text:
Allgaier Advances to Championship 4
Justin Allgaier took the checkered flag in Saturday's Desert Diamond West Valley 200 at ISM Raceway and clinched his spot into the Championship 4.
The No. 7 Brandt Chevrolet took the green flag in the 5th position and battled for his spot in the playoffs throughout the evening. Christopher Bell started on the pole and dominated the first two stages of the race. Allgaier finished second in both stages.
Before the green flag waved to start stage 3, Bell was penalized for speeding on pit road, sending him to the rear of the field on the restart. Allgaier inherited the lead and maintained until the end. Cole Custer found speed as well, but ran out of time. He cut Allgaier's lead from three seconds to .810 of a second.
"I just came up a little bit short, but I think that was the best run we've ever had at Phoenix in a long time," Custer said.
Justin Allgaier snapped a 39-race winless streak after leading a total of 85 laps, including the final 66. This was his first trip to victory lane this season and the 11th of his racing career.
"Hats off to everybody at Chevrolet and JR Motorsports. We had a hot rod today, maybe we wouldn't beat the 20, but he made a mistake and it was our race."
Cole Custer, Tyler Reddick, John Hunter Nemechek and Zane Smith rounded out the top five at ISM Raceway.
Joining Allgaier in the Championship 4 will be Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Cole Custer.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will be back in action one last time on Saturday, November 16. A champion will be named at Homestead-Miami Speedway at 3:30 PM ET on NBCSN.
Jamie McMurray Powers His Way Into the Top Five at Richmond
The Energizer Bunny was all charged up on Sunday afternoon.
Entering Richmond International Raceway 11th in points, Jamie McMurray was set to continue the momentum at one of his best tracks since he rejoined Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Starting ninth for the Toyota Owners 400 on Sunday afternoon, the No. 1 team stayed inside the top 10 for the entire race.
McMurray's Chevrolet cracked the top five early in the going, but failed to show enough speed to make ground within the first half of the race. However, after a caution on Lap 170, his car excelled on the long run. Taking the lead momentarily over Kurt Busch a mere 60 laps after the halfway point, he showed how powerful his car was after restarting 30th following a loose lug nut during the competition caution on Lap 50.
"Well, this Energizer Chevy was just good on the long runs," McMurray said following the race. "It wouldn't take off real quick, but after 30 laps it was about the same as the leaders. It was so much fun at the end to be that much quicker than those guys. So, it was a lot of fun to get to be the guy that had the speed at the end."
Finishing fourth, McMurray now has three fourth-place results in the last four races at Richmond. He now sits ninth in the championship standings, which currently gives him a spot inside the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Working with rookie crew chief Matt McCall, the two have been off to a fast start. Leaving Richmond in 2014, McMurray was 18th in points with Keith Rodden leading the way. Moreover, the chemistry has continued for the new tandem.
Heading into Talladega, McMurray has a pair of top fives, with four top 10s through nine races.
There is nothing like seeing fresh designs rolling into Speedweeks in the midst of the Florida breeze.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is rapidly approaching. In less than three weeks, the Sprint Media Tour is set to begin. And in just over one month, cars will be roaring around Daytona International Speedway with speeds surpassing 190 mph.
For the 2015 season, there are plenty of drivers in new places, crew chiefs moving all over the place and even sponsors departing the sport. However, with yet another set of changes for the rules package heading into the new year, NASCAR is prepared to possibly have one of their best seasons since the Chase for the Sprint Cup was implemented in 2004.
There are some drivers who are expected to have breakout seasons, but others – not so much. Let's take a look at what to expect in the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season from each team.
-Jamie McMurray: In 2015, the No. 1 car will have a new man at the top of the pit box. McMurray will be working with former Robert Yates Racing developmental driver and Richard Childress Racing engineer Matt McCall. RCR attempted to sue McCall to prevent him from leaving the team, but on Jan. 1, it was made known that their efforts were unsuccessful. Coming off of a season with seven top fives, McMurray has a solid shot at making the Chase for the Sprint Cup after recording a career-high in laps led with 368. The team lost LiftMaster as a sponsor, but McDonalds and Cessna will likely continue to fill up the schedule for the No. 1 Chevrolet.
-Brad Keselowski: Not much will be changing for Keselowski's No. 2 Ford. The team was arguably set to win a championship in 2014, and they have potential to do even better in 2015 with the abundance of success that was seen this past season.
-Austin Dillon: Dillon is coming off of a rather disappointing rookie year. He entered the season as Kevin Harvick's replacement, and was expected to be more of a contender than what he was, especially after winning the pole for the Daytona 500. However, combining limited experience with a lack of speed shown throughout the RCR camp, Dillon finished 20th in points, which was just shy of winning Rookie of the Year honors. With Gil Martin returning in 2015, the No. 3 team has a realistic shot at making the Chase for the Sprint Cup. They might be able to sneak in a win at a restrictor plate track, but they will need to improve from their 17.5 average finish on the season.
-Kevin Harvick: Nothing will be changing on the No. 4 team other than the attempt at becoming a back-to-back champion. Harvick has been great with pressure over the years, and the crew enters 2015 in much better shape than they did in 2014, when Rodney Childers pieced everything together over the off-season. Without the aches and pains of mechanical issues, Harvick will likely be contending for wins on a weekly basis once again. He'll attempt to be the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson won five straight titles from 2006 to 2010.
-Kasey Kahne: Kenny Francis will not be leading the No. 5 team in 2015. Instead, McMurray's former crew chief Keith Rodden will oversee Kahne's efforts. He has a mediocre 2014 season, so expect him to be more competitive in 2015. Kahne needs a solid season after resigning with Hendrick Motorsports through 2018. With a variety of sponsors, the No. 5 Chevrolet should be a force to be reckon with this season, but inconsistency has plagued Kahne throughout his career.
-Trevor Bayne: After a disappointing season in the Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing, Bayne is moving up to the Cup Series. Bringing back the No. 6 Ford made famous by Mark Martin, the pressure will be on Bayne to perform after racing part-time for the Wood Brothers since making his debut with the organization in 2010. The 2011 Daytona 500 champion DNQ'ed at Charlotte with Roush, and his top 2014 finish in the No. 21 car was a 19th-place result at Texas and Michigan. With Roush's obvious pain due to the new rules package in 2014, the new round of changes could play into their favor, which is similar to what teams had in the mid-2000s, where Roush saw plenty of success. Expect Bayne to be a mid-pack driver with a handful of top-10 results.
-Sam Hornish, Jr.: The No. 9 team will have a driver change in 2015 after Marcos Ambrose departed for his native Australia. Hornish is expected to run stronger than Ambrose, and possibly better than Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Aric Almirola. Sponsorship has still yet to be announced for this Ford team, but Twisted Tea is expected to up the number of races they fund. Hornish has run just two Cup Series races over the past two years, so the new testing policy probably won't fall into his favor. Moreover, after running strong with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, he should be competing for top-10 finishes every few races. He could possibly lock in a Chase for the Sprint Cup spot with a victory at one of the road course events, or even at the restrictor plate tracks.
-Danica Patrick: Following plenty of changes late in the 2014 season, the No. 10 Chevrolet will continue with Daniel Knost as the crew chief. Other than that, no changes will occur for Patrick's team. Showing some improvements on-track in 2014, Patrick is expected to record at least five top 10s in 2015. However, Knost struggled with Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch, who has a lot more experience than Patrick. There might be some growing pains between the two, but increasing her 23.7 average finish is going to be the biggest key. Her qualifying effort improved by approximately eight positions on average, but she bettered her average finish by a mere 2.4 spots.
-Denny Hamlin: Dave Rogers will take over the helm for Darian Grubb in 2015. Grubb and Hamlin never seemed to have the success that was expected of them. However, after earning a spot into the final round of the Chase as an underdog, Hamlin should have plenty of momentum entering the new season. The team struggled to find speed at intermediate tracks, as did all of the Toyota cars, which will be the key to their success during the new season. Expect Hamlin to earn a few wins, and likely improve upon his seven top fives.
-Casey Mears: Mears will return to Germain Racing with limited changes to the No. 13 crew. He had an up and down 2014 season, but performed well when momentum was on their side. Expect him to improve from 26th in points to approximately 23rd to 25th. As they continue their RCR alliance, they should be able to run very well at the road course events, which is Mears' strong suit.
-Clint Bowyer: Toyota was lacking horsepower in 2014, but Michael Waltrip Racing fell behind more than that. Bowyer failed to make the Chase in what was arguably his worst season since his rookie year in 2006. His best finish was third-place at both Talladega races and Richmond, yet other than that, he led just 109 laps on the year. For 2015, MWR will have to come up with a way to score a victory. Expect Bowyer to be competitive at the short tracks, but have some struggles at the intermediate tracks after having an abysmal average finish of 17.1 in 2014.
-Greg Biffle: Biffle had a sub-par 2014 season to say the least. Although he made the Chase with Roush Fenway Racing, Biffle was extremely inconsistent. With just three top fives and 11 top 10s, 2014 was arguably just as mediocre as 2011 for the Roush driver. In 2015, he's going to be the veteran of the camp. RFR is making plenty of changes, and Matt Puccia is staying aboard as his crew chief. With new sponsor, Ortho, coming on board, the No. 16 team will look to not only make the Chase, but get back in Victory Lane during the new season.
-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.: After missing the Talladega race in October, Stenhouse and the No. 17 team's struggles were fully exposed. The high expectations that were laid upon him following back-to-back Xfinity Series titles were too abundant, and he has struggled since going full-time in the Cup Series. In 2015, if RFR can fix the aerodynamic issues that have plagued them, Stenhouse and new crew chief Nick Sandler have a chance at finishing inside of the top-20 in points. It would be a stretch for them to get a victory, but a handful of top fives is realistic for this bunch.
-Kyle Busch: With the Gibbs struggling at intermediate tracks, Busch was not able to perform well at his favorite places. Earning just one victory in 2014, the driver of the No. 18 car is looking for more success in 2015. He will be working with Adam Stevens, who won 19 Xfinity Series races with Busch over the past two years. Expect Busch to run better in 2015, especially after being paired with a man he has great chemistry with. The pair should easily make the Chase, but don't expect more than four wins from them, which has been his plateau since 2009.
-Matt Kenseth: Kenseth, like his teammates, struggled on the intermediate tracks in 2014. One could say that it is the runner-up slump, which seems to occur nearly every season. Earning a career-high seven wins in 2013, the driver of the No. 20 Toyota earned no victories in 2014. Kenseth had more top fives and top 10s during his second year with Gibbs, yet he just couldn't find Victory Lane. He was the most consistent of the team's three cars last year, and that should be the case once again in 2015. Expect Kenseth to win early in the season, but he will likely earn three to four victories – showing he is fast, but consistent as well.
-Ryan Blaney: Blaney will be running at least 12 races for the Wood Brothers in 2015. He might get a handful of events with Team Penske in a third car, but that will depend on sponsorship. Jeremy Bullins returns to the Wood Brothers after being Penske's Xfinity Series crew chief, where he brought them back-to-back owner's titles. Blaney finished runner-up with Brad Keselowski Racing in the Camping World Truck Series in 2014, and earned 13 top 10s in 14 starts under Bullins' leadership. Expect Blaney to run better than Bayne did, especially with the Team Penske alliance.
-Joey Logano: Logano came extremely close to winning the 2014 Sprint Cup Series championship. Earning five wins and an average finish of 11.3 in the No. 22 car, Logano was able to reach his full potential this past season. If it weren't for a faulty pit stop late in the season finale at Homestead, Logano might have been able to contend for the title with Harvick. Expect 2015 to be just as good for the 24-year-old, who recently got married. The team hasn't changed anything in the No. 22 camp for the fresh season, and that should give them plenty of momentum heading into 2015.
-Alex Bowman: Bowman will not be returning to BK Racing in 2015. He is headed over to Tommy Baldwin Racing – replacing Annett in the No. 7 car. Bowman's rookie season was horrific. He had six DNFs with one top-20 finish (Daytona in July – 13th-place). For the majority of the season, he was being overly aggressive, which caused him to have just three finishes on the lead lap. The equipment is going to be better in 2015, but Bowman will need to improve his maturity level if he wants to be successful and help build this team.
-Jeff Gordon: With Gordon retiring at the end of this season, he is expected to go out on top. The No. 24 team excelled in 2014, earning four victories and an average finish of 10.4, which was Gordon's best since 2009. Although an aching back could harm his results, it didn't have much of an effect on him last year. His retirement tour is going to be extremely emotional for the entire sport. Hendrick Motorsports is set to have Chase Elliott fill in for him in 2016. But for now – you will see Gordon still competing for wins, and he should be able to win a handful of events in 2015, with the potential at winning his elusive fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Gordon will also be in the booth for FOX Sports during select NASCAR Xfinity Series events.
-Paul Menard: Menard is coming off of his best year int he NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Leading RCR with five top fives and 13 top 10s, the Wisconsin-native is expected to continue the momentum from last year. He has emerged as a team leader and mentor for the organization's younger drivers, which should give him more potential to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2015. Although Menard's average finish was 17.9, his handful of top fives is showing the potential that they have to succeed this season.
-The Motorsports Group: Ron Hornaday, Jr. is going to be the team's primary driver in 2015. The soon to be 57-year-old has not raced in the Sprint Cup Series since 2003, and only ran more than three events in one season (2001). However, working with an upstart Chevrolet team, Hornaday should bring expertise that they need following nine and a half straight years running the Truck Series. Expect the team to struggle to make races at first, but they should catch on mid-way through the season. Sponsorship has always been a concern for them in the Xfinity Series, but Curtis Key has self-funded the program for multiple seasons.
-Ryan Newman: Some way or another, Newman finished second in points. He didn't have a great season, but the runner-up curse might hit him in 2015. Earning a mere five top fives and 16 top 10s, the No. 31 team excelled under pressure. Expect them to earn a win victory this year, making the Chase, but not getting too far. RCR was strong at the intermediate tracks, which could fit Newman's aggressive driving style.
-Go FAS Racing: Bobby Labonte will pilot the No. 32 Ford in each of the plate races this year. His brother, Terry Labonte, drove the car for a handful of years, but retired following the Talladega race in October. The team hasn't announced their primary driver, yet they are expected to have multiple co-pilots once again. Travis Kvapil was the primary driver for this team last year, but it has not been announced if he will return.
-Circle Sport Racing: This team has not announced their plans, but RCR will run the No. 33 car for approximately 10 events, with Circle Sport filling out the rest of the year.
-David Ragan: Ragan is returning for another season with Front Row Motorsports in the No. 34 car. In 2014, he earned the team their first top-10 result at a non-plate track with a 10th-place result at Martinsville. The organization struggled mightily in 2014, and he seldom ran inside of the top 25. However, 2015 should see an improvement with a third team.
-Cole Whitt: Whitt moves over to FRM after working with Swan Racing/BK Racing in 2014. He wasn't exceptional in either ride, but he was the top driver while working for both organizations. Running inside of the top 25 was considered a solid run for Whitt, and that will be the case again in 2015. Expect him to outrun his teammates, but seldom run inside of the top-20.
-David Gilliland: Earning the pole at Daytona was the highlight of Gilliland's 2014 season. He continually spoke about the lack of an alliance with one of the larger Ford organizations. Expect him to improve in 2015, but he won't get much better than his 28.8 average finish last year.
-Landon Cassill: Getting the most out of little equipment is what Cassill did best with in 2014. He was consistently the top underfunded team, and raced with limited sponsorship throughout the year. If he can continue to improve, Cassill will bring Hillman Racing into the top 25 on a weekly basis.
-Kurt Busch: Once the court case with Busch's ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, is completed, the No. 41 team can focus without any distractions. It appears that there is something going on with Busch almost every year, and this one is no different. However, if he can put the distractions behind him, he can be a contender for the championship. With the exception of Harvick, SHR struggled in 2014, especially at the intermediate tracks. Earning just six top fives and 11 top 10s last season, Busch should improve going into this season.
-Kyle Larson: Coming off of a stellar rookie season, Larson is now a father. He has extra motivation to do well. Not to mention, he also has more funding with Target cutting one of their IndyCar Series teams, which gives more focus on the No. 42 car. Earning eight top fives and 17 top 10s in his first full-time season, expectations are high for the Drive for Diversity graduate. In 2015, he's going to focus on the Cup Series, but he will split the XFINITY Series season with Ganassi development driver, Dylan Kwasniewski. Expect Larson to make the Chase and pick up a victory or two at one of the intermediate tracks.
-Aric Almirola: Almirola made the Chase last season with a win at Daytona. But other than that victory, there weren't too many bright spots for the No. 43 team. He tallied up a mere seven top-10 finishes in 2014. Although that is a career-high for the Florida-native, Almirola drove better than that. Inconsistency plagued this team severely, but they showed speed nearly every week, which is the bright side. In 2015, expect Almirola to miss the Chase. However, he will be running near the top 10 more frequently, especially with Richard Petty Motorsports getting stronger with Hornish's arrival.
-AJ Allmendinger: He finally made it to Victory Lane in 2014. It doesn't get better than that for a small team and a driver trying to revive a career that was extremely promising a few years ago. The team wasn't too horrific considering they are a single-car operation. Allmendinger showcased his leadership skills by getting this team a win at Watkins Glen, but also getting them competitive enough to run inside of the top 15 when they didn't have anything go wrong. For 2015, expect Allmendinger to miss the Chase if he doesn't win at one of the road courses. However, he should be more consistent in his second season with JTG.
-Jimmie Johnson: Disappointment. That is the only way to describe 2014 for Johnson and the No. 48 team. Chad Knaus and he had plenty of chaos throughout the year. The speed just wasn't there for this team, and neither was any luck. Johnson usually struggles in the summer, but 2014 was arguably the worst summer of his career. Although he won four events and led 1,310 laps, the six-time champion set career-lows in multiple categories, including average finish, laps completed, top 10s and more. In 2015, expect them to rebound tremendously. Johnson has a history of doing well following a sub-par season, and that's what is expected of him this year.
-Justin Allgaier: Allgaier didn't have the greatest rookie season, but it certainly wasn't the worst. He was consistently near the top 25, which is decent for a rather new single-car team. Toward the end of the year, the No. 51 team started to finish inside of the top 20. They have potential to earn a handful of top 10s in 2015, especially with a second car, but don't expect much more than a top-25 finish in points.
-Premium Motorsports, LLC: This team's plans are unknown for 2015. They raced with Mike Wallace late last season, but didn't perform well at all.
-Martin Truex, Jr.: 2014 was a disappointing year for this team. Besides the on-track struggles Truex had, his personal life faced too much adversity. His long-time girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the summer, and she has been on a rough journey since. But the fighter that she is, Pollex is slowly fighting the cancer off, and she will hopefully be in remission sooner rather than later. Truex and this team are better than the 20.2 average finish they recorded last year, and 2015 will certainly be better. They have plenty of motivation, along with stronger equipment due to their growing alliance with RCR.
-JJ Yeley: Yeley will be piloting one of the BK Racing machines in 2015. Following two solid runs in a handful of races with the struggling team, they gave Yeley a full-time job for the new season. Expect him to earn a few solid finishes, and be a leader for a team that went with inexperienced drivers last year.
-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Expectations for NASCAR's most popular driver are high in 2015. Coming off of one of the best years in his career, Earnhardt should continue to do well this upcoming season. Earning multiple wins for the first time in a decade, the son of a NASCAR legend enters the new year with arguably his best chance at a title. In 2014, he and Steve Letarte had an average finish of 12.2 with 12 top fives. Expect Earnhardt to continue to run well with a handful of wins as Greg Ives takes over as crew chief for the No. 88 team.
-Michael McDowell: Sponsorship is finally piecing together for McDowell. He will have Thrivent Financial aboard the No. 95 car for 10 events in 2015, along with K-LOVE for a few races. McDowell will run a minimum of 20 races for Leavine Family Racing, but that will likely increase as the season rolls on. In 2014, there were signs of potential from this small team, yet that never came to fruition as they continued to have struggles. However, 2015 should be solid for them with a partnership with Team Penske expanding. Expect McDowell to race around 25th for the most part, but he should be able to earn a handful of top-20 results this year.
-Josh Wise: Wise will return to Phil Parsons Racing in 2015. They only missed one race last year, which isn't bad for an independent team. Finishing 23rd at Bristol after holding off the leaders certainly gave them plenty of attention, and that brought on Reddit and Doge. He made it into the All-Star Race with the fan vote, and had a few solid runs on the year. For his first true full-time season (without more than two start-and-park deals), Wise ran rather well for this team. Expect them to do better for the new year with more sponsorship dollars coming through, along with better equipment.
Then, there are several drivers who are still searching to resign with their 2014 teams, or are searching for new ones:
-Ryan Truex: Truex was awful in his time with BK Racing. Most of it was due to the lack of equipment, but he also had four DNFs due to accidents. Missing the Daytona 500 wasn't the lowest point of his season. Instead, getting the boot after Chicago was. In 23 races, the brother of Martin Truex, Jr. had just two finishes inside of the top-30. His plans are unknown for 2015, but he is still under contract for RPM as a development driver.
-David Stremme: Stremme will likely appear in some events for one of the smaller teams in 2015. He ran a few races for Circle Sport, and might return for them. If not, there are still some open seats for him with part-time teams.
-Parker Kligerman: Kligerman's plans are unknown for the new season. He is expected to return to NASCAR competition, but is also working with NBC's NASCAR America. Kligerman ran a handful of Sprint Cup Series races last year, but Swan Racing closed and the rest is history.
-Reed Sorenson: Sorenson had a mediocre season with TBR. It doesn't look like he will return, but he could run part-time for the organization. Returning to full-time competition for the first time since 2009, he definitely had trouble getting readjusted to the Cup Series. Having blank quarter-panels certainly didn't help his cause. However, he ran decent at the short tracks, and showed the possibility for improvement if they had the funding to do so.
-Travis Kvapil: Expect Kvapil to land at BK Racing in 2015. Team owner Ron Devine circled him on his list for drivers to race in 2015, and he doesn't have a ride yet. Kvapil would be a solid co-pilot with Yeley, and they could elevate the team to the middle of the pack. He ran 21 races last year, but the highlight of his year was at Talladega, where he finished sixth for Circle Sport. If he doesn't sign with BK Racing, expect him to run for Go FAS Racing, or Circle Sport.
-Joe Nemechek: Nemechek will likely run just a few Cup Series races this year. His focus is going to be on the Truck Series with his son, John Hunter. He partnered with Jay Robinson last season, and never finished better than 30th. If he races in the Cup Series, it will either be under the NEMCO Motorsports banner, or he will run a handful of events for a small team like RAB Racing.
You can follow me on Twitter at @JosephNASCAR.
He is the champion. After 13 years of coming close to winning it all, Kevin Harvick captured the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series fashion by making good use of his nickname: The Closer.
However, for Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Danica Patrick, 2014 was a step in the right direction. One of the most popular drivers in the sport, she was expected to steadily improve this year, but didn't make the leap that was expected of her.
But for Harvick, 2014 was a dream come true for a Bakersfield, California kid that nearly became an architect.
After making the swap from Richard Childress Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick had plenty of support from multiple sponsors, including Budweiser, Jimmy Johns and Outback Steakhouse. Moreover, the No. 4 team was starting from scratch. Led by crew chief Rodney Childers, the magic rapidly increased in the organization, and Harvick was on the fast road to success.
Right off of the bat, Harvick showed he was going to be the car to beat – posting top speeds consistently during the first test prior to the 2014 season at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Dominating at Phoenix, he scored SHR's first of six victories on the year. Although he continued to be one of the quickest cars week-in and week-out, Harvick's team struggled with luck.
Mechanical issues and faulty pit stops took away multiple wins for the No. 4 team. During the first 10 races of the 2014 season, he finished 36th or worse four times, and was barely sitting inside of the top-20 in points. However, Harvick persevered and won five races on the year. Having led an astonishing 2,137 laps, he led the Sprint Cup Series in that category by over 500 laps ahead of Brad Keselowski.
But with all of the laps led, Harvick's success truly came late in events. Even when he might not have had the strongest car, he made bold moves that put him in position to not only finish inside of the top five, but to earn the win. And that's just what he did.
With struggles occurring throughout SHR over the course of the season, Harvick became the team leader that they were looking for. He was a mentor to Patrick, and helped out Kurt Busch and team co-owner Tony Stewart when they were struggling on and off of the track.
As for Patrick, she finished 28th in points, which is one position down from her rookie season. She made steady gains throughout the year, but unfortunately for the No. 10 team, so did the rest of the middle part of the field.
Earning a top-10 finish at Kansas in May, Patrick began to raise eyebrows. After running inside of the top five for a substantial portion of the race, it looked like she would continue that pace for the rest of the year. But things at SHR started to shake up, and as she was gaining momentum with crew chief Tony Gibson, he was assigned to work with Kurt Busch. She was paired with first-year crew chief Daniel Knost, who notably struggled with Busch for the majority of the year.
Patrick ended the year with three top-10s, which isn't too good compared to her teammates. But she has a sponsor that is backing her with plenty of funding to continue at SHR in 2015.
2015 Preview:
Harvick is expected to pick up from where he left off. The reigning champion usually does extremely well or . . . not so much. Childers and he have a rare chemistry that is seldom seen in NASCAR.
But now that the team likely won't be dealing with mechanical issues, Childers should lead Harvick to even more success in 2015. With eight poles in 2014, Harvick became a great qualifier. Although that might not remain next year, he will certainly be a consistent factor during race day.
If there is any room for improvement in this team, it will have to be the pit crew. Late in the year, SHR swapped the No. 14 and No. 4 pit crews in order to give Harvick as much of an advantage as he can have. It paid off in the short-term, but he's going to have his original crew back in 2015. Practice makes perfect, and if they can make fewer mistakes in 2015, expect Harvick to win at least three-five races before the Chase for the Sprint Cup cut-off.
2015 will be an important year for Patrick. She needs to finish inside of the top five at least once at a non-restrictor plate track in order to prove that she belongs in the Cup Series. She improved in each category in 2014, but that wasn't enough to make up for some of her horrific races, such as Texas late in the year.
Patrick's struggles are known throughout the sport due to being rushed up to the top-tier division following limited success in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports. However, she has potential to finish inside of the top-20 in points if she and Knost find chemistry right off of the bat. She will be strong at the plate tracks, but where she can truly excel is the intermediate tracks, which she showed strengths at.
Bobby Labonte Returns to Indianapolis with Tommy Baldwin Racing
His career has been spectacular. It's highlighted with 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins, and a pair of NASCAR championships in each of the sport's top-two divisions.
After ending his consecutive starts streak last season that last since 1993, Bobby Labonte's career is slowly winding down. Last year, Labonte ended his stint with JTG Daugherty Racing. Since then, he has raced just twice this season – both events being restrictor plate races at Daytona. However, the 50-year-old is not calling it quits just yet.
Tommy Baldwin Racing gave Labonte a call – asking for him to drive a third car for them at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in this weekend's event. TBR usually races two Chevrolet's on a weekly basis with Michael Annett and Reed Sorenson behind the wheel. But this weekend will be different as they will have a veteran behind the wheel.
"The big thing for Tommy (Baldwin) is - he's wanting to start a third team. Anytime you start a team or you want to accelerate your program, as you're moving forward, hopefully moving up, you put people in positions that they might not have been in before," Labonte said on a NASCAR teleconference Wednesday afternoon. "It's just building his operation up. Anyway, I'm trying to help him out, get to that point. Hopefully he can get to that point one day with a third team like he wants to get to. If it works out for him, I wish him all the luck."
As he will be helping Baldwin, Labonte will also be getting to experience the yard of bricks for possibly the final team in his career. Along with four-time champion, Jeff Gordon, Labonte is the only other driver to race in every single race at the Brickyard.
In order for Labonte's No. 37 Accell Construction car to race on Sunday, he will need to qualify inside of the top-36 as the car has no previous attempts this season. There is no word on who the team is looking at to fill the seat for the third car next year, but Labonte might just get a call from Baldwin again this year – putting him in the seat a few more times.
Previously, Circle Sport Racing team owner, Joe Falk, stated that he was open to putting Labonte back into the seat of the No. 33 Chevrolet several more times this year if sponsorship is found.


text: Interviews Share ToolsSave LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email Save INTERVIEW: IATA SVP Aleks Popovich June Jun 25, 2012 The International Air Transport Association this month launched the DDS marketing intelligence tool to replace the controversial PaxIS. IATA also recently announced plans for a "New Distribution Capability" including standards for a more sophisticated form of indirect distribution than is possible today. Amon Cohen, contributing editor for The Beat, last week discussed both developments with IATA senior vice president for industry distribution and financial services Aleks Popovich. An edited transcript follows.Cohen: Will DDS comply with Article 7 of the European Union CRS Code of Conduct, which bars marketing, booking or sales data intelligence products from identifying travel agents without their consent?Popovich: Yes. All our intelligence reports will comply with Article 7. It is very important to us that we have consensus around this issue with the travel agency community. We have agreed a process with the European Union, and we don't and we won't identify corporate clients either [which is possible if a single client is served through an agency IATA location]. It would be in defiance of the Code of Conduct.Cohen: IATA originally took the position that its information products did not need to comply with the Code of Conduct, saying the code only applied to MIDT booking data provided by global distribution system operators. Are you now complying with Article 7 because the European Commission told you to do so in November 2011 or because you have changed your mind on this issue?Popovich: We haven't changed our belief, but it is a requirement of the EU and we will follow that. We are taking great pains to ensure we are compliant. The principles on which DDS was built comply with the Code of Conduct and EU competition rules.Cohen: We reported last week that IATA is in negotiations with travel agency representatives to ensure the information in DDS is masked sufficiently to obtain their consent. Can you confirm that is happening?Popovich: Yes. We want to have a really collaborative approach here. We have been approaching a number of top travel management companies on DDS and on the New Distribution Capability project as well. We have been listening and pointing out some misunderstandings, and we have been demonstrating the product to ask if they are satisfied with how we are masking the data. A number of agents are beginning to say that there is information in DDS which could be of value to them. It's early days yet, but one example might be asking, "How does my performance compare with the market at a high level?"Cohen: In the past, IATA has been accused of being uncommunicative. Is there a deliberate strategy now to engage more openly with other parts of the travel industry?Popovich: Under the leadership of Tony Tyler [who in July 2011 succeeded Giovanni Bisignani as IATA director general], the conscious decision is to have a collaborative approach with the value chain, so yes. There is value in this for everybody and we are better off if we work through this together rather than alone.Cohen: Are you prepared to include travel buyers in your collaborative approach?Popovich: Yes. We have been talking to GBTA Europe managing director Paul Tilstone. We had similar discussions about DDS to those we had with TMCs, again clearing up some misunderstandings. I have invited him to attend our World Passenger Symposium [in Abu Dhabi in October].Cohen: Can you confirm that, as reported in The Beat, IATA is liaising with Accelya to ensure its eSmash information product also complies with Article 7? [Accelya administers the Billing and Settlement Program on behalf of IATA although there is no ownership connection between the two organizations. ESmash is a data intelligence product that, like DDS, takes data from BSP remittances, but unlike DDS does not comply with the Code of Conduct and therefore openly identifies agency, and in some cases, corporate client data.]Popovich: We have on repeated occasions written to Accelya advising it to conform to the Code of Conduct. It concerns me deeply that it has a product which may not. It must be addressed.Cohen: Accelya says it is not covered by the Code of Conduct.Popovich: I don't understand how Accelya can be exempt from that. I have spoken to the president of Accelya on this very point.Cohen: What did you make of our story on a corporate client who found an airline had obtained complete details of his company's air spend through eSmash?Popovich: As soon as it was drawn to my attention, I was on the phone to Accelya.Cohen: But what about the fact that Accelya draws its data from the remittances it manages on your behalf?Popovich: That is the source of the data. Our contract with Accelya is for processing BSP transactions. The data doesn't belong to IATA or Accelya. It belongs to our airline members. We will only include data in DDS if we get the permission of the airlines.Cohen: How does DDS differ from its predecessor PaxIS?Popovich: We lost a court case over PaxIS against Amadeus [which argued successfully that it owned the data drawn from its GDS transactions and could not therefore be used by IATA]. That led us to remove data originating from Amadeus, which weakened the product. The main reason for DDS is a further strengthening of our data offering. The goal is that airlines should own their own data intelligence product. We can cover for the lost Amadeus data, and airlines are also prepared to provide their direct sales data.There are other information service products out there, so another objective for us is to add more competition to bring down the price. Since the launch of DDS last week, I have already had one airline telling me it has been offered a price reduction on MIDT.Cohen: On a different topic, what is the idea behind NDC?Popovich: The strategy here is a collaboration involving airlines, global distribution systems, travel management companies and other partners. This is not a GDS bypass plot. If you go directly to the website of an airline, you don't simply get the price, you get more, such as speedy boarding options. Airlines can get to know their customers and offer them many things.In the indirect channel, the key issue is the airline is not easily able to show the full value of its offerings. Largely speaking, the airline offering is commoditized. To be fair, the GDS is not just a green screen any more but it is still very hard to show the richness of airline products or to customize them for the traveler. The airline should be able to design its own product offering, so the consumer can say, "I want a lie-flat bed, I want Wi-Fi, I want a car. Give me some choices."In this world we want to create, the airline owns the product and chooses the channel through which it distributes. The growth in ancillary revenues is not just for airlines but for the travel management community too.There is a second objective, which is to lower the cost of distribution. The open standard we want to create will create an opportunity for new entrants, and that will bring the cost down. I do foresee new entrants adopting these standards. It won't just be the same names again.Cohen: Do you expect NDC to supersede or compete with the current indirect distribution model, which typically includes loading fares through the Airline Tariff Publishing Company and selling through a GDS?Popovich: At the moment, the schedule is drawn from OAG, the fares from ATPCo and the availability from the airlines, and the product construction happens in the GDS. We want the product to be constructed at the airline and then forwarded to a distributor. We all have to think about our roles. For example, at IATA we need to thinks about our BSP product and how NDC will affect billing and settlement in the future.It is early days yet, but the question about whether existing processes will be replaced will depend on the speed at which the industry adopts NDC. It is possible there will be a migration to the new world while keeping the existing one running.Cohen: Are you confident NDC will see the light of day?Popovich: I am confident it will happen. It is rarely that I have seen such unanimity among airlines, GDSs, other technology companies and TMCs. It is one of the IATA board's big projects going forward, like eticketing was, and when the board gets behind a project, it gains a lot of momentum.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This Day in History: 1947-03-02
Major Adrian Hayter submitted a paper to the President of the British Officers' Mess Committee recommending the purchase of a Regimental aeroplane. His case was based upon the proposition that: 'Through careful stewardship of subscriptions, the 2nd Goorkhas had successfully built up a tradition of horsemanship and polo. Something similar might be achieved with flying and a well-managed fund should be able to purchase a Tiger Moth.' The proposal was not supported and no aeroplane was bought.


text:
Oneof America's most favorite teen comedy-dramas, On My Block, has been a blockbuster for all its first three seasons and is soon to be back with another power-packed season. The show is gaining more and more popularity every day, and its already colossal fan-base is ever-growing.
Millions of fans all over the Netflix world are eagerly looking forward to the fourth season of the super hit show. The famous show circles around a group of teenagers' lives and highlights a few of the essential principles of friendship. This is one of the primary reasons why the show and its storyline is so appealing to the respective demographic.
On My Block Season 4 Release Date: When will it air?
Netflix is most likely to release the whole season in March 2021 as the past three seasons have also been released in March.
Scoop: we've heard that On My Block has been given a season 4!#OnMyBlockhttps://t.co/GixpWjhpmW pic.twitter.com/ZylkT4ff4j— What's on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) July 5, 2020
On My Block Season 4 Plot Predictions And Spoilers: What will happen?
Season three ended with all the main characters growing up and parting their ways over a jump of approximately two years. The show's writers purposefully left the viewers hanging with a small glimpse into the separate lives of the characters.
For the fourth season of the show, the characters are expected to come back together and have enjoyable moments that are entirely relatable for the young target audience of the show.
On My Block Season 4 Cast: Who will be in?
Perhaps the most favorite part about the show for fans is its lovable cast. Ever since the show premiered on Netflix two years ago, fans have been in love with Cesar, Monse, Jamal, Ruben, and Jasmine, who has continued to entertain and make them laugh. As far as season four is concerned, there is no official announcement yet regarding the returning cast.
However, it is most likely that the entire main cast, including Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Diego Tinoco, Jessica Marie Garcia, Brett Gray, and Julio Macias, will be returning for season four with all the supporting cast members. They have not yet died on the show.
On My Block Season 4 Storyline: What is it about?
Since it is quite early and the announcement of a season four for the show has just come in, the creators or the cast have not made public any teaser or a sneak peek into what fans can expect. However, there is much speculation around the show's basic plotline and how season four is likely to be more dramatic and thrilling than the previous installments.
The two-year jump is also something that the writers will have to make extremely exciting and worth waiting for. Diego Tinoco, the actor who plays Cesar on the show, said he was heartbroken to see how his character was left at the ending of season 3. However, he says he's hopeful and fully trusts the writer to make sure that this is not how the story ends. Tinoco says he has high hopes from the fourth instalment of the show and that the fans will surely not be disappointed.
On My Block Season 4 Trailer: When can we watch it?
The trailer for On My Block season 4 has not been released yet, as it is most likely that the production is still in its early stages. Until then, watch the season 3 trailer here.


text:
To the Editor:
Our agency continues to care for people in need of substance use disorder evaluations, outpatient treatment, and intensive outpatient treatment. Counselors are utilizing Telehealth services for all needed levels of outpatient care. Our phone line is manned Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., taking calls from clients and others looking for support and we continue to conduct substance use disorder intakes over the phone.
We are providing online recovery support resources by providing people a place to call and access support services. We are outreaching with emails, texts and written notes of encouragement to support our clients and those in need of recovery support. We have increased the number of staff to operate the CLEAR toll-phone line (844-722-5327) by having recovery coaches available to take calls and make calls 24/7 to serve those in need of speaking to a recovery coach.
Medication-assisted treatment services are being provided by our medical consultant, Genesis Addiction and Behavioral Medicine, via telemedicine. Narcan trainings are being provided virtually, and kits are available for those whotake the "virtual" training.
Our Prevention Team is offering a variety of virtual programs to youth, families, individuals and school staff.
We continue to serve our community and encourage anyone affected by addiction to reach out for assistance. We are here to serve our community!
Becky Carlson, Executive Director
Center for Prevention and Counseling.


text:
Alex McKinley
November 7, 2019
Professor Alex McKinley is one of Colgate's newest lecturers; he started teaching this semester as a professor in the religion department. He came along with his wife, Professor Roshni Patel, a visiting assistant professor in the philosophy department. McKinley said he would not be here if it weren't for her, calling himself "the bonus lecturer Colgate got in the deal."
McKinley says that religion is a great subject to teach because it has a wealth of varied primary sources. As a result, he assigns more primary sources than secondary material. He commends Colgate students for allowing him to assign complicated philosophy and theology on top of poems and myths.
"I've always had a strong interest in religious traditions, beginning with my own background in Catholicism," he said.
McKinley loves to teach about Hindu and Buddhist traditions because they are his strongest areas of expertise, but also because they cover many concepts most students have no exposure to in the United States. He also loves to teach Core 152, Challenges of Modernity and emphasizes how he appreciates the small class sizes and having an environment that is best suited for class discussion.
"At some other schools where I have taught, large class sizes in core or general education courses force professors to rely on lecturing more often [than discussion]," he said.
McKinley is originally from Chicago. He completed his undergraduate BA at Grinnell College in Iowa and received his Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. McKinley earned his PhD in Religion from Duke University. Last year, McKinley and his wife lived and taught in New Orleans.
"I'm a big jazz fan, so being there was a dream, as you can pretty much find a killer set any night of the week, all happening in cozy bars and restaurants frequented by local legends," he said.
Hamilton was a big change for Professor McKinley and Professor Patel, but they are adapting to the lifestyle here and taking advantage of the "perks to country life." McKinley stated that the air here looks and feels cleaner, and the scenery of the area is beautiful. They have a community supported agriculture (CSA) box from the farmers market, and receive fruits and vegetables from a local farm.
"I've never tasted such flavorful produce. Our diets are certainly healthier than they were in New Orleans," McKinley said.
Aside from his coursework, McKinley spends a good portion of his time on research. One of his projects has been translating poetry written in Sinhala, a language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka. This, he says, has become a hobby for him. He is also working to publish his first book, based on his PhD dissertation about a pilgrimage mountain in Sri Lanka called Adam's Peak. The mountain is 7,500 feet tall and in the six months he spent researching there in 2015 and 2016, McKinley climbed it 50 times.
"This is considered an extraordinary feat by every Sri Lankan I meet, many of whom climb the mountain no more than once in their lifetimes. Some think I must have been a really good Buddhist in a past life. Others just think I'm crazy," he exclaimed.


text:
January 10 2022 Queens, New York – At least four firefighters were injured in a heavy all hands fire at a vacant structure on 87-82 172nd Street in Queens, according to officials.
At least 60 firefighters from 12 units responded. Fdny reported a member was down and then evacuated from the building. All members of the FDNY were evacuated from the building as they continued to fight the blaze. Requested ConEd on the rush as primary wires were down in the street.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Video by Dakota Santiago (FreedomNewsTV)


text:
Half-Price Student Discount
The Sherman Players is committed to making theatre affordable for students, that's why we offer a Half-Price Student Discount to our productions.
Tickets are only $12 per person for plays and $15 per person for musicals. Tickets can be purchased on-line (choose Youth tickets). You will be required to show an official Student ID at the box office.
Please contact us if you have any questions or request more information.


text:
This is the most recent information about Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie that has been submitted to amIright. If we have more information about Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie, then we provide a link to the section where it appears (the actual page whenever possible).
"The White House Burned (The War of 1812)"
The Funny Lyrics:
He though he'd invade Canada
He though that he was tough
Instead we went to Washington
And burned down all his stuff
And the White House burned burned burned
And we're the ones who did it
It burned burned burned
While the President ran and cried
Why They're Funny:
Another reason why the band Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie has a Canadian cult following. This probably wouldn't happen again in real life if the US tried to invade Canada. Must I say more...
Submitted by: Quyjibo


text: Fall 2023 TryoutsChoose the right soccer club to support your personal soccer development goals. Register Pre Competitive ProgramsUnlock your child's potential More Information Player Focused & Performance DrivenPlan your development and prepare for a lifelong journey. Our Philosophy Integrity, Passion & CommunityWe pride ourselves on fair play, fun, and excellence. Join Today Summer CampsFUTSAL and Soccer Camps available Register Today OUR PROGRAM YOUTH COMPETITIVE PRE-COMPETITIVE FUTSAL CAMPS OUR TEAMS BOYS SOCCER GIRLS SOCCER OUR GALLERY VIEW MORE CLUB AFFILIATES & PARTNERS GET IN TOUCH Name Email Address Message 14 + 10 = Submit


text:
An old adage of psychotherapy is that as therapists, we must "meet the patient where they are at." Right now, because of the coronavirus pandemic, students are no longer on campus, but they are online. As college counseling professionals, our delivery of behavioral health services has changed drastically as a result of social distancing requirements. In order to continue to provide care to students, providers now meet with student clients through telehealth platforms, such as videoconferencing or phone.
While our times are challenging, this is also a unique opportunity for those who have had little exposure to using telehealth in higher education counseling to begin their journey. In this article, I am excited to share what I have learned in my time providing telehealth services through HIPAA-compliant platforms for Penn State College of Medicine (PSU-COM). I hope this post will be useful in helping those who are ready to take the next steps in providing care to students using telehealth.
Here are some suggestions as you contemplate a move to telemental health at your university counseling center.
- Select your platform & keep it simple. All universities are in the same boat. Consult with your director or other higher education counseling professionals who are using various software platforms to understand your options related to costs and different features. From my own experience, Doxy.me was a great place to get my feet wet. It is free, HIPAA-compliant, and it has a virtual waiting room. Clients can sign up for an account easily and it allows you to send out a message through your email to alert the client to join the session. The Department of Health and Human Services have suspended requirements for HIPAA-compliant platforms. As long as the service is private, it is acceptable during the national emergency. Fortunately, most platforms for telemental health have been built to be very user friendly and applicable to a wide range of populations. From a practical standpoint, you only need a laptop or desktop computer with a video camera, internet, and limited computer skills. The companies who make these platforms also have customer service links and contact numbers for technical support.
- Have a back-up plan. One of the most important things I've learned during my telehealth practice at PSU COM is to have multiple back-up plans in the case of a technology failure, which I review explicitly with the client via email or text. Common technology failures are due to the strength of the internet connection or a problem with the computer itself, both of which are not related to the telehealth platform itself. I notice the connection issue is often related to capacity (I have too many tabs open and programs running at once, or the student is not connected to a strong wifi network). If the issue cannot be resolved, I often move to a phone session or reschedule if that is the student's preference.
- Know your state laws & protect privacy. It is essential to know your state's laws regarding telehealth. Given the national emergency, federal and state laws have been dramatically changed to support the use of telehealth. As a general best practice, you should have at least two security barriers to protect student PHI and visit information. I use multiple passwords and encrypt all notes in the case my laptop is misplaced or stolen. I have also found it helpful to reach out to my state board with additional questions related to telehealth practice laws or ethics. They often have helpful answers, point me to a board related document, or tell me that they have "not thought of that specific issue related to telehealth" and that guidance will be coming.
- Know the research that supports your telehealth practice. Sharing that there is sound research to support treatment via telehealth may help both new and existing student clients feel comfortable starting or making the transition to a virtual environment. For example, a recent study showed that online group counseling which employed CBT is just as effective as F2F (Weinberg & Rolnick, 2020). Additionally, a current study by a colleague of mine at Oregon State University found that online counseling through a video application was just as effective as F2F counseling in treating mild to moderate anxiety as assessed by the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Finally, the same online clients were able to achieve an equal level of connection with their counselor as their F2F counterparts, as assessed by the Therapeutic Bond Scale (Novella, 2019).
Best Practices for Media and Technology
There are recommended best practices when utilizing technology with your student clients. One seminal textbook that I would recommend is the Theory and Practice of Online Therapy by Weinber & Rolnick. It has been very helpful in my learning and growth as a telehealth practitioner. I will summarize a few best practices here:
- Pay attention to the practical concerns and details of online counseling, as they make a difference. Find a video camera that you are comfortable operating, keeping video placement with the student client in mind. I do this overtly in session, so the student feels I am maintaining good eye contact. Furthermore, I let the student know that I take notes in session and elicit any concern they may have with my breaking eye contact with them. As mentioned above, it is also very important to discuss a back-up plan for what happens if the technology fails, the call is dropped, and is then resumed. Lastly and most importantly, because of a potential lack in proximity to the student client, discuss your crisis response protocols during the intake session with the student and have your emergency policy and procedure explicitly written in your counseling center's disclosure statement. Providers should also be sure to confirm the student's current physical location in the case of an emergency.
- Have fun with the technology and play with the features. Most of my student clients at PSU COM have also seamlessly made the transition to virtual sessions. Telehealth vendors build their product to easily fit into a provider's workflow without compromising quality of care, and taking advantage of the features related to the video applications has potentiated the effectiveness of my sessions. For example, I often share links to evidence-based educational websites through my platform's chat feature to increase my student's resources and health knowledge. I also share my screen with my client during a session and present a video clip that highlights a concept of our work.
- Be intentional in increasing your understanding and awareness of empirically validated differences between online and face to face counseling (F2F), and how it may impact your clinical practice. Interestingly, research has shown that online counseling environments increase the sense of anonymity and decrease self-control in client populations, leading individuals to be more honest, spontaneous, and open in virtual environments (Weinber & Rolnick, 2020). It may take some time to understand how the delivery of your clinical interventions translates in a virtual medium with college students.
- You may need to adjust some of your theoretical orientation to allow for the psychology of the internet. For example, if you are a dynamically oriented therapist, the concepts of transference or resistance may present differently with student clients when you are providing telehealth in a virtual environment (Weinber & Rolnick, 2020). In addition, the use of long silences as an intervention may come off as a glitch in the technology rather than the pregnant pause of an in-person session.
I hope this short introduction to telehealth has been helpful. My aim was to provide an accurate representation of my own experience using telehealth, and further reduce perceived barriers for those who are new to using technology in their university counseling center practice. I also believe there will be continued demand for face to face counseling, but because of the current health crisis and the pace of technological innovation, the present moment is a great time to add to your clinical offerings at your institution, and give telehealth a try.
Novella, J. K. (2019). A Comparison of Online and In-Person Counseling Using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for College Students with Mild to Moderate Anxiety.
Weinberg, H., & Rolnick, A. (2020). Theory and practice of online therapy.


text:
Hilltown Connect is an online community serving businesses and residents of New Salem, Wendell, and Shutesbury, Massachusetts. Developed as an affiliated project of the Hilltown Busines Club, Hilltown Connect is intended to build "community, commerce, and connection" among our three towns. This site is an "organic" project and will continue to grow as new users join and post to the site, and as businesses in our communities add their free business listings.
We encourage you to join us in whatever way work for you - as a listed business, as a site user, as a participant in the Hilltown Business Club and its various projects.


text:
House Set103 Pics
Bolting down the sill plate for the tool shed on the green house.
Green house tool shed test rafter. The roof of this will be clear polycarbonate.
Ten foot 2x4s at midnight. I was on a roll.
A better view of the new windows.
The new window installed and the new insulated wall extension in place.
I will use fiberglass for now until I get my new custom bailer built so that
I can stuff this wall with custom 9 1/2 inch thick bales. The extensions are only there
to support sheet rock for now until I can bale and stucco.
House Set 104 pics


text:
Amazon had suggestions for me this week, including Juanes, Romeo Santos, Zucchero and Flaco & Max. The megamerchandiser based its suggestions obviously not on my Germanic surname, but on my previous purchases of Latin rock CDs.
Prior to moving to San Diego, my CD collection weighed heavily on the smooth jazz end of the musical scale. After my relocation to become San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles' editor, I discovered a Latin rock radio station (broadcast from Tijuana).
The desert resort cities have plenty of Spanish-language stations, but they play traditional Mexican music: predominantly mariachi and similar tunes showcasing trumpets and accordions.
My defection from smooth jazz started with my Amazon order of El Tri's Ojo Por Ojo.
Then I discovered the Chilean rock band Lucybell, the Spanish band Jarabe de Palo and Columbian Miguel Bosé. Now "My Tags" from the Shazam app on my iPhone include Heroes del Silencio, Miguel Mateos, Los Tres, Los Cafres, La Orquesta Mondragon, Caifanes, Héctor Buitrago, Estop, et al.
While listening to the radio station (98.9 MORE FM), I have even heard Spanish versions of David Bowie's "Under Pressure," Steve Miller's "Serenade of the Stars" and Soft Cell's "Tainted Love." This morning, I heard a rap song by Plastilina Mosh with a sprinkling of English ("I am going to say I do look gorgeous").
So with my musical horizons broadened, I checked out Amazon's recommendations — personally selected for me by the merchandiser gigantesca's algoritmos. Admittedly, I ignored the CDs of Shakira and Enrique Iglesias. They're too mainstream for me now. But I clicked the "Learn more" button for Juanes, who, Amazon says, is "the world's foremost Latin rock artist." Below the list of tracks, I saw that customers who bought the Columbian's CD also bought Shakira's and Enrique Iglesias' new CDs. Wait a minute. Is this a trick Amazon is trying to play on the unsuspecting?
Regardless, I also clicked the "Learn more" button for Zucchero — only to discover that he's Italian (his real name is Adelmo Fornaciari). According to Amazon, his new CD came about from "a trip he made from New Orleans to Cuba via Mexicali." Remind me not to ask an Italian for travel directions.
My next click revealed that David Bisbal of Spain has recorded with Miley Cyrus, which, in my book, was a strike against him. The cover of Wisin's El Regreso del Sobreviviente (The Return of the Survivor) looked menacing, given his scowl, black tattooed upper arm and sleeveless black leather hoodie. The CD includes contributions by Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, 50 Cent and Chris Brown. I just don't care for rap — in any language.
Flaco & Max ("at once pillars of the past and forgers of the future," Amazon claims) play accordion-driven Tejano conjunto music, so I didn't even sample their tracks.
There were other recommendations, but, in the end, I didn't put anything into my Shopping Cart (Amazon capitalizes this, I guess to distinguish the virtual basket from the ones with a chronic tendency to develop crooked wheels, bang into cars in parking lots and have handles that you are encouraged to degerm with a sanitizing wipe).
For anyone who wonders, my favorite, favorite (yes, I know that's redundant, but so are so song lyrics) Spanish-language tune is Jarabe de Palo's "La Flaca." I even sing along on the chorus:
Por un beso de la flaca daría lo que fuera
Por un beso de ella aunque solo uno fuera
Aunque solo uno fuero
Aunque solo uno fuero
Aunque solo uno fuero
I don't know Spanish well enough to know what I'm singing. But I never let that stop me before, to-wit:
Semolina Pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower
Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna …
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen
I am the walrus
Goo goo g'joob
Janice Kleinschmidt
{jcomments on}


text:
Carbon Chemistry is a leading supplier of materials used in cannabinoid production, purification, and distillation.
Showing all 8 results
2107 Border Avenue | Torrance, CA 90501 | USA(310) firstname.lastname@example.com
Hours: Mon-Fri | 8:00am-4:00pm ♦ Closed Sat & Sun
Website Terms of UseWebsite Privacy
Copyright 2021 Blaze Lab Solutions | All Rights Reserved
Call us at (310) 953-5881 during our standard business hours or click the button below to use our handy online Custom Quote request form.
View Quote


text: Find me - André AcimanSamuel "Sami" Perlman, now divorced, travels from Florence to Rome to visit his son Elio Perlman, and has an encounter that "changes [his] life definitively." Elio, now an accomplished pianist, moves from Rome to Paris and has "a consequential affair." Oliver, now a professor in New England, considers visiting Europe.


text:
The Mystical 7 (as well as The Machine, the bastard child of Wesleyan's own Theta Nu Epsilon) gets a shout-out in this sensationalist article about college secret soceties:
The world over has heard of Skull and Bones of Yale University. This elite secret society holds within its membership at least four U.S. Presidents. George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry are both members of Skull and Bones. This made the 2004 presidential election the first known election where two secret society members ran against each other. However, names like the Order of the Bull's Blood, Mystical Seven Society, The Order of Gimghoul , Burning Spear, and Machine are less familiar. Make no mistake these too are powerful societies. The clear pronounceable difference between these organizations and Skull and Bones is that these secret societies were founded and continue to wield power at universities where ivy does not grow.
[…] If the average college freshman is expecting to step on a campus where he or she leaves behind the stereotypical high school cliques then most will be given a false sense of freedom. Most college students are unknowingly under the yoke of the definite yet predominantly silent hold university secret societies possess on what is popularly called college life.
[…] With the power of government, influence over tradition, and determination to plan the goings on at your local university know that elite secret societies participate in all these activities with only one goal – their ever advancing power. The aforementioned colleges and universities don't immediately endear visions of prestige that one thinks of when Harvard or Yale is mentioned. However, like the members of Skull and Bones these secret societies members on public university campuses go on to powerful positions in local, state, and federal government, they become successful business men, and continue the ever connecting web of power.
Unknown to most Wesleyan undergraduates, the Mystical 7 are also responsible for repainting the Butts tunnels, tuition hikes, the $11 blueberries at Weshop, and setting North College on fire.
..Okay, so they actually did set North College on fire. As well as their own building. The Mystical 7: Recruiting the best and brightest pyromaniacs since 1837.


text:
The City Sports Office (CSO) has called on the parents of chess players and enthusiasts in Puerto Princesa to continue supporting the game as a sport so a team could be sent to compete in the regional athletic meets and national competitions.
Atty. Rocky Austria, head of the CSO, made the call Saturday during the "Chess: Battle of the Champions" awarding event at a mall in the city for aspiring young chess masters.
He said the board game should be supported more because it has the capacity to develop the finest minds among the youth.
"Sana ay magkaroon pa tayo ng maraming tournament sa chess na kagaya nito at sana mas maraming lumahok at maging masigla ito bilang isang sports," he said.
Councilor Peter Maristela, a chess player himself, said there is a need to support young chess players so they would strive to treat it as a sport where they could excel.
He said when it is already established, the city could send the best of the best players in the Batang Pinoy, the MIMAROPA Regional Athletic Association meet, and even in national game offs.
"Nakita ko na kinakailangang suportahan 'yong ating mga kabataan na naglalaro ng chess para naman lalo silang magkaroon ng hilig sa laro," Maristela said.
On December 14, the Chess: Battle of the Champions awarded Riven Ken Carabit in the Kiddies Category for scoring 5.0 points against his opponent; James Puerin won first place in the Junior Category with a score of 4.5 points, and Danny Cervantes in the Open Category for scoring 4.5 points.
The game was sponsored by the CSO and the Tandikan Chess Club, Inc. Around 80 players joined with some from the towns of Narra and San Vicente.
It kicked off on November 16 and had three consecutive Saturdays for elimination.


text: QNRF PR / Monday, March 22, 2021 / Categories: Announcements Fintech'21 Research Outcome Seminar Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), cordially invites you to its online Research Outcome Seminar (ROS) entitled, "Fintech & Blockchain-based Technologies in Qatar: Current R&D Activities and Challenges." Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play a crucial role in providing a better quality of life through affordable and hassle-free digital services for all communities. The use of new technologies (databases, applications, mobiles, wearables, drones, wireless sensors, 5G, cloud/fog computing, data analytics, AI) is the engine to shape the fourth industrial revolution and the finance sector evolution (FinTech), and at the core of next-generation healthcare delivery (HealthTech), a quality education supply (EduTech), environment and planet protection, and the burst of new digital and smart businesses. Several opportunities as well as risks emanate from digital finance and affect consumers, banks, regulators, and economies. This seminar offers an overview of ongoing or recently completed QNRF-funded projects in the fields of Fintech and Blockchain-based technologies as well as their applications. Over the last 15 years, QNRF has been supporting research projects in FinTech and blockchain-based smart and secure technologies in different sectors and collaborating with various local end-users. This seminar aims to gather the local community dealing with such challenges in Qatar to highlight the outcomes of some of the projects and their integrated role in developing strategies to improve the living standards and access to affordable digital services in Qatar. The time: 10:00am – 11:40am The date: Thursday, 01 April 2021 Join the Fintech'21 Research Outcome Seminar by clicking here AGENDA Moderator: Dr. Ahmed Rebai – Program Manager, ICT – QNRF 10:00 to 10:10 Welcome and opening remarks Dr. Munir Tag – Senior Program Manager, ICT - QNRF 10:10 to 10:30 A Secure End-to-End Blockchain-Based Solution to Finance Trade: The Legal, Technological, and Economic Framework Project Number: NPRP11C-1229-170007 Dr. Mazen El-Masri, Associate Professor – College of Business and Economics, Qatar University. 10:30 to 10:45 FinTech and RegTech: Building a resilient, inclusive, and competitive legal and regulatory framework for 21st-century finance in Qatar Project Number: NPRP11S-1119-170016 Dr. Andrew Dahdal, Assistant Professor – College of Law, Qatar University. 10:44 to 11:00 Extending Blockchain Technology - a Novel Paradigm and its Applications to Cybersecurity and Fintech Project Number: NPRP11S-0109-180242 Prof. Roberto Di Pietro, Full Professor – College of Science and Eng., Hamad Bin Khalifa University. 11:00 to 11:15 Designing an Efficient Smart Contract based Blockchain System from Multi-modal Supply Chain Systems Project Number: NPRP11S-1227-170135 Prof. Abdelaziz Bouras, Full Professor – Computer Science Dept. College of Eng., Qatar University. 11:15 to 11:30 Enabling Efficient Integration of Electric Vehicles in Qatar's Smart Grid: Planning, Operation, and Cybersecurity Project Number: NPRP12S-0221-190127 Prof. Erchin Serpedin, Full Professor – Elec. and Computer Eng., Texas A&M University at Qatar. 11:30 to 11:40 An Investigation of Financial Technology (FinTech) Adoption and Innovation Outcomes in Financial Service Industry of Qatar Project Number: UREP25-104-5-021 Ms. Amena Al-Ansari, Student – Business Department, Community College of Qatar. 11:40 Closing remarks Previous Article Reminder: Application Deadline for the Equine Research Call Next Article Information Session for the 5th Cycle of PPM (11 April 2021) Print 5837


text:
SEATTLE and ATLANTA, Aug. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DigitalTown (OTC:DGTW), a pioneer in the use of blockchain-based technology and decentralized applications for Smart Cities that are designed to keep business local, announces a partnership with Monetizr, the Atlanta-based blockchain game reward engine. The partnership provides Monetizr's 10 million members the ability to exchange their Monetizr Tokens (MTZs) with participating DigitalTown merchants, who receive a free, digital store front and low commission rates on their city's platform powered by DigitalTown.
DigitalTown's web and mobile application empowers residents, visitors, merchants and municipalities to work together to build thriving sovereign local communities that connect locally and globally. The innovative platform helps citizens search, shop and connect within their local economies, thereby creating more resilient, sustainable and equitable local ecosystems around the world. At the core of the DigitalTown platform is the free SmartWallet, which supports both conventional currencies such as US Dollars and Euros and Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum as well as a growing number of so-called ALT Tokens. In addition to providing wallets for DigitalTown CityShares and CityTokens, support for for MTZs is being added.
DigitalTown CEO, Rob Monster, comments: "DigitalTown and Monetizr share a vision for rewarding specific behaviors with blockchain tokens that can be exchanged in the real world for tangible goods and services. The partnership grants Monetizr an additional global vehicle for the exchange of Monetizr Tokens adding real value to the Monetizr business model and granting DigitalTown 10 million new users. It's a clear win for DigitalTown, our participating merchants, Monetizr and its members."
Monetizr Co-Founder and COO, Martins Bratuskins, adds: "We're very excited to partner with DigitalTown and to enable our community of gamers to spend their game tokens for real items with local stores. Our mission at Monetizr is to reward gamers with tokens that have real-life value and we believe this is a perfect opportunity to add an additional value for gamers while bringing more business to local stores."
DigitalTown's blockchain-based CityShares represent ownership of a city platform and grant voting rights to owners. Holders of CityShares receive a percentage of the revenue generated by their city's platform. Upon registration to DigitalTown, everyone receives 10 free CityShares for their resident city which can be bought and sold in a peer to peer exchange.
CityTokens are also issued to people who engage with DigitalTown's community tools. The mobile-based community tools encourage members of the DigitalTown movement to join or start discussions, create and manage events and projects, and also fundraise for the local community. The CityTokens, to which no specific monetary value is attributed, are exchanged with participating DigitalTown merchants for goods and services. Each merchant sets the value of CityTokens and can exchange them with DigitalTown for sponsored promotion on their city's platform.
With the Monetizr partnership, the 10 million Monetizr members will be able to incorporate their MTZs into the DigitalTown SmartWallet to exchange with participating DigitalTown merchants.
About DigitalTown
DigitalTown, Inc. (DGTW) powers Smart Cities to succeed in the Digital Age. It provides turn-key hosted solutions to power "Digital Towns", which improve Quality of Life for residents and visitors through locally owned solutions for economic development, civic engagement and digital inclusion for cities around the world. You can download the DigitalTown App from the App Store, or visit one of our many city sites such as Austin.City to get a feel for how DigitalTown is creating value for cities around the world.
Stay tuned for updates on our partnership!
Rob Monster, Chief Executive Officer
+1-425-295-4564; email@example.com
Karen Floyd, Chief Brand Officer
+34 692 336 787 email@example.com
About Monetizr
With Monetizr, developers reward gamers with MTZs to increase game engagement, play-time and revenue. Developers use the untapped power of devices to mine cryptocurrencies, creating 100% new revenue stream. Gamers earns MTZs by playing the games they love. MTZs are collected in MTZ wallets. Gamers earn additional MTZs for allowing cryptocurrency mining on their devices. Brands sponsor tokens and rewards for gamers. In exchange, brands get exposure to highly targeted audiences based on gamer interests, location and behavior. Gamers use MTZs to purchase physical goods and services, or exchange to other cryptocurrencies.
Disclaimer – Forward Looking Statement
Safe Harbor Language: Any statements contained herein related to future events are forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. DigitalTown, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update any such statements to reflect actual events.
Note: DigitalTown Inc. did not issue this press release through our service. We are simply sharing it on our website since it was distributed by a top-tier newswire service and relates to blockchain.


text:
I hate awkward pauses. Especially ones where a table full of people are looking at me waiting for an answer and I got nothing.
So awkward.
Still nothing.
Thanksgiving break brings old friends around. Everyone is home for the holiday so it's a great time to meet and catch up. Sitting at a bar we used to frequent often, I was having a great time with some of my old college friends and people I hung out with before I got married. I admit that after moving out of state right after the wedding, I hadn't done a good job of keeping in touch with friends. So this was a fun night for me, several of these faces I hadn't seen in years.
Some of my friends had new jobs or had recently become homeowners. Some of us were single, recently engaged or newlyweds. But only one of us had kids, though.
That would be me.
Maybe I should have prepared a little so I wouldn't be so caught off guard. I was just excited to have a few hours to myself carrying a cute little purse instead of a diaper bag.
So it was inevitable that at some point, someone would turn to me and ask,
"So what's new with you?"
The truth was there was nothing new with me. One of the worst things about seeing old friends is having absolutely nothing new to tell them.
I wanted to say that I'm a stay at home mom. I wear the same pair of jeans every timeI leave the house. I wear my hair in a big messy bun because I do not have the time or energy to blow dry it.
Work? No, I'm not working right now. Well, I'm technically working all the damn time but I don't think they would understand what I meant by that.
Travel? It's hard enough to go down the street to the grocery store with two young kids, you think I'm about to do some international flight with them? Do you have any idea how much STUFF these kids need? No Caribbean vacations coming up for me anytime soon.
"Oh, you know..nothing new."
That was my lame answer. Nothing new. Nothing exciting. The fact that my toddler tells me he needs his diaper changed the moment he poops instead of sitting on it and smooshing it in, is the best thing that's happened to me lately. He is so ready for potty training! That's exciting, right?
And suddenly I longed for my Mom friends. I had joined a Mom's group when I moved. I had no friends and I found a group of women who had babies born the same year my son was. Mom friends sympathize with every detail of your labor and the c-section you didn't really want. They get how tired you are. They don't judge your unwashed, frizzy hair. Mom friends can talk at length about leaky boobs and sleep regression.
I opted to drive home instead of moving on to the next bar and I thought about how much I had changed since the last time I was here. I had essentially traded in my cocktails for coffee and my designer jeans for sweatpants. I was the same person but so much more blessed than I ever was before.
I was thankful for the child-free friends who still make an effort to keep in touch with me. And now, I was thankful for the awesome women who also have no clue what they're doing, as they go through this motherhood journey with me. It's difficult not to compare myself to my old friends, though. I've traded in promotions for potty training and put my career on pause. It was the career pause that I had the most difficulty with. So much of our self-identity is measured by job titles, promotions, and raises. There was a tangible result of all the hard work you put in.
I get home past the kid's bedtime and look at them snuggled in bed. I was so thankful for the two babies that changed me more than I could have ever imagined. And without any hesitation I realized.
Some pauses are not awkward at all.


text:
- This event has passed.
Jota/Joti 2021
16th October, 2021 - 17th October, 2021
We will be hosting a Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet station at Broxholme over the third weekend of October. We will be joining over 1 million other Scouts on the Internet and using Amateur Radio Equipment at our Town Centre HQ Broxholme. More information will be released later in the year.
This year will be special as Kieran one of our leaders in the District is on the international organising team planning Jota Joti 2021. This will be an event not to miss throughout the year.
Jamboree on the air will be held at the 46th Rotherham HQ on Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th October 2021. The event is open to all sections and will run throughout the day from 9am to 5pm each day. Our call sign for the weekend will be GB2RDS and we will have members from Sheffield and District Wireless Society and Mexborough and District Amateur Radio Society coming together to help educate the young people and leaders of Rotherham what amateur radio is.
We will also have several other devices set up for Jamboree On The Internet and it will give children a safe way to have conversations with other groups around the world and discover how Scouting works around the world.


text:
B1-IntermediateBNC LevelsCEFR LevelsProtectedStep 1StoriesStyles
ReadOasis 2
By Maria Sonora
ReadOasis Step 1
Geisha are traditional performing artists from Japan. These women are good at various Japanese arts, such as traditional music, dancing, and song. The word "geisha" comes from Chinese words that mean "art" (GEI) and "person" (SHA). So "geisha" actually means "artist." In the 1920s, about 80,000 geisha were working in Japan. But today there are probably only about 1,000 to 2,000 working geisha.
The geisha tradition is oldest, strongest, and most common in the ci...
Please login to read the rest of the story, or join ReadOasis today!
Enter the destination URL
Or link to existing content


text:
Be the Change Scholarship
An endowed scholarship was started at Grand Valley State University for students that have been affected by a parent who has served time in jail. The "Be the Change" scholarship was created to let students know that their community supports and encourages them to acquire their degrees and make a difference in our communities.
The Facts
The United States is one of the top incarcerators of women in the world. A report from the Sentencing Project shows that between 1980 and 2016, the number of women incarcerated in American jails and prisons increased by more than 700 percent, from 26,378 in 1980 to 213,722 in 2016.
According to the ACLU, women are the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population increasing at nearly double the rate of men since 1985. Approximately 62% of these women are mothers of children under 18.
Over the past five years, Jennifer (Jenn) Deamud (GVSU Alumni 95', 10' and 15') has been mentoring women getting ready to be released from jail. The women she mentors need support for themselves to change the projection of their lives. The women desire to have opportunities for their children so they can have a successful future. The mentoring program Jenn is engaged with is offered through the Women's Resource Center. The program, New Beginnings, strives to reduce recidivism through access to a comprehensive program three months prior to their release.
The Need
Jenn's observations of the challenges faced by incarcerated mothers and their children were reinforced by the Annie E. May Casey Foundation's report – "A SHARED SENTENCE the devastating toll of parental incarceration on kids, families, and communities." The report indicates Michigan has the third highest percentage nationally of children with a parent who has been incarcerated, 1 in 10 kids impacted.
This number was alarming to Jenn and her husband David. Together they established the "Be the Change" endowed scholarship to create awareness and help support these students who have been negatively affected by a parent serving time.
Make a Difference
"Be the Change" endowed fund distributed the first scholarship to a GVSU student in the fall of 2018. The fund continues to give a one scholarship per year.
The young lady who received the first scholarship (2018) is a first-generation college student who has had both parents either serve time in jail or prison. The scholarship is helping her stay in college to acquire a degree in anthropology.
The young lady who received the second scholarship (2019) is a first-generation student and has had her father in and out of her life due to additions and serving time. She is encouraged to stay in college knowing that others support her.
Jenn and Dave continue to engage with the community to create awareness of the need to support "returning citizens" and their children. Through the continued efforts of fundraising and creating awareness, the endowment increases on average $10,000 per year. One way they raise funds is through an Annual Rummage Sale Fundraiser.
Please consider supporting first generation students who have financial need and have experienced having a parent serve time in jail or prison. Any contributions will help students!


text:
Atlanta magazine launched in 1961 with James L. Townsend as its founding editor. After six years here, he went on to start city magazines in New Orleans and Cincinnati and consulted on at least 30 others, prompting Time magazine to dub him "the father of city magazines in America.'' Twenty years later, after the 48-year-old Townsend succumbed to cancer, some of the novelists he mentored, including Pat Conroy, Terry Kay, and Anne Rivers Siddons, launched a literary award in his honor. Now, every other year, the Georgia Center for the Book, the Atlanta Writer's Club, the DeKalb Library Foundation, and Georgia State University Perimeter College's literary journal the Chattahoochee Review select 10 finalists from works of fiction by Georgia writers. The winner, chosen by out-of-state judges, was originally set to be announced at a ceremony on April 23 at the DeKalb History Center, but due to the coronavirus outbreak, a virtual ceremony is now set for on May 28. Learn more about the finalists below.
Wild Milk, Sabrina Orah Mark
Winner of the Georgia Writers Association's Georgia Author of the Year Award for a Short Story Collection, this surrealist collection is the poet's first book of fiction.
The Day's Heat, Roberta George
Lee James, a Catholic Lebanese girl, faces prejudice in a small South Georgia town during the 1960s.
Dixie Luck: Stories and the novella Terminal, Andy Plattner
Various gamblers and dreamers remain optimistic despite the odds.
The Wrong Heaven, Amy Bonnaffons
A fantastical and provocative collection of short stories in which women become animals, inanimate objects talk, and angels hover.
Fire Sermon, Jamie Quatro
A devout wife and mother's platonic relationship with a poet takes a steamy turn.
The Magnetic Girl, Jessica Handler
This historical novel based on a real-life teen from rural Georgia follows her vaudeville career as a girl who can supposedly conduct electricity.
The Vain Conversation, Anthony Grooms
Inspired by a true story, this novel examines a 1946 lynching of two black couples from the perspectives of three characters: a victim, a suspect, and a witness.
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, Anissa Gray
Three sisters see their lives and family reputation turned upside down when the oldest one and her husband are arrested, and the two younger ones must care for their teenage nieces.
Brass, Xhenet Aliu
Winner of the 2018 Georgia Author of the Year First Novel prize, awarded by the Georgia Writers Association, this debut novel follows a mother-daughter relationship in a fading Connecticut factory town that once drew generations of immigrants.
Unmarriageable, Soniah Kamal
Kamal's take on the Jane Austen classic follows five Pakistani sisters navigating romance in a world of pride and prejudice.
This article appears in our April 2020 issue.


text:
I've got a lot of opinions about media that other fans of it might find controversial. I love Rogue One and The Last Jedi. I can't stand Damian Wayne. I think The Silmarillion is more readable than The Hobbit.
2021 marks The Lord of the Rings movies' 20th anniversary, and we couldn't imagine exploring the trilogy in just one story. So each Wednesday throughout the year, we'll go there and back again, examining how and why the films have endured as modern classics. This is Polygon's Year of the Ring.
But if there's one controversial opinion the most likely to elicit a shocked gasp and an immediate accusation of being no real fan at all, it's this one: I prefer the theatrical versions of The Lord of the Rings to the Extended Editions in the deluxe boxed set.
The Extended Editions of the Lord of the Rings movies are legendary among the canon of home video releases, and rightfully so. They boast "deleted scenes" fully integrated with the films themselves (so big you have to swap discs halfway through, like a VHS copy of Titanic or a 1990s video game), complete with fully treated special effects and a restrung score. Finished with the movie? There are dozens of hours of cast and crew interviews about the techniques used to make the film and the friendships forged on set — enough behind-the-scenes adventures for their own trilogy.
But when I sit down to watch The Lord of the Rings, I want to watch it the way it looked in the theater. The way Peter Jackson really imagined it.
Theatrical LotR is all killer, way less filler
There isn't a wasted shot in the theatrical edition of The Fellowship of the Ring. It's a near-perfect movie. The first act is perhaps the greatest example of seamless exposition in filmmaking ever produced, as the production covers 6,000 years of history, a textbook's worth of world-building, and the introduction of a dozen immediately compelling lead characters.
Would I have liked it if there had been room for the scene where Galadriel gave the Fellowship gifts in Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Fran Walsh's adaptation? Sure, she's one of my favorite characters. Would I have liked to catch a glimpse of Gildor and his band of elves? See Aragorn visit his mother's grave? Yeah, of course! Do I want those scenes to cut into the delicate pacing of The Fellowship of the Ring, jarring the exquisitely balanced flow of the movie? I do not.
The Two Towers is baggier than Fellowship, with a few detours that have never felt justified to me. Aragorn falls off a cliff and has a psychic conversation with his girlfriend, Faramir whiffles back and forth about the Ring, and it never quite matters. It's still a great film, and is my go-to pick whenever someone asks, "Wanna watch a Lord of the Rings movie?"
I am only human, and a giant The Lord of the Rings nerd. Do I want to see what Jackson and his collaborators thought Treebeard's house should be like? Yes! What about that bit where Aragorn admits that he's nearly 90 years old? Obviously!
But when I'm sitting down for an all-day marathon, I want the tighter, better version of the movie, the one that's engineered as a cohesive cinematic story rather than a collection of translated scenes.
The Extended Editions brought LotR home
The extended versions of Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return of the King came out when it was still astonishing that a broader public would invest monetarily and emotionally in something that was historically niche, lowbrow, and, for lack of a better word, nerdy. They also offered a way to bring an "exclusive" version of the Lord of the Rings movies into more intimate, fans-only spaces, where we could pause and rewind, gush and cheer without fear of judgment (or just of bothering other people).
Every year, my friends and family would see a Lord of the Rings movie just before Christmas. And the following year, the Extended Edition DVD would hit stores around Thanksgiving break. For three years, we would pop the disc in and dive back into Middle-earth just in time to ignite hype for the next installment.
The Extended Editions also fostered a sense of intimacy through hours and hours of filmed interviews on how the movies came together. There are Weta designers I can still recognize on sight today. Talking about how Viggo Mortensen breaks his toe on screen in The Two Towers — something you'd only know if you watched the special edition DVDs — is a meme now.
But the Extended Editions are not better movies.
And Peter Jackson agrees with me
"The theatrical versions are the definitive versions," Peter Jackson told IGN in 2019. "I regard the extended cuts as being a novelty for the fans that really want to see the extra material."
To Jackson, things like Treebeard's home and Galadriel's gifts are indelible parts of The Lord of the Rings, and he didn't want the footage lost forever. The Extended Editions preserve that work, and are made with the understanding that fans want to see it. But, Jackson said, every addition has a detrimental effect on what he set out to make.
"Every time [I add something in] I think I'm spoiling the film, but I'm doing it because people want to see it and they'll see it in their home."
There is a difference between adaptation and translation, and perhaps it's natural for fans of a beloved story to look to accuracy before quality. But a novel is not a movie, and adaptations have to make choices — and not just about what something that existed only in text looks like when it's a living, breathing, costumed actor.
The theatrical editions of the Lord of the Rings movies made great choices. The Extended Editions chose completionism, at least partially to please fans rather than the creatives behind the work itself. And when you let fans take the wheel, things get really, really messy.
The shape of Lord of the Rings movie fandom would be entirely different without the extended DVD releases. But even to the director himself, those versions of the movies are novelties, not the real thing.
I don't want to keep anyone from enjoying the Extended Editions if they do. I just wish people would stop calling me a bad fan when I say I prefer the theatrical ones. All I'm really saying is that I like the same ones Peter Jackson does!
That said, there is one Lord of the Rings movie that I think is better in the Extended Edition, and that brings me to my next controversial opinion: The Return of the King is actually kind of a mess, and the Extended Edition is necessary to complete vital character arcs and create emotional underpinning for the movie's best moments. But that's a story for another time. Please don't yell at me on Twitter about it until then.