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on January 29, 2013 - 11:41 PM
Erie County Medical Center is undergoing a $200 million transformation, with a new nursing home, advances in mental health and chemical dependency services, and a merger of Buffalo's two kidney transplant centers.
Jody Lomeo, the hospital's chief executive officer, sat down with The News' Brian Meyer to discuss the recent changes. Here is a summary of issues in an interview that is part of the weekly "In Focus" series. Watch the full six-minute interview at BuffaloNews.com/video.
Meyer: Tell us what triggered this flurry of developments.
Lomeo: What really triggered it was back in 2008 when we signed our binding agreement with Kaleida Health to work under Great Lakes Health ... We decided at that point that we need to transform the organization – that we need to do things differently. ... And we did that. With that, we thought about things such as how do we collaborate better. How do we serve our community?
Meyer: It was a state commission that basically ordered two health Goliaths, ECMC and Kaleida, to work together with this new structure, and UB is also part of that. At that early stage, there were a lot of folks worried that you would see rivals picking apart key programs at ECMC. Has there been any fallout? Any downside?
Lomeo: I would tell you that it's been nothing but a joy. We really enjoy working with our partners at Kaleida Health and the university. And what you see is really the tangible evidence of what collaboration looks like ... The evidence of noncollaboration is all around Western New York.
So, when you look at our two organizations – you mentioned the kidney center, which is about 30 years coming. People waited and waited. We were promised to have this center of excellence in transplantation and kidney care 27, 30 years ago from all accounts ... We didn't do this in a back room where three men in a room or a bunch of suits [decided] this. We said this needs to be physician-led.
Meyer: The new nursing home that we're talking about is replacing one that's a distance from the Buffalo core.
Lomeo: Our nursing home is 16 miles away in Alden. And it's served us well, and it served the community well. What we did in 2009 in our agreement with the county ... we wanted to move the nursing home from Alden to the campus here on Grider Street. It's part of our greater vision and strategy of having a world-class health care campus right here on Grider Street.
So we're in the process of doing that ... We're hoping that in the coming days we'll be having a press conference for a grand opening, and look forward to sometime in early February having the residents come from Alden ... Many of our residents are from the urban setting ... It's really important that the residents see their families and are closer to the hospital itself. We were in the past spending upwards of $900,000 transporting [residents] to and from Alden.
Meyer: Let's talk about the perception that many people have that the medical center is a [financial] drain on the county.
Lomeo: I would love for that perception to go away ... It's just not the case. We no longer receive a subsidy from Erie County. ... The only [county] payments that come to ECMC are mandated, and that's for the underinsured, the indigent and so on.
Meyer: Those are basically regulated by the state and federal governments. And the reason the county is kicking in is because we have a higher proportion of folks who are low-income patients?
Lomeo: Right. And we're doing everything we can to lower that number in working with our county.
As you've seen in the past, even in the budget that was just passed by the county, we were very helpful in delaying payments and doing everything we can.
The last thing we want to do is anything that would hurt our county.


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Despite many promotional efforts, fluid milk consumption has been on the decline since the 1940s.
by Abby (Huibregtse) Bauer, Hoard's Dairyman Associate Editor
Promotion efforts like the "Got Milk?" campaign and the "Fuel Up to Play 60" program are supported by dairy checkoff dollars. Farmers contribute 15 cents per 100 pounds of milk, while fluid milk processors contribute 20 cents per 100 pounds sold in consumer-type packaging to the dairy checkoff. The Federal Government also promotes dairy consumption through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the Special Milk Program.
A positive result is that dairy consumption has grown the past five decades. In 1975, per capita consumption of dairy products was 539 pounds per person. That was up to 604 pounds per person by 2011.
On the other hand, despite promotional efforts, fluid milk consumption has been on the decline since the 1940s. The current dietary recommendation is three glasses per day for individuals eight years old and up, the basis behind the American Dairy Association's "3-A-Day." Unfortunately, most people don't drink that much milk - not even close
A report released last month, titled "Why are Americans consuming less fluid milk? A look at generational differences in intake frequency," summarizes research done by the USDA Economic Research Service. A glass of milk with dinner used to be very common, but the data indicates that isn't the case right now. Instead, there has been a steep drop in fluid milk consumption over time.
Since 1970, per capita fluid milk consumption has fallen from 0.96 to 0.61 cup equivalents per day. People are actually drinking slightly more milk per occasion, but they are consuming it less frequently. Between 1977-78 and 2007-08, the share of adolescents and adults who did not drink fluid milk on a daily basis rose from 41 to 54 percent, while those that drank milk three or more times per day dropped from 13 to 4 percent. During that same time period, the share of children who did not drink milk every day rose from 12 to 24 percent, and those that drank milk three or more times per day dropped from 31 to 18 percent.
There are clear generational differences in milk consumption. Americans born in the early 1960s drink fluid milk on 1.1 less occasions per day than those born before 1930. Americans born in the early 1980s consume fluid milk on 0.3 less occasions per day than those born in the early 1960s.
Why the change? Each decade brings a wider selection of soft drinks, sports drinks, bottled water and other beverage choices, all competing for the consumers' appetite. More meals eaten away from home could be another contributing factor.
In addition, as each generation grows up less accustomed to their parents drinking milk, those habits very likely carry with them into adulthood. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, individuals "who consume milk at an early age are more likely to do so as adults."
How can the dairy industry encourage consumers, both young and old, to drink more milk? How can we be sure our healthy, high-quality dairy products are processed, packaged and priced in a way that appeals to consumers' needs and wants? This is no small task, and it will take work beyond government and checkoff programs. June Dairy Month is wrapping up, but the job promoting milk consumption has just begun.
The author is an associate editor and covers animal health, dairy housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a master's degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelor's from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Expires 9/30/16 @ 11:59pm EST. $199 min. purchase required. Excludes select manufacturers.
Expires 9/30/16 @ 11:59pm EST. $199 min. purchase required. Excludes select manufacturers.
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Bill allows judges to order treatment
December 18, 2013
Too often, the mentally ill do not receive the help they need, even when it is apparent they are threats to themselves and/or others. A new study of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn....
going to go to get. Sorry
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Good .Now where are they going to get since many of the facilities have closed .
And I suppose the tax payer will pick up tab.
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As COPD Progresses: Lung Surgery Options
As COPD Progresses: Lung Surgery Options
COPD can eventually make you very sick. Keep in mind that as COPD progresses, it can lead to other health problems. Treatments may be available to help. In some severe cases, surgery may improve COPD options. If this is an option for you, your doctor will tell you more.
Lung Reduction Surgery
A portion of each lung is removed. This helps to open up the airways, so air can travel through them more freely. Since the size of the lungs is reduced in the chest, the diaphragm may have more room to move. This helps get more air in and out with each breath. This surgery can be done for some patients with emphysema. It may reduce symptoms, but it's not a cure.
Lung Transplant Surgery
The lungs are removed and replaced with healthy lungs from a donor who has died. This surgery may be available for a few patients who are very sick. If you qualify for surgery, you'll be put on a waiting list for donor lungs. Patients who have this surgery must take medications for the rest of their lives. These keep the body from rejecting the new lungs.


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In 2010 he was recognized as a freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger, and he is one of only 21 players in history to be named to the All-Ivy League First-Team three times (2010-2012). Pizzano hit .364 in 133 career games at Columbia and on top of the home runs, he ranks among the school's Top-10 in career batting average, slugging percentage (.647), on-base percentage (.448), doubles (43), runs batted in (108) and total bases (293). That success carried over to the professional ranks as Pizzano hit .354/.442/.507 for Pulaski and Everett after being selected by Seattle in the 15th round of the 2012 draft.
Dario took some time over the holidays to talk with SeattleClubhouse's Rick Randall about the season that was, the Little League World Series, the life of an Ivy League student-athlete, transitioning to pro baseball and what lies ahead for him.
SeattleClubhouse: Hello Dario, thank you for taking a break from the holidays to talk with me.
Dario Pizzano: No problem, thanks for having me.
SC: You come from the Ivy League, having been one of the greatest players in Columbia's history, so I'd like to talk about being a student-athlete first off. Balancing academics and athletics can be hard for young baseball players, even at the high school level. What techniques, approach or plan did you use to keep yourself focused enough to not only qualify for an Ivy League school [Pizzano had a 4.0 GPA as a senior in high school], but to carry on that academic success while playing competitive baseball at a high level?
DP: My parents always told me that I can't just do one or the other [school or baseball], they told me that I have to be the whole package, or be the "all around" person. So I wanted to always have the academic side there to fall back on regardless of where baseball took me. Even this fall; I got drafted after my junior season so I had two semesters left to get my degree. So I really wanted to make sure and go back and finish that up because, God forbid, if anything happens I'll always have that degree to back me up.
My dad always told me growing up, "Don't ever let a school tell you that you can't go there for any reason -- be it grades or whatever. Be the best that you can be in all aspects so that your options are open." So growing up, I always knew that I wanted to play baseball and I always knew that I wanted to do well in school. "Let it be up to you," my dad would say. I never wanted to have anyone be able to tell me that I couldn't get into their school for one reason or another. So that was always a driving force for me. I was always pretty good in school, but I always tried as hard as I could and took all the hardest classes that I could so that I could have the opportunity to get an Ivy League degree while playing Division-1 baseball to get that notoriety and that exposure. That had always been my dream my whole life was to play baseball. So I always used that as a driving force to push myself to do the best that I could in school to give me more opportunities on the field. And whatever edge I could have to keep pushing me to the next level.
SC: You were a four-year varsity starter in high school at Malden Catholic, a two-time All-Star, two-time leading hitter for the conference and three-time Ivy League first team selection. Clearly there was a lot of success and even domination there on your part, but high school ball, the Ivy League and professional baseball are a long ways apart. What was your biggest challenge or adjustment to pro ball?
DP: The biggest thing was velocity. The Ivy League is Division-1, but it isn't the ACC or the SEC or any of the big time conferences. We don't get guys throwing mid-90s or closers coming in throwing 98. And when I went to Pulaski this past summer, the hardest thing at first for me was getting my timing down. I was seeing the ball well but I was a little late -- I felt like I had a hole in my bat because I was behind the velocity.
Being the 3-hole hitter most of my life and being looked at as the power guy at Columbia, I was always pitched backwards to, too. But in Pulaski at the beginning I was seeing speeds that I'd never seen before but I also was being pitched differently than I was used to being pitched. It really wasn't until I got really hot later in the year and I was hitting 3rd again that they started to pitch me more the way that I was accustomed to seeing. Then I got used to seeing these 93s, 95s, 97s from these young 1st rounders and Latin ballplayers that all throw hard. I'd never seen that type of velocity before. There are probably five to seven guys, maybe 10 in an up year in the Ivy League that even touch 90. And the jump between 90 to 95 is significant.
SC: Let's talk more about your 2012. You had a very successful debut season to say the least, hitting over .350 at two stops and showing a patient eye and extra base power at the plate. How would you describe your experience during this past year?
DP: It was definitely a culture shock. Being in the middle of nowhere Virginia. Growing up in Boston and then going to college in New York, one of the few cities that is actually bigger than Boston, so I was always in the city lights. So going to the Appalachian League and living in a Travel Lodge, starting from the bottom like that was new to me. I was told that was going to be the way and it wasn't going to be the glamorous life right away but to stick with it and keep working hard and I'd get there.
As for the baseball experience, it was great. The fans were great and all the people around the area were great and they showed support for us. The game is always fun, but when you're going well it seems better and seems like you can do no wrong, so when I was being successful and felt like the go-to guy and everything, I was the 3-hole hitter, it was great and I enjoyed it that much more. I learned how to live the minor league life on the road and adjust to that and everything -- it was just great. I really couldn't have asked for a better start to my minor league career.
SC: What about your approach to the game? I read that you played both basketball and baseball in high school and that you actually took a lot away from the basketball court to help you on the baseball diamond -- can you elaborate on that connection?
DP: The two are really very different. Basketball is so much a team game. And playing baseball in college and in the pros is different, too. Playing in college is all about everyone do their part to get the conference ring and move on in the tournament. Pro ball is a little bit more of everyone wanting to do well so that they can succeed and they can move up. Obviously that is what everyone wants -- it's what I want -- to succeed and to move up closer to Seattle, or to wherever their respectful Major League team is. Basketball is a team game and one person can't really just run the show. We're seeing that now with Kobe Bryant scoring 35 points per game and the Lakers are losing. So I think that I learned that value to work as a team during my time in basketball.
I always like playing "team baseball". Help rally my teammates or help pump them up -- I just don't like feeling alone out on the baseball field. I like feeling the other eight guys out there with you. Because building on momentum is huge in baseball. If three guys in front of you get a hit I think that you're more likely to build on that momentum and get a hit in that fourth at bat than if you led off an inning or if there were two outs on the first two pitches in the inning and you had to start a rally on your own. So basketball taught me team chemistry to be successful as a team, and I think that, clearly, chemistry is an important aspect in baseball, too. Looking at the San Francisco Giants, not being considered one of the most talented teams, and they've taken two of the last three World Series. So I think that speaks to the importance of chemistry in baseball.
SC: You had an incredible month of August, leading all of minor league baseball in hits for that month and hitting over .400 for an extended stretch. Was that the month that it all came together for you?
DP: A lot of things happened all at once and they just all fell into place that month. I've always been a consistent hitter, but if I get hot I definitely build off of big games. There was a game early in that stretch when I got three hits and it was kind of like, "OK. I can get three hits in a pro game," and I stopped worrying about. At first I think it is natural for all new professional baseball players to think, "Now I'm actually being paid to do this, paid to succeed and all eyes are watching me to move up and I don't want to get cut," all sorts of things like that are in the backs of players' minds, I think. As the early season went on I was doing relatively well, hitting .280 to .285, which is good, but I knew I could do better. But I wanted to put that out of my head and not worry about things that I couldn't control. It's hard enough to hit a baseball being pitched that fast, you don't need extra added pressures or stresses on yourself, so I just let that all go.
There was that and then also the first week of August one of my good friends who was serving in Afghanistan lost his life, was murdered actually, and I heard about that and just sort of felt like he was watching over me and kind of being my guardian angel that month. I think that helped me out a lot because a lot of that success happened when he was on my mind. And also my whole family all made the trip out for like 10 days to visit me in August and brought along my girlfriend and I really wanted to do well for them. And that is when I got really hot with a stretch of great games. My teammates actually made the joke that I was hitting just because my girlfriend was there.
So I think it was a combination of things. It was one of those situations where everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and the ball looked like a beach ball coming in and I felt like I was swinging a tennis racket. It was great, I felt like I could see the seams perfectly during that stretch and everything came a little easier, it was great.
SC: Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. That isn't easy. On a lighter, happier note, I understand that your Latin teammates in Pulaski had a nickname for you, is that right?
DP: Yeah (laughs), they called me, "la maquina de bateo" -- "the hitting machine". I think Phillips Castillo and Franklin Diaz were the ones that said that. That was actually what they started calling me when my girlfriend was there, saying that I was a hitting machine when she was around. I took some Spanish back in 6th grade and so I talked with and got along with and was playful with the Latin guys quite a bit. And Castillo, one day after I doubled and then scored, I was coming back into the dugout and he said, "Outstanding. La maquina de bateo." And I just died laughing. And I took it as a huge compliment, especially considering that Phillips is a well-regarded prospect in his own right.
SC: Prior to becoming a professional, back in your younger days, you got the great opportunity to play in the Little League World Series in 2003. Can you talk about the enormity and the pageantry of that event, especially experiencing it at such a young age?
DP: I think actually that you're so young when you're there that you don't even realize the grand scale that there are millions of people watching you around the world. I was just out there having fun and playing baseball on a grassy infield, going to play the game I love. I always consider that one of the best times of my life. For one thing, you get treated like a celebrity everywhere you go during that time and you don't even know how to react. I loved it. I also always consider that the most important moment in my baseball career because that experience is what made me say, "I want to be a professional baseball player. I love this game so much and I want to be in front of even more people than this someday, playing in the MLB World Series." That was such a great experience and I actually did really well in that tournament. And those guys that I played against...there were some great players there. Randal Grichuk was on the Texas team and he was a first rounder by the Angels a few years ago, Michael Broad out of the University of Miami, Devon Travis who just got drafted out of Florida State this past year. So I think that gave me the confidence, at 12-years-old, that I could take that next step and do whatever it takes to continue to advance through the various levels in baseball and make it to the ultimate goal of reaching the major leagues.
SC: You take pride in limiting your strikeouts and working walks -- being a selective hitter. You were successful on those fronts this first season in Pulaski and Everett, but how does a hitter accomplish that discipline, something that so many players struggle with in their careers?
DP: I always had that advantage -- I played four years on my high school team and was hitting 3rd from the time I was a sophomore -- so I had the advantage that I was always pitched to a little differently, pitched backwards or whatever, especially starting with my freshman year at Columbia, and I saw lots of breaking balls from an early age. You see guys struggle and they could hit any fastball, and that's what they've always done is sit back and time and crush the fastball, but they have trouble hitting off-speed stuff.
I think I was really fortunate to go to the Ivy League in that regard. I feel like I could time any fastball at this point, I think, but having the experience of seeing a lot of 2-0, 3-1 changeups and sliders and being able to see that -- and those guys in the Ivy League don't have the overpowering fastball so they need to spot up and hit their corners and have plus off-speed pitches -- and having been pitched that way for basically the last six years I think that once I got the timing of the fastball down I still had the ability to hit the off-speed stuff. So I think that was a huge advantage for me.
Coach Boretti, my freshman year at Columbia -- I was way too selective at the beginning of my career there -- he told me that I didn't have to wait for one that split the plate in half. I could always hit a lot of pitches in the gaps, and he taught me to look middle-away, because guys who don't have as much velocity that is how they work is middle-away. And he always told me that if they ever came in that I had quick enough hands to get around on it and react in. Of course, like we talked about earlier, when they started coming in with 95 it was a little different. But once I got comfortable with that it became easier for me. And a lot of these guys don't have refined off-speed stuff because all they needed to do was throw 95, so I worked hard on studying pitchers, studying tendencies and look for my pitch and put a good swing on it.
If there are less than two strikes and it isn't my pitch, I feel like I have another bullet -- I have another strike so let it go. I think it has worked out pretty well so far.
SC: Is there a coach or someone else that you've had the pleasure of working with who you count as your biggest influence as far as your approach to and success in the game?
DP: My parents for sure are huge influences, they're number one. My dad has never been my coach and he never even played growing up, so not in that respect, but my parents have always given me the upbringing and the opportunities to succeed -- paying for the showcase circuit, the Perfect Game tournaments, for the Top-96's, all the prospect camps and everything to get the exposure -- they were great on that. I always told them, "Don't worry mom and dad, I'll pay you back when I make it". And they're holding me to that! But I give them the most credit because they gave me the opportunities for all of that.
But I also have three coaches in my career that have each been greatly influential and have contributed greatly to my success. My Little League World Series coach, Charlie Bilton, was harsh on us and some of the parents were shocked at times, saying, "they're just 12-year-old kids!", but he taught us how to win and he was fierce and he gave us the drive to want to win. Then my high school coach, Steve Freker. He's been a long time high school coach in Massachusetts so he had a lot of contacts and he'd get me those spots in invitational tournaments and I'd perform at those. He taught me a lot about the game, too. Then Coach Boretti. I played high school ball in Massachusetts. It's generally not known as the strongest area in the country -- I hit almost .600 in high school -- but when I went to Columbia there were some minor adjustments that Coach Boretti made with my hand positions and things like that that helped allow me to be successful and continue to get better.
SC: Having enjoyed a very successful first season as a professional, what has your focus this offseason been as far as baseball goes?
DP: I've always been known for my hitting, that is my strength, but I feel like I'm working hard to improve my fielding. At instructs last year -- I can't remember who said it, it might have been Jack (Howell) or Alvin Davis -- they said, "you don't make the majors as a DH." They kept stressing that. You can't just hit. You have to have the whole package. You have to be able to field, you have to be able to throw, you have to be able to run. So I really worked at instructs a lot with my fielding -- little first steps. Little things that will help me get there a half a second sooner so instead of a ball tipping off the edge of my glove I'm making a catch.
My arm is always a big focus. I played infield for most of my career before Columbia and I always threw with weird mechanics like an infielder, and no one ever changed it or tried to correct me. So when I got to college and started throwing six days a week it really started wearing my arm down. I actually ended up having surgery in college and later got tendinits because of being so worn down. But now, I just work as hard as I can on refining my motion and my throwing. Cory Snyder worked with me on throwing mechanics a lot in instructs. He had a cannon when he was playing and he worked a lot with me on getting my elbow above my head and it has been great -- so much less stress on my arm. And I feel like my arm has gotten a lot better this off-season.
SC: Playing baseball every day can be a grind. What do you do to motivate yourself from day to day, year to year?
DP: Anything that I can do to keep an edge. I go to the training room every day, because until last year I never even knew about some of the shoulder exercises and things like that that I could do to focus on getting strength in there, the muscles around some weak spots like around the shoulder, around the elbow. So going to the training room every single day and working hard so that they never have a reason to take me off of that field. Last year, even before I stepped on a minor league field, I had a little bout with triceps tendinitis and so it kept me off the field for the first few week of the season and it was killing me. So I was at the park and in my uniform and sitting on the bench but I couldn't do anything for two weeks.
So there is that and then the mental side of that, too. That is all off-season preparation, too, that I'm going through now. Throwing every day, getting in that routine and knowing what it is like now after having been through my first pro season. I use all of that day-to-day activity as motivation to stay out of the training room -- for injuries -- and to stay on the field and stay in my routine so that I can be successful and in shape and ready to handle whatever lies ahead.
SC: Looking ahead to 2013 what are some of those goals for Dario Pizzano?
DP: My first goal is to make a full season team, of course. I don't limit myself with my goals and I, of course, would love to just be able to jump to Double-A and then to the majors each in just one year, but my first goal is to just make a full season team out of spring. So I'm going to Spring Training this year with that as my goal.
Actually this off-season I went back to school for some training and my baseball trainer at Columbia also trains Scott Diamond, the left-handed pitcher from the Minnesota Twins. So I got to interact with him quite a bit and he gave me a lot of good advice. Number one, he said when you go to Spring Training don't try to look around and figure out which roster everyone is going to be on to try and figure out where you're going. Like, "he's going to be on this roster, he's going to be on this roster, I'm better than him, he's better than me," and so on. Just control the stuff that you can control and play your game, do well and don't worry about is out of your hands -- don't give yourself any unnecessary added pressures like that. And it was nice having someone with that experience to talk with and give me some reassurances of doing things the right way.
So I'm looking forward to getting to Spring Training and showing that I put in my work, hopefully that I worked harder than anybody, and play my game and hopefully make a full season roster. What I don't do is head into the season saying, "I want to hit at least .350 again." I don't think that you can do that to yourself as a player because that just gives you too much pressure to think about all the time.
SC: Thanks so much for your time, Dario.
DP: Thank you, Rick. I read all of the interviews you do and I really appreciate the opportunity to be among the people that you talk with for the site.
SC: That's great to hear, Dario. And you certainly deserve the exposure here, so thank you.Looking forward to following you in 2013 and beyond for the Mariners.
DP: Thanks again.
Looking for more Mariners prospect player interviews, news and articles? Want to keep up with which prospects are hot and cold for the M's? "Like" SeattleClubhouse on Facebook and follow SeattleClubhouse's Rick Randall on Twitter at @randallball.


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Hotels Race to Create the Best Suites
Five-star hotels are unveiling signature suites that are large and lavish
IN THE QUARTERS at the top of a Victorian-era building overlooking London's Thames River, no detail has been overlooked. The two-bedroom, duplex space has bathrooms clad in honey-colored onyx and Skyros marble, with shelves lined in leather. There is a semicircular living room, a walk-in wine cellar and a spa suite. If stairs are not your thing, an elevator will gently lift you to the upper level.
It's not a billionaire's pied-a-terre—at least, not for keeps. The Corinthia Hotel London's Royal Penthouse suite (not to be confused with the Whitehall Penthouse or the five other slightly less luxurious penthouse complexes) goes for around $28,000 a night.
Over the past few years, the world's fanciest hotels have been introducing a new generation of incredibly posh suites. These signatures spaces have eye-widening views and couture furnishings, and they are immense—in many instances, bigger than the average American home, which is about 2,200 square feet, according to the U.S. Census. In tourist magnets like New York, Paris, London and Dubai, the suites can be priced at tens of thousands of dollars a night.
"These are for people who don't pay their own bills," said Steven Carvell, associate dean for academic affairs at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. "They have people who pay their bills for them."
Some of these super-suites are the crowning glories of new, haute hotels hoping to make a splash; others are being carved out of existing space by properties seeking to raise their profiles in the luxury market. And plenty are remakes of older suites that had faded and grown dated over the years.
In the first category are the suites at the Corinthia, which opened its doors in 2011. That same year, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group unveiled its first outpost in Paris, which included a 1930s-inspired duplex Royale Mandarin Suite with a double-height living room and a private terrace. This March, the Waldorf Astoria Berlin made its debut, complete with a Presidential Suite that takes up its entire 31st floor. Bonus: A gilded wall that reflects light into the bedroom.
''We want to be thought of as one of the best hotels in the U.S., and aspire to be one of the best hotels in the world.''
One of the existing hotels that has reconfigured its offerings, Raffles Dubai, which opened for business six years ago, introduced its Dubai Floor this May. Previously the owner's residence, the 21,000-square-foot suite has its own hair salon and movie theater. In admittedly less-affluent Philadelphia, the 24-year-old Rittenhouse replaced an area of retail space with five Park Suites, featuring 12-foot ceilings and a private gallery. "We want to be thought of as one of the best hotels in the U.S.—and maybe one of the best hotels in the world," said Reg Archambault, the hotel's general manager.
The list of classic hotels that have given—or are giving—face-lifts to their statement suites is long. Two years ago, the famed Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles reopened after an extended renovation, offering seven new specialty suites. The 6,775-square-foot Presidential Suite has hand-tooled leather doors; the bathroom floor is an Italian glass mosaic. The Peninsula Hotels recently unveiled refurbished Peninsula Suites at its landmark New York and Hong Kong properties, the one at the former featuring six rooms, marble floors and Murano glass light fixtures. The 82-year-old Carlyle in New York is planning to renovate its rooms next year. The InterContinental London Park Lane launched its Royal Suite in January; a highlight is the handblown chandelier inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's diamond collection. Nearby, the very traditional Lanesborough outdid its Royal Suite with a four-bedroom Lanesborough Suite in 2011.
Most of the sumptuous new spreads are concentrated in major cities. London, for example, has seen something of an arms race among five-star hotels—as has Paris. A year after the Mandarin Oriental opened there, the 85-year-old Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris introduced a Penthouse Suite that has travertine floors and six (yes, six) terraces.
"Everyone knew that the Mandarin was going to open with an extremely high level of service and large square footage," said Jan Freitag, senior vice president of hotel data research company STR. "[Hotels are watching] what the other guy is doing and trying to upgrade."
Still, one-upmanship isn't the only factor behind the flood of new suites. The economic upturn has hoteliers feeling bullish. Properties across the spectrum held off on upgrades during the recession, said Douglas Quinby, principal analyst for New York-based travel research firm PhoCusWright. With the uptick in leisure traveling, owners are spending again—in the U.S., 28% more new hotel rooms were under construction in June 2013 compared with the same month last year, according to STR.
As Mr. Quinby points out, however, "the recovery has been very uneven. You've got the haves and the have-mores." It's no surprise many high-end hotels are pursuing the really, really rich—people for whom money is no object, even when the economy is struggling. But even as sophisticated travelers seek unique experiences, they are harder to wow than ever, so hotels have to get creative with their top-tier spaces.
The 33-year-old New York Palace, which real-estate investment firm Northwood Investors bought from the Sultan of Brunei in 2011, is creating two super-luxurious co-branded suites as part of its $140 million renovation. Los Angeles-based celebrity jeweler Martin Katz is collaborating on one, weighing in on the design and planning to do personal jewelry showings for guests; a famous, still-to-be-announced Champagne house will partner on the other. The rooms will be available this fall.
The Palace had eight existing "specialty" suites, including four 4,300-square-foot triplexes that occupy the corners of the its top floors. The hotel could have chopped them up to make smaller rooms that are easier to fill, said David Chase, general manager of the Palace. Instead, they decided to invest in upgrading the two that will be co-branded. (A third suite, which a Saudi prince spent $12 million refurbishing for a six-month stay some years back, will remain in all its gilt-and-brocade glory.)
"I don't want to say we're doing it for press, but I'm not embarrassed to say it is for bragging rights," Mr. Chase said. Though the hotel has long been a mainstay for heads of state because it has enough suites to accommodate large delegations, the renovations—and connections that have resulted from the partnerships—are drawing coveted new VIP and celebrity clients, he said.
You won't find these suites on Priceline.com—not least because the rates are often nonnegotiable. The Ty Warner Penthouse, created several years ago at the top of New York's Four Seasons Hotel, features bathrooms sinks carved from solid rock crystal, a bed whose canopy is woven with 22-karat-gold threads and a granite-clad "Zen" room. The hotel states up front that the $40,000-a-night price tag is firm.
While hotels generally want to fill as many rooms as possible, that's not the case with these. Don't expect an upgrade to one, either. "Rarely will you get bumped to the presidential-type suites," Mr. Carvell said. "They cost a lot to maintain, to clean. It's not an upgrade amenity."
Despite the astronomical prices, most of these new spaces aren't about in-your-face, Versailles-style opulence. On the contrary, they generally look like homes—airy, plush, tasteful homes with the best views money can buy.
The most amazing suites should have all sorts of amenities, including a remarkable vista, said Alexandra Champalimaud, a New York-based interior designer whose eponymous firm created suites at the Hotel Bel-Air, the Dorchester in London and other top properties. But they should be "presented in a subtle way," she said. "Nothing should scream at you."
Though these suites may be new, the idea of uber-special hotel spaces is not, said A.K. Sandoval-Strausz, associate professor of history at the University of New Mexico and the author of "Hotel: An American History." Many of the country's most famous hotels—the Waldorf Astoria, the Plaza, the San Francisco Fairmont—were built in the Gilded Age, another era of super-wealth.
"A measure of the finest hotel was: How well did it provide for really elite guests?" he said. "It seems like there's a rising competition to go back to the old ways."
Living Larger: A Sampling of Exceptional Suites
From about $20,000 a night: The Suite Royale Mandarin at the Mandarin Oriental, Paris
The luxury brand's 2011 French debut was closely watched—and for good reason, given Mandarin Oriental's reputation for pampering guests. The Suite Royale Mandarin is the hotel's crown jewel, with a double-height living room, two bedrooms, a dining room, bar, kitchen, fitness room and more spread over some 3,700 square feet. The sculptural staircase railing is made from engraved metal; couture embroidery atelier Lesage stitched a headboard with a Man Ray image. Don't have time to visit the Eiffel Tower? That's OK: There's a nice view of it from the bathroom. mandarinoriental.com
$15,000 a night: The Penthouse at the Fairmont San Francisco
This space isn't exactly new—it was a residence created in the 1920s by Arthur Upham Pope, an expert in Persian art—but a 2009 renovation under the direction of interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud brought the elaborate, 6,000-square-foot spread up to date. "Phenomenal bones," she said. Outstanding features include: a formal dining room that can seat 60, a large terrace, a two-story round library complete with a secret passageway, a living room with carved wood paneling and a domed billiard room paved in Persian tile. fairmont.com
$2,000 a night: The Park Suites at the Rittenhouse in Philadelphia
This prestigious Philadelphia, which was bought by Hersha Hospitality Trust in 2012, is in the midst of a multi-year renovation. Among the new features: five Park Suites with a residential feel, the largest occupying 1,330 square feet. Four-poster beds in the master bedrooms are carved from oak and upholstered in Belgian linen. The bathtubs are made from travertine; the kitchens from tiger-striped marble. A gallery filled with art and books serves as a private entry to the set of suites. rittenhousehotel.com
From $5,000 a night: The Royal Suite at the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
This Ritz-Carlton location, which opened in March, is the brand's third largest hotel, with 532 rooms spread over a 57-acre property. Its signature suite takes up nearly 2,700 square feet; there are two bedrooms, a living room with a balcony overlooking the water and a room for bodyguards next door. The master bathroom features a Murano glass ceiling fixture, a large stone mosaic behind the tub, and Italian marble floors and counters inlaid with semiprecious stones. ritzcarlton.com
$40,000 a night: The Ty Warner Penthouse at Four Seasons Hotel New York
The nightly rate seems like a veritable bargain given that this trophy suite, named for the toy magnate who owns the hotel, took seven years to build and cost an estimated $50 million. (It was completed in 2007.) Renowned architect I.M. Pei came out of retirement to create the 52nd-story space in collaboration with interior designer and architect Peter Marino. Among its many splendors: 360-degree views, a meditation room with a floor-to-ceiling waterfall, living-room walls inlaid with mother-of-pearl, bathroom sinks carved from solid blocks of rock crystal and a 700-square-foot library with bronze Claude Lalanne sculptures. Oh—and one side of the shower is a two-way mirror through which you can look out over the city, without the city having a look at you. fourseasons.com
From $4,500 a night: The Bottega Veneta Suite at Park Hyatt Chicago
As its name implies, many of the furnishings in this 1,400-square-foot designer suite, unveiled last year, are by Bottega Veneta, which has a retail store downstairs. The living room (shown here) features leather-dressed chairs and pillows in the company's signature "intrecciato" weave. There are two bathrooms, New Zealand wool carpets and cashmere throws. park.hyatt.com
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Digital Album: $9.99
"It's a musical conversation. We all have stories to tell, and to share them with friends is something we all like to do. We laugh with each other, we feel the joys, the sorrows, the beauty, the pain, the experience of being alive and the experience of being together."
DUET, from Dave Matthews Band/Bela Fleck and the Flecktones saxophonist Jeff Coffin, and Leftover Salmon/Aquarium Rescue Unit drummer Jeff Sipe, is an extension of these stories and conversations. "Sipe and I have been playing music and touring together for many years in various incarnations of my group and his trio, playing in jam sessions at festivals, as well as talking about music, swapping stories, hanging out at each others homes, and becoming lifelong friends along the way. We share similar views about music and creating, and of allowing the spirit of what we do overtake us and be led by it. For this project, we decided to 'just play', record everything, and see what came out the other side of the rabbit hole. No expectations."
The duo recorded in Brevard, NC at the Brevard Music Center, for nearly three days. They brought in horns, drums, gongs, bells, flutes and whistles, and though they had a few sketches of tunes they worked from, the goal was not to let those ideas be the focus, but rather to have the tunes spring forth from the improvisations.
Says Coffin, "We wanted to experience the ebb and flow of creating musical conversations between two people familiar with each other who like to talk. We hope you enjoy listening to the music as much as we enjoyed playing it." It's a conversation worth listening in on.
Customers who purchased Duet also purchased:


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August 29, 2011
Arrivals and Departures
Until yesterday I had always sang along to The Beatles' Let It Be like a declaration: let it BE! Let it be so , let it be true, let it turn into something great, let it become. But no maybe it's, let it be. Like leave it alone. It will work itself out. It already happened.
this year
By Stephanie Precourt, Stephanie Precourt - 5:41 AM
tags: my life, photos, really deep thoughts
12 comments:
you got it just right.ReplyDelete
(that second photo needs to blown up and framed.)
Oh Steph, I love these photos!ReplyDelete
I can't believe how big ivy looks.
too sweet.
Yes, oh yes. Let it be. Perfect.ReplyDelete
Look at that picture LOVE!!!!!! and how Ivy has grown, look at her hair, and smile!!!, she is gorgeous!ReplyDelete
I love the closeness of these 4 even when they aren't on a tire swing.ReplyDelete
how all of them have grown. very special.ReplyDelete
such beautiful words and photos!ReplyDelete
Such an important lesson, and usually when we finally see the beauty we'd been overlooking.ReplyDelete
That photo is amazing and should totally be framed.
What a great photographer you are! I wish I could take pics like that. Beautiful. - Mrs_JennyKReplyDelete
Insightful words. Awesome photo.ReplyDelete
for sure.ReplyDelete
miss you!
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Jessica Simpson Saddened by Her Parents' Split: Source
"She's going on with everything," the source tells PEOPLE. "She's sad, but she's okay."
In fact, Simpson, 32, who is now a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, has been going along with her routine, which lately has included returning as a mentor on the NBC show Fashion Star, planning a Halloween party for her 5-month-old daughter Maxwell and friends, and making regular trips to the gym to work out with her trainer, Harley Pasternak.
Four days per week, "no matter how tired is, she goes to the gym," the source says. "She keeps her workouts the same."
Meanwhile, two days after a rep for the family confirmed his split from Tina Simpson, Joe Simpson stepped out without his wedding band.
"It is an amicable split and there is no third party involved," the rep said. "Any other related allegations are completely false. The family appreciates your respect for their privacy at this time."


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TED2014 Fellow Jorge Mañes Rubio is an artist and perpetual tourist who investigates invisible, forgotten places — Chinese cities submerged by the Three Gorges Dam Project, a little-known Pacific island paradise destroyed by mining — creating artworks that reimagine and revive these sites as attention-worthy destinations. Here, he tells us about his latest art project, in which he created a "new nation" in response to the social struggles of a small neighborhood in Amsterdam.
SOCIALDESIGNFORWICKEDPROBLEMS is a pioneering project that aims to research the impact that designers and artists could have if working together with governments and other political/social organizations. I was asked to team up with design studio Muzus and come up with a new proposal for Columbusplein, a public square in Amsterdam West. Politicians and social workers from the area were looking for a different perspective on how to tackle several social issues in the neighborhood, such as bullying among the youngest ones and the lack of a community spirit between all the neighbors.
The first thing we found out during our research is that the demographics in the area are quite unique, with a very multicultural and multiethnic population. Even if the new generation is born Dutch, they still find themselves growing in between different identities (Third Culture Kids TCK), creating a great deal of confusion specially among the youngest ones.
It is also important to say that more than 20 social organizations have been present in the neighborhood for many years, helping those families that struggle the most, and arranging all kinds of activities for kids and their parents. I was overwhelmed to see how much is done by them. But these organizations are also very heavily structured, with little interaction between each other, and showed very small room for changes.
We thought that whatever we would come up with should not only involve the neighbors, but it should also be welcomed by all these social organizations, and somehow reframe their work in a new way, bringing them all together under a common purpose. It all sounds great, but how do you do that?
The answer came to me while walking around Columbusplein's sports field on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I couldn't help but notice the beautiful effect that all the lines and colors created on the court. The analogy between this space and the plurality that inhabits the neighborhood was the spark that initiated everything. That image would later become the flag of a new micronation, a rich mix of cultures, colours, identities — all different but nevertheless intertwined as one. The neighbors would have the chance to create their own nation, their own history, their own identity, all from scratch, and the different social organizations would finally have a strong story that would tie together their hard work.
Amsterdam West received the idea with enthusiasm, but they also remained very skeptical about the viability of the project. A new micronation sounded like an utopia, lots of work, plus how this concept would address social issues such as bullying was not clear.
In order to give shape to this micronation, we created several events, the first one being a competition to create a national secret sauce for fries, the favorite local snack. There was a great response from the neighbors, both adults and kids, coming from all kinds of backgrounds (Turkey, Morocco, Surinam, Netherlands) and the inherent freedom of the event allowed us to observe the behavioral dynamics of the kids from a completely different perspective. Columbusplein was writing its own history for the first time, the winner of the secret sauce contest, a 9-year-old named Sophie, was featured in the nation's first stamp, and now the secret sauce is being used in local restaurants and markets.
For the second intervention, I decided to step up the game, think big and create Columbusplein's first Space Program. We thought space exploration and new technologies will be very important for future generations, plus all the important nations have a Space Program right? And we don't want to stay behind! So together with some young national astronauts, we went to visit the European Space Agency in Noordwijk, where we learnt everything about the International Space Station, the way astronauts live up there, and got ourselves ready for our first mission, which I called Mission Kite.
One day later, kids were creating their own tyvek kites, featuring drawings from lunar modules, planets, space ships… After customizing and assembling them together, it was time to start the mission, and kites were flying in Columbusplein for the very first time. The reaction was great, and even police officers and social workers spontaneously joined the event. After a few minutes, a small group of kids who were mocking the participants had to sit down and watch the rest have fun, wondering why they didn't join the workshop themselves. The Space program was important not only because it played with kids' ambitions, but also because for the first time, social workers took ownership of the art project.
More ideas such as an alternative currency featuring social workers on the banknotes or a passport to keep track of citizens' involvement with the micronation are already on the table. Social workers are being invited to readapt their activities under the Republic of Columbusplein's perspective, and a new approach based on positive potential instead of problem-solving has been shaped. Amsterdam West recognizes the value of the energy and excitement that the fictional micronation's concept has created in the neighbourhood, but is also asking for more time and a more detailed plan to evaluate if this new approach could be the right path to follow, and how to fully involve all the social organizations active in the area.
My work as an artist is to imagine a different world, and create little bits of it. The micronation concept allowed me to do so, and allowed the kids and the workers in Columbusplein to be part of it. The micronation of Columbusplein is an art project for the neighborhood, but that doesn't turn it into community art. Projects like this open new possibilities that might expand the future impact of artists on social issues, going beyond the pre-established white cube context.
SOCIALDESIGNFORWICKEDPROBLEMS is an initiative by the New Institute, Twynstra Gudde, social designer Tabo Goudswaard and Doen Foundation.
The micro-nation of Columbusplein was created by Jorge Mañes Rubio and Muzus with the support of Amsterdam West.
All images are by TED2014 Fellow Jorge Mañes Rubio. To find out more about his work visit www.seethisway.com


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Top Definition
When a woman puts on nail polish and doesn't bother removing it or adding to it making it look worn out and bad.
she went out the other night with her boyfriend and hasn't replaced it, yeah she totally has vintage nail polish!
murninmanによって 2011年03月03日(木)
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
page printed from http://www2.nami.org/
(800) 950-NAMI; firstname.lastname@example.com
November 29, 2007
The Washington Post reports that recent studies indicate a possible relationship between elevated risk of schizophrenia and maternal infections during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.
Though the research is still considered preliminary, it suggests that that the origins of diseases such as schizophrenia might start as early as in the womb. The newest studies also propose that one cause may be pregnant mothers' immune reactions to the flu.


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Top Definition
When, after dealing with many computer viruses in the past, are afraid to download anything in fear of it being a virus, no matter how many times you're told it's safe.
My computer anxiety is keeping me from downloading this file.
dodane przez Computer Anxiety Victim listopad 06, 2010
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Purl was a knitting store opened in NY in 2002. A few years later a fabric/quilting store was opened down the street called Purl Patchwork. Just a few months ago both stores were combined into one larger location called Purl Soho. They also have a beautiful, inspiring blog called Purlbee as well as an online fabric store called Purlsoho.com. I visited Purl Patchwork – a tiny little shop with gorgeous fabrics (and my favorite wall of Liberty prints in hoops) two years ago. It wasn't until later that I found their blog. I've since been inspired numerous times and was so excited to go back and see their new digs.
Lot of great fabric collections pre-bundled to choose from. This one was my favorite. How I wanted to take those little spaceships home with me.
If you go, expect a NYC (i.e. higher) price scale on everything. I didn't buy much (because I'm such a bargain fabric shopper) but I loved pretty much everything in the store.
The staff was really helpful and patient too. (I got a kick out of one girl patiently trying to explain to a customer why the lightweight, gauzy fabric she wanted wouldn't be the greatest choice to re-cover an ottoman. The poor associate was trying to be affirming of this customer's good taste in fabric, while helping her understand that some fabric is not made for furniture. The customer kept pleading, "yeah, but I love this one" as if the sales associate would just say, "Oh, okay. I'll just pull out my magic fabric wand and make that fabric into sturdy upholstery fabric, impervious to any wear and tear." In the end the customer decided she would just get double the amount of fabric and cover her ottoman in two layers – because quickly wearing out two layers of expensive gauze makes so much more sense. But hey- if you've got the cash, you can re-cover furniture – and re-cover again – in whatever you want!)
Anyway, visit Purl Soho – or at least the Purlbee blog – and I promise you will be inspired many times over.
Next week's field trip: M & J Trimming.


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Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Bishop England Lady Bishops breezed through the Military Magnet Thanksgiving Classic this weekend with two convincing wins to claim tournament championship honors.
Bishop England (2-0) won its two tournament games by a combined 158-32 with its starters playing roughly two quarters per contest.
The defense was smothering, holding opponents to five or less points in six of eight quarters. The Bishops came away with 52 steals this weekend and outrebounded their opponents a combined 92-58.
"Score-wise and all, it is what it is," Bishop England head coach Paul Runey said. "We knew coming into the tournament we were going to be the better team. So what you're looking to do is just run some of your stuff, make sure everybody knows what they're doing and I'm looking to make sure the girls are fundamentally sound."
Michele Boykin led the charge for the Bishops, averaging a tournament-high 22.5 points per game on 68 percent shooting. The senior wreaked havoc on opposing offenses, stripping ball handlers, disrupting passing lanes and diving to the floor for every loose ball. Boykin racked up 11 steals, playing two quarters per game.
"I had to tell her, after about the fifth time she hits the floor like that she's coming out," Runey joked. "She just plays so hard. She's got a good knack for getting to the ball. She's just an athlete that wants to win so she's going to play that hard all the time."
Mary Harriet Moore was a force in the post, turning in 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and three steals per game. Guards Jo Jo Tompkins and Eran Artigues ran the Bishops backcourt, each handing out 3.5 assists per game and committing just three turnovers.
The Lady Bishops opened the tournament Friday with a dominating 75-6 win over the Military Magnet Eagles. Bishop England held Military Magnet to just two field goals in the game on 9 percent shooting and powered through the final three quarters on a 51-2 run.
Stall looked ready to compete in Saturday's championship game, jumping out to a 6-0 lead on Bishop England. But it didn't take long for the Bishops to find their rhythm and storm back with a 43-12 run to build a 25-point lead by halftime. Even with reserves, Bishop England stayed hot in the second half, allowing Stall just eight points on the way to a 83-26 win for the tournament championship.
"I liked that the kids were looking for each other and using the correct outlet spaces," Runey said. "We didn't make a lot of mental mistakes defensively and I thought we went out there and got the job done."
Bishop England returns home Wednesday to host the Palmetto Christian Academy Eagles (1-0) at 6:30 p.m. in the frontend of a two-game series.
"I think it was a good start to the season for us this weekend," Runey said. "This week, we know PCA is going to be pretty good. They're fundamentally sound, with some good players who can make plays."
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God's ways are not subtle. We will know it when this happens. read more
Page 28 of 127
10 Ideas to Start Men's Discipleship Conversations
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Dad, What is it About Women and Their Shoes?
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These may be elementary, but the point is to do them with consistency and intentional love. read more
Why Are Teens Really Hiding Their Sexual Reality From Their Parents?
Fear of reprisal might be the obvious answer here, but there are more underlying reasons for this, and sometimes the parents are to blame. read more
How to Answer the Tough Questions About Your Identity
Stop imagining your ideal self. Become it. read more
Are Women to Blame for Men's Porn Problems?
The question in the headline is worth asking. Shaunti Feldhahn and Craig Gross offer some candid answers. read more
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Simply hearing this prayer spoken over them can help your children's faith. read more
Six Steps to Fight Loneliness in Your Marriage
It's not good for man to be alone. read more
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If you're feeling lonely in your marriage, here are some ways to reconnect with your spouse. read more


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You probably heard that Randy Moss called himself the greatest.
And here we thought that moniker belonged to Muhammed Ali. What do we know?
Randy from Rand - a location found on the West Virginia page of Rand McNally's - upset the San Francisco treat in doing so.
Article Photos
Moss put a little stir into Jerry Rice a-Roni leading up to today's Super Bowl.
Moss went a little Buckwild, somewhat usurping the attention heaped on Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and his alleged involvement with deer antler spray. (If Lewis shows up today with seven points jutting from his helmet, then he took it.)
The world pretty much dismissed the bravado of Moss, even though Moss, who now plays for the same San Francisco 49ers who leaned on Rice during the glory years of the 1980s when they were winning five Super Bowls.
Some laughed at the blasphemy, while Rice found himself defending what he accomplished.
And Moss will go on thinking what he thinks. It's not new.
For instance, as a sophomore at DuPont, a defunct school outside of Charleston swallowed up by school consolidation to become Riverside, Moss won the 100-meter state track championship. He declared after winning that race that in time he would break the three sprint records set in the same weekend in 1989 by Jefferson's James Jett, who had a lengthy NFL career as a wide receiver and won an Olympic gold medal in track.
The bellicose Moss never ran track again, an aspect of the athletic career of Moss that is little recalled.
He is remembered well in the state of West Virginia, though.
No matter if Moss is the greatest, thinks he's the greatest or could've been the greatest, he will always been inexorably entwined with the Martinsburg basketball team.
Sometimes it's just him out there alone without the mention of the team that won state basketball championship in 1994 over Moss' DuPont team -much like Moss would prefer, of course.
"I heard them talking about it this week on (West Virginia) MetroNews," said Martinsburg coach Dave Rogers, whose team won the 1994 title. "They didn't mention us."
The state championship game is often discussed, mainly because DuPont had three future pro athletes on the team: Moss; Bobby Howard, who played football for the Chicago Bears; and Jason "White Chocolate" Williams, who played for four different NBA teams, including the champion Miami Heat in 2006. (A writer for Grantland.com has spent portions of the last year researching and interviewing the principals from that game for a piece he plans to pen.)
The Bulldogs, a talented bunch in their own right, won 79-73 by parlaying a game plan to perfection.
One of the aspects of DuPont Martinsburg's coaches noticed was that a shot went up, Moss often leaked up floor, rather than rebound, in quest of collecting a pass from Williams for a dunk.
"I think our game plan was if they didn't have the ball, they couldn't run," Rogers said. "I think rebounding was 50-25; we doubled them on the boards. That was a big thing."
As gifted as an athlete Moss was, though, Williams was a better basketball player. That's even though the West Virginia Sports Writers Association honored Moss as co-player of the year that season.
"No question," Rogers agreed.
It was a great night for Martinsburg.
Rogers, who has won a second state title with the Bulldogs, periodically watches the video of the 1994 contest.
"We have a tape of Tony Caridi and Jay Jacobs calling the game," Rogers said. "It's interesting to listen to how they called the game, because I'm not even sure they thought Martinsburg had a shot."
Moss certainly didn't.
Rogers received a call a few years later when Nike wanted to feature Moss in a
commercial. The athletic apparel company wanted to see if Rogers objected to
it using a video from the state title game showing Moss dunking, because there
were a few Martinsburg players in the exerpt. Rogers checked with the players.
"They said, 'Hey, coach, we want to be in the commercial; we won the game,'" Rogers said.
As the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission closes in on its
celebration of its 100th state tournament next month, surely some will debate
the greatest championship games.
The DuPont-Martinsburg game has to be among the top five in Class AAA; it was
one terrific game. Wheeling Park's 99-96 triple-overtime win over Beckley
Woodrow Wilson in 1995 probably tops them all.
Now had DuPont defeated Martinsburg a year earlier, Moss surely would be
calling it the greatest game.
Because he is the greatest, he reminded us that this past week.


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on February 16, 2013 - 11:21 PM
March 7, 1940 – Feb. 13, 2013
David A. "Ski" Szatkowski of Angola, a 30-year employee of DuPont in the Town of Tonawanda, died Wednesday in Absolut Care of Orchard Park after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 72.
Born in Buffalo, Mr. Szatkowski moved to Angola at a young age and graduated from Lake Shore Central School, where he was active in sports and was considered an outstanding baseball player, drawing the attention of scouts. As an adult, he played baseball in the Lake Shore Baseball League.
At DuPont, Mr. Szatkowski was a chemical operator. Passionate about safety issues, he was instrumental in the development of the company's Safety Resource Committee.
He also helped develop a coating used in the interior of passenger jets.
He traveled to Washington State, Florida and Japan on DuPont training missions and won several company awards over the years. He retired in 2000.
He served as chairman of the local chapter of the Fresh Air Fund, an organization founded by John Lennon, which provides mentoring to underprivileged children from New York City, who also got a chance to visit area homes during the summer.
Survivors include his wife of 21 years, the former Nancy Hamann; a son, Craig; a daughter, Ann Marie Regneir; three stepsons, Kevin, Thomas and Kenneth Kwilos; a sister, Lorraine; and a brother, Paul.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Monday in Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, 22 Prospect St., Angola.
Prayers will be said at 9:30 in Addison Funeral Home, 262 N. Main St., Angola.


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Important delivery notice
The products on this site are only delivered to UK addresses. If you require delivery to another country please visit one of our other sites below.
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You'll find plum trees, cherry trees, peach trees and many more in this range of stone fruit trees. Patio fruit trees are ideal if you're short of space, but still want to grow your own tasty fruit. All our fruit trees are grafted on to fruit rootstocks to ensure the best quality trees and fruit crops. Read our handy 'how to grow fruit trees' guide to help you choose the best fruit tree for your garden.
added to your basket.
Peach 'Avalon Pride'
Prunus persica
This unique peach was discovered as a chance seedling in Washington State, near Seattle. Peach 'Avalon Pride' bears pretty pink flowers followed by large, deliciously juicy fruits from early August.
Propagated onto 'Montclare' rootstock, which is very productive with medium vigour, and makes peach trees less susceptible to frost damage. Peach 'Avalon Pride' is self-fertile and therefore does not require a pollination companion. Height and spread: 2m (6') Rootstock: Montclare.
Estimated time to cropping once planted: 2 years.
Useful links:More info
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Are those prices introduced to compensate the loss of income while facing productionproblems in the past 2 years?I am stunned
$1000 for 10 cm shorter and a few grams lighter, with a less effective hood design, the possibility of lens creep (they felt the need for a zoom lock), and the added expense of 82mm filters?Optically, this lens had better be *damn* good...
way too expensiv.FF DSLR bodys are still out of reach for most normal "consumers"... and now such an expensiv replacement .... where is this going?with µ43 replacing more and more of the entry DSLR market i fear that the EF system one day in the not so far future will ony be for the wealthy and pros
Wow the pricing of the primes is shocking. Who are they marketing them towards? I have been waiting for a USM update on some of the older primes (really want to replace my 35mm f2 with a modern focus motor) and the 28mm looked like a decent standardish focal length for APS-C. But $800! For f2.8 and IS that I don't really want? Insane. Time to look at some 3rd party options.
so who will buy 24 2.8 at nearly $1000 ? amateurs ?
But now I can see why Tamron waited to price their lens - I imagine that their 24-70 for the Canon will now be more expensive than if the 24-70L was going to be $1899.
I guess the 24-70mm II will no longer be a blind buy for me like I had originally planned. Heck at these prices, if a buy at all for that matter!


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Source: CBS News
quote: The problem is that NASA doesn't do low cost, very well. At least not with manned space flight.
quote: It's a very sobering feeling to be up in space and realize that one's safety factor was determined by the lowest bidder on a government contract.Alan Shepard


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Top Definition
a large piece of food often resembling to a mandingo. it is often orgasmic and makes you have a foodgasm.
Helen :"I went to Subway, and boy, my sub was sooooo big.!"
Freddie: "You got a foodingo!!"
Freddie: "You got a foodingo!!"
MamaJMamaK tərəfindən 02 May 2010
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?


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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced that the league's Board of Governors, convening this week for its Annual Meeting in Hilton Head Island, S.C., has approved the following division alignment for the 2013-14 AHL season (NHL affiliates in parentheses):
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Manchester Monarchs (LA)
Portland Pirates (PHX)
Providence Bruins (BOS)
St. John's IceCaps (WPG)
Worcester Sharks (SJ)
Northeast Division
Adirondack Phantoms (PHI)
Albany Devils (NJ)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)
Springfield Falcons (CBJ)
East Division
Binghamton Senators (OTT)
Hershey Bears (WSH)
Norfolk Admirals (ANA)
Syracuse Crunch (TB)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)
Western Conference
North Division
Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL)
Lake Erie Monsters (COL)
Rochester Americans (BUF)
Toronto Marlies (TOR)
Utica Comets (VAN)
Midwest Division
Chicago Wolves (STL)
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)
Iowa Wild (MIN)
Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)
Rockford IceHogs (CHI)
West Division
Abbotsford Heat (CGY)
Charlotte Checkers (CAR)
Oklahoma City Barons (EDM)
San Antonio Rampage (FLA)
Texas Stars (DAL)
Changes from last year's alignment include Abbotsford moving to the renamed West Division, Iowa being placed in the Midwest Division and Utica being slotted in the North Division.
The format for the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs was also approved by the Board of Governors, and remains the same as 2013: Eight teams in each conference will qualify for the postseason, with the three division winners earning the top three seeds and the next five best teams in order of regular-season points seeded fourth through eighth. The conference quarterfinals will be best-of-five series; the conference semifinals, conference finals and Calder Cup Finals will be best-of-seven series. Teams will be re-ordered after the first round so that the highest-remaining seed plays the lowest-remaining seed.
The playing schedule for the 2013-14 regular season, which begins Oct. 4, will be announced later this summer.


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|Cake Decorating
Closed Captioned
Unleash your creativity with this Craftsy class from famed cake designer and author Elisa Strauss. Sculpt a 3-D cake of any breed of dog or cute furry creature you'd like. With Elisa's help, if you can dream it, you can build it. Elisa will guide you through the process as you stack and carve your cake, adding in support and details along the way. Learn how to personalize your pooch by adding textured fondant "fur," facial features and a collar with personalized dog tags. Elisa even includes her own recipes to make a cake your friends and clients will love for their next birthday party, as a groom's cake on their special day, or for any occasion to honor a dog lover!
Meet your instructor, Elisa Strauss, and learn about the templates you will be using to construct your sculpted dog cake.
Your canine cake creation starts with the making of a personalized dog tag made out of sugar, of course!
Learn to stack the body and add support into your cake as you build your pup from the tail up. Elisa takes you step by step through the process of creating the head, too.
Shape the hind legs and torso as you carve in the details and add even more support.
It's time to shape the head and add the details that will come through after you cover the head in fondant. Elisa shows you how to crumb coat this unique shape.
The fur will be flying as Elisa demonstrates how to recreate the coats of a number of breeds, including Dalmatian, Chinese crested, Pomeranian and of course Labradoodle.
Learn how to texture and then drape the fondant over the sculpted head and seal in the cake to maximize moistness.
Elisa will demonstrate how to wrap the body in fondant, blend the seams and cover the top.
Follow Elisa's step-by-step approach to assembly, add legs, attach the head and add even more textured fur detailing, and your cake will be sitting up --�and staying --�in no time.
Your cake really comes alive as you add the nose, mouth and eyes, use dust to bring out the textured details and add shading, create the collar and add fluffy ears and a tail.
"I loved this entire class....the instruction was superb! I learned lots of little tricks from Elisa and it was worth every penny. ... 5-Stars on this course for sure!"
- Girl Army 21
Nova Scotia, Canada


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Coach Coupons and Promo Codes
When you shop at Coach, you'll get the best prices on luxury accessories from an iconic brand. If you want the best leatherwear around the world, shop at Coach with Coach coupons. Find Coach handbags, Coach shoes, Coach wallets, Coach sunglasses, Coach boots, and many more designer handbags at Coach.com. Shop all of the new arrivals, women's and men's items. Get free shipping on orders of $150 or more. Connect with Coach by entering your email to be the first to know about new arrivals, special events, and more. Explore the latest looks. Coach has been looking to the past to create for the future. Since they were founded in 1941, Coach has expanded to over 500 locations in North America, 400 in Asia, 20 in Europe, and websites in over 20 countries. To simply put it, Coach is the global leader in premium handbags and accessories. Coach helps in the community like helping Adopt-A-Classroom which is an initiative to provide students in underserved communities with access to learning materials including school supplies and tutoring. Their mission is to educate and support women and children around the world. When buying Coach online, make sure you check on Coach's sit to see a list of authorized websites that sell Coach.


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ADIDAP Flickr Round December 2011
ADIDAP Flickr Round [2010-04-04]
34 Great pictures for the first round of April. Good luck choosing only 1 favorite picture !
New Sponsor: Memolio Albums
As you might have noticed ADIDAP has a couple of new sponsors! Today I would like to present you Memolio Albums
Memolio albums are compact web-to-print mini albums – About the same size as an iPod classic. Made to be carried & handled these albums make perfect keepsake albums and portfolios. Albums are created by uploading 24 images from your computer, or through your Flickr Pro or Picasa albums. Once uploaded you can easily edit and personalize you pictures, then preview, save and order.
ADIDAP Flickr Round November 2010
Smugmug giveaway results
One week ago I have announced that I will be giving away a one year Smugmug pro account and all you had to do is comment on the post and share some love.
I have received 32 people showing their interest in this and, to be fair for all, I randomly selected @jimgoldstein from jmg-galleries to pick the lucky winner!
Here is how it went on twitter :
So congratulations are in order for Stefan, you have till Friday 23:59 GMT to claim your win by leaving a comment here, otherwise we will have to choose another lucky winner !


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Candice (Candi) and Phillipa (Pippa) Towler-Green, both 20, hope to renew British interest in ice dancing that has been on the wane since the retirement of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
Candice (Candi) and Phillipa (Pippa) Towler-Green, both 20, hope to renew British interest in ice dancing that has been on the wane since the retirement of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
Interesting article. Will Kerr and Kerr be their big rivals?
The first sentence of the article made it seem like the sisters were dancing together as a team. Is there a rule that says an ice dance team has to be a man and a woman? We could solve the problem of not enough men in the sport (like at the sock hops when I was in high school, where the boys were too shy to ask anyone to dance, so the girls danced with each other, LOL.)
I think there is another set of skating twins out there -- the Nylander sisters from Sweden. Thought they are single skaters -- they came in 5th and 6th at Courchevel.
How 'bout that? Like George Bush's daughters, we've got yet another set of twins that don't look alike at all. I'm tellin' ya, it was Robin and the late Maurice Gibb that started this whole business of twins that don't even look like they're related!
The Kerrs are definitely big rivals, but they also have to contend with Humphreys & Baranov (who just started working with Natalia Dubova) and O'Connor & O'Dougherty (who just started working with Klimova & Ponomarenko). Those 3 teams will likely take the top 3 spots at Nationals, but I guess anything is possible. It's nice to read about more upcoming British skatersOriginally Posted by Mathman
As far as I know, Humphreys and Baranov aren't competing this year. Pippa and Phil have just come home with a Bronze medal from the Nebelhorn trophy, the first British medal for many years (the Union Flag was, apparently, a bit dusty, but I've not seen such huge grins since my father landed his first salmon!) and are skating in Bratislava next week. I may be biased, but I would be very surprised if people don't watch them this year and think, "My goodness, but they've improved". Because they have. A LOT. Their Grease free dance is something really special....


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Systemwide Events Calendar
HamSlam!February 21, 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Manoa Campus, Hamilton Library Alcove
Join us for an evening of Wordsmithing on the 3rd Thursday of
• January (17th)
• February (21st)
• March (21st)
• April (18th)
in Hamilton Library on the 1st Floor in the Alcove @ 7:30 pm to support our talented performers in a Slam Open Mic Session for poetry and music with National Poetry Legend, Kealoha! Join us for pupus!
HamSlam is funded by UH Manoa's SAPFB. Mahalo nui! With out their support, we would not have a platform for slam poets!
Ticket Information
Free & open to public; poet sign up for open mic
Event Sponsor
hosted by UHM Library & funded by SAPFB, Manoa Campus
More Information
Teri Skillman, 956-8688, email@example.com
|Thursday, February 21
|The Wellness Center - Fitness Class Schedule
Maui Campus, Pilina Bldg., Wellness Center
|"The Education of Romanzo Adams: Students as Scholars at UH, 1920-1941."
Manoa Campus, Henke Hall 325
|Hawaii Food Bank Canned Food Drive
Manoa Campus, Campus Center
|Education Final Oral
Manoa Campus, Wist 234
|Tropical Medicine Final Oral
Manoa Campus, JABSOM, MEB, Kakaako, Rm. 302
|EALL Talk Series
Manoa Campus, Moore 258
|Spring 2013 Faculty Lecture Series
Manoa Campus, Hamilton Library Room 301
|Darfur Crisis - Movie Screening & Discussion
Manoa Campus, Kuykendall Hall 210
|Pre-Med Panel on Admissions and Life as a Med Student
Manoa Campus, UHM Campus Center Room 308
|We Go Jam in the Library
Windward Campus, Library Learning Commons, first floor atrium
Manoa Campus, Hamilton Library Alcove
- Highlighted dates have scheduled events.
- Select the date to view all events for that day.
Ongoing Events
- Scholarships Available!
- Lineage : A Family Tree of Printmakers
- The White Rose : nonviolent resistance against the Nazi regime
- Arts Exhibition: Ainu Treasures: A Living Tradition in Northern Japan
- Biggest Loser Challenge
- SAPFB Fall 2013 Funding Applications Available
- Picturing the Ryukyus: Images of Okinawa in Japanese Artworks from the UH Sakama
- 2nd Annual Honolulu African American Film Festival
- Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2013


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Harpers Ferry home declared a total loss after fire Saturday
February 3, 2013
HARPERS FERRY — A single-family home was declared a total loss Saturday morning after it succumbed to a fir....
The county commission put it on the back of the fire depts to get it done. It is not the fire depts job to get it done it is the commissions job to get it done. When the numbers where found to be flawed the commissioners ran from the report that they paid for. The vocal minority *****ed and complained about the fee at about $110.00 per year which is still just a small number of firefighters unlike the fully paid dept in Loudoun Co. Oh and by the way paid firefighters loose houses too.
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Ok, paid firefighters would get out faster than volunteers. The are both trained to the same level. Neersville is a paid fire dept no matter what it says on their truck. We can do a paid system here just write to your county commissioners and demand that it be done and tell them that you are willing to pay higher taxes to get one. The cost is about $28,000,000 per year. That is $7,000 higher than the entire county budget and that will work out to about $1,200 additional a year to your taxes. That would get you what you want for now but will need to increase as costs increase. The Fire Chiefs have asked for help and the Chief and Presidents devised a plan that would be supported by a fee to help pay the additional expenses. The county commissioners decided to pay $40,000 for the Delta Report which said about the same thing that the Fire Depts submitted for free plus lots of fluff. The JCESA board approved it, the County Commission accepted it
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It will probably take a fire that wipes out multiple buildings to shake money loose from taxpayers for 21st century fire protection. Do the Feds/NPS make any contribution to HF government?
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Well well well..... another house burns to the ground due to the volunteer "firefighters". Hey Jefferson county, you voted in a crook again for Sheriff.... so where that get ya? Now does a whole family need to die in a fire because the slow response and undertrained volunteers in Jefferson County can not put out a fire? Wake up people. Listen tot he scanners, it a charlie foxtrot. They care more about talking on the radio and standing outide the fire looking cool than actually doing any firefighting (that's if they actually respond to your emergency). REMOVE the volunteers NOW, and place a 100% PAID 24/7 department in the county.
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What do we learn from a fire like this? A fire located within view of a firehouse? (AGAIN) Please MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS. They will save your life.
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...Listening to scanner during superbowl. Chimney fire in Shannondale dispatched at 10:04. Co's 5 2 4 and Loudon Co. Loudon responded first, followed by co 4 within 2 minutes. Co 5 (Shannondale) responded with an engine after 10 minutes. The "stricly volunteers" co.2 took 12 minutes to respond. Co4 (who was 3rd due) arrived 1st- 15 MINUTES after dispatch. Additional units were requested at 22 minutes for a possible working fire. At this point if another incident (mass casualty/critical care, house fire, auto collision, school shooting) took place in the county there's NO ONE left to respond.
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What a disaster. 2nd fire in about as many week ACROSS THE STREET from the firehouse. Do we have to wait until there are fatalties involved before the county steps in? The volunteer system does not work here. Paid fire staffing is needed now.
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Yet ANOTHER home is a total loss to fire in Jefferson Co. and nothing is done. That is all you see anymore around here. The only thing the "Chief" from Independent wants to report is they were there second. Who cares??? You ALL, once again, burned another home to the ground. It doesn't really matter if you are getting there 1st or 5th. The results still are the same!!!! Sad for another taxpaying citizen of this great county to have sub-par performance from the FD
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I'm not slamming the volunteer fire companies. I am a volunteer firefighter. But, good 'ol Jefferson County needs to get off of it's a** and FIX the fire-rescue system! Futhermore, the JCESA is a disaster, their people have no business being involved with anything fire releated. Hey Jeff. Co. Commissioners, HIRE FIREFIGHTERS IF YOU WANT FIRES PUT OUT! NOT WASHED UP RETIRED MEDICS!
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FYI: The Firefighters from "Neersville" (aka Station 16) are ALL Loudoun County Fire-Rescue CAREER personnel. That station is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year by career Firefighters. Three personnel for the engine and two personnel for the ambulance or tanker, whichever is dispatched first. Additionally, when Station 16 is on a call for any extended duration it is always back filled immeditally. There really aren't any "Neersville VFD Firefighters" anymore and haven't been for years. Not slinging mud, just clairifing. But, see what a steffed firehouse will get you? A staffed fire truck on the scene. Where was the Friendship Fire Company? Hmm....
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The bashing of Volunteer fire companies is nothing new. Has Friendship had better response? Sure! But let the facts be known that Friendship had a tanker AND an engine one scene when Loudoun and Independent arrived on scene. The proximity of the house fire from the station plays no role when the alarm comes out and the house is already well involved. (mind you in this case she was an artist: all the chemicals used; paint thinners, varnishes, oil based paints and ignited instantly making the fire that much hotter and spread that much faster!) The FACT that Loudoun is on the initial dispatch alarm as is 4,3,5, and 7 .... it is called Mutual aid. and Loudoun has PAID staff 24x7. We have Loudoun coming to help on most calls because of mutual aid. The companies in Jefferson County has been asking for help from the county for years!! All these residents that criticize the volunteers, should actually direct their criticism to the county commissioners for ways to help. But back to the FACTS,
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I will again repeat "most people bank a wood stove " unless they have other heat source's . I'll agree intelligent people don't leave a fire place unattended.
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Intelligent people don't bank a fire then leave their homes for hours. And that doesn't explain the houses that were unoccupied, like this one. The owners are out of the country. Still think there's an arsonist on the loose.
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Most people bank a wood stove , if no one was home to find the fire, report the fire then it had time to get out of hand before those near by would have noticed .
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I wonder does Neersville VFD gets any extra external support due to them being at the foot of the AT&T complex on White Rock Rd? You would think with all the DOI, DHS, IRS, USCG, etc. complexes around they would support first responders at a higher level.
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All of the houses were either unoccupied or the people weren't home at the time. So they didn't have fires going in the fireplaces or wood stoves which is the main cause of fires in the winter months. I believe there's an arsonist on the loose in Jefferson County.
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9. 95% of volunteer firefighters are working at FD's that protect a pop of <25K. More than 50% of vol's are located in small, rural departments that protect a pop of <2.5K.
10. There were 1,348,500 building structure fires in 2009. Of those fires, an estimated property loss of $12,531M was reported. The total number of deaths in building structure fires was 3,010; & injuries 17,050.
There are 30,165 fire departments in the U.S.
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It's nothing new that more house fires happen durning the colder months.
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6. The second highest reason for firefighter response was false alarms at 2,177,000. That figure was down 2.9% over the previous year.
[With caller ID this figure should continue a downward spiral.]
7. The total number of firefighter responses due to fire was 1,348,500 reflecting a decrease of 7.1% from the previous year.
8. 73% of career firefighters are working in communities with a population of >25K. This firefighter statistic reflects the fact that the population density is relational to the number of firefighters needed to protect the community.
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Neersville has people at their firehouse almost daily 24 hours a day, they are unpaid .
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3. [Career] firefighters statistics for average firefighter salary as of 2009: $47,270 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
[So Jefferson County can not really afford many or maybe not any career firefighters?]
4. The total number of firefighter responses was 26,534,500 reflecting an increase of 5.1% over 2008.
[Sorry this is 5 year old data and I have nothing more current]
5. Medical assistance was the number one reason for firefighter response at 17,104,000. That figures reflects an increase of 8.5% over 2008.
[Some cities, example Boston, require fire departments to back up every call for emergency medical assistance. An ambulance crew is maybe 2 or 3 people and the extra muscle a FD provides makes a positive impact.]
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Another unexplained fire in Jefferson County? And the second one in Harpers Ferry in a month. Not to mention four in and around Shepherdstown in the past two months. Why doesn't the Journal follow up with the fire officials so we know the causes of all these fires?
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The top ten firefighter statistics as complied by the National Fire Protection Association and posted on firerecruit(dot)com.
1. The estimated number of firefighters working in the U.S. is 1,148,100. Of that number 335,950 are career firefighters and 812,150 are volunteers.
[That is 1 firefighter per every ~300 of us which is .3%]
2. Firefighter statistics categorized by age group: Age 16-19 (3%) Age 20-29 (21%) Age 30-39 (28%) Age 40-49 (26%) Age 50-59 (16%) Age 60 and over (6%)
[The average age is increasing as the youth of the nation isn't stepping up to the plate. Why is this the case?]
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Was that Neersville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company (#16) that got there first? What are their best practices? How are they so fast?
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that was John K. house about six doors up from the firehouse in Bolivar.
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I needed to bring a dessert, and since I am all caked out, we made a special trip to the orchard with the warm cinnamon donuts and caramel apples. And Gray danced around the pumpkin patch and I didn't even care that I didn't have my camera. He even found a little gourd that looked like a duck. I love how he sees beyond what things really are. I want to always see beyond what things really are.
Life of the Day, Day 03.


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Jig is a scrawny little nearsighted goblin-a runt even among his puny species. Captured by a party of adventurers searching for a magical artifact, and forced to guide them, Jig encounters every peril ever faced on a fantasy quest.
"If you've always kinda rooted for the little guy, even maybe had a bit of a place in your heart for the likes of Gollum, rather than the Boromirs and Gandalfs of the world, pick up Goblin Quest – just make sure you keep well away from Golaka's stewpot." – The SF Site


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Women's Basketball Sets 2012 Summer Camp Dates
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State women's basketball team has announced its 2012 summer camp dates, beginning June 11-13 with day camp and ending June 14 with a team shootout camp.
The day camp is for girls in Kindergarten - 8th grade (for the 2012-13 school year). Campers will learn basketball skills in an environment that promotes fun and helps develop a love for the game. The camp is designed for instruction in basic basketball skills and concepts, while giving the camper the opportunity to compete as well. Camp will run Monday-Wednesday from 8am-noon, with an awards ceremony on the final day.
The team shootout camp is a one day on Thursday, June 14, which each team is guaranteed three games. The games will start at 8 a.m.
For more information on the Ball State women's basketball camps please click on the attached printable camp brochures (PDF).


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NOAA is considering delisting and removing Endangered Species Act protections for Hawaiian humpback whales.
I would think that NOAA would have done the research to know the numbers and if the humpback whales fall under the classification at this time. I would also think people would be happy that they are no longer endangered. What's the problem?
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ARCast.TV Special - Michael Stiefel on Software as a Service in the Cloud
- Posted: Oct 29, 2009 at 6:33AM
Right click "Save as…"
The Architecture Innovation Cafe presents Michael Stiefel on Software as a Service in the Cloud - Architecting and building a Software as a Service application requires solving a series of problems that are independent of a particular software platform. Michael discusses three areas of focus for designing and building services so that you can leverage your work into new platforms such as Windows Azure.
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