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The Real Housewives of Orange County's Tamra Barney appeared on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live Thursday night , during which she denied cheating on her husband Simon Barney.
Host Andy Cohen read out loud a facebook message he received from Simon just hours before the show went on live. Simon's controlling message to Andy is below –
"Please be kind to my wife tonight, she's very fragile and easily rattled. Keep in mind that she will have to live and see whatever you air tonight for the rest of her life. Tamra's a wonderful person with a good heart, I don't want to see her hurt anymore. So for the sake of her and our children, be kind to her."
Tamra's reply was "Wow." According to Tamra, she believes Simon was very nervous about what she might say on the show. Just moments after she denied being unfaithful, Simon sent Andy another message telling him to ask Tamra about the 200 phone calls she made to her ex-boyfriend.
Tamra admitted making calls to her ex boyfriend, but said he was just a friend. Tamra — who said she had been quiet to avoid making the separation "a public issue" or media "circus" — said she believed Simon accused her of cheating because he knew with her celebrity status, the story would spread like wildfire.
Towards the end of the show, Tamra also revealed Simon threatened her that their three children, ages 11, 9 and 4, would be watching.
As for what led to the divorce, Tamra said that after a New Year's Eve fight between she and Simon, she decided to leave the couple's home on a "trial separation" basis. She said she "had to leave," as she couldn't continue living in 2010 the way she did in 2009.
Tamra and Simon have been married for 11 years.
In my opinion, Simon just made himself look worse by his behavior on the show (the facebook message to Andy and texting Andy during the show to bring up Tamra's ex). Tamra surprisingly did appear to take the high road when it came to him. I'm sure there are lots of negative things she could have said about Simon if she really wanted to. Last night's show just confirmed that he is indeed a very controlling man.


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NARROWSBURG — The Delaware Valley Arts Alliance will award one Artists in the Community grant of $2,500 in 2013 to an individual artist living and working in Sullivan County.
NARROWSBURG — The Delaware Valley Arts Alliance will award one Artists in the Community grant of $2,500 in 2013 to an individual artist living and working in Sullivan County.
All creative (not interpretive) artists in all media are welcome to apply. Students are not eligible.
The grant is funded through the Sullivan County Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts.
Artists in the Community will support a highly accomplished artist in creating new and significant work. The grant requires community participation in some form in the creative process, not simply as an audience for the finished work.
For example, local farms could be the subjects of a poem sequence; area musicians could be assistants to a composer by rehearsing and commenting on a composition in progress; the public could be process partners by viewing a dance-in-progress and discussing it with the choreographer. There is a broad range of possibilities. The goal is for the artist and the community to see one another as a resource.
Artists in the Community funding is awarded on a competitive basis by a panel of artists representative of the art disciplines of the applicants. The decision to fund will be based on the degree of community participation in the project as well as on the quality of the work as exhibited by the support materials submitted.
First-time applicants are required to attend a grant-writing seminar that will offer assistance in understanding program priorities and contractual obligations and in developing a clear budget and effective narrative. The free seminar will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at SCVA, 100 Sullivan Ave. (rear entrance), Ferndale, and 1 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Delaware Arts Center, 37 Main St., Narrowsburg. To register for one of the seminars, call 252-7576 no later than the day before the seminar.
Guidelines and applications may be downloaded at www.ArtsAllianceSite.org/grants/coummunity or picked up at the Delaware Arts Center. The deadline for application submission is Nov. 30.
Non-applicant artists interested in serving on the panel are asked to call 252-7576 or may send a r�sum� to Grants Program, DVAA, P.O. Box 170, Narrowsburg 12764.

subset: commoncrawl


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Revelations about casket linings, plan for evacuation of London blacklisted
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Thursday, June 28, 2012
British news channel ITV has whitewashed the Olympics security scandal by failing to mention the explosive revelations of 'Lee Hazledean', an undercover journalist who infiltrated G4S, the world's largest security provider, and blew the whistle on how 200,000 casket linings have been prepared for a terrorist attack that could prompt the evacuation of London.
The ITV report focuses on comparatively tame "security breaches" such as improper training of employees and their failure to conduct sufficient vehicle checks in preparation for the London Olympics which begins on July 27.
The report also reveals how sniffer dogs tasked with finding explosives have not even been trained in bomb detection. It also highlights how lorries and vans belonging to contractors have not been adequately searched.
However, the ITV report completely omits the most damaging revelations which suggest that security for the London Olympics is virtually designed to fail.
Although Lee Hazledean approached major news networks with his astounding story, he was rebuffed and told there was a "blackout" on such information.
As we reported at length yesterday, Hazledean's findings can be summarized as follows.
– Hazledean was able to get the job of a security officer via a simple application process. No background checks were carried out and his personal references were not checked.
– Hazledean was successful in taking guns, knives and explosives through both metal detectors and body scanners on numerous occasions during dummy runs.
– Hazledean was told that metal detectors and body scanners would be deactivated at peak times in order to get crowds into the Olympic venue quicker.
– Hazledean was also informed that 200,000 casket linings that can hold four dead bodies each have been shipped into London in preparation for the Games.
– Thousands of foreign troops under the auspices of the United Nations have also been brought into London.
– Plans for an evacuation of London in the aftermath of a deadly terrorist attack have been discussed at great length. G4S employees were briefed on the evacuation plan to a greater extent than the time spent on training them to conduct security screening.
– G4S security staff have been caught doing drug deals while in training with no retribution. Uniforms have also been handed out to unauthorized personnel as well as uniforms being stolen. G4S staff have also been caught taking photographs on their cellphones of secure locations.
– Hazledean was told that Predator drones of the type used in Afghanistan and Yemen would be circling London during the Olympics.
– Hazledean believes G4S security staff are so poorly trained and the security operation as a whole is so lax that terrorists could quite easily stage a "massacre" during the Games.
Not a single one of these revelations appeared in the ITV News piece. Other news networks like Channel 4 refuse to cover the story at all.
Lee Hazledean will appear on the Alex Jones Show today at 11:30am CST.
Listen to an interview with Hazledean conducted by Tony Gosling below.
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show and Infowars Nightly News.
This article was posted: Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 3:08 am


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Over the last few years, Dominic Cooper has played small but important roles in films like Captain America: The First Avenger, My Week with Marilyn, Tamara Drew, An Education, and The Duchess. In director Timur Bekmambetov's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, he again plays a small but important role, except this time he's a vampire. In the film, Cooper plays a good vampire named Henry Sturgess, and he helps train and guide our President against the vampires that would do us harm.
Last year I visited the production when they were filming in New Orleans and participated in an extended group interview with Cooper. He talked about his initial reaction to the title, how he prepared for the role, the tone of the film, the physical demands of the role, working with the rest of the cast, and more. In addition, Cooper talked about playing Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger and if he might be back in the sequel, his experience making The Devil's Double, possibly playing Robert Capa, and more. Hit the jump for what he had to say.
Before going any further, if you haven't seen the red band trailer, I'd watch that first.
Question: The initial reaction when you heard this title?
Dominic Cooper: Laugh. I said "I'm not possibly reading that. Good bye". I was initially started by it really. I didn't read it immediately because it sounded like a bit of a joke. I mentioned to someone else that had read the book and they said the book was brilliant and I thought, "this is ridiculous", and then… when I started reading it… We know a very minimal amount about him as a man, really. In my studies in England, I loved finding out of him, what incredible man he was and what he achieved. And then that in parallel to the fantastical, wonderful ideas of what he was doing in this every day life, I adored. I thought it was. . . It was very difficult, also, I thought because I read the book at the same time, how on earth is this going to be condensed, which ideas are they going to pick, because it's so rich with ideas and concepts. I thought that the original screenplay was masterfully woven together, and it picked all the really interesting dynamics of the characters within it and I immediately wanted to be part of it. Because it didn't take itself too seriously, it's not meant to be some serious biographical piece, but at the same time you learned an awful lot from it. And I also thought that that coupled with Timur [Bekmambetov] has an incredible vision and I love the way he shoots action sequences. I've always been astonished by how wonderful he makes something look for so little. I think he shoots action like no one else, so I get that. And also that with Tim Burton's crazy imagination. I thought it would all add up to something quite special.
How did you research for the character of Henry Sturges?
Cooper: I watched a lot of films, because I think you also worry that it's a genre that's being sort of. . . I don't know, we obvious go through phases. The vampire phase seemed to have gone on a while, for a good period of time. That concerned me, to be doing something that people might be getting bored of. But this was so different, I went back to a lot of vampire films, the original Dracula films, and I wanted to maybe create something that was slightly. . . I felt was very different from those other vampire that we've seen. I loved the character of Henry because I thought he was kind of disturbed and deeply, deeply unhappy and hurt by his past. I thought that was really exciting. And also Timur always constantly changing… we're not sticking absolutely to the book or the script this way that we can manipulate and change the characters. Timur was coming with new ideas all the time, so you're never bored on set, you're constantly having to change and adapt the character that you're playing. He came up with an idea the other day that kind of changed everything about what he was doing, the reasons why he was training Abraham to beat this person, for selfish reasons rather than for the good of the world. Which completely spun it on it's head, which I thought was really cool. In terms of research. . . I'm not playing someone I needed to research, I needed to start from scratch. Apart from the period, I've done pieces in this period before.
How is Timur finding the tone, and how you're receiving that from him, finding the balance between its grounding in reality and it's more fantastical elements?
Cooper: That was really difficult and that's why you have to completely trust Tim. Because you try hard to find the level on which you should play it, and whether it becomes comedy or whether you're too over the top. You have to try certain things out and be quite daring and imaginative with this style of work I suppose. And then hope and believe and trust that this person who's in charge of the whole has got such a vision of it that they know exactly what level it needs to be. And you kind of just slowly work that out. But as you say, it's very, very difficult with something like this because you have these wonderful political speeches and debates missed in with hunting down evil vampires and then talking about them seriously as if they were real people. I think with things like that, even if you have very strong opinions yourself, I think you have to have faith in your director, because it's a situation of too many cooks really. Because everyone has its own idea of the book, and you have your own idea of the characters, but ultimately everyone needs to be on the same page with what it is, and you can see that he's really very, very sure what he wants it to be.
Does he do several different kinds of takes? Serious one, the one that's a little more tongue in cheek? Is he getting a variety of different takes?
Cooper: Definitely. Which is great because you're. . . . And also what's wonderful about him is he will listen to you, give you a go at your choice and you can tell his reaction is "no, my choice was better." But he gives you also free range, and he gives you the ability to try things out, and it absolutely is that. Because sometimes he's probably not sure whther that needs to be lighter. There's a scene just before [Lincoln] realizes who I actually am, I think, where I'm quite violent to him in stopping him from doing something that I don't want him to do, because he wants to attack when he finds out that vampires are everywhere and he thinks, well, his job is to try and hunt them all down. And it becomes very volatile, the situation, and then I think Timur changes it dramatically by saying, "Actually just lighten the scene up completely and make it into a very friendly chat between two guys." And I'd completely seen it the other way.
What are the physical demands of the role? A lot of fight scenes? Have you been doing a lot of training?
Cooper: I've been training every day for it, loads, and there's been loads of axe work. He just shot the bit yesterday where I had—I finally got there. I think Timur was deeply disappointed when he first saw me with an axe in my hand, I was meant to spin around my back and then do this elaborate butterfly thing with and then finish of by cutting a tree down. Which I tried, and attempted, and it looked absolutely appalling. So I had another chance yesterday and it looked quite good. It's great. And the stunt guys are absolutely brilliant, but all this stuff always looks better when you do it yourself. You can just always tell, so I think it's really important to get it right. The fight sequences they're at now, it's incredible on a film like this, there's all ready structured and put together in animation. So you get to really visualize what he wants the outcome to be. They're animated all ready. They're filming at the moment the beginning of a stampede scene with horses, which is an incredible fight sequence. So you get to understand how he sees you and how you are meant to be, which is quite terrifying when you see these incredible fight moves. And then he'd change it again, because he's so immediate and creates in the moment, Timur, you can be confronted with it changing, being spun on it's head, ten minutes before the shooting of a fight sequence. That's why you need to know your stuff, you need to know what you're doing, so you can just act in different moves.
For you, what was the holy shit moment on the film so far? Where you said, "oh my God, this is a big movie!"
Cooper: Everyday I have that oh shit moment. I think it's always scary when you realize the size of it because it's funny how you forget on a film set. You forget the implications and the effects and how big . . . You always do, because there's just this tiny camera, but you ultimately forget. Or you forget that it's just you and another person perhaps, or just you and thee other, and there's always people everywhere. And then you suddenly. . . I know it's normally when I watch rushes or some playback, watch the kind of composed, edited sequence of a fight and I saw it, myself and Rufus [Selwell], when the characters first meet. And I went, "Oh, right, I'm actually doing this, that's me fighting." And I thought, "this is a really big project. That probably, maybe, hopefully lots of people will see. And I'm prancing about pretending that I can kill vampires." It is quite cool because you look brilliant.
Can you tell us a little about your character's look? What is it like working with Benjamin Walker? This is his first big movie, have you been giving him any pointers and such?
Cooper: The designers are absolutely brilliant, they've been so imaginative. I can't think of anything. . . I've done dramas before set in this period, I've not done, or seen, or can think of (and I've seen vampire pieces set in this period), I've not seen an action, a super big action sequences with these elaborate, wonderful, beautifully structured costumes. It makes it really hard to do, but it looks stunning. I think Timur is very, very specific with how he wants it to look. All my stuff is really cool, it looks great. He's got this cool, ridiculous, what looks like an '80 pop star hairstyle. And I loved The Lost Boys so I wanted as much influence in my costumes as possible. And he needs to be timeless, my guy, as well. Because as you see him at the end as well, he never died. There need's to be a touch of everything for him, because he's been around for hundreds of years, he needs to be very worldly, have little bits that have come from everywhere he's travelled to and visited. So that was all really important. And his house is incredible, a huge, crumbling mansion with bits of everything from everywhere that he's collected together.
Working with Ben's brilliant, but it was that think. I think Ben's really also . . . We have moments where we ask ourselves, "What are we doing? Do we know what we're doing? I don't know what I'm doing. Do you know what you're doing?" He goes, "I don't know what I'm doing." But you kind of just have to do it. And he got this incredible journey; he goes from a young man to playing a rather important figure in American history, and he's doing it from him being a young man to an older guy. But he has to keep this humor of it, which I love as well, because sometimes dramas can become quite stuffy, and rigid, and stiff, and no one really has an idea of what people's behavior or conversation were really like, I think we have impersonated what maybe we've already see in previous films. He's brilliant, he's an incredible actor. Not sure how he's feeling about being in the prosthetic make up, spending four hours in the truck every day.
How much of your character's origin do we get to see?
Cooper: His backstory? There's a flashback sequence, so you get to understand where he's come from and how and why he's ended up in the place that he's in. It's very sad, it's tragic, really. The reason he's ended up like that, sort of tragic figure. But not a huge amount.
The vampire genre seems to be bigger then ever, what do you think the appeal of vampires is that has to many movies and TV shows being made about them right now?
Cooper: There's something extremely sexy about it, isn't there?
Cooper: What is that reaction? No, you're not agreeing to that?
No, I am agreeing. It is sexy.
Cooper: Yeah, I think that idea of living forever, that we all maybe secretly harbor or have. That desire to, I don't know, it's something mysterious. I'm trying to remember why I liked them so much, why I found that so fascinating. Whether I was scared or whether I found it unworldly. And actually when I just started this project, I looked around the streets because of how this story is working, and I looked especially in New Orleans. It was fantastic, I just saw all these characters hanging around that could easily be going into dark graveyards in the evening and chewing on people. It's a strange one, we are completely compelled and fascinated by it. They are all tragic figures that are stuck, and they don't necessarily want to be in the position they're in. There's something about that darkness and that gothic that maybe something that part of us all want to be that's extremely. . . And they're every changing as well, and there's a million ways to play them. There is always a new idea for them. This is a very different take.
So what is it like to play a character that is 500 years old? Is there a sort of wise aura about him?
Cooper: See, that's kind of— You don't have any idea what someone. . . Ultimately someone must be pretty bored. You have seen all the riches in the world that they want, you've got all the money they probably ever desired to have, and you have tried everything out. And that's why he is a person that goes to extremes and tries so desperately hard to have some sensation of life. Say to be an alcoholic, he's probably self-harming; because ultimately he probably just wants to find the love that he lost in the beginning of his life. But he's never had that he's just been a lost mess since then, really. Then he's wise, and lived everything. He's a great mentor to have. But there definitely is a dark itch to that, and a desperation probably, and ultimately he killed.
How has it been working with Rufus?
Cooper: Seriously he's been wonderful, he's really good fun. We did our first scene a few days ago. It's nice to just bounce ideas off. He's one of these big, extremely enthusiastic about his character and their relationship in the piece. He's really good fun. I've worked with him once before in some dusty workshop in a barn in London. It was a workshop for Phillip Pullman's trilogy of books. We've been going round on trips.
What do you think about the all gold poster for Devil's Double?
Cooper: Well, yeah. I think it's really cool. I was unsure at first. But I really like it and it seems that people seem to be reacting really positively to it. It's brilliantly hideous, but it's eye catching.
Cooper: It's perfect for it and what he has and what he believed in and what he wanted to, and how vacuous and empty it was. And it's had the perfect response, such an incredible company chosen to make that poster and do the publicity for it. They know exactly how to do market it. It just shows that I wouldn't have had a clue. I mean, who's chest is that? There's a bloke there with a really hairy chest and a huge package, and that's certainly not me. It's my head.
Can you talk a little bit about making Devil's Double?
Cooper: It was one of those projects, where you're halfway through you're thinking, "What are we doing? Is any of this going to work?" There was no time to do anything. Of course the strains of it being where I was doubling up in the majority of the scenes and the technology that we had, we just didn't have the time, money, or facility. It was frantic, but what was amazing was the director managed to pull everything together and just constantly change how he saw all of the scene and evolved so much. I've never seen such incredible energy. And it was really difficult stuff, because some of it was so brutal and nasty, scenes of torture and was picking up girls from the street, call girls. They were hard hitting scenes. We were having to swap that all round. And of course the time is doubled because you're having to shoot it twice with me, and I was having to do all the reaction stuff and getting changed into a different costume. And then having this very elaborate camera set up that was very complicated and often didn't work. But it was an incredible experience. It was a project that I just. . . . I so wanted to be part of. It's the same as Timur with his other vampire films, I don't know how they do it. They make it look like a lot of money's being spent on it. And they sets look brilliant, and it's such a brilliant moment in time. It's one that I know not nearly enough about, and I've heard people say, "Oh wow, I didn't know Bagdad was like that." Well people had cars and money in Bagdad. It's a very interesting period in our history, and one that's very relevant to us, and one that not many people know a great deal about. And they were horrific, the brothers, and I think it's good to expose what they were really up to. No it is a historical biopic, because he's ultimately a gangster with no one to control him, he has full control. You don't even have a police state that could stop him, he's in charge of everything and yet he is completely lost and not very intelligent. He has no trust from his father, no military trust, no capability to run a country. He is a lunatic running around, and the poster kind of sums that up. I don't know how people are going to respond to it, it's being released in July I think.
Are you obligated to return to Captain America or any of the other Marvel movies?
Cooper: I just don't know. . . That one probably, because I'm the father, the next one I imagine will come later. But you never know, anything can happen to any of the characters at any time. They're like the comics. But I don't know. They're incredible projects. And I didn't really grow up with the comics, but I had friends that were, and now I can sort of see the pleasures of them and how creative they are. When you work with people who are so passionate about their product it's kinda inspiring. They start rambling on to you about, "Oh, you know, when you're character in comic book 42, the emperor turns—" and you just sit there nodding your head. But you're amazing by their excitement, and it's totally inspiring, although deeply worrying because you know you have a lot of people who have very, very clear views and ideas on how they perceive the characters.
You have a scene in Captain America where Chris Evans comes in with the shield. Hypothetically speaking, did you borrow anything from set that day?
Cooper: Did I steal anything?
Did you "borrow" anything?
Cooper: No, they had marvel security everywhere. I didn't even get my goggles. I got some very good videos though that I'm really wanting to release onto. . . Some of myself, Haley [Atwell] and Chris in a. . . I better not tell you. I'll show it to you one day.
What were your influences growing up, if not the escapism of comic books?
Cooper: Constantly playing with toy cars. It's really sad, toy cars and bikes. I used to be in the countryside quite a lot. And building stuff, I used to build extremely dangerous motorbikes. And Lego as well, Legos were amazing. I had slightly more things I could do with my hands with. Basically I was illiterate. Yeah, the comics, I don't know why I didn't. I liked books. I look at them now and they're incredible, and they're beautiful, and the artwork in them is amazing. So I don't know, I'm a bit depressed that I didn't. Too late now, can't start carrying comic books around.
What are you thinking of for future stuff? You are front and center for Devil's Double, you have a pretty big part in this. What are you looking to do after this?
Cooper: Really good question, and if you could answer it for me I would be really grateful. I really never know, and it's always . . . I need something different, always something just slightly different, that pushes you and challenges you. This is hard because of the physical demands of this are cool, and I get frustrated with all the fight sequences. That's great, to push yourself. And Devil's Double was one of the best experiences I ever had, because it was just so exhausting and my mind was constantly ticking and I could never rest. So, I need something again now that is as challenging as that, but maybe something not quite as evil as that. I don't know, there is a lot of stuff I'm reading at the moment and you instinctively know. It's like when I read this, it was just something I instinctively new I wanted to be a part of.
What kind of things are people pitching you?
Cooper: What I like is it's all quite a varied range of stuff, which I'm really pleased about. I'm not being pigeon holed in to some sort of . . . I'm getting them really, but there's nothing quite that I am . . . I might play a famous photographer, he had a really interesting life. I always love anything that you can learn from, and I am really into photography, so that's interesting to play someone who made beautiful, beautiful photographs and had an incredible life traveling around the world. He was a war photographer as well. So that could be something brilliant. But there's so many combinations of things that you have to think about.
Is that Robert Capa you are talking about?
Cooper: Yeah, it is Capa. And I've always loved his photography. You get tempted by . . . and you think, well actually maybe that's just what you should go with. You should always think about things that excite you and that you can learn from. I don't ever know, I'm terrible. Some people probably have a really clear objective, and distinct idea of where they see themselves and what they want to do.
You've had an amazing career. You've been acting since you were very young, you've met a lot of amazing people. Are you at a level that you saw yourself being?
Cooper: It's funny, I never think I'm doing that well. I've never, ever. I just constantly think this isn't working out. I feel very fortunate, always.
Why do you feel like it isn't going to work out? The insecurity, is that an actor thing?
Cooper: You know, I think it is. I hear lot of actors say it. And it often sounds like rubbish, but it's true because you don't ever really . . . There's absolutely no security, there's nothing saying that this will still be happening, or you will be doing something this exciting. You are just constantly ready to fall. But maybe everyone feels like that.
Do you have plans of moving to LA as a lot of British actors have done?
Cooper: I just haven't been anywhere for too long. I was in London doing Captain America and it was all in London. And it was really nice just to be settled there for six months. But before that I hadn't been there for a couple of years. And now I'm going to be here until this finishes, I'm not sure when this finishes, but in a couple of years. And then I'll be doing the Devil's Double stuff, which takes me on a big tour of America. So I kind of feel that I don't know.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will be released June 22. For more from my set visit:
- 30 Things to Know About Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter From Our Set Visit; Plus Video Blog Recap and New Images
- Benjamin Walker Talks Research, Balancing History with the Supernatural, Playing Different Ages and More on the Set of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
- Director Timur Bekmambetov and Producer Jim Lemley Talk Casting Lincoln, 3D, Balancing Reality with Fantasy, and More on the Set of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter


text:
Not afraid to love
Risk the hurt
The hurt is worth
The risk of love
UnUnderstanding death
No one would ever want
To take thier last breath
Who could know the pain?
Who could know the rain that trickles through our dying brains?
Basic things like love
Fundamental things like truth in the little sophtware bugs
Who could know our hearts
Dynamic from the start
Treacherous to our minds
Ripened on the vines
It takes time to heal
Hang in there
My heart heard the news
No words but these words is all I got
Love you guys
Take care
I hope the best for you all


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September 18, 2005
G148: Red Sox 2, Athletics 1
Bronson Arroyo retired the first 12 Oakland hitters. Then he hit a rough patch, walking three guys in the fifth (one of them scored). In the sixth, he allowed two quick singles, but got a double play (excellent pivot by Edgar and a good scoop from Millar) and was out of trouble.
Jonathan Papelbon pitched the eighth and I wanted him out there for the ninth. Terry Francona overruled me and stuck Mike Timlin out there. Timlin threw nine pitches, all strikes, and got the side in order, so I didn't mind.
Pap's first batter, Marco Scutaro, lined a 2-1 pitch down the right field line that hit about one inch foul. Papelbon's next pitch was perfectly placed, up and in, knocking him back, Pedro-to-Shemp-style. Very nice! I'm going to love watching him in the rotation next season.
The Sox scored a run in the first inning, and had the bases loaded with one out against Dan Haren, but (surprise) Jason Varitek and Kevin Millar both struck out. You really had the feeling of a lost opportunity coming back to haunt the Sox.
In the sixth, Ramirez turned on an inside pitch and blasted it well over everything in left. (Off the bat, I actually thought he had popped it up foul, so I was quite surprised.) Manny did that little shoulder thing where he seems to be straightening out his uniform shirt before beginning his jog and it was 2-1.
The Yankees held off the Jays 1-0 (thanks for nothing, Shea), so the East lead remains 1.5. Cleveland beat the Royals to stay on top of the wild card list; they also moved 3.5 games behind the slumping White Sox (who led the Central by 13.5 at one point, if I recall). Oakland is now five behind in the WC, but only 2 behind the Angeles in the West.
Clement / Saarloos at 2:00.
2 comments:
Actually, the ChiSox had a 15.0 game lead on August 1. I believe that was their largest of the season, but it's pretty pathetic to see where they are now. At the moment, I'm really glad I'm a BoSox fan.
- September 18, 2005 at 9:37 AM
- DanM said...
I love the Red Sox and they are killing me with the late season slide. Yep, the Saturday game started shaky got real strong and finished with strike after strike - and that is the pitching. Pap will be fun nexxt year especially with Arroyo if Bronson can find some more consistency.
Saturdays bats were left out by the Pesky pole. By sunday they hadn't found htem and even if they had the game was over by the third inning - Matt Clement had a 49.00 ERA for the day. Yuckees lost and we let a game slip away - end of the season craziness.
Finally, to my beloved BoSox I carry a message from Larry the Cable Guy - "Git er done!"
- September 19, 2005 at 2:51 AM


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Find out how hospital lighting is helping mothers give birth at Nordsjællands Hospital, Denmark
Find out how hospital lighting is helping mothers give birth at Nordsjællands Hospital, Denmark
Nordsjællands Hospital cares about new mothers. To make the painful experience of childbirth easier and less stressful, the institute investigated ways to improve the labor process using light and sound. Collaborating with Philips and Wavecare, the hospital developed two special delivery rooms.
The new delivery rooms were developed as part of a PPI (Public-Private-Innovation Project). It was hoped that by using calming light and music, stress during childbirth would be reduced. In addition, the installation was designed to help women with their breathing patterns by projecting light visualizations that they could follow.
"The department wanted to remove the 'hospital experience' from the delivery rooms", says Bjørn Wennerwald, project manager at Wavecare. "We aimed to create a spa-like experience and felt that Philips' new luminous textiles would contribute to this. This meant it was time for the project to also draw on Philip's extensive knowledge of dynamic lighting."
The sensory experiences have been divided into three phases that all combine colored light, calming sounds and moving images. They consist of a welcome program, a breathing program and a relaxation program. With the new systems in place, women are finding it easier to relax and focus on their breathing. "I cannot think of any women in labor who have not been really happy with the experience", said midwife Mette Monsrud.
Not only do the audiovisual systems calm mothers during labor, but hospital staff also report feeling less stressed. All the LED luminaires have low energy consumption, and their 50,000 hour service life minimizes maintenance and material costs.
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The second round of the French presidential election takes place on Sunday. Polls (!) show that the centrist candidate, Emmanuel Macron, is leading with 62% of the vote. Madame Marine LePen, of the National Front, is not doing so well. Reports say that she is already looking to what is often called "the third round of the presidential election," voting for the Legislative Assembly, in June. She has the potential to lead the opposition to Macron, who has no party support. A future crisis (financial or terrorism), could lead to a major upheaval that would be to her benefit.
Mrs. LePen's support comes mainly from rural areas and France's rust-belt; Mr. Macron has all but 5% of the vote in Paris and the more affluent regions of the country.
The French political system, with three elections in just a few weeks, is rather complicated and, certainly this time, quite suspenseful. For the first time since the birth of the Fifth Republic in 1958, the major parties are not involved in this second round – their candidates did not garner the necessary support.
It's not just the political system that is different in France. Mr. Macron, married to his former school-teacher, 25 years older than himself, laughed off an accusation that he has had a gay relationship with a prominent radio personality; but now is issuing frequent denials about an overseas bank account!
In a heated televised debate on Wednesday evening, Madame LePen made the best prediction of the evening. She said that seven days from now, France will have a female leader – either her or Angela Merkel, Germany's Chancellor. Mr. Macron is a committed European, whereas she would like the French people to have a Brexit style referendum on the country's future membership. Under pressure, M. Macron is talking about the need for Europe wide reforms, but he would keep France in both the EU and the single currency, the euro.
A victory for Emmanuel Macron would mean the 27 remaining members of the EU will stand together against the United Kingdom in the Brexit negotiations. A win for Mrs. LePen would actually help London, though no politician in the UK is going to say anything to that effect!
So Sunday's second round is not just about France, but Europe. We should know the outcome sometime Sunday evening, Eastern time.
- Turkey appears determined to flood Europe with migrants either way: with Europe's permission by means of visa-free travel, or without Europe's permission, as retribution for failing to provide visa-free travel.
- The migrants arriving in Italy are overwhelmingly economic migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Only a very small number appear to be legitimate asylum seekers or refugees fleeing war zones.
- The director of the UN office in Geneva, Michael Møller, has warned that Europe must prepare for the arrival of millions more migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. (Gatestone Institute, 5/5/17).
Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister who negotiated with the EU during the financial crisis a few years ago, is warning the United Kingdom NOT to negotiate with the bureaucratic nightmare known as the European Union. In effect, Mr. Varoufakis was saying that nobody wins against the undemocratic EU.
Wolfgang Munchau, a German contributor to the London-based Financial Times, is also warning the Brits that they cannot win against Brussels.
The alternative for the UK is simply to leave and face the consequences, what is called a "hard Brexit." There are plenty of other countries wanting trade agreements with the UK, so there's definitely a case for this. But the British government is hoping for a trade deal with the EU post-Brexit. They have also re-committed themselves to closer military ties, reaffirming their commitment to Europe.
A hard Brexit could be a better choice. It would certainly be quicker as Brexit talks will last two years – and that time frame only covers the actual exit, not talks on a new trade pact.
It's like a divorce – after over 40 years together, the UK and the EU are now talking to divorce lawyers about a divorce settlement. As with a divorce, the only people who will benefit are the lawyers. And, as any divorced people know, divorce never ends – the animosity (and the financial costs) just go on and on.
Footnote: Mr. Varoufakis, who cannot vote in France, has called on people to support M. Macron, in spite of the way he and his country were treated by the EU!
Britain's Prince Philip is retiring after seventy years of public service. His wife, Queen Elizabeth II, will continue with royal duties, but will no longer be accompanied by her husband.
Shortly after the announcement, the prince was at a function when an older man came up to him and expressed his sorrow that the prince was "standing down" from his responsibilities; the prince consort quipped back that his problem was not standing down, but rather standing up!
In his seventy years of public service, Prince Philip has attended over 25,000 public engagements and made over 600 overseas trips representing the United Kingdom.
He will end his official duties in August, by which time he will be 96 but will still take on a few as he feels up to it.. The Queen turned 91 two weeks ago. It is expected that Princes Charles, William and Harry will take on some of Philip's commitments.
( I cannot independently verify the following, but thought that some readers would find it interesting. It's from a magazine called "Truth in History," which comes out of Oklahoma.)
"…Bob travels to London quite often on business and from time to time has dinner with a very close friend of his, which is Queen Elizabeth's personal secretary. Bob told me that he asked his friend when the Queen was going to turn the throne over to Charles. He replied, "she does not intend to ever give the scepter to Charles – possibly to William, but her desire is to present her crown, throne and scepter to the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns, whose rightful throne it is. This is her desire."
Anyone who has read "The Servant Queen and the King She Serves," published a little over a year ago, will know that the queen is a very religious woman.
"This tribute focuses on the Queen's own words to draw out the central role of her trust in Jesus Christ in shaping her life and work, offering us an inspiring multi-faceted insight into a life well lived for others." (Backcover, Google Books)
I have mixed thoughts about the vote yesterday to abolish Obamacare. The ACA went into effect on April 1st, 2014. Before you marvel at my memory, I should add that I ended up in the hospital on April 2nd and spent over four months fighting for my life. I had one of those deadly infections that's killing people all over the world. I needed two major back surgeries and then fought nausea and vomiting while working my way through all the medications. They gave up on me twice.
During this time period I was in two different hospitals. The bill from the second one was a million dollars; from the first, it was roughly half that.
Obamacare covered almost all my bills.
If it had not been in place, I would have died. If I had gotten sick a month earlier, before it came into effect, I would have, likewise, died.
Having said that, I've also seen the negative side of Obamacare, of people having to spend a significant part of their income to get coverage, of a bureaucracy that has often failed beneficiaries, of a system that is too expensive to be maintained.
I do believe that the Republicans have made a mistake – they should have come up with another system first, before abolishing what the country already had.
I've been in the United States for 27 years, since 1990. Health care (and how to pay for it) has been at the center of American politics during that time. Whereas other, less affluent countries, have been able to put a workable system in place in months, the richest country in the world still cannot find a solution to the problem of healthcare.
Apparently, President Trump, who is in New York to meet with Australia's Prime Minister Turnbull, made a favorable comment to the visiting prime minister about their country's healthcare system. It's a single payer system, so the president's comment is of particular interest.
A possible solution lies in each state working out it's own system,
But it's embarrassing that, after decades of talking about it, Washington still has not come up with a sustainable medical system. Perhaps America could start by looking at the medical systems in Australia, the UK and Canada, our next-door neighbor. France, too, which the WHO claims has the best system in the world. You would think that one of our TV news programs would take a look at one or two of these other countries.
I might add that if a Conservative government in the UK, the closest equivalent to a Republican administration, abolished the medical system, they would not make it back into power for decades. The same goes for the French, Canadian and Australian conservatives.
John Wycliffe (1320-84) was a major figure in what became the Protestant Reformation.
"John Wycliffe was an English scholastic philosopher, theologian, Biblical translator, reformer, and seminary professor at Oxford. He was an influential dissident within the Roman Catholic priesthood during the 14th century." (Wikipedia)
His favorite scripture was Philippians 2:12 – "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." This was heresy to the Roman Church, which dominated the country at the time. Later, the Church had Wycliffe condemned as a "heretic." It didn't bother him – he was already dead and buried. But his bones were exhumed and burnt.
He did not just influence religion. He also had a profound political effect. Not long after the birth of the modern parliament in 1265, Wycliffe encouraged people to think for themselves, thereby encouraging democracy, an idea the church did not like at all.
The freedom to think for ourselves is seriously threatened today by universities that won't allow conservative speakers to address students, citing security concerns. This is unlikely to be a temporary phenomenon.
Sadly, few remember Wycliffe today. When I visited Lincoln Cathedral in England some years ago, I asked after the man who served there for some years in the 14th century. A senior member of the cathedral's clergy had never heard of him! I did find a very thin book on him in the bookstore, which I bought.
John Wycliffe (pronounced WICKCliff) is one of the greatest men in our common history, who made a big difference both religiously and politically.


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Autograph is hosting a FREE event that will give you an overview of the SD Series digital mixing consoles and, most importantly, provide you with the basic information and skills required to set up and operate your console of choice.
The day will run from 10am until 4pm, and all required materials, as well as lunch and refreshments, will be provided for you.
Itinerary for the day:
• Short presentation about DiGiCo and the range of equipment available
• Training on SD Series consoles
• Practical application
• Questions and answers with DiGiCo Product Specialists
Places are limited as to provide the best service possible, so book today! Autograph and DiGiCo kindly request that you inform them if you will not be able to make the training session if confirmed onto the course.
(c) Association of Sound Designers 2020
The ASD is a registered charity in the UK | Registered Charity No. 1165633 | Terms, conditions & privacy policy


text: childhood dresses hand-sewn by her beloved grandmother. She asked Denyse to incorporate the fabrics into a one-of-a-kind quilt. Using an improvisational piecing technique, Denyse created this fabulous quilt for Wendy. In Wendy's words "Those dresses now live with me and will live on after me - because of all the love you put into the quilt."


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A Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority plan to take the lead in landfill waste disposal should be tossed, a private-sector disposal group argues in a state Commonwealth Court appeal.
A Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority plan to take the lead in landfill waste disposal should be tossed, a private-sector disposal group argues in a state Commonwealth Court appeal.
At stake are the fees paid to landfill operators — and ultimately charged to households and businesses — for getting rid of garbage, demolition debris, infectious waste and sewage sludge.
Monroe County Judge David J. Williamson ruled last December that the authority has the legal right to directly buy landfill space for waste generated here — not merely sign an agreement guaranteeing landfill capacity that waste haulers would negotiate to pay for directly to the landfill operators.
"Instead, we negotiated for the hauling of the waste, and as a result we were able to get it much cheaper," Waste Management Authority Executive Director Jim Lambert said. "It really benefits the smaller haulers who don't have the ability to negotiate a lower rate."
Local haulers pay $97 per ton now to get rid of the waste, but will pay only $52 to $59 per ton under a 10-year agreement that takes effect in 2015, Lambert said. The waste will go to either Grand Central Sanitary Landfill in Pen Argyl, operated by Waste Management, or Alliance Sanitary Landfill in Taylor.
The Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association — which represents landfill owners and operators, and haulers — brought the suit and filed the appeal on grounds the plan violates the state's 1988 municipal waste act. It argues the authority can't impose a tipping fee on haulers covering the landfill charge and "reasonable costs" of the authority.
The waste industries group points to a 2005 case in which, it says, the court banned counties from imposing administrative fees on solid waste.
"Commonwealth Court held that such fees are illegal, regardless of whether the money from those fees are used to fund recycling, other waste-related activities or general debt service," Mark C. Pedersen, the waste association's president, said. "PWIA is pursuing this because it has potential implications for waste disposal throughout the state."
If the Monroe Waste Authority plan stands, the authority will be able to dictate the fee it charges for landfill space, Pedersen contends. He said those fees will generate revenue without holding the authority accountable to taxpayers.
The waste authority, an agency independent from county or local government, said it is authorized by the 1945 Municipal Authorities Act to contract for the space and charge haulers for it. County Judge Williamson agreed.
"The authority, unlike a county or a municipality, is governed by the MAA, as a separate and distinct political subdivision," Williamson wrote in his opinion. "Although it is a novel approach to contract for air space in landfills, by actually acquiring rights to land itself, and to charge a fee to cover that cost of space and expenses of the authority, it is not for this court to determine if anyone will actually contract with the authority as proposed."
The direct purchase of landfill space not only will save money for waste consumers, Lambert said, but also guarantee that disposal space remains available through 2025.
All authority recycling costs will be separated from waste disposal costs, Lambert testified. State law requires countywide recycling programs to reduce the waste stream by 35 percent. The state imposes a $2-per-ton fee on all solid waste that originates in each county, most of which is redistributed to local governments to fund recycling programs.
Monroe County generates about 160,000 tons of municipal solid waste per year.


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TANT046This Tantalum ring features:
- 8mm Width
- A Flat with Micro-Beveled Shape
- A centered 5mm 14K Rose Gold Wood Knot Textured Inlay
- A Bead Finish
Combining the rugged look of an industrial metal with the workability of gold, our newest contemporary metal rings blur the lines between classic and cutting edge. A rich slate bluish-gray in color, Tantalum rings are manufactured with the metal in its purest form, making them completely hypo-allergenic, resistant to breakage and ultimately the most precious of all contemporary metals.
This ring is offered through our website and is part of the Ammara Stone Collection of rings manufactured by Benchmark Rings. This ring comes with a comfort fit and Benchmark Logo and Ring info on the interior which cannot be removed by request.
Custom Engraving and Rush Processing are not available for this ring.
Please Note:
- As wood is a natural material it can vary in pattern, shade, and even color from piece to piece depending on our current supply. This is part of the appeal to wood as it does mean every ring is unique. However, because of this we cannot guarantee a specific shade, color, or pattern within a specfic wood type.
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