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Last year we received an email from a proud father in the UK, describing a stop motion video his daughter, Charlotte, had created using yarn and knitted textures. We loved it so much that we featured it in one of our KnitBits newsletters (it's called "The Little Red Plane"). Charlotte Blacker has been hard at work since then, and we recently heard about her latest video, called "Stompy The Bear."
With a deadline of two months, Charlotte pulled everything together (the knitting, shooting the video, and editing) and the result is an adorable music video for a song by Caspar Babypants:


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Hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Hebrews 6:19
Words & Music: Septimus Winner, 1868 (🔊 pdf nwc). Hymnals often list the author as Alice Hawthorne, one of Winner's pseudonyms.
Soft as the voice of an angel,
Breathing a lesson unheard,
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word:
Wait till the darkness is over,
Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the shower is gone.
Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.
If, in the dusk of the twilight,
Dim be the region afar,
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star?
Then when the night is upon us,
Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over,
Watch for the breaking of day.
Hope, as an anchor so steadfast,
Rends the dark veil for the soul,
Whither the Master has entered,
Robbing the grave of its goal.
Come then, O come, glad fruition,
Come to my sad weary heart;
Come, O Thou blest hope of glory,
Never, O never depart.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sally Davies bought a McDonald's Happy Meal on April 26, 2010. She placed it on her coffee table, uncovered, and took photos every day for six months. This video shows the results, which are quite scary. Updated: McDonald's official reply.
Update: McDonald's has released an official reply to this experiment.
180 days—and she says there were no worms, mold, smell, or visible decomposition of any kind.
Perhaps you have seen similar things before, but the fact that anyone can repeat this simple experiment, the fact that a burger and fries can survive through six months—including New York's fierce summer—is just scary and gross. Even more so than knowing how chicken nuggets are made and sterilized. Sally talked about his experiment to Good Morning America.
What I want to know now is what kind of technology does McDonald's use to create these things. Is a Happy Meal scientifically considered inert matter? Is it made of carbon-based polymers? Can it be recycled into jet fuel? They taste marginally better than asbestos, so it must be okay to use them to build houses.
I have no answers for you, but I hope there's a lesson in this for all of you, dear parents, would-be-parents, and I-don't-want-kids-but-I-like-Happy-Meals-anyway people out there. [Flickr]
I will not do anything to stop you from buying the soundtrack for this video: It's The Fast Food Song, by the Fast Food Rockers.


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Black Pastor Gets Southern Baptists Excited About the Gospel
NEW ORLEANS – Ahead of his likely election as the first African-American president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Pastor Fred Luter got the predominantly white denomination excited – about the Gospel.
The New Orleans pastor delivered an electrifying message Monday and brought thousands to their feet in enthusiastic applause throughout the last session of the SBC Pastors Conference. His message was simple: the Gospel can change lives.
"What is it going to take to change our lives? ... What is going to take to change our mindset? What is it going to take to change our society, ... our culture, our community and our world? Well, let me ask you a question; the question of the hour is Southern Baptists, what did it take to change you?" he posed at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
"I have no doubt in my mind ... that if change, real change is going to happen in our lives and in our communities and in our world, it must start with the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
Luter is the pastor of Franklin Ave. Baptist Church, which draws about 5,000 people, and he is set to make history on Tuesday at SBC's Annual Meeting when he is expected to be voted president.
Many in the denomination – which was founded after splitting with northern Baptists over the right to own slaves – are ready for their first black president.
"I can't wait to cast my vote for Pastor Fred Luter," said Dr. Grant Ethridge, senior pastor of Liberty Baptist Church, Hampton, Va. "We're going to be in good shape as he leads our denomination."
But before the big day, Luter stepped out on the stage to remind pastors of the power of the Gospel.
"The Word of God is the only thing that I know that can penetrate years of sin and save a lost soul," he stressed. "That's powerful."
"You haven't always been saved ... you haven't always been a Christian," he said. "I believe somewhere along the line you heard the Gospel and when you heard the Gospel, you believed the Gospel and before you knew it ... you were born again!"
"In other words, your life was transformed by the power of the Gospel!"
And just as the Gospel changed them, it can change those in this generation, Luter exclaimed.
"I'm convinced my brothers and my sisters that the Gospel can save a gang banger, the Gospel can save a crack addict, the Gospel can save a child abuser, the Gospel can change ... an unfaithful spouse, the Gospel can change you and the Gospel can change me! How do I know it? Because ladies and gentleman I wasn't always a preacher in a pulpit!
"At one time I was ... going to hell and enjoying the ride. But one day I heard the Gospel!" he said to loud applause.
Luter, who currently serves as SBC's first vice president, is convinced that the Word of God is the "only hope for a miracle today."
We are living in the last days, he noted. Yet some are looking to Washington, the economy or the schools for lasting change.
"Think about it .... if the Word of God changed you and changed me, why can't the Word of God change our culture? Why can't the Word of God change our communities? Why can't the Word of God change our world?"
Ending the night on a sobering yet hopeful note, Luter pointed to a grim reality and rallied believers around the unchanging Gospel.
"There are a lot of things in this life ... that I'm ashamed of.
- I'm ashamed of the number of babies that are being killed through abortion every year in America;
- I'm ashamed of the racism that still persists in our society;
- I'm ashamed that our elected government officials cannot put aside their personal agendas for the betterment of our cities, our states and our nation;
- I'm ashamed that brothers and sisters in the body of Christ can't put aside their petty differences for the cause of Christ. Maybe if the world saw us getting along, ... then maybe we can be an example;
- I'm ashamed of the number of preachers who don't practice what they preach;
- I'm ashamed of the high divorce rate among Christian couples in America;
- I'm ashamed of our drive-by shootings;
"Yes ... there are a lot of things ... that I'm ashamed of," he said.
"I'm so glad to proclaim that in spite of all the things I am ashamed about … I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!"


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Aximp.exe (Windows Forms ActiveX Control Importer)
The ActiveX Control Importer converts type definitions in a COM type library for an ActiveX control into a Windows Forms control.
Windows Forms can only host Windows Forms controls — that is, classes that are derived from Control. Aximp.exe generates a wrapper class for an ActiveX control that can be hosted on a Windows Form. This allows you to use the same design-time support and programming methodology applicable to other Windows Forms controls.
To host the ActiveX control, you must generate a wrapper control that derives from AxHost. This wrapper control contains an instance of the underlying ActiveX control. It knows how to communicate with the ActiveX control, but it appears as a Windows Forms control. This generated control hosts the ActiveX control and exposes its properties, methods, and events as those of the generated control.
This tool is automatically installed with Visual Studio. To run the tool, use Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt or Visual Studio Developer PowerShell.
At the command prompt, type the following:
aximp [options]{file.dll | file.ocx}
|The name of the source file that contains the ActiveX control to convert. The file argument must have the extension .dll or .ocx.
|Specifies to Aximp.exe to sign the resulting control using delayed signing. You must specify this option with either the
/keyfile:, or
/publickey: option. For more information on the delayed signing process, see Delay Signing an Assembly.
|Displays command syntax and options for the tool.
/keycontainer: containerName
|Signs the resulting control with a strong name using the public/private key pair found in the key container specified by containerName.
/keyfile: filename
|Signs the resulting control with a strong name using the publisher's official public/private key pair found in filename.
|Suppresses the Microsoft startup banner display.
/out: filename
|Specifies the name of the assembly to create.
/publickey: filename
|Signs the resulting control with a strong name using the public key found in the file specified by filename.
/rcw: filename
|Uses the specified runtime callable wrapper instead of generating a new one. You may specify multiple instances. The current directory is used for relative paths. For more information, see Runtime Callable Wrapper.
|Suppresses the display of success messages.
|Generates C# source code for the Windows Forms wrapper.
|Specifies verbose mode; displays additional progress information.
|Displays command syntax and options for the tool.
Aximp.exe converts an entire ActiveX Control type library at one time and produces a set of assemblies that contain the common language runtime metadata and control implementation for the types defined in the original type library. The generated files are named according to the following pattern:
Common language runtime proxy for COM types: progid.dll
Windows Forms proxy for ActiveX controls (where Ax signifies ActiveX): Axprogid.dll
If the name of a member of the ActiveX control matches a name defined in the .NET Framework, Aximp.exe will prefix the member name with "Ctl" when it creates the AxHost derived class. For example, if your ActiveX control has a member named "Layout," it is renamed "CtlLayout" in the AxHost derived class because the Layout event is defined within the .NET Framework.
You can examine these generated files with tools such as Ildasm.exe (IL Disassembler).
Using Aximp.exe to generate a .NET assembly for the ActiveX WebBrowser control (shdocvw.dll) is not supported.
When you run Aximp.exe over shdocvw.dll, it will always create another file named shdocvw.dll in the directory from which the tool is run. If you place this generated file in the Documents directory, it can cause problems for Windows Explorer. When the computer is rebooted, Windows looks in the Documents directory before the system32 directory to find a copy of shdocvw.dll. It will use the copy it finds in Documents and attempt to load the managed wrappers. Windows Explorer won't function properly because it relies on the rendering engine in the version of shdocvw.dll located in the system32 directory. If this problem occurs, delete the copy of shdocvw.dll in the Documents directory and reboot the computer.
The following command generates MediaPlayer.dll and AxMediaPlayer.dll for the Media Player control
aximp c:\systemroot\system32\msdxm.ocx
See also
.NET feedback
The .NET documentation is open source. Provide feedback here.
Submit and view feedback for


text:
Fox Towers by Langham Developments Limited
+1 (780) 425-0369
Please note that there might be some differences in the actual building compared to the renderings.
Register here, or contact us for more information regarding the sales, pricing and to arrange an appointment with a representative.
We never share any of your personal data.Air Jordan V Low Supreme
Get updates on your Facebook wall by liking our page:
Website + ideas by Threefifty. Edmonton & San Francisco, winter 2013.
As you browse www.foxtowers.ca, advertising cookies will be placed on your computer so that we can understand what you are interested in. Our display advertising partner, Wall2Wall Media, then enables us to present you with retargeting advertising on other sites based on your previous interaction with www.foxtowers.ca. The techniques our partners employ do not collect personal information such as your name, email address, postal address or telephone number.Dismiss


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Local Business App Development
What kind of app do you need to start gaining more exposure for your business and increasing your sales?
The basic option for most companies is to create a simple informational app for their local business that will provide details to new customers and help bring more visitors to their site. This will mainly consist of static pages that convey information regarding the nature of your services and products and will thus help to bring new customers as well as providing your existing customers with more information.
What Will Your App Consist Of?
Your app will consist of largely static pages filled with information and images. Together, these will explain your business and sell your products and services for everyone who discovers and downloads them. At the same time, the materials used will be those from your website, which means you'll have great consistency across all of your digital presence.
Essentially, a simple local app will normally be very similar to a website – with multiple pages and media. At the same time though, your app will utilize a design that makes it a lot more intuitive to use on a smaller touchscreen, while users will be able to launch it straight from their homescreens with a single tap. Simply having an app will make your business appear more forward thinking but our highly professional design ensures that they really impress.
At ID Digital we take our local apps one step further though and incorporate a range of additional features at your discretion. We can use push notifications for instance so that you can alert your users to offers and news right in their pockets! Perhaps best of all, we can add features that allow your customers to book appointments and tables, buy products and order take outs straight from the apps. By removing the 'barrier to sale', you will greatly increase turnover and profits.
Android apps are apps that run on the Android operating system. This is the operating system found on a wide variety of non-Apple phones these days, including phones from the likes of Samsung, HTC, Amazon and Sony. Many tablet devices also use Android and as an open-source system, it is also available on some computers and even smartwatches. It is the most widely used mobile operating system of all.
iOS meanwhile is the platform used by Apple. This is the operating system found on iPhones and iPads and thus is very widely used and highly regarded. If you create a mobile app, then really you should have a presence on both of these platforms.
Unfortunately, that means you essentially need two separate apps. Thankfully though, ID Digital has access to tools that makes this very simple. We can build apps and then immediately convert them for both iOS and Android and likewise we can add updates across all versions.


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Pure Silver Tip Badger Shaving Brush Amaranth Wood
Pure Silver Tip Badger Shaving Brush Amaranth Wood
This exceptional brush is handmade in France using pure silver tip badger bristle and precious woods. The colouring of the hairs is achieved by careful hand grading and filling which comes from expert selection of only the finest hairs from the neck of the animal. The long hair is ultra soft and very flexible, guaranteeing years of luxurious shaving
- Interchangeable pure badger hair so you can keep your brush for life!
- Size: Total Height: 128mm - Handle: 43mm Diameter - Hair: 23mm Diameter
- Stainless steel ring A316 100% guaranteed against corrosion
- Amaranth wood. All the items are in the natural colour of wood, no dye is used. They are protected by two layers of polyurethane varnish and require no special maintenance
- Each piece is handmade and unique meaning that the product you receive may differ slightly from the photographs featured on the site. This is the main characteristic of wood. Each piece will have its own veins, colour, for the joy of everybody
- All products are tested and guaranteed against defects. The possible defects are only the characteristics of the type of wood used. A certificate of guarantee will be provided with your order
- All woods are imported legally, some species are protected and thus replenishment may take longer


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Flowers and leaves with birds
Designer: Charles Francis Annesley Voysey, 1857-1841
Manufacturer: G P & J Baker
Retailer: Liberty & Co.
Designed 1893
Printed velveteen
224 x 71 cm (88 x 28 inches)
This design appears as a printed linen in From East to West: Textiles by G. R & J. Baker 1984. Pp. 57 and 80.
The Fine Art Society, London, has most generously given its permission to use information, images, and text from its catalogues in the Victorian Web, and this generosity has led to the creation of hundreds of the site's most valuable documents and the people who created them. The copyright on text and images from their catalogues remains, of course, with the Fine Art Society. [GPL]


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Recipe: Get Up & Goji Bars
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Power-packed energy bars to get you moving in the morning
Editor's Note: This is Part IV in an online series of recipes from Camilla Saulsbury's Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook.
Those who know and love me will tell you I am very frugal (except they would likely select a less flattering adjective). I prefer to say that I am careful with my spending, especially when it comes to food shopping. I tell you this because I am not the person at the health food store throwing every new superfood into my hand-basket with nary a thought of price; rather, I'm the woman making a beeline to the bulk goods and comparing the price per ounce on every item. So when I do recommend a particular superfood-splurge, it's because I think it's truly worth it.
Case in point, goji berries. Goji berries are bright orange-red berries that come from a shrub that's native to China and they have a unique taste akin to dried cherries and cranberries. A lot of nutrition gets packed into a single berry, including powerful antioxidants, 18 different amino acids, and up to 21 trace minerals, including zinc, iron, copper and calcium.
- 1 cup packed pitted, soft dates
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/3 cup natural, unsweetened raw nut or seed butter (e.g., peanut, cashew, or sunflower)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 2/3 cups old-fashioned or quick- cooking rolled oats
- 2/3 cup dried goji berries, dried cherries, or dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened flake or shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup chia seeds or poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper and grease the pan with coconut oil or vegetable oil.
2. Combine the dates and warm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until fruit is soft (time will vary according to the dryness of the dates). Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place the dates, nut or seed butter, and cardamom in a food processor and process until the mixture forms a thick paste; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
4. To the date mixture, add the oats, goji berries, cashews, coconut, chia seeds, and flaxseed meal; stir until well mixed (mixture will be very stiff).
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Place a large piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap (lightly greased with coconut or vegetable oil) atop the bar mixture and use it to spread and flatten the mixture evenly in the pan; leave the paper or plastic wrap to cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Uncover and cut into 16 bars.
- Use raw, dehydrated coconut if following a strictly raw diet; if not, feel free to use regular unsweetened flake or shredded coconut and any variety—including roasted— of natural, unsweetened nut or seed butter.
- Cardamom adds an exotic flavor to these bars, but you can skip it if it's not already in your pantry. Consider adding an equal amount of ground ginger in its place.
Tightly wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap.
- Room temperature: 2 days
- Refrigerator: 1 week
- Freezer: 3 months in airtight container; thaw 1 hour
- Serving size: 1 bar
- Calories: 178
- Fat: 9.1 g, (Saturated 2.9 g)
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Carbs: 21.8 g (Fiber 4.6 g, Sugars 10.3 g)
- Protein: 5.3 g
- Raw Mango Mojo Bars: Replace the goji berries with an equal amount of chopped, dried unsweetened mango and replace the cardamom with 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Add 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest and 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice along with the dates.
This recipe was excerpted from Camilla Saulsbury's Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is upping the ante on holiday shopping.
The world's largest retailer is pulling forward by nearly a month seven big deals on items like TVs and tablets that were originally reserved for the day after Thanksgiving and so-called Cyber Monday.
Shoppers will be able to purchase the items online starting shortly after midnight Friday. At the same time, the company's website will be pushing another 300 holiday deals.
The seven deals include a 42- inch JVC LED TV for $299, a savings of 36 percent, and a 10-inch XELIO tablet for $49, a 51 percent discount. The items will be available while supplies last. Last year, Wal-Mart offered about 100 holiday deals online right after Halloween, but the offerings were focused on home decor.
"It's been a tough year for the average American family," Joel Anderson, president and CEO of Wal-Mart.com, told The Associated Press. "It's our job to be able to help our customers."
He said Wal-Mart decided to accelerate offering the seven deals a month ago. Wal-Mart declined to say whether it would be repeating the discounts during the Thanksgiving weekend.
Anderson noted that on top of economic challenges, there are loyal shoppers who want to be able to shop for bargains early. Last year, Wal-Mart saw traffic on its website surge right after Halloween, he noted.
The move comes as Wal-Mart, like others, have seen customers scale back purchases heading into the holiday shopping season, which accounts for anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of retailers' annual revenue. While the job and housing markets are recovering, the improvements haven't been enough to sustain increased spending among shoppers.
The partial government shutdown, which lasted 16 days, also soured shoppers' confidence. The National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, expects an increase of 3.9 percent in sales for the November-December period. That's higher than last year's 3.5 percent, but the forecast didn't account for the prolonged shutdown. Online sales are expected to be up 13 percent to 15 percent, according to the group.
Retailers also say that there's more pressure this year, because the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is six days shorter than in 2012.
Against this background, a slew of stores including J.C. Penney Co. and Macy's Inc. have announced they are opening their doors on Thanksgiving evening for the first time. Wal-Mart, which started deals at its stores Thanksgiving evening last year, hasn't said when it will start doing so this year.
Wal-Mart has been particularly vulnerable to the economy's woes since it caters to low-income shoppers. But the retailer is also trying to offer its shoppers anywhere, anytime access and using its website as a weapon in the holiday wars.
Marketers started promoting the Monday after Thanksgiving as "Cyber Monday" in 2005 to push people to shop online.
Heading into the holiday season, Wal-Mart's website has doubled the number of products it offers online to 5 million. It's now offering free shipping for orders of more than $50 on nearly 99 percent of the items sold on the site. That's up from 15 percent.
Such moves are expected to help fuel the company's online sales, which the company forecast to increase 30 percent to $10 billion in its current fiscal year. However, it's still a sliver of its annual revenue of $486 billion.


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Monday, August 27, 2012
Doc on JLin
Jeremy Lin better, more confident: shooting coach - CNA ENGLISH NEWS
My predictions for this season:
67 comments:
The FG and 3pt are unpredictable since we do not know how Jeremy will be defended. But the Fts will be quite easy to predict.ReplyDelete
My prediction
90% FT (I'm serious about this since he only missed 2 of his last 40+ ft attempts)
Before All-star break: 45% FG
After Allstar break: 51-52% FG
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 12:35 AM
JLin [& DLee] trained more than 2 hrs [practice, strength & conditioning excercises,] - after opening ceremony for his Taiwan bball training camp.ReplyDelete
JLin & DLee FT contest after shooting practice. [JLin wins easily.]
What is his percentage ?Delete
It better be 90% or more.
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 8:47 AM
@ nephDelete
None of the news have nos.
But Lin Shu Hao easily beat him.
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 12:42 AM
Rockets interested in Whiteside?ReplyDelete
Alex Kennedy @AlexKennedyNBA
The Minnesota Timberwolves are watching free agent big man Hassan Whiteside work out today in Houston.
1:05 PM - 27 Aug
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 12:45 AM
CCTV Interviewer's Qs English Transcription: [andreakate.tumblr]ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 12:46 AM
Teacher Lin [Taiwan bball camp]ReplyDelete
'Cute' HK media's mock-jealousy of Taiwan
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 3:03 AM
JLin Training [Day 2]Delete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 7:47 AM
Taiwan bball camp pics
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 4:08 PM
Better version: JLin Training [Day 2]Delete
JLin team vs Taiwan camp students
JLin & DLee [w/ gf] goes shrimping after camp
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 4:10 PM
JLin blocking a shot, dunkingDelete
Some light-hearted moments:
JLin pranks a kid
JLin fake-cry when lil girl won paper/scissor/stone
Bleacher Report is a joke (it's just a content-farm to generate hit$), but yeah, I really like Royce White.ReplyDelete
Now, let's not go crazy here. White doesn't have Sir Charles' baffling athleticism. And even being a "poor man's" Charles Barkley would make him an All-Star.
I'd compare Royce to a another notable "Charles": Charles "Chuck" Hayes. Chuck Hayes with passing skills. Royce can be that undersized blue-collar post-player who does the little things to help his team win. He can also be an on-court enforcer and an off-court leader (along with Lin of course).
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 2:04 AM
Hey Kevin Garnett - you don't mess with the ChuckwagonReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 2:31 AM
High Screen & RollReplyDelete
Royce White [replacement]
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 3:12 AM
Time-lapsed capture of 王毅剛 painting JLin [hopes to present to him as gift]ReplyDelete
he can put it up on his wall like melo. haha.Delete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 4:13 PM
@ fighton1999Delete
It's not purple enough! :)
Waiting for the day when Lin's shooting gets to Nash level, 50-40-90. ;-)ReplyDelete
One thing I hope Lin pay more attention is that he shot way too many long 2s last season with the Knicks. I remember a game when he hit 3-4 consecutive shots with his feet on the 3 point line. He needs to cut that down. Need to either step a bit out for a 3 or step closer for a closer shot! Long 2s are the least effective shots in the game.
Personally, I think: there will be a higher FG%, from Jeremy Lin's own training soon found that he was left-handed dribble, progress, coupled with his confident, he is fully prepared....ReplyDelete
Interview with DocReplyDelete
Thanks, dude. Wow, the article quoted Coach Scheppler as saying, "his 'bad shooting day' now is better than his 'bad shooting day' scores from last year." But in the video he actually says, "his bad shooting day now is better than his BEST shooting day last year." (emphasis added)Delete
damn Aug/Sep/Oct... geeezDelete
It's hard to predict how someone will be shooting in real game situations, as opposed to shooting in practice when the pressure's off. Is Lin practicing scrimmages with other players ? I would like to see some scrimmage videos, even practice games would show how far he has progressed.Delete
Thanks 777am! I just posted.Delete
White will need some improvement finishing around the rim.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 7:16 AM
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 7:28 AM
JLin's team vs Dongguan studentsReplyDelete
47% is really high for a PG, but I respect your bball knowledge. If he can shoot that for a career, he'll be in really good shape.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 8:19 AM
[Rox win over Portland 07-17-12]ReplyDelete
About the end of the game, Portland's Nolan Smith was hurt after a defensive play by Zoran Dragic.
1:27 Royce White ready to brawl
After the game, one of Portland big men confronted Dragic & White stepped in.
"I don't think he wanted no part of me"
Royce White has wonderful basketball instincts.ReplyDelete
However, I am concerned about his lack of lateral foot speed. I don't think losing weight would help that either, as he simply isn't explosive. Defensively, I am worried about him being attacked in screen situations.
I don't understand the Charles Barkley comparisons that the commentators in summer league were making. Barkley was a guard quick super coordinated leader and pounder who was too fast for big men to catch and too bulky for smaller players to stop in the post. Barkley was one of the most athletic guys ever to play power forward in the NBA, and Royce White doesn't have anything close to Barkley's athleticism.
If I had to compare Royce White to someone physically, it would be Juwan Howard. Mind you I am talking about Howard NOW, not the Howard of 20 years ago!
Error: "leaper", not "leader".ReplyDelete
Maybe if Royce White dropped 10-20 lbs and worked on his foot speed, he could be a NBA small forward.
David Lee is listed at 6"9 and Jlin is listed at 6"3. Is it just me or does Jlin look a tad bit shorter than Lee in this picture (1-2 inches)? It's probably partially the camera angle, but still..http://ww3.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/6d3f585cjw1dwbkgf6kxyj.jpg . I've also seen pictures of Carmelo (6"8) standing next to Jlin and he doesn't look that much taller. I know I'm kind of obsessing over height, but I think it's relevant to know in predicting Jlin's future success...lots of these guy exaggerate their heights. It looks like for whatever reason Jlin under-exaggerated his height at 6"3.ReplyDeleteReplies
They lie all the time about players heights. Jlin is 6'3 and 1/2 so with shoes that makes him close to 6'5Delete
Rubio is taller than his listed height too. he is closer to 6'6 in shoes
Rubio looks shorter than Jeremy Lin to me.Delete
Where Rubio has a lot of guys beaten is wingspan. His arms are abnormally long, and that's why he has a defensive impact similar to Jeremy Lin's.
When Isiah Thomas smartly drafted David Lee with a low first round draft pick, David Lee was listed at 6'7".Delete
Generally I subtract two inches off any player's height. That makes David Lee actually about 6'5" barefoot. Similarly, Michael Jordan was listed at 6'4" in the Barcelona Olympics and Magic Johnson was 6'6" (Magic's coach Pat Riley said Magic was 6'7", though he didn't say if that was with shoes on).
Jeremy Lin is the rare guy who is actually as tall and is heavier than he says he is. By modern NBA standards, Lin is easily large enough to play shooting guard and even occasional small forward.
Lin is roughly about the same height as Charles Barkley who listed himself at 6'6" but later admitted he was 6'3.5". It's like Yao Ming who says he is 7'3" and openly acknowledges that he was listed at 7'6" for publicity purposes. A picture of Yao standing next to Shawn Bradley listed at 7'6" shows Bradley being taller than Yao.
In this year's draft combine, Marquette's Jae Crowder measured at 6'3.5" barefoot (same as Lin) at one camp but at 6'5" barefoot in another!!!Delete
Go figure.
Wow...I'm really shocked at what you are saying about the reality of the NBA player's height. I never could have imagined that Jordan was only 6'4"...that's just insane. I always imagined these guys having these other worldly physical attributes...but Jordan is only 4" taller than me. Unbelievable.Delete
Jlin really does have the perfect point guard physical attributes at his height and weight.
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 4:46 PM
Charles Barkley: They lie.Delete
NYT: When Height Becomes a Tall Tale
SI: Heights of hilarity
I think the most important thing right now is his 3 pt FG%. That will spread the floor and open up the driving lanes when defense needs to guard him all the way to the arc.ReplyDelete
Right now, Jeremy Lin driving to his left, is still faster than Steve Nash driving to his right. It's just that Nash has the ability to stop at any time and hit a jumpshot. That's what makes Nash so hard to guard, not his speed.
Being able to hit jumpshots consistently when given space, will make a huge difference, cut down on turnovers, and create more assists for teammates.Replies
I agree with this. For the sake of his longevity in the game, he needs to cut down on those drives and be more of an accurate long range bomber. Players who can shoot have longer careers in the NBA than players who rely on athleticism to get in the paint.Delete
Good point.Delete
Jason Kidd is the prime active example of this I can think of.
When Kidd came into the league, his Mavs teammates called him "Ason" because they said he had no J!
After a string of bad knee injuries, Kidd really committed himself to improving his jump shot. He hired a shooting coach and worked on his game in the offseason. The result is that he finally ended up winning the championship he had worked so hard for.
Lin is getting good shooting coaching early. That's good for Lin long term.
At this point in his career, "cutting down on those drives" wouldn't be sound advice to give to Jeremy. That is a huge part of his game. He's a playmaker and creator, and to do that effectively, you have to penetrate the defense; that's what good PG's do. If he stopped getting into the lane his efficiency would plummet. Basically, he'd be a worse-shooting version of Mike Bibby.Delete
Kidd has shot about 36% the last 2 seasons, even with this "improved" jumpshot of his. He hardly ever tries to drive (understandably, because he can't do it anymore) and that has had a big role in his decline. The fact is, Lin is not a great shooter yet. And even if he was or if he becomes one, falling in love with your jumpshot is the last thing you want to do.
I agree with you KHuang. I don't see Royce White's game remotely compare to Barkley's. At 6'4" (not the listed 6'6") 250lbs Barkley was a matchup nightmare.ReplyDelete
He could run with the fastest of guards AND dunk it on your head in transition or bully his way into the paint against smaller and bigger defenders for easy baskets.
White compares to Barkley in 3 ways. 1 white can rebound the basketball 2 white can handle the basketball like a guard. 3 he can pass the basketball.ReplyDelete
Barkley can score the basketball better than white and was and more of an explosive leaper than white
Hi: I have been following this website for a while now, and find it highly informative and entertaining! This is my first post. There was a short clip from the web yesterday where Jeremy is working out in a gym after basketball camp. He seemed to grimace in pain quite a bit while doing some floor exercises. Has anyone else notice? This, together with the photos of ice bags, knee braces, and sleeve, is making me worry. I work in health care and do know expressions of pain as opposed to hard work-outs. I am a huge fan and am curious if anyone has more information.ReplyDeleteReplies
The goal of a workout is to push yourself to the limit BEYOND what you would normally do in a typical game. So that during a real game, his body will be prepared for the physicality and exhaustion.Delete
It's better than he gets burned out in practice, than during the season when every game counts.
Barkley was one of the best rebounders in NBA history because he could bounce guys out of position and was incredibly quick to the ball all the way to his retirement game.ReplyDelete
What Barkley wasn't was much of a ball handler. Actually, Royce White clearly is a better ball handler than Barkley especially on the break. Still, Barkley in his Philly days would take opposing big men outside and burn them off the dribble.
Barkley was definitely not a willing passer and was actually a ball stopper that made Carmelo Anthony look like Larry Bird. But nobody complained about it because Barkley would typically convert while wearing his man down physically.
One area where Barkley got a bad rap was defense. He occasionally had trouble keeping taller players off the offensive glass, but Barkley knew where to be and fought his hardest to overcome his lack of height. I think Barkley himself was more critical of himself defensively than he should've been.
Barkley had the most trouble playing against the Boston Celtics because of Larry Bird and Lin's coach Kevin McHale who is one of the greatest power forwards of all time. Bird would score over Barkley any time he wanted, and McHale was even more unstoppable against Barkley than Bird was. I actually felt sorry for Barkley after seeing those two roast him in regular season games, but then nobody ever stopped those two Hall of Famers!
Lin is going to be a good shooter through sheer force of will. I'm still worried about his mechanics, though. Last we saw him, they weren't optimal. Not having optimal mechanics doesn't mean you can't be a world class shooter, but you'd better have Larry Bird- or Reggie Miller-level cockiness. And even if you do have Larry Bird cockiness, you'd be EVEN BETTER with more efficient mechanics. You'll certainly have fewer shooting slumps, because shooting slumps usually occur due to a loss of confidence and with perfect form, confidence isn't nearly as important. Moreover, Bird and Miller were much taller, so have more mechanical advantage; they have leeway in terms of mechanical efficiency.ReplyDelete
Problems with Lin's shot:
1. He catapults the ball too much. Bird was a catapulter. He also had more confidence and shooting talent than perhaps anyone who's ever played. And he was 6'9". Don't model his shot.
2. He flairs his elbow which causes left/right misses. As Larry Bird said in his autobiography, there's no excuse for missing left or right. That's completely under your control. Of course, it's possible to be a great shooter and flair your elbow like Reggie Miller, but he had the second most confidence and shooting talent in NBA history. Don't model his shot.
3. He cocks the ball too far to the side of his head. It should be as close to centered as possible. If there is no triangulation necessary, there's fewer left/right misses. Steve Nash and Ray Allen center their shots.
Lin's shot should model Steve Nash:
Steve Nash is the best all-around shooter in NBA history. I do not believe Nash is one of the cockiest shooters in NBA history and yet he's still the best shooter. This is because his mechanics are flawless. Nash is not very tall, so does not have much mechanical advantage, but he has maintained a high 3 point percentage over his career because his mechanics are extremely efficient. In a bit of serendipity, Lin is the same height as Nash. It is a no brainer that he should try to make his shot look like Nash's as closely as possible.
If you want to call it a bias, I will mention that my mechanics look like Nash's, down to tiny details that most people wouldn't notice, and I was a 90% free throw shooter in high school and college. I didn't have a shooting coach, I just spent hours and hours in the gym each day self-assessing each and every shot, trying to figure out what form would work better. And after 10 years and many incremental insights, I arrived at a form I didn't believe could be polished any further, and that form looks just like Nash's.Replies
1. Nash does not catapult the ball. He sort of pushes the ball. But not a forward push, an upward push. This upward push does three things. First, it ensures that the larger, stronger lats on your back are involved, while simultaneously deemphasizing the weaker triceps and wrist. With most players, there is a conscious emphasis to "snap the wrists". This is even taught by fundamentalists. In reality, the wrist snap should be a totally unconscious natural progression of the push that starts with the lats[1].Delete
Second, not catapulting, but instead pushing, ensures that the proper arc is put on the ball. I read somewhere that Sheppler advises Lin that 45 degrees is the optimal angle to shoot the ball at. This was a little frustrating to me because that is certainly not true. The optimal angle depends on how close to the basket you are, but it usually is above 45 degrees and the angle rises as you get closer[2]. This is indisputable physics. The aperture area of the hoop is smaller the lower the shot angle. If you could drop the ball directly from above the hoop, you'd have the maximum clearance. Higher angles mean more clearance. If you use a higher arc, you don't have to be nearly as accurate to still make shots[3].
Third, no special attention is needed to impart backspin. It's the natural consequence of pushing the ball up, causing the ball to roll back off the finger tips. If you are flinging the ball forward instead, you must make a conscious effort to snap the wrists and impart backspin.
2. Nash does not flair his elbow. It's pointed directly at the hoop. There's no excuse for flairing your elbow. If I were Lin, I wouldn't work on anything else until my shoulder flexibility were such that every single shot had the elbow pointed at the hoop. In my opinion it's an unforgiveable mechanical sin. Those are free baskets being given away. Your elbow is a hinge joint. If it's pointing at the basket, the ball can only go straight.
3. Nash almost cocks the ball to the middle of his head. Ray Allen, the second best shooter in the NBA, does center it. If the ball is centered and your elbow is pointed at the hoop, you'll never be off left/right. The argument against being completely centered is that for many players, the view of the hoop is temporarily obstructed. Ray Allen gets around this because he is able to cock the ball to a few inches above his head, and he can do this because he is tall with long limbs so he can generate enough force with an abbreviated shooting stroke. Anyway, this argument sounds important in theory, but in practice is not relevant. A shot is so quick and the period in which your view is obstructed is so short that your brain doesn't even notice it after a little practice. The benefits of shooting from centered position greatly outweigh this drawback.
Having the minimum cues for an athletic movement is ideal. When I teach someone to shoot, I have two cues, "put" and "push". Put means putting the ball in centered position, elbow pointed at basket. The ball can start anywhere, but when you put, it goes in a straight efficient line to center, cocked position. And push means push the ball up with your lats and correct shot sequencing will take care of itself. Newbies look like they've been shooting for years with these two cues.
Proper cues result in a mechanical (not athletic) movement. Mechanical movements are way better because they can be replicated precisely every time. They're repeatable. These cues also result in a distinct two part movement. Watch Nash's shooting stroke and see how it is a mechanical, two part movement:
Anyway, I can walk into a gym after a year's layoff and be shooting swishes in a few minutes, because I've taken the athleticism out of the shot. It's purely mechanical. Anyone with normal vision can almost not fail to make baskets with the right mechanics.
Finally, note that having a mechanical shot does not mean losing your ability to make athletic shots too. Games aren't choreographed and you will have to take jump shots from odd angles with the ball at weird cocked positions. I know from experience that perfecting your standard shot does not prevent you from being a very good at improvisational scoring. The human brain is an amazing thing. My brother can switch between QWERTY and Colemak keyboard layouts at a moment's notice. ;)
[1] Ray Allen snaps his wrists. This makes sense for him because he's so tall and his arms are so long that he has tremendous leverage in his arms and wrists.
[2] Practicing using higher arcs near the basket is also helpful because in the NBA, guards often need extra high arc to shoot over tall defenders.
[3] Empirically, if I haven't been to the gym in a while and I start shooting, I'll miss long or short off the rim for a few shots (not left or right, remember, because if you're pointing your elbow at the rim, that should never happen). The next thing I'll do is say to myself, "push that ball up in as high an arc as you can, push it UP" and the balls will start dropping through in clean swishes, as if by magic.
Good observations on Lin's shot mechanics. Even his own shooting coach mentioned that he wished Lin would have the ball more towards the middle.Delete
Word of advice though, be careful on this board though to not criticize Lin or his game too much or you will be called a racist. Don't say I didn't warn you. LOL.
Lin's shooting form is far from perfect. He's holding the ball to the right side of his head, his feet and body are not pointed straight at the rim, instead of going up straight there is a slight sideways push in his release.Delete
I don't know what Doc Scheppler is teaching him, but either he's not following it precisely, or it's not perfect form to begin with. I've always wondered that since Doc is a high school girl's coach, that his methods might be different than that used by NBA male players, since female players use more legs and less arms in their jumpshot.
Whatever the shooting form ends up looking like, it needs to feel "natural" with every shot, it should not be "following directions" and overthinking about form instead of just putting the ball into the hoop.
Just focus on putting the ball in the hoop, and the body will find a way to do it.
No Mr Screwup, we'll just continue to PUNK YOU like you keep asking us to do to you.Delete
Like I keep saying, get out of here if you don't like it here. You can't take the heat, go somewhere else to hate on people.
Since you brought up the racist thing again, LET'S FIGHT SOME MORE. I don't see anybody other than you crying about race here. What is your big problem with race and why do you keep bringing it up here? Hater Unknown, I am addressing you too.
John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Micheal Ray Richardson, Adrian Dantley, and Julius Erving are but some of the Hall of Famers that had a catapult shot that went IN.
Like Red Auerbach said, "you don't have to be a picture shooter". I trust Auerbach's Hall of Fame advice.
hey michael, do you have any videos of your form? i enjoy watching the form of others, including nash and allen. for me, long sessions of shooting long range jumpers on the court is more enjoyable than actual team games.Delete
screwup/unknown: you called lin a 3rd string guard. that's why this board gives you shit :) you have zero credibility.
How DESPICABLE It is for Mr Screwup and Hater Unknown to brand the members of this board as racists.Delete
These two jerks show their racist colors by assuming that of everybody here. Anytime idiots like them apply indiscriminate hatred to Asians they don't know here, that is RACISM IN THE FLESH!
I don't care if people reading this are Asian or not. Racism of the sort endorsed by Mr Screwup and Hater Unknown should be called out and STAMPED OUT.
Asians, don't be meek here. Fight these two racists and PUNK THEM as I have.
MrScrewUp said: "Word of advice though, be careful on this board though to not criticize Lin or his game too much or you will be called a racist. Don't say I didn't warn you. LOL. "Delete
I don't think he is branding the members of this board as racists. What he's saying is that he feels uncomfortable giving his honest criticisms of JLin's game because some people brand him as a racist. I also feel the same, so I don't even say anything that sounds like criticisms of JLin's game. And I am an Asian-American (or an American of Asian ethnicity or whatever), so I do understand where MrScrewUp is coming from.
One comment I have on shooting is that it does seem like there is a limit on how much you can improve on your shooting. Take Federer's serve for example. The guy has such a natural serve that even if someone tries to practice 10 hours a day and try to copy it, the other person will almost never be able to have that kind of serve. What I am saying is that if the shooting was simple, Shack would not have a lousy FT percentage. What makes me hopeful that JLin's shooting could improve is the fact that his FT is pretty good especially in pressure situations, which means he might be able to significantly improve his field goal percentage. No matter how well you shoot during practice, I know having played competitive sports, that it's hard to emulate that during real game.
LOL @KHuang. I'm 100% Asian.Delete
Let's see... you've called me an idiot, racist, pansy, whiner, jerk, etc. while I have called no one any names.
I'm just going to try to emulate my role model Jeremy and take the high road against your hate-filled speech. ^_^
My last post on this topic:Delete
Quote from Charles Munger (Warren Buffett's partner) on human psychology and how people are wired to not be open-minded:
"If people tell you what you really don't want to hear what's unpleasant there's an almost automatic reaction of antipathy. You have to train yourself out of it. It isn't foredestined that you have to be this way. But you will tend to be this way if you don't think about it.
Television was dominated by one network ‑ CBS in its early days. And Paley was a god. But he didn't like to hear what he didn't like to hear. And people soon learned that. So they told Paley only what he liked to hear. Therefore, he was soon living in a little cocoon of unreality and everything else was corrupt..."
I reckon a lot of people here also do not want to hear that Jlin is not as good a player (YET) as Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Westbrook, Rondo, etc. which is why people like me who say that are branded as racists. LOL.
@Mr Screwup aka Mr Pseudo scholar:Delete
@Unknown aka Mr Screwups faithful fake sidekick:
Dont mistake what people prefer with what people want to hear. Dont mistake what people want to hear with what you want people to think.
People come here because they support and like JLin. So - they want to talk about him in a respectful way. Talking about his play or techniques is no problem as long as its factual.
Coming to a JLin fan site and bashing JLin like you have done in the past makes you either a lunatic, hypocrite or a racist or all of it. Its so simpel as that.
After all - noone has brought up racism until you have and yet you see yourself as a victim - after all you have written in the past - what proofs my point... youre are lunatic, racist, oportunist stalker who likes to bash JLin and JLin fans. Doing so turn you on and makes you happy. Maybe JLin fans should collect some money, show their love for the mentally disturbed and send Mr Screwup to rehab.
If you indeed are Asian, MrScrewup, then I have a BIG PROBLEM with you.Delete
You're one of those self hating Asians who thinks he's above other Asians. Guys like you buy into the racist American media and mistakenly think that you're above other Asians just because you kiss the butts of mainstream society.
Your yucky self hating behavior sets a bad example for Asians. You come on here and flame Asians because you think your nonAsian friends will like you more. Meanwhile you are actively feeding the negative stereotypes that Asians are inferior and are racist to each other.
I have called you many things, and I'll call you a great many more before I'm through with you.
And you know what? A great many of the criticism against Lin ARE racially motivated. When you said that Lin had to "play like a superstar" despite earning just over the league average for his contract, you held Lin to the hateful double standard that Asians have to perform way better than other men of any other color just to earn the same Amy of money.
SHAME ON YOUR RACIST SELF HATING ASS!!! And don't even get me started on Hater Unknown who LIES about being Asian here.
My major problem with Lin's mechanics is that he seems to hold the ball too close to his palm in his shooting position. In the first video Michael Terry provided of Nash, Steve explains it perfectly when he says it's hard to control the ball when you're holding it too close to your palms and can't fit two fingers in. IMO, this probably explains why there can be a lot of variation in his shooting and he tends to be streaky.Delete
Obviously, his form (to the right of his head) is something he developed when he was much smaller and weaker and he never adjusted it when he grew. It's probably a bit late to completely overhaul that, so that's probably something that will stay as long as he shoot a decent percentage.
Anybody see that piece on BSPN on which NBA team will have the most problems next season?ReplyDelete
In first place, the New York Knickerbockers!
New York may not finish in first place in their division or conference, but they are Numero Uno in Team Turmoil.
- AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 4:16 PM
Sergio Llull, whose draft rights are held by the Rockets, does not intend to leave Real Madrid before his contract expires in 2014.
Source: EuropaPress.esReplies
The NBA rules make it a very hard to bring in veterans from Europe. Rockets can only offer Sergio Llull a minimum rookie salary.Delete
Real Madrid can pay him a much higher salary, and he can stay in his own country. How can the Rockets lure him away, unless they become a title contender ?
I think Llull is a good defensive guard, and he's worth pursuing. It took the Timberwolves 3 years to bring in Ricky Rubio.


text:
Every collection starts small.
Think back to that very first dusty 45-rpm single you found in your uncle's attic, now flanked by scores of vintage vinyl neatly shelved in the living room. Collecting spirits is no different. A road trip through Bourbon County, a dinner-party gift of aged Scotch whisky, and before you know it, your libations have taken over more than their fair share of allotted kitchen-cabinet space.
Congratulations: It's time to acquire a liquor cabinet.
First popular during Prohibition, when liquor was often stored out of sight, the home bar has reemerged alongside classic cocktails as a staple of domestic entertaining. Go-to furniture retailers like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn sell a number of credenzas, consoles and sideboards perfectly suited for wine and spirits storage. But that's presuming you're game for spending upwards of $1,000 on mass-produced furniture.
For those who'd prefer a unique, vintage piece with a little history, home-bar alternatives abound.
"The best advice I have," says Daniel Hyatt, manager at San Francisco's craft cocktail–centric Alembic Bar, "is to be creative. A small bookshelf can make a nice bar; a large rolling-toolbox, like you'd find at an auto shop, also makes a nice bar."
In other words, anything goes.
Hyatt's home bar was found at a second-hand store. But for other spirits enthusiasts, a single cabinet can be too limiting. Mixologist Michael Robertson, who slings drinks at Portland, Ore.'s Driftwood Room at Hotel deLuxe, found potential in an old piano. "I have made four tiered shelves where the keys and top were," he wrote in a recent email. "I took the front panels off and I light it up with candles and rope lights."
Realistically, converting a piano into liquor storage isn't something most folks have the time, ambition or skill to take on. Much less daunting: Browsing for well-constructed cabinetry at flea markets, antique and thrift stores, garage and estate sales, and online auctions. Look for wood structures built with genuine craftsmanship (dove-tail joints are good, veneer finishes are bad), sturdy shelves (preferably a foot between them, to accommodate tall bottles) and latching doors.
Antique wood ice-chests are ideal, given their just-right capacity with built-in shelving and air-tight doors. Fairly common at antique stores and flea markets, they typically sell for a few hundred dollars or less. Several bartenders I spoke with also mentioned adapting vintage Victrola record cabinets, which have ample storage suitable for tall bottles. They're not especially rare, which means they're priced affordably. A quick search on New York's Craigslist found a "circa 1930s Victor Victrola cabinet … currently used as bar," asking price $50.
There are bona-fide vintage liquor cabinets out there, too. I searched for about six months on Chicago's Craigslist before happening upon my custom-built 1930s-era dark-wood bar cabinet, with a built-in light and pull-out shelf for glassware. My bar was listed in the dead of winter, its glass doors and interior light lovingly repaired by its seller, Clarence, who stores and sells his estate-sale finds at an unheated, makeshift storefront on Chicago's South Side. My burgeoning collection of spirits has since graduated from the kitchen cabinet to said liquor cabinet in the dining room — with a nice view of the record collection.
Stocking up
An empty liquor cabinet is about as useful as a well with no water.
You don't have to spend a fortune, but keep in mind that "cheap booze will lead to inferior drinks," says Toby Maloney, co-partner at New York-based Alchemy Consulting, who has designed beverage programs for Nashville's Patterson House and Chicago's Violet Hour, among others. Maloney is among ten boozehounds from around the country whom we polled for recommendations on bar basics, as well as few upgrades. By majority rule, the most recommended basics total about $100, the upgrades another $80-$100. (All prices reflect 750 ml unless otherwise stated.)
— Lauren Viera
Basics: Must-have base-spirits
Gin Beefeater dry ($18) or Plymouth London dry ($30). "Once you start craving that gin bite," says Maloney, "move on to Tanqueray," ($23).
Vodka Austin-distilled Tito's ($20), with a few votes for lesser-known but equally smooth Monopolowa ($13)
Bourbon whiskey Evan Williams ($14), which Alembic's Hyatt says is great for mixing; and the spendier Buffalo Trace ($14 for 375 ml), which H. Joseph Ehrmann, bartender at San Francisco's Elixir, calls an "exceptional value."
Rye whiskey Rittenhouse 100 Proof ($20), "one of the best deals in the industry" according to Rickhouse general manager Erick Castro, in San Francisco.
Scotch whisky Famous Grouse ($20), almost unanimously.
Rum Appleton white ($16) or Flor de Caña gold ($15)
Upgrades: For serious sippers
Dry vermouth Noilly Prat ($5 for 375 ml)
Sweet vermouth Martini & Rossi ($5 for 375 ml)
Bitters Angostura Aromatic Cocktail Bitters ($8 for 4 oz.) or Peychaud's Aromatic Cocktail Bitters ($6 for 5 oz.), for starters. Thereafter, "as many cocktail bitters as you can find," says Hyatt.
Simple syrup Make your own: Bring to a low boil equal parts granulated sugar and water, until sugar dissolves; let stand and cool completely; bottle it up and store in your bar.
Maraschino Luxardo liqueur ($27)
Brandy Laird's Applejack ($18) or Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac ($40)
Aperitif Lillet White ($20)
Tools of the trade
Beyond spirits, experts like cocktail historian David Wondrich emphasize that basic tools are second only to basic recipes. "Beyond that, it's icing on the cake," Wondrich says. "A lot of people will mistake getting the gear right for getting the technique right."
While Wondrich doesn't have a home bar (he admits "there's no way I could fit any of (my collection) into anything but an actual bar"), he relies on a simple bar kit for home entertaining. In it are a cocktail shaker and mixing glass for stirred drinks, a two-part (Boston-style) shaker for shaken drinks, a bar spoon, ice cracker and measuring device.
Every collection starts small.


text:
I recall clearly back in my graduate school days in southern California in the late 1980s/early 1990s when the South Coast Air Quality Management District—the smog police—was kicking its regulatory program into warp speed and proposing regulations for just about everything imaginable. This might even have included regulating landscaping, since biogenic emissions from certain kinds of trees (Ronald Reagan was right about this!) can contribute to ozone formation, if cooler heads hadn't prevailed and told them they were nuts.
One especially notorious proposal was a ban on barbecue lighter fluid, since the evaporation of lighter fluid while it soaks into charcoal constituted a source of VOC (basically unburned hydrocarbons) emissions that cause ozone. But what's a patriotic backyard barbecue without a large inaugural flame out to announce it is getting under way? It's like the Fourth of July without fireworks. (Actually, we'll come to that liberal ukase in due course.) A bunch of us printed up bumper stickers: "Use a barbecue—go to jail!" The regulators were not amused (since having a sense-of-humor-ectomy seems to be a job requirement for all regulators everywhere), and responded that everyone could still barbecue, but just use one of those electric starter elements instead of glorious, flame-throwing petroleum-based starter fluid. Pffft!
Industry responded with a simple fix: they reformulated lighter fluid to lower its evaporation, and instructed users to light the fluid immediately on application instead of letting it soak into coals first for 60 seconds or so (which is to say, the manufacturers simply told everyone to do what they did as a matter of course anyway—did anyone ever really let the fluid soak in for 60 seconds? Heck no—less of an inaugural flame that way.) So we still have Barbecuing as We Know It.
But the regulatory juggernaut never rests. Now they're after our flame-broiled whoppers, our animal-style In-n-Outs, and other cavalcades of carnivoric calories. At least that's how I read the news of the new study from UC Riverside (a prime contractor for pro-smog regulator research) that finds that "Air Pollution from Burger Joints Worse than Trucks."
A UC Riverside study found that commercially cooked hamburgers cause more air pollution than diesel trucks.
The study, which focused on commercial charbroilers found in burger restaurants, said the equipment generates grease, smoke, water vapors and combustion products, which emit a large amount of particulate matter into the air.
"For comparison, an 18-wheeler diesel engine truck would have to drive 143 miles on the freeway to put out the same mass of particulates as a single charbroiled hamburger patty," said Bill Welch, the principle engineer.
It seems to me the lede here is exactly backwards: the real story is how dramatically we've been able to cut diesel emissions through a combination of engine emission controls and reformulated, low-sulfur diesel fuel. Two more things I remember from the old days: belching smoke-stacks of long-haul trucks, and diesel fuel much cheaper than gasoline. Today, diesel is much more expensive than gasoline, as the refining process to make low-sulfur diesel is more difficult and expensive (but worth the cost, I'll hasten to add). And state-of-the-art diesel trucks don't belch as much black smoke any more (unless they are not maintained properly).
Though there is something fishy about the claim that a single charbroiled burger puts out more particulates than a diesel truck driving 143 miles (I'd be willing to bet dollars-to-deep-fried-donuts that this calculation won't even come close to matching up with the aggregate emissions inventory for the LA air basin), it is probably true that the technological advances in emissions controls for cars, trucks, refineries, manufacturing (most heavy manufacturing has left southern California—that's one way to lower smog for sure) means that small sources like burger joints are comparatively larger sources, but of a steadily declining problem. LA can look forward to many more years of falling air pollution simply from turnover in the surface vehicle fleet to the latest generation of low emission engines.
But that never satisfies regulators, who always need something new to regulate to save their phony-baloney jobs (as the great Mel Brooks once aptly put it). So, as the killer-burgers story continues:
Researchers at UCR, who found few regulations for the restaurant emissions, said they're developing a contraption to trap the particulates.
Yup, there it is. Just watch: after the come for our burgers, they'll come for our grilled chicken, too. Time to mount the barricades at Chick fil-A. What's that?
Still, I like the common sense response of some of the "person on the street" comments the reporter sought out:
Customers at a Hesperia burger joint said you can't compare diesel emissions with hamburger smoke.
"Either way, we're living in a world (where) we're still going through pollution. But the difference is we are getting some type of benefit from (the burger)," said Maria Segura.
Clearly Maria Segura didn't get the memo from the food police that burgers are bad for you.
Coming next: why 16-ounce colas need to be banned because of the global warming effect of the CO2 bubbles in supersized drinks.


text:
This article is a joint publication of Foreign Policy In Focus and TheNation.com.
Earlier this month in Brussels, U.S. and EU negotiators held a fourth round of secret talks on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The agreement would remove so-called "trade barriers" between the United States and Europe by eliminating tariffs and weakening the regulatory authority of nation states.
The talks in Brussels come on the heels of a new public relations push by the Obama administration. In February, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, speaking at the Center for American Progress (CAP), outlined the administration's new "values-driven" trade agenda. Ostensibly stronger on labor and environmental standards, the approach promises to boost job growth at home by removing foreign tariffs on U.S. exports.
Given that already ballooning corporate profits have not created a U.S. jobs boom, an increase in corporate export profits is unlikely to help. What's more, recent trade agreements have failed to increase U.S. exports in the first place.
But engaging this argument misses the real issue. TTIP is much less about reducing tariffs, which are already fairly low between the United States and the EU, and more about weakening the power of average citizens to defend themselves against corporate labor and environmental abuses.
The key issue on this point is a controversial TTIP provision called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). ISDS allows foreign corporations to sue governments before special international tribunals over domestic laws that interfere with corporate profits. The tribunals are not accountable to any national public or democratically elected body. Corporations around the world are using similar ISDS provisions under existing trade agreements to extract taxpayer money from national governments. Actual or potential government losses then serve as strong deterrents to future public interest legislation.
At CAP, Froman accused trade critics of being stuck in the past. Trade policy has "evolved" substantially since the 1990s, he said, and new trade agreements will not only take into account labor and environmental concerns, but will actually raise standards.
The opposite is true. As corporations have become more adept at exploiting provisions like ISDS, trade agreements are getting worse for the rest of us. And the same corporate interests responsible for previous bad agreements are still in charge. Of the 700 U.S. trade advisers who have exclusive access to negotiators and draft agreements, 90 percent represent private industry. Less than 9 percent come from labor, health, consumer, or other public advocacy groups. Meanwhile TTIP talks remain closed to the public with limited press access.
The "free trade" threat to regular Americans is no longer just economic, but political as well. Out of public view and under the influence of global corporations with little to no national loyalties, negotiators are trading away our most fundamental values: representative democracy and the rights of citizens to protect themselves.
President Obama has asked Congress to renew so-called "fast-track" negotiating authority, which expired in 2007. Fast-track empowers the executive branch to negotiate trade agreements like TTIP in secret before sending them to the Senate for an up-or-down vote, with only a simple majority required for approval. Unable to filibuster or offer amendments, senators could not remove provisions such as ISDS.
But opposition to Fast-Track is growing on both sides in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and 151 House Democrats have voiced their opposition. Even reliably pro-free trade Republicans are weighing in against it. Elsewhere, public outcry in Europe over ISDS has forced EU Commissioner for Trade Karel de Gucht to open a three-month public comment period on the issue. U.S. advocacy groups have called for a similar move here.
Now is an opportune time for Americans to voice their concerns. Tell your representatives in Congress to oppose fast-track authority and demand that U.S. Trade Representative Froman open a public comment period on ISDS. By weighing in now, Americans can put an end to the disastrous era of "free trade" agreements negotiated in secret for the sole benefit of global corporations and their super-rich investors. The rest of us have suffered enough economic pain from these agreements. We must not suffer the final indignity of losing our democracy to them as well.


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* Battle edges toward densely populated Old Mosul* US says coalition probably had role in deadly blast
* Troops besiege al Nuri mosque site
* Pope expresses concern for civilians trapped in Mosul
Iraqi special forces and police fought Islamic State militants to edge closer to the al-Nuri mosque in western Mosul on Wednesday, tightening their control around the landmark site in the battle to recapture Iraq's second city.
The close-quarters fighting is focused on the Old City surrounding the mosque, where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a caliphate nearly three years ago across territory controlled by the group in both Iraq and Syria.
Thousands of residents have fled from IS-held areas inside Mosul, the militants' biggest remaining stronghold in Iraq. But tens of thousands more are still trapped inside homes, caught in the fighting, shelling and air strikes as Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition advance in the west.
Helicopters circling west Mosul strafed IS positions beyond the city train station, the site of heavy back-and-forth fighting in recent days, and thick black smoke rose into the sky, Reuters reporters on the ground said.
Heavy sustained gunfire could be heard from the Old City area, where militants are hiding among residents and using the alleyways, traditional family homes and snaking narrow roads to their advantage, fleeing residents say.
"Federal police forces have imposed full control over the Qadheeb al-Ban area and the al-Malab sports stadium in the western wing of Old Mosul and are besieging militants around the al-Nuri mosque," federal police chief Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat said in a statement.
Rapid Response elite interior ministry troops were advancing on the edge of the Old City, clambering over garden walls. Islamic State responded with rocket fire, streaking the sky with white smoke plumes.
"There are teams going into the Old City since yesterday," said Rapid Response official Abd al-Amir.
Iraqi troops shot down at least one suspected IS drone. The militants have been using small commercial models to spy and drop munitions on Iraqi military positions.
Civilians at risk
With the battle entering the densely populated areas of western Mosul, civilian casualties are becoming more of a risk. The United Nations says several hundred civilians have been killed in the last month, and residents say IS militants are using them as human shields.
Pope Francis said at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday that it was "urgent and imperative" to protect civilians in Iraq, and he expressed concern about those trapped in western Mosul.
The senior US commander in Iraq acknowledged on Tuesday that the US-led coalition probably had a role in an explosion in Mosul believed to have killed scores of civilians, but said Islamic State could also be to blame.
As investigators probe the March 17 blast, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend said increases in casualties were to be expected as the war entered its deadliest phase.
Local officials and eyewitnesses say as many as 240 people may have been killed in the Al-Jadida district when a huge blast caused a building to collapse, burying families inside. Rescue workers are still pulling bodies out of the site.
One local health official said on Wednesday 250 bodies had been recovered from the site, though that is higher than Iraqi military estimates. But rescue efforts have been hampered by a lack of equipment and poor security.
Huge blast
What exactly happened on March 17 is still unclear.
Iraqi military command has said one line of investigation is whether Islamic State rigged explosives that ultimately caused the blast that destroyed buildings. Iraqi military said there was no indication the building was hit directly by the strike.
Eyewitnesses have said a strike may have hit a massive truck bomb parked by the building. Others say families were either sheltering in a basement or had been forced inside.
"My initial assessment is that we probably had a role in these casualties," Townsend, the senior coalition commander in Iraq, told a Pentagon news briefing.
"What I don't know is were they (the civilians) gathered there by the enemy? We still have some assessments to do. ... I would say this, that it sure looks like they were."
The incident has heightened fears for the safety of civilians - an important concern for Iraq's Shia-led government as it tries to avoid alienating Mosul's mostly Sunni population.
The United Nations rights chief said on Tuesday at least 307 civilians had been killed and 273 wounded in western Mosul since Feb. 17, saying Islamic State was herding residents into booby-trapped buildings as human shields and firing on those who tried to flee.


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Map Of South America
44.5 x 35 cm (17.5 x 13.8 inches).
Showing The Galapagos Islands
Galapagos,South America
This original antique engraving was made in 1778. It is from a "A New and Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels" by John Hamilton Moore, and was printed by Alexander Hogg in London. Moore described some of the most interesting discoveries and adventures such as voyages by James Cook, Furneaux, Magellan, Drake, Anson, Dampier, Wallis and other great explorers. It was made by copper plate engraving on medium weight, chain-linked cotton rich, paper. It is in very good condtion. There is a little foxing and age toning, as shown in the above image.
|Date Made
|Paper Size
|44.5 x 35 cm (17.5 x 13.8 inches)
|Main Color
|Size Category
|41 to 50 cm [16 to 20 inches]


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HT to Sid Raisch for this link — http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/10/25/3-misconceptions-that-need-to-die.aspx, Morgan Housel, October 25, 2011
At a conference in Philadelphia earlier this month, a Wharton professor noted that one of the country's biggest economic problems is a tsunami of misinformation. You can't have a rational debate when facts are so easily supplanted by overreaching statements, broad generalizations, and misconceptions. And if you can't have a rational debate, how does anything important get done? As author William Feather once advised, "Beware of the person who can't be bothered by details." There seems to be no shortage of those people lately.
Here are three misconceptions that need to be put to rest.
Misconception: Most of what Americans spend their money on is made in China.
Fact: Just 2.7% of personal consumption expenditures go to Chinese-made goods and services. 88.5% of U.S. consumer spending is on American-made goods and services.
I used that statistic in an article last week, and the response from readers was overwhelming:Hogwash. People just didn't believe it.
The figure comes from a Federal Reserve report. You can read it here.
A common rebuttal I got was, "How can it only be 2.7% when almost everything in Wal-Mart(NYSE: WMT ) is made in China?" Because Wal-Mart's $260 billion in U.S. revenue isn't exactly reflective of America's $14.5 trillion economy. Wal-Mart might sell a broad range of knickknacks, many of which are made in China, but the vast majority of what Americans spend their money on is not knickknacks.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics closely tracks how an average American spends their money in an annual report called the Consumer Expenditure Survey. In 2010, the average American spent 34% of their income on housing, 13% on food, 11% on insurance and pensions, 7% on health care, and 2% on education. Those categories alone make up nearly 70% of total spending, and are comprised almost entirely of American-made goods and services (only 7% of food is imported, according to the USDA).
Even when looking at physical goods alone, Chinese imports still account for just a small fraction of U.S. spending. Just 6.4% of nondurable goods — things like food, clothing and toys — purchased in the U.S. are made in China; 76.2% are made in America. For durable goods — things like cars and furniture — 12% are made in China; 66.6% are made in America.
Another way to grasp the value of Chinese-made goods is to look at imports. The U.S. is on track toimport $340 billion worth of goods from China this year, which is 2.3% of our $14.5 trillion economy. Is that a lot? Yes. Is it most of what we spend our money on? Not by a long shot.
Part of the misconception is likely driven by the notion that America's manufacturing base has been in steep decline. The truth, surprising to many, is that real manufacturing output today is near an all-time high. What's dropped precipitously in recent decades is manufacturing employment. Technology and automation has allowed American manufacturers to build more stuff with far fewer workers than in the past. One good example: In 1950, a U.S. Steel (NYSE: X ) plant in Gary, Ind., produced 6 million tons of steel with 30,000 workers. Today, it produces 7.5 million tons with 5,000 workers. Output has gone up; employment has dropped like a rock.
Misconception: We owe most of our debt to China.
Fact: China owns 7.8% of U.S. government debt outstanding.
As of August, China owned $1.14 trillion of Treasuries. Government debt stood at $14.6 trillion that month. That's 7.8%.
Who owns the rest? The largest holder of U.S. debt is the federal government itself. Various government trust funds like the Social Security trust fund own about $4.4 trillion worth of Treasury securities. The Federal Reserve owns another $1.6 trillion. Both are unique owners: Interest paid on debt held by federal trust funds is used to cover a portion of federal spending, and the vast majority of interest earned by the Federal Reserve is remitted back to the U.S. Treasury.
The rest of our debt is owned by state and local governments ($700 billion), private domestic investors ($3.1 trillion), and other non-Chinese foreign investors ($3.5 trillion).
Does China own a lot of our debt? Yes, but it's a qualified yes. Of all Treasury debt held by foreigners, China is indeed the largest owner ($1.14 trillion), followed by Japan ($937 billion) and the U.K. ($397 billion).
Right there, you can see that Japan and the U.K. combined own more U.S. debt than China. Now, how many times have you heard someone say that we borrow an inordinate amount of money from Japan and the U.K.? I never have. But how often do you hear some version of the "China is our banker" line? Too often, I'd say.
Misconception: We get most of our oil from the Middle East.
Fact: Just 9.2% of oil consumed in the U.S. comes from the Middle East.
According the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. consumes 19.2 million barrels of petroleum products per day. Of that amount, a net 49% is produced domestically. The rest is imported.
Where is it imported from? Only a small fraction comes from the Middle East, and that fraction has been declining in recent years. So far this year, imports from the Persian Gulf region — which includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — have made up 9.2% of total petroleum supplied to the U.S. In 2001, that number was 14.1%.
The U.S. imports more than twice as much petroleum from Canada and Mexico than it does from the Middle East. Add in the share produced domestically, and the majority of petroleum consumed in the U.S. comes from North America.
This isn't to belittle our energy situation. The nation still relies on imports for about half of its oil. That's bad. But should the Middle East get the attention it does when we talk about oil reliance? In terms of security and geopolitical stability, perhaps. In terms of volume, probably not.
A roomful of skeptics
"People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe," said Andy Rooney. Do these numbers fit with what you already believed? No hard feelings if they don't. Just let me know why in the comment section below.
Fool contributor Morgan Housel owns shares of Wal-Mart. Follow him on Twitter @TMFHousel. The Motley Fool owns shares of Wal-Mart Stores. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of and creating a diagonal call position in Wal-Mart Stores. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Licensed Training Company:
ICE-SAR Rescue School
Location: Reykjavik - Iceland
Dates: 10/11/2021 - 10/21/2021
Course Description:
The definitive wilderness course in medical training, leadership, and critical thinking for outdoor, low-resource, and remote professionals and leaders.
The Wilderness First Responder program is the ideal medical training for leaders in remote areas including outdoor educators, guides, military, professional search and rescue teams, researchers, and those involved in disaster relief. The curriculum is comprehensive and practical. It includes the essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments for days and weeks if necessary.
|Instructor Name
|Ãrmann Hoskuldsson


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- What is RIU Class?
- I have lost my RIU account password.
- It is safe to introduce my bank card data into www.riu.com?
- Which documentation must I show at my arrival?
- What should I do if the hotel does not find my reservation?
Plan a Wedding
Travel Agents
How can I contact the hotel?
If you have any specific answer about your reservation or you have any doubt about a service, you can contact to our Reservation Center, you will find its phone number in our Website Home. If you want to contact your Hotel reception directly for a more specific question you will find its phone number under the Hotel name, in its online information sheet.
When can I Check-in and Check-out?
RIU Hotels & Resorts checks everything before your arrival, so your check-in day you can enter your room from 03:00pm. So, if you think you will arrive before, you can call your Hotel reception to inform about it and they will explain how you should proceed. The Hotel reception can take care of your suitcases until your room is ready while you take a ride and meet the resort facilities.
Can I ask for a double, king or twin bed?
Some RIU rooms are bigger than others and they can offer kingsize beds, double beds or twin bedded rooms. We can not guarantee you a specific kind of bed but you can ask for it when doing your reservation and if it is available the Hotel will offer you it. If you need any further information, please ask our Reservation Center.
Are there excursions, golf, spa and free-time activities?
If you want to ask for information about excursions, activities, spa and golf, you will find all the contacts and companies which can offer these services in the Hotel reception. You also can check our website; checking your hotel or destiny information sheet you will find most of the details. Do not hesitate to contact our Reservation Center or your Hotel reception if you need any further information.
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RIU Hotels & Resorts is involved with the environment and has the Nature Friendly Billing Stamp, that is why we don't send catalogs to particulars. You will find the information sheet of each of our hotels in our website, with all the information about services, facilities and activities. You will also find information magazines in the hotels receptions and soon you can also look for them online.


text: With Life Extension products, you can count on the highest quality, backed by science, and formulated using only the finest ingredients. When you put something in your body, you should have complete confidence you're getting the nutritional benefits your body deserves. At Life Extension, The Science of a Healthier Life means we deliver exceptional products and real results.


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Vitter: Investigate Reid, Boxer
Sen. David Vitter – faced with a potential vote on a measure that would highlight his past prostitution scandal – is firing back at Democrats.
The Louisiana Republican is demanding a formal ethics investigation into Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) following a POLITICO story that said Democrats have drafted a proposal that would deny federal health care contributions to lawmakers if there is "probable cause" that they have solicited prostitutes.
That's a clear slap at Vitter's role in the 2007 "D.C. Madam" scandal when his phone number surfaced in a prostitution ring. He apologized for a "very serious sin" but never elaborated.
In his 3-page letter released Friday, Vitter contends that Reid, Boxer and their aides are practicing "attempted bribery" by circulating proposals that would tie lawmakers' benefits to their official duties.
( Also on POLITICO: Will Democrats haul out hookers in David Vitter fight?)
Vitter brought business in the Senate to a halt this week with demands for a vote on an amendment repealing federal contributions toward members' health care coverage.
One of the three measures being weighed by Senate Democrats would deny coverage to lawmakers who vote for Vitter's amendment, POLITICO reported Thursday.
"Such an arrangement, whereby the Senate Majority Leader and the Chair of this Committee are threatening to take away their colleagues' health care coverage subsidy if they do not vote a certain way, at worst constitutes bribery and a quid pro quo arrangement, and at best amounts to improper conduct reflecting discreditably on the Senate," Vitter wrote.
POLITICO's story didn't identify which Democratic senators drafted the amendments aimed at Vitter. Boxer — who has worked closely with Vitter as top senators on the Environment and Public Works Committee — said in an e-mailed statement: "Senator Vitter has manufactured a bizarre and phony attack that demeans the Senate."
And Kristen Orthman, a Reid spokeswoman, called Vitter's charges "absurd and baseless."
"This is nothing more than Senator Vitter's desperate attempt to change the subject from his previous ethics issues," she said in an e-mail.
Vitter lists several questions he wants answered by Reid and Boxer – such as "Who are the Democratic staff members that drafted this legislation?" and "Who specifically are the 'several Democratic senators" who requested that this legislation be drafted?"
And because Boxer is the chairwoman of the Senate Ethics Committee, Vitter demanded that she be recused from the probe he is seeking.