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This blog and its topic pages are informational designed to share opinions and ideas. It is not designed to anonymously attack individuals or make specific references to children, volunteers, coaches or other professionals.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
U14G Youth Soccer U14 Girls Youth Soccer NY, PA, NJ
This blog and its topic pages are informational designed to share opinions and ideas. It is not designed to anonymously attack individuals or make specific references to children, volunteers, coaches or other professionals.
3,149 comments:1 – 200 of 3149 Newer› Newest»
You people will always find something to complain about. Cant you just be happy it was a nice weekend with some nice soccer! So who cares if you didnt win. Dont b@#ch or try to find something negative to say! HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY
- May 26, 2014 at 8:15 AM
5:34 pm Copa parent, since you seem ( or pretend) to be fair, I have a question for you:
Your coach was showing up in other team's games talking to parents on recruiting their daughters.
I agree you had a good season but don't you find this totally unprofessional ? I am a parent that witness it in two games
- May 26, 2014 at 8:38 AM
8:38am - Our coach also coaches the U12s, who were playing 1 hour away. Our coach was driving back and forth all weekend and hardly spending time at the U13s fields.
Also, our team has 18 on the roster for next year and not taking any more... so I don't think he was recruiting. Maybe he was just talking to people he knows.
- May 26, 2014 at 9:23 AM
9:23 I said that I witness it , I am not guessing.If
You want to be " the perfect Copa parent" then you should have an opinion about a FACT too no?
- May 26, 2014 at 9:52 AM
And it has nothing to do with your team performance, as stated before you are doing really good
- May 26, 2014 at 9:53 AM
My daughters team was at Delco this weekend. I saw coaches from other teams watching our games and other games and talking to parents.
Maybe they were waiting for their next game?
Maybe they were saying hello to people they know in this small soccer world?
Maybe they were recruiting?
Maybe the coach asked someone what is the score and they just started to talk?
Maybe they were there watching someone who used to play for them?
It was a great weather weekend at the fields and I enjoyed the sunshine.
- May 26, 2014 at 9:56 AM
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- May 26, 2014 at 11:04 AM
I guess I don't see why so many people have a problem with BRICK. They play hard, win, lose just like everyone else. They don't come on this blog to grandstand or brag; what have they done so wrong to warrant so many ill comments from people?
- May 26, 2014 at 11:27 AM
No Malice in last comment, just stating a fact that the team will be better next year, in no way shape or form does that mean that they aren't a good team now. You need to lighten up and not take things personally.
- May 26, 2014 at 12:27 PM
"No Malice in last comment, just stating a fact that the team will be better next year, in no way shape or form does that mean that they aren't a good team now. You need to lighten up and not take things personally."
I don't think the comment was directed towards you actually. If you look further above, someone said "I don't like Brick, but..."
To answer the other question as to WHY people might not like them. It's easy. It's because they have gone against the odds, and become one of the most successful town teams around. All the money makers don't particularly like that.
- May 26, 2014 at 1:40 PM
8 38
Are you new to soccer?
not a copa person but you must be jealous cause it wasn't you they were talking to.do you know who they were talking to and why their kid shouldn't consider going to another team...
As someone else said there are a lot of conversations that take place at games.
And back to recruiting... Everybody (clubs coaches parents kids) recruits, nothing wrong with that, it's smart. isn't that why so many have their kids playing, in order to get recruited by some next level coach. Who are the number one recruiters?? parents are always talking up their team. Like others have said, don't worry about the others, worry about your own daughter, do what's best for her & the other parent decide what to do that is best for their kid.
anybody that recruits my kid I'll take that as a compliment, thank you in advance coach parent whoever.
- May 26, 2014 at 1:45 PM
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- May 26, 2014 at 2:36 PM
Only three teams from Nj did well at Delco, copa/IGFA and Nj crush. What is happening to level of soccer in NJ?
- May 26, 2014 at 2:39 PM
Not to fear. Over the next year the teams dominating these tournaments will rarely be seen in them. Somebody will have to win them. NJ can begin to look good again.
- May 26, 2014 at 3:08 PM
Very disappointing NJ performance.
5 flights and only two make it to semis! Top flight 3/4 ecnl teams. C'mon NJ time to step up the training!! Only five years of youth soccer left to catch up to the rest of the surrounding states.
- May 26, 2014 at 4:52 PM
I think the person who was commenting on Brick was actually giving you a complement. I read it that way, in that Brick got screwed by a stupid rule awarding most goals over least goals allowed.
Brick should have advnaced in EDP, not NYSC.
- May 26, 2014 at 5:00 PM
What teams has 18 and is still advertising about open tryouts?
STA, FC COPA, Match FIT, TRIC, BRICK, etc. etc.
Which are you?
- May 27, 2014 at 3:24 PM
Wildcats still holding tryouts.
- May 27, 2014 at 3:34 PM
They never stop, nothing new, they will add players at any point in time.
- May 27, 2014 at 3:37 PM
Americans are done after this season. Many of the girls are 8th grade and will be playing HS in the Fall. They will be playing U15 in the Spring. I'm sure the remaining players are already on new teams.
- May 27, 2014 at 4:01 PM
"OK so the coach of Brick replied, I used to play for Brick and set the record straight...High comedy..........................
There is only one rumor that I know is true at this point in time, NJ Force Crush is done. What a shame, a very good team. But you can watch them play in Brick next year. "
YOU are becoming, if not already, one of the most aggravating people in here. You know nothing about anything outside of your team. Which is now obviously the Force. And if I had to guess, you're that short, fat, annoying little dad that NO ONE wants on their team. It's a shame your daughter has to suffer because of you. How's that for comedy?
- May 27, 2014 at 5:35 PM
Go Force! .. Oops sorry old habit, I meant go Brick!!
- May 27, 2014 at 8:50 PM
good luck in JAGS
- May 27, 2014 at 9:17 PM
Tournaments aren't over. MF, PDA, Wildcats you'll be sure to see them.
- May 27, 2014 at 9:28 PM
You had your chance, and what did you do with it?
- May 27, 2014 at 10:30 PM
went with a winner
- May 27, 2014 at 10:35 PM
Anonymous said...
Why do we keep removing the truth?
May 27, 2014 at 12:04 PM
I don't know what you are referring to I did not read what was removed. However, it was either in bad taste, a attack on a individual, or a legal action that could brought on the blog or a person.
My suggestion to you ...put your John Hancock in place and see what develops.
- May 28, 2014 at 2:35 AM
Does anyone know where the players leaving Brick are going? I also heard Freehold lost a bunch of players? To who?
- May 28, 2014 at 9:25 AM
Freehold always loses players but I'm sure they'll pick up whoever from the basketball team to fill in. I highly doubt Brick is adding 6 players from Force which would force them to cut players.
- May 28, 2014 at 9:29 AM
don't believe the hype. Brick is not losing any players only gaining from the timely demise of the NJ Force team. The real question will be how many will be on that roster? If they had 16 players and are adding 6 or even just 4 that puts the number from 20-22 players, too many for that team.
New news on Freehold, they have been holding tryouts and training (open training) seeking to add players. Having multi sport players produces good athletes that are less prone to injury. Don't know their situation but maybe someone from the inside can provide clarity.
This is just a blog where people can post thoughts and opinions. why take it personally? Of course we don't want any posts that call out players, that is just wrong. Honestly, don't mind when person's post information about coaches, it just alerts people to ask questions and could help them make the right choice for their child.
There is a lot of talented players and a lot of very good teams in this age group in NJ and in all of Region 1. Celebrate that fact!
Yes teams will break up, players will move from team to team, some coaches and trainers are better than others. Some parents are more involved that others.
Youth soccer is a business, sadly.
Your daughter and her team will have very good days and very bad days on the field, but so what!
At the end of the day, why not just enjoy the time you get to spend with your daughter, traveling to and from training games, etc.. Watching her play and compete! We are privileged, that is the bottom line!
- May 28, 2014 at 9:52 AM
I cant see rostering 20-22 players. Its tuff rostering 18. The kids(parents) wont be happy sharing time and will leave.
- May 28, 2014 at 10:08 AM
I heard the two studs that Freehold had this year wanted to go to PDA but that never happend. So did they go to Brick since he ran the tryout?
- May 28, 2014 at 10:11 AM
What 2 studs??? I've seen them play a couple of times & never saw any stand out players. Decent athletes but not very technical players in my opinion.
- May 28, 2014 at 10:35 AM
Freehold studs, that is funny. I do know Freehold is picking up some new players and will have to let some leave if they want.
- May 28, 2014 at 11:26 AM
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- May 28, 2014 at 11:30 AM
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- May 28, 2014 at 11:44 AM
Rub everyone the wrong way I believe you meant but I too agree. That voice & rude cheerleader voice are like nails on a chalk board. Her daughter must be one if the better players for those coaches to allow her to ruin their chances if picking up good players. Maybe if the Force are done they could have picked up some of those players.
- May 28, 2014 at 11:49 AM
You two really should learn how to spell. Why don't you take an online course and learn something, it will get you somewhere that this blog wont.
- May 28, 2014 at 1:04 PM
I heard Tukahoe turf got shut down to soccer. Anybody have details?
- May 28, 2014 at 2:04 PM
freehold manager is ruining the entire team! coach please send her away. everybody hates her!!!
manager if you read this , please go away from youth soccer .
a player
- May 28, 2014 at 2:18 PM
Please elaborate. How is she killing the team? I happen to disagree with you, but perhaps you have additional information.
- May 28, 2014 at 2:38 PM
Copa Copa Copa Copa Copa
- May 28, 2014 at 7:35 PM
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- May 28, 2014 at 8:10 PM
Force 1-0 Freehold
- May 28, 2014 at 9:01 PM
Wow that sure does kill the team
- May 28, 2014 at 9:08 PM
Looks like PDA did real poor at its own showcase ,what's up with that? Not the top academy anymore?
- May 28, 2014 at 9:14 PM
Looks like PDA did real poor at its own showcase ,what's up with that? Not the top academy anymore?
- May 28, 2014 at 9:17 PM
U know. There are some academy teams that keep adding players until they make two teams. Coaches do it. Don't think it doesn't happen just because your roster is maxxed out at 18
- May 28, 2014 at 10:52 PM
7:35 is pathetic. Freehold parent obviously trying to steer the comments away from them.
Get a life, idiot.
- May 28, 2014 at 11:19 PM
Glad no one bit on the PDA comment as obviously you don't understand showcases as you play everyone at least half again because there are college coaches there to see specific players which the travel coaches are aware of. Results at showcases mean nothing which is why they only play 1 game a day & there aren't any standings. Get educated before you bash the #1 girls club in the Nation 6 years running.
- May 29, 2014 at 7:24 AM
U13 played in a college showcase? Makes no sense.
- May 29, 2014 at 8:13 AM
They didn't as it's U-14 through U-17. Someone just trying to start trouble.
- May 29, 2014 at 8:59 AM
From the AC press May 21st
The Pinelands Commission will allow Tuckahoe Turf Farms to go forward with organized soccer activities for an unspecified period of time while continuing to study the appropriateness of the events in an agricultural zone under deed restriction.
- May 29, 2014 at 9:21 AM
Based on Article from May 21. I wonder why mid Atlantic was moved to PDA fields yesterday.
- May 29, 2014 at 9:36 AM
724 no one bit except you. lol.
You are misinformed. ECNL only plays one game in a day because it is dangerous to play more than one game in a day with an increased risk of injury. As far as the standings go, the games count in the overall national standings, not in the conference standings, therefore, the results are very meaningful. Also, because of this, coaches will coach to win the game, and substitute appropriately, regardless of college commitment or not.
The only thing you said correctly was your last sentence. Sorry.
- May 29, 2014 at 11:51 AM
Crickets! Glad to see that all the nasty rumors have taken a break.
Happy to see that tournaments will be allowed to continue for the time being at Tuckahoe.
- May 29, 2014 at 1:14 PM
Don't worry.....
Just like Arnold,
They'll be back !!
- May 29, 2014 at 3:23 PM
The last thing on a coaches mind at a college showcase is winning. You idiot. I don't care what club it is.
- May 29, 2014 at 8:49 PM
Freehold did a great tournament at Delco. They are a great team and will be better and stronger next year
- May 29, 2014 at 10:32 PM
This is from May 24th. Its say all is good down at the farm.
- May 29, 2014 at 10:35 PM
We are getting better at not biting on the Freehold comment which clearly was to get people to bash them(hidden agenda). Everyone knows they are solid not great & most likely will lose players again so not sure why someone is so interested in seeing them get bashed? Has to be someone that left disgruntled because I can't imagine any top team even talking about them let one worry about what they are or not doing. They are never in top flights & don't win in the 3rd & 4th flights they are normally in. Also sounds like basketball takes precedence over soccer games which might explain why they never made it to the top if NJ soccer in his age group.
- May 30, 2014 at 7:58 AM
PDA flight valued @ 4,375pts & didn't place enough said.
- May 30, 2014 at 8:04 AM
Leave Freehold alone as they have stopped talking about how good they are so no reason to bash them. They are a lot like the Wildcats mid-level team that wants to play with the big boys & bragged for a while them were humbled so keys leave it that way before we need to hear how great they are again. Most people saying that stuff might not even be in the team just someone wanting them to get bashed.
- May 30, 2014 at 8:41 AM
As we head into the summer season what tournaments are teams playing and who has improved or declined based on tryout results?
- May 30, 2014 at 9:02 AM
Brick +
Copa ?
Force -
Freehold -
Americans -
Wildcats -
Crush -
Pick ups & losses if you believe this site.
- May 30, 2014 at 9:56 AM
What about Hornets & Real to round out the top 15?
- May 30, 2014 at 9:58 AM
7 players from Americans.
2 players from Crush
4 of their current studs on the team.
Remember when I say, I told you so...
Freedom Number 1 in NJ
- May 30, 2014 at 10:41 AM
I'll believe it when I see it. There has to be tem chemistry & all these players must have different roles on the team or they are just extra players. Top teams like Americans didn't have all 16 players as top players @ same with Crush as if you get their bottom 2 how much better are you? Team now isn't very good so these players would have to totally transform the team to winners. Good luck with that. Maybe a top 10 team next yet but #1 highly doubt it.
- May 30, 2014 at 10:59 AM
Welcome to the madness NJ Stallions. One idiot parent has started it all for you...
Speaking before proving. Bad combination, especially on this blog.
- May 30, 2014 at 11:05 AM
At least someone is talking about them I guess?
- May 30, 2014 at 11:23 AM
I think it is funny that one person thinks they know that much about all of those teams. How do you know the additions and subtractions on team X? YOU DONT
- May 30, 2014 at 11:46 AM
Yeah, my kid is on one of the teams listed, and none of the parents know how many new kids there are.
- May 30, 2014 at 11:53 AM
stallions? are we talking about competitive teams in this blog or also recreational; my daughter plays for PAL and sometimes boys and girls club; we have some new players this season. can i make predictions too?
- May 30, 2014 at 11:58 AM
The additions & subtraction were based on what has been reported on this blog as they stated. No sure why the attack as someone opened up the question & someone answered & stayed based on what has been said on here. Read it again.
- May 30, 2014 at 12:05 PM
NJX lost their tall center defense player to MFA U15G ECNL team, their other main forward to the Wildcats with another player that left during the spring seson to the Wildcats as well. 1-2 other players looking to leave from what I heard as well. The experience in the beginning with the coaches was very good, until one of them took over the coaching and decision making/playing time and certain players playing the whole game. The training was horrible and the coaching became a one women show which she has proved in the past ruins teams like what is happeining at NJX currently. Played in a bunch of rediculous tournments to get gotsoccer points so us parents would believe the team is good so players would stay. Good luck!!
- May 30, 2014 at 12:12 PM
All teams are going to lose and gain players this year and every year. Hopefully those current players on these teams step up and the new additions work well. Teams like njx, Jackson. Freehold, brick, TRIC, will lose a few to the "academies" And the "academies" lose players who are unhappy being player 14-25 or who have issue with the coaches perception of little Mia. There is drama and unhappiness on every sideline. Question is, why air your gripes with your own team on this site? Teams like crush, freehold, njx , sta, wildcats , brick, Copa all air their teams laundry here. If I was a coach on those teams I"d be thrilled for those parents to move along...
- May 30, 2014 at 12:24 PM
@12:12 Troll....sign your name or are you a coward? Love to hear how you have so much information! And they have played good competition in each tournament so I would like to be privy to what you think you know. Please enlighten us all....or just sign your name so we can see your connection.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:18 PM
If that player is going to play U15 Ecnl, then that team just lost their best player.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:23 PM
Agreed. That girl is a stud. She holds that defense together.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:25 PM
To the 1:25 poster. "That girl is a stud." Where do you come from referencing one of my daughter's teammates in such a derogatory manner. STUD.
Obviously, the girls during your HS days never thought of you as a stud.
You were probably the class dud.
And no, I spelled it correctly.
You are also not a dude. Just a low life Jersey cave dwellar with no common sense.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:32 PM
OMG lighten up Francis...you obviously are not aware of sports slang...being called a STUD is a good thing...a compliment. Guess you never got many of those in your HS days.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:38 PM
Not Francis. Thanks for proving my point that you are jerk with that post. Maybe it is a compliment in your cave dwelling mind and circle of cave dwelling friends.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:41 PM
The stallions talk is quite funny. They play low level tournaments, never win them and they have a core of 4 current studs?
Also 7 Americans are coming, are they all gonna start? That 70% of the starting line up. Before you start crowing, I'm assuming one of the players you are excited about will take your Mia's roster spot.
As for Crush, dont think so. No top players are going to that coach, why would they.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:46 PM
not the poster, but "Lighten up Francis" is from Stripes with Bill Murray.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:50 PM
I agree. Reading the posts of a bunch of probably overweight, middle aged men refer to U-13 girls as STUDS is kind of creepy.
That is my opinion, and if you don't
like it, frankly I don't give a damn.
It is time for you guys- legends in your own minds- to grow up.
- May 30, 2014 at 1:52 PM
look it up on URBAN DICTIONARY Francis
basically a badass... this person is really cool. Everyone looks up to them and wants to get with them. This person can be a male or a female gay or straight. studs do not discriminate. STUDS DOMINATE
People who take offense so easily should may know what they are talking about, before knee jerk reactions. Just curious on why you think its so demeaning? What is your definition of a STUD used in a sports context?
- May 30, 2014 at 2:09 PM
Your choice of the URBAN Dictionary to defend your position says it ALL.
Nothing more shall be said by me.
- May 30, 2014 at 2:13 PM
Being called a stud is a good thing. You really shouldn't be in a sports conversation.
- May 30, 2014 at 2:25 PM
yes Urban dictionary..here's one for you. Look up definition #4 for teabagger. get your mind out of the gutter, its not what you think!!
- May 30, 2014 at 2:27 PM
An anonymous poster calling out another anonymous poster to post under his/her name...that's rich!
An argument over whether "stud" is a compliment or a pejorative...great.
Stripes was a good analogy - it's low brow humor on this board.
- May 30, 2014 at 2:34 PM
Obviously the one poster overreacts to everything said about NJX and many if us believe it is the over sensitive coach. Only comment I have is put up or shut up this weekend for Holmdel. Win both and you likely win the division. Lose one and you don't. South division probably gets decided this weekend too - - Force still has a good shot to take it. SJEB should lock up NPL with win over Stallions tomorrow then they will face Copa for the EDL title.
- May 30, 2014 at 2:45 PM
LOL... looked up "CREEP" in urban dictionary...
1950's word used by women to decribe an undesirable man
C'mon grandma..that's how these crazy whippersnappers talk these days.
- May 30, 2014 at 2:49 PM
The more crap you post, the more you prove the poster's point.
You just can't resist making yourself look "small".
You can't resist trying to get the last word.
- May 30, 2014 at 2:52 PM
1:18 is definately LC. Way to sensative and defending NJX or at least what is left of NJX.
- May 30, 2014 at 2:52 PM
It's a shame - those two girls would be much better off in the long run if they could distance themselves from the destruction. Repeatedly forced to start over and play with whoever they can get rather than stability playing with talent. Get out if the way, shred the nest, and let the birdies fly or crash to the ground.
- May 30, 2014 at 3:05 PM
If you read this blog over the last month the following has happened to poor NJX:
1. NJX/Middletown best player left for wildcats last year.
2. Something written that the coaches's daughters were best which was creating the issues.
3. Best player went to wildcats this winter.
4. Top striker going to wildcats
5. Best player going to Match Fit U-15 ECNL
If you read back through all the BS that people post, one would believe that NJX has lost all of their players who can walk and chew gum EXCEPT the coaches daughters. If you have watched this team play, you will notice that the talent on this team is fairly evenly dispersed. I am sure that they will be fine. Not a Parent for this team - but seriously, leave them and the girls alone and you should not be calling out 13 year old girls by their physical description at all. Who cares if you are to complimenting them or to put them down. Have some common sense! (And, no, the stud comment doesn't offend me and I am assuming the person meant it as a compliment - but I am with Francis. Not appropriate!)
- May 30, 2014 at 3:06 PM
LC missing her afternoon feeding?
- May 30, 2014 at 3:07 PM
I am the first to criticize all that has happened around that person, but you are just plain low class and wrong to go there. You are a lowlife.
- May 30, 2014 at 3:23 PM
If NJX had a defensive stud playing...where was she when they lost 7-2 last year in the fall to GFA...BTW GFA is okay and making ground but a 7-2 lost does not show defensive playing at all...from what I heard it could have been 10-2.and stallions I have watched them play and there is nothing to talk about the Americans that came over will have a lot of work to do. Is will take well over a year.
- May 30, 2014 at 3:56 PM
Funny thing here is your information is wrong again... The so called "stud" didn't go to u15 ECNL she's playing with the u14. Before you post you should know the facts.. Also the other girl that left mid season is not playing for the Wildcats. Anything else?? Please focus on your own children...
- May 30, 2014 at 5:47 PM
Thanks coach for clearing that up.
- May 30, 2014 at 6:14 PM
Copa. Copa Copa Copa! Copa Copa Copa
- May 30, 2014 at 8:58 PM
Comedy. Have you lost it. why react. So what if someone referred to a player as a stud, basically that person was stating that the player is the best player on the field or at least one of them. Don't think was trying to say anything bad about the player. Losing the best defender on any team is hard to replace, but would guess that someone else will step up and the difference will be negligible. What's up with the person with turrets (COPA) syndrome? No one cares about that team, well that is not true, no one cares for the coach (right mate). Thinks he knows the game because he has a British accent? Pass him a ball and see if he has any skill, my guess would be minimal. Has no ethics if he is recruiting at other teams games, that is just sleazy.
Good luck to all the PLAYERS this weekend. Hope YOU play well. I'm sure their will be parents on here basing you team.
- May 30, 2014 at 9:13 PM
Yeah stop basing
- May 30, 2014 at 9:15 PM
I agree- basing for young athletes is probably not recommended. Basing you (SIC) entire team won't get you many results outside the county penal facility.
- May 30, 2014 at 9:34 PM
9:13 - you should go play 1v1 with the Copa coach and see if you have any skill.
- May 30, 2014 at 10:46 PM
Someone is doing something well at Copa... hard to believe a coach with no skill could take them through the year they have had.
However the idiot that keeps posting 'copa copa copa' just needs to shut up. They have been very quiet and have just been getting on with their season. Other teams bash when they have nothing to say/brag about themselves.
Just focus on your own daughters team.
- May 30, 2014 at 10:50 PM
My guess is an NJX parent or coach trying to steer talk away from them. Leave Copa alone.
- May 30, 2014 at 10:58 PM
Who IS Copa? It's a serious question, as I honestly do not know.
- May 30, 2014 at 11:07 PM
Copa takes ex-PDA players.
- May 30, 2014 at 11:18 PM
There is not 1 girl on Copa U13s that used to play for PDA. Try again... troll.
- May 30, 2014 at 11:24 PM
- May 30, 2014 at 11:25 PM
- May 30, 2014 at 11:25 PM
NJX coach needs to let her daughter be coached by someone else. If it was an individual sport then it would be fine. But it's a team sport and the mom coach has to wake up and realize the detriments she is casting to her kid as well as the other players and their parents. The mom coach can always do private training with her daughter. At some point she needs to let go.
- May 30, 2014 at 11:26 PM
11:24 Can you deny Copa takes ex-PDA players?
- May 30, 2014 at 11:27 PM
Cops won the edp north division and the bracket of NPL they competed in. They will face the other bracket winner (probably Barons) for a trip to Nationals
- May 30, 2014 at 11:28 PM
- May 30, 2014 at 11:29 PM
11:27 - I can deny that the U13s have any ex-PDA players. As for other age groups I do not know.
Doesn't everyone take ex pda players every year when pda cast off their unwanted?
- May 30, 2014 at 11:31 PM
9:13 - any balls to say where you are from? No? Thought so.
Keep quiet 'mate'
- May 30, 2014 at 11:33 PM
Do you people really think the players don't come on here and read this horrible blog? How do these girls feel when they read their coaches getting bad-mouthed and falsely portrayed?
These young girls idolize their coaches, love and respect them. We should ban all talk about coaches on here. Its just not right.
- May 30, 2014 at 11:45 PM
You have been stalking LC and her children for a number of years now!
Shouldn't you cease and desist?
- May 31, 2014 at 12:04 AM
That player turned down PDA,get it right,,,,,,
- May 31, 2014 at 12:32 AM
Let's be fair. None of us truly know a coach and what he/she is like unless we have played or are playing for them. We should refrain from commenting about coaches. They are helping our kids play the game they love, bottom line.
- May 31, 2014 at 7:41 AM
Dear MORON who said Copa won EDP north,
Pls check the records before you make statements that are false.
A-Copa has two games to play
B-New Hyde park is no push over.
C-If they win both, then tie breakers will determine.
I used caps to be sure you heard me.
- May 31, 2014 at 9:57 AM
you have to speak with a British accent for him to understand. The COPA coach will never learn, he lives on this blog. It is really a shame. Does he coach other teams? How can you survive in this state coaching a U13 girls team?
- May 31, 2014 at 10:39 AM
- frank lentz said...
Heading to Jersey Shore Championship Cup from Central Pa. next weekend. No brackets posted yet that I can find? Figure we will be in top Bracket. All the other teams are from NJ. Who should we be worried about? Just curious....Thanks!
- May 31, 2014 at 10:51 AM
That tournament is a week away, and I can't find any flight or schedule info on it. Looks to be a local
Low level tournament though. I've never even heard of it.
- May 31, 2014 at 11:04 AM
thanks 11:04...We have never been there, but a bunch of teams from our club are going? Wall SC wizards have the highest rating, but that does not always mean anything. Not that we are world beaters either, decent team from Central PA....Was just curious as the folks on here seem very knowledgeable in regards to Nj teams...
- May 31, 2014 at 11:13 AM
All pretty mediocre clubs. Wall wizards probably the only team that plays tough competition, but they are usually down in the standings - fast, but inconsistent attack. Not sure what CASL team you are, but not really any tough challengers unless someone guests elite team players.
- May 31, 2014 at 11:15 AM
Oops. Meant to say Copa WILL win north. NHP can't get title and Copa can - motivation will prevail. With two wins, they'd get goal differential tie breaker because they should beat Force by more than one.
- May 31, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Thanks 11:15...we will see? hopefully a nice weekend
- May 31, 2014 at 11:38 AM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- May 31, 2014 at 12:45 PM
For the last time, the coach does not come on here. All the parents read it, and one of us agrees to post on our behalf and is very fair as you have all seen. The people posting that we will win this and win that are again trying to stir trouble.
Our coach has us and another 3 teams in the club, and is by far one of the better coaches. We are very happy with him and with our team. As I said last week after Delco, we have a long way to go before we can compete at the next level, but we are very happy with the progress made this year, and the additions to the roster for next year.
You should all really focus your energy elsewhere. Bash us and the coach all you want, we are happy and you won't cause any rifts between anyone.
You have no right to speak about someone you don't know. None of you know our coach. Come watch him train, see him coach, meet him. We are lucky to have him. If he came on this blog he would be shocked at the things said about him as they are completely untrue, as I'm sure many things about other coaches are that are posted on here.
Leave us alone.
- May 31, 2014 at 1:09 PM
Gimme a break. Yeah Right
- May 31, 2014 at 1:53 PM
You said " None of you know our coach".
Not tue- you may think that, BUT
- May 31, 2014 at 2:44 PM
Nice story coach!
- May 31, 2014 at 3:27 PM
There really is some sad people on this blog. None of you would say a word to people's faces. Hide behind your computer. Cowards
- May 31, 2014 at 3:38 PM
For you to think that was the coach who posted at 1:09 just shows how stupid you really are. All you have to do is go onto the Copa website and you can see that he was coaching one of his other teams at that time.
For some reason this age group and the U12 Girls have the worst comments over any other age groups. It seems anytime a team does well there are always people trying to make stuff up.
Stop living your life through your daughter and just enjoy the game.
- May 31, 2014 at 4:17 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- May 31, 2014 at 4:39 PM
All coaches build up their teams and players, and you parents always come down hard on the ones that do well. Maybe it's because the team you are at has coaching issues? Just because you aren't happy with your team doesn't give you the right to bash teams that are happy and doing well.
- May 31, 2014 at 4:48 PM
Wildcats 0-2 Force Crush today.
If Force beat Real tomorrow they should finish 1st in EDP South. They would need a win over Stronghold next week to guarantee it.
Would be a nice way to end for that team before they go their separate ways.
Wildcats 0 wins this season. Real 0 wins this season.
- May 31, 2014 at 8:14 PM
Time out.
- May 31, 2014 at 8:15 PM
Nice win for Holmdel today. One more to clinch. Good luck. Hope you can shut up all the clueless critics by winning your division.
- May 31, 2014 at 8:33 PM
Yeah the 2nd Division... and then the same thing will happen to you in the fall that's happening to Real now... win a poor second division with teams like 'Torpedos' and 'Watchung Hills' and you will move up to First Division and get destroyed... especially without the players that are leaving.
You will need that luck...
- May 31, 2014 at 8:35 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- May 31, 2014 at 9:14 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- May 31, 2014 at 9:16 PM
I am usually one of her biggest critics because of all the history and antics, but I had to admit it was a nice win. They can only win what division they are in so if they do then yes I say well done. Cops moved up from second division last season and will finish very well in the first division so you never know. I don't think NJX is anywhere close to Copa in skill level, but that's next season. Well done for this season.
- May 31, 2014 at 9:23 PM
Hey wildcat parents, why don't you suggest that your coach try something new and maybe you can win a game. Maybe one of those bench warming source of donations could give the girls a much needed rest once in a while. Maybe the select few are overplayed, out of position, and just plain poorly coached. Feel bad for the girls - especially those that never play - but kinda glad that loser game up goose egg in the win column.
- May 31, 2014 at 9:27 PM
GFA also moved up from second division to 1st and finished with only 2 losses. They will take 3rd or 4th place.
Go NJX!
- May 31, 2014 at 9:31 PM
GFA will be middle of the pack which isn't saying much considering who is below them. Nothing special there. They benefitted by weak competition. They seem to choke in every tournament or pressure game. They can't beat a solid D. They are behind Copa in skill level for sure.
- May 31, 2014 at 9:39 PM
These people commenting on Copa skill level once again are not Copa parents, just to be clear.
However, brings up an interesting topic to discuss... Finally soccer for once. Which teams in NJ truly have the best SKILL level? True talented players. We all know the difference between an athlete and a technically skilled player.
I know GFA have some very skilled girls, as do SJEB, Copa and STA. some of the more faster athletic teams are Americans, Force Crush and Brick.
- May 31, 2014 at 9:45 PM
Team skill very different from having skilled girls.
- May 31, 2014 at 10:33 PM
This will be fun!!!!which team has had the best spring?should be easy !!!!!! But it won't be
- May 31, 2014 at 10:51 PM
Hey wildcat parents, why don't you suggest that your coach try something new and maybe you can win a game. Maybe one of those bench warming source of donations could give the girls a much needed rest once in a while. Maybe the select few are overplayed, out of position, and just plain poorly coached. Feel bad for the girls - especially those that never play - but kinda glad that loser game up goose egg in the win column.
I agree 100%. I'm not sure how this organization think that by playing the same 11 players and losing games they will get some place. First of all, they need to train all players not just the starting 11. Do they think that parents will continue to play 2,400 dollars a year to have their child warm the bench and not be trained properly.
I hear this problem through out all age groups so I'm sure parents are not making this up. Leave now before you warm the bench another year.
- May 31, 2014 at 10:59 PM
Your glad that young girls are finishing a soccer season with a goose egg record? Do you hear yourself?
- May 31, 2014 at 11:34 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- June 1, 2014 at 12:13 AM
9:27 10:59 Same person?? Look at the messages. LOL
- June 1, 2014 at 12:19 AM
9:39, behind skill level of copa for sure? Really?
All the time is see them play copa I do not remember that , but if you say so ...
- June 1, 2014 at 7:07 AM
Copa is probably the best skilled team, thanks to good training and a coach that work the girls the right way. That is a fact
- June 1, 2014 at 7:08 AM
Seriously? Copa again so early in the morning? Now the same guy is going to step in and say the usual " it is not a Copa parent or it is not our coach and blah blah blah". This constant promotion is kind of boring right now.
- June 1, 2014 at 7:16 AM
Wow - interesting. Someone has a great tool to measure & compare COPA & GFA skills. Since I don't have it, I have to use the only one I have - look at the actual results.
GFA dominated COPA outside even if they did not have their full squad (roster) available - please check results.
GFA completely dominated COPA (all teams + U14) inside (indoor tournaments even playing up) - please check results.
By my measure, your comparison has no base. Others, make your own judgement.
please don't attack any team now. I just wanted to point out the facts and set the "objective" guy straight.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:09 AM
Surely SJEB are the most skilled? They have a roster full of talented players.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:09 AM
GFA and Copa have not played outdoors since September... That's a long time ago. And the score was 4-2. Hardly domination.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:11 AM
I can't wait for this blog to disappear one day.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:20 AM
good point. So, how you can compare current skills set? I am not saying you did it but the one who did must be a genius and "amazing" analysis skills set.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:21 AM
Who else would it be?? At least NJX isn't getting bashed for a little while! This blogged is disgusting..
- June 1, 2014 at 8:30 AM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:31 AM
Hey Mr 8:31... How has your team done this spring? Won a tournament? Won 2 tournaments? NPL Final? Top 2 in EDP?
Thought not.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:40 AM
Look at DELCO. 2 ties and only one win. Destroyed in semis. How it puts you in the top?
- June 1, 2014 at 8:43 AM
Copa is one of the best team ( soon the best) in new jersey. If you guys are all upset about it , nothing we can do. Keep bashing but facts are facts.
We won everything that was to be won this season. Girls are very skilled and dominating most of the games. Coach is very prepared and experienced. Contrary to what most people say in this blog is very professional and respectful of all girls parents and opponents.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:47 AM
To be fair if I was on Copa id be happy with this season. They won the Jeff Cup, won at PDA, could win EDP 1st Divsio north, and are in NPL Final with a chance to go to Nationals. Also showed well at Delco before the Semi's, getting out of group play undefeated against very good competition.
Every tournament they have played they have been up against quality teams. They must be disappointed with going out of state cup so early and losing badly in Semi's at Delco, but that's soccer.
Nobody can knock them for the season they have had. Respect where it's due. I wish my daughters team had their results!
- June 1, 2014 at 8:49 AM
Your girls definitely deserve some respect as they had a good spring season. But be careful when you ruined their reputation by making an artificial statement(s). Only time will show where your team will be. At this point, you have had good results but not superior ones (especially not in top brackets) that can make you a superior team. At least - not now.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:50 AM
We know how you feel, Copa parents. You are right.
NjX is always attacked too. Still one of the best team on new jersey and people cannot stand it. My suggestion is to relax and let them attack us. At the end we are still at the top
- June 1, 2014 at 8:50 AM
Brick will be strong this coming season.
New players coming in. Copa will be the team to beat next season and probably end up number 1 in state. That is my prediction as a parent by seeing how my daughter is improving with this group
- June 1, 2014 at 8:52 AM
Copa copa copa copa copa copa!!!!
- June 1, 2014 at 8:59 AM
As always next year will be interesting. Players come and go from teams, some players develop and some don't, some teams start to click others don't, sometimes the ref gives you a call and sometimes he goes against you, and sometimes the ball just bounces your teams way.
I am going to enjoy this beautiful weather on the sideline today and do nothing but cheer for my team. I suggest you all do the same.
- June 1, 2014 at 9:49 AM
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work ...
Why don't you all take a rest on this seventh day!
Leave Copa alone. Leave them all alone. You are an absolute mockery of what people were intended to be...
You don't know anything about who these people are that you are bashing. You only know rumors and lies and shame on you for perpetuating them.
- June 1, 2014 at 9:51 AM
Question: Did the current Copa players start at Copa at U8?
- June 1, 2014 at 10:42 AM
Probably not. Have PDA, MF, SJEB etc players been at their respective teams since U8? Not with copa but I see your point. Academies recruit. Plain and simple. But that's nothing new.
- June 1, 2014 at 11:10 AM
Probably not. Have PDA, MF, SJEB, etc been with their respective teams since U8? I am not with copa, but I see your point. Academies recruit. That's nothing new.
- June 1, 2014 at 11:13 AM
The blog is like a train wreck, nobody wants to see it...but can't help but look.
To all the bashers....You better hope there isn't a God !
Your group will be one of the first to be judged.
- June 1, 2014 at 11:25 AM
Don't you people have games to go to?
Give it a break already!
- June 1, 2014 at 11:42 AM
13 of the current Copa team started with the team when it was formed at U11.
- June 1, 2014 at 12:27 PM
As I read through all the comments there are a few that come to mind....
1. no parent should ever be a coach on the same team their daughter or son plays on.....after rec ball there's no place for mommies and daddies to be coaching their own kids....I agree with the previous blogger...cut the strings, let your kid compete with everyone one and "oh yea".....make it a level playing field....so to speak.
2. Parents and players should be able to speak openly about their coaches....for those coaches who are really good and have nothing to hid and do right by the players and team there will never be anything bad said or written about them. But for those coaches who play games, lie, mislead, manipulate and cheat players of valuable time where it could be spent somewhere else...then they should be held accountable for those actions.
3. Every coach should have a moral obligation to do right by each player on his/her team....and I know from personal experience that is certainly not the case and that....my friends....is why this blog exists......there's a lot of behavior going on by coaches and clubs which shouldn't be allowed but very few people have the guts and determination to take them on......and the emotional blackmail that goes one by some coaches with parents and players is very, very sad and patheletic.
- June 1, 2014 at 1:11 PM
Bottom line is this...Don't just take what these coaches say to you at face value. If you think something isn't right, then say so and don't let them intimidate you. It's ridiculous when a coach or club tells you not to tryout somewhere else while they bring new players in to tryouts for their own team.
- June 1, 2014 at 7:23 PM
What the hell are you people crying about? If you're not happy somewhere then leave as there are many options in this age group but to complain about players coming in is ridiculous! If team doesn't do well them players will leave but if you bring in better players then players getting pushed to the bottom aren't happy but players at top won't stay if team doesn't compete. I want my kid on a good te with good training, coaching & players & if that means my kid has to work harder for minutes that's fine as that is life.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:18 PM
To 7:23 and 8:18 posts....you are absoluletely right. If something isn't working then you move on....glad there are some parents or coaches on here who get it...
- June 1, 2014 at 8:32 PM
Copa dos not have better or More skilled players than GFA. Copa has ways to go before they can match up skill wise. Lets see how they organize EDP for fall. GFA I've Copa on any given day.
- June 1, 2014 at 8:47 PM
Statement didn't make sense 1st time so not sure why it got posted 4x??? GFA is a 2nd tier team with dilusionsal parents!!! They don't & won't beat the big teams which puts them with the Freeholds of the world which is okay but not a top team. Copa will continue to get better where GFA will go away in a year.
- June 1, 2014 at 9:20 PM
I dont give a crap about gfa but I am sick of Copa copa copa copa. Btw. What what makes you the first tier team and the other one 2nd? What is the measure? If you would play the south division of EDP, you would have a thiner voice. Probably you would be somewhere in the bottom 3-4. I think you are the delusional one.
- June 1, 2014 at 9:56 PM
Copa, do you think you are better than sjb or brick? Ye...lol
- June 1, 2014 at 9:58 PM
Any predictions on who makes it to NC for the NPL finals?
- June 1, 2014 at 10:00 PM
8:18 you said a mouth full!
- June 1, 2014 at 10:02 PM
nobody has anything to discuss,pretty much the nature of this blog, if it weren't for the troll (copa, IGF, NJX) getting good traction, their aint much here for days.
Go Stronghold , Go Match Fit, Go Barons
- June 1, 2014 at 10:31 PM
June 1, 2014 at 9:56 PM
Calm down,just someone trying to create a problem. Ignore them if you can! I know it is hard,
"just one for the gipper!"
- June 1, 2014 at 10:31 PM
Manhattan, New Hyde Park, Americans and NYSC are just as strong as SJEB, Brick and Force Crush.
EDP North just as good as the south. Don't try and say the south is stronger. That's a ridiculous statement.
- June 1, 2014 at 10:34 PM
It doesn't look like Barons dominating lately only playing to draws against mediocre competition. At least so far this Sprng.
- June 1, 2014 at 10:36 PM
Barons have had some strange results this spring. Tieing NJ Rush, Wildcats, only winning 1-0 over Stallions. However they did beat Splash at the PDA Tournament and got to final of EDP Cup with a strong showing.
Copa are playing well. Some good results like tieing NYSC, beating Americans, and a couple nice tournament wins. Seem to be playing with a lot of confidence.
From what I have seen, Barons have a very strong defense and Copa has a very strong offense. The midfields are both skilled and should have a good battle.
Will be a close one. Experience may win and Barons might take it. .
- June 1, 2014 at 10:50 PM
8:47pm - Slick is back! It's been a while. Nobody has been talking about you because you haven't really done much since losing to STA in state cup...
- June 1, 2014 at 10:52 PM
Watch out for Stronghold in the fall. We tied GFA, tied SJEB, and we just beat Freehold today 1-0.
We are coming for the top teams!
- June 1, 2014 at 11:06 PM


text:
Is it a quiet village deep in the country – or a meeting place of high society? In any case, the world of this opera is a world grey and dead, a world that has forgotten how to love. The people within it are drained of all life and passion. And among them is Nemorino, who loves the seemingly unattainable Adina with an unquestioning and self-denying passion for which he is cynically mocked by the locals. And for her part, world-wise Adina does not seem to fit in either. A well-grounded woman of experience, she rejects Nemorino as unworthy of her. And then there is Belcore, a sergeant and the second admirer of Adina, for whom love means conquest and struggle.
Like a premature »deus ex machina« the itinerant quack doctor Dulcamara injects some life into the dreary village. His »love potion«, although in fact only Bordeaux, induces the locals to live out their dreams.
Upon first glance a comedy, »L'elisir d'amore« is in reality a drama narrated using the methods of comedy that encompasses love in all its complexity. And Donizetti, far from making a parody of seesawing emotions, instead reconciles them with his light and melodious music.
Melodramma in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Performed in Italian with German surtitles
Running time 2 hours 30 minutes
Premiere 28 Apr 2012

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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EA's Crysis-ready PC Costs $699, Specs Unveiled; Aims to 'Make PC Gaming Convenient'Following up on word that publisher Electronic Arts was readying a line of Crysis-ready PCs, more details, including pricing and system specifications, have surfaced.
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text:
Moderators: Jenise, David M. Bueker, Robin Garr
David M. Bueker wrote:Is there a way to watch it without signing up?
Hoke wrote:First question, yeah, I think they're the same limes. So 'caviar' is a bit of a misnomer, for the attention.
Second, when you go to Cognac you get your cognac served in similar glasses---somewhat more like a sherry copita glass actually---but these were the closest we had. What you almost never get, especially when you're with the cognacais, is the snifter/ballon glasses.
The smaller glass allows plenty of intensity of aroma to volatize from the glass and gives you...let's say a 'focused' nose...rather than this enormous pillow of aromatics that is just the alcohol vapors pushing the aromas out profusely. Guess it's a question of where you want that expensive cognac essence...in the air, or in your nose, mouth, and post-nasal passages where it has the effect?
Admittedly some people like the almost grotesque ballon glass, but that's mostly the older folk now (I count myself as younger folk because I only look like the ancient of days but I'm really hip and au courant. ) who were marketed to that way. And yeah, I know, there's a physical thrill you can get at the idea of cupping the glass to warm it and lazily swirling it around...but now, to me, that just dissipates the intensity of the cognac that I get.
And thanks for the kind words.
Mike Filigenzi wrote:You're a natural for this, Hoke! (But I knew that already.)
Looks like it was a really good event.
Mike Filigenzi wrote:How did the aroma wheel fit into this? Were different cognacs "placed" on the aroma wheel based on flavor and aromatic characteristics or was the idea to take several ingredients that covered different areas of the aroma wheel to put together a cocktail? (Or was it something else entirely?)
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Hello from Jo and Kelli at Jo's Country Junction. We had a great fun designing and creating this full sized quilt using Zen Chic's, Juggling Summer, fabric line. The quilt is destined to be a gift for our neighbor girl who is my daughter's best friend, Regan. She is the sweetest gal you could know.
Good news, too... There is a giveaway of a Juggling Summer Fat Quarter bundle happening on my blog so follow this link and check it out.
2 3/4 Yards Cream Fabric 1503 27
6 Yards Backing Fabric for Backing and Border
The cutting instructions make use of an Easy Angle Ruler. If you aren't familiar with using the ruler. Here is a tutorial to help you.
Cutting Instructions:
From the black accent fabric:
Cut 10 ~ 1 1/2" strips. Sub cut into 272 1 1/2" squares.
Cut 28 ~ 2 1/2" strips. Sub cut into 360 triangles using a Companion Angle Ruler.
Cut 8 ~ 4" strips for the border.
From the cream fabric:
Cut 30 ~ 2 1/2" strips. Sub cut into 720 triangles using an Easy Angle Ruler
Cut 10 ~ 1 1/2" strips. Sub cut into 78 ~ 1 1/2" X 4 1/2" rectangles. Sub cut 8 ~ 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" rectangles. Sub cut 4 ~ 1 1/2" squares.
From the fat quarter bundle:
Set aside the creamy fabrics and the black fabric that matches the accent color.
From the remaining fat quarters:
Cut each fat quarter into 2 1/2" strips. Layer two of the pieces wrong sides together. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. The blocks need mirror image pieces and the best way to get them is to have your fabric wrong sides together when you cut.
Using the companion angle ruler cut triangles.
Again layer two pieces on top of each other. Using a companion angle ruler cut off the corner. After the corner is cut off, position a ruler on the pieces as shown lining the ruler up on the two inch line. Cut.
Continue cutting.
Each block needs four of the companion angle triangles and four of the parallelograms. You will also need eight white triangles.
You can get five blocks from each fat quarter. You will need a total of 90 blocks all together.
Sewing these blocks together is a little tricky.
When sewing the parallelograms, pieces need to be placed as shown.
Start by making the inner *56* blocks. (The outer blocks are just a little different)
Sew the pieces together in strips as shown.
Sew the strips together to create the block.
Make 56 of them.
Now we need to make the *16* side blocks.
Make strips as you did before. But this time, you will need to create the small black edge triangle pieces on each strip. To do that, lay a black square on the corner. Sew on the diagonal.
Trim and press open.
Create the shown strips.
Sew the strips together to create the block.
Next we need the top and bottom blocks. There are *14* of them.
Create using the same methods adding two black triangles to the blocks as shown.
Next we need the corner blocks. Create them using the same methods. You need *2* like this.
You need *2* like this.
Lay the quilt out making sure to keep the inner blocks in the inside, the top and side blocks in place and the corner blocks in place. Sew in rows. Then sew the rows together to create the inner quilt top.
Time to make the inner border. It is made using the 1 1/2" x 4 1/2" cream pieces and the 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" black squares.
Create 78 of these. Sew them together in strip sets. 2 sets of 17 each and 2 sets of 19 each.
Using the 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" cream rectangles and the 1 1/2" black squares create 4 of these and 4 of these.
Add one to each end of the border strips using the diagram below as a guide. Make sure to match your seams.
Attach the long inner border pieces to the quilt.
Sew the cream 1 1/2" squares to the remaining inner border strips. Attach the strips to the quilt.
Sew the outer border pieces together. Add the outer borders.
Cut the backing piece in half. Seam the two pieces to create a backing.
Sandwich the top, batting and backing. Quilt as desired. Bind by cutting 2 1/2" strips from the leftover backing fabric. Bind.
Grab a good book, a cup of coffee and cozy in with this gorgeous quilt! Measures approximately 83" x 91"
Jo and Kelli Kramer


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OFFLINE Hercules Vinyl Folding Chairs, Beige
by Hercules | Item #: 178574 |Model #: 52HF3MC309AVBGE | (2) |
These chairs are made with a 1" thick seat for added comfort.
Triple Braced Frame Double Hinged 18 gauge steel construction
These folding chairs are both portable and easy to store when not in use. They are cost effective, containing a triple brace and double hinged features that make them low maintenance and stylish. You will find many uses for these chairs including fundraisers, meetings, functions, BBQs, etc.
Assembled Country
Assembled Size
Component Country
Ask & Answer
Shipping Information
Warranty InformationParts: 2 years
If the products are used excessively (more than 8 hours/day), and have excessive weight (over 225 lbs) applied, the warranty is void. New parts will be sent out, or the item will be replaced at our discretion.
There is no additional information available for this item.


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Active Cave Exploration
Ozarks, Arkansas Cave Exploration
Tame Cavern tour ( about 45 minutes ); and two extreme cavern tours, not for the faint of heart ( from 3-5 hours ). We provide helmets, headlights, knee-pads, and gloves; and hot showers. Rock and mineral shop. Spectacular bluff, and waterfall....
Starting at $12 Per Person
Super 8 Monticello
.Arkansas, Arkansas Hotels & Resorts
Super 8 Monticello is located approximately 90 miles from Little Rock Airport and 115 miles from Hot Springs National Park. ...
$50 Per Night
Quality Inn Russellville
.Arkansas, Arkansas Hotels & Resorts
Easy access to I-40. Parking for all sized vehicles. Wal-Mart Mall across the street. ...
$65 Per Night
Quality Inn West Memphis
.Arkansas, Arkansas Hotels & Resorts
Business Executive Rooms and Whirlpool Suites available. Southland Greyhound Park 1. 5 miles. ...
$75 Per Night
Renew & Relax at Fire Om Earth Retreat Center
Eureka Springs, Arkansas Spiritual
Spiritually Creative Workshops & Retreats Nightly & Weekly private cabin rental Yoga - Tai Chi - Bellydance -...
Creek's End Riverside Retreat
Parthenon, Arkansas Vacation Rentals
Comfortable, well-stocked vacation rental located right on the banks of the Little Buffalo River. Beautiful wooded mountain location with hiking trails and plenty of relaxation!...
Affordable Rates from $125 Per Night
1st Choice Cabins
Jasper, Arkansas Vacation Rentals
A Great Vacation awaits you at 1st Choice Cabins! Enjoy your stay in the Ozark Mountains and the Buffalo National River Country....
Rates from $140 Per Night
Lake Forest Cabins in the Beaver Lake Area
Eureka Springs, Arkansas Vacation Rentals
Luxury Log Cabins in the Beaver Lake Area of Beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas. All cabins sleep 1 - 10 persons. Seasonal Swimming Pool, Fireplaces, BBQ grills, 2 person jacuzzi tubs....
$149 Per Night
Rustic Luxury at the Buffalo River Lodge
Ozarks, Arkansas Bed & Breakfasts
The Buffalo River Lodge offers rustic luxury with a romantic atmosphere in the Ozark MTNs. near the Buffalo National River. Guests can escape to the serentiy of 62 scenic acres. Relax by the waterfall and koi pond while enjoying landscaped gardens. ...
$79 Per Night
A Eureka Springs Favorite for Over 28 Years
Eureka Springs, Arkansas Bed & Breakfasts
Quiet Historic District residential street with plenty of free parking - One block walk or trolley to shops, spas & cafes. A full breakfast is served on our balcony overlooking "America in Bloom" award winning gardens. Some rooms with TWO BEDS...
Starting at $95 Per Night
A Wedding at Hidden Acres
Eureka Springs, Arkansas Bed & Breakfasts
Hidden Acres offers small, intimate weddings at our chapel or gazebo with professional photographs in digital black and white or color format. You may reserve one of our B & B cottages with its own personal hot tub for a honeymoon package or getaway....
|Link Code


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A Community of Exceptional Nurses
CD-Rom includes audio presentation with full power point slides. This CD contains a complete basic 12 Lead ECG Interpretation Course.
Audio presentation with full power point slides to enhance learning. This CD contains advanced 12 Lead ECG content.
This bestselling and widely used resource on pediatric antimicrobial therapy provides instant access to reliable, up-to-the-minute recommendations for treatment of all infectious diseases in children.
For each disease, the authors provide a commentary to help health care providers select the best of all antimicrobial choices. Drug descriptions cover
NTI 2015 theme art "Focus the Flame"
3 Plastic cards featuring organ donation and brain death criteria, brain stem apnea reflex, apnea test, Glasgow coma scale, and six neurological outcome scales.
Learn more about what we have to offer based on your role in the industry.
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42 U.S. Code § 4018 - Operating costs and allowances; definitions
(a) The Administrator shall from time to time negotiate with appropriate representatives of the insurance industry for the purpose of establishing—
(1) a current schedule of operating costs applicable both to risk-sharing insurance companies and other insurers and to insurance companies and other insurers, insurance agents and brokers, and insurance adjustment organizations participating on other than a risk-sharing basis, and
(2) a current schedule of operating allowances applicable to risk-sharing insurance companies and other insurers,
which may be payable in accordance with the provisions of subchapter II of this chapter, and such schedules shall from time to time be prescribed in regulations.
(b) For purposes of subsection (a) of this section—
(1) the term "operating costs" shall (without limiting such term) include—
(A) expense reimbursements covering the direct, actual, and necessary expenses incurred in connection with selling and servicing flood insurance coverage;
(B) reasonable compensation payable for selling and servicing flood insurance coverage, or commissions or service fees paid to producers;
Source(Pub. L. 90–448, title XIII, § 1311,Aug. 1, 1968, 82 Stat. 579; Pub. L. 98–181, title I[title IV, § 451(d)(1)], Nov. 30, 1983, 97 Stat. 1229; Pub. L. 112–141, div. F, title II, § 100238(b)(1),July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 958.)
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), was in the original a reference to "this title" meaning title XIII of Pub. L. 90–448, Aug. 1, 1968, 82 Stat. 572, known as the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4001 of this title and Tables.
2012—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1)(D), (2). Pub. L. 112–141substituted "Administrator" for "Director".
1983—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1)(D), (2). Pub. L. 98–181substituted "Director" for "Secretary" wherever appearing.
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of all functions, personnel, assets, components, authorities, grant programs, and liabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the functions of the Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management relating thereto, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, see section 315 (a)(1) of Title 6, Domestic Security.
For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the functions of the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see former section 313(1) andsections 551 (d), 552 (d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, August 13, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
|Description of Change
|Session Year
|Public Law
|Statutes at Large
|§ 4018
|112-141 [Sec.] 100238(b)(1)
|126 Stat. 958
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Care of your pets, large and small, will be in capable hands when your little vet is suited up in a machine-washable blue jacket, facemask and surgical cap. A stethoscope with sound effect, a syringe, a bandage and a name tag for personalizing complete this set. A little plush puppy patient to "doctor" and love is included.
Children just adore animals and now your child can feel like a real vet with this realistic role play costume with accessories! You've seen the poorly made dress up outfits on the market, material so thin you wonder how they managed to sew it together. Well, don't worry because this jacket is made to last!
Once your child is wearing the jacket, remember to fill out the name badge. Now "The Doctor Is In!" He will love the stethoscope that has a beating heart sound effect. Imagine the fun he'll have checking the heart health of his favorite stuffed animals!
Oh no! Does the included puppy have a boo boo? Your little vet can fix it! Put on the facemask and surgical cap, use the syringe and then bandage that boo boo! His new favorite stuffed animal will be better in no time!
There is so much play value in this set it's impossible to run out of new ways to play with it! What we really love about our Veterinarian Role Play Costume is the fact that even though the quality is so good AND it comes with so many accessories, the price is ONLY $29.99!
Dimensions: 17.5″ x 24″ x 0.75″ Packaged
For Ages 3 Years and Up.


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Let Paint Be Paint by Rod Heiss
Let Paint Be Paint
by Rod Heiss
Reception:Sat, Aug 10, 4-5:30pm
"They will find my body in the morning." That is what I thought as I looked one last time to shore. A traumatic surfing accident put my life in chaos for seven years. Depression, anxiety, and fear plagued my daily life. How could I overcome this?
In a particularly dark period, I rediscovered who I was: An artist with something to say. I attacked the canvas. Texture, color, movement. Fearlessness is what I want to express. There is nothing to fear.
Barriers are not present when I am in the act of creating. As I pour, drip, or throw the paint, walls are pushed aside. I explore through art, and evolve with no hesitation, no fear.
Facing death in the ocean showed me how quickly I can be trapped in dangerous waters. Painting keeps me afloat and gives me the confidence to be able to take on different challenges.
"Bend and Not Brake," says Tao Te Ching.
This motto motivates Rod Heiss to paint. In his early years, due to undiagnosed eye problems, he was unable to learn the way most children do. School was difficult and defeating. He was constantly being reminded of his differences and being told "YOU CAN'T DO THIS" or "YOU CAN'T DO THAT." Rod turned to working with his hands to compensate for the lack of confidence school created.
A defining moment occurred one restless evening. He was watching television and saw a documentary on Jackson Pollock. This two-hour program was a revelation to him. An overwhelming desire to paint took hold. Without fear, he attacked canvases like Pollock, using his style as a foundation. Soon, however, Rod found his own vocabulary and imitation turned to unique creation. He enrolled in the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, where he learned to channel his raw ability. This resulted in years of creativity in painting and sculpture.
Then life got in the way. Painting and sculpture stopped. He started to bend again.
In a particularly dark period of paralyzing fear and self-doubt, Rod turned back to art. He rediscovered his language. He has been creating nonstop ever since. First, he turned to sculpture, but has since returned to painting. The world of "anything is possible" is once again open.
Bend and not brake is now what keeps him from sitting still and motivates him to continue the exploration of a world without FEAR!
Location: Main Library, Gallery at Library Square
Contact Information: (801) 524-8200


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what caused the fiscal cliff
Recession 2013: Can We Avoid It?
The U.S. economy is currently two-for-two in its attempts to skirt recession 2013.
The first came after we narrowly avoided a tumble over the fiscal cliff with a down-to-the-wire deal on New Year's Day. The second came Wednesday with the passage of a three-month extension on raising the debt ceiling.
To continue reading, please click here...Read More...
The Greatest Investing Mistake You'll Ever Make
I wrote an article on Tuesday - "The Great Rotation Makes Stocks a Generational Buy" - that drew several comments from readers - some in agreement, others... not so much.
For instance, reader Mike W. wrote in quoting the article: "Last week $22 billion flowed into mutual funds and ETFs. That's the second-largest weekly flow on record. Of that... $8.9 billion flowed into equity mutual funds... the most since March 2000 and the fourth-largest weekly inflow on record."
He continued: "What happened after the [largest] inflow of $23 billion in late 2007? The stock market fell off a cliff. What happened after March of 2000? The stock market fell off a cliff."
True. But there's much more to this story... Read More...
The Fiscal Cliff Deal Just Made Bonds Even More Risky in 2013
Going over the fiscal cliff would have been very bullish for long-term U.S. Treasuries. But that didn't happen.
Instead we got a deal with modest tax increases, tiny spending cuts, and some $64 billion worth of tax-exemption pork.
Since then, 10-year notes yields have been on the rise, jumping by as much as 23 basis points since New Year's Eve. Bonds have become toxic enough to make you wonder whether or not the bond bubble has sprung a leak.
But there's quite a bit more to this story than just Treasuries. Suddenly prime corporates, mortgage bonds, junk bonds, and even emerging market bonds are at greater risk, too.
Here's what you need to know... Read More...
- Fiscal Cliff Deal Tax Changes for 2013 April 15 is now just three months away. As you start gathering documents to file, you need to know about a few brand-new tax laws from the fiscal cliff deal. Check it out. Read More...
- $1 Trillion Coin Isn't the Right Answer to Our Debt Ceiling Crisis It sounds silly, but the idea is gaining traction: Simply mint one coin worth $1 trillion, deposit it at the Fed, and avoid hitting the debt ceiling. But what would that do to the U.S. economy? Here's the real deal. Read More...
Here's Why The Fiscal Cliff Deal is Great News For Dividend Stocks
I wish I had a nickel for every scary story I read about dividend stocks and the fiscal cliff over the last four months.
But a funny thing happened on the way to this great apocalypse...
Dividend stocks are not only alive and well, but stronger than ever.
For most dividend investors, the only real difference is that these tax rates are permanent - there's no 10-year horizon, as there was with the previous 15% dividend tax rate. So investment planning just got a bit easier.
The bottom line: There are now three good reasons why dividend stocks are irresistible...Read More...
Fiscal Cliff Deal Gives Energy Investors the Chance to Make a Bundle
Marina and I are still here in the Bahamas where our Internet and TV reception has been very sporadic over the past two weeks. It started improving on New Year's Day, just in time for us to watch our favorite situation comedy.
You know the one. It's called Congress.
And after much political jockeying and self-serving speeches from a largely empty floor, the House finally voted to pass the Senate's stopgap fiscal cliff Band-Aid.
Of course, the nation had technically fallen over the cliff after midnight January 1, but the holiday spared anybody inside the Beltway the problem of determining what that actually meant.
Welcome to the ongoing way of governing in Washington. It's called brinksmanship. Along the way, America has dodged another political bullet.
According to the deal, income taxes are going up for individuals making $400,000 or couples earning $450,000 or more; unemployment compensation has been saved; the sequestration of automatic expenditure cuts has been delayed.
But let's face it, two months from now, when the debt ceiling comes up for another debate, we will head right back into crisis mode. In the long-term view, nothing has changed.
In the interim, though, we are going to make some serious money in the energy sector.
How long that advance goes on is an open question. But there is one overriding factor in all of this.
And the sooner you know what it is, the sooner you'll be ready to profit. Here's what I mean...
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
The Cold Hard Truth About the Fiscal Cliff Deal
In the end, a last-minute deal emerged. Just like that, the fiscal cliff crisis was averted.
In the waning hours of New Year's Day, Congress voted to avoid a large package of tax increases, along with some modest spending cuts.
Not surprisingly, the markets just loved it. The Dow soared over 200 points on the open and never looked back.
But first, let's call this deal what it is: a late-day compromise that failed to address serious fiscal issues.
In the end, the agreement reached on Tuesday night will only reduce the deficit by about $60 billion annually over the next 10 years.
That's less than 10% of the total projected deficits, which means well before 2020 we will likely have a real crisis on our hands.
But the real story in this mess is this: the cold hard truth is that going over the cliff would have actually been beneficial. And despite the promises of Keynesian economists, the deal that emerged was not an improvement.
In reality, the predictions of doom that surrounded the fiscal cliff were made to achieve a political goal, and we should have ignored them.
Here's why...
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
Stock Market Today: Fiscal Cliff Deal Leads to Rally
Passage of a congressional measure to avert the fiscal cliff gave a big boost to the U.S. stock market today (Wednesday), the first trading day of 2013.
Right out of the gate, all three major indexes jumped. Just before 2 p.m., the Dow Jones Industrial Average had climbed 232 points. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped 25 points, and the Nasdaq rose 70 as markets cheered the news.
"We are happy that we are halfway home to fixing the fiscal cliff; we figured out the revenue side and delayed the spending side," Art Hogan, market strategist at Lazard Capital Markets LLC, told MarketWatch.
The rally followed a late surge Monday, New Year's Eve, when word emerged from Capitol Hill that progress had been made in the fiscal cliff talks, sending the Dow up 166 points by the session's close.
For 2012, the Dow added 7.3%, ending at 13,104.14. The S&P gained 13.4% to finish the year at 1,426.19, and the tech heavy Nasdaq added 15.9% to end 2012 at 3,019.51.
The rally in the stock market today came as investors breathed a sigh of relief that at least a partial deal had been reached.
"What's been hanging over the markets for the last couple of months has finally been released. The rally today (Wednesday) is 100% about the end of the fiscal cliff, and people are buying with both hands," Sean Kelly, a managing director at Knight Capital Group, told CNN Money.
But many analysts cautioned that gains in the stock market today were nothing more than a rally based on relief over the fiscal cliff deal and said the gains may be short-lived.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
What the Fiscal Cliff Deal Could Cost You
A fiscal cliff deal sailed through the Democrat-controlled Senate late in the night on New Year's Eve in an 89-8 vote.
The proposed deal then headed to the Republican-controlled House on New Year's Day, expected to meet at least some opposition from a party that has lobbied during most of the fiscal cliff negations for no tax increases at all. It went through with a 257 - 167 House vote.
At the deal's forefront was maintaining tax cuts for singles earning less than $400,000 and couples earning less than $450,000. The tax increase marks the first time in two decades that rates will rise for the wealthiest Americans.
While it does save millions of middle-class taxpayers from increases, workers will still feel the pinch because the payroll tax holiday has expired.
Also saved were benefits for some two million unemployed workers who were on the brink of losing their federal checks.
The measure postpones the biggest and thorniest part of the fiscal cliff deal until March, when Congress will again have to wrangle over steep spending cuts that were set to kick in on Wednesday to defense and other industries.
Plus, nothing was resolved regarding the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling that we reached Monday.
Here are a few major changes that will hit your paycheck and savings.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
Fiscal Cliff Deal Averts the Crisis… But Now What?
[Singapore] - It's late Tuesday evening and I'm about to go on air with CNBC Asia in Singapore regarding the impact of the Fiscal Cliff bill which passed minutes ago after Republican leaders decided not to try and tack on amendments nor engage in further bickering.
Passed by a 257 to 167 vote, the bill is now headed to the White House and a draft may even be on the President's desk by the time you read this.
So I'll have to write quickly.
Here's the scoop on the fiscal cliff deal:
- The Bush-era income tax cuts become permanent for the majority of workers while they expire for so-called "top" earners. The break is at $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples. That's approximately double Obama's campaign level and 80% more than his preferred "married couples rate" according to various sources. Dividend tax rates and capital gains rates for top earners will rise to 23.8% while personal exemptions and itemized deductions that are presently in force expire for individuals earning more than $250,000 and married couples earning more than $300,000. The alternative minimum tax is now fixed to avoid snagging still more middle class households.
- Expanded unemployment benefits will continue.
- Automatic spending cuts are deferred for two months.
- A two percent payroll tax cut expires.
- Estate taxes will get an inflation indexed exemption of $5 million or more and taxes will top out at 40%.
Key takeaways on the agreement:
- Once again Washington is kicking the can down the road. While it's already being played up by both parties as an example of bipartisanship, it's really a load of hooey. The bill merely puts off decisions for yet another round of fiscal follies a few months from now.
What if There's No Fiscal Cliff Deal?
Just hours remain for Democrats and Republicans to come up with some kind of fiscal cliff deal to avert the $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that are set to kick in tomorrow, Jan. 1.
With both parties still at odds, a tumble over the cliff looks likely.
The only thing that's likely to happen is a very rushed deal that fails to deliver significant changes to the pre-programmed tax hikes and spending cuts.
There were small signs of optimism out of Washington.
"The discussions are going very well," Republican Sen. Bob Corker told CNBC's "Squawk Box" early Monday morning, adding though that the agreement probably won't include significant moves on deficit reductions.
But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, maintains that a deal is not likely.
"There is significant distance between both sides," Reid said Sunday night.
Lawmakers reconvened today (Monday) and will remain holed up on Capitol Hill perhaps late into the night.
Here's what to expect if we fall off the fiscal cliff.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
Why a Fiscal Cliff Deal Stands Little Chance by Jan. 1
How did we get so close but still end up so far away from a fiscal cliff deal?
Just a few days remain before the nation falls off the fiscal cliff, and expectations for an agreement have practically disappeared.
U.S. President Barack Obama and congressional leaders will meet today (Friday) to discuss ways to avoid the tax hikes and automatic spending cuts scheduled to kick in Tuesday, but not much is expected from the talks.
The nation's focus has shifted from if we'll avoid the cliff to what happens after we almost inevitably tumble off it.
A new Gallup poll found that Americans have become increasingly cynical that Congress can hammer out a deal by year's end, given the time it takes to draw up and pass a bill of this size and scope.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, triggered alarms Thursday when speaking of the fiscal cliff and the little time left to avert it.
"It looks like [over the cliff] is where we're headed," Reid said on the floor Thursday.
Read More...
Fiscal Cliff Deal Gets Lost in "Blame Game"
U.S. lawmakers headed back to Capitol Hill Thursday to try and avoid falling off the fiscal cliff, but the chances of doing so before the New Year have practically disappeared.
Sounding alarm bells Thursday were stern words from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, who cautioned that there is hardly any time left for a deal.
"I have to be very honest. I don't know time-wise how it can happen now," a pessimistic Reid said in a press conference from the Senate floor.
Acknowledging the urgency for some kind of deal by New Year's Eve, U.S. President Barack Obama cut short his Hawaiian Christmas vacation to return to Washington.
According to CNN, a Republican senator said President Obama told Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, that the president would send a proposal to the GOP on Thursday.
Retiring Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-OH, told CNN that lawmakers are putting finger-pointing ahead of deal making.
"Nobody is willing to pull the trigger" on an agreement because "everybody wants to play the blame game," he said. "This blame game is about to put us over the edge."
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...


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Father Figure: Exploring Alternate Notions of Black Fatherhood
*** Pre-order Hardcover Book: www.ceibafoto.com/store ***
Black father absence is a contentiously-debated social issue in the US and other countries. Too many Black men, so the argument goes, are missing, irresponsible, selfish, not stepping up to the plate. Visuals of deadbeat, absentee Black fathers abound in mainstream media, often intended to sensationalize and ridicule rather than to raise awareness.
These stereotypes did not emerge out of thin air. Married couples with children constitute less than one-fifth of African American households. Over 60 percent of African American children are raised by single mothers. As Americans are struggling to cope with the social and economic consequences of the worst recession since the Great Depression, it appears this will likely become more of a reality for not just Black children, but many kids of all racial groups.
Several complex factors play a part in this phenomenon, yet the numbers lead to the convenient assumption that many Black fathers are simply absent. Pundits across the political spectrum root this issue in a decline of morals and personal responsibility. If we encouraged a return to "traditional family values" and if only Black men would "stop acting like boys" and "pull themselves up by their bootstraps", so the recommendations claim, we could reverse these trends and make our communities vibrant again.
The realities are not that simple. Studies show that individual circumstances are highly complex for many fathers, making the context of father "absence" and "presence" rather fluid: While many men may deserve the "deadbeat" label, many others simply do not fit traditional notions of fatherhood. Often forced to define parenting in their own specific ways, these men strive to be present despite adverse circumstances: They may not live at home with their partner or kids, they may not be legally married to their kids' mothers and they may struggle to provide on a consistent basis, but this does not automatically mean that they are irresponsible. And I began to wonder why these examples of fatherhood remain so invisible when it comes to Black men. In fact, judging purely by popular media coverage, one could easily consider the term "Black fatherhood" an oxymoron.
It was not too long ago when a family secret was uncovered: My own biological father was a Black man who allegedly disappeared when he learned my mother was pregnant with me. For a long time, holding on to the pain of that discovery was easier than dealing with it: As long as I was able to project my misgivings onto a negative stereotype, I could justify my anger and hurt. But I also realized that a huge part of me was curious to know more about my Black father, wanting to understand, get to a place of forgiveness. And that longing had informed my creative process all along. Without any information about my father's identity or whereabouts, the only way to come to terms with my feelings was to examine them through photography.
Over the past two and a half years, I've developed relationships with several Black fathers from different walks of life and in different cities in the US and Canada. Every father I met spoke with his own voice. They expressed their swagger, life rhythm, and ways of relating with their kids and partners in very unique ways. And perhaps more importantly, as I observed these families, another truth manifested loud and clear: Contrary to the prevalent media caricature of Black men as aggressive, violent, and irresponsible, the fathers I met were loving, affectionate, and dependable. They readily shared their feelings and emotions, their concerns and fears. They were vulnerable enough to allow me to photograph them in moments of joy and times of frustration. They were by no means perfect, but unsung everyday heroes nonetheless, committed to being present one fatherly act at a time.
Working directly with fathers was actually the last thing I would have wanted to do. Many of the encounters were filled with situations I had not experienced as a child, so they were difficult to witness, difficult to understand, and often difficult to photograph. But I knew I had to push past my resistance and spend time with these families – sometimes even live with them for a while. That was the only way to establish the level of connection necessary to make the images I wanted.
The work resulted in an ongoing project I dubbed Father Figure. By focusing on quiet moments that are deemed un-newsworthy, I hope this work can prompt people to question assumptions and become sensitive to the broader context of Black fatherhood. Perhaps it can also serve as a counterbalance to the prevalent visual narrative re. Black fathers.
In sharing of themselves so freely, the fathers I collaborated with gave me access to the richness of their human experience, which enabled me to find and share my own truth. That was perhaps the biggest gift I received and for that, I will always be grateful.
Exploring African-American Fatherhood
By David Gonzalez.
New York Times Lens Blog, June 15, 2012
What compels you to shoot? That was the question David Alan Harvey asked his students during a workshop last year in Brooklyn. We all have our reasons - if not our obsessions - flashes of realization that come through the viewfinder and into our hearts. For Zun Lee, one of the students, the answer was uneasily evident.
As a street photographer, he had always been attracted to fleeting scenes of fathers and children. He was drawn to those moments, even if he wasn't quite sure why.
Well, maybe he was.
"In 2004, I discovered my biological dad was African-American," said Mr. Lee, who had been raised in a Korean family in Germany. "It had basically been a one-night stand. He ran away when he learned she was pregnant. She doesn't even remember his name anymore."
That revelation would inform his latest work - "Father Figure," an exploration into the lives of black fathers. Working over the last year in New York, Chicago and Toronto, where he now lives and works as a healthcare consultant, he has delved into the lives of men who have made the choice to stay near their children as best they can.
His goal is to show an everyday, ordinary love between children and fathers. The kind of moments that get lost in the shuffle of media caricatures.
"On either side it's stereotypical," Mr. Lee said. "On one side it's the Jerry Springer, Maury Povich stuff about irresponsible dads who run away from their baby mama and don't take responsibility. On the other hand of the discourse, you have Dr. Cliff Huxtable, the über-dad. In the media, there is very little in the middle, of the everyday dad who may not be perfect, he may be struggling, but he's present in their child's life."
Mr. Lee knows about being in the middle. His mother, a nurse, had moved to Germany in the 1960s. After he was born, she married a fellow Korean who was working there as a journalist. They raised him, though his relationship with his stepfather was rocky. Even looking in the mirror, something did not add up: he didn't look like anybody in his family.
As luck would have it, he grew close to African-American families stationed at American bases in Frankfurt. Rebuffed by German children his age - and being a bit of a latchkey child himself - he grew close to one boy, Jamal, and his family. He spent most of his time with them, picking up on everything from music and food to how they spoke.
"Learning about my biological father wasn't just a traumatic experience," Mr. Lee said. "Learning the news was in a weird sense a homecoming."
Mr. Lee grew up to be a doctor - a profession he left after deciding the clinical side wasn't for him. Yet an encounter with a patient slowly set him on the path to photography. He had once been a painter, before medical studies took up all his time. While doing a residency in New York in 1993, he treated Rigoberto Torres, an artist who suffered neurological damage after an asthma attack left him unable to breathe for several minutes.
Mr. Torres - and his collaborator, John Ahearn - encouraged Mr. Lee to not give up on art.
"They asked me what were my passions beyond medicine," Mr. Lee recalled. "So if you ask me, why do I photograph? I can trace it to that conversation. It stayed with me as something I could do instead of painting. I owe John and Rigoberto everything."
Fast-forward almost two decades to Brooklyn, where Mr. Lee was enrolled in the David Alan Harvey workshop. Already shooting on the streets, he decided to follow Mr. Harvey's urging and plumb the swirl of emotions that led him to look at the world in a certain way. Mr. Harvey suggested he not just stick with the project, but get deeper into the lives of his subjects. At times, the emotions have touched close to home.
"Being in the presence of these dads was difficult for me," he said. "They were interacting with their kids, which is something I didn't have growing up. I had a dad growing up, but he wasn't a model dad. For me, seeing things I never had as a child was hard to witness, never mind having to shoot in those circumstances."
He has continued to work with three or four families, particularly one in the Bronx that has welcomed him warmly. He has also reached out to sociologists and other researchers who have done work on African-American families and fathers. One of them, LaRon Nelson, a faculty member and assistant dean for Global and Community Affairs at the University of South Florida, praised the project.
"There is a spirit, an essence, a sense of shared meaning that somehow most images don't exude," Dr. Nelson said. "I had not noticed this myself, until I saw Zun's pictures and had them juxtaposed with the images of black fathers that were cataloged in my memory from years of media consumption. I knew instantly that I was seeing the 'thing,' the spirit, essence, shared meaning, about which the fathers had found so absent from the public domain."
Mr. Lee now plans to take four months to devote to the project. In some ways, it has gone way beyond photography.
It has even been redemptive.
"This is a chance for me to find a way to connect my personal story to the photos I'm doing," Mr. Lee said. "I'm not talking about taking pretty pictures, but finding out what is the one thing that compels me to do this. It's taking it one level further."
Billy Garcia
Washington Heights, NY.
Separated. Father of Jeremy and Esmeralda.
Carlos Richardson
Harlem, NY.
Married to Cindy Godoy-Richardson. Father of Selah and Zaida.
James Reynolds
Harlem, NY.
Single. Father of Jerome Williams.
Guy Miller
Bronx, NY.
Married to Lanik Conley-Miller.
Father of Nijeyah, Nijel, Guy Jr., and Lanae.
Anthony Francis
San Antonio, TX.
Married to Tyra Tennyson-Francis. Father of Tena and Tyja.
Jerrell Willis
Lower East Side, NYC, NY.
Single. Father of Fidel.