text: How to Reason Deductively Think Again: How to Reason and Argue Reasoning is important. This series of four short courses will teach you how to do it well. You will learn simple but vital rules to follow in thinking about any topic at all and common and tempting mistakes to avoid in reasoning. We will discuss how to identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments by other people (including politicians, used car salesmen, and teachers) and how to construct arguments of your own in order to help you decide what to believe or what to do. These skills will be useful in dealing with whatever matters most to you. Courses at a Glance: All four courses in this series are offered through sessions which run every four weeks. We suggest sticking to the weekly schedule to the best of your ability. If for whatever reason you fall behind, feel free to re-enroll in the next session.We also suggest that you start each course close to the beginning of a month in order to increase the number of peers in the discussion forums who are working on the same material as you are. While each course can be taken independently, we suggest you take the four courses in order. Course 1 - Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments Course 2 - Think Again II: How to Reason Deductively Course 3 - Think Again III: How to Reason Inductively Course 4 - Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies About This Course in the Series: Imagine that a friend denies that modus ponens is a valid form of argument. Can you prove that it is valid without using modus ponens itself and thereby assuming that it is valid? If so, how? If not, what does this show about the validity of modus ponens? How can phrases like "and", "or", "if", and "not" work as "truth-functional connectives"? In this course, you will learn how to evaluate deductive arguments for validity. In particular, you will learn new ways of representing the information that is contained in the premises of a deductive argument. Using these new representational devices (devices that we call "truth tables" and "Venn diagrams"), we will be able to apply rules to determine whether or not a particular deductive argument is valid. Suggested Readings: Students who want more detailed explanations or additional exercises or who want to explore these topics in more depth should consult Understanding Arguments: An Introduction to Informal Logic, Ninth Edition, Concise, Chapters 6 and 7 by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and Robert Fogelin. Course Format: Each week will be divided into multiple video segments that can be viewed separately or in groups. There will be short ungraded quizzes after each segment (to check comprehension) and a longer graded quiz at the end of the course.


text:
Cruz-Ramírez, Luis Alfredo, Mexico
Vol 7, No 15 (2015) - Natural Sciences and Engineering
Hormonal cell reprogramming of Anthurium andreanum embryos for massive micropopagation
Abstract PDF (Español (España))
Nova Scientia is a multidisciplinary, electronic publication that publishes twice a year in the months of May and November; it is published by the Universidad De La Salle Bajío and aims to distribute unpublished and original papers from the different scientific disciplines written by national and international researchers and academics. It does not publish reviews, bibliographical revisions, or professional applications.
Nova Scientia, year 12, issue 24, May – October 2020, is a biannual journal printed by the Universidad De La Salle Bajío, with its address: Av. Universidad 602, Col. Lomas del Campestre, C. P. 37150, León, Gto. México. Phone: (52) 477 214 3900, http://novascientia.delasalle.edu.mx/. Chief editor: Ph.D. Ramiro Rico Martínez. ISSN 2007 - 0705. Copyright for exclusive use No. 04-2008-092518225500/102, Diffusion rights via computer net 04 - 2008 – 121011584800-203 both granted by the Instituto Nacional del Derecho de Autor.
Editor responsible for updating this issue: Direction of Research Department of the Universidad De La Salle Bajío, last updated on May 15th, 2020.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
When I wrote that post I figured someone would be offended by it. Just didn't know it would be you, Happy.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Happy to Have Your Opinion
When I wrote that post I figured someone would be offended by it. Just didn't know it would be you, Happy.
34 comments:
- Nurse K said...
Happy's offended by rainbows, unicorns, and pretty red balloons because they don't read ABGs as good as he does, so don't worry. I'd be more worried if Happy agreed with something I said, actually.
- October 5, 2009 at 1:40 PM
- Doctor D said...
After all of Happy's posts about how fat smokers don't deserve to share the planet with runners like him, I would think Happy would be dancing in the streets if a non-productive junky removed himself from the FREE=MORE gravy train.
You did what you could. A bad man dies and you pronounce him. You smile at the irony. Isn't like you killed the dude.
Seems Happy just needed something to keep up his manic blog posting schedule up.
- October 5, 2009 at 2:16 PM
It isn't a big deal Doc Happy! Geeze. Dr. Grumpy didn't mistreat the guy- Dr. Grumpy just declared what he had always known- the DUDE WAS BRAIN DEAD!
Dr. Grumpy- as an RN, I've got your back. Happy hospitalist is just jealous you make more money than him. ;o)
- October 5, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- Ed said...
Maybe it was his Dad?
F*ck Happy!
- October 5, 2009 at 2:25 PM
- Doris said...
As I recall, you had the "this is potentially offensive" warning up for that post. Anyone offended after that is pretty much on his own, in my opinion.
Apparently 'appreciating irony' is the same as 'hating' in some folks' book.
- October 5, 2009 at 2:37 PM
I was at my old job for 16 years. One of the owners did not particularly like me though the other three did. My immediate boss had a lot of clout, so my job was safe.
In 2005, my company was sold. My immediate boss lost his clout and I was out the door within minnutes. No severance, no thank you very much. Nothing.
Fast forward a couple of years.
I heard through the grapevine that the very same owner who had been gunning for me had been let go by the company who had bought us out.
I wish no ill on the old owner and I sympathized with him being suddenly out of work, but I can tell you, I smiled for at least half an hour at that turn of events. I'm smiling now.
Of course, the laws of Karma are strict and I am being punished for 'wrong thinking.' Old owner now has me on his mailing list: I hear from him offering assistance with a specific service every month or two...
Haven't learned my lesson, I guess.
- October 5, 2009 at 3:06 PM
- Chrysalis said...
I was going to leave a comment over there, and then decided it was just time for me to go.
It isn't like you "let" the man die for crying out loud. You were just being human in noticing the irony of it all. If you could have, and it was within your power to do so, you would have worked to save his life.
I wasn't bullied in school much at all, but I can certainly understand what it is to be hurt by someone, and then learn something has come around for them. Most of us understood what you meant when you wrote that post.
It's awfully hard when there has been any past abusive situation, not to revert back to about that age, in that moment, and not feel like that kid looking out at things. We understood.
- October 5, 2009 at 3:32 PM
- The Duchess said...
If you were doing a touchdown dance and screaming "hell yeah!" after this person died, I might think that's offensive...but honestly. Is Happy fooling the world by claiming he never had an enemy in school? Give me a break.
I wouldn't take his post seriously...especially since you have to wade through a stupefying amount of ads to read his "posts."
- October 5, 2009 at 3:53 PM
- Mickey said...
I think Happy said it himself: he can't relate.
- October 5, 2009 at 3:57 PM
- auffer said...
Happy is athletic - Chances are he WAS the bully in school, as opposed to the bullied, so in this instance he is hit somewhat personally by the realization that someone might indeed smile were he to meet an untimely demise.
Your post had a disclaimer. He shouldve put his blinders on and skipped it.
- October 5, 2009 at 4:07 PM
All physicians are stuck ocassionally taking care of patients they don't personally like. As a jewish doctor, I've treated a luftwaffe veteran (he was proud of his service to his country), and a more than a few neo-nazi skinheads. Despicable people each and every one; but I took care of them professionally and my personal thoughts remained personal.
As an Doctor D said above, Happy also has patients he doesn't like. We're human.
- October 5, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Happy needs to build a bridge and get over it.
YOU had a disclaimer.
btw: its me peedee. I'm at the Apple store reading your blog. lol My iPhone took a shit this morning. =o
- October 5, 2009 at 4:49 PM
I want to live in the soft, fluffy, comfy world of Happy, wherein nothing bad happens to HIM, ergo, someone else's responses to such are WRONG, because he says so.
Privilege in a nutshell, folks.
Ill give a crap what he thinks after he's lived through it.
- October 5, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Nothing wrong with a little schadenfreude as long as it's not taken too far.
I've read Happy's blog before- I quit because it was so apparent that the guy was a nothing more than a jerk full of hot air.
- October 5, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Went over to Happy's place. They were all telling him to step back. No one saw anything wrong with your post, but that as long as you were professional, your human reaction is entirely understandable. I come to Dr. Grumpy for the snark. Don't think I'm going back to Happy's blog.
- October 5, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Don't even worry about Happy. He knows he'd feel the same way if he were in that situation. Sometimes, it just feels good to see someone get what they deserve. That's only human, and there's no way Happy could deny that.
I bet it would totally cream Happy's twinkie to be able to pronounce one of his enemies dead. He just won't admit it.
I know I'd certainly take pleasure in watching one of my enemies squirm if they ended up being treated by me when I finish nursing school. Of course, I would never do, or threaten to do, anything to harm them, but the "Oh, s**t!" look on their face when I walk in would be funny. And I have to admit that there are some people who I dislike so much that I wouldn't mind watching a doctor pronounce them dead.
Oh, balls... I guess Happy thinks I'm a terrible, terrible person now. Hahaha!
- October 5, 2009 at 5:59 PM
Maybe Happy would have done more to try to "save" him....When I was a resident, we got a patient from Podunk General via Careflight, only to find that he was BRAINDEAD on arrival (and most likely for a while prior to arrival). So we had to break the news to the unexpecting family....At least he got a helicoptor ride! I think it gives everyone closure in a strange way....
- October 5, 2009 at 6:11 PM
- The Mother said...
It's almost impossible not to offend someone.
We, though, loved it.
- October 5, 2009 at 7:38 PM
I would have found some joy in it too. seeing karma come around is a great way to restore some faith in the universe.
- October 5, 2009 at 8:03 PM
- Gert said...
I learned quite awhile ago that Happy is an ass. I took him off my bookmarks and never check him out anymore. Whatever he posts is designed to increase the traffic to his blog and increase his $$$. He does take great dog photos, though.
But your blog I check morning and night! I love your attitude. I agree, it isn't like you wanted him dead...you were just able to appreciate the irony. As would I in your shoes.
- October 5, 2009 at 10:23 PM
- J-Quell'n said...
LOL @ anon..."cream Happy's twinkie"
I wonder if this hospitalist you speak of really is happy? Me thinks not so much. Perhaps he needs to take some fucitol?
- October 5, 2009 at 11:45 PM
I'm with Ed Adams on this one.
- October 6, 2009 at 12:32 AM
It sounds like a case of sour grapes to me, Dr Grumpy! Ignore the jealous nutter!
- October 6, 2009 at 7:54 AM
Dr. G, as I'm sure you've noticed....some people need to be offended. It'll do them good.
- October 6, 2009 at 8:42 AM
I'm sure I'll get piled on for saying this: it did not seem to me like Happy was offended at all. He just didn't relate to the emotions of the post.
I thought your post was funny, Dr. Grumpy. Although I wouldn't gloat over the death of someone like this (and you weren't really gloating, either), I wouldn't be able to help but see the irony of the moment. It was definitely a mastercard moment!
OK, pile on.
- October 6, 2009 at 11:03 AM
- Fordo said...
Happy's an idiot. He spends most of his blog life offending someone. Its kind of cool he got some of the same.
- October 6, 2009 at 11:24 AM
You cant get rid of human nature, Im not surprised Happy cant relate...
- October 6, 2009 at 12:27 PM
- The Nice Lady said...
I rather like knowing that there is a doctor out there that's got a human feeling or two in his heart.
I've been up close and personal with more than one doc that had the personality of a doorknob on top of thinking that their shit didn't stink.
I like to imagine that you're really a great sympathetic, caring guy who does all he can for his patients who aren't "freaking whackjobs". And even then, you do all you can for them stopping at the point of actually supporting the whackyness.
So... SUCK IT HAPPY! If you live through being bullied, and don't feel that what happened to Ibee isn't a priceless moment than you have completely lost touch with any shred of humanity you ever had.
Oh wait... maybe you WERE the bully. Trust me Happy, karma's a bitch.
- October 6, 2009 at 3:11 PM
Thought an earlier commentator noted that Dr. Happy was AUTISTIC, and I was going to agree...surely a touch of Aspergers at least in his inability to relate with us mere humans....
Mark, RN
- October 6, 2009 at 3:12 PM
My life has improved immeasurably since I stopped reading Happy's blog and started reading yours.
You're real. You have sympathy for people, and empathy even when you don't necessarily agree with a person's choices. Happy just wants fatties and smokers to die while he stands around "directing" the code and earning another "World's #1 Doctor" medal.
Keep on keepin' on, Dr. G. You're leagues better than Happy, in every way.
- October 6, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Dx 301.9, Unspecified personality disorder NOS - lacks sense of humor.
- October 6, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Happy Hospitalist is a prick. I hope he keeps going back to read these comments out of arrogance just to find even more people calling him an asshole. Now, do I sign in with my name so he can find my own blog and give me shit about it? (even though I haven't posted in ages). Nah. Fuck you, Happy. Get a life. And leave Dr. Grumpy alone. We like him.
- October 8, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Self-righteous blowhards like Happy are the same guys who refused to pay medschool class dues because there would be beer at the annual picnic. Sheesh...
- October 16, 2009 at 3:30 PM
I believe my thought on reading that post was "couldn't have happened to a nicer guy"
- April 20, 2010 at 8:14 PM


text:
(Take Time--starting at $15)
Are you looking for a great gift or something beautiful to decorate your home with?
I want to introduce you to A Great Impression, it is a Christian company that makes these amazingly beautiful and easy to apply vinyl decals to beautify your walls and just perfect for any home. They come in all shapes and sizes are a wonderful inspiration--just take a look at all their loveliness:
They have something special for every room in your house---
weddings, holiday, and decorative elements...
(1 Samuel Nursery Wall Art--starts at $26)
(Beauty is in the Eye of Beholder--starts at $22)
The Giveaway
Delight Yourself in the Lordvinyl wall decals (small size-value of $28).
There will be two winners chosen and they will get to pick the color they want for their walls!
All you need to do to enter is leave a comment and your email if you do not have a blog!
- Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter (2 entries each, leave 2 comments)
- Join A Great Impression on Facebook, subscribe to their email updates or follow their blog. (2 entries, leave 2 comments)
- Visit A Great Impression and share with us your favorite pick. (3 entries, leave 3 comments)


text:
The Alternative To Brothels.
Girls That Don't Chanrge By The Hour
The Largest Married Dating Site. A discreet and confidential extra marital affairs dating service for women and men… Join Free Now!
Tired of Cold Disinterested Enounters?
The UKs Largest Married Dating Site. A discreet and confidential extra marital affairs dating service for women and men… Join Free Now! Mullet Point
Roxanne,Full gfe in Mullet Point
Hello Gentlemen! My name is Eleanor. I do independent escort services for Gentlemen and couples. I have happy (...) Mullet Point
Jasmine NEW NEW NEW GIRL HERE
Tired Of Fake Boring Ladies? 1OOO% INDEPENDENT / REAL Upscale Safe Playful (...) Mullet Point
Mullet Point MY Place/Your Place GREAT body 20yr
Welcome. My name is Lana (40's). I am a mature, naturally busty (38HH) blonde, an accomplished escort, standing (...) Mullet Point
Mullet Point Hi boys! I'm Daisy your Argentinian Obsession
Hello gays I'm student here I m very sexy girl I'm students I'm like party my services is very Beaty I'm (...) Mullet Point
Brothels Mullet Point
Not all females share my fate. Numerous ladies are dating guys who they do not enjoy, since they desire their cash and to be spoiled.
I have actually even checked out about Khaleeji ladies who offer up their bodies (of course, not their virginity) to desperate Saudi males under the scenario he 'spoils' them with a costly purse or shoes. These females are not to blame. I do not think prostitutes ought to be condemned or thought about inferior simply since they offer their bodies, however something is awfully incorrect when ladies are doing it for overly-inflated designer bags and silicone breasts gfe, dfk, flirt, swingers, women seeking men, men seeking women, personals, relationship, sex dating, adult dating, meet for sex, yoni massage, foot massage, deep tissue massage, swedish massage, sports massage, naked massage, b2b, full body, GFE, CIM, OWO, DT, Party, ATM, BBBJ, BJ, COB, COF, COT, DATY, Deep Throat, DFK, Duo, Quickie.
Numerous females are dating males who they do not like, due to the fact that they desire their cash and to be spoiled. The political, financial and social structures that control many of the world are deeply affecting why females are looking for relationships based on wealth rather than based on love. Ladies as sex items and sex vixens offer the impression of power to the ignorant observer, however in the long term, there is no wholesome advantage when females objectify themselves. I have actually not done comprehensive research study on trafficked females, however I would like to do so in the future. I might never ever comprehend why these lovely females would work on the street and have pimps (guys who take their cash).
I have actually not done substantial research study on trafficked females, however I would enjoy to do so in the future. It is well understood that there are young Iraqi prostitutes in Syria and in other places in the Middle East ... catering to Saudi male sex travelers. Without a doubt these ladies do not select to be prostitutes, however rather they have no option in between doing it or starving escort agency Mullet Point, cheap escorts Mullet Point, escort service Mullet Point, irish escorts Mullet Point, escort girl Mullet Point, mature escorts Mullet Point, adult escorts Mullet Point, cheap escorts Mullet Point, bbw escorts Mullet Point, local escort Mullet Point, indian escort Mullet Point, independent escorts Mullet Point, irish escorts Mullet Point, exclusive escorts Mullet Point, japanese escorts Mullet Point, pornstar escorts Mullet Point, black escorts Mullet Point, vip escorts Mullet Point, high class escorts Mullet Point, asian escorts Mullet Point, russian escorts Mullet Point, anal escorts Mullet Point, english escorts Mullet Point, scottish escorts Mullet Point, thai escorts Mullet Point, milf escorts Mullet Point, cougar escorts Mullet Point, granny escorts Mullet Point, blonde escorts Mullet Point, female escorts Mullet Point, british escorts Mullet Point, pakistani escorts Mullet Point, incall/outcall escorts Mullet Point, escort reviews Mullet Point, 24 hour escorts Mullet Point, escort near Mullet Point.
I might never ever comprehend why these stunning females would work on the street and have pimps (males who take their cash). Later on I found out that these females had a bad idea of self-governance, and were completely reliant on their pimps for survival (unfortunate, certainly). The guideline stays that just females with pimps are permitted to walk in the designated 'high-track' location-- however this practice of 'classy' track has actually nearly vanished in current years.
Individuals tend to believe sex servants are restricted to poorer nations. They exist all over. In the West, there are constantly stories about ladies who were drawn to an abundant nation in intend to discover a good task, yet they get pushed into sexual slavery to repay their supposed financial obligations adult massage, asian massage, body to body massage, chinese massage, erotic massage, happy ending, massage parlours, massage therapist, massage therapy, masseur, nude massage, nuru massage, oriental massage, sensual massage, sex massage, tantra massage, tantric massage, thai massage, adult erotic massage, vivastreet, backpage escorts, punternet.
When I started to work as a classy escort, I likewise experienced 'high-track' females. These ladies all have pimps. In the sex market, elite is more associated with costly ladies more so than real class.
Low-track sex employees are what lots of individuals presume is associated with the typical prostitute: drug-addicted ladies offering their bodies for next-to-nothing or for drugs. I have actually never ever experienced one of these ladies, as they exist in another world completely various than the 'elite' world of prostitution. No one understands how or why these females ended up in such a desperate, unsafe and susceptible location.
The political, financial and social structures that control many of the world are deeply affecting why ladies are looking for relationships based on wealth rather than based on love. It likewise can be stated these elements are affecting guys to see females as things that can be basically "utilized" for sexual functions just. Ladies as sex items and sex vixens provide the impression of power to the ignorant observer, however in the long term, there is absolutely no wholesome advantage when females objectify themselves.
call girl Mullet Point, brothels Mullet Point, prostitutes Mullet Point, hookers Mullet Point, sluts Mullet Point, whores Mullet Point, gfe Mullet Point, girlfriend experience Mullet Point, shagging Mullet Point, dogging Mullet Point, fuck buddy Mullet Point, hookups Mullet Point, free sex Mullet Point, sex meet Mullet Point, nsa sex Mullet Point


text:
(Ex VAT)
(Inc VAT)
Safe and Secure online shoppping
The Shield Resist-a-Flame Slimline Showcase White Aluminium Frame Noticeboard has a deluxe contoured frame.
Contemporary styling, heavy duty construction and aluminium framing creates a deluxe covered noticeboard. Available in range of six popular sizes and a wide variety of colours. Fire retardant version fully constructed and tested to meet the latest building and fire regulations. Ideal for use in public buildings and industrial applications. Independently tested and fully classified as B-s1, d0 according to BS-EN 13501-1. Single door versions can be mounted portrait or landscape, with hinge to side, base or top; but do not include support stays. Made in the UK.
|Size (W x H)
|Single Door
|60 x 90cm
|Single Door
|90 x 90cm
|Single Door
|90 x 120cm
|Single Door
|120 x 120cm
|Double Door
|180 x 120cm
|Double Door
|240 x 120cm
Call Us: 01592 654 549


text:
Animal lovers will attest to the power of a four-legged friend when there are no words to ease the pain.
A group of golden retrievers traveled from Illinois to Newtown, Connecticut, the day after a gunman killed 27 people in the tight-knit community. The town is mourning 20 children and six adults who were victims of the mass shooting in Sandy Hook Elementary School, and the shooter's mother who was killed in her home.
The organization Lutheran Church Charities brought the dogs to give comfort to anyone there in need. Chewy, Ruthie, Abbi, Prince, Luther, Maggie, Hanna, Barney, and Shanni are the therapeutic canines offering a calm, loving presence. They give children and adults a reason to smile after disasters and crisis.
Find out more about the special service they're providing in Newtown and how they train them in Gary Tuchman's report at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.
UPDATE Watch tonight's report:
This is a dumb idea. Some people are allergic to dog hair and/or don't like dogs and are afraid of dogs (dogs bite and kill)!!
I just would like to say that this comment of dog allergies, and biting and killing is beyond crazy, they are trained (if you notice the blue vest there wearing) if they were a threat in anyway they wouldn't be there. Thank you
Anderson, thank you so much for your coverage tonight from Sandy Hook. You showed great compassion and love to the families and for the the victims.There are no words that can express how so many of us feel but our hearts go out to the families. The children are so beautiful and ourprayers are with them.
We all need Life 101, learning to deal with frustrations and set backs in a non-violent manner. Coping techniques need to be learned by all. Then the disruptions in life can be dealt with early, not accumulating to an extreme frustration or anger and possible subsequent dangerous action.
I totally agree with you Gertrude ..the entertainment industry needs to wake up to the violence that our young are exposed to ..and parents need to provide mentally healthy activities for their kids ..whatever happened to Monopoly and kick the ball ? the video games are way too violent ,even cartoons have too much violence in them I took my 3 yr old granddaughter to see Ratatoulle and she was so scared we spent the whole show time in the lobby cause the first scenes she's blasting a gun at the mice
Anderson-Please check out Lutheran Church Charities and its leader before allowing your program to grab time to solicit funds for their charity-A friend went through them to acquire a therapy dog and they collected hundreds of dollars from her church and never received a dog for her handicapped daughter. This man is a fraud. Th dogs are beautiful and all golden retrievers are natural therapy dogs. We raised them and rescued them for years. He is not a trainer and has no credentials.
I am glad they brought the children some happiness – now he will pounce on the publicity and make a profit from it.
Janet, I personally know many of the people that work at LCC and I can tell you that I have never met such hard-working self-sacrificing people in all my life. Whenever there is a need, they are there to help. They weekly communicate needs and at the same time, share how generous people have meet those needs, too. I know nothing of your experience that you mentioned, but I can tell you that each of them would do what they could to right a wrong. Through the Comfort Dogs and the many other ways they serve, like helping in Haiti, Lutheran Church Charities continues to be a shining light in a dark and often confusing world.
I, too, know Tim and some of the staff at LCC. I have no knowledge of the lapse in service, so cannot comment on it. However, knowing Tim and LCC there would be no malicious intent. They are committed to their mission to "to further the Kingdom of God by touching lives in need with the Presence of Jesus Christ by ministering to their physical, spiritual and emotional needs." (From the LCC Facebook page)
Has this video been posted? It won't play for me. I think it's a great idea – Golden Retrievers are the perfect dog for this!
CNN- please post the web link for this organization. The video is "no longer available" and it just seems like it would be a great gift (to send a donation to them in someone's name). Thanks.
I am deeply sorry about the tragic events that unfolded earlier involving these innocent kids. I do believe that people should consider the allergic reaction to animals BEFORE they assume that everyone has the same tolerance level for pets. Personally, "I hate dogs." All dogs (cats even moreso).
Don;t assume that these 4 legged "sneeze" and "cough" factories are a saving grace for all. Keep them away!!!
Great that dogs can be brought in~bring more and make available to all who wish to use this resource. These dogs create miracles and will make a huge difference in the quality of llfe of primary and secondary victims.
What a perfect "job" for those beautiful animals - I am sure they bring momentary comfort and peace to those who need it most. And thanks to their two-legged friends who are devoted to their training.
I hope they can use comfort dogs when the children go back to school. This might make things a little bit easier for them. Dogs are amazing creatures and good listeners too! Thank you for your compassion during this awful tragedy, reporting this must be an emotional roller coaster for all of you.
I appreciate your coverage. I am a school counselor and there are so many gaps in how we get kids the help they need. Thanks for looking at all the angles.
HELLO...aren't there SEVEN adult victims!!!! Why doesn't anyone include Nancy Lanza in the list of those killed by Adam? Isn't she a victim as well?
Unimaginable tragedy... I cried all weekend for those parents and families. Since we can't stop the guns or the insane mentally ill people, we as communities should look at the way the schools are built. Build in safe rooms for students and teachers to get to. I realize the cost would be tremendous, but in light of the latest heartbreaking events, it would certainly be worth every penney if even one person is saved. Even if it's a tunnel for them to crawl through... something to help the courageous teachers keep their kids safe.
I don't believe building safe rooms within schools is the answer...those that intend on taking innocent lives have found them in theatres, shopping malls and block parties...and where ever people assemble...churches, sporting events, concerts, subways.. the list is endless. The onus is on each one of us to be visual in our surroundings and of the people in our lives.
Anderson, I'm amazed that nobody has mentioned the 1999 Surgeon General Report indicating that the biggest void in our health care system is Children's Mental Health. 14 years later and we still have a dysfunctional mental health system.
we need to address along with gun control the violence on TV Movies and ugly Video Games
that children to young are allowed to own, and view. Also more attention needs mental
health of children. thank you
That's really nice, I'm sure the dogs will be of great comfort.
There are no words one can say.


text:
The Best Western Night Watchman motel evacuated guests as a precautionary measure on Sunday evening after high levels of carbon monoxide were discovered in the pool and lobby area.
The Best Western Night Watchman motel evacuated guests as a precautionary measure on Sunday evening after high levels of carbon monoxide were discovered in the pool and lobby area.
Kiowa County 911 received a call at about 3:10 p.m. on Sunday from a desk clerk at the Night Watchman after a group of local 4-H children and parents, who were attending a Christmas party at the motel, reported having severe headaches and feeling nauseous.
Kiowa County EMS, Kiowa County Sheriff's Department and Kiowa County Fire Department all responded to the call.
"When the fire department arrived they determined that there was a gas leak," said Night Watchman owner Ron Wright, who was out-of-town on family business at the time. "All of our rooms are electrically heated, but the pool is not. We narrowed it down to the pool's heater. We shut [the heater] off and I believe that within minutes the levels had been reduced."
Wright said he believed it was not a mechanical failure of the heating system, but a combination of the exhaust system design and heavy winds may have caused the leak.
Kiowa County Fire Chief Jay Koehn would not release the exact detected levels but said that the carbon monoxide readings taken by his department were "high" and concentrated in the enclosed indoor pool area and adjacent lobby.
Wright said he believed none of the rooms in the hotel were affected by the leak. He said the evacuation was precautionary and they began renting rooms within a few hours.
Front desk attendant and Haviland resident Debby White called 911 when children and adults began complaining about feeling ill.
"Our front desk did an amazing job," said Wright. "When you train from a manual you can cover emergency situations, but you can't teach that emergency instinct. Debby and her staff did a super job. I have nothing but positive things to say about them."
Repairmen from 5 Star Mechanical, a Wichita firm, were at the motel on Monday morning to evaluate the heating system.
Wright said they had not made any recent repairs or modifications to the heating system, although they had been looking into installing a dehumidifier to reduce condensation in the pool area.
City Administrator Ed Truelove confirmed the building had passed inspection prior to its opening in fall 2010 and that such inspection would have included mechanical and HVAC systems such as the pool heater.
Kiowa County EMS Director Chad Pore, Rosa Spainhour and two additional EMT's responded to the 911 call, spending approximately 10 minutes at the motel before transporting about 10 people to the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Pore said that some parents and children had already left for the hospital before they arrived.
The county hospital is located across the street from the motel.
"When we arrived there were still about 15-20 people on location that may have been exposed," said Pore. "Our immediate goal was to remove them from the location and get them to the hospital where they could receive treatment. Fortunately most of the symptoms we saw were headaches, some nausea and perhaps some difficulty breathing and not symptoms like the cherry red skin. We didn't see symptoms that indicated a possible fatal amount of exposure, which was very fortunate. No one was unresponsive; we didn't see any seizure activity, which are bad signs. From our standpoint, there were still people that needed treatment but we didn't feel there was anybody that was critical."
Carbon dioxide poisoning occurs when high levels of the scentless, tasteless and initially undetectable gas are inhaled for prolonged periods of time.
Small amounts in the air can produce mild symptoms within a few hours, while higher levels can cause death within minutes.
"From what I have gathered some of the kids started to not feel very good and the adults recognized very quickly that something was going on," said Pore. "I think they had a bunch of people showing up that felt OK, and within a matter of minutes they felt something wasn't right. That really benefited everyone the most, that they recognized it quickly."
It is estimated that exposure varied from a few minutes to upwards of an hour.
Some guests arrived between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. for a 4-H meeting and some arrived between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
"I'm thankful that there was a group of people there. Not because more people got sick, but my fear is one person taking a swim and getting seriously injured," added Pore. "Or if there hadn't been a party at all and the gas builds up and leaks into the entire hotel while people are sleeping. Had they not found out when they did, it could have been a lot worse down the road."
Kiowa County Memorial Hospital Administrator Mary Sweet said the hospital treated 34 people for symptoms relating to the leak.
The hospital didn't transfer anyone to a critical care facility and everyone treated was released the same day.
Treatment for non-critical carbon monoxide poisoning is prolonged high volume oxygen.
Rhonda Brown a 4-H parent who had been at the party and was treated at the hospital said on Monday that as far as she knew the children and parents were all recovering and feeling better.
"We were really lucky that the kids got out of there and everyone is OK," said Brown. " The hospital, the EMS, the fire department was wonderful to us. We basically bombarded them and they did great. I have a little bit of a headache today, but otherwise I feel alright."


text:
Online citations, reference lists, and bibliographies.
About Citationsy
Chrome Extension
Mobile Apps
Citationsy Archives
Release Notes
Privacy Policy
What's New?
Magic Import™
Do you have existing references in a PDF or Word document? With Citationsy's
Magic Import™
you can import them into your Citationsy project by copying and pasting them. Sounds like magic? That's because it is.
Try it out in one of your project or
watch a video demonstration here
Citationsy × Scribbr
We have partnered with the only plagiarism checker that uses the
database to offer Citationsy users an exclusive 10% discount on plagiarism checking. Click the new
Plagiarism Checker
tile on the home page to find out more.
Word Downloads fixed
Some users were having problems with downloading their bibliographies as Word documents, but this should now be fixed.
If you still run into a problem with downloading files, please email
Custom Shortlinks
If you want you can now choose custom shortlinks for your public reference lists.
Read more about public lists
Monthly Payments
In addition to the existing yearly pricing, we now have monthly pricing. You can pay for Citationsy Pro on a month-by-month subscription basis.
See more here
Sign in with Apple
You can now use "
Sign in with Apple
" to use Citationsy. This only works for new accounts.
Public Reference Lists
Need to share your references with someone else?
Maybe in a tweet, a presentation, Linkedin post, or class?
You can now do this with Citationsy!
You even get a cool short-link like this: https://citat.io/ns+MhRx
Give it a try by clicking the new "Public Sharing" button in the sidebar.
Read more
Arabinose Operon
Cite This
Cite this paper in Citationsy (it's free!) →
Download PDF
Download via oaDOI
Download via OAB
Download via LibKey
Download via Google
Google Scholar
Analyze on Scholarcy
Share this paper
Use this link to share this page publicly


text:
let's get real...i'm wearing this outfit a lot.
sometimes i buy things that are trendy. but if they're on trend, i won't pay a lot of money for it. like leopard shoes. honestly, these will go out of style. but at $8, i say why not. even if i wear them for 4 months, that's worth it.
so here's some things worth buying/searching for in your closet in 2013. if you're a mom.
black skinny jeans.
boyfriend jeans.
a blazer.
a loose/silky blouse.
coral. people say pantone was the color of the year, i say it's coral.
polka dots.
colored belts.
colored pants.
modesty. it never goes out of style.
here i am looking sort of like an ass modeling this stuff, but go with it. it's called dress up for mom's. everyone should take some time and go through their closets and play dress up. see what works. see what makes you look like nerd-face.
so here's what i slapped together.
these belts are from forever 21 for $5. get the minty one. it will freshen your outfit up. pun intended!
what are my kids doing while i'm playing dress up?
trying to fit into small buckets.
lila was lathering lipstick on her face while playing dress up with me. good times.
and just for fun. to make your eyes hurt a little...


text:
Social Processes and Heartbleed, Part 1
gets still with us?
Well, it finally happened: We have seen a severe, widely publicized buffer-overrun bug, with wide-reaching effects, that will be difficult, slow, and expensive to fix. I think it is safe to say that all over the world, software managers are saying to developers: "Why didn't you warn me?" and many of those developers are answering: "We did; why didn't you listen?"
There is a constant tension in software development between doing it right and doing it quickly, and this tension is particularly visible in the area of security. So for the next few weeks, I am going to explore this tension. Two aspects of this tension are particularly important:
- It doesn't matter how good a solution is to a problem if no one uses it.
- It doesn't matter if someone fails to use a good solution for a good reason or for a bad one.
Let's begin with a seemingly trivial example: the
gets function in the C standard library. This function takes a pointer as its argument; it reads characters from the standard input stream into consecutive memory addresses starting where the pointer points. It stops reading when it encounters end of file or a newline character, whichever comes first. If it encounters a newline character, it does not place that character in memory. When it is done, it appends a null character. As a result, what the programmer sees is whatever came from the standard input as a null-terminated C string, minus the newline character, if any, that ends the input line.
This function is both limited and convenient. C programmers often use it to read from the standard input in situations such as:
char input[100]; printf("Yes or no?\n"); gets(input); /* and so on… */
For at least 30 years, many members of the C programming community have known that
gets is unsafe and cannot be made safe. The reason, of course, is that its (only) parameter is a pointer to memory in which it is to place its result, and there is no way for
gets to find out how much memory is available for its use. As a result, if there are enough characters in the standard input before the next newline,
gets is guaranteed to overwrite the memory that it was given; no action on the programmer's part can prevent this overwriting.
Partly because of
gets' lack of safety, it has a companion named
fgets. This function takes three arguments: a pointer to memory into which to store data, an integer that gives the size of that memory, and a stream from which to read. One might think, therefore, that the previous code fragment could be made safe by rewriting it this way:
char input[100]; printf("Yes or no?\n"); fgets(input, 100, stdin); /* and so on… */
Unfortunately, there is one more difference between
gets and
fgets: If
fgets stops by reaching a newline character, it includes that newline character as part of the input, whereas
gets excludes the newline. Therefore, this rewrite doesn't work: In order to achieve the same result, it is necessary to delete the newline if it is there. One might imagine doing so this way:
/* This code doesn't work! */ char input[100]; printf("Yes or no?\n"); fgets(input, 100, stdin); char *last = input + strlen(input) – 1; if (*last == '\n') *last = '\0'; /* and so on… */
This code fails in an obscure edge case: If it is executed when the standard input stream has consumed all available characters but has not yet reached end of file, then
fgets will effectively return a null string by making
input[0] a null character. If that happens,
strlen(input) is zero, so
last will point to the character immediately before
input. The result of this code fragment would therefore be undefined; fixing the problem is left as an exercise for the reader.
Once upon a time, I worked in an organization in which one of the managers was security-conscious enough to demand that
gets be removed from the local C library. The result of doing so was constantly having to rewrite code that we got from elsewhere. It is not hard to imagine the resulting conversations:
--You know that code you sent me? We had to rewrite part of it so that it didn't use
--What do you have against
--<long explanation>
--Oh, that's interesting.
--We'll be happy to send you the revised code if you like.
--Sure, go ahead — but I can tell you right now that we're not going to be able to do anything about it; we can change code like that only if a customer complains.
Despite its known insecurity,
gets was part of the C89 and C99 standards. It was finally removed from the C2011 standard; but when I checked my local implementation, it was still there. Even more interesting to me is that to my knowledge, there is still no function in the C library that is a safe, convenient alternative to
I'd like to invite the C developers reading this to start a discussion: Did you know that
gets was unsafe before you read about it here? Does your shop have a policy on the use of
gets? Have you ever rewritten code to avoid using it? Anything else you want to tell us? I'll continue the discussion next week.


text:
Please select a store to view pricing and availability.
* Estimated stock levels as of Tue, Sep 22, 2020. All items subject to prior sale. Prices may vary between stores and online. Please call ahead to confirm availablity of items marked as Limited Stock.
1/4-inch x 1/4-inch FIP x MIP Brass Lead-Free Bar Stock 45-Degree Street Elbow
|Female x Male
|For Use With
|Water, natural gas, and air lines
|Outside Diameter
|1/4 in
|Prop 65 Warning
|WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including LEAD, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
|1/4 in x 1/4 in
|45-Degree Street Elbow
Please select a store to view pricing and availability.


text:
In partnership with Bow Valley College Learner Success Services, you may be eligible for a 25% tuition reduction* when enrolling as a new Walden student in any degree program.
When you learn online with Walden, you have access to a dynamic learning experience that exposes you to real-world scenarios presented by faculty who are experts and practitioners in their fields. Throughout your coursework, you will explore the latest theories and best practices in your industry and be able to put your new knowledge to work immediately in your organization. Thanks to our engaging online learning model, you can learn on your schedule and participate in classes on a weekly basis whenever it's convenient for you.
*Only one tuition-reduction benefit may be applied to tuition.
Many countries have their own accrediting bodies, and degree recognition differs from country to country. Prospective students who reside outside of the United States are advised to review accreditation requirements for their own country to confirm recognition of their Walden program of choice.
Walden offers many degree and certificate program options that can help your employees move ahead in their career, no matter where they are on their educational journey. Choose "Find Your Degree" from the top of the page and start exploring your options.
Walden University is an accredited institution that has been serving the higher education needs of working professionals for more than 40 years. The university promotes lifelong learning by offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees online in areas of study ranging from health and education to management and public administration. It is distinguished by high academic standards, experienced faculty, and a rigorous curriculum. Using an array of technology, the university delivers an online education experience when, where, and how students need it. Walden programs help students achieve their goals so that, as graduates, they can help advance the lives of others.
Accreditation is a mark of quality. Walden has been accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1990. The HLC is a commission of the North Central Association, one of the six regional accrediting associations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Walden also holds specialized accreditations from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the Project Management Institute (PMI)® Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC), and ABET.
Walden University provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.
Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st-century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree that it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good.


text:
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Watkins Glen Coverage Did Not Click With Viewers
It was a beautiful day at Watkins Glen and the High Definition pictures from ESPN were spectacular. At the head of the field sat Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. At the tail of the field sat a hungry Aussie and a bunch of road course specialists. The recipe for good NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing was perfect.
When the green flag fell, the stories began to unfold and they were fantastic. Former champion Jeff Gordon struggling again, Earnhardt looking like a winner and Marcos Ambrose coming through the field like a snowplow. Unfortunately, that was not enough for the American public to tune-in.
In the first year of the new TV contract, ESPN managed a 4.1 rating for the Watkins Glen race in 2007. Now, even with Dale Jarrett added to the team and Allen Bestwick handling the infield studio, the 2008 effort did not come close. This year's event garnered a 3.6 rating which translates to a decline of over 12 percent.
When information like this becomes available, it starts a discussion on several topics. Some are TV-related and others are not. It would seem that the current ESPN team is having trouble generating the level of excitement and interest that NASCAR fans are looking for.
As ESPN TV viewers are aware, the network has an buttoned-up image and network guidelines that often result in an on-air look that resembles a courtroom or a meeting of the board. Nowhere is that contrast better illustrated than when RaceDay on SPEED transitions to NASCAR Countdown on ESPN.
The open-collared short-sleeve shirts of the RaceDay panelists and the casual pit road style of Wendy Venturini give way to the expensive suits-and-ties of the ESPN gang. While ratings for the ESPN races have been flat or in decline, RaceDay has seen double-digit growth in 2008.
While it may not help the ESPN ratings to have Brad Daugherty do Kenny Wallace's "booty dance" in commercial breaks, the fact remains that perhaps ESPN's current TV approach is just a little too "buttoned-up" for this sport.
What many fans have done is migrate to other available technologies to consume the Sprint Cup events. While that might be fancy talk, what it basically means is that ESPN must understand that NASCAR fans now have alternatives available to watch the races. Jerry Punch and company are not the only game in town.
DirecTV's Hot Pass, NASCAR.com streaming, Sprint Raceview, and even listening to the MRN or PRN radio broadcast allows fans to ignore everything ESPN is offering and still enjoy race coverage. How many fans watch the ESPN pictures, mute the TV and listen to the radio call of the race?
The picture above is ESPN's original NASCAR team of Bob Jenkins (left) and the late Larry Nuber (right). The person with them was serving as both the Stage Manager and Spotter. What Jenkins is doing might be very basic, but makes a valid point. He is watching the racetrack like a hawk. To see the picture full-size, just click on it.
This concept has been lost on ESPN since they re-entered the sport. Just like SportsCenter's baseball highlights now consist of only homeruns and not the story of the game, the NASCAR coverage mostly consists of the watching the leaders and replaying the accidents. The stories are not being told.
ESPN actually moves the three announcers to the Infield Pit Studio for televised practice sessions. Punch and company can only call the action from the TV screens in this high-tech trailer. In TV terminology, they are working "blind."
For the next three races, SPEED steps-in and takes-over coverage of practice and qualifying for both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. All ESPN does is produce the pre-race shows and the races themselves. This break might provide a good opportunity for the NASCAR on ESPN gang to discuss the coverage philosophy before the TV telecasts switch to ABC for the final ten races.
There are so many positive elements and so many experienced personalities in the ESPN group that it is entirely possible good things can result with just a little more freedom for the on-air team and a little loosening of the corporate ties.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thank you for taking the time to stop by.
46 comments:
- rb218 said...
How much do you feel the Olympics played a part in the ratings decline? I would consider myself a pretty avid fan, but I spent most of my Sunday with my TV on the Olympics and every so often clicking over to the race.
- August 13, 2008 at 3:19 PM
- Sophia said...
I am not surpised about ESPN's ratings but I AM SURPRISED Race Day's ratings about seen double digit growth since going to TWO hours! LOL. I love the gang on that show but 2 hrs is too much for this gal. and I don't even do the other pre-race unless I miss Raceday which I sometimes do now since it is on so far ahead of the actual race.
JD, I think what Pemberton said on TP is a huge issue. How many real fans love guys that run mid to back pack. folks love to give them snarky names but let's face it, there can NOT be 43 winners everyweek but most all drivers have FANS.
If we never know they exist, and we have grown weary of the top drivers, only the most rabid fans STAY tuned in...that would be me and most here but I have been known to put in a tape and do other things...last week I got MRN on the radio a little big (signal was in and out) and was on the computer in a different room or in and out watering flowers on a VERY NICE MILD summer day.
I enjoyed the Watkins Glen race and the scenery was beautiful on the camera shots...but, I don't know the real problem.
I do know the ESPN booth does not contain the chemistry of FOX (though I hate their gimmicks/bad camera work/and gyp of the end of the race, one car, flagman, crew, etc)
Even bigger shock was ESPN does not have the fun of the TNT crew either who I TRULY enjoyed this year (much as I STILL can't believe those words!)
TNT truly listened to the fans.
ESPN pretended to but obviously have not.
Just take a gander at their qualifying show (NOTE: Take dramamine first due to excess, screen clutter and tiny car on tv screen) We rarely see the cars nor could we match the track due to excessive tight camera shot.
Also, the guys on SUNDAY seem so out of touch with the track, it's like they are reading the newspaper while watching the race.
Where as on TNT, I thought Wally and Kyle P were having a party with excitement that could NOT have been faked (though I am suspicious of what was served at the cocktail table with Weber and Wally before the race! :) ) just kidding....
But after dreading TNT before their 6 quick races blew by, and then seeing ESPN full time the rest of the season and what they have done so far, I can ASSURE you on the tracks I am not that interested in, a tape will be going into the VCR.
The bottom TICKER does NOT help the viewing pleasure either.
I like Andy and Dale ok but there is still not that spark that I feel on other tv partners shows. And Punch...well, what else can we say about him but he does NOT BELONG in the booth. :( Give him a job to show his gift and not let him fade into the sunset due to TPTB at ESPN being beligerent, and forcing him into a position that does not suit him.
- August 13, 2008 at 3:39 PM
- Anonymous said...
IMO the ratings drop has much more to do with the fact that the Olympics were also on at the same time during last Sunday (and for the next two Sundays, I believe). NBC has been getting huge Olympic ratings, much higher than they expected, and it was easy for me and my family to switch over and watch from a terrible Watkins Glen broadcast and a long red flag.
I expect the same thing to happen at Michigan, which is usually a fuel-strategy race anyway, causing viewers to lose interest. Saturday night at Bristol on August 23 will probably do OK, but also airs against several gold medal finals on NBC. And COT Bristol racing is not what it used to be pre-COT, so that could hurt ratings. I think the poor COT racing itself turns people off as much as poor coverage.
You also have to remember that more than 40 percent of NASCAR's viewing audience is women - and NBC is specifically targeting women in their 30s and 40s for their Olympics coverage. (They watch more of the Olympics than any other group.)
ESPN is going to continue to see the ratings drop even after the Olympics are over. (Also IMO) With the NFL and college football coming back, NASCAR is going to lose viewers. The bad coverage by ESPN doesn't help (I don't care what they wear or how they act, but they aren't giving good info and coverage) - but it's going to happen anyway. It happened last year, too.
If you look at ratings, FOX always has the best NASCAR ratings - quite possibly because they have little competition from other sports. In the summer, TNT loses viewers who are on vacation and/or spend the weekends outdoors, and in the late summer and fall, ESPN (and NBC back when they had the Chase) loses viewers to football, baseball playoffs and also people spending time outdoors.
Just a fact of NASCAR life. I don't think what the ESPN folks are wearing or their corporate attitude compared to SPEED makes a bit of difference, since all the other popular ESPN sports have the same coat and tie attitude and attire. ESPN ratings overall have been up every quarter so far in 2008, even with their buttoned up look; we'll see if NASCAR coverage brings them down any.
- August 13, 2008 at 3:42 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Bear in mind that there will always be top-of-the-line sports on the other broadcast and cable networks on Sunday afternoons.
Whether it is the Olympics or NFL Football, live event telecasts have to stand on their own and be accountable for the results.
Even back in the 1980's, ESPN had announcers stationed around the Watkins Glen track. This year, with ten announcers assigned to the race, the Infield Pit Center was right on pit road and no one was covering the race outside of the front-stretch.
Imaginative thinking and the reality of declining ratings need to combine with the result being change. How that change shows-up on our TV screens is yet to be seen.
Thanks for raising the Olympic issue.
- August 13, 2008 at 4:06 PM
- stricklinfan82 said...
The decline in the ratings for NASCAR on ESPN doesn't surprise me one bit.
How can you expect viewers to tune in when....
- ... Friday and Saturday practice and qualifying sessions are slapped down by ESPN as being completely worthless?
Instead of allowing fans to follow their drivers through the trials and tribulations of multiple practice sessions and qualifying, ESPN covers up the screen and uses the limited airtime during the handful of sessions they do air to rehearse the full-screen video packages and stats they will re-air during the race broadcasts on Saturday and Sunday. When ESPN itself lowers its pants and relieves itself all over NASCAR on the days that should be building up the anticipation for the race on Sunday, how can they expect fans to have any excitement for the race that is about to happen?
- ... when Saturday's broadcasts are a complete disaster?
One only needs to look at the in-race comments for the Watkins Glen Nationwide race. How many people watching that pathetic dress rehearsal for Sunday's race commented that they would be turning to MRN, Trackpass, or Hotpass for the race coverage on Sunday? Sunday's coverage wasn't quite as bad as Saturday's, but most people weren't around to see it. If that extremely poor coverage on Saturday only happened because the ESPN crew "mailed it in" on Saturday that doesn't speak very highly about ESPN's dedication to the sport. Again, if ESPN shows in plain sight that NASCAR "doesn't matter" during Friday and Saturday's preliminary sessions and during Saturday's preliminary race, why should NASCAR fans expect anything to change on Sunday?
-... ESPN has much of their on-air talent in the wrong place?
ESPN has a hall-of-fame play-by-play announcer and a hall-of-fame pit reporter / interviewer on their on-air crew. Unfortunately the play-by-play announcer is in the pit studio and the pit reporter / interview is in the play-by-play booth. How presumably smart decision makers can make such poor personnel decisions is beyond me. The New York Jets didn't bring in Brett Favre and make him the starting running back. They let him play his natural position and lead the team as its quarterback, even though he doesn't have the "tenure" of others on that team... which is exactly what ESPN should have done with Allen Bestwick at the start of 2007.
- ... ESPN constantly tries to fit 10 pounds of "stuff" in a 5 pound bag?
This network quite simply has too many broadcast commitments and makes very bad decisions to try to squeeze them all in. For NASCAR fans these terrible decisions by the network schedule makers result in tape-delays at 1 AM, joined-in-progress broadcasts, TV blackouts of practice and qualifying sessions, and race broadcasts bounced back and forth onto as many as 3-4 different networks and in some cases broadcasts only being available on some web site that almost none of us have access to. How are NASCAR fans supposed to watch when we can't find our sport on our TV's? Remember last year's Nationwide debacle at Michigan? Apparently ESPN doesn't because they again scheduled only 2 hours for a live tennis match before this Nationwide race.
NASCAR, get off of this network now. NASCAR flourished when they distanced themselves from ESPN in 2001 and they're slowly falling back into obscurity being on this network that treats it like beach volleyball and World's Strongest Man. Boy I miss the days of a full season of only Fox, FX, NBC, and TNT where we could depend on the race being on live and uninterrupted on one network, even if the race didn't end until 3 AM. There must be a buyout somewhere NASCAR, USE IT!
IRL fans, I continue to envy you now that your sport will be a network that will actually care about it.
- August 13, 2008 at 4:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
Even back in the 1980's, ESPN had announcers stationed around the Watkins Glen track. This year, with ten announcers assigned to the race, the Infield Pit Center was right on pit road and no one was covering the race outside of the front-stretch.
You mean, so they could, like actually SEE the track, isntead of looking at TV monitors?
What a great idea! Then they could TELL us what's happening instead of waiting until it shows up no their TV (and ours) before they know about it.
Plus, it would give the talent something to do besides sit in isolated booths and toss to each other.
- August 13, 2008 at 4:39 PM
- Sophia said...
Don't envy this IRL. Nobody in my immediate counties get versus.
Love your description of how ESPEEN treats NASCAR.
Also I agree that the COT problems ADD to the lack of viewership. Somehow, I forgot to mention that...glad somebody else did.
Course, it's ALL ABOUT safety now they keep telling us...but we still don't have SAFER BARRIERS all over the track. yes I am thrilled with the safety advances but you can't stifle the racing.
And how many drivers need to bring up the COT WING as a blind spot ADDING to crashes that might be avoided?? Hard to see hands inside cars as they wave as well.
- August 13, 2008 at 4:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
Totally agree with you, sir. SPEED's coverage is so much better than ESPN's partly because they are very casual. One problem with ESPN that I have always had is that Dr. Jerry Punch being the ringleader of the announcers. He is one of the absolute nicest, purest human beings on Earth...but when it comes to calling a race he just comes off as awkward. He doesn't blend the action on the track very well with the ongoing season like the FOX guys do. It always seems like his best job in the booth is transitioning in and out of commercials. In my opinion, he was much better in the pits. It's a shame Mike Joy can't call all of the races, huh?
I must also admit that Rusty Wallace is killing me with that fake smile and appearance when he is on the camera. This goes back to your point about ESPN being a "buttoned up" type of network. With ESPN so strict on their appearance, Rusty can't even be himself. It's like watching Carl Edwards in a post race interview, WE KNOW IT'S FAKE!
- August 13, 2008 at 4:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- August 13, 2008 at 4:53 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 4:53PM,
Please return and re-post your opinion about the issue being discussed. Thanks.
- August 13, 2008 at 4:55 PM
- Anonymous said...
I don't think the ESPN coverage, or lack of, has anything to do with ratings. You can't just take the ratings from one race and make an opinion on it. you have to look at the season as a whole. Ratings for the Nationwide Series on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 are up from last season. Ratings for the Brickyard 400 were up and Pocono were the same. This is one of the few times thiis season ratings have been down. The reason the glens ratings were down is due to a combination of things. The olympics are back and most americans are watching that. This was a road-course race, which some fans don't look forward too. There was also a 40 minute red flag period were many viewers may have tuned away and not come back because they found something more intersting.
Its odd that the media loves to report when TV ratings are on the decline, but no one gives a hoot if ratings are up. Its that "Negative" band-wagon people love to jump on.
- August 13, 2008 at 5:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
For fairness IMO you'd have to add the Hot/TrackPass/RaceBuddy audiences to ESPN's and I'd think that the ratings would be about the same as always. If I had those services at home I would not write ESPN's channel in the Nielsen book, even though their picture is a third of HotPass's picture. The anger of NASCAR fans over ESPN's 2001-2006 dissing of the sport (not ESPN's fault) or NASCAR/TV's muzzling of sponsor names also may factor in whether or not a real viewer is putting those call-letters in the book ("I don't want to give them any credit").
But let's say the ratings are down. My theories are lingering hatred of the COT and Toyota and Kyle Busch's dominance. Imagine what ratings would be if Junior had 7 Cup wins to this point.
Networks aren't getting enough revenue to continue producing live events. ESPN used to produce 8 baseball games a week; now it's 3. They don't send their stick/ball reporters on site as often as they used to.
A natural result has to be a reduction in the hardware taken to the NASCAR tracks. That's why you don't have iso's on Ambrose or battles for 14th on-screen.
- August 13, 2008 at 5:10 PM
- Anonymous said...
This site needs an "AMEN" button! I so agree strfan!
- August 13, 2008 at 5:50 PM
- Anonymous said...
I have been a Loyal reader and Believer in this site, but i just have to disagree on the opinion that ratings are down because of coverage. There is an article in the USA Today that says all programming that goes against the Olympics is down 20-30%. It reallyt seems this article is written by someone who wants ESPN to fail.
- August 13, 2008 at 6:08 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 5:03PM,
The ratings this season that have risen have done so in very small numbers, single digit.
The incident that caused the red flag is the same type of challenge that any live TV program can face.
Trying to somehow blame the Olympics or a road course is ridiculous. ESPN knew exactly what they were going against in this event and if they wanted to make an extra effort because of the Olympic coverage then they would have done so...they did not.
Anon 6:08PM,
Perhaps we could expand on that thought by asking why ESPN did not put the Infield Pit Studio on the backstretch? Why they did not move Rusty and Brad to postions on the course when the pre-race was over?
My point is, the network totally knew that the Olympics was on and chose to stand-pat with their standard NASCAR coverage. The results of that have to be evaluated in that light.
If any business knows in advance they will have competition, it is up to them to make changes and compete. I just don't think that happened.
- August 13, 2008 at 6:24 PM
- Vince said...
Count me as one of the viewers who watch the race with the tv muted and listen to MRN/PRN on the radio. Both the ESPN coverage and the Fox coverage just grates on my nerves. I'm tired of the endless yapping in the booth. I'm tired of Jerry Punch talking about one thing while the camera is showing us something completely different. TNT WAS a pleasant surprise this year. And RaceBuddy was great.
I've found I enjoy the races much more if I listen to them on MRN/PRN and just mute the tv.
I don't bother with ESPN's practice coverage anymore either. Because they don't show it. All I see are endless interviews and very little of the practice itself. Same for qualifying. We get mostly interviews. When I turn on qualifying I want to watch qualifying full screen. ESPN has a little window in the upper left hand corner of the screen showing the car on the track and the rest of the screen is filled up with useless graphics. ESPN has too many toys and gimmics. As does Fox. I'm tired of all the screen cluttering graphics and crawlers on the bottom of the screen telling me about sports that I don't give a hoot about.
What ever happened to just showing us what is going on, on the track and talking about what were seeing. How many times during the Indy broadcast did I have to hear about kissing the damn bricks and seeing endless past winners do just that. ESPN is so full of hype and their own agenda that it's sickening.
I'm old enough to remember when Bob Jenkins and Larry Nuber first started broadcasting the races on ESPN. They were open wheel guys who didn't know much about stock car racing and the first year or two they were not very good. But Jenkins became a great PxP guy and Nuber was eventually replaced with Ned Jarrett. Then Benny joined the broadcast and we all got spoiled. I listen to the races on the radio now, because it reminds me of the call we used to get from Bob, Ned and Benny. A bunch of guys who know what they are talking about and are fans who actually enjoy the sport and the racing. With no hidden agendas. What we have now from both ESPN and Fox is a joke.
- August 13, 2008 at 6:41 PM
- Anonymous said...
Could a part of the problem with viewership be with the excessive focus on the 'chase to the chase', virtually ignoring the majority of the field? Kyle Busch is already 500 points ahead of 6th place...a stat we seldom see, since TV tends to show how many points 'out of 12th place' various drivers are. 'Resetting the points' is such a travesty , that it may be the closer we get to the crapshoot, and the more it is emphasized, the less interest fans have in watching? We all know that by the time we get through Richmond, coverage will be limited to only those in the top 12, even worse than it is now. Add the problems that the COT seems to be presenting, and racing is less than compelling. You can only shovel through the pile of manure looking for a pony for so long before you conclude you're never going to find one.
- August 13, 2008 at 7:21 PM
- Anonymous said...
The Olympics would accout for all of the decline.
That simple.
The last time a Watkins Glen race aired against the Olympics was 2004. It earned a 3.6 rating on TNT.
Can't realistically compare it to 2003 (5.6) OR 2005 (5.2) because those were NBC races.
But in 2006, The Glen rebounded to a 4.6 on TNT.
So I think you barked up the wrong tree JD.
- August 13, 2008 at 7:44 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- August 13, 2008 at 7:48 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Have you been reading the comments?
Trying to base this race on that data does not stand a chance of measuring up. This new TV contract changed everything.
This is the feature presentation and my point is that it did not work for most fans. We all flip, but we pick a primary program and NASCAR is usually it.
Even if we gave ESPN back their 12% the program still struggled and the network struggled on Saturday as well. However you would like to frame it, some changes are in order before MIS.
A four hour fuel mileage race should make for quite a challenge for Punch and company.
- August 13, 2008 at 7:53 PM
- Anonymous said...
Weird logic JD. Saying the broadcast struggled is your area of expertise, I suppose. Discounting essentially exact ratings against the Olympics on two equally available cable networks would seem to blow holes in the argument the Olympics had no effect. It isn't some top-flight sports event the race was up against. It is THE sports event. And if I'm not mistaken, it is ESPN's first ratings loss of the season, no?
- August 13, 2008 at 8:16 PM
- Anonymous said...
I believe the one concept that applies to ESPN the best is The Peter Principle: "In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence." With few exceptions, such as Bestwick, Jarrett, and Petree, one would be in a quandary to select many others associated with ESPN's motor racing broadcasts-on or offscreen that do not fit this description. The best and most obvious example is Dr. Jerry Punch. The man has stood head and shoulders above his peers in his former job description for over two decades and some Einstein at ESPN decided he needed a promotion. This has been to his detriment and ours. We are on the second broadcast season now, cringing over every show, wishing somehow this decision would be undone. Deafness is screaming loud in Bristol, CT and no one there seems to show any concern. This example certainly underlines a statement I made on here recently about the phrase that keeps coming to mind. Total Disdain. Each and every broadcast of a motor contest by the clowns at ESPN reeks of total disdain for the motorsports crowd. There appears to be no end in sight.
- August 13, 2008 at 8:23 PM
- Anonymous said...
JD I totally repect your opinion, but Im going to have to disagree. The ESPN presentation was not the reason ratings were down.
I strongly believe the olympics had something to do with the ratings decline. Fans had no idea that the presentation wasnt going to be up to par. So why would ratings be down for the race if fans had no prior knowledge? I don't think I have met a sports fan who refuses to watch their FAVORITE sport if the TV broadcast is bad. They will find other ways to deeal with it. But one of them I dont think includes turning off the TV. I think a few minority may do that, but not majority.
I will just re-state what I said above in more simple terms. A 12% loss in ratings for one telecast has little to do with coverage, domination, or any of that. It has to do with the olympics plain and simple. The olympics comes only every couple of years and it is a worldwide event. Ratings not just for NASCAR, but for other sports shown last weekend were down as a hole.
As for the Kyle Busch domination having an effect onn things. I dont really buy that side either. Last year Jimmie Johnson annd Jeff Gordon had an even BIGGER dominatiion. This season we are actually seeing new winners. I don't buy people turning off the TV because "kyle busch will win today." If so. I really question them being a fan, since you never know what can happend in a race.
- August 13, 2008 at 9:54 PM
- Anonymous said...
"I strongly believe the olympics had something to do with the ratings decline. Fans had no idea that the presentation wasnt going to be up to par. So why would ratings be down for the race if fans had no prior knowledge? I don't think I have met a sports fan who refuses to watch their FAVORITE sport if the TV broadcast is bad. They will find other ways to deeal with it. But one of them I dont think includes turning off the TV. "
I agree with this. Most people I know hate the ESPN approach to Monday Night Football, but they still watch -it's football - and the ratings have not suffered.
I think a lot of people probably made a decision to watch the Olympics and not watch Watkins Glen beforehand, not during the race because they didn't like what they saw. As Dale Jr once said, with baseball and NASCAR, you can skip the middle of the season and tune in towards the end and catch up. So an event like the Olympics made Watkins Glen fine to miss.
"Ratings for the Nationwide Series on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 are up from last season. Ratings for the Brickyard 400 were up and Pocono were the same. This is one of the few times thiis season ratings have been down."
ESPN Nationwide ratings are only up (slightly) compared to last year's horrific drop in Busch Series ratings on ESPN. It's a slight reversal of a ratings decline that's been going on for three years in Busch and Cup. NASCAR ratings are nowhere near what they were in 2003 to 2005. The only series really growing in ratings percentages is Trucks and it has a very small audience to begin with.
- August 13, 2008 at 10:17 PM
- GinaV24 said...
Well, I'm one of the people who watch with the TV muted and the radio and my computer on. Since I don't have a Nielson box, they don't count my nose in the ratings anyway, but ESPN just doesn't get it done for me as far as providing me with the best race coverage. I get tired of Fox's gimmicks and DW's incessant talking about himself, Mikey and whoever else is his flavor of the week. TNT did the best job this year and I was surprised as heck cuz I hated their coverage last year. Plus, I think that the cinderblock of today, boring races, an overemphasis on the "chase" and Kyle Busch winning so much is contributing to people turning off. TV should cover the RACE -- the whole field, not just the chosen few, otherwise, if you're not a fan of those specific drivers, there's no reason to watch. If I have to follow my driver by the ticker at the top of the screen, then I'll use another method to follow the race and as you said, JD, there are lots of ways to do that these days.
- August 13, 2008 at 10:32 PM
- majorshouse said...
I was able for once to listen to MRN and flip back and forth to the television coverage by ESPN. I had really forgotten what the level of excitement on MRN was all about and they were covering all of the cars and not the chosen few like usual on tv. I watched an old Watkins Glen race from 1988 last week with Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarret and Benny Parsons, now that was really good tv and the current crew, especially Jerry Punch could take some real lessons from them and now wonder as boring as the race coverage is on ESPN that their numbers are sliding. I never thought I would say that I enjoyed TNT's coverage better than any of the others this year. It was very obvious to me that they really listened to what the fans wanted and then they delivered the goods.
- August 13, 2008 at 11:08 PM
- Anonymous said...
ITA with the Olys comments, including anon 7:44. It's an every 4 years event, fairly rare in sports even with 'big' events. While it sounds like ESPN maybe didn't 'step it up' for the broadcast (haven't seen this race yet on TV), no one could know that in advance. If coverage had been first rate for all these months it might have made a *slight* difference. I think one can make too much of the numbers. I'm an *avid* race fan, but I would have been watching the Olys too if I wasn't at the race. I'm guessing Michigan will be hit too.
Not seeing why you'd put the Infield studio on the backstretch. The most action (if that's how you gauge it) happens in turn 1, the chicane at times (unless that's what you mean by backstretch, which is long), and turn 11 (contrary to popular belief, lots of wrecks happen there.) Something to think about though. It's just an iffy thing, sometimes lots of stuff goes on, some years not.
- August 13, 2008 at 11:18 PM
- Charlie said...
I like one thing that sophia said in partictular. She said " there can NOT be 43 winners every week but most all driver have FANS. I think another why to say this is - there can not be 43 winners every week but most all drivers have fans that wished there driver would win.
That is the main reason I watch, to see how well my driver will do. ESPN or any network that does a race have to show the drivers to the fans.
- August 13, 2008 at 11:36 PM
- Sophia said...
nice to see others shocked at how well they liked TNT 's coverage this year!!
I must admit I am SHOCKED to keep reading how HIGH the ratings for for the Olympics! I read as high as 60 PER CENT of the country was watching. How the hello do they determine that? I still don't get this whole Nielsen numbers game (knew somebody that worked for them years ago and they explained how even they could splay the numbers but my brain forgets..and that was the paper diary days...we did that at my parents house when I was about 12...decades ago!)
I get tired of coming across so much swimming and gymnastics. At the Y today thankfully the tv's are muted with cc but I see they now have MEN's sychronize diving. Who knew?
ALso I know many do NOT like NASCAR's road courses, Would be interesting to see how a Daytona or Dega race would hold up to the O games.
I was never a fan of the crashfest at Bristol and know many folks hate that place now so who knows what those ratings would be like on their own.
But from what I am reading, if one can believe what they read, the Olympics are quite the behemoth!!
- August 13, 2008 at 11:47 PM
- Sophia said...
we were posting at the same time. Yes, you worded for me better than I did myself regarding the 43 drivers. We always want to see how they will do.
Sadly, imho, I think the LACK of focus on the 'bottom thirty plus cars' is ADDING to the sponsor issue though nobody admits that..at least years ago all cars were on the screen with the sponsor names. Now, with the zoom zoom cam or horrible overly tight car shots on LOWES, HOME DEPOT, DUPONT, M&M cars...lather, rinse, repeat...the sponsor names get little exposure.
- August 13, 2008 at 11:51 PM
- bevo said...
As ESPN TV viewers are aware, the network has an buttoned-up image and network guidelines that often result in an on-air look that resembles a courtroom or a meeting of the board
Remember when they launched ESPN2 and the big difference was the announcers wore golf shirts instead of suits? :)
- August 14, 2008 at 3:56 AM
- Anonymous said...
Bestwick,Jarrett and Petree do an excellent job.If I never heard or saw Punch,Rusty and Brad again,it would be a blessing. Many Nascar fans do not enjoy the road races which may affect viewer ratings. Many road races have mind-numbing long caution flags with little passing. Sunday's 45 minute Red Flag didn't help.500 miles at Pocono the week before was just insane. I was ready to pack it in at the half way point. Only the Sports Bars must enjoy these marathons. I've long favored some kind of format similar to the Shootout at Lowes in May. I couldn't believe that as the field approached the green flag at the start of the Glen race, they tossed to some distant camera that actually panned back to show the stands above the pits! I don't recall the network last year ,but for a critical restart, they panned to just the grandstands as the green dropped. You could hear the cars take off but couldn't see them.ESPN needs people in the control booth that understand Nascar. That could be a stretch for a network that featured Brent Mussberger and Suzy Kolber. What were they thinking???? We used to spend the Weekend at the Glen race going back to the second one (1987?). The race now starts about an hour later so there is often little time to interview anyone other than the top 2-3 guys after the race.ESPN may be better this year, but they have a LONG way to go!
- August 14, 2008 at 6:21 AM
- Ritchie said...
Mr. Daly,
Although I agree with some of your comments on what ESPN could do better, I have to lump my opinion in with those who agree a drop in ratings for this race had to have been affected by the Olympics.
It's simple economics. The Olympic's broadcast is a scarce product. It only comes once every four years, so if given a choice a customer will choose the scarce product if it is the same price as the standard product (NASCAR race).
This doesn't mean that I disagree with the fact that ESPN needs to step up its game and cater to racing fans instead of catering to the corporation. However, lets not ignore the Olympics just to make an argument work better.
- August 14, 2008 at 8:01 AM
- chase said...
Strickinfan and others hit the nail on the head. It is horrifying to know just how ESPN does its coverage of races. I have railed against Punch who sounds like a tired and bored announcer before - it resonates to the viewers who seek other means by which to 'hear' a race being called. Despite Petree and DJ being the 'saving grace', Bestwick should be called to the booth immediately. ESPN has to rid themselves of their interminable pre-race show and tack an hour on after the race dedicated to post-race issues. The 'idea' of another network using 'spotters' around the track and having their announcers actually WATCH the race as its happening and not on monitors is certainly a novel idea for ESPN to ponder - those of us who have gone to races in 'real time' know there is so much more going on at any given track than what you see and hear on TV. NASCAR probably isn't going to do anything to muddy their financial waters but they should do. I also feel the COTs contribute to the lagging viewership in a big way. NASCAR has alot to fix and fix it they must if they want to continue to be top of the gravy chain. Wasn't there some mention quite a while ago of Bruton Smith wanting to start a similar series? Perhaps he would pay attention to the fans both at the tracks and who watch via TV - it just might work! Thanks JD for your column -- great food for thought!
- August 14, 2008 at 9:23 AM
- Vicky D said...
And we notice watching the truck races, Phil Parsons always manages to tell the viewers the sponsor on the number such and such truck I think the cup broadcasters should review those races for ideas on improving viewership . I think the last 2 weeks have been boring race maybe at Bristol the ratings will grow. I'm curious about the numbers for the Nationwide races at Montreal & the Glen to see if they have gone down too.
- August 14, 2008 at 9:47 AM
- Anonymous said...
I think the greatly improved safety of the COT has had an impact on the drop in interest of NA$CAR. Whenever the COT is mentioned, much is made about the increased safety. People don't want the drivers to get hurt but they want them to perform with the knowledge that they might be seriously injured.
There is little interest in a high wire act or trapeze act unless it is done without a net. People watch a magician escape from being tied up under water only because of the danger. People watched the attempt to jump over the Snake River Canyon on a motorcycle only because of the possiblility of disaster.
People want their heros to be brave and risk takers. It is hard to warm up to a sport that is risk free. NA$CAR pushing the safety of the COT has given much of the public the impression that racing is much less risky than it really is.
- August 14, 2008 at 10:00 AM
- Anonymous said...
ken said...
I think the greatly improved safety of the COT has had an impact on the drop in interest of NA$CAR.
i disagree with you on this, ken. i don't think it's the safety aspect of the cot that has led to a drop in interest. speaking for myself, i don't watch "waiting for the big one" to happen. i watch for the racing, the competition, not the wrecks. your comment, intentionally or not, echoes what many detractors say about the sport: people only watch it for the crashes. i STRONGLY disagree with that sentiment.
but to me, the cot IS the root of the problem in terms of viewership. fans now have come to see that this brick of a car simply doesn't produce good racing and there is a perception that the safety features could have been incorporated into last year's model fairly easily and we'd be watching exciting racing this year. but nascar wanted to do 2 things simultaneously: increase safety and "level the playing field" well, the field is so freaking level, it's billiard table flat and watching drivers attempt to race is painful.
add to that the once every 4 years olympics moment plus a road course race ( i don't know if the majority of nascar fans appreciate road course racing!) and you have lower ratings.
i think there was very little espn was looking to do to go head to head with the olympics. there were many changes they could have put into place prior to the n'wide race coverage but by the end of saturday, we knew they were in way over their heads and so some of us had to make a conscious decision to tune in on sunday.
the broadcasts for that weekend, both saturday and sunday, were just so abysmal that all i can hope for is that a return to an oval course might make a difference. but i think the problem runs far deeper than just the kind of track this past weekend . . .
- August 14, 2008 at 10:38 AM
- GinaV24 said...
Oh, Red -- that is a great comment and so true! "level the playing field" well, the field is so freaking level, it's billiard table flat and watching drivers attempt to race is painful."
You seriously hit it, right on the head. I want to see side by side and passes for the lead ON the track, along with a fight for the finish of the race.
- August 14, 2008 at 11:14 AM
- Sophia said...
WOW..when I mentioned the COT I meant how hard it is to pass, impossible to steer for many, and the lack of finding that tiny sweet spot for the cc and drivers.
I don't think the lack of danger is an issue is it? Many were grateful to see more and more use of the SAFER barriers and hans devices. I think the COT is just too boxy for good racing and the wing is an issue for BLIND spots as were older style race cars I have read about.
THe level of the playing field has spelled IROC for many.
Personally, I am HAPPY to see drivers walk away from horrible looking crashes. I can't IMAGINE watching years ago when folks got killed or badly injured after the big one or slamming into the wall.
Count me as one who enjoys watching in the modern era but the COT does have many problems that need to be addessed for GOOD Racing.
Still, no excuse for tv guys to IGNORE the fact there are 43 cars on the track. I think the ticker, though not updated sometimes, makes announcers lazy in filling us in with details as well. The ticker just tells another small part of the picture..but does not tell us WHY folks are so many laps down, or are out, or back in....
I am looking forward to MIS but will miss RBuddy and the pretty camera work...I think that is where the gorgeous sunsets were captured!!
- August 14, 2008 at 12:15 PM
- Anonymous said...
I think some have misunderstood what I was trying to say regarding the COT and the safety issue. Most people don't watch races for "the big one" but for the thrill of racing and the danger. People do all sorts of things for the thrill of it (the chance of getting caught). When there is the perception that there is no danger, there is no thrill in it for many people. People are more interested in watching a sport where there is potential for injury and they root for their favorite to be successful and not be injured. The favorite sport is football and it has tremendous potential for injury whereas less popular sports are relatively safe (basketball, tennis, golf, etc).
- August 14, 2008 at 2:07 PM
- Anonymous said...
The ratings are down , but so are ticket sales . And i'm afraid i know what that means . Could it be that people are simply losing interest in NASCAR ?
If that is the underlying reason , the blame can be spread evenly over a number of factors . But one of the most obvious is the poor quality of tv coverage . Week after week people complain about ALL of the networks , the on air personalities , the camera work ( or lack thereof ) , the pre and post race coverage , the blatent bias toward certain drivers ,teams , and sponsors , and the constant increase in commercials . The mention of Bob Jenkins , a race analyst that can do it correctly , brings up an interesting point . Why isn't he used on NASCAR broadcasts ? But his mention also brings up a theme we see all of the time on this site . NASCAR coverage in the past was far superior to what we have now . As i and others have said many times before , this can be laid at the feet of the producers and directors of these awfull shows . They are responsible for hiring the on airs . They are responsible for the in car cameras that never get used . They dictate who gets interviewed and when .
The point is , if people are simply losing interest , you could hardly blame them . It has almost become a chore to sit through a NASCAR race on any of the networks . And thats sad . The fix , instead of moving people around from the booth to the studio to the pits and back again ( deck chairs on the Titanic ) bring in brand new producers and directors , give them tapes of the 1980s ESPN broadcasts of NASCAR , and then let them start fresh . Really top quality , entertaining , informative broadcasts of NASCAR could very possibly revive interest in the sport .
- August 14, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- Anonymous said...
A good percentage of Canada was once again kept in the dark due to the ESPN Canadian affiliate TSN broadcasting on one of their secondary cable outlets. Add in a couple of million fans here, what happens to the ratings then? This is really starting to frost me.
- August 14, 2008 at 5:24 PM
- Anonymous said...
It isn't some top-flight sports event the race was up against. It is THE sports event.
Not exactly.
I know quite a few sports reporters who don't like to do Olympics stories because the games are not "real sports." This is a common sentiment.
- August 14, 2008 at 7:23 PM
- Newracefan said...
The Olympics probably played some part, but the good chance you would not see your driver during the race is another. I am a fan of several drivers/teams, thankfully one is the 48 so I know I will see them but I can go an entire race without one mention of my others. If you have to check the internet to see how your team is doing why waste the 4+ hours, listen to the radio and do something else.
- August 14, 2008 at 7:53 PM
- Anonymous said...
Watkins Glen was fine for me because my driver is Ambrose and he got a lot of coverage. During Indy, I would have no idea where he was during the race if not for the computer, so I understand the frustration if your driver is not one of the "chosen few" that gets covered. I agree that has the Chase gets closer the mention of other drivers only gets less.
If I'm a sponsor and my car gets little to no face time running 15-43 then I would think long and hard about my sponsor dollars.
I think the Nascar audience has peaked as some of the newer fans drift off to other things. Making most of the races a lot shorter would help.
- August 14, 2008 at 7:58 PM
- Sophia said...
"Amen" and "dittos" to your post.
- August 14, 2008 at 8:49 PM