text:
Remembering The Ferrari 637
The current dispute between the FIA and Formula One teams had an interesting twist last week. Before Thursday night's latest bombshell that a breakaway series will be formed, Ferrari actually threatened to pull out and go to the IndyCar Series. Very few people actually believed this to be anything but mere posturing on Ferrari's part. First of all, with Ferrari's penchant for spending money on innovation, a spec-series like the current IRL would not be a logical step. However, it does beg the question…how well would they do?
Contrary to popular belief, money doesn't always translate into instant success in sports. Ask any fan of New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or Washington Redskins how well a large bankroll has worked out for their organizations. The Penske and Ganassi teams didn't get to where they are simply by opening up their checkbook. There are a lot more ingredients to the secret of their success, other than cash.
Well-funded foreign engine manufacturers have a mixed track record while attempting to run open-wheel racing in the US. Before Honda came to dominate this sport in the mid to late nineties through today, they certainly had their growing pains. They were almost laughed out of the sport in 1994. Toyota had similar struggles in the late nineties before finally getting it right, only to be driven out of the sport by Honda in 2005.
The late eighties and early nineties saw monumental failures by Porsche and Alfa-Romeo. Porsche's struggles may have been pinned on being paired with the slow March chassis, as March was trying to regain its foothold in the chassis department. That also coincided with the loss of team owner Al Holbert in a plane crash, who had teamed with Derrick Walker to spearhead the Porsche factory effort. From that point forward, the project seemed doomed before it started. Alfa-Romeo simply just didn't seem to have a clue. They are one of the manufacturers rumored to be supplying engines to the IRL in 2012. Hopefully, they've learned something.
Of course, the sixties proved to be very fruitful for teams making the crossover. Lotus was competitive every year they competed in open-wheel races in the US, winning Indy in 1965. Lola began their successful run in 1965, also. McLaren showed up in the seventies with great success.
Beginning in the mid-eighties, an American-made chassis had become a rarity, as the British-made March chassis came to dominate. Bobby Rahal made his infamous attempt in 1993 of running an American car, by buying the Truesports chassis from the estate of Jim Trueman. Dan Gurney made an ill-fated try at reviving his Eagle chassis in the mid-nineties. Riley & Scott provided some chassis to the IRL in the late nineties, being the first Indianapolis-based company in years to provide cars for the Speedway. Technically, the Panoz was made in Georgia after Don Panoz bought G-Force, which was based in England. One IRL chassis that never turned a wheel was the Falcon, which was built in Charlotte, NC by Michael Kranefuss. But by and large, foreign chassis and engines have ruled open-wheel racing since the eighties. Even the Fords and Chevy's in CART were actually English built by Cosworth and Ilmor, respectively.
Getting back to the Ferrari situation…without getting into Formula One politics, the FIA headed by Max Mosley and the Formula One teams are engaged in a bitter dispute over next year's rules. FOTA (Formula One Team Owners) are now supposedly following through on a threat to start a new series (sound familiar?). Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, has also threatened to leave Formula One entirely, cross the pond and join IndyCar, instead.
Most everyone, including myself, sees this as nothing more than Ferrari using the IndyCar Series as leverage. If this sounds familiar, it has happened before. In the mid-eighties, Formula One had proposed rule changes that the Scuderia bitterly opposed. Enzo Ferrari hired Steve Horne, who was team manager at Truesports and later owned Tasman Motorsports, to run the Ferrari IndyCar program.
The plan was in discussions for over a year. Finally, a Ferrari was built to run the Indianapolis 500. Michele Alboreto tested the Ferrari 637 side-by-side with a 1985 March chassis, in the summer of 1986. The Ferrari reportedly came out favorably. According to Horne, the 637 had impressive windtunnel numbers and was very innovative.
The 637 was scheduled to make its CART debut in the season finale at Laguna Seca in October of 1986. However, new chief designer John Barnard decided to scrap the plans in order to focus on Formula One. Steve Horne insists to this day that this was no bluff tactic. Horne is certain that Ferrari had every intention to run the car in CART, yet changed their mind at the last minute.
Sadly, the Ferrari 637 never turned a wheel in competition and has become just a footnote in history. It has gone the way of the IRL Falcon chassis, the Spruce Goose and other untouched relics. It was a good-looking car compared to the other IndyCars of its day. It surprisingly shares one of the characteristics of the present-day Dallara. Rather than having a small Plexiglas windshield, which was common in those days, it featured a bulbous rise just before the cockpit – just like the Dallara, to deflect the airflow from the cockpit.
It is hard to imagine a great team like Ferrari racing in the IndyCar Series. It is even harder to imagine Ferrari agreeing to run an ancient Dallara chassis that cannot be re-engineered, powered by a Honda engine that they cannot touch. One can only imagine that this is just one giant grandstand ploy that no one really takes seriously. Even though a team with the budget of Ferrari would be the deathblow to most current IRL teams, it's intriguing to think about how well they would do…while remembering the Ferrari 637.
George Phillips
8 Responses to "Remembering The Ferrari 637"
A crazy idea? I don't think so…
We heard the interview with BB and CC and we heard Scott Dixon complaining at Texas MS; therefore would there be a potential for Ferrari to be that extra chassis builder/engine supplier as opposed to strictly entering a race team?
They could also enter as a team, while also supplying chassis and engines under the FIAT name. With F1 not in north America at all this year, many of the manufacturers were lamenting the fact that a major market was off the calendar for the first time in a very very long time (the 60's I think), so I don't think it's so improbable.
Unlikely all the same though…
yes, unlikely. but if ferrari wanted to bring in a team or two and make that commitment to the irl for 2011 say–I'd like to think that the irl would be willing to make some adjustments. I think it would neat.
[…] 637 – To many the Prancing Horse is Formula One, so when Maranello produced a bona fide Indycar in 1986 the racing world took notice. Sadly the 637 was just a political tool, leverage to help Ferrari get […]
PC beschleunigen…
[…]Remembering The Ferrari 637 « Oilpressure[…]…


text:
Oct. 23, 2006
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT women's tennis team had solid outing at this past weekend's NEWITT Tournament hosted by Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College. Mariah Hoover, Yi Wang, Anisa McCree, and Emily Chen advanced to the quarterfinals in the singles bracket while Hoover and Wang and McCree and Kerry Weinberg represented the Engineers in the doubles quarterfinals brackets.
In the No. 1 singles flight, Leslie Hansen fell to No. 1 seed and eventual champion Cary Gibson (Williams College), 6-2, 6-3, in her opening match. Following a first round bye, Hoover defeated Rachael Ghorbani (Wesleyan University), 6-1, 6-1, before falling to Brittany Berckes (Amherst), 6-2, 6-1, in the No. 2 singles bracket. Wang posted a 6-4, 6-1 win over Joanna Nettlefield (Roger Williams University) and a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Anika Fischer (Wesleyan) before losing to No. 3 seed Kristen Raymond (Bowdoin College), 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (2).
In the No. 4 singles flight, McCree defeated Megan Cornell (Roger Williams), 6-4, 6-2, but lost to top-seed Jen Murphy (Amherst), 6-3, 6-1. Joanna MacKay fell in her opening match to Anjali Bhalodia (Mount Holyoke), 6-1, 6-4. Chen, seeded fourth in the No. 6 singles bracket, posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Jean Gulliver (Trinity College) before losing to Elizabeth Emery (Middlebury College), 6-1, 6-1.
Hansen and MacKay lost their match to Emery and Smyser (Middlebury), 8-6, in the No. 1 doubles flight. No. 4 seed Hoover and Wang defeated Milic-Strkalj and Jackson (Wheaton College), 8-1, but dropped a tough match to Fallon and Bender (Connecticut College), 9-8 (4). McCree and Weinberg overpowered McCraven and Richardson (Roger Williams), 8-2, before falling, 8-0, to Miller and Gentzler (Tufts).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
New Delhi, Nov 24: Promising to change the way political parties work in India, Arvind Kejriwal and his anti-corruption group Saturday said the name of their new outfit will be Aam Aadmi Party (Common Man's Party).
"'Aam aadmi' will contest elections, aam aadmi will vote and aam aadmi will go to parliament. This party will change the way politics and political parties function in the country," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal had Oct 2 announced the formation of a party, without disclosing its name.
"I received 80 to 90 mobile messages daily suggesting the party's name. The name 'Aam Aadmi' is empowering the common man," he said.
He said for the past one-and-half years, they had been knocking the doors of various parties on the Lokpal Bill.
"But every political party betrayed us. So we decided during the fast in August that this movement will take a political plunge and as a result, the party has been launched," Kejriwal said at a press conference in the presence of other party members Prashant Bhushan, Sanjay Singh, Gopal Rai and Yogendra Yadav.
"Today, we inducted 300 people into the party and there were number of people who wanted to join the party unlike other parties that conduct membership drives. People can come to Jantar Mantar on Monday (Nov 26) and get enrolled," he said.
The party's name was announced after a day-long meeting at the Constitution Club here. Party sources said the name was proposed by members Mayank Gandhi and Chandramohan.
At the meeting, the party's constitution was also finalised and its national council was constituted.
According to its constitution, every district in the country will be represented in the party and its national executive council will meet Sunday.
The party will have two kinds of members -- ordinary and active. Anyone can enroll himself or herself as an ordinary member by paying Rs.10 as fee for three years. The ordinary member, depending on his work for the organisation, will be made an active member after four months.
The constitution also says if a party member enters the state executive or national executive councils, his or her relatives will not find a place in any council.
Also, the party has included the right to recall in its constitution.
But soon after the party's name was announced, the ruling Congress objected to it, saying the slogan of "aam aadmi" has long been linked to the Congress.
"'Aam aadmi' has been synonymous with Congress since 1885. Nobody can hijack the intrinsic relation between Congress and the 'aam aadmi'," Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said.
Kejriwal countered the claim: "The name 'aam admi' was never with the Congress. Now they are thinking that we will flee with their name."
"From now, all the transaction could be made in the party' name -- Aam Aadmi," he said.
Kejriwal has also earlier tweeted that he was a common man and would bring 'swaraj' (self-rule) and 'poorna azadi' (complete independence) and curb price rise and implement Jan Lokpal.
Kejriwal, who was campaigning against corruption under the banner of India Against Corruption, said the name would not be used anymore.
"We are not going to use India Against Corruption from now," he said to a query.
Social activist Anna Hazare had objected to Kejriwal using IAC's name after he parted with Team Anna to form a party.
Kejriwal came into prominence with a Hazare-led movement demanding a strong anti-graft ombudsman bill.


text:
If your portfolio is awash in red marks and minus signs, perhaps you're making this mistake.
Perhaps you bet against the American consumer.
Nobody would blame you, least of all Jim Cramer.
Conventional wisdom suggested retailers would be seriously challenged. After all, shoppers were facing a litany of woes ranging from higher payroll taxes, higher prices at the pump and squabbling in Washington that threatened job creation.


text:
Colorado, United States
About The Spotted Olive
The Spotted Olive™ is an online invitation & paper goods design company based in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. Featuring modern, hip & trendy DIY printables & professionally printed paper goods, The Spotted Olive™ specializes in save the dates, bachelorette party invitations, shower invitations, birth announcements, birthday party invitations, holiday cards, business cards and so much more. I am continually adding new designs to the shop so be sure to stop by again to see what's fresh!


text:
This past month of May we had the amazing opportunity to visit Thailand. We spent there just over 2 weeks and had a fabulous time! 11 days in Krabi, which included 4 days at Ao Nang, 3 days at Phi Phi, and 4 days at Ko Lanta.
I will definitely write an extensive review of this journey later on, but for now please enjoy this short music video I compiled just now:)


text:
I don't know, and I am irrevocably jazzed about it! As of today, I am available for employment. Resume available to serious inquirers. I dig security and UNIX. Obviously, I am looking for something in bicycling distance (15 mi) from Lenexa, KS but it is not a requirement. Know someone that needs an awesome Info-Sec guy or a sysadmin? Send them my way!
Friday, January 08, 2010
What comes next?
7 comments:
- Joshua said...
Hope you find a good gig soon, my friend
- January 08, 2010 3:15 PM
- dvicci said...
Wow. Holy crap. Good luck, man! I'll be pulling for you...
- January 08, 2010 5:38 PM
The USDA (8930 Ward Prkwy) is always looking for good people. Check out http://www.usajobs.com/ for opening. It is about 7 miles from where you are... 95th Street most of the way.
- January 09, 2010 11:10 AM
- Apertome said...
Man! Sorry to hear it, I think, although you sound excited, so maybe not. Regardless ... good luck!
- January 11, 2010 12:57 PM
- Noah said...
I'm equal parts optimistic and anxious. Mostly: health coverage is going to be a big concern of mine. My wife needs it badly.
- January 11, 2010 2:00 PM
If you're open to a potential contract-to-hire security engineering position at a different financial institution in Downtown KC, let me know - we will likely be bringing someone on to the team in the near future for a 6-month-contract-to-hire.
- January 11, 2010 5:16 PM
- Noah said...
I'd be interested in knowing more. email some details: noah (at) kc-bike.net
- January 11, 2010 5:29 PM
Privacy Policy
By leaving a link or e-mail address in my comments (including your blogger profile or website URL), you acknowledge that the published comment and associated links will be available to the public and that they will likely be clicked on.


text:
Daily Standings - EASYYou haven't won any Easy games today.
Daily Standings - MEDIUMYou haven't won any Medium games today.
Daily Standings - HARDYou haven't won any Hard games today.
Daily Standings - EVILYou haven't won any Evil games today.
How to Play Sudoku Combat
Play Sudoku against another person in real time!
Choose your avatar: Click on the image icon you prefer
Choose a level: Select a level - Easy, Medium, Hard or Evil
Then click on 'Combat' and wait to be connected to your Sudoku Combat rival.
When you are connected the game begins.
To solve a Sudoku, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in:
• Each of the nine vertical columns
• Each of the nine horizontal rows
• Each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes
Click in a square on the Sudoku grid to select it, and then type in the number you think is correct.
Watch how quickly or slowly your rival is working in the grid on the right. Each time they fill in a square it is shaded. Of course your rival will also be watching your progress!
You can chat with your rival as you play.
Game Options
UNDO MOVE: Click to undo the last move
CLEAR GRID: Click to clear the grid and start over
About Sudoku Combat
Sudoku Combat is an exciting multiplayer version of classic Sudoku that lets you challenge an opponent in real time, the perfect game for those who like a competitive edge to their puzzling! Select from four levels of difficulty, choose an avatar to represent you on screen and battle it out to WIN!
Once a game begins, you can watch your opponent's progress in the grid to the right of your own, adding a little more pressure to the mix! Conjure up the concentration and endurance of a Ninja warrior, stay calm and focused on your own grid and race to victory!
Sudoku Combat (v. 1.55) is now faster and smoother than ever. New features include a timer, a 'Clear Grid' function, the ability to undo your last move up to 100 times, practice numbers that are automatically ordered numerically and an improved version of sticky keys (click twice to re-enter).
Sudoku Combat is an excellent multiplayer version of a very addictive logic puzzle. Oh, and there is a single player version in case you need some practice!
Sudoku Combat Tournaments
|Tournaments begin:
|Every Friday 04.15pm
|Tournaments end:
|Every Monday 09.00am
|2500 tokens
|1000 tokens
|500 tokens
YouPlay Sudoku Tips
To make it easier for first time Sudoku players we have included the following playing tips:
1. You start the puzzle with several pre-determined numbers included as givens. These cells are marked and cannot be erased. Each time you start a new puzzle, a different set of numbers will appear.
2. The object of the game is to fill the empty cells with the numbers 1 to 9, with each number only appearing once in each column, row and 3 x 3 box.
3. For each empty cell, you must determine which numbers can be inserted, according to the game rules. In the beginning you may have several options for each cell.
4. YouPlay Sudoku puzzles have a space at the top of each cell where you can type up to eight practice numbers that could be correct.
5. As you fill out the different options for each cell, you will find that several cells have only one number option that could be correct, which you can then type inside the cell.
6. Whenever you type in a correct number, you should update the practice numbers for the remaining cells.
7. Repeat this process throughout the whole game and eventually you will complete the Sudoku grid.
8. If you get stuck, you can use hints to help solve the puzzle. Click the HINT button once when you require a hint.


text:
Oct. 4, 1999
There We Have It!
By scoring the only goal of their match with San Jose State Saturday night, the Gauchos secured their seventh win of the season, a total that surpasses the combined efforts of the 1997 and 1998 teams, which won four and two games, respectively. UCSB is now just three wins away from equaling the victory total of the Gaucho teams of the last three seasons. Not since 1995 has UCSB had a winning record or reached postseason play. With UCSB's leading scorer Thiago Martins out of the lineup with a red card, its second leading goalman Jaime Ambriz found the back of the net in the 56th minute in the matchup with the Spartans, after receiving a pass from Steven Sosa, the team's leader in assists. Goalkeeper Stewart Sanders earned his fourth shutout of the season. UCSB improved to 7-3-0 on the season. The win exemplifies the difference betweenlast year's Gauchos and this year's team. The 1998 Gauchos played well against a tough San Jose State squad, but lost 3-0. Whereas UCSB often turned in respectable showings and lost, it is now both performing well and winning.
Thiba Who?
With Thiago "Thiba" Martins, the Gauchos' and MPSF Pacific division's leading scorer, out of action Saturday due to his receiving a red card in UCSB's last contest, the Gauchos' matchup with San Jose State on the ThunderPitch at Harder Stadium figured to be heavy duty. However, UCSB's sophomore forward (and Martins' teammate at Santa Barbara City College the last two seasons) Jaime Ambriz (no nickname) was ready. Ambriz connected on a line drive shot from the penalty area in the 56th minute vs. SJSU to give the Gauchos all the offensive output they would need. The goal was Ambriz's fourth of the season. His goal count and nine total points rank him second among Gauchos. Ambriz redshirted 1998 at SBCC after suffering a knee injury at the start of the season. He attended nearby Rio Mesa HS in Oxnard.
In Command
UCSB's supersenior goalkeeper Stewart "The Colonel" Sanders earned his fourth shutout of the season Saturday (11th career) in UCSB's 1-0 win over SJSU. Sanders also made a season-high seven saves in the match, bringing his 1999 total to 41. The Colonel also lowered his season GAA to 0.89 and his career mark to 1.26. Sanders' 11 blankings are the fifth-most ever by a Gaucho keeper. Sanders is also the only Gaucho left from UCSB's 1995 team which advanced to the MPSF playoffs.
The Horror!
The Gauchos will delve into the heart of darkness this weekend, when they begin conference play with MPSF matches at Cal State Fullerton and UCLA. The contests are the first of seven straight MPSF games before UCSB closes the season with three non-conference dates. Although UCSB has gone 3-1 against MPSF schools thus far, three of those games were against Mountain division opponents and the Irvine contest was just a preview of the team's conference date later in the season, so none of the games count in the MPSF standings. UCSB went 0-8-1 in the MPSF last year, and is a combined 2-16-1 in league play since the 1996 campaign.
The Bottom Line: Gaucho Scoring and Goalkeeping Leaders
Points: Thiago Martins 14 (6, 2), Jaime Ambriz 9 (4, 1), Sean Herrity 6 (3, 0), Lucas Dalgleish 5 (2, 1), Steven Sosa 4 (0, 4). Goalkeeping: Stewart Sanders 0.89 GAA, 4 ShO, 41 saves.


text:
ORLANDO -- Treatment with the bradykinin receptor blocker icatibant (Firazyr) led to rapid resolution of all types of edema attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema, even the most severe, according to the results of three trials presented here.
By four hours after a subcutaneous injection of icatibant, the percentage of patients reporting severe or very severe cutaneous involvement had fallen from 40.4% at baseline to 2%, compared with only 19.7% of those receiving placebo, Alejandro Malbrán, MD, of the Hospital Britanico de Buenos Aires in Argentina, and colleagues reported.
And among patients with potentially life-threatening laryngeal attacks, the percentage reporting severe or very severe difficulty swallowing had decreased from 28.6% to 10.6% after two hours and to 1.9% by four hours, William R. Lumry, MD, of Allergy and Asthma Research Associates Research Center in Dallas, and colleagues found.
The data, from the FAST-1, -2, and -3 (For Angioedema Subcutaneous Treatment) trials, were reported in two posters at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Hereditary angioedema is a rare, autosomal dominant condition characterized by a deficiency of C1-inhibitor and high levels of bradykinin, a peptide involved in vascular permeability and vasodilation.
Because of these effects, patients are at-risk for debilitating attacks of tissue swelling in multiple organs.
The FAST trials -- by an international group of investigators -- were done to establish the safety and efficacy of icatibant for these patients.
FAST-1 compared icatibant in patients with type 1 or 2 hereditary angioedema versus placebo, while FAST-2 compared the bradykinin receptor antagonist against tranexamic acid, which is usually used to prevent blood loss during surgery.
Those two studies were limited to patients with cutaneous or abdominal involvement, while FAST-3 also included patients with laryngeal manifestation.
The studies included a total of 216 patients. The active treatments were given in doses of 30 mg subcutaneously for icatibant and 1,000 mg for tranexamic acid.
In FAST-1 and -2, the median time to onset of symptom relief for cutaneous attacks was three hours compared with 23.8 hours for placebo and 22.3 hours for tranexamic acid, while symptom relief for abdominal attacks began at 1.6, 6, and 2.3 hours for the three groups, respectively.
By four hours, none of the 24% of patients receiving icatibant who initially reported severe to very severe abdominal symptoms had persistent symptoms, compared with 7% of those given placebo and 10.5% of those receiving tranexamic acid.
By 12 hours, none of the patients in any of the groups had severe to very severe abdominal symptoms, while small numbers of patients receiving tranexamic acid or placebo still had moderate symptoms.
A separate analysis assessed outcomes for 60 patients who had laryngeal attacks and were treated with icatibant.
These patients were not randomized because of the potential lethality of the condition -- 40% of cases are fatal if untreated, according to Lumry.
Two-thirds were women, most were white, and the median age was 39.
The attack severity was mild in 32%, moderate in 43%, and severe in 25%.
"Laryngeal attacks are the most worrisome because of the possibility of asphyxiation, and 50% of patients with hereditary angioedema will have a laryngeal attack at some point," Lumry told MedPage Today.
Two hours after the subcutaneous injection, 47.6% of patients with difficulty swallowing reported at least a 50% decrease in symptoms.
Among patients who experienced almost complete relief, median time to resolution was 6.2 hours.
Only eight patients required a second injection of icatibant, and no patients needed intubation.
This drug, which was approved by the FDA in August 2011, offers significant benefits to patients, according to Lumry.
It's given subcutaneously, so patients can easily administer it themselves at home, and they will know within minutes if it's working.
"But we advise them to also immediately go to the hospital, in case there are complications and they need airway protection," he said.
The FAST studies were funded by Jerini AG/Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc.
Lumry disclosed speaking for and advising CSL Behring, Shire HGT, Dyax, and ViroPharma, and has received research grants from CSL Behring and Pharming NV.
One co-investigator has received research support from NovoNordisk, Baxter BioSciences, Pfizer, CLS Behring, and the Canadian Hereditary AngioEdema Network.
A second co-investigator has received fees from Shire HGT and Jerini AG.
- Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner
Primary Source
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and ImmunologySource Reference: Malbrán A, et al "Efficacy of icatibant for cutaneous and abdominal attacks of type I and II hereditary angioedema: a pooled analysis of three phase III trials" AAAAI 2012; Abstract 823.
Secondary Source
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and ImmunologySource Reference: Lumry W, et al "Efficacy of icatibant in laryngeal attacks of type I and II hereditary angioedema (HAE): a pooled analysis of three phase III trials" AAAAI 2012; Abstract 821.


text:
It is a media tradition to hammer at flailing coaches with frowny-face serious questions about how hard everything is on the players and coaches and such because they have to put up with this howling pack of fans. And I try not to get exercised about anything that comes out of that, just like I try to roll my eyes and move on at every article about a triumph in the face of The Critics. Coaches arrive at press conferences at one goal: to get out without saying something notable. When they do say something notable, it is a mistake.
But I'm pissed off anyway. Hoke fielded a question about what is going to be a sea of red in Michigan Stadium:
"You know, people are fickle," Hoke said. "That's just the way it is. That's the world we live in."
This is of course horseshit. It's horseshit on the level of "we need to run a pro-style offense so we can stop Big Ten offense," i.e., the greatest and grandest horseshit in all the world. Hercules is required to shovel this. The big reveal from the last 20 years of media development is that fans are the only people left who aren't fickle. They can't stop watching, and what's more they can't stop watching live with all those lovely commercials interspersed. Fans submit themselves until they have commercials memorized. Until they are legendary.
In all other areas of television consumption I go out of my way to avoid commercials, going so far as to not watch recent seasons of shows I like until they arrive on Netflix. It will be four years before I see the Patton Oswalt filibuster in context. This is why every time a rights deal expires, networks treat the newly single package of games like it's the last cabbage patch doll on Black Friday.
Meanwhile, the people in charge have decided to test the edges of that fandom with an explosion in ticket prices. Paul Campos:
Here's the price of a regular admission (not student) University of Michigan football ticket over time.
(All figures are in 2012 dollars, rounded to the nearest dollar. I couldn't find 1970 and 1980 so I substituted the nearest available year).
1900: $27
1910: $48
1920: $29
1930: $41
1940: $45
1950: $34
1960: $35
1969: $38
1981: $30
1990: $35
2000: $47
This year a seat on the 15 yard line is 129 dollars with the PSL, almost three times as much as it was in 2000 and almost four times as much as it was in 1990, in constant 2012 dollars.
Ryan Field was half Michigan fans, for some reason [Bryan Fuller]
In Michigan's specific case, they have beaten Ohio State once in the last nine years and are two-touchdown home underdogs. They are getting gouged on ticket prices in an unprecedented fashion. The athletic department has made it absolutely clear that it has no loyalty to them with "dynamic pricing" that only goes one way. Up.
There is a breaking point for even the most zealous fan. I'm the guy with the blog that's his career and I'm at mine. The only reason I am going on Saturday is because I would feel shame at not going. Absent the weird moral imperatives of fandom, I would be doing anything else. Like bowling, which I hate.
Everybody in blue in that stadium—and it will still be a majority, probably—is paying for the privilege of having their heart punched. Unlike you, they are not getting three million dollars to watch Michigan shuffle around like a syphilitic pig who thinks everything's a truffle. Collectively they are in fact giving you those three million dollars. Collectively they built the stadium you play in and the opulent locker rooms you dress in.
So take your "fickle" and shove it. Angry, sure. Impatient, sure. Because we are locked into this thing we do every week that we pretty much hate. We do so out of a sense of loyalty that the program goddamn well doesn't reciprocate with its 500 dollar waiting lists and worst access level in the country—the team that is going to stuff you in a locker on Saturday has open practices in front of the entire student section—and scheduling goddamned Appalachian State because the athletic director thinks it's cute. Any reasonable person would look at the recent history of Michigan football and go do anything else. We're here because we're locked in.
You? You've got a buyout.
It is not the fans' fault that this program is awful to be a fan of. It's not Rich Rodriguez's fault. Anyone who sells their ticket for whatever they can get—currently 60 bucks and dropping from 80 yesterday—is only making a logical decision to not get punched in the soul dong on Saturday.
I'll hate them all the same, but half out of envy this time. They are no longer mindless wallets. They don't give a crap if Brady Hoke calls them fickle, and don't write articles on the internet about it. They are logical people.
The reason Michigan Stadium is going to be half-red on Saturday isn't because of "the world we live in" except insofar as it contains a Michigan football team that people at Abu Ghraib wouldn't show prisoners.


text:
WOODSTOCK – Mario Casciaro was found guilty of first-degree murder Tuesday for the presumed death of a Johnsburg teen more than a decade ago, but the case won't be closed until Brian Carrick's body is found, prosecutors said.
"In fact, we're meeting with the FBI in the next two weeks," said Assistant State's Attorney Michael Combs, the Criminal Division chief.
After about seven hours of deliberation, the jurors returned with the guilty verdict even though another man, Shane Lamb, said he delivered what was likely the fatal blow.
Casciaro, 29, used Lamb as the "blunt force instrument" to collect on a drug debt, prosecutors said.
Lamb testified Casciaro told him to "talk" to Carrick, but he lost his temper during a confrontation in the produce cooler of the store where all three worked, then called Val's Foods.
Carrick, 17, hasn't been seen since that day, Dec. 20, 2002.
Lamb was granted immunity for his testimony and given a reduced sentence on an unrelated drug case.
Although there was a different Criminal Division chief at the time, Combs said he pushed for Lamb's deal.
"That was my decision, and I stand by it," he said. "Mario was the ringleader of this, and I think the verdict has proven that Mario is the only logical person who got rid of the body."
By the time Lamb received his deal in early 2010, the investigation had stalled.
"The case wasn't going anywhere," Combs said. "Had we not cut a deal with Shane, no one would have been held responsible."
Combs said that in 2009, he met with Casciaro and his attorney at the time, William Gibbs, and made an offer: Tell them where Carrick's body was, and they wouldn't charge him with murder.
Concealing a homicide still would have been on the table, but not murder, Combs said.
"[Casciaro] could have avoided this," he said.
Common sense indicates Casciaro did not act alone in disposing of the body, Combs said. Some testimony has alleged he called his cousins for help.
"We're still looking for Brian Carrick's body," Combs said. "This will remain an open case until we find it."
Combs believes Lamb was being 100 percent truthful when he said he didn't know what happened to the body. He had previously testified that after he punched Carrick in the face and Carrick "fell down," Casciaro told him to leave, which he did.
"Shane Lamb is a violent guy and, quite frankly, Shane Lamb has been in the Department of Corrections for most of his life, and it's not going to be surprising when he's returned there," Combs said. "It doesn't change the fact that Mario unleashed him on Brian Carrick."
Lamb worked 5 1/2 hours at the store the next day, which Combs said he wouldn't have done if he had been disposing of a body the night before.
Plus, Combs said, Lamb would have gotten a better deal on his drug case had he told where the body was located.
"He would have gotten a lot less than the six years," Combs said. "He had every incentive to tell us."
During the trial, the defense called attention to forensic evidence, namely that the blood of another stockboy, Robert Render, was found at the scene.
Render was charged years ago with concealing a homicide, but prosecutors eventually dropped the case. He has since died from a drug overdose.
There's no way to date Render's blood, meaning he could have bled on the produce cooler door at any time, Combs said. Conversely, none of Casciaro's fingerprints were found, but he admittedly worked there – his father was part owner at the time.
Just as the case isn't closed for prosecutors, it isn't over for the defense.
Casciaro's attorney, Brian Telander, said he plans to file a motion for a new trial. Telander said he does not handle appeals but said one will be filed.
Prosecutors had to prove first-degree murder with intimidation, and Telander said he doesn't believe they met that legal burden.
The believability of a witness – in this case Shane Lamb – is rarely sufficient for a successful appeal; that's up to a jury to decide.
But even if Lamb is to be believed – and the defense argued he shouldn't – his testimony wasn't consistent with the alleged crime, Telander said.
Lamb testified that Casciaro told him to "talk" to Carrick, not hit or otherwise harm him, and Telander said that legally does not support the guilty verdict.
No sentencing date has been set, but Casciaro faces between 20 and 60 years in prison.
Casciaro was devastated by the verdict, Telander said.
"I had talked to him and counseled him that ... we're not done by any means," Telander said.


text:
Virgin America Adds Absinthe to In-Flight Beverage Services
Virgin Takes Flight With the Green Fairy
While other airlines are cutting back on in-flight services, last Friday, Virgin America added a new alcohol to its menu. Absinthe, the once illegal "hallucinogenic" spirit, is now available on all flights. The strong green liquor can be enjoyed on the rocks or mixed into the Mile-High Cocktail, a "tormenting and satisfying blend of Le Tourment Vert Absinthe, sprite, and lemons shaken and served over ice." Porter Gale, the vice president of marketing at Virgin, is very excited about the partnership. He said:
We couldn't be more pleased to partner with Le Tourment Vert to become the first airline to offer guests absinthe in-flight. Virgin America is reinventing the typical flight experience with beautiful design, touch-screen entertainment, and an innovative food and cocktail menu – and the addition of Le Tourment Vert absinthe is sure to be a hit with our discriminating guests.
For those sitting first class or main cabin select, the absinthe cocktails are complimentary; in the main cabin, Le Tourment Vert is available for purchase. Although I'm not boarding Virgin America anytime soon, I normally enjoy a cocktail when traveling. It's nice to know that absinthe is an option. How do you feel about the news?


text:
Students Get Up Close Look at Appeals Courtby Greg Slisz '10 • February 26, 2010 Share:
Court was in session Thursday at Wabash College as the Indiana Court of Appeals held an oral argument in the Goodrich room of the Lilly Library. The hearing was part of Indiana's "Appeals on Wheels" program, which presents live appellate arguments at various locations around the state.
The case, Erwin vs. Roe, concerned negligence of a child who had suffered lead poisoning. Erwin, tenants of a rented home, alleged that the lead poisoning that their child suffered was due to unsafe lead paint present in the house. Roe, the property's landlord, had won the case at a lower level court and was the case's appellee. The case centered on whether or not Roe had prior knowledge of whether or not the property contained lead paint, and if this knowledge was even necessary to be guilty of "negligence per se," which is negligence that violates a safety regulation. In addition to debating the interpretation of the statute, the two parties also debated about the length of time granted for Erwin's discovery of evidence.
While the judges reached no verdict, the case was beneficial to many in the Wabash community for reasons other than the outcome. Rhetoric Professor Todd McDorman, who has helped bring the Appeals on Wheels program to Wabash for the past 10 years, said the hearings allow students the opportunity to see how real trial law looks.
"We have been doing it every year for pretty much the past decade," McDorman said. "We've heard a variety of court cases, some are civil, some are criminal cases, and I think it gives our students a good opportunity to see the law in action. A number of times we've had Wabash graduates come back and argue the case, which I think the students always appreciate, because it helps them self-actualize where they can be in that position in years to come."
Brady Rife, a 2000 Wabash graduate, litigated for the appellee. Barnes said the volume of work and the critical reading required by his double major in English and Classics were instrumental in his success as a lawyer.
Many in attendance were members of the legal rhetoric class, which has incorporated the hearings into its syllabi for the past several years. Students in the class received the case briefs beforehand and also debated the argument in class.
Senior Anthony Tellez, a class member, said the advocates got into much greater detail and involved more outside sources than just the case briefings.
Tellez also said that it was a change seeing a real court case as opposed to those on television. "Sitting in on a case allowed me to see that it's not like you see on TV," he said. "It's much more orderly, not so dramatic. You actually have to think about the case as you're sitting there; it's not just all emotional drama as you see on television."
Professor McDorman, who, along with Professor Timmerman, has helped organize the event, echoed Tellez's sentiment..
"There's a range of reactions," McDorman said. "Sometimes the students are really impressed by the advocates, and sometimes it sort of shatters the illusion that we have, because they're used to watching, say, Law and Order, or they see a movie that has a flashy trial in it, and they get here and they realize that while these advocates have the experience and the knowledge of the law that perhaps the students lack, they're just regular people, too."
For some students, such as Alex Avtgis '11, the experience strengthened his desire for a career in law. "Initially I didn't know what to expect, but as soon as they started the arguments and I got to see the layout of what they were saying and how into it they were, their clarity of argument, and their ability to convey their ideas. It reaffirmed that this is why I want to go to law school."
In photos: Top right, Rife '00. Lower left, Honorable James Kirsch. Kirsch's son Adam is a 2007 Wabash graduate.


text:
Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Looks like a fun season. Lots of alpha personalities that will stir upTrouble....... But where is the Brother/Sister team?? Or even a parent /sibling team?? And where are the Latino or hispanics on this show?? Anyone else Kinda tired of not seeing a "wide" variety of ethnicities on every season?? No gay people on here either?? Geeez casting department are you listening
Page created in 0.069 seconds with 33 queries.


text:
Today I found these awesome websites that talk about issues that concern Tiny Living. While they are not Tiny House related, there are huge overlaps and great resources.
The first is technomadia.com which is a website of a couple who lives in a camping trailer and travels all around the United States. They work online, get their power from the sun, and live a nomadic lifestyle and many other interesting solutions to issues that we face as Tiny Home dwellers. I have linked (above) to a great article about the common excuses they encounter when people want to adopt a similar lifestyle, its great!
The second is called Location Independent. It's a great website that talks about how where you work should mean where you live. I really like this idea and hope to transition to this workstyle once things calm down with the economy. The great thing about the world we live in is that there are amazing places to see and amazing tools to let us work and play from those places. One example would be Skype or vonage. Both these services allow us talk with people anywhere like we were down the street! I have a friend who have Vonage phone number which is a Charlotte NC phone number (704.xxx.xxxx) when you call him its crystal clear (better than what I get on my cell) but he is in Cape Verde AFRICA! Its amazing world out there, don't let roadblocks stop your from venturing forth!


text:
4611 Travis Street 805B
Dallas, TX 75205
Estimated payment ∕month**
Customize your monthly payment
Sq Ft
Enjoy the sweeping views of downtown Dallas from this high-rise condo in the lively Knox-Henderson District! This two-level spacious unit features a large kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless steel Viking appliances, two large living areas, one up, one down, and two private balconies. The master suite has a generous bath with dual sinks, jetted tub, separate shower, and a huge walk-in closet. This building offers direct private access to the Katy Trail, 24-hour security, on-site maintenance, well-equipped gym, and fabulous pool and cabana.
Jerry Welch
AssociateEbby Halliday, Realtors Rockwall/Heath/Lake Ray Hubbard Office
(972)800-3915Contact Me
Additional Property Details
Homeowners Association (HOA)
Lot & Land
*Note: All room dimensions, including square footage data, are approximate and must be verified by the buyer.
The information contained herein is furnished by the owner to the best of his/her knowledge, but is subject to verification by the purchaser, and agent assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The sale offering is made subject to errors, omissions, change of price, prior sale, or withdrawal without notice. In accordance with the Law, this property is offered without respect to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, familial status or disability. This is not intended to solicit property currently listed.
**Assumes 4.25% APR, 20% down payment, and conventional 30-year fixed rate first mortgage. Rates cited are for instructional purposes only; current rates are subject to change at any time without notice. You should not make any decisions based simply on the information provided. Additional required amounts such as taxes, insurance, home owner association dues, assessments, mortgage insurance premiums, flood insurance or other such required payments should also be considered. Contact your mortgage company for current rates and additional information.Listing Agent:Alison O'halloran
Broker:Ebby Halliday, REALTORS
Safety Rating
Commute to Work
School Districts
Results received from this calculator are designed for comparative purposes only, and accuracy is not guaranteed.
(972) firstname.lastname@example.com Visit Our Website
When you decide to buy a home or refinance your mortgage, your search should start and end here. Home Team Mortgage has been the Ebby Family Companies preferred lender for more than 20 years! We have every Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and Jumbo loan product you could ever want, but we also offer a unique set of specialty programs exclusively for our preferred partners. We are a locally owned and operated company with over 30 offices in the DFW area to conveniently serve you. Choose a lender you can trust to find the mortgage loan that best suits your needs.
2 Beds 2 Baths 1,685 Sq FtNew!
2 Beds 2.1 Baths 1,552 Sq Ft
1 Bed 1.1 Bath 1,386 Sq Ft
Victoria Barr: (214)213-2593
4 Beds 3.1 Baths 4,152 Sq FtNew!
4 Beds 3.1 Baths 3,214 Sq Ft
7 Beds 9.5 Baths 18,100 Sq Ft


text:
Prepping propane equipment after a long winter will be crucial this spring before planting begins. More than 856,000 farms in the U.S. are using propane for running engines, heating buildings, running pumps and to dry and process crops. The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) has compiled a list of tips that will help you prep that propane equipment.
Pickup trucks
- Check all air filter and fluid levels, including oil, antifreeze, and washer fluid. Make certain the air conditioner and both windshield wipers are in good condition.
- Examine tires for tread wear and proper inflation. Remove snow tires and install all-season radials or summer tires.
- Leverage better pricing from your local propane dealer.
- Perform regular maintenance, such as oil changes, on both standby and portable generators to ensure long-term reliability.
- Follow the specific instructions outlined in your owner's manual for maintenance specific to your generator.
- For new generator installations, choose a qualified, experienced propane installer in your area.
Irrigation equipment
- Disconnect the engine battery and check battery voltage.
- Clear away any dirt and debris that have collected on and around the engine. Pay special attention to clutch bellhousings, radiator shrouds, and wire harnesses.
- Inspect wire harnesses for cracked or exposed wires and make repairs if necessary.
- Check front drive belts for proper tension and wear.
- Perform a lube and filter service at least every 1,000 hours or every four months, whichever comes first. Always follow specific service intervals as recommended by your equipment manufacturer.
- Inspect the fuel system on a regular basis for wear or damage and replace components as needed.
- Do not modify or repair valves, regulators, or other cylinder or appliance parts. Call your propane retailer or a qualified technician for repair assistance.
Read the full release from PERC (PDF).
Like what you're reading? Subscribe to Farm Industry News Now e-newsletter to get the latest news and more straight to your inbox twice weekly.


text:
Cheap Shot: Enviro-Bear 2010
Enviro-Bear 2010 is a game made by crazy people, and they want you to be crazy, too. Part of it is that wonderful, weird type of insanity seen in games like Katamari Damacy, but it's also got an unhealthy dose of that pull-your-hair-out, what-the-hell-were-they-thinking sadistic school of game design.
In Enviro-Bear, you play as a bear driving a car. Not the most coordinated of beasts, this bear can only perform one action at a time, which you mimic by touching the screen to hold down his paw on the steering wheel, gear shift, or gas and brake pedals. You can also interact with items that fall into your car, like fish and berries, rocks and pinecones, or the occasional rabid badger.
That bear shouldn't drive when he's so stressed.
With a perspective set inside the car, Enviro-Bear looks like MS Paint exploded inside your iPhone. This jarring, ghastly color scheme truly makes you feel you are seeing the world through the eyes of a lunatic. Enviro-bear is also so nearly impossible to play that it just might be a joke you can play on your friends: "Hey, check this out! Give it a try'¦ it's fun."
But the game is not fun. The idea of it is fun, and we enjoyed a few subtle touches, like the way the gas gauge shows your hunger level, not the car's fuel level. Using items from the environment to hold down the gas will help your bear drive a little bit, but it's still practically impossible to get to wherever you want to go. Unless you like practical jokes, don't bother buying this game, because if you do, the joke will be on you.
Editor's Note: Cheap Shot is a new review feature where we pick a game that costs $.99 or $1.99 and give it the quick review treatment. While you won't find a 1-4 score or our usual pros and cons, you will get a direct assessment of the game based on a one-hour playthrough. You'll still find our full-length, regular reviews for other games.


text:
VAN NUYS>> In their initial public campaign debate, the candidates to become Los Angeles County's first new sheriff in 16 years came out firing Wednesday, trading barbs over who was responsible for mismanaging the department and who was best equipped to fix the scandal-plagued agency.
Six of the seven candidates participated in the debate moderated by the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council.
Each tried to present himself as the tough reformer needed to restore the shine to the sheriff's badge tarnished during the tenure of Sheriff Lee Baca, who stepped down after his administration faced accusations of allowing violence by deputies in the jails, mishandling funds and other problems.
During the debate, they occasionally attacked Baca, and each other.
The candidates were Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell, Gardena Mayor and retired Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, Assistant Sheriff Jim Hellmold, retired sheriff's Cmdr. Robert Olmsted, Los Angeles Police Department Detective Lou Vince and retired sheriff's Lt. Patrick Gomez. Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers did not attend, having already committed to participate in a live radio broadcast.
McDonnell blamed Baca for failure of leadership, repeating some of the former sheriff's answers when asked why abuses took place at the jails.
"We heard over and over again, 'I didn't recall,' 'I didn't know,' 'Nobody told me' — well, you're responsible as the sheriff of the organization to know what's going on," McDonnell said.
"We have 20 deputies who have been indicted," he said. "That didn't need to happen, if they had been held to a higher standard. That's a failure of leadership."
Gomez, meanwhile, attacked Tanaka, who had been Baca's second in command. Baca had credited him with helping manage the department's budget, but the county's blue ribbon Commission on Jail Violence blamed him for some of the abuses and recommended stripping him of all responsibility at the jails.
"I'm going to request that the FBI request a forensic audit," Gomez said. "Tanaka talked about being a CPA, yet the auditor released a report in January that said $138 million were mishandled from special accounts within this department. Who was responsible for that?
"These people talk about there's been a lack of leadership — (but) these are the leadership people — they're the assistant sheriff and the undersheriff, current and past. We've got to hold them accountable when we vote on June 3rd."
Tanaka, despite his previous high-profile role helping manage the department, blamed Baca.
"Nobody likes to have even one deputy cross the line," Tanaka said. "The fact of the matter is there is a failure of leadership. We need a structure in place that provides direction."
Olmsted said he would fire the existing command staff.
"We've read in the paper about the poor hiring standards, obstruction of justice, jail beatings, all of that, and none of it occurred in a vacuum — it occurred with the knowledge and acceptance of people in the department and I need to hold them responsible. That means if I need to fire them, I'll do it," he said. "If I need to demote them, I'll do that as well."
Hellmold noted Olmsted was the commander of Men's Central Jail when the alleged abuses occurred.
"It is a true statement that he was an ineffective leader in the sense that he was unable to address any of these issues that occurred," Hellmold said. "(Olmsted) made reference to some of our hardworking deputies as gang members — if I saw a gang member committing a crime on the street, I would act immediately. Did you (Olmsted) not act immediately towards these 'gang members'? I have some serious questions and concerns about that. So you either ignored gang activity on the Sheriff's Department or you were totally ineffective, and it's one of the two."
For most members of the audience, it was their first opportunity to see the candidates side-by-side and start formulating their opinions about the race.
Jerry Martin, a member of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council, said he didn't always see a lot of differences in the contenders.
"Each candidate had their own talking points but a lot of them were almost the same, to some degree," Martin said. "They also gave answers that weren't related to the questions."
Josef Lazarovitz, a member of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council, said he's more likely to choose an outside candidate and is leaning toward McDonnell.
"Some of (the other candidates) have already been there, and were part of the problem," he said.
Whoever is elected would operate the nation's largest sheriff's department, with 17,000 employees. The department has contracts with almost half of the county's 88 cities to provide law enforcement services, and it runs the nation's largest jail system. LASD also serves 1 million residents in unincorporated areas of the county and has a $2.8 billion budget.
If none of the candidates receives a vote of 50 percent-plus-one, a runoff between the top two would be held Nov. 4 and the winner would be sworn in Dec. 1.
In the meantime, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors appointed Orange County's second in command, John Scott, to serve as interim sheriff. He will return to the Orange County Sheriff's Department once the new sheriff is elected.


text:
Without first-hand experience from behind the wheel it is hard for someone to really understand the subjective differences between the latest GT3 3.8 and its RS counterpart. Apart from its on-paper superiority and quantifiably superior lap times, the RS really is a significantly more rewarding car to drive on both road and track.
However, we are all different and there are track-day junkies and racers for whom even the RS is not quite enough. This is where 9ff's G-Track concept comes in.
As 9ff boss Jan Fatthauer explained, Our objective was to take a new or existing GT3 and turn it into a GT3 RS beater without exceeding the RS price tag. The idea is to prepare street legal GT series Porsches to deliver optimum performance on the racetrack, while still retaining enough comfort to drive to and from the circuit.
This yellow car, based on a '10 GT3, is the first of the not-too-extreme and not-too-expensive G-Track 480 models that turns the 997 GT3 into an RS beater for less than the difference in price between these two factory models. As you can guess from its name, it has 480 hp, a good 45-hp increase over stock, and 30 hp more than the mighty RS.
There are no internal engine modifications, so everything done here is reversible. Starting with the intake system, the airbox receives a BMC free-flow air filter; while at the other end of the motor 9ff uses its own bespoke exhaust system in conjunction with the factory catalytic converters.
Dispensing with the two smaller side boxes, this highly efficient 57-pound stainless steel exhaust uses just a large rear silencer box.
The heavy, dual-mass flywheel is ditched in favor of a single-mass unit, and after the ECU remap, the engine dyno numbers showed 480 hp at 7800 rpm with 345 lb-ft of torque at 6180 rpm. This compares favorably with the 450 hp at 7600 rpm and 317 lb-ft at 6750 rpm of the RS.
A feature adopted from the current factory RSR racers is the rear bumper vents that help to draw heat from the engine bay and reduce the air pressure buildup inside the rear wings.
The dynamic engine mounts that are optional on the GT3 are a great idea, but they are heavy, 9ff boss Jan Fatthauer explained. This car had those mounts, and we replaced them with solid mounts for both the engine and gearbox, saving 6 kilograms in the process. These are our own mounts. We can't use the Carrera Cup ones because the engine brackets are different.
Another one of our customers races in the VLN long-distance events, and uses a GT3 RS as his road car, Jan continued. He tested this car on track and says it is even faster than his GT3 RS, so we are very pleased that we have achieved what we set out to do.
The chassis of the RS benefits tremendously from the wider front track, so we increase the front track by an inch on either side and cover the wider wheels and tires with new, wider arches, said Jan. The wider front wheel arch flares are integrated with the front wings and have a different look from the RS's add-on flares. Our customers certainly like the beefier look.
Downforce over the front axle is increased with a Carrera Cup front spoiler lip, while at the rear, the reproduction '11 Cup car engine lid has an RSR-style wing on alloy struts. The wing's side plates are our own design and sit further back than the RS ones to reduce air spillage, Jan explained.
As low weight is one of the linchpins of any high-performance car, and especially a track-day car, Jan was very keen to show me that a substantial amount of weight had been taken out of the GT3.
After he had shown me the suspension modifications and exhaust system with the car on a four-post lift, Jan wheeled out his corner weight system and lowered the car onto the scales.
I saw a figure of 2910 pounds with my own eyes, confirming that the G-Track 480 is indeed nearly 200 pounds lighter than the factory GT3 with a three-quarter tank of fuel. In dry weight terms, the car tips the scales at 2854 pounds. With air-conditioning and radio, many GT3s leave the showroom at 3152 pounds, said Jan.
The standard GT3 suspension is too soft for hard-core track junkies, Jan explained. Our coilover suspension is a combination of the factory PASM dampers with 9ff/H&R, RSR and some Carrera Cup parts. The uprated springs are made for us by H&R, and are rated 60 kg in front and 120 kg at the rear, compared to 40 kg and 100 kg for a stock GT3. The helper springs are low-rated to ensure a comfortable secondary ride on the road.
Continuing the shopping list of upgrades, the lower front suspension arms are RSR components, and support Carrera Cup brake cooling ducts. The rear suspension arms are also from the RSR, as are the tie rods and brake cooling ducts. The rear alloy underbody suspension crossbrace is a Carrera Cup part, and saves a further 5.5 pounds.
The ultra-light, forged OZ Racing alloys are sized 9.5 and 12.5x19 front and rear, with 265/30ZR19 and 325/30ZR19 Michelin Cup tires. Behind these wide wheels, the factory PCCB brakes are uprated with Porsche Supercup Pagid Green brake pads. Braided hoses replace the stock rubber brake lines and DOT 5 fluid is used to withstand the heat of heavy track use.
Open the driver's door and the Cobra race seat with its deep head protection wings dominates your first impression of the G-Track 480's cabin. Next to this is a more normal looking Cobra sports seat. Other than that, the only change is a 50-mm taller gear lever, which brings shift operation closer to the steering wheel, and improves leverage.
The first time I blipped the throttle, I just knew that this was going to be fun. The revs rise and fall instantly, just like in a Cup car, and the motor revs like a dynamo from idle to cut-out through the gears.
If the throttle response is keen, so is the steering. In fact, thanks to the geometry settings 9ff has dialed in, turn-in feels even quicker than the RS, and initially takes getting used to. Once you learn to palm the steering rather than grab it, it is not a problem. This is a car for calm hands.
In fast bends, the chassis and aero mods make this a real track-day weapon. The mechanical grip of the big Michelin Cup tires is enhanced to the point where grip seems endless, and when it does run out, the handling stays consistent and manageable. On the airfield runway I used for my limit handling tests, the car impressed with its superb balance and sheer speed.
The 9ff G-Track 480 package costs around $50,500 (35,000 euros) and is a remarkably different character from the base GT3. Just as Jan Fatthauer promised, it is even more focused than the RS, but still comfortable enough to be driven to and from the track.
If you are a track-day junkie and feel your GT3 is not the sharpest tool in the box, the 9ff G-Track 480 is the full fat, adrenalin-loaded answer to your prayers.
9ff G-Track 480 997
3.8-liter flat six, dohc, 24-valve, 9ff ECU software re-map, 9ff stainless steel exhaust, solid engine mounts
Six-speed manual, single-mass flywheel
Wheels and Tires
OZ Racing alloys, 9.5x19 (f), 12.5x19 (r) Michelin Cup, 265/30 (f), 325/30 (r)
Carrera Cup front spoiler lip, front/rear 9ff fenders, 9ff RSR-style rear wing
Cobra race seats, 9ff shifter
Peak Power: 480 hp @ 7800 rpm
Peak Torque: 345 lb-ft @ 6180 rpm


text:
2008 Year-end Wrap-up
As Day 366 of the year ticks down (what? you forgot it was Leap Year?), there's just time for our annual announcement of The Black Rod's Newsmaker of the Year.
The title for 2008 goes to----- Derek Harvey-Zenk.
Or Morden-Zenk. Or Harvey-Morden-Zenk. Or whatever the hell his actual name is.
It hardly mattered. He was better known as Public Enemy No. 1 for much of the year.
No man has been so demonized in as long as we can remember.
Jon Waluk, a Hells Angels-connected drug addict who was convicted of killing a young mother and her two little children--her daughter, 5, and her 19-month-old son--- ON CHRISTMAS EVE in 1987, is walking the streets of Winnipeg on parole with less negative attention from the press.
What did Zenk do to enrage so many people?
He was a police officer.
A police officer who made a deadly mistake.
In 2005 he went to a bar with fellow police to unwind after their shifts. When the bar closed he went to a house party at one of the officer's homes. Then, instead of accepting an offer to crash on the couch, he decided to drive to his own home. On the way he rear-ended a car, killing the driver who was on her way to work in the morning.
Zenk pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death. He was sentenced to house arrest for two years less a day.
But that's just the backstory. It isn't what Derek Zenk did that made him the newsmaker of the year; it was the impact he had on the press, the police and the courts of the province.
In 2008 the province convened a public inquiry into why Zenk wasn't charged with drunk driving and why he wasn't given a jail sentence.
Derek Zenk turned the news media into a slavering lynch mob.
All semblance of fairness, of impartial reporting, of telling a story honestly was cast aside. Radio, television, and newspapers universally reported the Inquiry from the unchallenged premise that Zenk was drunk when he ran into the other car, his police pals fixed it so he wouldn't be charged, and the independent prosecutor arranged a plea bargain to ensure Zenk wouldn't go to jail.
The much-vaunted separation of roles evaporated in an instant; reporters became editorialists, headline writers became propagandists. Columnists and radio hosts competed to outdo one another in spitting vitriol at the police. Rationality was replaced with passionate hatred directed at Zenk and any individual who even remotely crossed his path and didn't subscribe to the theory of a conspiracy to protect him from the law.
The spectacle of a media mob was both astonishing and frightening. It should be studied in journalism classes for decades. The participants will, in time, look back in shame on their compliance with the ravening horde. Journalism students could only watch the so-called professionals engage in the worst mean-spirited pack journalism imaginable.
The Inquiry itself was equally reprehensible.
It was the third show trial held in Manitoba by the NDP (following the Sophonow Inquiry and the Driskell Inquiry). They all run the same pattern. They start with a predetermined conclusion - in this case it was that police deliberately botched a drunk driving investigation against Zenk and, if they hadn't, he would have been sent to jail. Then they trot out witnesses to "prove" their conclusion. Then they pretend that the "evidence" led them to the conclusion. It's carefully choreographed and the mainstream press goes along with the illusion.
In the Zenk case, the Commissioner Roger Salhany ran into a problem. Their expert in special prosecutions refused to play ball. He said the sentence given Derek Zenk was proper according to the law and precedents in Manitoba. Salhany simply found another witness to contradict the first one and give the "evidence" the Inquiry needed to reach the predetermined conclusion. That's called Manitoba Justice. If you don't like the truth, change it.
Never reported before is how much of an ego trip the Inquiry was for Roger Salhany. His report concluded that Zenk should have been prosecuted for impaired driving on the grounds that Zenk had been drinking at some time before he started driving home.
Salhany reasons that the law on impaired driving doesn't insist a driver has to be drunk before he can be convicted. The slightest evidence of impairment, say bloodshot eyes, should be enough for a conviction, he said.
And where did he get this wisdom? Why, from none other than---himself.
Exactly twenty years ago, December, 1988, the Ontario District Court rendered a decision in the case of R. v. Winlaw which has been described like this:
"There, the learned judge went through the law, as was presented to him, with respect to the law of impaired driving… namely, s. 253(a), creates an offence of being impaired, not markedly impaired, but simply impaired, and it does not require evidence of a marked departure from a norm or standard of sobriety; any kind of impairment, even slight, was sufficient to constitute the offence."
The judge in that case? Why, His Honour Judge Salhany.
It took 20 years, but Salhany finally got to validate his own high opinion of himself by using his own ruling as the basis of a highly publicized public inquiry.
Justice Minister Dave "Six Months" Chomiak reacted to the Inquiry by disbanding the East St. Paul police department and ordering the over-stretched RCMP to take over. He said he would continue persecuting police by launching still another "investigation" into officers of the East St. Paul police force (who have already been cleared by the RCMP once) for alleged obstruction of justice in letting Zenk off the hook. And he announced a new agency would be created to investigate police, to treat them like the criminals they are--- in his eyes.
All this from the minister who has watched criminal gangs overrun the province and car theft turn into an epidemic because of his refusal to treat criminals like criminals.
The Inquiry into the actions of Derek Zenk serves as a terrible example of untrampled power of the courts and this government. There is another public inquiry in the pipeline, this into the 1986 murder conviction of cocaine kingpin Frank Ostrowski. He claims he's innocent and he got railroaded. Poor boy. And the Commissioner who will be in charge---why, none other than Roger Salhany.
That should be be fair warning to former Crown attorney George Dangerfield who is going to be Salhany's target in the Ostrowski Inquiry. If he hopes to avoid becoming the next sacrifice to Salhany's ego, he had better use the persecution of Derek Zenk to his advantage. Hire a pitbull lawyer, attack your detractors without hesitation, playing nicey nice is a guarantee to having the NDP destroy your reputation and your name for their own purposes. Remember, the conclusion is already written.
Manitoba Judge Ray Wyant sentenced Derek Zenk. At the time he made a prescient observation about justice and the law. His words were ignored by the press, the government and Roger Salhany. And we'll all pay the price. Judge Wyant's words sum why Derek Zenk became the newsmaker of the year:
"They want their pound of flesh. They want to hear the clanking of the cell door.
But let me make it absolutely clear, Mr. Zenk, those factors are not something this court or any court can entertain in deciding a fit and appropriate sentence. To do so would corrupt the very foundations of our justice system and plunge our system into chaos. So it does not matter what we think happened, what we must do is only sentence or decide cases on the evidence before us.
If we were to substitute our opinions or the opinions of others for proof and evidence, we would surely undermine fundamentally our system of justice. For to replace our feelings or opinions for facts would mean that any citizen could be the subject of arbitrary justice, of decisions based, not on evidence and proof, but on innuendo and personal biases.
Sentence delivered
October 29, 2007
Looking back, we can't believe how busy a year it was for The Black Rod.
Something had to give, and we regret that it was our weekly coverage of the war in Afghanistan. We started it because there was a vacuum. We couldn't believe how the newspapers were ignoring a conflict where Canadian soldiers were fighting and dying, and making a difference, and demonstrating unmatched bravery day after day without any recognition.
In 2008 we dropped the ball. We promise to rectify that mistake and to redouble our efforts to cover the conflict properly, even if only through a weekly recap of events and analysis.
But we never expected to find ourselves staring down a lynch mob or breaking the biggest Manitoba story of the federal election or going behind the headlines and tripping over the secret plans of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. It's been quite a year.
* Covering the Taman Inquiry required reading hundreds of pages of transcript every night. But it was worth it. We were able to report how the Inquiry was inventing evidence, coaching witnesses, and twisting facts beyond recognition. And how the news media was letting them get away with it, including not reporting when Commissioner Salhany joked about the death of Crystal Taman.
The year ends with Chelsea O'Halloran, Salhany's star witness, charged with drunk driving. She had been a heroine at the Inquiry for confessing she lied to police investigators to cover up how, in her expert opinion, drunk the whole group of police were the night before Zenk drove into Crystal Taman's car. (It is also noteworthy that FP Legislature reporter Bruce Owen now concludes in his summaries of the Taman Inquiry, that Zenk "apparently fell asleep behind the wheel of his pick-up truck.")
* And the employees of the Winnipeg Free Press, who revelled at accusing the Winnipeg Police of a massive cover-up to protect Derek Zenk, ended the year engaged in a massive cover-up of their own to hide the truth of how they wound up with 1500 pounds of government subsidized pork in their freezers when it was intended for the poor and hungry clients of food banks.
* The Black Rod was nominated MVP Blog of the Election after we exposed former CBC radio host Lesley Hughes as a 911 Truther running for the Liberal Party in Winnipeg.
* Our three-part Hydro series examined in close detail the flood of red flags raised by the Public Utilities Board about Manitoba Hydro's multi-billion dollar plans for future power projects. The bottom line was that the plans were based on ideological wishes and were likely to result in Manitobans paying grossly higher rates to subsidize power exports to the U.S. that we're bound by contracts to provide. Hydro has to submit detailed reports to the PUB in January of how they reached their economic forecasts. Expect the mainstream media to be chasing our Hydro series after those reports are delivered, or excuses made why they can't be.
* The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was a regular topic for The Black Rod in 2008. We finally shamed the Winnipeg Free Press into discussing the true cost of constructing Gail Asper's white elephant project. For the first time ever, the FP published a figure-about $130 million. Then their editorialists conceded the cost was likely to balloon once the project moved from pretty pictures on paper to actual construction. Nobody now believes that the CMHR can avoid the 18 percent per year construction inflation that every other government project is facing.
* We also revealed how the CMHR had turned into the Incredible Shrinking Rights Museum. In January, 2006, proponents said it would bring 400,000 visitors to Winnipeg each year. By 2008, that figure had been cut in half and they conceded they were counting cybervisitors who would click on the museum's website.
* We looked at the museum's board of directors and found Grand Chief Phil Fontaine, who was on the record as opposing the extension of human rights laws to Indian reserves. And we looked at the museum's advisory committee and found Anthony Hall, one of Canada's most prominent 911 Truthers, an anti-Zionist, and a critic who called the Asper family's Canwest Global media empire almost "treasonous".
* Finally, after years of delay, there was an inquest into the police shooting death of Matthew Dumas. The mainstream media found themselves reporting what we revealed in The Black Rod THREE YEARS AGO. Way to go there guys.
* The anti-police lobby found new poster boys to replace Matthew Dumas in 2008. They fit the profile: aboriginal, criminal, stupid,and dead.
The Black Rod revealed that one of the main critics of police-public relations, University professor Elizabeth Comack, was a flaming Marxist who brings her class warfare opinions to her "research." We'll be watching to see if the news media mentions that at her next blame-the-police news conference.
* When Dr. Larry Reynolds was fired as head of Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba, we turned up the real reason, and it wasn't what the University and the Winnipeg health authority said it was. But we didn't know at the time that we had actually uncovered the tip of the WRHA's secret plans to take control of the University's medical school. We'll be keeping a very close eye on this power grab.
* The year saw a few old stories wrap up. The last whisper of the Driskell show trial was heard in 2008. Remember that the entire Driskell Inquiry was premised on the, ahem, fact that Ray Zanidean, the key witness, perjured himself when giving the evidence that convicted James Driskell of the murder of Perry Dean Harder. The government, in a fit of high dudgeon, announced they were launching a perjury investigation against Zanidean. But, when the Inquiry opened, the government revealed that, ahem, they had misplaced the plans for an investigation, but it would be launched as soon as the Inquiry was over. And it was. And in February, the results of that investigation were announced---there wasn't any evidence of perjury that would stand up in a legitimate court of law.
Since then, the Winnipeg Free Press, has been exceptionally careful to avoid using the word perjury in any of their subsequent stories about the Driskell case. Compare their stories before and after to see the stark differences in how they explain the case.
* And, of course, what would a year be without Krista Erickson, former CBC Winnipeg host and now reinstated CBC Ottawa reporter. Krista got in a pickle in '07 when it was revealed she had provided the Liberal Party with questions to ask former PM Brian Mulroney at a public committee hearing. Everyone, except Liberals, saw this as crossing the line between legitimate reporting and collaborating with a political party.
This year the CBC Ombudsman delivered his report on the incident. He said Krista's critics were the ones to blame---for daring to suggest there was some political favoritism involved in her actions.
She was a babe in the woods, an innocent nymph (in the classical meaning of the word) who just tried too hard to do her job. Sure, she went too far and overstepped CBC's own policy on getting cozy with politicians. But those are unwritten rules and Krista is blameless. Ombudsman Vince Carlin even blamed himself for Krista's predicament, because he should have been more vigilant in assuring young nubile employees like her know the rules.
In other, less star-struck words, the critics were right to challenge the CBC for collaborating with the Liberals. She did. She got caught. And after she got caught she confessed and threw herself on the mercy of the CBC court.
Carlin says there was political bias behind her cozy arrangement with the Liberals because there was no evidence of political bias. But, as he should know too well, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The evidence is that the CBC covered up then, and continues to cover up, the name or names of the Liberals that Krista was working with. And the CBC even allowed the Liberals to lie to the public without contradiction when the Liberals denied receiving questions from Krista Erickson at the Mulroney hearing.
Nice try, Vince. It didn't work.
2008 was a watershed year. We welcome the new contingent of local bloggers that's popped up throughout the year. Aggressive, opinionated, and capable of breaking news stories of their own, they're rewriting the rules and history of journalism. The day of the gatekeepers is passing, and they hate it.
We wish a Happy New Year to all you bloggers out there.
And to all our visitors, especially the many thousands of new readers who discovered The Black Rod this year.
And to the many who people sent us notes of appreciation and encouragement.
And even to those whose regular jibes we accept with good spirit.
And to those who have offered help and support, don't think we've forgotten you. If we've failed to get back to you promptly, its because there are more things in the works than we can say right now.
Happy New Year everyone.
Now bring on '09. We're ready.


text:
Natural-gas fueling station in works
IGS CNG Services broke ground Wednesday on the first compressed natural- gas fueling station to come to the Mahoning Valley.
The station, at the Mr. Fuel station in Trumbull County, is IGS's second in Ohio. It will join the company's network of stations that includes locations in Dublin and three stations in West Virginia.
State lawmakers have introduced bills to provide tax incentives to help public and private fleets convert to the more-affordable gas alternative.
Hummel Gift Shop to close Saturday
The figurine and collectibles store Hummel Gift Shop will close Saturday after four decades.
Owners David and Fran May would like to invite customers to stop into the store, at 1656 E. Garfield Road, this week to thank them for the years of support.
Hummel Gift Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Friday and from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, its final day in business.
Staff reports
Sign up for our newsletter to receive daily news directly in your inbox.


text:
Downtown LA en Serio: THREE
If you love an image (whether it's yours or someone else's) and want to make sure others get a chance to see it, you can "feature" it by choosing the "Spotlight" button.
When an image is Spotlighted, it receives enhanced visibility in premium spots throughout the site. Spotlighted images are rotated through these higher-visibility positions to ensure the best opportunity for the images to be seen by JPG users.
If you see a great photo that would make a perfect entry for one of our Shoot Out photo contests but it was uploaded by another user, now you can enter that photo in the contest and, if it wins, you get to share in the contest winnings.
Like a photo editor, if you've got an eye for great work, find it and submit it to a contest. If it wins, since you staked the entry fee, you'll take home part of the prize (the rest, of course, goes to the member who shot the image).
Collections are a JPG+ feature. You must be a JPG+ member to create new collections and to add photos to collections.
Sign up for JPG+ to start using collections now!
Photo license: © All rights reserved
LOCATION: Downtown Los Angeles, CA USA
In the Downtown LA en Serio: One to Ten photo essay.
7 responses
mike pritchard gave props (25 Sep 2013):
Nice shot
James Wiley gave props (25 Sep 2013):
One of the best reflection shots I've seen!
Jenna Kim said (25 Sep 2013):
@mike: Thanks! and welcome to jpgmag! :D
@James: Thank you, it caught my eye instantaneously!
Kath Moxon gave props (15 Oct 2013):
Like the angle.
Jenna Kim said (16 Oct 2013):
@Kath: Thank you!
Talia Krasicka gave props (20 May 2014):
Jenna Kim said (21 May 2014):
@Talia: Thanks!
Please Login or Sign Up
Login or Sign Up
Need contest credits? Get 'em here!
Payments are processed by PayPal and you will be automatically forwarded to PayPal to complete your transaction. It may take a few minutes after you complete your transaction for you contest credits to update. We will send an email to your registered email address once we have received a successful transaction from PayPal and updated you credits.
Select a Shoot Out contest credit package below.


text:
So, apparently the Washington Capitals are a pretty popular team. They bring quite the entourage with them, and I guess for good reason, but the President's Trophy winning team from a year ago is not happy with the start they've got off to. At 6-4, the Caps seem frustrated and ornery…as do their opponent tonight, the 6-4 Calgary Flames (8 pm, CBC and The FAN 960).
It really is F'in Game Day at the Scotiabank Saddledome, and I'm looking forward to this one. The Flames are coming off a rough loss on Thursday night at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, while the Caps are coming off a Thursday loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild.
The Lineup
It was an optional skate for the Flames this morning, but most of the guys were out there, with only a few players opting not to take the skate. Was interesting to see Head Coach Brent Sutter not on the ice, instead taking the practice in from a suite with Jay Feaster.
After hearing from the Head Coach, it doesn't sound like we'll see any lineup changes this evening, so we should see the same look we got against the Avalanche Thursday night. The only thing that may change would be pairings, which we'll update in the pregame skate. From Thursday though, here were lines and pairings:
Alex Tanguay-Matt Stajan-Jarome Iginla
Niklas Hagman-Olli Jokinen-Rene Bourque
Curtis Glencross-Mikael Backlund-Brendan Morrison
Craig Conroy-Stefan Meyer-Tim Jackman
Jay Bouwmeester-Robyn Regehr
Ian White-Mark Giordano
Cory Sarich-Brendan Mikkelson
Miikka Kiprusoff gets the start in net after Henrik Karlsson suffered his first NHL loss on Thursday night. I'd anticipate seeing Kiprusoff get the call for the next four games and then take a rest on either the 12th or 13th of November when the Flames visit Phoenix and San Jose.
The Opponent
As Brent Sutter opted not to take skate with his troops, Caps Head Coach Bruce Boudreau did the same with his guys…Boudreau opted to let his assistants run practice this morning. Robert has his gameday preview up on the Caps, which is a good read to get you set for gametime.
It looks like Michael Neuvirth gets the start in net, sporting fairly good numbers. He sits 6-3-0 with a 2.17 goals against and a .926 save percentage. The Caps are lead by #8, as Alexander Ovechkin enters with ten points in as many games, while Alex Semin follows with eight points.
Tom Poti and Marcus Johansson will both miss the game with injuries, and are still listed day-to-day on the injury report. Defenceman Tyler Sloan is a gametime decision, as he's also listed day-to-day heading in. Here are projected lines and pairings for the Caps:
Alexander Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Mike Knuble
Brooks Laich-Tomas Fleischmann-Alexander Semin
Jason Chimera-Mathieu Perreault-Eric Fehr
Matt Henrdicks-David Steckel-Matt Bradley
Mike Green-Jeff Schultz
Karl Alzner-John Carlson
John Erskine-Tyler Sloan
The Story
Both teams are actually in similar spots. The Flames enter this game coming off a disappointing loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night, a game where they lead three seperate times before eventually falling 6-5. The Caps, who were offensive dynamos last season, are having trouble finding the net. That was on display Thursday in a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Wild.
On the Calgary side, much has been made about a potential feud between Coach Sutter and Jarome Iginla. And while both sides have doused water on the story, it doesn't mean people are going to stop talking about it. Combine TSN running a story last night with George Johnson's very well written piece on the subject, and you've got something people will be talking about.
Numbers wise, special teams look to be very interesting tonight. Calgary's penalty kill continues to buzz, clicking at 87.8% which is good for seventh overall. Lately, it's been pretty good too, allowing just two goals over four games. Washington's powerplay? Not so good. They've scored just four goals on the man advantage this season and sit 25th in the NHL at 10.5%.
The other side of that battle is intriguing as well. The Caps sport a top five PK, clicking at 88.9% overall. As for Calgary, their powerplay numbers continue to improve, now sitting 21st in the NHL at 13.3%. However, it's lately where things get a little more impressive…they've scored four powerplay goals over their last three games, clicking at 28.6%.
Of Note
Washington hasn't won in Calgary in exactly four years, dating back to October 30th of 2006. Over 22 years, the Caps have won just three times at the 'Dome. Last year, the Flames took a 5-3 win at the Verizon Center in DC, after jumping out to a shocking 4-0 first period lead. The Caps certainly pushed that afternoon, outshooting the Flames 20-2 in the final frame.
Brendan Morrison is the only former Capital on the Flames roster, spending last season there putting up 42 points in 74 games. On the other side, both Jeff Schultz and Karl Alzner have Calgary connections, being former members of the WHL's Hitmen.


text:
Jessica Simpson Basks In Beso
Jessica Simpson and boyfriend Tony Romo, go out to dinner with sister Ashlee and dad Joe at Beso on Saturday (April 11) in West Hollywood, CA.
The 28-year-old singer recently parted ways with the label Sony Nashville. "Jessica is and has always been an Epic artist. She was on loan to Sony Nashville for her country album. She continues to be on Epic's label," her rep told Us Weekly.
While her country debut Do You Know opened at Number One, it sold less than 200,000 copies. Jessica's bio and information are no longer available on Columbia Nashville or Sony Nashville's web sites.
30+ pictures inside of Jessica Simpson basking in Beso…


text:
George Clooney & Stacy Keibler - Critics' Choice Awards 2012
George Clooney and his girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, walk the red carpet together at the 2012 Critics' Choice Awards, held at The Hollywood Palladium on Thursday (January 12) in Los Angeles.
The 50-year-old actor has a big night ahead of him – he's nominated for his role in The Descendants, and the film is also up for Best Picture!
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of George Clooney
Earlier in the week, George and Stacy hit the red carpet at the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York City.


text:
Director Of New Moon Says Jailing Of Girl For Snippets Of Video Of His Movie Is 'Terribly Unfair'
from the it-is,-isn't-it? dept
Of course, what should be done is that the law should be changed so we don't have these ridiculous situations at all. And hopefully he would stand behind such a proposal. In the meantime, it's just yet another in a long line of examples of the law creating punishment that is way out of proportion with the "crime" when it comes to copyright and copying of content.


text:
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Max Reber's 19-yard touchdown pass to Vaughn Cross with 2:51 left in regulation lifted Methodist University to a 41-34 football win over visiting Guilford Saturday afternoon.
Reber amassed 422 total offensive yards and accounted for four of the Monarchs' (2-0) touchdowns. He completed 28-of-42 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns. The junior quarterback also ran for a team-best 104 yards and a score on 11 carries. His 74-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter opened a 34-27 Methodist lead just 73 seconds after Guilford's Tyler Hunt evened the score on a 23-yard field goal.
Reber's 22-yard scoring pass to Blake Scott eight seconds before halftime broke a 10-10 tie and sent Methodist into the locker room with a 17-10 lead. B.J. Minter's blocked field-goal attempt and Tyler Mitchell's 41-yard return of the block set up the score. Cody Ausheman kicked a 33-yard field goal on the third quarter's first possession, which opened a 20-10 Methodist edge.
Two Methodist turnovers helped Guilford tie the game in the fourth quarter. Satiir Stevenson recovered a third-quarter fumble on the Quakers' 18-yard line, which led to a 23-yard scoring pass from Matt Pawlowski to Adam Smith. Hunter English's interception of a Reber pass early in the fourth set up Hunt's second field goal of the game, which tied the score at 27-27 with 11:44 to play.
After Reber's long scoring jaunt, the Quakers answered with an 11-play, 85-yard scoring drive capped by Josh Schow's second rushing score of the day, a two-yard plunge with 4:45 left in the game. Hunt's point-after tied the game for the fourth and final time at 34.
Guilford drove to Methodist's 32-yard line on its final possession, but turned the ball over on downs after Minter and Mike Jones combined on the Monarchs' fourth sack of the game.
Schow finished with a game- and career-high 170 rushing yards on 26 carries. His 170 rushing yards are the most by a Guilford back since Mike Williams '13 gained 182 yards in 2009. Pawlowski added 72 rushing yards and completed 26-of-50 passes for 270 yards. Smith caught 10 of those passes for 98 yards. Hunt kicked a career-long 43-yard field goal in the first quarter and also booted a school-record 81-yard punt in the second quarter. English finished with a team-high nine tackles.
Methodist's Patrick Jacobs made eight catches for 76 yards and Cross finished with seven grabs for 121 yards. Cross' 45-yard reception in the third quarter set up Darius Page's four-yard scoring run that opened a 27-17 Methodist lead. Cross also returned a pair of kickoffs for 62 yards.
Guilford opens its home schedule Saturday (9/21) versus Averett University at 7:00 p.m.


text:
Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I may be busy Sunday.
but today...is Saturday...
Revised start times for tonight's CBS programs: 60 Minutes (7:12pm ET), Amazing Race (8:12pm ET), Undercover Boss (9:12pm ET) and CSI: Miami (10:12pm ET) due to CBS Sports live coverage of the NFL.
Wow, that's not too bad! Only a 12 minute delay!
Brook & Claire and Carol & Brandy to start a support group...
Page created in 0.075 seconds with 34 queries.


text:
The Handbook of Highway Engineering by T. F. Fwa [Estore33.com]
Our Mission:
We helps to such students who can not buy costly books. we don't want to see students who are not getting job because they haven't books.
estore33.com does not own this book, neither created nor scanned. we just providing the links already available on internet. if any way it violates the law or has any issues then kindly contact us. Thank you.


text:
May 18, 2009
A drunk driving fatality happens approximately every 40 minutes, and the victims are often innocent people. It's been reported that a first time DUI arrestee has driven drunk approximately 87 times before getting caught, and one third of DUI arrests are repeat offenders. Why is a person with one, two or more DUI's allowed to get behind the wheel of a car? Is the system failing to protect us?
Innocent Victims
Recently, baseball pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a car crash involving an alleged drunk driver. His friend, Courtney Stewart, also died. Her mom, Carrie, tells the tragic story of how her only daughter was "murdered" by a man who was reportedly driving with a suspended license and had one DUI conviction. Mary's 22-year-old son was killed when a drunk driver hit them. And Jeanine Pirro, a hard-hitting judge who says repeat offenders should be behind bars, and Neil Shouse, a high-powered DUI defense attorney who says people are overzealous in prosecuting drunk drivers, weigh in.
"If he had been put away in the first place, these three kids would still be alive."
Drunk Behind the Wheel?
Dawn has been charged with two DUIs. She spent a night in jail, had a Breathalyzer installed in her car and has paid over $12,000 in legal fees, but says she still occasionally drives after drinking.
"I think the .08 limit is just ridiculous. It's stupid."
A More Serious Issue?
Dawn says she fears her drinking is out of control. She admits to getting behind the wheel blurry-eyed and barely able to see. Her friend, Travis, who often drinks with her, doesn't think she has a problem. What does Dr. Phil think?
"I don't want you to go to jail."
A Wake-Up Call Dawn Won't Forget
With the help of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Santa Monica Police Department, Dr. Phil gives Dawn an up-close-and-personal wake-up call.
Will the shocking scene make Dawn put down the bottle for good?