meat from the claws and tail. Remove the nasty bits and discard. You should be left with 2 empty shell halves, with plenty of space in the head and tail cavities to replace the finished meat.
- 4. In a frying pan, cook the shallots in the butter over medium heat until soft and lightly browned. Add the white wine and simmer until reduced to a scant tablespoon of liquid. Stir in the béchamel sauce and the cream, if using, plus the mustard and tarragon, and allow to bubble in the pan for just a minute. Remove from the heat and stir in three-quarters of the cheese and the cayenne pepper. Then mix in all the meat from the lobster until it is well coated in the thermidor sauce. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- 5. Pile the meat back in the shell, sprinkle over the remaining cheese, and place under a hot broiler for 5 to 10 minutes, until brown and bubbling. Serve at once.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.


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Chips & Chapters YA Book Group of Central Library
From Wiki
Article in Book Groups and Young Adult Fiction
Chips & Chapters is a summer book discussion group for grades 6-12 at the Central Library. Participants meet three or four times during the summer, talk about a specific book, enjoy refreshments, and keep the book if they like it. Look for Chips & Chapters to return in the summer of 2009!
Below are the books discussed by the group in the summer of 2008:
- The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
- Flush by Carl Hiaasen
- Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Below are the books discussed by the group in the summer of 2009:
- Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
- Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
- Hoot by Carl Hiaasen


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Voices of September 11th was created to meet the urgent needs of the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 to obtain accurate information and to navigate complicated systems. Families were looking for a single source of information about such diverse issues as how to file for a death certificate and how to obtain assistance from social service agencies, local and national charities and other organizations.
VOICES has always been guided by the principle that families of victims require continuity of care and benefit from programs that promote resiliency in their lives. With the passage of time, those needs are more important than ever. More than a decade after the 9/11 attacks, families of victims are still coming forward to request services. Unresolved issues such as the terrorist trials in Guantanamo Bay, the opening of the 9/11 Museum in NYC, the identification of remains, and other traumatic events, often increase the need for support.
Since its beginnings, VOICES has evolved to meet the ongoing needs of the 9/11 families, developing support services and educational programs based on the ongoing assessment of our members. Programs created to meet these needs have included: newsletters, information forums, speaker series, teleconference groups, commemorative events, interfaith services, in-person support groups, teleconference groups and focus groups, anxiety and depression screenings, and remembrance of their loved ones through the 9/11 Living Memorial Project.
Our mission has expanded to help families and communities impacted by other tragedies. By sharing the lessons learned in our work that began in 2001, we will assist communities in preparing for, responding to and recovering from other tragedies.
One of the world's most recognizable leaders will visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in September. Pope Francis will visit on Sept. 25, 2015 to pay his respects to the victims of 9/11 and meet with local religious leaders from across many faiths. More.
Positioned on top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, on levels 100, 101, and 102 of the One World Trade Center building, One World Observatory will provide unique, panoramic views of New York City, its most iconic sites, and surrounding waters. Three floors of innovation and inspiration will complement the seemingly endless views, evoking feelings of the city's signature pride, hope and determination. More.


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Nov. 17, 2007
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's basketball team posted its second straight victory of the season with a 73-51 triumph over Boise State Saturday night at the Leavey Center. Santa Clara has now won the last three meetings of the two Bronco squads and is undefeated against Boise State at home. With the win, Santa Clara improved to 2-1 on the season, while Boise State was handed its first loss and is now 2-1 overall.
Senior Jen Gottschalk (Littleton, Colo.) led all players with 28 points in only 30 minutes on the court. She was 10-for-17 from the field and 6-for-7 from the charity stripe. Also posting double-figure points was junior Elizabeth Doran (Corvallis, Ore.), who registered 18 points.
"I'm really proud of how my players competed for 40 minutes tonight," said head coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. "Although there were some mistakes on the defensive end that need to be fixed, it was a great team effort. Jen Gottschalk's has been a consistent player for us from day one and she has great determination this year and I believe her teammates are feeding off of that."
Santa Clara was the first team to score as Doran posted a two-point jumper just over a minute into the game. The Broncos then pushed to a six-point edge, 7-1, from a good layup from Sara Majors (Aurnsville, Ore.). However, Boise State fought back to knot the score at 12 points on a free throw from Sierra Moeller. Boise State then compiled an 8-0 run to make the score 23-15 on points from Jessica Thompson and Melissa Rima. But a foul by Thompson sent Gottschalk to the line, where she made both baskets to interrupt BSU's run. Yet, Boise State continued to hold onto control of the scoreboard and earned a seven-point lead, 26-17, on a jumper from Rima.
With three minutes remaining in the half, Santa Clara rallied back to tie the score 26-26 on a three-point field goal from freshman Nicole Gall (Boise, Idaho). The Broncos took control of the game on another trey from Gottschalk, 29-26, with under two minutes left. However, Boise State stuck fast and brought the score within one, 31-30, on a layup by Harris and took a one-point edge going into halftime on a jumper from Ja'Lara Walker, 32-31.
Santa Clara took control in the second half on a trey from Chandice Cronk (Wasilla, Alaska) and jumper from Doran, but Boise State tied the score 36-36. But the Broncos quickly won the ball again and started to distance themselves from BSU on an excellent play from freshman Kelli Parker (Lemoore, Calif.) and Gottschalk. Five minutes into the second half, Parker stole the ball from Boise State's Tasha Harris and made a quick pass to Gottschalk, who scored off the fast break to make the score 41-36.
After the third media timeout, Gottschalk made good with a free throw to give SCU a 20-point edge, 67-47. The Broncos then took their largest lead of the game, 22-points on free throws from Parker to make the score 71-49. Gottschalk registered her 28th point and the final point of the game with four minutes remaining.
For Boise State, Harris recorded 14 points and Thompson had 13 points. Both players led the team in steals and assists with two each.
The Broncos return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 20 against the Braves of Bradley in the first round of the 2007 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. Tip off is scheduled for 9 p.m. PT. at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska.


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Letter: Letter about homosexuals rife with ignorance
In regards to Wayne Lela's view on homosexuality: My husband and I laughed at the blatant ignorance displayed in his letter to the Sky-Hi.
How could you possibly relate BDSM to homosexuality? An individual's right to marry does NOT place harm on anyone if they choose the same sex. Marijuana is more harmful factually speaking.
The war on same sex marriage is a shame. How many DEVIANT heterosexual couples or individuals are out there? PLENTY. How many heterosexual individuals involve themselves in "deviant" behavior? LOADS. The GLBT community does not harm any one individual, couple or community.
It is the old school "logic" that Wayne displays that causes people like my husband and I to laugh at such ignorance. My husband and I support marriage equality, for it harms no one. As far as I knew… God and Jesus are about love … not bias and sheer ignorance.
Vanessa Rus
Grand Lake
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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DETROIT, March 19 (UPI) -- Lawyers representing Kwame Kilpatrick asked the former Detroit mayor be allowed to go to Texas to visit his children while he awaits sentencing.
Kilpatrick, convicted of federal racketeering and extortion charges March 11, has been held at the federal prison in Milan, Mich., since then. His lawyers argue the former mayor is not a flight risk because he has no money, The Detroit News reported. Kilpatrick's sentencing has not yet been scheduled but could be up to four months away.
Kilpatrick's mother, former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, offered up her 3,340-square-foot home, worth $183,000, as collateral to ensure her son's return to face sentencing, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
"He has no funds with which to flee," Kilpatrick's lawyer, James C. Thomas, wrote Monday.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds said she would await a response from the U.S. attorney's office before deciding the matter.


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- This event has passed.
The Bath Iron Works Story: By Land & By Sea
June 28 @ 12:45 pm - 3:00 pm
An event every week that begins at 12:45 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, repeating until October 25, 2019
Experience the full Bath Iron Works package! The tour begins in the immersive exhibit BIW: Building America's Navy where you'll experience a high-tech look at the people, processes, and ships of Bath Iron Works and discover why "Bath Built is Best Built." Then, board the trolley for a ride past the yard. Your guide, a current or former BIW employee, will detail the history of the yard, interpret the views, and highlight key elements of the shipyard. The trolley will then drop you off to board the museum's cruise boat Merrymeeting for a one hour cruise featuring spectacular views of modern shipbuilding construction and a close-up look at naval destroyers in the water. Passengers also get to enjoy views of the historic Percy and Small Shipyard and two of the Kennebec's famed lighthouses. *Please note that due to security restrictions, this tour is not permitted to enter the BIW shipyard.
Tours (2.25 hours) run Monday through Friday at 12:45 pm, May 20 through October 25.


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- Home
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Saturday December 14, 2019; 11:40 am EST
Read all about it in a big new book: Traveling the World for National Geographic
High-school sweethearts Tom and Lynn Abercrombie grew up when the world was big and globe-trotting journalists lived big. A legendary National Geographic photojournalist, Tom had carte blanche to travel to exotic lands and stay until he had the pictures and story he wanted. Lynn, a freelance Geographic photographer, was at his side.
Tom, a pilot, recalled in these pages the time he bought a floatplane for an assignment in Alaska, putting it on his expense account. When the story was wrapped up, he flew it home and parked it for a month at his dock on the West River. To write about Wyoming, he rented a 40,000-acre ranch, complete with a herd of wild horses. In Yemen, a country in a state of perpetual war, the two AK-47s he bought showed up on his expense account as "auto insurance."
"At Geographic, if you had to have a helicopter or arrange an army or paint a whole factory green, they'd back you up on it," Tom recalled in a Bay Weekly interview.
Five years after Tom's death in 2006 at age 75, Lynn Abercrombie and family have engineered a coffee table book that capture's Tom's brilliance and their exciting times. Traveling the World for National Geographic is a 351-page collection of stunning photos, accompanied by the right amount of storytelling.
The book transports us to places we may never have imagined, even in the Internet Age: in the forbidden monasteries of the Himalayas; along Oman's ancient desert incense trail; and into a wild Afghan game of grabbing a goat carcass while riding biting, kicking horses.
Tom describes his evolution from a newspaper photographer at the Milwaukee Journal operating the four-by-five Speed Graphic, a bulky black box with bellows, to the world of 35mm, when the aim of photography changed to producing a narrative for the eye. In Milwaukee, where Tom and Lynn engineered a remarkable photo of a fledgling robin pulling a worm from the earth, he brought the bird and a patch of sod into the newspaper's studio, where he'd made glam shots of Kim Novak the day before.
The picture appeared in Life Magazine and captured the eye of Gilbert Grosvener, editor of National Geographic and an amateur ornithologist. The phone rang in Milwaukee, and Tom Abercrombie soon would embark on his career at one of the world's premier periodicals, with two million monthly readers.
Abercrombie was a wickedly funny man and more than a bit of a character. Once, while entertaining visitors from Beirut at his West River home, he went outside and fired off a few rounds from his .45. What could he possibly be up to?
"Just trying to make these people feel at home," he answered.
His humor comes through in the book. Here he was, a Midwesterner and a college dropout, interviewed in a stuffy gentleman's club in Washington for a job at the journal co-founded by Alexander Graham Bell.
"I was uncomfortably aware that I was the only one for miles around wearing a brown suit," he writes.
The job was in hand, even though Tom was taken aside for advice: "A brown suit, Mr. Abercrombie, is perfectly all right for grouse hunting, but here in the office, a gentleman customarily wears black or dark blue," he was told.
On his first overseas assignment, in Lebanon, he learned both the perils of foreign reporting and the clout of his magazine. Shooting an anti-regime demonstration, he had his camera smashed and was arrested. At the police station, an interrogator noticed his affiliation. "Sergeant! What are you doing, you fool. Release this man," the official said. They retired for tea.
Journalists nowadays are expected to report a story and write it in a day (while taking pictures, blogging and sending out 140-character tweets) and might not comprehend the license enjoyed by Abercrombie and his Geographic colleagues. He spent three months in Lebanon, about average for his assignments. There the seeds were planted for his long love affair with Arab lands.
Reporters who complain about the rigors of county council coverage might take note of Abercrombie's experience in Venezuela. He is pictured in the book with his shirt covered in blood (his own) from a cable car accident. It got worse.
"Mosquitoes, flies, fire ants covered us all with polka-dots of itchy red welts. My favorite was called locally guano de monte. It deposited its eggs under your skin. Twice I had to take a razor blade to slice open a mushy mound on my leg and squeeze out … squirming maggots. I was glad for the rum."
Abercrombie used to say that travel was about dreaming, both before and after the trip. He would be proud of this book and mightily pleased to know that his work is still conjuring dreams.
Meet Lynn Abercrombie and get her autograph on discounted copies of her book Friday, Nov. 4, at a 7pm talk and reception at the Captain Salem Avery Museum, Shady Side. $13; rsvp: 410-867-4486; www.shadysidemuseum.org.
Read the Bay Weekly interview Traveling Man at http://bayweekly.com/old-site/year98/lead6_7.html


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Founded in 1698, the old rich town Ouro Preto, historic city that is part of one of the richest cultural legacies of Minas Gerais. It is located 99km from Belo Horizonte. The old rich town Ouro Preto was founded thanks thanks to the discovery of gold in the region. The origin of the city, it is in the discovery of enormous quantities of gold in the centuries XVI and XVII, fact that produced one of the most important episodes of the history of Brazil: The Mining Disloyalty (A Inconfidência Mineira). That city is characterized for the great old big houses, churches and ancient palaces, which were built in the time of the exploration from the gold.
Here's your soundtrack. Okay, maybe they're not exactly brazillian but their music is awesome and their live shows legendary.Now, Brazil covers almost half of South America and its Amazon rainforest is the world's largest jungle... which is rapidly getting cut down. The country is basically one giant botanical garden with some bangin' cities on its edges.Brazil was colonized in 1808 by the royal court of Portugal, which was fleeing Napolean's troops. They didn't stay long, and Brazil won its independence in 1822.Its biggest city, Sao Paulo, is the financial hub of South America. Brazil is the "b" in BRIC -- Brazil, Russia, India and China. These four were labeled the world's fastest developing large economies in the year 2001.Brazil is known for three things: amazingly beautiful women, carnival, and Pele -- King of Football, Athlete of the Century, football ambassador of the world and a declared national treasure.Brazillians can tell foreigners a mile away, by the way their hips move. Samba is built into the soul of brazil and carnival is when it bursts out into twenty-four hour undying explosions of sound on every street.This picture of mask diving at the Taipus reefs makes me shed hot and salty tears all over my calendar, which is set on "January" right now.Text by Steve Smith.


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The Persistence of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray).
This is the legacy Bug Tracking System for the POV-Ray project. Bugs listed here are being migrated to our github issue tracker. Please refer to that for new reports or updates to existing ones on this system.
FS#206 - "Cannot open file" error when text output files specified in INI
Opened by Thomas B. (TPReal) - Friday, 27 May 2011, 21:02 GMT
Last edited by William F Pokorny (wfpokorny) - Monday, 21 November 2016, 14:00 GMT
I created an INI file which specifies the Input_File_Name, Output_File_Name, and also the Render_File and the remaining four text outputs as double-quoted absolute paths on my disk. When I run the render, I get the following output:
Preset INI file is 'C:\USERS\TPREAL\DOCUMENTS\POV-RAY\V3.7\INI\QUICKRES.INI', section is '[512×384, No AA]'.
And the render does not start. The five text output files are not even created, and where the output image should be, there is a file with extension pov-state. The render works as it should only when I remove all five lines defining the five text output files. The paths I specify for the files are correct (paths exist and files do not, no white-spaces or anything), read/write restrictions are disabled in POV-Ray. This used to work in 3.6 and does not work now in 3.7 RC3. The error happens no matter if I run the render using GUI or command line.
(Also please note that the error message is really not useful here, it does not say which file it failed to open, and not even if it was an attempt to open for read or for write.)
I'd be really glad if you could correct this as it's a critical functionality for me. I'm generating the POV-Ray code automatically and I need to parse the text output automatically to return the status to the generator.
What is the state of the IO-Restrictions ?
(or turned otherwise: can I see the pathname for the intended text output ?)
If you use a subdirectory from the scene directory, it is not allowed in 3.7 by default with the io-restriction.
In the Options, Script I/O Restrictions: No Restrictions selected, Permit Read/Write in Current Directory unchecked, Disable Starting Other Programs unchecked. Changing these settings does not seem to change anything.
My INI file after isolating the problem is exactly this now:
Even if I set the Render_File to a file in the same directory as the pov file, it fails with the same error. But when I comment out the second line, it works.
I tried it on Windows this morning: looks like the value of Render_File is better as a filename, NOT a pathname. i.e. no change of directory is ok
( "Render_File=foo.txt" is ok, "Render_File=C:/foo.txt" or "Render_File=C:\foo.txt" is not)
Well, you can have relative directory: "Render_File=../foo.txt" is ok too.
Think relative instead of absolute path ?
OK, relaive path works fine, thanks for helping me with that. But still I think this is a bug. First - why couldn't absolute paths work? And second - the error message is really useless.
I just gave this a quick test: In the case of Render_File, POV-Ray apparently fails to recognize absolute path names with drive letters, resulting in file names such as "D:\Ruby\POV-Rb\pov\C:\Noix_render.log". (The error message in case of active IO restrictions is much more helpful in this respect.)
I'll have a closer look at what's going wrong in there, and also whether printing the filename can easily be added.
Aaah, yes... got some light here; what the Docs fail to tell us: The Render_File name is expected to be a filename only, without any path. That it happens to work with relative path names is just pure luck.
Oh no. But why? I really like it more to have separate directories for log files and scenes. It is a regression - it used to work in 3.6. Couldn't this be restored?
as far as the docs Render_File is only mentioned:
does the expectation that file name only without path apply to any others in this section, or is it just specific to Render_File?
Same goes for all the text stream files, i.e. Debug_File, Fatal_File, Render_File, Statistic_File, Warning_File, and of course All_File. INI file and command line options are probably both affected.
Not sure whether we want to change the docs or the code though.
Change #5446 will improve error messages. Further action is still to be decided.
I would suggest to leave this as is for 3.7.0 and see if we can allow everything (full and relative path) in 3.7.1.
Agreed we should fix this in 3.7.1.
- Field changed: Status (Investigating → Tracked on GitHub)
Now tracked on github as issue #155.


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Skechers U.S.A. (SKX) Stock's Ratio Analysis:
The Company was able to keep Return on assets (ROA) at 8.70% in the trailing twelve month. ROA shows that how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. ROA gives an idea as to how efficient management is at using its assets to generate earnings. Calculated by dividing a company's annual earnings by its total assets, ROA is displayed as a percentage. The Company generated Return on equity (ROE) 15.60% over the last twelve months. ROE is a measure of a corporation's profitability that reveals how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. Calculated as Net Income / Shareholder's Equity. It has kept Return on investment (ROI) at 17.20%. ROI is a financial ratio intended to measure the benefit obtained from an investment. Time is usually of the essence in this measurement because it takes time for an investment to realize a benefit.
Long Term Debt/Equity ratio was recorded at 0.05. This measures a company's financial leverage calculated by dividing its long term debt by stockholders' equity. It indicates what proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. On the other side the debt to equity ratio is 0.05. Its current ratio is 2.5. Current Ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations. Quick Ratio of 1.6 is an indicator of a company's short-term liquidity. The quick ratio measures a company's ability to meet its short-term obligations with its most liquid assets. The higher the quick ratio, the better the position of the company.
Let's consider Skechers U.S.A. (SKX) stock move that changed on Friday Dated AUG 30, 2019. 1682149 shares changed at hands in last session versus to an average volume of 2196.14K shares. Skechers U.S.A. (SKX) stock ended at $31.66 by scoring 1.15%. It has 166.97M outstanding shares and 130.64M shares have been floated in market exchange. The stock institutional ownership included 92.20% while insider ownership remained 1.30%. The net percent change held by Institutional Investors has seen a change of -0.53% over last three month period. The net percent change kept by insiders has seen a change of -24.62% over last six month period.
Stock's Price Fluctuations & Volatility:
The stock price registered volatility 2.27% in past week and volatility was at 2.96% over a last month. Historical volatility refers to the price fluctuations exhibited by the underlying asset (such as stock) over time. A security with high volatility has bigger fluctuations in price compared to a security with low volatility. The more quickly a price changes up and down, the more volatile it is. As such, volatility is often used as a measure of risk.
The stock's Average True Range for 14 days was 1.06. ATR measures volatility, taking into account any gaps in the price movement. High ATR indicates increased volatility. A low ATR value indicates a series of periods with small ranges. Company's beta coefficient stands at 0.81. Beta factors measures the amount of market risk associated with market trade. Presently, (SKX) has a RSI reading of 47.86.
Skechers U.S.A. (SKX) Stock's Moving Average & Performance Analysis:
The stock showed weekly performance of 8.46% and it maintained for the month at -11.14%. Likewise the performance for the quarter was recorded as 13.88% and for the year it was 9.74%. The stock showed -7.29% performance during last 6-months. The YTD performance remained at 38.31%. This stock traded higher toward its 52 week low with 47.63% and -21.83% down from its 52 week high price. The stock price is moving lower from its 20 days moving average with -0.43% and it is trading down from 50 days moving average with -5.38%. The stock price is moving along positive drift from its 200 days moving average with 4.60%.
Category – Business
Stephon Tripis is a share market expert, being personally invested for over 6 years. He believes the most valuable nugget of wisdom for new investors is a quote from Phillip Fisher: 'The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.' Stephon also holds a postgraduate degree in Software Engineering from Canada. He has been writing his entire life, and while he has made a career of business and finance reporting, he still enjoys writing short stories and poetry.
Stephon has worked as financial analyst until his retirement. He is a well-known research director and portfolio manager for more than 5 years. After many years in the market, he dedicated all his time to write articles highlighting different financial problems.
Email: [email protected]


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|Hi! I'm taking a little break and it might take me a few days to reply to comments and emails. I'll be back soon! :)
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Vegan MoFo: Leek and Mushroom Pie
Did I take this picture or did I tear it from a 70's cookbook?
*Drool* The creamy filling is leeking all over! Ha ha! Ha ha! Get it? Leeking? Ha ha! *Snort*
Today's TV show is Downton Abbey! For some silly reason I refused to watch this show for the longest time. Then one day I was being a couch potato and trying to find something to watch, when I found a show that caught my attention on PBS. It was Downton Abbey! Now I'm hooked and can't wait for the next season. All the characters are so fabulous - and there are lots of characters! My favorite character by far is Violet, played brilliantly by Maggie Smith. What a treat she is! She's smart, funny, and very skeptical of new technology. Electricity? No thanks. Telephone? Horrid thing! She once told someone to "put that in your pipe and smoke it", which gave me a uncontrollable fit of the giggles. There's lots of drama, there are some very funny moments (most of them involving Maggie Smith's character), and the scenery, costumes, and sets are beautiful.
OMG, look at the time! I have to go home and get my Leek and Mushroom pie started!
21 comments:
wow! this looks phenomenal! the filling looks so flavorful and creamy and...like it needs to be in my belly!ReplyDeleteReplies
Yep. My belly highly recommends it! :DDelete
I love Downton Abbey! I can't wait to watch the newest season.ReplyDeleteReplies
I know! It's hard to be patient knowing that it's already airing in the UK. Not fair!Delete
- AnonymousOctober 4, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Pie crust, mushrooms and leeks...how could you grow wrong?ReplyDeleteReplies
Can't go wrong with that combo for sure!Delete
- AnonymousOctober 4, 2012 at 5:27 PM
Oh. Mur. Gurd. That filling is the creamiest filling of all the fillings in the whole entire world. Not a word a lie.ReplyDeleteReplies
Word! And it's so simple too! *swoon*Delete
I really like the look of the mushroom leek pie, and it's a great flavor combination but I'm really stopping to comment to say: DOWWWWNNNNTOOOONNNNN!!!! I was the same - hesitant to get into it, but it totally won me over. Dame maggie smith is perfect!ReplyDeleteReplies
Go Downton!! Maggie Smith is such a funny lady and the show wouldn't be the same without her. Classic Violet: "Put that in your pipe and smoke it" :DDelete
Oh boy. I have little tart pans that are waiting for something like this. But they are one-piece pans and the bottom doesn't push up. How do get the little pies out?ReplyDelete
Love Downton Abbey.Replies
What a great pie!ReplyDelete
I love Downton Abbey. I get so cranky though because they don't screen it here until months and months after it screens elsewhere!Replies
GRRR! I wish TV shows were available to watch online anywhere in the world. I'd pay for them and sit through some commercial breaks if I could watch Downton early!Delete
Oh my goodness that pie, that PIE! The filling looks really good and even though it's getting a bit warm to have the oven on, I am determined to make this and soon!ReplyDelete
Yay Downton - Violet is a funny old thing, I really enjoy the show :)
And I am loving the duck photos, they are so cute!Replies
It's definitely worth turning on the oven! I think Violet is one of my favorite TV characters of all time - of all time!!Delete
- Replies
Yep. That sums up this recipe! :PDelete
I have to admit, your picture of the Leek and Mushroom Pie is the tastiest one I've ever seen in my life, River. Do you have a background in food photography? :) This recipe is one of the most nutritious mushroom recipes, you know. Here's what it has: Vitamin A 30%, Vitamin C 20%, Calcium 8%, Iron 20%.ReplyDeleteReplies
I have a background in food gluttony... does that count? Thanks for the nutritional info, Mack!Delete


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"Mom" Silver Memento with CZ
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Agriculture and the environment in the Nordic countries : Policies for sustainability and green growth »
Series: Nordic Council of Ministers
Author(s): Valborg Kvakkestad , Øystein Skutevik , and Anne Strøm Prestvik
Publisher: Nordic Council of Ministers
Publication Date: 01 June 2013
Keywords: Nordic, Norden, Baltic, Baltics, Agricultural Products, Natural Resources, Fragile Ecosystems, Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Green Growth, Water Pollution
In the future, demand for agricultural products will increase. The agricultural sector must meet the increase in demand without compromising the natural resources of which it depends on and damage fragile ecosystem...
The Nordic Energy Markets and Environment »
Series: Nordic Council of Ministers
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Natural resources and political priorities have formed the energy sector through the last century. Especially the development of grid-dependent energies such as electricity, district heat, and natural gas has been...
Best Environmental Practices in the Mining Sector in the Barents Region : International Conference 23-25 April 2013 »
Series: Nordic Council of Ministers
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Publication Date: 01 June 2014
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The natural resources of the Barents Region are of strategic importance for Europe. One intensively developing sector is mining, which will bring new opportunities to the region, but which will also cause changes i...


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Homers carry White Sox to second win against KC
CHICAGO -- The 43-degree temperature and winds blowing from left to right at 11 mph at first pitch Wednesday didn't exactly scream home run derby at U.S. Cellular Field.
Luckily for the White Sox, their bats surpassed the cold expectations in a 5-2 victory against the Royals.
Four home runs, six strong innings from Jake Peavy and a collective relief escape act in the seventh inning made up for one of the shakiest defensive efforts in the Robin Ventura era. That combination gave the White Sox their third 2-0 start in the past nine years, joining teams from 2005 and '11.
And anyone who remembers the close-but-not-quite-good-enough effort from the South Siders a year ago understands that every game matters, regardless of the 160 still remaining on the schedule.
"Paul [Konerko] talks about that all the time," said White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers, who homered for the second time in as many games. "The games at the beginning, middle and end are all just as important."
"We found that out at the end of the year last year," White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham said. "You can't take these ones at the beginning for granted. We need to go out tomorrow and be just as ruthless as we've been."
Adam Dunn homered on a first-pitch fastball from Royals starter Ervin Santana to open the second inning, a titanic clout that covered 431 feet to right-center field. It was the 407th homer of Dunn's career, tying him with Duke Snider for 48th place on the all-time home run list.
Flowers hit a solo shot to start the third, and Dayan Viciedo delivered a two run-homer with two out in the fourth that hit off left fielder Alex Gordon's glove and fell into the White Sox bullpen. Alexei Ramirez added another homer to start the seventh off reliever Luke Hochevar, but Viciedo's shot -- the only homer not of the solo variety -- provided the decisive runs, and it barely made it.
"If it wasn't cold, and my glove wasn't stone hard, it might have stayed in," Gordon said of his near-miss attempt to rob Viciedo's drive. "But it just hit the tip of it and came out. I was right there in position, ready to make the play."
"We've got guys one through nine who can hit the ball out of the park," Dunn said. "I guess it doesn't really matter how you score runs, only that you score them."
The power punch made it easier to ignore three White Sox errors, one of which led to an unearned run against Peavy. Another created a tight spot for the bullpen in the top of the seventh.
Dewayne Wise replaced Viciedo in left field to start the seventh, after Viciedo allowed Alcides Escobar's two-out single to sneak under his glove in the third and let Chris Getz score from first. Viciedo and Ramirez also had a communication issue in the third on Getz's pop fly, which fell for an error charged to Ramirez.
Wise dropped the first ball hit his way -- a popup hit by Eric Hosmer off of reliever Jesse Crain -- for a two-base error after making a long run to get into position to make the catch. Lorenzo Cain's bloop single to right put runners on the corners, before Crain struck out Jeff Francoeur for the inning's first out.
Donnie Veal replaced Crain to face the left-handed hitting Getz, but instead walked right-handed pinch-hitter Miguel Tejada on four pitches to load the bases. Gordon hit a short fly to keep the bases loaded with two out, and Matt Lindstrom entered and escaped the inning by inducing a fly ball from Escobar.
"Again, we just picked each other up," Flowers said. "That's what good teams do, and that's what quality teams do."
"A bad team or a team without as much confidence or as tight as we are -- brothers, so to speak -- stuff can get away from you," said Peavy, who threw 76 of his 107 pitches for strikes. "We can get into the dugout and laugh it off and say, 'Let's go, and let it go.' And we did it numerous times today."
Peavy struck out five of the first six hitters he faced and ended with six strikeouts over six innings. He allowed four hits and did not issue a walk, ending a 0-6 run with a 5.56 ERA in his past seven starts against the Royals, and setting up an opportunity for a sweep Thursday.
It's a sweep that won't deflate a Kansas City team with lofty 2013 expectations, but certainly will do nothing but help the White Sox cause against an American League Central rival.
"They're a good team, and I think they're going to be there all year," said Konerko, whose sixth-inning double gave him 2,136 hits with the White Sox and tied him with Frank Thomas for third place in franchise history. "I don't read too much into it other than it's two in the books, and you can't get those back. There's two we don't have to play against them. Put them in the win column and move on."


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Submarine Force Museum Home of Historic Ship Nautilus
- USS Nautilus History
- Medal of Honor Recipients
- Medal of Honor Display
- TM2 Henry Breault
- CAPT John Cromwell
- CDR Samuel Dealey
- RADM Eugene Fluckey
- LCDR Howard Gilmore
- RADM Richard O'Kane
- VADM Lawson Ramage
- CAPT George Street
- NR-1 History
- Submarine Bilbiography
Submarine Force Medal of Honor Recipient
Torpedoman Second Class
Henry Breault USS O-5
"For heroism and devotion to duty while serving on board the U.S. Submarine O-5 at the time of the sinking of that vessel. On the morning of 28 October 1923, the O-5 collided with the steamship Abangarez and sank in less than a minute. When the collision occurred, Breault was in the torpedo room. Upon reaching the hatch, he saw that the boat was rapidly sinking. Instead of jumping overboard to save his own life, he returned to the torpedo room to the rescue of a shipmate who he knew was trapped in the boat, closing the torpedo room hatch on himself. Breault and Brown remained trapped in this compartment until rescued by the salvage party 31 hours later."
Undersea Warfare Magazine "Submarine Hero" article.


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Reds searching for options to replace Ludwick
Club hopes for immediate production help as outfielder will have surgery on shoulder
CINCINNATI -- Last season, when Joey Votto went down with a knee injury and missed 48 games, Ryan Ludwick was a big reason the Reds picked up the slack. Together, they helped turn a potentially very negative outlook into a positive.
During that stretch, Ludwick hit .340, with 12 homers. He wound up batting .275, with 26 homers and 80 RBIs in 125 games overall.
Someone, or multiple someones, will have to do the same thing for a now-injured Ludwick. In the third inning of the Reds' 3-1 loss to the Angels in 13 innings on Opening Day, the 34-year-old dislocated his right shoulder sliding headfirst into third base.
"We're all pretty close, and to see anybody get hurt, it's no good," said the man who replaced Ludwick in left field Monday, Chris Heisey.
Ludwick, who had his arm in a sling postgame, had an MRI on Tuesday and learned that the injury will require surgery to repair torn cartilage in the shoulder. He'll have that surgery on Wednesday and will go on the 15-day disabled list. The Reds say they will make a corresponding roster move prior to Wednesday night's game.
The final two outfielders cut from Spring Training were Derrick Robinson and Denis Phipps, but neither player is currently on the 40-man roster. Robinson batted .300 in 22 spring games after being signed in the offseason as a Minor League free agent. Phipps batted .277 with two home runs and 24 spring games.
The Reds will need others to contribute immediately with production.
Heisey, and potentially lefty-hitting fifth outfielder Xavier Paul, will get a chance to step up and pick up the slack.
"I've done it before," Heisey said. "If that's what I'm called to do, I will show up and do it the best I can."
Reds manager Dusty Baker will also have to find a new cleanup hitter to take Ludwick's spot as a right-handed power bat between Votto and Jay Bruce. A good bet would be current No. 2 hitter Brandon Phillips, who has pop and experience batting fourth.
"I have to think about what's the best lineup for us," Baker said. "There are quite a few things that go into the equation. We'll see."
Instead of dipping their toes gently into the 2013 season's waters, Cincinnati has to jump right in. First, the Reds must complete the remaining two games of the series vs. the Angels -- an arguable favorite in the American League West with Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.
Then arrives last season's best team in baseball, and a popular pick as the National League pennant winners for this year, the Nationals. A six-game road trip follows, which begins with a three-game series against the tough division-rival Cardinals -- the Reds were 2-4 at Busch Stadium last season -- and three more games at Pittsburgh, where they were 5-4 in 2012.
Also included on the April schedule are three games vs. the Phillies before the gauntlet wraps with one more road trip -- to Washington and back to St. Louis again.
While the Nationals are favored by many, so are the Reds. The team is widely predicted to be better and go farther after taking the NL Central last season before losing to the Giants in the NL Division Series. That doesn't carry much weight for Reds starter Homer Bailey.
"I wish people would shut up about last year already and stay with what we're doing right now," Bailey said prior to Monday's game. "Let's start with our schedule in April and work from there. Let's quit talking about how good we look on paper or what we did last year or the epic failure we put together in the last three games of the season, and think about this year and this series. And after this series, let's talk about the next one."
Phillips welcomed the challenge presented to his team so early.
"I'm glad we're playing these guys at the beginning of the season," Phillips said. "Especially to see the type of team we really are. It's a challenge. It's always good to get some of the best teams out of the way now instead of worrying about [whether] we might have to face those guys later on in the year when we really need to get some wins."
The Reds will still need wins out of the gate and hope there are no more injury setbacks while Ludwick is out.
"Staying healthy is the key to winning," Heisey said. "Last year, we stayed healthy, and we won. You've seen it before with teams that get a lot of injuries early, it's tough to rebound from that. Hopefully he will be back soon and everybody else will stay healthy."