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Le Jacquard Français
Fleurs de Kyoto Maple Coated Tablecloth
Reminiscent of maple leaves in autumn, the Fleurs de Kyoto Maple Tablecloth is composed of varying shades of red. This is a Japanese inspired design using a mix of florals and graphics to create a very pretty statement.
Coated tablecloths, matching 100% cotton napkins, and Acrylic Coated Placemats.
Do not place coated items in dryer
Napkins (COTTON): 23in x 23in
Placemats (COATED): 21in x 15in
- Pure cotton tablecloths with a stain-resistant acrylic coating on one side, designed for frequent use.
- Handy for meals with the family or friends, decorative and easy to clean, ideal for everyday use, in the kitchen or the dining room, as well as on the terrace or in the garden.
- To remove stains, simply wipe off with a damp sponge. No stain remover, no solvent, no bleach required.
- After several uses, you can occasionally wash your tablecloth at 40°. Withstands years of washing thanks to the excellent properties of the coating.
- Avoid resting hot saucepans or dishes straight from the oven directly on the tablecloth.
- In order to preserve the coating, it is recommended not to leave the tablecloth outside after use.
- To remove creases or wrinkles, it is recommended to carefully use a hand steamer on the cotton side and watch the wrinkles fade away.


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Khost Province, Afghanistan
"Few people in Khost support the government because the government are thieves!" Tall, gaunt Haji Doulat, 65, was fighting a headache and perhaps depression as he sat with the men of his family in his shabby, red-carpeted mejlis. Doulat lives with his brother, wife, sons, and many nieces and nephews in a modest family compound in a village between two big American bases, Salerno and Chapman.
I was used to staying at Salerno—less than a mile away—as an embedded reporter with the American military. But this time, I'd taken Doulat up on an invitation to visit his home. I'd come to admire him on four trips between the summer of 2007 and the fall of 2008, when I wrote about the progress of the American counterinsurgency here (see "A Counterinsurgency Grows in Khost," May 19, 2008, and "Policing Afghanistan," December 22, 2008).
At the time, Doulat was the subgovernor of Mandozai district, in the center of Khost Province, which borders on the mountainous, lawless Waziristan region of Pakistan. Rated as the best of the 12 subgovernors by the American military here, Doulat was considered to have an inside track on becoming governor himself. (Subgovernors and governors in Afghanistan are appointed by the president.) A graduate of the German high school in Kabul, he was one of the more educated officials in the province. Before the years of civil war, he'd worked for the Ministry of Power and Light in Kabul, where several of his children were born. Doulat was fascinated by irrigation and would, at the drop of a hat, sketch maps of where dams should be built in Khost. I thought of him as the technocrat in a turban.
Haji Doulat pushed a dozen or more major Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) projects to completion in Mandozai: several bridges, $1.4 million in irrigation canals and dams, nine school buildings including a girls' high school, one medical clinic, the district's administrative office, and a big mosque. (There's apparently no limit to the number of mosques Khostis covet; there seems to be one every hundred yards, and in 2008 an American officer told me the ideal would be a mosque next to every house.)
In 2007-08 Khost seemed on an upward course, guided by good American counterinsurgency strategy. It was blessed by the combination of Navy Commander Dave Adams, an unusually active PRT commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Scottie D. Custer, the maneuver commander from the 82nd Airborne Division, who oversaw Khost between the beginning of 2007 and March 2008. The Afghan governor, Arsala Jamal, was educated and competent, and the American commanders designed systems to make sure he didn't dip his hands in the till of the numerous development contracts funded by American tax dollars.
In 2007, Adams's team completed 68 miles of road—there were only 9 when they arrived. An additional 11 miles, a road from the highway to Spera District, has been built since, bringing the total to 88. Adams's PRT also built 9 schools, 300 wells, and 35 irrigation dams. Fifty new schools were built in 2007 and 25 in 2008.
Custer, now retired, had secured Khost by dispersing about 200 paratroopers to live around the province in district centers. This is classic counterinsurgency strategy: Secure the population so they will trust their government. (Doulat reads it differently: He thinks it worked because it made the enemy disperse their forces to oppose the Americans.) When Custer turned over command in March 2008, the province was in pretty good shape with the exception of the Sabari district. Custer's successor Lieutenant Colonel David Ell was to focus on pacifying Sabari, beset by a tribal feud and a favored infiltration route from Pakistan used by insurgents.
The Afghan government had big plans for Khost, which the U.S. Army agreed to finance: a modern municipal hospital, a commercial airport connecting the province to the Gulf States where many Khostis work, an industrial park, an electrical grid and water system for Khost City. A USAID project, asphalting the unpaved section of Highway One, the Afghan ringroad that links Kabul to Khost, was to be finished by November 2009. Paving or repaving the 62-mile stretch between Khost and Gardez, known as the K-G Pass Road, would cut the travel time from Kabul to Khost from six to four hours and boost commerce.
But Afghanistan is not rich in happy endings. The airport was canceled in September 2009 as the Army took stock of increasingly out of control projects. The industrial park, electrical grid, and water system exist only on the drawing board. The PRT-financed $8.5 million municipal hospital building has just been declared structurally unsound by PRT and Afghan engineers, according to new governor Abdul Jabbar Naeemi. Work on the K-G Pass Road continues today at a desultory pace and the trip from Kabul is no faster.
More ominously, school attendence seems to be down. In 2002, 38,000 children went to school in Khost; in March 2008 the number had climbed to 210,000, including 44,000 girls. But as of June 2009, the number had fallen to 175,052, including 43,111 girls. In a country with one of the world's highest population growth rates, even with no expansion of education to new areas or families, there should be a substantial growth in school attendance. One reason for the decline might be periodic school burnings; another might be growing Taliban influence.
Haji Doulat says that Khost is more dangerous today than it was in 2008, though 700 American maneuver troops are here rather than Custer's 200, there are thousands more Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police here, and Khost is full of asphalt roads, schools, clinics, and irrigation projects paid for by American tax dollars.
Many Khostis have died trying to improve their province. One good subgovernor I met in 2007-8, Badi Zaman, was assassinated in 2009 by the Haqqani network. According to Adams, they feared Zaman would obtain American backing for a plan to raise a 200-man militia to pacify Sabari. Another good subgovernor, Mirza Jan Mimgarai, was slain in broad daylight in June 2008.
A valiant, 50ish police chief I'd interviewed twice, Bismallah, was blown up by an IED in the early part of 2010 in front of the Gorbuz district center he'd defended for years. (A sadly prescient photo of Bismallah in front of a police car destroyed by an IED was published in the December 22, 2008, issue of this magazine.)
Haji Doulat is still a subgovernor. Since August 2009, he's governed Tani district, his birthplace. It is one of only two districts in Khost he and the Afghans deem secure, and even here in his tribal homeland he must stay one step ahead of potential assassins.
"When I am going to the east, I leave the district center by the road that goes to the west," he says. Doulat always had me drive with his son Khandan, a cheerful, fleshy 28-year-old, rather than with him. Khandan told me that his devout father doesn't always attend prayers at the local mosque for fear of giving insurgents a regular schedule to anticipate. While Doulat lives in Tani during the work week, he returns on Thursday afternoon to spend the one-and-a-half day Afghan weekend at the house near Salerno. Though his neighbors are heavily involved with the Taliban, they are also members of his Tani tribe so he feels safe.
Doulat's view of the security situation surprised me. His son Khandan drove me around Matoon, Khost City, and Mandozai and seemed unconcerned with the possibility of hitting an IED—an ever-present danger in 2007-8. We drove around Khost City on all four days of my stay, and except on Friday, a holiday, the bazaar and business district were packed with pedestrians. On my earlier visits, the business district was a ghost town, stilled by fear of suicide bombings.
A high-ranking American official later told me that both my perception and Doulat's were correct. He said the nature of the enemy in Khost had changed from 2008. Then there were four enemies in Khost: the Haqqani network, the Taliban, foreign fighters using it as an infiltration route from Pakistan, and, in the north of the province, fighters from Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's group. Now the Haqqani network has largely been neutralized both through Predator strikes on its leadership and elimination of rank and file fighters on the ground. The Taliban are less interested in placing IEDs to kill Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and American troops—and more interested in assassinating government officials like Doulat.
"People with guns were the threat to the old enemy," the official summarized. "People with capacity are the threat to the new enemy." Colonel Viet Luong, the maneuver commander of Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces, had a different view. He says that while the Haqqani network has been "severely disrupted," its foot soldiers continue to operate against both local officials, ANSF, and coalition forces. Another American who formerly commanded in Khost said, "The reason the enemy doesn't plant as many IEDs anymore is that the people are no longer on the side of the government."
Doulat survived a five-month stint in late 2008 and early 2009 as subgovernor of Khost's most dangerous district, Sabari. On Doulat's first day at Sabari, insurgents rocketed his office, and he saw an IED on the road about five yards before hitting it.
Doulat was given the booby prize of running Sabari because he opposed a group of people at Mandozai who attempted to block Khost's biggest project, the proposed American-sponsored airport (they wanted to build on the land themselves). People in Khost will lie, steal, and even kill for small amounts of land; seizing government land for private uses is a popular gambit. Many American-built roads have no shoulders, because neighboring landowners have encroached on them, in a classic tragedy of the commons. The unbuilt airport is Khost's biggest loss, though; it could have had an enormous economic effect.
Doulat often says "I am alone." He says he's the only subgovernor who does not take bribes, though he could have easily earned enough to never have to work again in just a few months. "Without my brother and son, I would be corrupt," he likes to say. His brother Haji Bakht Khan is a contractor, as is Khandan, and they have subsidized Haji Doulat's government service—in Afghanistan, usually the source of illegal benefits. Khandan tells me that he too could be a Khost subgovernor if he had $30,000 to pay for the position. Obviously no one pays that unless they can make more back. (Some American officials have told me privately that while they think Doulat is much better than average, he is not spotless.)
When I arrived at Haji Doulat's house on a Thursday afternoon, I saw that Khandan was accurate in saying, "We live very simply." There is no running water, just a hand pump in the packed dirt courtyard, where nearly naked small children play. Sanitation is iffy; I never see anyone use soap to wash their hands, and the family's six dairy cows graze just a few yards from the kitchen. They never get to go outside the compound, because there is nowhere to pasture them.
Khandan's white dog—kept on a 12-foot chain for the last three months—fares better while his master is home. Khandan seems to genuinely care for the animal, whom he has never named, and brought him a collar from Kabul. But he rarely lets him out even during my visit. If his dog were killed, he would be obliged to kill the man who killed him under the custom of the Pashtuns.
The family's women fare only a bit better than the dog. They are allowed to attend school till the third or fourth grade. As adults, they can leave the compound to visit relatives or a doctor. But none have been to Khost City 12 minutes away. The men would lose honor, Khandan explains, if the women were to shop in the bazaar, even in burqas, even with a male relative present. If they want a new dress, their menfolk bring them samples of material to choose from. Pashtun culture again. This is a far cry from the situation with non-Pashtuns in Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, or Kabul, where women in burqas or headscarves routinely trawl the bazaar in small groups, without a male relative.
The guest room I'm given is remarkably clean, given the squalor of the family's living quarters. The men's mejlis, next door, has an inexpensive 20-inch TV set—a contrast with the 40-inch flat screen sets now standard in the barracks of the Afghan National Army. Bizarrely enough, my BlackBerry works here—the Afghan wireless phone carriers rolled out service to the big American bases, and Khost is small enough that coverage is almost complete.
At night in Haji Doulat's mejlis, talk regularly turns to the deterioration of Khost. Doulat and his family revere Scottie Custer and Dave Adams as great men; one wall of my room is adorned with two ancient guns captured on a mission Doulat undertook with Custer's paratroopers. A large photo of Doulat with Custer, signed by Custer, holds pride of place along with two photos of Doulat's father, a man revered on both sides of the border for his intelligence and goodness. As far as I can tell, Doulat's family are analogous to impoverished gentry in, say, 17th-century England; Khandan even uses the phrase "a gentle family" to describe them.
The explanations for the deterioration in Khost are complex. First, the security situation was beginning to worsen in early 2008, when insurgent suicide bombers destroyed the district center in Sabari on March 3 and damaged the gate at Tani the next day. In October 2008 a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Terzayi district center gate, and in November, an IED destroyed the district center at Dowmanda.
Second, the maneuver troops from the 101st Airborne that took over from Custer spent too much time chasing insurgents in the mountains and too little securing the population. A different unit of the 101st is now in Khost, though a case could be made that they undid much of the work of the 82nd Airborne the first time they were there (March 2008-March 2009). Notably more aggressive than the 82nd, the 101st killed four Khost civilians on April 21, just after my visit, in an apparent case of mistaken identity. (During Custer's command of 15 months, the 82nd killed just one Afghan civilian.)
Offering fewer carrots and more sticks, among other factors, Americans lost the support of some of the influential Khost tribes. The two PRT commanders following Dave Adams were ineffective. They didn't monitor the Army-funded projects with the eagle eye necessary here; unless contractors are inspected daily, quality suffers. Finally, Governor Jamal quit in late December 2008 and moved back to Canada, though he later returned to Afghanistan and is now minister of borders and tribal affairs.
Jamal's position was vacant for five or six months, and Deputy Governor Hamidullah Qalandari, who became acting governor, is said to have made more than $4 million in bribes during this time, building a luxurious home in Kabul. Former Governor Jamal says that this is an impossibly large amount as the PRT was hardly doing projects at the time.
"Qalandari belongs to a gentle family and is my father's friend," Khandan says. "But when my father was in Sabari District Center more than half of the [earmarked government] money was taken by him." Doulat's family also accuses Qalandari of taking a substantial bribe to permit villagers to steal the airport land.
Corruption in Khost has been abetted by lax PRT oversight in recent years. How could an American PRT allow work on the $8.5 million hospital to progress nearly to completion without noticing that the building was structurally unsound? Haji Bakht Khan, a younger brother of Haji Doulat and the financial mainstay of the extended family, explains, "In the time of Adams, they announced projects on [Khost] TV and every company could bid. Now they are given to the favorite contractors."
At an interview on April 10 at his compound, Governor Naeemi told me that he will reinstate the practice of Adams's command. Calm, gentle, and down to earth, Naeemi may help to rescue Khost; he won the esteem of American commanders in his past position as governor of Wardak Province. And some of the province's new ministers, who oversee departments like health, education, irrigation, and so on, are capable, and not yet tarred with corruption.
The long travel time between Khost and Kabul remains an obstacle to economic growth. It throws the province back upon Pakistan, just an hour away from Khost City. You can hardly use Afghan currency in the city's bazaars; Pakistani rupees, though technically illegal, are the currency of choice.
On my trip to Khost, Highway One seemed secure and well-traveled—more so than on my last road trip in March 2008. But three and a half hours into the journey, leaving Paktia's capital Gardez, the asphalt road abruptly shifted to potholed dirt.
Men and machines were working almost everywhere along the way, sometimes grading, sometimes relocating the road to a different spot. I'd remembered the surface changing to asphalt soon after the border of Khost, but I began to wonder if my memory was playing tricks on me—it was unpaved here too.
In March 2008, then-governor Jamal criticized the USAID road building plan, telling me that the Washington, D.C.-based Louis Berger Group, which won the contract, would use the same Afghan subcontractors the U.S. Army uses but at double the cost.
They've done worse than that. The May 2007 $100 million cost-plus contract held by the privately held Berger group, the subject of scathing exposés for its poor-quality, high cost school and clinic construction in Afghanistan, was subcontracted in May 2008 for $80 million to a joint venture of two Indian companies, BSC and CMC, the latter of which is actually doing more of the work. They in turn hired several Afghan companies. (Berger does planning and design; the Indian joint venture build.)
On my trip back up to Kabul, men were working on the road, but without machinery. I was later told by USAID civil engineer Robert Helmerick that the reason was that a day after my trip down, on April 10, 19 pieces of machinery, 15 of which were locally owned, were destroyed by insurgents. "This is the project with the highest rate of violence of all USAID projects," he explained. Four ANA soldiers were killed by IEDs along the unpaved stretch on April 21st, where Helmerick says IEDs are routinely found.
Because of the nature of cost-plus contracting, security costs for the KG-Pass Road, originally estimated at $20 million, have topped $40 million, all eaten by the American taxpayer. When the November 2009 completion date came and went, Berger was stripped of any potential incentive fees, but it is not responsible for the additional $20 million.
As to the previously paved surface having become unpaved, I wasn't losing my mind. The section from bridges 14-20, in Khost, had been paved by the Russians in the seventies. The contractors deemed it unsalvageable so removed the old asphalt for reconstruction. The scheduled completion date is October 31, 2010.
The really bad news is that there is no scheduled completion date for the middle 22 miles of the road, plagued by attacks supported by the local Zadran tribe. The locals seem to be on to a good scam (as long as they don't give a damn about the road or its effect on other Afghans). They supply old, worn out machines to the road builders, their relatives destroy them, and then, as Helmerick detailed, they have the nerve to organize a protest asking for compensation.
The American officer I quoted earlier explained that Afghans know there are limits to their capacity, and don't complain when we begin with local Afghan contractors and later bring in foreign companies to do work they can't. But they are furious when we hire foreign companies at a much higher than local price—then use Afghan labor paid local rates ($8-10 a day, a good wage) to complete them. He added that one of the reasons Governor Jamal quit was his inability to do anything about the state of the road, even as popular anger grew. Former Governor Jamal says that he had warned Louis Berger at the start that hiring an Indian company was a bad idea, since Pakistan will disrupt any project near the border run by Indians. He also notes that locals think the road is an Afghan government project, though it is not, and point to the delays as another example of government corruption.
There may be a bigger problem in Khost, and the whole Pashtun belt, than corruption or the insurgency. It's Pashtun culture, which places strikingly little value on education, even for boys. Superstition, magic, rumor, and paranoia supplant rational thought at a certain point in almost every Khosti's mental universe. Haji Doulat is the most rational in his family. About the only evidence of superstition I can find is his crediting two gemstone rings he wears with preservative powers. (One of his nephews assures me that turquoise will crack if you do something bad or are in danger; his own ring cracked on a trip up to Sabari but later became whole again!)
The nonsense I hear from the rest of the men is less innocuous. Haji Doulat's brother says that the French Army is working with the Taliban against the Americans. He thinks that the Pakistani military maneuvers he sees on TV are staged for the camera. There is a general feeling—which I've heard from many Afghans—that if the United States ("the world superpower") wanted to defeat the insurgency, it would. So if the insurgency is gathering strength, it must be because the United States supports it.
And Haji Doulat isn't right about everything in Khost. Like many Afghans of his generation, he favors a degree of government control of the economy that has been discredited most everywhere else. The men of his family were angry that there were "ten different prices for rice" in Khost; they thought it should be regulated. When private builders encroach on government land, their first thought is to tear the houses down, rather than fining them. It's as though government officials like Doulat belong to a tribe—the government tribe—which must guard its prerogatives as jealously as any other.
Khost's problems aren't rocket science. While education and rationality are generational issues, common sense, courage, and diligence can go far in reducing corruption, systematizing administration, and organizing local support for the government. Afghans are unusually forgiving, and Khost is recoverable. But there have been too few men like Haji Doulat here, and too little American and Afghan support for those few. "Corruption is Afghanistan's number one problem," the American official stated. And then he quickly added, "And we are the number two problem, when we mess up."

subset: commoncrawl


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The Ultimate Fighting Championship is now at their eleventh event and the promotion is sticking with a proven formula: the tournament. For the second event in a row, the UFC has done away with individual bouts and Superfights in favor of the fan favorite eight man tournaments.
The tournament at UFC 11 will have at least one familiar name: Tank Abbott, who confirmed his participation during the UFC 10 broadcast. I can also confirm that Brian Johnston will be returning from an impressive showing at the UFC 10 tournament, while defending champion Mark Coleman will be back to claim a second consecutive tournament crown.
These aren't the only returning competitors, but you'll have to wait and see the other fighters participating in this, the tenth UFC tournament.
UFC 11: The Proving Ground – September 20, 1996
Previous Editions
September 1996 – do you remember where you were? I was probably just sitting around, being pudgy, waiting for my allowance so I could go buy fatty foods from the gas station. But now I exercise and take care of my body, so go fuck yourself 12 year old me – I'm in charge now, I have self control! You don't tell me what to do anymore!
In September 1996, the UFC was in Augusta, Georgia with their newest mixed martial arts event. Augusta is famously home to both golf and misogyny, but tonight, golf will take a backseat. Early UFC events and misogyny coexisted quite comfortably, so misogyny will likely be in full effect tonight.
The opening video is hyping a potential tournament match between Mark Coleman and Tank Abbott, which I'm sure will have to take place beyond the opening round. This is the big money match for the evening as Coleman and Abbott have proven to be two of the most compelling fighters in the UFC to date.
Bruce Beck greets us by stating five UFC veterans will be slotted in the main bracket of the tournament along with three fighters making their UFC debuts. He throws to Jeff Blatnick who is interviewing UFC 10 champion Mark Coleman. Coleman says that we can expect more of the same from him tonight and he says that Tank doesn't have the skills to hang with him.
We then go to an interview with Tank Abbott conducted by the returning Don Wilson. Tank says he's here to do his job and that we'll have to wait and see what happens. Tank dismisses the term "pit fighting", which was originally used by the UFC to label his fighting style. Tank calls himself a street fighter and says he plans to use his power to defeat Mark Coleman.
But for Tank and Coleman to meet, they both have to win a pair of fights. Tank Abbott will be fighting the 2-1 Sam Adkins while Mark Coleman squares off against newcomer Julian Sanchez. Jerry Bohlander will also be making his return to the octagon against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Fabio Gurgel and Brian Johnston takes on Iranian Reza Nasri.
As always, the UFC fails to give the people what they want: footage of preliminary fights between below average fighters. Somehow, Scott Ferrozzo was relegated to the prelims after a pretty impressive UFC 8 performance against Jerry Bohlander. Ferrozzo managed to defeat Sam Fulton by TKO via referee stoppage, while Roberto Traven defeated Dave Berry in the same manner. Ferrozzo and Fulton will serve as alternates for the evening.
The UFC is still using CompuServe for all of their internet needs, promising another post-UFC chat. Beck also proposes the current poll question: would Mike Tyson win in the UFC? No, Iron Mike would spend pretty much all of his time on his back. Unless he fights Telia Tuli. In that case, Mike Tyson would win.
The first fight of the night features Mark Coleman and Julian Sanchez. The positives for Sanchez: he has two inches and fifty pounds on Coleman. The negatives? He is Julian Sanchez and he will be fighting Mark Coleman. Sanchez could have 250 pounds on Coleman and he still wouldn't win. Oh yeah, big spoiler here: the three hundred pound UFC newcomer loses to the U.S. Olympian. Like you didn't see that coming?
Julian Sanchez appears to have a fairly pitiful entourage, as he's accompanied to the octagon by some guy jogging behind him. Even then, I can't tell if he's with Sanchez or just trying to rush back to cageside for some other reason. According to Bruce Beck's translation, Sanchez says some flattering things about Mark Coleman in Spanish and apparently wants to try and take Mark Coleman down. Ugh, I really don't want to see this nice, stupid man get beaten down, but I can't just not watch the fight. You people remember that these are the sacrifices that I make for you.
Mark Coleman enters the cage with a much more impressive group with matching "Team Phoenix" t-shirts. Coleman is looking bigger than he did at UFC 10, and in his pre fight video, his neck looks absolutely massive. It's as if his neck was specifically created to look inhuman and impenetrable. Some people are just blessed with meaty ham-necks.
Hey, looks who's here to specifically piss me off! It's Ken Shamrock in a vest that he stole from Steve Austin's closet and bedazzled! No, actually, it's Rich Goins. I'll somewhat curb the Rich Goins hate, as I'm pleased to inform you all that this will be Goins' final event in the UFC.
We all knew this day had to come, mostly because I've yet to take my own life. But the UFC is moving in a new direction: a far, far less shitty direction. Part of that direction is getting rid of dead weight, and that means Rich Goins has to go. I'm not being mean, I'm just being honest. And a little mean. For now, let's go ahead and tolerate this schmuck one last time in the UFC.
Julian Sanchez is billed at 23 years old, but he looks closer to maybe 43 years old. I'm not trying to say there's some kind of age-shaving scandal in the early UFC, but my mother looks closer to 23 than this guy.
Onto the fight, where it appears that Sanchez's strategy is wave his hands at Coleman while shaking his head back and forth. Thank goodness Mike Goldberg isn't here to tell us how great Sanchez's head movement is. Coleman lands a very quick takedown on his bigger opponent. Coleman is throwing some heavy punches from side control, then locks in a head lock. Coleman really sinks it in and forces Sanchez to submit to this side choke. That took Coleman all of 44 seconds. Hey, do you still think Sanchez wants to go to the ground with Coleman?
Coleman certainly didn't expend a lot of energy in this fight and I'm thankful for that. I want to see a fresh Coleman later in the night, and I didn't want to see this poor Hispanic kid get destroyed by "The Hammer". I was expecting that fight to resemble a snuff film and I'm thankful that the fight was so short.
Something tells me that the UFC might have been a little short-handed in their graphics department 15 years ago. Regardless, the second semifinal match will feature Reza Nasri and Brian Johnston. Johnston, you will remember, put up a great fight against Don Frye at UFC 10. He seems like a potential obstacle on the road to a Tank Abbott/Mark Coleman finals contest.
Nasri says he's pretty good at all aspects of MMA, while Johnston is notably a boxer and kickboxer who plans on keeping this fight standing. Johnston gets a really nice hand from the crowd, which I'm sure has nothing to do with the fact that his opponent is from Iran. Even Bruce Beck calls this a battle of "USA versus Iran." What the fuck, did he suddenly turn into Gorilla Monsoon?
For Christ's sake, it's not like Nasri is wearing pointed shoes and yelling "IRAN NUMBER ONE". I'm not sure why I expect different from this Georgia crowd, but come on! Cheering against a fighter from another country just because he's from another country was cliche 20 years ago, let alone 15. I'm cheering for Reza Nasri in an attempt to combat xenophobia, one mixed martial artist at a time.
Jeff Blatnick thinks that this will be a very competitive match between these two fighters. Some heavily augmented ring girls circle the cage and this fight is under way!
Nasri is aggressive from the start and tries to shoot on Johnston, but gets a knee to the face for his trouble. Johnston clinches with Nasri and lands a really great takedown. It was hard to tell since "Big" John McCarthy was in the way, but it looked like a pretty violent arm sweep with Johnston ending up in side control. Johnston quickly moves to full mount and looks primed to end this fight. Johnston lands some headbutts and then starts throwing big, unanswered punches to his opponent's face. Nasri appears to go out for a bit and McCarthy stops this fight.
That was as violent a knockout as we've seen in the UFC, but Brian Johnston is pissed off. It seems that Big John tackled Johnston to keep him from doing any additional damage to Nasri and bloodied Johnston's nose in the process. Johnston briefly curses out McCarthy for this mishap, but fortunately, he still advances to the semifinals. If this is how mad he got after a win, I can't imagine how pissed he would have been if he lost this fight.
The third quarterfinal bout will be a big one with Tank Abbott fighting Sam Adkins. Fortunately, Adkins doesn't seem to be donning the same ugly tie-dyed trunks as he did at UFC 8. He says nothing notable in his pre fight interview, but it sounds like he combined the words "underestimate" and "me", creating the amalgam "underestime".
Tank makes his way to the cage and gets a big hand from the crowd. The arena is full of Tank signs, though the fan favorite is notably terse in his pre fight interview. Either way, these people are behind him.
The fight begins, and in a matter of a few seconds, Tank scores a takedown and pins Adkins against the cage fence. Tank is throwing some big left hands to Adkins' head as he tries his best to simultaneously defend and escape. This approach is absolutely not working and Adkins is subjected to the ground and pound of Tank Abbott. Abbott grabs onto the cage for leverage while he strikes his opponent, which appears to be an effective maneuver.
Tank is now pressing Adkins's head against the cage, shoving his left forearm into the throat of his opponent. Adkins' head is bent badly, but Jeff Blatnick doesn't think Adkins will be submitting to this hold. Adkins then promptly taps out, with Tank Abbott the winner via neck crank. Jeff Blatnick is doing a bad job with his predictions, even when they're made mid-fight. It takes Tank all of two minutes to submit his opponent and move on to the quarterfinals.
Holy shit, we've got a Tito Ortiz sighting. Look how young he looks! He's like a little baby with a massive head! Tito is only 21 at this event and won't make his UFC debut for another year or so, but it's pretty shocking to see him walking side by side with Tank Abbott. Ortiz actually trained with Tank for a while, though it sounds like their relationship dissolved fairly quickly. I'm no Tito Ortiz fan, but now I'm pretty pumped to see his early UFC fights.
The fourth and final quarterfinal match features Fabio Gurgel and Lion's Den product Jerry Bohlander. This seems like a pretty evenly matched fight, both fighters with submission skills and weighing in at 200 pounds. Bohlander has looked pretty good in the octagon previously, but Gurgel is a top BJJ practitioner and could be dangerous in the UFC.
Bohlander is accompanied to the cage by Frank Shamrock, and now I want to see Frank in the Octagon! This isn't fair, why aren't these cornermen fighting? Don't they know that Tito vs. Frank is going to be a really awesome fight? Apparently not.
Believe it or not, Rich Goins does his part in combating the rampant xenophobia by imploring the crowd to give Gurgel a "nice American welcome." Or maybe he's perpetuating the xenophobia since he knows that the typical American welcome consists of shitting on foreigners. Ugh, stupid Rich Goins.
This fight begins with Gurgel clinching with Bohlander and pushing him against the cage. Gurgel attempts a takedown, but Bohlander defends by grabbing onto the cage. Bohlander tries to land some strikes while also defending against the takedown attempts of Gurgel. Bohlander manages to gain control and scores a takedown of his own with the whizzer. Bohlander moves into Gurgel's guard and begins throwing shots to Gurgel's body.
Bohlander continues to grab the fence to maintain control while in guard, but is eventually forced from guard to a standing position. Bohlander throws a punch when standing and begins to throw kicks to Gurgel's legs, but Bohlander is wearing shoes which makes these kicks illegal. McCarthy warns Bohlander and allows Gurgel to get back to his feet. Blatnick claims that another warning from McCarthy will result in disqualification, but I won't believe that until I see it.
Gurgel and Bohlander trade punches and a cut opens up on Bohlander's forehead. Gurgel moves in to the clinch again, but Bohlander is more active with knees and body shots. Gurgel tries for yet another takedown and scores, despite Bohlander's attempt to grab the fence. Gurgel seems interested in moving past the guard and manages to advance to half guard with Bohlander against the fence. Despite all of this, Gurgel is doing very little striking. I'm sure he's looking for the submission, but he's not scoring any points in the process.
Gurgel manages to free his left leg and moves to full mount, but Bohlander lands a nice sweep to reverse into Gurgel's guard. Bohlander is being far more active from the top, throwing headbutts and punches that mostly appear to be grazing. Bohlander's body shots seem to be most effective, but Bohlander is throwing whatever strikes he can to stay active.
Oh great, we hear those loveable "USA!" chants from the Georgia crowd. Thank goodness these Georgians have the courage to root against an awful Brazilian. Do you think people from the state of Georgia go into a rage when they get confused with people from the country Georgia? Just a thought.
We're more than halfway through the fight and Bohlander has been in control for the majority. He hasn't done significant damage, but he's spent a lot of time on top of Gurgel while staying moderately active. Bohlander has really made friends with the cage here. He's been grabbing onto the fence at every opportunity, doing his best to maintain control over Gurgel. He even seems to have torn a portion of the bottom of the cage from the mat it was connected to – that's how vigorously he's been grabbing the fence.
Gurgel grabs a hold of Bohlander's head, but he has little luck controlling Bohlander's activity. Bohlander spends a lot of time throwing punches and headbutts with no end in sight. Bohlander gets a little high and Gurgel looks interested in an armbar or triangle as Bohlander stands up, but Bohlander shrugs that off and moves back into guard to the chagrin of the crowd. Gurgel makes an attempt to scramble away, but Bohlander maintains his position.
Bohlander is throwing some knees to the tailbone, though I'm sure Jerry wouldn't be disappointed if they landed near the groin. With 90 seconds remaining, Bohlander seems more interested in holding on to a likely decision victory. Gurgel does his best to sweep Bohlander and gain an advantageous position, but Bohlander is able to maintain his position. Bohlander rides out the guard until the fight ends at the fifteen minute mark. I don't see anyway that Gurgel won that fight, but we'll have to see what the judges think.
All three judges hold up their scorecards for the winner by unanimous decision, Jerry Bohlander. I think this was the best quarterfinal fight, but that's not saying a whole lot. Abbott, Johnston, and Coleman won shorter, dominant victories while Bohlander took a grinding decision from Fabio Gurgel. Gurgel appeared to be competitive early on, but this fight was over once Bohlander reversed Gurgel's attempt at full mount.
I'm really looking forward to this first semifinal fight, where Mark Coleman will be fighting Brian Johnston. This is the epitome of the striker vs. grappler battle, both men being very good in the respective disciplines. Johnston and Coleman both had very short opening fights, so I'm guessing that both of these fighters are very fresh.
Johnston is the taller fighter by three inches, though Coleman outweighs Johnston by 15 pounds and is absolutely massive at 6'1″, 250 lbs. Thankfully, Johnston appears to have recovered from his bloody nose caused by Big John McCarthy. Coleman, however, is still suffering from whatever ailment that causes him to have a neck like a monster truck tire.
Both fighters are hesitant to start the fight, doing a lot of circling to begin. Johnston feints a few strikes, peppering in some damaging leg kicks in the process. Coleman is just biding his time until his first takedown attempt, which turns out to be successful. Coleman is in half guard with Johnston doing his best to hold Coleman down by his head and upper back. Coleman breaks free with some headbutts and begins to throw some left hands to Johnston's head. The shots land cleanly, prompting Johnston to roll to his stomach and tap out.
Coleman's shots looked big, but I'm a bit surprised that Johnston tapped out. He might have known that he had little chance of escaping and, rather than risk potential injury, Johnston figured that tapping out was best. The camera pans to Connie Coleman, mother of Mark Coleman, who seems beside herself. The poor woman is surely grateful that her son has advanced to the finals, though the prospect of fighting Tank Abbott might send Mrs. Coleman to her grave.
Prior to the semifinal fight between Tank Abbott and Jerry Bohlander, we're told that Jerry Bohlander has been replaced by alternate Scott Ferrozzo. Bohlander spent 15 minutes holding Fabio Gurgel down, so I can see where he might be a bit too exhausted to continue. Oddly enough, it was Jerry Bohlander who submitted Scott Ferrozzo at UFC 8, and now it's Ferrozzo replacing Bohlander at UFC 11.
We're shown clips of Ferrozzo's earlier fight against Sam Fulton which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Fulton appears to have taken time off from his day job of working at the carnival to fight in the UFC, so Ferrozzo's TKO victory seems slightly less impressive. Still, he had to win to get here and I won't hold that against him.
Prior to this next fight, Beck, Blatnick, and Wilson spend time discussing the next UFC event – Ultimate Ultimate 1996. Blatnick lists Frye, Abbott, Coleman, and Shamrock as potential tournament participants and this tournament sounds even better than the first Ultimate Ultimate. Appearances from Severn and Gracie would be welcomed, but I'm just going to keep my expectations low.
An update is also provided on the CompuServe poll, with 76% responding saying that Mike Tyson would be unsuccessful in the UFC. This is pretty surprising, especially considering how little people knew about MMA in 1996. I definitely agree with the votes and am quite glad to hear this.
After many minutes of stalling, it's time for the second semifinal fight between Tank Abbott vs. Scott Ferrozzo. Ferrozzo tears his shirt off like a fat Hulk Hogan, but he looks more like Andre the Giant. Tank makes his way to the cage, yet, all I can do is try to pick Tito Ortiz out from the group. 1996 Tito Ortiz is still so young and full of promise, I feel bad knowing that he'll just be a melon-headed fool in a mere 15 years.
Rich Goins reminds us all how much we know and love Tank Abbott during his introductions. Rich Goins, you don't tell me who I know and love. I don't love Tank Abbott, so stop trying to force this shit on me. JEEZ.
Whatever, it's fight time. Ferrozzo and Abbott approach and Abbott throws some heavy strikes before pushing Ferrozzo back against the cage. Ferrozzo breaks free and Abbott follows with a number of punches that miss. Tank gets in closer and lands some heavier shots, but Ferrozzo grabs tank and attempts to throw him to the mat. This allows Tank to take Ferrozzo's back a mere 45 seconds into the fight.
Ferrozzo is pressed face first against the cage and appears to be bleeding over his right eye. Tank is holding onto the fence to keep Ferrozzo from freeing himself. Tank is throwing so little from this position that Ferrozzo seems to be the more active fighter, strange from such a vulnerable position. He's throwing some elbows back at Tank and making an effort to escape, but Tank's pretty content leaning against Ferrozzo.
At one point, Ferrozzo exclaims "fuck you!", which seems to be aimed toward Tank. It's hard to tell what prompted this, but I'll go out on a limb and say that this was deserved. Don Frye is shown cageside, as he's apparently Ferrozzo's cornerman – I had no idea! I've yet to see anything in Ferrozzo's skillset that reminded me of Frye, so I'm not surprised that this is the first time I'm aware of this.
Back to the fight, Ferrozzo manages to turn around and face Tank. Ferrozzo follows-up with some big knees which allow him to move away from the cage and back to the center of the octagon. Tank throws some wild shots, but Ferrozzo gets the better of the exchange with some big uppercuts. Tank is backed against the cage and Ferrozzo lands some big knees to Tank's ample midsection. Unfortunately for Ferrozzo, Big John temporarily halts the fight to look at the cut over his eye.
The fight is restarted and Tank is swinging again, but Ferrozzo lands some shots of his own in the process. Tank backs Ferrozzo against the fence, but Ferrozzo is continuing to throw some painful looking knees to Abbott's stomach. Abbott grabs the fence, but Ferrozzo's knees break Abbott's grasp and actually lift Abbott off of the mat. We're five minutes into the fight and I'm giving the slight edge to Ferrozzo thus far.
Abbott is doing just about nothing to generate offense, with Ferrozzo throwing knees and body punches that appear to do damage. Jeff Blatnick is confused why Tank isn't being more active, forgetting that Tank has some pretty miserable cardio. Half way into the fight, Tank seems completely gassed, which Bruce Beck calls "patience". Ferrozzo isn't in much better shape, but he's been active enough while being held against the cage. Ferrozzo can't do a whole lot more than what he's been doing thus far.
Ferrozzo loudly calls Abbott a "pussy", but again, there's no way to tell what might have caused this. At one point, Abbott attempts to trip Ferrozzo to the mat to no avail. Tank also throws a handful of punches to Ferrozzo's head, but it's still Ferrozzo doing most of the work. Much like Jerry Bohlander did earlier, Tank has been using the fence as a significant aspect of his gameplan. With only 2:30 to go in the fight, John McCarthy finally sees fit to break the fighters apart and calls for a restart.
Ferrozzo seems quite pleased with this, even smiling at the restart. Tank lands maybe one clean shot, but Ferrozzo is throwing a couple of punches at a time and seems to be landing better than Abbott. To the surprise of nobody, Abbott pushes Ferrozzo against the fence once again and we're back to where we were before the restart. This crowd is chanting "pit bull" and seems to be favoring Scott Ferrozzo at this point.
With 30 seconds to go in regulation, Ferrozzo continues with knees and punches while Abbott holds the fence and stares into the crowd. Big John breaks the fighters at the 15 minute mark and these fighters prepare for overtime. Ferrozzo gestures to the crowd and receives a favorable reaction. This once Tank-partisan crowd is now cheering for an even fatter fighter.
Both fighters come out of the break swinging, but I think either fighter lands anything too solid. Tank slips in some clean shots, but again, he resorts to pushing Ferrozzo against the cage and grabbing the fence. Ferrozzo's cut seems to be bleeding worse than before, but there's really no good reason to check the cut with only a minute remaining. Big John thinks that it will do some good to restart the fighters with 15 seconds remaining, which just results in some sloppy punches being traded by Ferrozzo and Abbott. The fight comes to an end and Scott Ferrozzo may have scored an upset victory over Tank Abbott.
All three judges score this fight for the clear winner and the second finalist, Scott Ferrozzo. Ferrozzo dances around and seems pleased with the outcome of this fight. Jeff Blatnick interviews Scott Ferrozzo, who claims that he just "whooped" Tank Abbott. Ferrozzo seems awful full of himself but gives all of the credit to Don Frye, who happens to be wearing a snazzy outfit with his t-shirt tucked into a pair of black slacks.
Ferrozzo also sees his fight with Mark Coleman going the "same way" as his fight with Tank Abbott. I wonder if Scott Ferrozzo is confusing Mark Coleman with Emmanuel Yarborough? Does he expect Mark Coleman to get winded after 90 seconds and lean against Ferrozzo for the rest of the fight? Does Tank Abbott have Olympic-caliber wrestling? This Scott Ferrozzo is an awfully confident, whale-sized man.
Jeff Blatnick speculates whether or not Tank Abbott is a "falling star" after this loss, but I don't think anything has changed. Tank Abbott was, is, and will always be a windbag with awful cardio. He couldn't finish his opponent, got tired, and lost. Nothing has changed for Tank.
Bruce Beck takes some time to interview Don Frye prior to the finals of the UFC 11 tournament. Frye gives Scott Ferrozzo all of the credit for his victory, accepting none of the accolades for himself. Don Frye calls his loss to Mark Coleman "a bad night." Beck reveals that Coleman and Frye are on the same side of the bracket at the Ultimate Ultimate 1996, but Frye expects to come back and beat Coleman. Asked to send a message to Coleman, Don Frye looks at the camera and says "I'll be back, baby." Man, Don Frye is awesome.
Beck moves on to interview Ken Shamrock, who looks pretty greased up. Slicked back hair, gold chains, and ugly vest – this isn't a good look for anyone, let alone somebody who has to go out in public. Shamrock is disappointed in his last fight against Dan Severn, claiming that he should have been more aggressive in the fight. He says that the way to get back on track is to win the tournament at Ultimate Ultimate '96. Beck says that Shamrock and Tank will be on the same side of the bracket in the next tournament, so it's clear which matches the UFC is hoping for. Shamrock becomes visibly upset when discussing Tank, threatening to crush Abbott if he comes to the Ultimate Ultimate out of shape.
After significant stalling by the announcers, we have yet another change: Roberto Traven will be replacing Scott Ferrozzo in the finals. It seems that the very confident Ferrozzo cannot continue, so the second alternate will be bumped up to the finals. Clips of Traven's victory over Dave Berry are shown and it's not a particularly impressive performance. Traven got Berry to the ground and Berry had no clue how to defend himself, which describes so many of Royce Gracie's earlier fights.
Blatnick speculates that the cut over Ferrozzo's eye contributed to his decision to withdraw from the finals, though I think the 350 pounds is a more than contributing factor. I don't care who he has to face, but Mark Coleman is going to win. Coleman is shown backstage asking "what's the word?", since apparently he's been kept in the dark as well.
And now the word is out that Alberto Traven has broken his hand and will not be competing in the finals. While they try to sort out the finals situation, Blatnick and Wilson answer questions from the fans on CompuServe. There's not much to take away from this, except that Don Wilson is still threatening to fight in the UFC sometime in 1997. Bruce Beck also calls radio stations "D.J. stations".
Tank is interview by Jeff Blatnick and says that he was not prepared to fight a larger fighter. He's disappointed in his performance tonight, but doesn't care about having let his fans down. He says that he'll train with bigger fighters for the next UFC event, which I'm sure will solve all of Tank's issues.
It's now announced that Mark Coleman is the winner of this tournament by default, as no other fighter can continue into the finals. They're looking for an opponent for Mark Coleman to put on an exhibition fight, but that never comes to fruition. Coleman also says he'll be competing in wrestling while in the UFC and also says he's trying to get one of his training partners, Kevin Randleman, into the world of MMA.
To fill the time, the Tank Abbott/Scott Ferrozzo fight is shown one more time, so I'll go ahead and call it a night. For the first time ever in the UFC, the finals could not be completed due to a lack of healthy fighters. All the same, Mark Coleman would have won this tournament. There was no fighter in this tournament who could have competed with Coleman's wrestling, which is proving to be dominant in the UFC.
UFC 11 was not a particularly good event, given the below average fights and the lack of a final match. But now, we have the Ultimate Ultimate 1996 to look forward to. The UFC is looking for Shamrock, Abbott, Coleman, and Frye to be the semifinalists, but things don't always go as planned. What other UFC fighters will be participating in the second Ultimate Ultimate? Will this event live up to the expectations given the fighters involved?
Ultimate Ultimate 1996 will take place just a few months from UFC 11, but it looks to be one of the biggest UFC events to date. We will have to wait and see what the next event holds in store for the world of MMA.
Greatest Fights of UFC 11
- Mark Coleman vs. Brian Johnston
- Jerry Bohlander vs. Fabio Gurgel
- Brian Johnston vs. Reza Nasri
- Tank Abbott vs. Sam Adkins
- Mark Coleman vs. Julian Sanchez
- Scott Ferrozzo vs. Tank Abbott
Top Ten Fights Through UFC 11
- Royce Gracie vs. Kimo Leopoldo – UFC 3
- Royce Gracie vs. Dan Severn – UFC 4
- Royce Gracie vs. Keith Hackney – UFC 4
- Oleg Taktarov vs. Tank Abbott – UFC 6
- Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock – UFC 1
- Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn – UFC 6
- Marco Ruas vs. Paul Varelans – UFC 7
- Don Frye vs. Brian Johnston – UFC 10
- Ken Shamrock vs. Christophe Leininger – UFC 3
- Ken Shamrock vs. Patrick Smith – UFC 1
Greatest Fighters of UFC 11
- Mark Coleman (2-0)
- Scott Ferrozzo (2-0)
- Brian Johnston (1-1)
- Jerry Bohlander (1-0)
- Tank Abbott (1-1)
- Roberto Traven (1-0)
- Fabio Gurgel (0-1)
- Sam Fulton (0-1)
- Sam Adkins (0-1)
- Dave Berry (0-1)
- Reza Nasri (0-1)
- Julian Sanchez (0-1)
Top Ten Fighters Through UFC 11
- Royce Gracie (11-1-1)
- Dan Severn (9-2)
- Ken Shamrock (5-2-2)
- Mark Coleman (5-0)
- Oleg Taktarov (6-2-1)
- Don Frye (6-1)
- Marco Ruas (4-1)
- Patrick Smith (4-2)
- Gerard Gordeau (2-1)
- Gary Goodridge (3-3)
MMA News – April 26, 2011
- Tom Lawlor vs. Maiquel Falcao is the newest fight added to the UFC 134 show in Brazil. The fifth UFC on Versus show will also feature Amir Sadollah vs. Duane Ludwig and Cole Miller vs. T.J. O'Brien. As you can see above, Tom Lawlor's nickmane of "Filthy" certainly does apply. I feel like you have to get vaccinated before even stepping in the cage with this guy.
- In an interesting move, the UFC has requested monitors for the judges at UFC 130. I think there are a lot of problems with judging in MMA that won't be solved by monitors. The issues with judges are more related to education than access. MMA judges don't know as much about the sport as they need to, so how about we try to fix those problems?
- Bellator 45, scheduled for May 21, is really shaping up with four likely fights. This includes the tournament finals in the featherweight and light heavyweight divisions. I like M'Pumbu and Freire to win their respective tournaments and a Freire sweep at 145 and 155 pounds seems likely at this point.


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The new 49er stadium, traffic, and EIRs
Field of Schemes is an essential site for information and critiques of stadium deals/issues around the country. Check it out on the new Niners stadium in Santa Clara and traffic gridlock in the area. Turns out that EIRs can be futile, doorstop-like documents. Who knew? Some comments to the story:
MikeM: See, the thing that bothers me about this is that these entities are required to write an EIR, and then have it approved, and once it has been approved, they're in the clear.
It shouldn't be that way. If the EIR says, "This won't cause traffic issues!" and then it turns out that they missed that mark by miles, then the ones who wrote and the ones who approved the EIR should be financially liable to resolve the problems. If that means they have to add a lane on the freeway for 2 miles in all applicable directions, then so be it.
If this had REAL penalties, maybe EIRs wouldn't turn out to be the steaming piles of bullshit they currently are. So sure, people can claim their EIR surpassed requirements, but it ain't exactly like the requirements are worth a plug nickel.
Another commenter responded:
@Mike M: Yes, there was an EIR. The 49ers paid for it. The parking and traffic portion of the EIR predicted a level of service of 'F' at intersections near the stadium---that's complete gridlock. Our City Council knew this and approved the EIR anyway. It isn't a matter of the EIR hiding the truth---the truth was exposed and our Council and the 49ers wanted a stadium in that location so badly that they just ignored the EIR.
No one seems to care about the residents who live on the north side. They are getting caught up in this awful traffic and can't go about their normal routines. Neighborhoods were supposed to be protected with 'neighborhood intrusion controls' to keep stadium patrons from parking up the streets---that didn't happen last Saturday, and residents are hopping mad about it.
We have a City Council which all live in the older, single family low-density residential area of Santa Clara, far from the stadium, so our council members don't have to experience the traffic that our north side residents experience.
See also SFGate's Fans share gripes about 1st Levi's Stadium experience.
Field of Schemes on the idea of a new stadium in Oakland.
How labor unions abused CEQA in Petaluma.
Labels: Bicycle Plan, CEQA, Parking


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Harvest began in greatconditions even though recent weeks have brought catchy weather, commentsRoger Vickers, Chief Executive of PGRO. Samples of peas and beans so far seenby the trade have generally been good – and there is a welcome increase in bothquality and quantity of marrowfat peas.
While poor conditions at harvest can adverselyaffect quality – peas in particular can be quick to bleach and discolour – themajority of the UK pea crops are now in store, those remaining inevitably beingfurther north.
Winter beans are approximately 50% harvested – butthe spring crop has barely begun – perhaps just 5% has been cut. Despitethe recent rains, conditions have not yet affected the quality of the majorityof bean crops – winter bean samples with a bright tan finish and a hint ofgreen colour have been the norm with less than average bruchid beetle damage.
Mr Vickers points out it is still too early fordefinitive comment on the outcome of harvest as a whole with crops yet to becut and so many samples to be evaluated. Crops have looked good all through thegrowing season and early indications are optimistic for yields above average,though in the case of marrowfat peas a few percentage points may have been lostwith premature senescence during the peak of the heat in July, and peas in thesouth east may have yielded a little lower than anticipated.
Chris Collings, Presidentof BEPA, points out that as with all crops, when prices fall, yield and qualityremain the key to maintaining margins: With harvest not complete,and the trading year only just starting, there is a long way to go and much canchange. Growers yet to combine should prioritise achieving good quality to thelast cut of harvest.
Looking at feed beans, the base value has followedwheat futures down, however, significant premium remains. Currently, ex farmvalues hover around 130/tonne. At this level there has been considerableinterest from the feed compounders for use in cattle and pig diets, displacingrape and soya meal. Buyers have shown a real appetite for the product and wouldappear to have laid a sustainable base for the market. This is excellent newsfor the market for both the current crop, and that of 2016.
For human consumption beans, uncertainty aroundavailability and quality from other markets remains. However, the UK crop isstill in demand and the issue slowing brisk trade is the availability ofcurrency for payment. Combined with UK produce quality being good so far, thesupply and demand situation is likely to put downward pressure on premiums inthe short term, currently running at circa 20-25/tonne.
Marrowfat peas remain in demand with prices rangingfrom 300 – 330/tonne ex depending upon quality and it is thought that thisvalue will be maintained.
Large blue pea prices suffered towards the end ofthe trading of crop 2014 and they remain under pressure. Low quality peas -typically bypassed vining peas – put a base price in the feed market discountedbelow feed beans at circa 120/tonne ex.
With some excellent blue pea yields, with many over5t/ha and some reported at circa 7t/ha, there is significant downward pressure.Prices range between 140-160/tonne ex depending upon quality – but for reallypoor crops the feed pea price beckons.
As for all pulse crops, we continue to stress thatmargins are dictated by yield and quality, adds Mr Collings.


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Estimates can be given over the phone or at the initial examination if requested. Payment is expected in full at time of discharge. We are dedicated to animals and therefore will do our best to work within the budget you have established for your pet's care.
Your regular veterinarian has the current price list at his disposal. In general, please expect a fee of roughly $400-$475 which includes an in-depth office call with physical examination, an echocardiogram with Doppler if needed, as well as an ECG as required. We'd love to talk to you for a more accurate estimate.
If blood work, radiology, or other additional diagnostic tests will be needed, an explanation will be given and your permission will be asked.
We take all major credit cards except American Express and Discover. We also accept checks and cash.


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You probably know how you want your site to look, but do you know what you want to say? Do you have time to write the content, make it cutting edge and commit to keeping it current and up to date?
Most growing businesses simply don't have time to maintain their website at the same time as delivering their services to clients. At Alex Goodey Communications this isn't a problem. We offer to maintain your site with such things as updates, news letters, blogging and social media management. We can keep you current at an affordable price.


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Couple head to Glastonbury to rally support for WaterAid
PUBLISHED: 15:44 24 June 2014
A Stockland couple will be heading to Glastonbury Festival to rally support for WaterAid and the charity's call to world leaders improve access to safe, clean water and improved sanitation for women and girls.
Caroline Rigby and her husband Brian Johnson will be working in the re-cycling team alongside an army of 200 WaterAid volunteers making a splash on Worthy Farm this year.
Volunteers will be giving out drinking water to festival-goers, collecting rubbish for recycling, and manning the She Pees tents and the African pit latrines – the quickest and most hygienic places to go to the toilet on site.
WaterAid will be leading the campaign at the music event this weekend and hope to get 35,000 signatures for its Change the Record petition, calling on governments to making water and sanitation a priority when they meet at the United Nations this September, and transforming the lives of women and girls. They will be leading the campaign at Glastonbury.
Caroline and Brian said "We are really proud to have been selected to represent WaterAid at Glastonbury. Access to safe water and improved sanitation really can transform lives. This will be a great opportunity to get fellow festival-goers thinking about the realities of life without safe water and toilets and to help engage thousands of people in such an important cause we feel strongly about."
Caroline is a community choir leader working in Somerset, who has supported WaterAid for 10 years through Sing for Water, and has helped raise thousands of pounds for WaterAid. Her husband Brian has worked in desert and mountain regions of the Middle East, where simply gathering the basics for life, like water and food can take enormous amounts of time and effort and knows at first-hand how important the provision of clean water, sanitation and hygiene can be when you are poor.
Each volunteer works shifts of four to six hours a day – the same amount of time many women and girls in the developing world spend collecting water, leaving little time for education.
Young women often have to drop out of school altogether when they hit puberty if there isn't anywhere private to go to the loo. With no choice but to go out in the open, millions of women and girls face an increased risk of assault, sexual harassment and animal attacks.
For more information and to help Change the Record visit www.wateraid.org/changetherecord
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Midweek Herald. Click the link in the yellow box below for details.


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The First Day Of December !
1 December 2011 Sunny and surprisingly warm No coffee has been consumed by me: the known coffee addict! Well folks, here we are– into the Holiday Season! We at Paul's Hat Works love… Continue reading
1 December 2011 Sunny and surprisingly warm No coffee has been consumed by me: the known coffee addict! Well folks, here we are– into the Holiday Season! We at Paul's Hat Works love… Continue reading
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 Foggy coldness abounds 1 cup of coffee cozied up in to go mug…. This morning I awoke to fog spreading over the horizon and dread spreading across my brow.… Continue reading
Thursday, November 17th, 2011 Rainy 1 cup o coffee, blueberry muffs in the oven! So, every year, courtesy of a loyal customer and friend, us Pauls get to go to the fancy shmancy… Continue reading
Date: November 10th, 2011 Coffee: Evening cup of tea (loose leaf fruity blend) Weather: Clear bright full moon night I recently returned from a quick jaunted in NYC for the annual Laughing Squid… Continue reading
Wednesday November 2nd, 2011 I can see the strict horizon and the ocean from the hat shop! Blue on blue and warm sun. Few pots of coffee have been consumed but I am… Continue reading
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011 Warmish 1 cuppa coffee Hear ye, hear ye, all you scruffy and unkempt folks in the world wide web cosmos (who live in San Francisco): You can now get… Continue reading
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 Weather: undecided OJ and Coffee, double fisting! Good morning all my online friends. As you might be reading this blog, you probably have other windows open, facebook, your email,… Continue reading
Tuesday, September 2oth, 2011 Sunny and Hot! Unheard of here in SF! 1 cup of coffee + 1 fruit smoothie Last week we received a long awaited package in the mail that traveled… Continue reading
Saturday, September 17th, 2011 Brisk and slightly sunny here in the Colorado Mountains 1 cup of coffee so far So in the last month or so we have been attending more 1920s events… Continue reading
July 16th 2011 Weather: Who cares I am shop bound all weekend and I love it! Coffee: "Becky, I will have tea." Paul 1 and 3 have returned and with them came the… Continue reading


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APTAPB Research // About Apta Research
APTAPTA is led by a group of professionals that have extensive practical experience in mature oilfield technologies. They also have a strong desire to keep the industry advancing and maintain a posture of innovative concepts and research. All of their research work, however, is intended to go to the field to be tested in commercial applications.
The research side of APTA can be best depicted in the graphic below. A very strong relationship is maintained with the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and its research center called the Center for Energy and Economic Diversification. Dr. Robert Trentham, geologist, Mr. Stephen Melzer, Geological Engineer and other key parties within APTA are working on research concepts together through APTA and UTPB.
2017 CO2 & ROZ School
August 8 - 11, 2017
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Midland College
PPDC Building
105 W. Ilinois Street
Midland, Texas
Click here for more information.
Recent Posts
- Residual Oil Zone Interview 1: Intro with Steve Melzer
- Residual Oil Zone Interview 2 : Vello Kuuskraa
- Residual Oil Zones Interview 3: David Mohrbacher EOR and IOR in Wyoming
- Residual Oil Zone Interview 4: Steve Melzer- CO2 EOR in the Permian Basin
- DOE/National Energy Technology Laboratory – Next Generation ROZ Study (Goldsmith Field)


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I have been in the travel industry for over 25 years and have extensive knowledge in planning memorable vacations.
You can choose from a wide-range of cruises worldwide and turn your destination daydreams into a dream vacation. Witness unique wildlife you won't see anywhere else in the world in Cape Town. Discover ancient ruins in the Greek Isles. Or kick back and relax in The Caribbean.
Whether you're hopping islands or crossing oceans, you'll enjoy Norwegian's award-winning fleet and experience the exploration of a lifetime.
Contact one of our agents to start planning today.
Free at Sea Terms: Valid on 3+ night sailings. Free at Sea choice(s) must be selected at least 24 hours prior to sailing and cannot be changed on board. Bookings made within 24 hours to departure can choose promotion at time of booking. Select choice offer(s) are based on number of nights. Offer is capacity controlled and can be withdrawn at anytime. Singles paying 200% of voyage fare qualify. Anything consumed above the promotional benefit will be the responsibility of the guest at prevailing rates. Guest cannot substitute or customize this offer. All guests in stateroom must choose same offer. Government taxes, port expenses & fees, discretionary onboard service charges and/or gratuities are additional. Cancellation Fees also apply based on the booking/sailing date; therefore, Norwegian Cruise Line strongly recommends the purchase of travel protection on all bookings. This is a cruise only offer. This promotion is not applicable on the land portion of Cruisetours or bundles. No components included in this offer have any monetary value, are non-refundable and non-transferable. Offer and combinability with other promotional offers is subject to change at any time per Norwegian Cruise Line's discretion. Other restrictions may apply. Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to cancel or withdraw this offer at any time. Applicable to NCL MIAMI, NCL INTL, AUSTRALIA, NCL BRAZIL, NCL MEA and NCL ASIA. Not applicable to CE or UK offices. This is a higher/lower level promotion.
Onboard Credit per Stateroom Terms: Offer is not applicable to categories IX, OX, BX or MX (Sail Away Categories).Onboard Credit is applied to the 1st and 2nd guest on the reservation.Offer applicable to 3+ night sailings.Offer is for new individual FIT reservations.Qualifying new individual FIT reservations can be moved into an existing FS or Traditional group and count towards tour conductor credits.Promotion cannot be held as a new or existing traditional or FS group block.Promotion is not applicable to Traditional Groups/Type: Affinity, Nettour, NettourC, CHARTERS, CMI OP EVENT, CMI OP LG EVENT, INCREG & INCLARGE.Promotion is not applicable to FS Groups/Type: Affinity, Nettour or NettourC (classification type).Promotion is applicable to gross groups only for the following offices: NCL BERNE, NCL FRANKFURT and NCL OSLO.Offer is not combinable with charter or inaugural sailings.Onboard credit is per stateroom, based on cruise length and category booked.Anything consumed above the promotional benefit will be the responsibility of the guest at prevailing rates.Onboard credit has no monetary value and is non-transferable. It may not be used toward on board service charges, pre-purchased activities or foreign exchange transactions.Singles paying 200% are entitled to full onboard credit value.Government taxes, port expenses & fees, discretionary on board service charges are additional. Cancellation fees also apply based on the booking/sailing date; therefore, Norwegian Cruise Line strongly recommends the purchase of travel protection on all bookings. Offer and combinability with other promotional offers is subject to change at any time per Norwegian Cruise Line's discretion. Other restrictions may apply.Applicable to NCL MIAMI, NCL INTL, AUSTRALIA, NCL BRAZIL, NCL ASIA, NCL MEA, NCL LONDON, NCL BERNE, NCL FRANKFURT, and NCL OSLO.This is a higher level promotion.IMPORTANT NOTICE: Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement without prior notice should the closing price of West Texas Intermediate Fuel increase above $65.00 USD per barrel on the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange Index). In the event a fuel supplement is charged, Norwegian Cruise Line will have sole discretion to apply the supplementary charge to both existing and new bookings, regardless of whether such bookings have been paid in full. Such supplementary charges are not included in the cruise fare. The fuel supplement charge will not exceed $10.00 USD per passenger per day Norwegian Cruise Line is not responsible for typographical errors or omissions. Ships' registry: BAHAMAS and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ©2020 NCL Corporation Ltd
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Next to the office building where I work, ExxonMobil just finished building a new gas station. I pass by it every day, and every day, I can't help but think about what a stupid, short term, investment that was.
We don't need another convenience store; there's a Walgreens around the corner. We don't need bad gas station coffee; there's a Starbucks only a few blocks away. So why are they building it?
Oh, for the gas you say. Well, we'll see about that.
One must have been living under a rock lately to have missed the electrical vehicle revolution started by a certain American made electrical car with a driving range of up to 280+ miles on one charge. With Tesla's CEO Elon Musk in the driver's seat and recently fueled by Volkswagen's diesel scandal, this trend has only one way to go; up, up and up. Said scandal, I believe, is what I'd like to call a blessing in disguise, as the only way for VW to come back from this nasty, fossil fuel scam, is to go all electric.
Volvo just announced their EV coming in 2019, Porsche is building a luxury EV to compete with Tesla's model S, Toyota has pledged to have a completely fossil-free fleet by 2050 (I think it will be sooner than that), Audi is making a whole line of electric cars, the list goes on…
Now that you've read this far into the post, it's time for the fossil-lovers, also known as the corrupt crew, to say their "we'll always need gas" line and their famous "your electricity comes from coal anyway" response. And don't forget the "they can't handle the battery disposal". Ok, thank you, great input, way to think outside of the box on your part, I appreciate your insight.
There's some truth to what "they" say. Heavy trucks, to name one type of vehicle, will probably run on gas or diesel for a while yet, and some areas are energized by coal or other fossils – for now. Trust me, that will change, there is no stopping solar. Toyota recently designed and built a solar driven power station for Yellowstone's Buffalo Ranch, using old Toyota Camry Hybrid batteries (deemed no longer suitable for the auto industry, but have many years left in other applications), and solar panels so the park can run off the grid, noise free, pollution free. There are endless possibilities for batteries.
Back to the new ExxonMobil gas station on my way to work. I'm talking a two lane, two way street, 35 mph speed limit. Not a highway, not a freeway. No heavy traffic comes through here. No trucks will need to stop here for gas. And in only a few years, neither will any cars.
Which commuter, in their right state of mind, will stop at a gas station in 90 degree heat or zero degree winter air, to fill up their tank in the morning, when they could have had the car fully charged in their garage during the night? Who will opt for that old technology; pulling over, getting out of the car, touching those germy handles and buttons, while smelling that gas smell? Writing that reminds me of days when one had to find a pay phone to call home and drive to blockbuster to rent a movie. Yeah, I don't think anyone misses that.
Commuting, less than 280 miles per day, is what most citizens use their cars for every day, meaning most will buy an EV when the market is ready. I plan on hanging around long enough to see more and more gas stations go out of business. I think we should turn the land into urban parks; grow trees, flowers, and have picnic tables. With all the newly found fresh air and noise free streets, thanks to our electrical, silent, zero emission vehicles, that makes for a pretty darn nice coffee break.
ExxonMobil, you rich bitch, I can't wait to see you go out of business.


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Board Game Recommendation: Dragon's Breath
Tiny Pieces, Big Fun (see what I did there?)
Tiny Pieces, Big Fun (see what I did there?)
We wholeheartedly recommend Race to the Treasure!
Zombie Kidz Evolution: teach your kids legacy style gaming, not post-apocalyptic survival.
Parenting is hard enough without having to justify television.
When we give our kids the chance to fail, it tells them we believe that they can succeed.
Pro-Tip: TV is a tool.
New Friends for Everyone
Apps for Toddlers
Another thought for Eff-This Fridays
Tiny Pieces, Big Fun (see what I did there?)
Dragon's Breath is a great little competitive game by HABA. The story goes that the 4 dragon kiddo's find an ice column filled with gemstones. Like all good dragons, they want all the shiny things. Unfortunately, ice columns are heavy. Upon realizing that the best way to get the gems is to melt the ice column, they enlist their fire-breathing dad to help. When the column is melted, they will be flush with treasure. And because kid dragons need to make everything into a competition, whoever gets the most treasure wins.
Dragon's Breath is an amusing game that encourages observation, turn taking, color recognition, counting, and fine motor control. The rules allow for sportsmanship, as well as younger player variants. As long as your kiddo is not inclined to eat plastic pieces, the players can be as young as 3 years old without too much difficulty. Younger children will need help setting it up, as it is not the easiest thing to get all the gems into the ice column. The only required reading is the instructions. Once the kiddo is taught the rules of the game, there is no further reading required. In order to play completely independently, they will need to be able to count to 30, be able to stack small objects, and take turns without argument. Otherwise, an older player will be required. As this is a super fun game, there is usually little difficulty getting an older sibling to comply.
Logistically, this is a small, light game that makes it easy for your kiddo to pick up and put it away without adult intervention. The components are high quality with nice tactile feedback. The gameplay is quiet, and really only as loud as the kids. The gameplay footprint is small, so you don't need much more than a box sized flat surface to play. The clean up is about as easy as it gets, as a majority of the gameplay actually involves stashing pieces back into the box.
Our 4 year old has been playing Dragon's Breath for about a year, and it is still in heavy rotation. It is a fantastic game that doesn't dumb things down for little ones and can be fun for most ages.
Please note: This is an unsolicited, uncompensated endorsement of this game. We are recommending this game because it's super fun, and it makes parenting easier.
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Thursday, April 24, 2014
Hanging By A Hair-Nancy J. Cohen
Hanging By A Hair Nancy J. Cohen Five Star Publishing, Apr 18 2014, $25.95 ISBN 9781432828141 Dalton and Marla Vail are excited to move into their new house in the Royal Oaks neighborhood. However, the couple runs into problems with their next door neighbor Alan Krabber who parks a boat in his driveway and begins construction of a fence on Vail property; both in violation of the Royal Oaks Home Owner Association's rules; which he as the pompous president believes need not apply to him but strictly enforced for everyone else. At a meeting to resolve the conflict, the home owners force an angry Alan to adhere to their constitution. The day after the tumultuous meeting, Krabber is found dead in what looks like a suicide. Palm Haven Police Department Detective Dalton initially leads the official inquiry, but is quickly taken off the case when the Home Owner Association incident between the victim and him becomes known. Though her mom designated her as Seder hostess for this Passover, which will eat up a lot of the hairstylist's time; not one to sit idly when her spouse is a prime suspect, Marla investigates only to find several Royal Oak homeowners and business owners with a grudge towards the vile obnoxious Krabber. One of them wants Marla only to taste bitter herbs. The latest Bad Hair Day Mystery is an enjoyable, timely (with Passover just ending) amateur sleuth as marvelous Marla balances solving the case without too many knocks and preparing for the family horde to descend on her and Dalton for the Seder. The whodunit is entertaining with many viable suspects and red herrings; while adding depth and deftly interwoven into the plot are references to Passover including recipes. Harriet Klausner
Posted by Harriet Klausner at 12:11 PM
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Canoeing Trip
I want to plan a canoeing trip in the Portland area for next weekend. Anyone have any ideas of where to go? I heard the Tualatin is good for a day on the river close to town.
Maybe the Santiam?
Any suggestions?
Posted by jess r. at 9:57 AM
1 comment:
- Joanna Goddard said...
what fun!!! i know nothing about the portland area, but i'd recommend lots of sunscreen and some tecates! :)
- July 31, 2009 at 8:55 AM
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Courtesy of Springfield Sports Information
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Thomas College men's basketball team ended a four-game winning streak in a 74-53 loss to Springfield College in the Hampton Inn West Springfield/Naismith Classic in Blake Arena on Saturday evening.
Now in its 31st year of existence, this year's Naismith Classic also features Fitchburg State and Wesleyan University. Tonight's win snapped Springfield's five-game losing skid as the Pride evened its record to 5-5, while the setback dropped the Terriers to 5-4.
Jake Ross led all scorers with 24 points to go along with six boards for the Pride, while both Brandon Eckles and Andy McNulty netted 14 points apiece. Springfield held a 43-34 edge on the glass, including a 17-6 advantage on the offensive boards, which resulted in 22 second-chance points.
Thomas was paced by an 18-point, seven-rebound effort from Carlos Gonzalez (Kennebunk, Maine), while five other players scored at least four points.
Springfield jumped out to a 5-0 lead following jumpers from Eckles and McNulty in the opening two minutes of the game and an inside finish by Kevin Durkin at the 13:02 mark gave the hosts a 14-8 cushion. Thomas would battle back to within 17-16 thanks to a putback by Lovegeurson Fleurine (Fort Pierce, Fla.) with 9:57 on the clock, but the Pride responded with a 7-0 push, capped off by a Ross finish in transition to regain a 24-16 advantage as Thomas called for a timeout at the 7:39 mark.
The Pride's would lead grow to 11 on a putback by Earle with 5:45 remaining and the hosts would head into the break with a 35-27 cushion.
Five-straight points by Ross in the opening three-plus minutes of the second half allowed Springfield to gain a 42-29 lead and the Terriers burned a timeout with 15:44 on the clock facing a 46-31 deficit after McNulty converted a fast-break bucket. Earle stroked a deep triple to make it a 53-31 contest at the 12:36 mark, only to have Thomas answer with 11-straight points to battle within 53-42 with 9:14 left. The Pride responded right back with an 8-2 run, using another trifecta from Ross to push the lead back to 17, 61-44, with 7:09 left.
The Terriers would get no closer than 13 and Springfield would lead by as many as 21 points twice down the stretch, with a bucket from Ben Diamond completing the game's scoring for the 74-53 finale.
The Terriers will face either Fitchburg State or Wesleyan University on Sunday, December 31 for the second day of the tournament.


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I resigned from my previous job about four months ago. And it was a highly traumatic experience. And my ex-boss got to keep the kids. Restraint of trade means I can't be with them anymore. To make it worse, I went to a competing agency, which is a little bit like infidelity. And my ex-boss made it clear that I had betrayed her. And I felt like a toad. Actually, I felt like a toad that had been run over by a truck.
The guilt was overwhelming. I nearly crawled back, begging for forgiveness. But the documents were signed and we were breaking up for good. But my little affair with my new job kept me going and I saw it through.
If a divorce is a bugger when pursuing greater things in your career, a real one must be a monster.
Then I saw some of my clients in the media, the final product of my work. And I missed them a little bit. I was a great parent and serviced the crap out of them. But I had to be a good parent to my new children.
Fortunately they were happy to welcome me into their family.
And the new job? It's great. It's a bigger family, and a warm and loving family. I've pretty much forgotten my past life. And I feel as though I have always been right here.
Did I betray my old boss? I don't think so. I don't think losing staff is much fun, but my new company is much, much better for me.
Am I a bad person for wanting something different? Absolutely not. It's about growth and happiness and sometimes you need to be just the slightest bit selfish.
Do I have any regrets? Nope, none. I'm very happy.
But I do miss my old children a little.


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Take charge of your checking account by following these five key strategies for managing withdrawals.
Funds may be withdrawn from your account in a variety of ways. It's difficult to predict how quickly a check that you have written or a purchase you have made will be deducted from your account.
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Always keep your account register up to date to ensure you have sufficient available funds in your account to cover the transactions you make.
Always assume that a check you write, a payment you make online, or a purchase you make with your debit card could be deducted immediately from your account balance.
Remember that processing times vary, based on merchants and your form of payment. Some merchant transactions take longer to process than others.
Don't forget about automatic bill payments, such as utility bills, gym memberships or insurance payments.
Regardless of how you keep track, you are the only one who knows all the checks you have written and the purchases you have made at any given time. To ensure your account balance is always accurate, record those checks and purchases right away. You can also take charge and keep track of your accounts by enrolling in
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Here is love, vast as the ocean
Loving-kindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout heav'n's eternal days
On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God's mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And heav'n's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love
When shame comes with accusation
Hear the Father's voice decree
"Now the Lord rebuke you, Satan;
This, my child, belongs to me."
All my sins you won't remember
"Not condemned", I will confess
You've exchanged my filthy garments
For your robes of righteousness
Now the risen Christ is pouring
Holy Spirit on us all
And with open hearts to heaven
We receive to overflow
We're preparing for His glory
There is so much more to come
And it's all for Him who's worthy
Jesus Christ, the Risen One
"Here is Love (Adapted)" words by Chris Haines and William Rees, music by Robert Lowry
Adapted from "Here is Love" by William Rees (Public Domain)
© 2017 Song Solutions Daybreak
CCLI no. 7093927 – View on Song Select


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A leader in providing marine insurance for more than 50 years.
Whether you need a monoline policy or your business requires complex multiline solutions, we will design the right policy with the right amount of coverage at the right price. Companies who operate domestically and abroad get the breadth of coverage they need with us.
Our Marine Products
Hull & Machinery
Provides protection against the physical loss of, or damage to, the vessel and its equipment, engines and machinery. We can provide additional coverages to give the client a truly custom package.
Protection & Indemnity (P&I)
P&I is the major form of liability insurance for commercial marine businesses. Our wide-ranging coverage protects its owners and operators against liability for bodily injury and third party damage. This can also be customized to provide added coverages in addition to the standard policy.
Marine General Liability (MGL)
Our Marine General Liability coverages provide legal protection for virtually every sector of marine businesses. We can design custom policies to address the specific needs of your operation.
Maritime Employer's Liability (MEL)
If you have employees who work on non-owned or -operated vessels, you may require Maritime Employer's Liability to ensure that you're covered in the event of an accident.
Coverage Packages
We design custom packages consisting of a wide range of coverages to meet the needs of any marine business. Don't see your class of business below? Contact us and our experienced team will create an insurance program for you.
Marine Builder's Risk
Coverage for shore side marine contractors from a company with expertise in the marine industry.
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Covering everything from property damage to bodily injury for marina owners and operators.
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Protect your yacht with a company that specializes in coverage for marine vessels.
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Vessels Covered
Whether you have one vessel or an entire fleet, let our expertise turn your insurance buying process into a seamless one.


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Former USC defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze has been hired as a defensive analyst at LSU. The move reunites Udeze with his college position coach, Ed Orgeron.
Udeze has been looking for a job since Clay Helton fired him after last season.
- Someone I know who is close to several members of the Board of Trustees said Lynn Swann was told new president Carol Folt would "frown upon" him attending last weekend's Masters. If true, Swann must really be wondering about working under such brutal conditions.
- Donna Heinel, the key USC figure in the college admissions scandal, has listed her Long Beach home for $1.9 million. Heinel bought the house in 2012 for $1.2 million. Former USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic has listed his Palos Verdes home for $2.5 million.


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Allied Health practices now have a new ally
Allied Health professionals now have a new choice and a new ally to help them provide improved patient payment and Health Fund claiming services. Tyro HealthPoint, an alternative to HICAPS, has recently been integrated with the Smartsoft Front Desk practice management solution. Ranging in size from five to thirty six practitioners, our early adopter practices include Podiatry, Chiro, Physio, Osteo, Naturopathy, Acupuncture, Exercise Physiology, Remedial Massage and Dietitians.
First impressions of the new Tyro HealthPoint Front Desk solution for both practice and patients have been especially positive in regard to the incredible transaction speeds being experienced, with payments processed in less than 1.6 seconds and claims assessed in 4.5 seconds.
Other features attracting favourable comment:
- Tap & Go/Pay Wave capability – Very popular with patients
- Integration that "just works" –multiple Front Desk workstations can share one integrated Tyro HealthPoint. This ultra-efficient and highly desirable configuration is easily achieved at minimal cost using the existing practice internet. Tyro HealthPoint is fully integrated with Front Desk.
- Easy installation – Just two connections are required, power and Ethernet cable to the practice network. No additional cables to the Front Desk workstations and no phone lines.
Allied Health is no different to many other small/medium business environments – it's extremely competitive. The smartest practitioners recognise that their patients do have a choice, so they need to differentiate their practice in any way they can. Now they have a new choice that immediately provides a fantastic "win-win" opportunity to do exactly that. Tyro HealthPoint provides simple, super-fast payments and Health Fund claiming, benefits that are appreciated by both the practice and their patient's.
Better payment solutions
Find out how Tyro payment solutions can help your business thrive.Find out more


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Volume is a staple of creating looks that are not only trendy but also youthful and flattering. Many have an understanding that hair extensions can only be used to achieve length, however this is simply not the case. In fact, hair extensions are more commonly use to create fullness and volume!
Hair extensions give volume to thinning hair!
If your natural hair is not a thick as you would like, hair extensions are a great way to combat thinning hair. One of the major benefits of hair extensions is that you can customize your volume. You can add a little or a whole lot to achieve the look you want.
We use Great Lengths Hair Extensions here at Monaco Salon. These extensions are top of line for many different reasons. Great Lengths utilizes only 100% human Remy hair. The cuticle layers are all facing the same direction so they do not tangle. The hair extensions behave exactly like your own hair, blending in superbly with yours and looking extremely natural!
Hair Extensions for natural looking hair!
With Great Lengths you can now have natural looking hair volume, one that looks effortless and flawless. If you hair is suffering from lack of volume, odds are that your creative ideas have been limited. Now, with the possibility of thickening your hair, the sky is the limit.
Great Lengths is really revolutionizing the way extensions work when it comes to hair volume! Now, you as the client can decide whether to thicken your hair and lengthen it. You can add crazy colored strands or if you prefer pastel colors, blended or dual toned colors, it's all up to you!Here at Monaco we believe that being smart with your hair means choosing Great Lengths Hair Extensions.
When it comes to hair extensions, we know quality!
It does not get any more quality than this! If you are ready to bring a little luxury and style to your hair, we have the solution. Hair volume is easy to achieve with our skill and expertise. No matter your hair goals, extensions are a good answer to your problems! Most hair styles can be achieved by simply adding extensions.
Now is the time to book your reservation with us! We would like to speak with you about what you are hoping to achieve with your hair. Give us a call today at (813) 870-1709.


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Back to calendarJoin the Knights of Columbus following the 8:30 a.m. Mass on the last Sunday of every month to pray the Holy Family Rosary. Children of all ages are welcome. Just bring your rosary!
Holy Family Rosary
Event Details
Starts: Sunday, Jun 30, 2019
Ends: Sunday, Jun 30, 2019
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