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|#2 Subject: half blood prince Posted: 08/01/2004 06:04:53
Who do u think the half blood prince will be? J.K. said it wasnt harry, voldemort, or harry's dad. i'm pretty sure she said ti wasnt harry's dad. i forgot who i thought it was, lol. maybe its sum 1 we dont know about yet, or have forgotten. i heard something mentioned about a kid that got beat up by dudley, his name was something evans. know n e thing about this?
|#3 Subject: i think its...... Posted: 08/01/2004 16:31:19
i think the hbp is either Godric Gryffindor bcoz JK sed that thers sumthin big in the Chamber of Secrets n his sword appered....or!...it COULD b that Mark Evans guy that Dudley beat up coz JK also sed he has sumthin 2 do with the 6th buk and he DOES have the same last name as LiLy....so yeah....or iT COULD b sum1 we dont know yet...i dunno...who does?...ok then...there yah go anna...lol....bye!
|#4 Subject: What 2 read after hp? Posted: 08/06/2004 20:49:24
well, between books i get kinda bored so i read some of the cat who books. they r kinda short, but theres alot, i think i've only read 3. also i read some hellla thick n tiny printed books. the Fountainhead was freakin awsm. it made me think about stuff. lol. well, if u want more harry potter related stuff go 2 fanfiction.net. u can read almost any kind of story. also, there r stories about alot of movies, books, tv shows, n stuff, its really good, check it out!
|#5 Subject: hp movie Posted: 08/16/2004 22:27:26
i think that they could make the movies MUCH better than they r. i wish they would stop leaving out stuff that is important 2 da story. grr, poo on them all!!!!!!!
|#6 Subject: Batman Begins Posted: 08/24/2004 15:19:05
The Rumors, The News, and Speculation about the cast and production related to Batman Begins.
This is the place to be! Includes pictures, video clips of the Bat and clips of
the filming in various locations. Feel free to Invite your friends as well.
http://Batman-club.1up.com located in the DVD
http://Batman-club.1up.com located in the DVD
|#7 Subject: :: sigh:: Posted: 08/31/2004 23:19:00
so wheres every 1? o well, still, go 2 fanfiction.net n read some koo stuff. theres a story i'm helping with, its called the voice of reason by cheese_bun. shes a really good writer. k PeaCe!
|Xtreme Ace
|#8 Subject: Hello Posted: 10/20/2004 00:23:49
Ive become obsessed after the first time I saw the first HArry Potter movie, The movies were awesome til I read the 3rd book and then watched that movie, so much left out...sad.....but a good movie none the less. Im still trying to catch the 4th book at the library so I can read it. Have you tried checking out Mugglenet.com? thats one of the sites i used when I was doing a presentation on the Harry Potter Phenomenon.
|#9 Subject: Hey All! Posted: 12/02/2004 11:49:58
I just joined...love Harry Potter both the books and the movies.
Have a quick ad about my HP fan fiction group on Yahoo...
Check it out!
And my website
|#10 Subject: I thought this was great! Posted: 12/06/2004 17:58:32
You Know You're Too Big of a Harry Potter Fan When...
You mutter nonsense latin words under your breath.
You call your least favorite teacher Snape.
Your computer says "You've Got Mail" and you run outside looking for an owl.
You actually ask for a broom for Christmas. BTW, I haven't asked for a broom *yet*, but I have asked for a wand
You mutter "lumos" under your breath every time you turn on a flashlight.
You sort everyone you meet into the four Hogwarts houses. (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.)
You were burned when you couldn't get through the flames of your fireplace.
You had to go to the hospital after you broke your nose running headfirst into the wall between platforms nine and ten.
The wand order mistake in GoF drove you crazy, and even after it was "corrected" you still came up with dozens of theories to explain why that happened.
You point a normal things like parking meters and say "Look at the things these muggles dream up!"
You collect plugs.
You try on every piece of silvery fabric your mom has to see if you turn invisible
Before getting up to get something, you always try to summon it first. Accio TV remote!
You watched "Love, Actually" because two minor Harry Potter actors were in it.
You were reduced to tears when you finally had book 5 in your hands. Damn near it!
You refer to your Chemistry class as Potions.
You spend hours tapping bricks in special orders hoping that a secret entrance to Diagon Alley will appear.
When playing chess, you yell orders to the chess players and get upset when they don't move.
You yell into the "fellytone."
You get emotional every time you hear "Hedwig's Theme".
You say "wicked" all the time because Rupert Grint does.
You get thoroughly overexcited every time you see a word somewhere that is distantly linked with HP (ie. Saint Hedwig's) How did they know?.
You name all of your pets after HP characters. Nope just one...Merlin counts right?
You get in to heated arguments over how much gel Tom Felton had in his hair in the first two movies.
You know that Harry's birthday is July 31, 1980, Hermione's birthday is September 19, 1980 and Ron's birthday is March 3rd, 1980 even though it never said in the books.
You refer to Voldemort as "You-Know-Who", and no one has any idea who you're talking about.
You went out and bought the latest editition of the Webster's Dictionary because they added the word "muggle".
You were kicked out of the movie theater for standing on your chair, throwing your shoe at the screen and yelling "THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THE BOOK!"
You count the days until you're old enough for your apparating license, and everyone else thinks you're talking about driving.
Your free time on the computer is spent constantly refreshing your favorite Harry Potter news site, hoping for an update.
|#11 Subject: Seven Months Away!!! Posted: 12/22/2004 11:49:21
I'm sure everyone here has heard that Book Six Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be out July 16th next year. Apparently it ended up a bit shorter than OotP but we all know it's gonna be amazing.
|#12 Subject: o/t New club Posted: 01/14/2005 11:38:31
Hey, just wanted to let you all know that I just created an new club called Phantoms Phans. If you loved the book, the musical, or the movie and would like to discuss it, please join!
Ummm, can't remember the address...this could be bad...just do search for Phantom Phans under DVD/Movies.
|#13 Subject: Does anyone know...... Posted: 02/06/2005 21:38:46
Does anyone know when the 4th Harry Potter movie comes out?
|#14 Subject: New movie and book Posted: 02/14/2005 11:08:32
The GoF movie come out around Nov 18 or something like that.I have HBP reserved at Hastings...I can't wait for it to come out?Whose everyone's fave character?Mine is Hermione.
|#15 Subject: Draco. Posted: 02/26/2005 01:58:52
Rank: Prestige mode
Joined: 01/18/2005
Post Count: 0
that sexy biatch.
|#16 Subject: Hey, What can I say Posted: 03/05/2005 18:06:07
I like Harry the most, but actually, Dumbledore has actually made it to the point where I might say I like him as my favorite character...really depends on my mood.
|#17 Subject: Hermonie Posted: 03/09/2005 10:49:56
Hoped i spelled her name right but she is my favorite character.
|#18 Subject: Book Covers Posted: 03/09/2005 14:09:32
Anyone see the official book covers for HBP? you can see them here: http://www.livejournal.com/community/absolute_potter/42129.html?#cutid1
There's three.One US version and two UK versions.Got mine pre-ordered already.The mall is opening at midnight to sell it.I'll be gettin it earlier than most haha.
I'm prob gonna read it like 3 times in a row the first week I have it
|#19 Subject: Hi all! Posted: 03/10/2005 20:27:24
Pics. from new movie below.
|#20 Subject: Pic of one of the book covers Posted: 03/10/2005 23:23:08
I posted a pic of one the book covers, i dont deserve all the credit some goes to Majinsoulreaver for founding the page.
|#21 Subject: Pics? Posted: 03/29/2005 22:40:51
Hey, DarkMalediction where did you get those pics I've searched everywhere and I can't find them. Can you give me a link, be a friend?
|#22 Subject: New pics of Goblet of Fire movie Posted: 03/31/2005 13:36:48
Just a quick post to let others know that ign.com has new pictures from the movie.
|#23 Subject: Hi! Posted: 04/02/2005 01:18:14
Hey, i haven't been on 4 a while, hehe, nice 2 c ur all still here! well, try n get more people 2 join, please! yep, thanks 4 all those koo pics, keep em comin! ^_^
|#24 Subject: new here Posted: 04/19/2005 09:06:51
Finally somewhere I can go to talk about HP without someone looking at me funny and telling me that those books are for kids.
|#25 Subject: Chamber Of Fire Posted: 04/19/2005 19:24:56
thanks for that update. it looks awesome. I cant wait for it to come out. The films just keep getting better and better and they do the books so much justice.
|#26 Subject: hello Posted: 04/21/2005 13:28:51
you have got it right mercuri. I think Harry Potter is completely awesome and can't wait for book 6 this July and the movie in November.
|#27 Subject: *Harry Potter* Posted: 04/21/2005 17:28:24
I love harry potter ever since the fith grade and im in seventh right now and i cant wait for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which comes out July 16 and the fourth Harry Potter movie.
|#28 Subject: Movie Disaster Posted: 04/26/2005 21:20:41
Rank: Juggernaut
Joined: 04/17/2005
Post Count: 0
Does anyone notice the declining of the quality of the Harry Potter movies. I mean its disgraceful. One was a classic, two wasn't too bad but three was... to put it simply, a movie I wished I never saw. Are they trying to catch up with the books why they are making the movies in such a short time but of very low quality. They should spend more time on the movies.
And the changes made in the movies ared dismayal. The movies don't even model the books they are based of. Unlike Lord of the Rings in which the changes Peter Jackson made were not bad and were very good, this has not been the case with HP.
|#29 Subject: Movie Disaster Posted: 05/01/2005 19:37:52
Of course the third movie was somewhat lacking. It wasn't directed by Chris Columbus. A new director with a new vision for the movie! He just shouldn't have cut so much out of it though. I had to spend a lot of time telling my fiance what was going on because he has never read the books. Let's just hope the next movie is better than Prisoner.
|#30 Subject: Personally Posted: 05/02/2005 17:09:45
I agree the first was a classic, I didnt care for the second, and thought the third (although somewhat lacking) still portrayed the book fairly well. Its the little things I like to look for. Like the Marauders Map was brilliant. I wondered how they were going to put all of these images in my head onto the screen and they did. With Chamber, I loved the book alot more than the movie. The book left it a lot more suspenseful and the movie was kinda, eh. We can only hope for the best with the next installment.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Attitude Is Everything
by Stephanie Labbe
I think most of us have heard the quote "don't judge someone else's path until you have walked their journey." I love this quote for so many reasons, but the main reason being that we all have our own journey through life. No two of us are the same; we have different pasts that have shaped who we are today, different struggles, different obstacles, and different responses to these. What I believe defines our journey is our attitude towards what happens along the way. I believe we need not only view our own journey as this but see others journeys as a unique path based on their specific experiences as well. Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid." Read more


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(Originally Published in Tri-State Voice, March 2008)
Recently, an advertisement on the subway caught my eye: "Invest in 1.2 million futures."
It made me smile, because the Coalition of Urban Youth Workers in New York City, of which I'm a part, recently launched 20 / 20 Vision for Schools as an initiative to mobilize 7,100 individual congregations to serve the 1.2 millions students enrolled in the city's 1,400 public schools. The goal of 20/20 is to finally make good on our promise that if kids stay in school they'll be equipped with the skills needed to succeed in life. With 50-80 percent of church members already directly connected with schools — as students, parents, grandparents, teachers, principals, custodians, merchants selling to students before and after school, etc. — there is no excuse to accept educational failure for any more generations of students.
For the last 25 years, I have navigated the public school arena, not as teacher or administrator, or even an after school coordinator, but as a volunteer youth worker. People are often surprised when I tell them that, and immediately ask, "how do you get around generational mistrust that seems to stand between the faith community and the public schools? " There's only one way I know of, and that's by cultivating relationships at the school through building what Pastor Ray Parrascando of Crossroads Church in Staten Island calls a "resume of trust."
What is a resume of trust, and how does a local congregation establish one with a local school in their community? A resume of trust is anything you do to create sincere relationships around a shared vision. In the context of faith community and public schools, it means establishing a track record of confidence by school administrators toward the intention of your relationship to the school. If the idea of 20/20 vision for schools builds momentum, it will be because the faith community decides they have something valuable to offer the school down the block, and take the initiative with the school administration.
You might ask, what about church-state issues that have kept churches and public schools at arm's length for generations? Jeremy Del Rio, a founding member of the Coalition commented recently, "The separation of church and state does not prohibit faith-based people from being a real resource to schools." He added, "Our job is to learn the language of schools and their needs, so that we can meet them on their terms, not ours." Jeremy's right, when we walk on a public school campus, we fall under policies designed to protect students. They are not "no trespassing" signs that dismiss the faith community, but "yield" signs that should give us pause. Are we willing to volunteer, to serve the greatest needs of the school? Do we have tangible and relevant resources to offer, that will make a real difference? Are we in touch with the unique pressures and issues facing the administration?
It seems intimidating to approach school administrators, especially the principal. But in my experience principals are our city's silent heroes, ever watchful, mentoring teachers, going about their job in a relentless pursuit to create classrooms where learning becomes a loved past time. I have not met a single one in 25 years that doesn't care deeply about every student under their care. It hurts them when they see students fail, become engulfed in violence, or struggle with on-time promotion. I want to get to know them, because I share their love for students, and want to come along side as a resource.
Do you have a school close to your congregation? Do you know the principal, or are you willing to schedule an appointment to get to know them? Perhaps you could take them out to lunch, and you pick up the tab. Remember, building a resume of trust happens when we approach the school with no other agenda besides serving and being a resource. A principal has to see you are there in the best interest of the child. But remember, this may not happen over night. Principals are generally cautious, because most people they relate with want something, instead of giving to them with no strings attached. Building a resume of trust takes 20 /20 Vision for Schools beyond a theory, and allows your local congregation to re-engage in the public school forum. When the faith community comes to the table to roll up their sleeves wanting to solve issues rather than simply critique policy, the first step in that vision has taken place—trust built.
Recently, I got to know a principal in a Brooklyn high school, through a friend of mine who teaches at the school. Each time I visit there I make a point of briefly dropping by the principal's office. One day my friend mentioned that the principal was looking for an assembly speaker to motivate his students. When I said I had someone in mind, we went to the principal and offered this to him. How much would it cost his school? What would the speaker say? I assured him that there would be no cost, and outlined the message. The day of the assembly he was ecstatic, saying that many students had thanked him for bringing in such an inspirational speaker. In a single afternoon, our resume of trust was strengthened, and students rewarded with hope.
The idea of building a resume of trust sounds like a lot of work. Can someone from your congregation, who has limited time, or training actually do this? I'll let you be the judge. Can someone bring bagels and juice into the faculty lounge one day a week? Can the woman's Bible study sponsor a holiday meal? Is there someone in your church with a specialized background that could volunteer to speak to a classroom? Are there volunteers willing to help as hall monitors, or teacher's aids? Could your church invite the principal to speak one Sunday morning, so that your congregation knows the unique issues facing that school? Can your church organize a beautification day on a Saturday morning, where members clean up the school grounds, even paint a room? Finally, what about sponsoring an educator's appreciation Sunday, to honor teachers and administrators?
If enough congregations built sincere relationships with schools in their community, the shared vision of transforming public schools within a single generation would begin to come to life. That kind of vision is not only good for the students, it's good for everyone.
Will you rise to the occasion? Together we can, "Invest in 1.2 million futures."
- Kevin Young directs Student Venture, the high school ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, in New York City. He is a founding member of the Coalition and pioneer of 2020 Vision for Schools. Visit www.2020Schools.net for more information how your congregation can adopt a local school.


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The Westmorland Gazette
News, sport and entertainment from South lakeland, the Dales and North Lancashire
Kendal match OFF (From The Westmorland Gazette)
When news happens, text KENEWS and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
Kendal match OFF
10:48am Saturday 22nd December 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter
KENDAL Town's match at home to Rushall Olympic today has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
After no overnight rain, officials at the club were hopeful that the game would go ahead.
But an hour of solid rain and a forecast suggesting more would follow put paid to those plans.
The match signalled Town's first home game under new boss Steve Edmondson.
Their next match sees them travel to AFC Fylde on Boxing Day, with Frickley Athletic on the menu next Saturday and Chorley at home on New Year's Day.
Comments are closed on this article.


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Jeremy Greenfield, Contributor
I write about e-books and digital publishing
On January 27, 2010 in San Francisco, Steve Jobs asked and answered a question that changed everything for devices and the publishing world: "Is there room for a third category of device in the middle, something that's between a laptop and a smartphone?"
We now know the answer to that question: An emphatic "yes." Since its launch in 2010, Apple has sold 100 million iPads. Tens of millions of other tablet computers have been sold by Apple's competitors.
Everything changed that day for the publishing industry because Apple would announce, in addition to the iPad, the iBookstore, a credible competitor to Amazon's Kindle store, which at the time was thought to have about a 90% market-share in the growing e-book business. The iBookstore and the iPad went hand in hand and it was a promise to publishers that they would have more than one major customer for e-books, diversifying their market and helping build the overall e-book industry.
Jobs probably didn't know it, but his timing was perfect, because on Jan. 27, 2010, all the way across the country in New York City, publishers were gathering for the first time at Digital Book World, a conference dedicated to the business of e-books and digital publishing. What they were hearing out of California quickly became the buzz of the conference. For so many publishers, the answer to "where were you when you heard about the iPad?" became "Digital Book World."
Dominique Raccah, publisher and CEO of Sourcebooks, a Naperville, Ill.-based publisher known for innovation, told me that as soon as the iPad came out it because her exclusive reading device. She wasn't alone.
(Of course, some publishers in the room already knew about the coming innovation. Five of the six largest publishers in the U.S. — Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster — would do deals with Apple that would establish "agency pricing" for e-books and invite the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Justice. But that's another story.)
As the new iPad Mini was announced today, I'm reminded of that moment in 2010. For many publishers, the iPad Mini may represent another opportunity for explosive growth in digital publishing. Millions more readers will have an e-reading enabled device in their hands in the coming months. The iPad Mini is projected to drive seven-inch tablet sales to 34 million this year (a 100% increase over last year) and to 67 million in 2013, nearly double again. Moreover, the iPad Mini should be friendly toward illustrated books, children's interactive e-books and e-cookbooks — all categories that show promise but are struggling for many publishers.
While Apple's announcement today wasn't timed for any significant publishing conference, I'm sure the publishing world was listening, just as it was at Digital Book World 2010. As I look forward to Digital Book World 2013 in New York in January, I wonder what next big thing will be announced (I have a bit of inside knowledge on this, but can't share it with you now…you'll just have to wait until January to find out!).
(Disclosure: As you can plainly see in my bio, I'm editorial director of Digital Book World.)
We were at first leary about yet another Apple device between an iPhone and a laptop, but the more we think about it, it makes sense that Apple needs to go after the reader market that wants a true handheld device. The Nook and the Kindle were having much too much success for Apple to ignore.
leery :-)
A greater number and variety of e-Reading devices can only be a good thing for all who love books, be they readers, writers or publishers.
Please read your source article properly. Dbw says global sales of all 7″ tablets nexus, kindle and iPad mini are expected to reach 34 million in 2012. Dont be a mesiah of wrong apple propaganda.
"When Apple Changed the Publishing World"
This is pure hollow Apple hype. Amazon revolutionised publishing with Kindle. iPad has had a trivial impact and that will continue. Changing the iPad's screen size to something in between iPad and iPhone will have little effect.
A typical example of a publication which believed the iPad hype is The Daily. It launched on iPad with huge fanfare, powerful PR and marketing, and was an utter failure.


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Another biological oncology drug received approval from the FDA today. This time it was Genentech and Curis' drug vismodegib (marketed as Erivedge) for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma, a common skin cancer. They won the approval well ahead of the agency's decision deadline. And top regulators signaled that they would look kindly on other developers who take the same approach to targeted therapeutics.
The drug will be used to treat BCC patients who's cancers have spread after surgeries or other treatments. The median progression-free survival rate was 9.5 months. Erivedge is the first drug that targets the hedgehog signaling pathway that has been approved. More are on the way. See Xconomy.
This is Curis' first approved drug. The company is now due a $10 M milestonepayment from Genentech upon the approval. Curis also stands to earn royalties on sales. Curis investors spared no time in starting to cash in by selling their shares in brisk trading today.
Posted by Bruce Lehr Jan 30th 2012.


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July 31, 2014
Funeral arrangements have been set for a Kemper County dispatcher who was killed in a traffic accident earlier this week.
Shandy Hudson from Daleville died in a two-car wreck Tuesday night.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Fitkins Church of the Nazarene in Meridian.


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When Corn Elder arrived at Ensworth as a freshman in 2009, coach Ricky Bowers wasn't sure what position he would play.
Bowers eventually put Elder at tailback, proving to be a good decision considering that he ranks 12th among the state's career rushing leaders entering tonight's Division II-AA championship against Memphis University School in Cookeville.
"We had (Corn) at quarterback a little bit early on, and we weren't certain whether he would be a running back or a receiver or whatever because his size was a concern," Bowers said. "Our quarterback, Andrew (Bowers) got hurt as a freshman and didn't get to play, so we played Corn at quarterback (on the freshman team.)"
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Elder has rambled for 6,144 rushing yards during his three years with the varsity. Former Ensworth running back Orleans Darkwa (6,338), now at Tulane, and former DCA running back Lorenza Edwards (6,553 yards) are the only backs from Nashville with more career yards, and Elder is 195 yards from passing Darkwa.
Darkwa and former Ensworth quarterback Tavarres Jefferson set the rushing standards high for Elder. Jefferson won the Division II-AA Mr. Football award in 2008 before signing with Middle Tennessee State.
"They have been a great influence on me," Elder said. "My freshman year I got to watch Orleans play, but we're kind of two different backs. He's more of a power back. I knew Tavarres because his family is from the same place where my family is from in East Tennessee, and I got to watch him a couple of times. He plays more like me. He's more elusive."
Montgomery Bell Academy coach Marty Euverard, a former Oakland coach, said Elder's running style reminds him of former Riverdale running back Eric Locke, who won two Class 5A Mr. Football awards at Riverdale in 1996 and 1997 before signing with Alabama.
"(Corn) is a guy that can change the game on any play," Euverard said. "He's one of the most dynamic backs that I've seen playing. It's his speed and ability to stop and go and change directions and not really lose any momentum or any speed. He never really takes a big shot either."
Elder has 78 career rushing touchdowns, ranking him ninth in state history. He has led the Tigers (12-0) to two straight Division II-AA titles.
Battle Ground Academy coach Roc Batten, a former Ensworth defensive coordinator, describes Elder as a fierce competitor with the leadership abilities of a quarterback.
"He has that, 'I will not be denied' mentality," Batten said. "It's a mentality that we're not going to lose. I watched him as a freshman do that in a game against MBA when I was (at Ensworth.) He told the team, 'We're going to win and take the drive down and win the game.' He'll come into the huddle and say that to the team and the kids will follow him."
Elder, who won the past two DII-AA Mr. Football awards, rushed for 1,642 yards as a sophomore and 2,080 as a junior. He has 2,422 yards and 36 rushing touchdowns this season for the Tigers, who are ranked 10th nationally by USA TODAY.
Bowers believes Ensworth's offensive line has much to do with Elder's success. Last year when he suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter during a 48-10 win over Baylor in the DII-AA championship, backup Rico Watson rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns.
But Tigers offensive tackle Nick Brown said Elder often makes the line look good.
"We'll think we're going to block it perfect, and all five of us miss our block and somehow Corn gains 20 yards when there's five people running straight at him," Brown said. "I think Corn has a special ability to get away from people. If I was Corn, I wouldn't like getting hit every single play that I carried the ball so I think him not wanting to get crushed every play also helps on that."
Ensworth's most successful running play this season probably has been the outside zone, which is similar to a sweep.
"In the Brentwood Academy game we ran that play maybe 30 times," Elder said. "Maybe 10 times in a row, and it kept working. Our line blocks well. I give a lot of credit to them. Our tight end, Xavier Forrest, has the down block and he perfected that in that game."
Elder, whose most recent 40-yard dash time was a 4.42, rushed for a career-high 307 yards and two touchdowns in the 20-0 win over BA on ESPNU six weeks ago.
Former Brentwood Academy coach Carlton Flatt, who won 10 state titles before retiring after 34 seasons in 2006, was skeptical about Elder early in his career due to his lack of size, but has since changed his mind.
"There was a time when maybe I didn't think he was going to be big enough," Flatt said. "So early on I thought he was OK, but not great. But now I might think he's great. I think he has a real feel for football. He's able to find that little hole and get upfield."
He has nine major college offers and took his first official visit to UCLA two weeks ago. He plans to visit Ohio State in December.
Barton Simmons, a national recruiting analyst for 247 Sports, doesn't believe Elder's lack of size will be an issue in college.
"I've never been a guy, at least over the past two years, that's had any doubt that he can play major college football and be a major factor," Simmons said. "I think the question is, 'What's his role going to be?' He's not a true every-down back on the next level, but if you get him in the right system and get him the ball in the right ways he can be a kid that dominates in BCS level football."
Simmons believes Elder is ideal to play in the slot and could be an asset as a receiver. He's a good fit for jet sweeps, plays where the back gets a running start before taking the ball on the outside.
"You just need an offense that puts him in space," Simmons said. "If you get Corn Elder one-on-one with a defender, it's as good as over."


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2002-08-21, 21:10
Gigantic Penis
Join Date: Jul 2002
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someone help please........
i got the CDex program to make mp3s. however the program only lets me convert the songs into MPEG or WAV files so i am unable to send songs to slayme.
any help on what to do?
"Hey! They're working! My feet are soaking wet, but my cuffs are bone dry! Everything's comin' up Milhouse!"
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CONWAY — Horry Georgetown Technical College may not have a football team like the Clemson Tigers or a basketball team like the N.C. State Wolfpack, but what it has got is the Fighting Mole Crickets, and on their field of play, the Mole Crickets regularly clip the Tigers whiskers and flatten the Wolfpacks ears.
This year, one of two Mole Cricket teams won yet another regional Turf Bowl title for HGTC, the fifth in the 13 years the event has been held. Only teams from Clemson have as many titles. N.C. State got an also-ran trophy in this years bowl.
And Clemson? Not nothin.
That fact more than any other is the best thing about the Turf Bowl competitions for Kyle Hamilton and others on this years winning team.
We got bragging rights, he said.
But bragging rights are only the beginning of the reputation the program has nationally. HGTC turf grass students are the only ones who have been reinvited each of the last six years to go to Augusta National Golf Club to overseed the course before the Masters Tournament. The school took an entire class once to the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa to help maintain the greens for the Liberty Mutual tournament.
The program attracts students from at least 38 states and six foreign countries, which Rich Cooper, a turf grass management specialist at N.C. State, said is a fair measure of the programs good reputation.
The first certified golf course superintendent in Japan was educated at HGT C.
The program placed 17th in last years national Turf Bowl, has climbed as high as number six the best finish ever by a two-year school and had two teams in the top 10 in 2003.
The Fighting Mole Crickets have more national top 10 finishes four than any school in the Southeastern Conference and follows only the University of Maryland in the Atlantic Coast Conference by one top 10 finish.
This years national tournament is to be in San Diego in January, but HGTC might not get to the competition. More on that later.
First, a bit of learning about turf grass management.
In short, said Jay Richardson, another of the students on HGTCs winning team this year, turf grass management is all the skills needed to maintain a healthy turf stand.
He and Hamilton say turf grass management for golf courses requires knowledge of fertilization, irrigation and how to keep the greens and fairways in the best possible shape for golfers. Additionally, said Rick McGuinnes, chairman of HGTCs golf/sports turf management program, they need to know a plethora of grasses well enough to say which will grow to what height, what high and low temperatures each can tolerate and whether it likes the sunlight or the shade.
Theres a science to turf grass management as well, said Mark Flanagan, a professor in HGTCs program. HGTC students get enough of it that they are coveted by golf courses throughout the United States.
In fact, he said about the only thing that separates HGTCs program from those at four-year schools is that the latter are heavier on the science. But HGTC students more than make up for that absence by the practical work the get at gold courses around the Grand Strand. The availability of that work, as well as the number of golf courses on the Grand Strand and year-round golf weather, is important to the success of the program.
The (golf course) superintendents themselves are good teachers, McGuinnes said.
Turf grass management emerged as a specialty for golf courses in the early 70s, the same time the academic program started at HGTC.
At that time, said Donald Lovette, who taught at the school for 32 years, the Dunes Club had the only college-trained superintendent in the area. But the growing concentration of golf courses prompted the school to start a program.
In 1971, the programs first year, most golf course superintendents were still called greenkeepers, and HGTC debuted a one-year certificate program. The next year it expanded to a two-year degree program and now has about 60 students from whom to choose Turf Bowl teams.
Ashley Wilkinson, HGTC professor and the Fighting Mole Crickets faculty advisor, said Turf Bowl team members are chosen carefully and the practice includes mock competitions among other things.
The regional competition takes its format from the Jeopardy television show, but the nationals include things such as writing essays and identifying different types of grass.
Which brings us back to this years nationals.
HGTC did not compete in the 2010 or 2011 nationals because there wasnt any money to send them. They scraped together enough money to go to Las Vegas last year, and McGuinnes estimated would need $2,500 to $3,000 to make it to San Diego in January.
Go Fighting Mole Crickets.
Contact STEVE JONES at 444-1765.


text:
LAUSANNE, Switzerland —
"This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "In the view of the executive board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It's not a case of what's wrong with wrestling; it is what's right with the 25 core sports."
According to IOC documents obtained by the AP, wrestling ranked "low" in several of the technical criteria, including popularity with the public at the London Games — just below 5 on a scale of 10. Wrestling sold 113,851 tickets in London out of 116,854 available.
Wrestling also ranked "low" in global TV audience with a maximum of 58.5 million viewers and an average of 23 million, the documents show. Internet hits and press coverage were also ranked as low.
NBC, which televises the Olympics in the U.S., declined comment.
The IOC also noted that FILA — the international wrestling federation — has no athletes on its decision-making bodies, no women's commission, no ethics rules for technical officials and no medical official on its executive board.
Modern pentathlon also ranked low in general popularity in London, with 5.2 out of 10. The sport also ranked low in all TV categories, with maximum viewership of 33.5 million and an average of 12.5 million.
FILA has 177 member nations, compared to 108 for modern pentathlon.
Modern pentathlon, which has been on the Olympic program since the 1912 Stockholm Games, was created by French baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement.
It also benefited from the work of Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., the son of the former IOC president who is a UIPM vice president and member of the IOC board.
"We were considered weak in some of the scores in the program commission report but strong in others," Samaranch told the AP. "We played our cards to the best of our ability and stressed the positives."


text:
Linda Rhodes, Eric Metz and Bob Dahl stood atop a dirt mound that once served as the right of way for the old Pacific Electric interurban trolley line near Culver City, perusing via binoculars six great blue herons that had set down in a small coastal marsh nearby.
The herons moved about with seeming nonchalance, isolated from the humans by several hundred feet of muck and weeds. Slowly, they cavorted before a backdrop of the masts of passing sailboats, strangely disembodied from their invisible hulls by a wall separating the marsh from the yachting channel of nearby Marina del Rey.


text:
- Up to
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CSUB is proud to be part of the living
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text:
The adoption of family names (or surnames) in Europe started in the 11th Century and in the main, fall into one of four categories:
- Occupational names which describe a profession.
- Locational names describing a dwelling or place of origin.
- Descriptive names which describe some physical characteristic or mannerism.
- Patronyms which are the adoption of the subject's father's first name as a surname.
The locational surname 'Warburton' is a corruption of the old English 'Werburg' and 'tun' denoting a 'person from Lady Werburg's manor or estate'. The village of 'Warburton' can be found in the North West of England, Latitude N53:24:11, Longitude W2:27:21 (WSG84) situated in the county of Cheshire, close to Manchester and Warrington. Google Maps provides a map of the area.


text:
Here's the URL for Dump and Chase's new location. All previous posts have traveled there as well. This spot will remain in existence as the only place where you can read the comments to the previous posts. See you there …
Archive for the 'Uncategorized' category
I've MovedSeptember 11, 2008
TV PartyAugust 14, 2008
The National Hockey League announced the circuit's national TV schedule today, listing the games that will be televised to wide audiences via Hockey NIght in Canada and The NHL on TSN in Canada and Versus and NBC down here in the lower 48. As you'd expect, the Capitals will be seen more frequently this season than in years past.
The Caps will be seen twice on Hockey Night on Canada, with both appearances coming in consecutive weeks. Washington visits Toronto on Dec. 6 and Montreal on Dec. 13, with both games getting the HNIC treatment up north.
Four Caps games will be shown on The NHL on TSN: Washington's Oct. 21 visit to Calgary, its Jan. 20 trip to Ottawa, its Feb. 18 date with the Canadiens at Verizon Center, and its Mar. 24 visit with the Leafs in Toronto.
Seven (!) Capitals games will be aired on the Versus Network: Oct. 13 vs. Vancouver (first home game after the home opener), November 10 vs. Tampa Bay (Olie Kolzig's return to D.C.), Nov. 24 at Minnesota, Dec. 16 at the New York Islanders, Jan. 20 at Ottawa (Inauguration Day), Jan. 27 at Boston and Mar. 16 at Atlanta.
Additionally, NBC will air eight late season Sunday afternoon games. As many as four of those games (Feb. 22 vs. Pittsburgh, Mar. 1 vs. Florida, Mar. 8 vs. Pittsburgh and Apr. 5 vs. Atlanta) could involve the Capitals.
Many of the Versus games involve exclusivity, meaning the Caps may not be able to air their games on Comcast on certain nights. Right now, the nights in question as far as those local telecasts are concerned are the Oct. 28 home game against Nashville and the Dec. 2 home game against Florida. It is believed the Caps will be able to air their Oct. 21 game against the Flames in Calgary because the game would start at 9:30 Eastern time, well after the 7 p.m. Versus game slated for that evening.
Caps single-game tickets are not on sale yet, but let that be a warning to you. If you absolutely, positively want to ensure seeing the Oct. 28 game with Nashville and the Dec. 2 game with Florida live, buy tickets for those dates.
Pre-Season Sked UpdateJuly 30, 2008
The Capitals recently released their pre-season schedule for 2008-09, but the venue for one of the dates was noted as "TBD" at the time of release. The big news today (can you tell it's still July?) is that the TBD has been determined.
On Mon. Sept. 29 the Caps will travel north to the Prudential Center where they will take on the New Jersey Devils in what will be the fourth of Washington's seven-game pre-season slate.
Tomorrow … it will still be July. After that, not so much.
DecisionJuly 26, 2008
The salary arbitration case for Capitals defenseman Shaone Morrisonn has been decided. The arbitrator has ruled that the 25-year-old blueliner will receive a one-year contract for $1.975 million for the upcoming 2008-09 NHL season.
How Much for Mo?July 24, 2008
As you know, the Caps and defenseman Shaone Morrisonn went through the salary arbitration process today in Toronto. Within the next day or two, we will learn Morrisonn's salary for the 2008-09 season. The 25-year-old blueliner is the last remaining player unsigned by Washington for next season.
The arbitration process can be a bit murky for those of us who've never sat in on a session. Both sides use "comparables;" players they deem similar to the player in question. For the purposes of arbitration, those players are not necessarily comparables in the sense that they've played a similar number of games in the league and have posted similar numbers.
If that were the case, the Caps could say that Morrisonn is similar to Kurt Sauer in terms of stats and such. Sauer has four goals, 26 points and 214 PIM in 288 career NHL games. Morrisonn has six goals, 45 points and 278 PIM in 278 career games. Sauer recently signed a four-year deal with Phoenix, a contract that will pay him $1.75 million for each of the next four seasons.
And if the Caps were to use Sauer as a comparable (again, they can't), the Morrisonn side might like to use Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik to bolster their own case. Orpik was chosen 18th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft; Morrisonn was chosen 19th overall in 2001. Orpik has four goals, 36 points and 392 PIM in 297 career NHL contests. Orpik recently re-signed with the Penguins for six years. His deal will pay him $3.75 million per season.
There is a huge difference between what Sauer and Orpik got on the open market this month. On the very surface, neither player seems terribly different from Morrisonn, either.
I've poked around a bit and I can't find a guy that I can safely say would qualify as a Morrisonn comparable. In other words, a guy who earned his next RFA contract at the age of 25 and in doing so, had career numbers similar to what Morrisonn's are right now.
Given the wide disparity in salaries for defensemen (and not just the two examples I used) it's not surprising that the Caps and Morrisonn went to arbitration before ironing out a contract agreement on their own. As far as what the arbitrator decides, none of us has any idea, either. But we'll know in a day or two. I'm thinking it could be anywhere between $1.5 and $2.5 million.
Fedorov: The Cutting Room FloorJuly 18, 2008
Like a lot of people (including Fedorov himself and probably the Caps, too) I figured veteran center Sergei Fedorov was a short-term addition here in the District when he was acquired from Columbus at the Feb. 26 trade deadline. When he showed up at Kettler the following day and held an introductory news conference, I still didn't think any differently. But I was struck by his presence and his command, and marveled at how much better he was at dealing with the media than in his earlier years. That's not surprising; most players follow the same curve.
As the days and weeks and games went by, I began to sense (again, like a lot of people, including Fedorov himself and the Caps' braintrust) that this alliance of the veteran pivot and the young, emergent team might have more life in it than just the 2007-08 season. With that in mind, I began to save snippets of conversations, scrums and the like. Seeing the impact he had on this team, and knowing his history and background, I thought it would make a great story for the summer if the Caps were able to re-sign him.
I approached Fedorov in Tampa one morning late in the season, and discussed the idea with him. I asked if he'd be willing to sit down for an inordinately long interview at some point, and if he'd be willing to discuss a wide range of topics going back to his days in the Soviet Union. He said he would, but politely asked if he could be allowed to focus on the matter at hand — namely, getting the Caps into the playoffs — for now. I told him that was fine; I just wanted to chat before he got out of town for the summer. We'd talk once the Caps had cemented their spot.
The media demands on Fedorov are a lot more than you'd imagine, especially those last few weeks of the season. It seemed that every night, multiple media/blog outlets requested an audience with him. Sometimes he'd speak three or four times a day on game days. Once the playoffs rolled around, writers were sitting with him in the room at Kettler for 30 minutes at a time. Given that environment, I felt bad about requesting a half hour to myself.
I wrote and posted the story the other day on caps. com. I ended up getting some short one-on-one chats with Fedorov over the season's final two months (including the playoffs), a handful of postgame and post-practice scrums, and one long interview (more than 30 minutes in length) in which I took turns asking questions with The Post's Mike Wise.
In writing my piece, I tried not to used bits of Fedorov quotes that I had used in various writings during the season and the playoffs. I also tried not to use the quotes that Wise had used. Believe me when I tell you, Fedorov gave us enough good stuff that day for four or five writers to write great stories on him without any overlap.
When a player has a career as long and storied as Fedorov's, it's hard to get your arms around the whole of it. So the story itself ended up being more than 4,000 words. Even still, I didn't get a chance to ask about the Carolina offer sheet or the five-goal game against the Caps.
It's not my style to ask about a guy's personal life. If he wants to volunteer stuff on the record, that's fine. But I'm old school. For me, it's about the game. I don't give a rat's ass about who he's dating or who he was married to. Tarik and I have this argument all the time. He thinks fans love that kind of stuff and eat it up. He may be right. Hell, he probably is right. But as long as he and his cohorts are digging up all that good stuff for you readers who can hardly wait for it, I can concentrate on the rest of it. The hockey.
So with that lengthy explanation out of the way, here's the cutting room floor stuff from the Fedorov piece. Again, you may have heard some of this before if you watch postgame and post-practice video on caps.com.
On his feeling about the possibility of getting back to the playoffs for the first time in five years:
"I think playoffs for this team is now. It's a huge goal for this organization at this stage of the season. I'm in the playoffs. In my mind, I'm in the playoffs.
"It's been more than a couple years. I'm excited for the opportunity that's been given personally to myself. The way we play on this team, we create our own bounces and breaks. We have to control things we can control which is winning games."
On how his body and legs are holding up at this stage of his career:
"I think I feel comfortable enough on the ice in game situations, hockey situations, that I can skate myself out of trouble or skate the puck out of trouble, yeah."
On the team's play during it's run to the division title:
"We created that certain urgency. I think game-in and game-out we realized as a group how important this is and how much focus we need and how much energy we need to get this done. I think it's a very positive experience. I like the way we've responded. We've had our letdowns, but it's a part of the experience.
"We found a way to turn things around. I would say, 'You don't do those things during the playoffs.' But unfortunately, we've done them and we've turned things around. It's a tradeoff. The depth on the team is good, but I prefer not to play and get down a goal and have to come up with a great effort to win it. I prefer to have a solid 60 minutes. But we found a way and that's important. That response is more important than anything else."
On Scotty Bowman:
"He was quite strict. He knows what he wants out of his group. He knows how to manage his players. It was difficult at times, no question about it. But the most important thing is how we reacted to it. And we reacted well most of the time. And that's what brought us [to Stanley Cup championships]."
On the Detroit area, where he lives in the off-season:
"Living in the area doesn't give you a chance to miss anything. Hockey is hockey. Your career happens the way it happens and you go with it. I live still in Detroit. I come back in the summer and I have all my friends there. I'm having a great time and great experience there. I'm not missing Detroit because I live there."
On Wayne Gretzky's comment about athletes reaching their mental peak years after they reach their physical peak (Wise used most of this one as the lead to his story):
"That's right, you don't enjoy it as much. You don't know how. It comes with experience. Is that what you're getting at? You're happy, you're excited at that particular moment but you don't understand. You don't know. Because you don't have that experience that creates that positive wave to most of the people who are around you; your teammates, fans, your family. You just go about your business.
"In playoffs, it's a very hard and fast pace. You only have seven games to do something. Or four or five or six. So, he's right."
On the string of Nike commercials he filmed and/or was referenced in:
"It was funny. I remember that time. It was fun to see commercials where you're not part of it but they're talking about you, especially goalies. It was pretty funny. I think Nike did a great job back then. I thought it was funny and realistic. Our business is not show business, but from that point of view, it kind of mixed together real well.
"I remember spending two days – eight hours each day – skating around and doing all that show-off stuff. It was not easy; you become an actor eventually after spending 16 hours on the ice doing fake stuff. But it looks really good on TV after they edit it. It had a funny edge to it."
On winning the Cup in Washington with Detroit in 1998:
"It's 10 years later. It doesn't matter. And I'm playing for this team now, so I have to earn my wings."
On how long he thinks he can play:
"After this year I have to sit down and think really hard if I have the fire still to play. The body is halfway there. It's all here (tapping on his temple)."
On whether he can see himself making the late-career transition from scoring line center to checking line center a la Igor Larionov:
"Not really. I don't think it's similar to the style we play. I already made a transition to stay in the game. I'm not running myself to be a leader. I can play that role, second or third center, that's no big deal for me actually. It would be a little bit easier, maybe. But people still will take shots at me because they expect the best and nothing but the best.
"So what's the point to waste your time being a second or third center, if you're not performing even the way even coaches expect you to perform? They think you play second or third center and do exactly the same damage as if you played the top role. And that's miscommunication, completely. You know what I'm saying? If you have influences, it's different than actually to play on the ice and be a game-breaker. It's a big difference."
MomentumJuly 14, 2008
For those of us who follow the Washington Capitals, last week was an oasis in the desert that is the NHL off-season. The Caps hosted their annual summer development camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex last week, culminating with a scrimmage and the team's Summer FanFest in front of a packed house on Saturday. Development camp is always a fun week, but this year's camp and the flock of folks who came out to watch was another sign in an ongoing litany of good things for this team and this franchise.
Word leaked out in the middle of last week that Washington had come to contract terms with center Sergei Fedorov on a one-year extension; that deal was made official this morning. Also during the week, new Caps goaltender Jose Theodore came into town for a visit and Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon and Eric Fehr signed contracts for 2008-09.
Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn is the only player who is unsigned, and he has an arbitration date set for later this month. That means he Caps won't have to worry about any contract distractions at training camp this fall.
The Caps ended last season with a great deal of momentum both on and off the ice. They've been able to maintain the on-ice momentum by getting players signed and returning largely the same team that finished last season, with the notable exception of Theodore.
For the Capitals at this stage of their development cycle, momentum is critical. The 2007-08 team captured the interest and the imagination of the fan base and re-ignited a passion for the game and the team that was dormant for a few years. History has shown that fans support good hockey here, but past teams have failed to keep momentum going and as a result, the attendance waned. A fun and thrilling 2008-09 season will go a long way toward keeping the big crowds in the building beyond this season.
The Caps made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998, the same season in which they moved to the Verizon Center in downtown D.C. The team set an attendance record the following season, but was unable to keep that momentum going because the 1998-99 team suffered 511 man games lost to injury and finished with a dismal total of 68 points.
A few years later, the Caps created a big summer splash when they made a swap for superstar right wing Jaromir Jagr on July 11, 2001. The Capitals again set an attendance record (averaging 17,341 fans per game) in 2001-02, but they failed to make the playoffs. A coaching change followed, and the team never again consistently and routinely hit the 17,000 mark in attendance until the second half of this season.
After the announcement of the Ovechkin contract this past January, the Caps drew an average of 17,219 for their final 21 home dates of the season. They attracted crowds of 17,000 or more for each of the last 15 home regular season games, and sold out seven of the final 11 dates. As those of you who were in the house know, the place was loud, raucous, exciting and fun. And in the four home playoff games against Philly, there were few Flyer fans in sight.
The recent turnaround has been swift. It started in November when Bruce Boudreau was named head coach. It climbed when Alex Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract extension in January. It picked up a head of steam when the team got hot in February and March. And it reached a crescendo in April when the Caps finished the regular season at home and earned their first playoff berth in five years, playing to packed houses bedecked in red. I routinely ran into longtime Caps observers who said they'd never heard the building so loud, and never had as much fun at a Caps game.
Keeping the team together is important. Unlike that aging team that made the finals in 1998 and was mostly kept together for the following disappointing season, this bunch is young and on the rise. They like playing in Washington and they love playing with and for each other. And they can reasonably be expected to improve as most have yet to reach their prime years.
Keeping the fans' interest piqued is also a key. Filling the Kettler Capitals Iceplex for a development camp scrimmage on a Saturday in July is a great sign. The atmosphere was fabulous all last week, but particularly so on Saturday.
All week plenty of folks took the time to come up and introduce themselves, which I always appreciate. I love meeting passionate hockey people, and spending a few minutes chatting. I got the chance to do a lot of that last week, and there was one recurring theme that kept surfacing in my conversations with fans, bloggers and other media types:
September can't get here fast enough.
We've killed a lot of the off-season, but we've got two months to camp and three months till meaningful hockey. The preseason schedule will be released later today, and the regular season slate follows on Thursday.
And yeah, September can't get here fast enough.
Blackjack for BrooksJuly 9, 2008
At this time last year, some of my media pals and some of the fans out there with whom I regularly converse were wondering just what the hell Brooks Laich was thinking. They wondered why a guy with eight goals and 18 points would choose to have his salary for the upcoming season decided via the arbitration process. As with many things in this great game, it's never as simple as the numbers.
A few months later some of these same folks crunched the numbers again. Looking at the training camp depth charts, they couldn't see how Laich would make the Caps roster last fall. I told anyone who was willing to listen that Laich would make the team (duh), and that he would flourish afterwards.
He played all 82 games and scored 21 goals.
I guess Laich's 2007-08 season surprised a lot of people. But good young players get better. They're not necessarily the same player you saw at age 21 or 22. Throw in a good work ethic and a willingness to go to the net, and you've got a pretty well-rounded NHL player. Laich can play all three forward positions, he can kill penalties and he can play on the power play. He's worked very hard to shore up some of the areas of his game that sagged earlier in his career, and today it paid off when he signed a three-year contract with the Caps.
No arbitration required this time around. The salary cap hit for the Laich deal will be just under $2.1 million. That leaves only defenseman Shaone Morrisonn and forwards Boyd Gordon and Eric Fehr unsigned among Washington's group of RFAs. Morrisonn has elected for arbitration, but a deal can be struck before it gets that far, as with Laich.
The Caps are also still discussing a possible pact with UFA center Sergei Fedorov. To the best of my rudimentary calculations, Washington now has 21 players under contract for a total of about $50.1 million for the upcoming season. The NHL's salary cap for 2008-09 has been set at $56.7 million.
Net Gain or Loss?July 7, 2008
Tuesday was a tough day to be on the road. I got off an airplane in Jacksonville just after 1 p.m. and quickly exchanged a few text messages with friends and contacts around the league. Not much was going on at that point. The Caps had already agreed to terms with Mike Green, but I had written about that before leaving Baltimore in the morning. I was hoping for a relatively quiet day on the Caps front, but it turned out to be anything but quiet both in Washington and around the league.
Since then, many words have been written, but few by me. More guys have signed. I've had a hot water heater blow on Independence Day (hours before hosting a party here at stately Vogel mansion) and I've had some serious wireless woes at the homestead that finally got ironed out yesterday. I've got some thoughts on what happened Tuesday, and I started writing them on Wednesday, including the first paragraph of this mess. The thoughts should still hold up; there are no games in the off-season.
Get a seat and a beverage. This one won't be short.
As we all know, goaltending is important in the NHL. (Which is like saying, "Having tires on a car is important for driving.") For the last decade, the Caps have gone into every season with Olie Kolzig as their starting goaltender. As the 2007-08 season wore on, it became apparent that Kolzig would likely not be the guy the Caps relied on as their starter in 2008-09. That made getting their next No. 1 netminder a priority.
During the season, the Caps' pro scouting and hockey ops staff identified a couple of impending UFAs who might fit the bill, namely Cristobal Huet and Jose Theodore. When a trade to obtain Huet became possible at the Feb. 26 trade deadline, the Caps paid the reasonable price of a second-round draft choice to the Montreal Canadiens for the goaltender.
The plan at that point was to have Kolzig and Huet share the netminding duties the rest of the way. The Caps also saw the acquisition of Huet as a nice dovetail into their plan to secure their next No. 1 goaltender. In getting Huet from the Habs, the Caps would now own the exclusive negotiating rights with the goaltender until Jul. 1. This same scenario worked out well for the Philadelphia Flyers a year earlier. The Flyers acquired goalie Martin Biron from Buffalo at the 2007 trade deadline. The Flyers auditioned him and he auditioned the team and the city, and the two sides came to agreement on a multi-year contract before Biron made it to the free agent market.
In a perfect world, the Huet scenario would have played out similarly. Reality is far less than perfect, and the scenario obviously played out far differently.
Huet and Kolzig shared the netminding duties for the better part of a month after the former's arrival, alternating starts. Both played well; Huet played better. The team thrived.
Kolzig lost in Chicago on Mar. 19, and Huet started and won the following game. Needing points and wins, Caps coach Bruce Boudreau stuck with the hot hand and Huet started and won each of the final seven games of the regular season to push the Caps into the playoffs.
After winning 11 of 13 regular season starts with the Caps, Huet was not as sharp in the playoffs. (How could he possibly be?) The Caps were ousted in the first round. In the two months since, Huet and the Caps had ongoing discussions about the possibility of a multi-year extension in Washington, but ultimately it did not get done. (For more on the discussions, you can listen to general manager George McPhee's July 1 media conference call.)
Huet decided to test the market, and who can blame him? He'll be 33 in two months and this was possibly his best shot at a home run contract. Here's a question for you: If the free agency period began on Feb. 26, what kind of contract would Huet have gotten? He would have likely fared well, still being one of the more attractive UFA goalies on the market. But had he finished out the season as a backup to Carey Price in Montreal, would Huet have gotten four years and $22 million? We can only speculate, of course, but by helping the Caps to the playoffs he may have simultaneously priced himself out of the range of what Washington could reasonably be expected to pay.
Keep in mind the high number of young players on the Caps roster who will need to be paid going forward. Keep in mind the mass exodus from Pittsburgh this summer. Keep in mind that the salary cap is also capable of going down at some point.
I was hoping the Caps would re-sign Huet. He seemed to me to be the best of the available options in goal this summer. Jose Theodore was the second guy on virtually everybody's list of UFA goaltenders, and maybe a few would have had him at the top. Theodore was another guy whose stock rose on the basis of a strong late surge. At any rate, the Caps liked Theodore a few months ago, too. It's not like we woke up on Wednesday to read that Ray Emery or Marc Denis will be the No. 1 guy in the District this season.
Contracts are always going to be signed on the basis of past performance. But the ONLY thing that matters is future performance. Since the Caps missed out on Huet and settled for Theodore on Tuesday, there has been a sharp difference of opinion among some Caps followers and fans as to how the Caps fared in the swap of ex-Canadien goaltenders. That's not surprising; it was the same way last season when the Caps signed free agents some of the fans perceived as stiffs.
What is surprising is that some are painting the situation black (and bleak) despite the relatively small difference in the two goaltenders statistically. (Japers does a better job than anyone of illustrating the statsitical differences.) Let's face it, neither Huet nor Theodore has ever won a Stanley Cup. Hell, Huet's next Stanley Cup playoff series win will be his first.
What's a little untoward (to me, anyway) is that some are using the Theodore situation to point out how negligent the Caps have been in not having addressed this goaltending issue years ago via the Entry Draft. To me, that kind of thinking is misguided. Here's why.
Washington has drafted several netminders (six in the last five drafts) in the hope that one of them will emerge at some point down the line. Over the years, the Capitals have chosen 36 goaltenders in the NHL draft, an average of about one per year.
Two of the 36 have played as many as 100 games for the Caps. Two. Still think they should have been poking around looking for their next goalie in the draft for the last decade?
Kolzig (19th overall in 1989) was the 19th goaltender drafted of these 36. The 20th was Jim Carey (32nd in 1992). He was drafted three years after Kolzig, yet he reached the 100-game level before Kolzig did. Carey was out of town (traded to Boston) by the time Kolzig played his 100th game for Washington. Only two of the other 34 (Peter Sidorkiewicz and Byron Dafoe) ever played as many as 100 games in the NHL. Most of the Caps' prominent goaltenders over the years — Ron Low, Wayne Stephenson, Mike Palmateer, Al Jensen, Pat Riggin, Pete Peeters, Clint Malarchuk, Don Beaupre, Bill Ranford — came from other organizations.
And guess what? That's the rule around the NHL these days, too. Looking at the 30 starting goaltenders for NHL teams at the close of the 2007-08 season, how many of them were continuously with the team that drafted them?
Eleven out of 30. Meaning that nearly two-thirds of the teams in the league either made a deal with another team or signed a free agent to get their starting goaltender. Meaning the way of the world is to let someone else draft and develop your goaltender. Until Kolzig and Carey came along, it was how the Caps operated for the first two decades of their existence.
Some of those folks who say the Caps should have been more diligent in finding Kolzig's replacement say the Caps should have been actively drafting goaltenders five years before 2006, when Simeon Varlamov was chosen in the first round and Michal Neuvirth in the second round. But here's another eye-opener for you.
How many goaltenders from the last five Entry Drafts (2003-07, since the '08 class has not yet had a chance to play in the league) are now among those 30 starters? Two. Marc-Andre Fleury and Carey Price. Price is the reason the Caps were able to get Huet in the first place. Fleury and Price were both top five picks, too. And they were the only goaltenders taken in the top five from 2003-08.
Al Montoya went sixth in 2004. He has played three years pro and has already been traded once, but his next NHL game will be his first one.
Here are a few more interesting (I think so, anyway) facts that should tell you quite a bit about the science of drafting and developing goaltenders.
* Twelve of the aforementioned 2007-08 starting goaltenders were drafted in this decade. One of them (Ward) has won a Cup. Eight of them have yet to win a playoff series.
2000: Rick DiPietro, Dan Ellis, Henrik Lundqvist, Ilya Bryzgalov.
2001: Pascal Leclaire, Martin Gerber, Mike Smith, Cristobal Huet
2002: Kari Lehtonen, Cam Ward
2003: Marc-Andre Fleury
2005: Carey Price
* Half of those netminders (DiPietro, Leclaire, Fleury, Lehtonen, Ward and Price) were first-rounders.
* All the others were drafted in the 1990s.
1990: Martin Brodeur
1991: Chris Osgood
1992: Nikolai Khabibulin
1993: Manny Legace
1994: Jose Theodore, Marty Turco, Evgeni Nabokov, Thomas Vokoun, Tim Thomas
1995: J-S Giguere, Miikka Kiprusoff, Martin Biron, Vesa Toskala
1996: Mathieu Garon
1997: Roberto Luongo
1998: Jason Labarbera
1999: Ryan Miller
* Twelve drafted in the "oughts," 17 in the 1990s (only three of those 17 were first-rounders) and one (Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom) was not drafted at all. I'm counting seven Cups and some long playoff runs from those 1990s-drafted goaltenders.
* Two of the starters (Giguere and Legace) were drafted by Hartford. One (Khabibulin) was drafted by Winnipeg. One (Thomas) was drafted by Quebec. That's four of the 30 who were drafted by teams no longer in existence.
* One more for ya. Fleury was chosen with the first overall pick in 2003. Him, you're familiar with. The next 24 goalies drafted that year (in rounds 2-9) have combined to play a total of 27 games in the league. Then there's the guy Montreal took with pick No. 271 in the ninth round. That would be Jaroslav Halak, who has played 22 NHL games.
How prepared have other teams been for similar situations? Who is the heir apparent to Martin Brodeur in New Jersey? Did the Blackhawks really just "replace" Khabibulin (one Cup) by signing a guy who no playoff series wins who is about three years younger? Detroit has Jimmy Howard in the pipeline, and Dominik Hasek just retired. Perfect situation to work the kid in as Osgood's backup, right? Nah, they signed Ty Conklin.
I guess what I'm saying here is when it comes to goaltending, it doesn't always make sense. On or off the ice. Goaltenders who succeed are first-rounders like Brodeur, undrafted guys like Eddie Belfour, and late-round finds like Khabibulin. The roadside is littered with first-round failures (Jimmy Waite, Eric Fichaud, Maxime Ouellet and Brian Finley, to name a few) while late-rounders often prosper. Though they may prosper late.
Which leads me to my final point here.
You draft a goalie. He's 18. Let's say he plays two more years of junior. He's 20. Now, he signs a three-year entry level deal. He might need all three of those years pro (as we've seen, Fleury and Price are the exceptions) to determine whether or not he's capable of handling the job at the next level. He's 23 now. Is he ready to start in the NHL? How many guys are ready to excel in the NHL at 23?
Since the Caps came into the league in 1974-75, here's a list of goaltenders with the most wins between the ages of 23 and 25:
1. Martin Brodeur (114), 2. Mike Vernon (106), 3. Henrik Lundqvist (104), 4. Chris Osgood (95), 5. Tim Cheveldae (93), 6. Grant Fuhr (91), 7. Patrick Roy (89), 8. Nikolai Khabibulin (86), 9. Pete Peeters (85), 10. Mike Palmateer (83).
Four guys still active. The Caps have the guy who's fifth among active goalies (and 19th overall) on that list. His name is Brent Johnson (69 wins). Theodore is 28th with 62. Only nine of the top 30 are still active (and the Caps have two of them), but two of them (Emery and Jocelyn Thibault) aren't guys you want right now.
If the Red Wings really believe Howard (the third of the 24 goalies chosen between Fleury and Halak in 2003, by the way) is Osgood's eventual replacement, then Conklin doesn't make the team this year. Howard's entry level deal is up; he has played three years pro and now has to clear waivers to go back to Grand Rapids. Three years (and 82 games) at U. of Maine, three years (and 141 games) in the AHL and eight NHL games. Howard is 24 now. Is he ready?
Chicago's Corey Crawford was drafted a dozen slots ahead of Howard in the same draft (second of the 24 between Fleury and Halak). How ready is he? He has seven NHL games under his belt. And he has Huet and Khabibulin (for now, anyway) ahead of him on the depth chart.
In many — if not most — cases, three years won't be enough. The goalie will be cast aside and he will prosper elsewhere. Like Giguere, Kiprusoff, Khabibulin, Vokoun, Ellis, Bryzgalov, Legace, Toskala and Huet.
Carey won 70 games for the Caps before his 23rd birthday. And none after. Kolzig won two games for the Caps before his 25th birthday. And 299 after. We'll see soon enough how Theodore fares in the District now that he has become the latest in a long line of goaltender imports here in D.C.
While we all watch, we'll root for Daren Machesney. We'll urge Simeon Varlamov to greatness. We'll follow the exploits of Michal Neuvirth. We'll trace the doings of Dan Dunn. And we'll hold out hope for Braden Holtby.
Even though history and the odds say that the Caps' goaltender of the future is currently minding the twine in another NHL organization.
Two Caps FileJuly 5, 2008
Today was the last day for NHL players to file for arbitration, and two Washington players did so. Center Brooks Laich and defenseman Shaone Morrisonn both opted for arbitration, while center Boyd Gordon did not. Those three players along with right wing Eric Fehr are the Capitals' only unsigned restricted free agents.
By virtue of filing for arbitration, Laich and Morrisonn are no longer eligible to receive RFA offer sheets from other NHL clubs.
The arbitration schedule will be set later this week with all hearings scheduled between July 20 and Aug. 4.


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(WMC TV) - THIS WEEK'S BIG TIP: Memphis St. Cafe, 2476 Memphis St., Hernando, MS, (662) 429-9299.
"Plate discrimination" is not permitted at the Mississippi restaurant with "Memphis" in its name.
You can order a calorie-busting burger, cheese steak sandwich or Memphis St. Cafe's signature Reuben with homemade sauerkraut and locally-produced corned beef (it was featured on Guy Fieri's 'Diners, Drive-In's & Dives!).
Or you can choose a smaller-portion, healthier option like blackened catfish with locally-grown veggies.
"We have implemented some healthy items on our menu," said Memphis St. Cafe's owner and Executive Chef Chris Lee. "We want to have something for everybody when they come in."
Lee's commitment to local products and healthy choices earned Memphis St. Cafe the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi's Community Health Partner Award.
"Lee and his wife, Natalia, opened Memphis St. Cafe in 2008 and have provided healthy options and portions," said the foundation's Peggy Linton. "One of the major things Memphis St. Café is doing is they're purchasing fresh produce locally, which is a great economic boost, plus it's healthy for the people who come and eat here."
It also helps that Lee, educated at culinary schools in both London and Charleston, SC, also owns the Hernando Meat & Fish Market on Commerce St.
Just carry all that fresh fish and select meats less than a mile west to Hernando's town square and the Memphis St. Cafe!
WHAT ANDY LIKES: Reuben Sandwich, Blackened Catfish w/Vegetable Medley, Rice Pilaf, Grilled Chicken Salad
Copyright 2013 WMC-TV. All rights reserved.
1960 Union Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 726-0555
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


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I bought the chocolate one and it is accurate to the tiny picture they provide. I was really concerned when it got here because it was shipped in dirty-looking celophane only. Once I unwrapped it though, I was really, really surprised by the quality. Rich looking and very heavy. Not at all gaudy.
It does shed a bit in the beginning but what rug doesn't. I hope after vacuuming it a few times, it will be Okay. I ordered black and white one. It's a nice looking rug and matches our modern furniture.
This carpet was a decent value overall. The color was more beige than I thought it'd be and less blue. The stripes are blue and have a sheen, but the rest is beige. It's very neutral and matches a lot of decor. I am very satisfied with it overall, but I do think the picture looks more blue than it really is. It's not as thick as I expected, but still soft to walk on. The blue stripes are especially soft. Overall, a good carpet.
I was looking for a rug that wouldn't show too much dirt but would be sophisticated and blend with my aqua/blue decor. The rug is a bit more on the green side than I had hoped, BUT, it still blends nicely with my light aqua sofas. The rug is fairly thick, but not as thick as some handwoven wool I've seen. However, for the price, I think this is an awesome deal and a unique find!
I bought this as kind of a "fun" addition to my bedroom (green faux zebra?) -- but it has a subtle and sophisticated quality not captured in the photo at all. It is just gorgeous. I am thrilled.
Ordered the brown....is more of a taupe/gray...not at all as pictured...the background color was a bland beige... I immediately re-wrapped in original packaging and schlepped it to the ups store.. When credited....was only for a fraction of the cost...claimed it was damaged and unable to resell..... Took a few phone calls but was finally credited the full amount..not certain what happened...they take pics of damaged merchandise that is returned and concluded it was done during the shipping.... Phew!!!!.... Not taking anymore chances on area rugs.....
Quickly received after 4 days and I was just stunned by how beautiful this rug is. The silk stripe highlights add a jewel like effect to this rug that simply sets it apart from any other that I have seen. The quality is far and away from what I expected for the price. We just love it in our bedroom. The colors are very close to the picture . A great transaction . I will shop here again.
Usually leaves our warehouse in 1-2 business days. *
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** Most Oversize orders are delivered within 1-4 weeks. Some orders may take 6 weeks to be delivered.


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HOUSTON -- A 38-year-old Houston man is in jail after accusations that he stole the identities of at least 23 people.
Prosecutors confirm seven of those victims are employed by the Harris County Sherriff's Office.
Suspect Benjamin Barran had been out of jail on bond on some other identity theft cases.
He was rearrested when he appeared in court on Tuesday. The arrest came after prosecutors say they learned that Barran was responsible for a whole lot more than originally known.
"If he could get the identifying information of people in law enforcement, he can certainly do that with regular folks," said prosecutor Aimee Bolletino with Harris County Organized Crimes Division.
Prosecutor Aimee Bolletino says it's not clear how Barran stole the personal information of the Harris County Sherriff's Office employees.
"You don't see the type of thief we typically associate with theft because this person has to give off an air of trustworthiness in order for them to be successful at using other peoples' information," explained Bolletino.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office has not said what departments the Harris County Sherriff's Office employees worked in.
A victim, who doesn't work in law enforcement, says she was victimized after a burglary at her home last summer.
"It's awful to think of someone walking around your house," said Carol Streatfeild. "I did my best to put it behind me and say it happened."
Streatfeild was not able to put it behind her.
She learned that her stolen laptop was being used to victim her family and others around her.
"[The investigator] called up and said, do you know, and he would give a name. I would say, that's my son. He said, do you know this person. I said, yes that's my employee," recalled Streatfeild.
Streatfeild's husband, her 18-year-old son and five of her employees are included in the list of nearly two dozen victims.
"It was pretty recently that I realized it was that big," she said.
Her family owns the British Isles Shop in Rice Village.
Streatfeild had been keeping employee payroll information on the laptop that was stolen. She believes that's Barran gained access to their information.
"It's really frightening to see how much information one person can accrue over time and from so many people," said British Isles employee Sarah Purtee.
Sarah Purtee says she began receiving credit cards she never signed up for. One of them had a photograph on it of a woman she doesn't recognize.
"He should be ashamed of himself," said Purtee.
Investigators were originally tipped off by Barran's ex wife. She reportedly suspected him of breaking into her home and stealing her identity.
Court documents say Barran was using a Dropbox account to store his victims' information and the lines of credit he opened in their names.
Authorities also reportedly found instructions on how to find PIN codes for credit cards, how to access security codes and how to counterfeit driver's licenses.
Barran is currently behind held without bond.
He's due in court on Friday.


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Textmate is the most popular editor tool available exclusively only for Mac OS. Developers love it due to its simplicity, lightweightness and excellent feature set availability. While working on Ubuntu (11.10 64-bit), we have the default gedit editor available which is also very good. However, if we want to have some Textmate like features with gedit, we can follow these simple steps to make gedit look like Textmate:-
(1) Installing extra gedit plugins :-
$ sudo apt-get install gedit-plugins
(2) Installing Textmate 'Monaco' font
Download from http://www.gringod.com/wp-upload/software/Fonts/Monaco_Linux.ttf and execute below commands:
(3) Installing syntax color scheme darkmate.xml
Download the darkmate.xml file from http://grigio.org/files/darkmate.xml
From gedit, go to Edit -> Preferences -> Font & Colors. Then click Add button and locate the download file(darkmate.xml). Also select the Monaco font.
(4) Activating installed plugins from gedit -> Edit -> Preferences -> Plugins
From this pane,we can enable following plugins as per our requirements :-
-Bracket Completion
-Code Comment
-File Browser Panel
-Word Completion, etc.
With these settings, your gedit now looks like Textmate :-
If you want to avoid the above steps, then we have also another option called Gmate. GMate is a collection of plugins, themes/styles and other improvements to get TextMate-like features in Gedit. The package will add some themes and plugins you can enable/disable from the Gedit preferences. To install GMate in Ubuntu, use the following commands:
In the upcoming posts, we will also try some other text editors available for Linux Ubuntu.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Making Gedit look like Textmate for Ubuntu
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|News » Archives
Trio of Crusader Players to Take Trips With AIA Squads in August
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Three Valparaiso men's basketball players will be making trips with Athletes in Action teams this August. Senior Bobby Capobianco (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland [Indiana]) and juniors David Chadwick (Charlotte, N.C./Hargrave Military Academy [Rice]) and Vashil Fernandez (Kingston, Jamaica/Princeton Day [Md.] Academy) will all be traveling overseas, while Crusader assistant coach Roger Powell Jr. will serve as head coach for one of the teams as well.
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As the NBA has evolved over the years, roles have changed even while the positional labels remain the same. No one would mistake LeBron James' game for that of Kevin Durant's, even if both are given the label of small forward (which doesn't really fit either, actually, what with James' sheer bulk and Durant's insane wingspan). And today, I am going to discuss a rapidly increasing breed of player: the three point specialist.
When the three point line was added to the NBA in the 1979-80 season (coincidentally the year Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entered the league), it was merely a peripheral part of teams' playbooks. Usually, a trey was only taken when the shot clock was winding down and a shot at the rim or a midrange jumper wasn't available, and even then it was usually only taken at the end of quarters. However, as the Lakers/Celtics dynasties of the 80s wound down and the rise of the Michael Jordan-led Bulls happened, the three point shot came into vogue. The Rockets won back-to-back titles by complimenting Hakeem Olajuwon's post game with outside shooters (which decided the Rockets-Spurs matchup, as the Rockets could double David Robinson as he had a weak supporting cast), a tactic mimicked by Stan van Gundy in Orlando. One of the star players who made the three point shot his trademark was Reggie Miller, as it allowed him to become a lethal scorer even with a relatively unathletic frame. On the other hand, while Jordan was never really a high-volume shooter from beyond the arc, he acquitted himself decently when he needed to (just watch Game 1 of the 1992 Finals), and the Bulls always had guys like John Paxson and Steve Kerr to receive a kick-out pass and shoot a wide open shot.
Nevertheless, men like Paxson and Kerr are renowned not because they were merely good at shooting, but that they took the shot when needed. And here's my thesis: Three point specialists are rarely going to be worthy of a playoff rotation spot, save if they provide something else.
Even if Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry were relatively limited offensively, they managed to help bring championships to San Antonio because they provided other qualities, like lockdown defense or good defensive awareness as well as key rebounds. On the other hand, guys like Matt Bonner are elite at the three ball... but are weak rebounders and merely average on defense at best. Even the 2006 champions Miami Heat, while having an elite shooter in Jason Kapono, had him out of the rotation by the playoffs. Or the 2011 Mavericks, while having shooters galore, had them range from decent in team defense to pretty good.
Another reason for the decreased importance of long range specialists is whether they have someone on the team who should be double teamed. Doubling a dominant post player or an elite slasher creates open shots for these shooters, but teams like the Knicks (which can be shut down by turning Carmelo Anthony into Iso Melo and stifling ball movement) should thus not be surprised if Steve Novak's production drops off in the playoffs (though he shot the three ball well even then, though it's small sample sizes talking).
In the end, for a long range shooter to get playoff minutes, they should either be able to create their own shots (like a Gary Neal), be a defensive pest or have other useful skill sets (like knowing when to cut to the basket).


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The first wedding at Chilford Hall's new marquee went off without a hitch at the weekend - less than 10 months after a deliberate blaze ravaged the popular wedding venue.
Just two days before Victoria and Ian Clover wed, contractors were hurriedly completing the new Garden Rooms for their wedding - the first to be held in the new semi-permanent venue since arsonists Thomas Richardson and Mark Hall burnt the Great Hall to the ground on June 13 last year.
The couple, who have been together for almost seven years and engaged for just over four, booked their wedding a month before the blaze and were nervous about whether the new glass marque would be complete in time for their big day on Saturday but decided to stick by Chilford Hall as staff had been "so supportive" following the blaze.
Mr Clover, 33, said: "We booked the venue before the fire happened as I used to work for Ernest and Young in Cambridge and held corporate events here so I knew it was a great place. It is also a great location."
His new wife, formerly known as Victoria Ball, added: " They told us the day of the fire and kept us informed. We had a think about it but decided to stay with them as they had been so supportive. It was a bit stressful at times but we confidence them."
The 26-year-old secondary school teacher added that they were delighted with how the venue looked complete with their New York theme - chosen as Mr Clover, a business analyst, whisked her away for a surprise trip to New York where he proposed to her in Shakespeare's Garden, Central Park.
The Royston couple had a civil ceremony in the grounds of Chilford Hall in the midst of flurries of snow before their reception in the nearby Garden Rooms.
Mrs Clover added: "It is amazing how it has been transformed as we were at the marquee the day before the wedding and it wasn't finished so we didn't know how it would look but they have done a great job. It's everything we could have hoped for."
Glen Mejias, a director at Chilford Hall, has overseen the Garden rooms project- built on a former car park - for several months and is delighted to see it in place, though he admits that at one stage he didn't think it was possible.
He said: "It is a fantastic feeling -I'm so happy to have seen the day happen. It has been touch and go with the weather holding us back and I honestly felt last year at one point 'this is it, we're finished' so to see it completed is wonderful."


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Teen BFF Gorgeous teens have their private fuck stashes plasterered across the web for all to see!! Blistering brunettes and blazing blondes get hot and horny - and they don't even know your watching!!
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- Capri Cavalli
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Posts tagged pirates
Posts tagged pirates
The best thing about this moment is that Captain Jack and everyone around him think this declaration of love is coming from a young man to another man, and it goes absolutely unremarked. The joke is about the RUM, not about homosexuality.
(Source: ohaldir)
Hoist the colours
The Greatest Pirate Who Ever Lived
In 1801, a pirate named Zheng Yi was busy raiding Canton. Aside from the prerequisite plundering and rum-drinking, he had given his men one specific order: to break into a local brothel and bring him the prostitute Zheng Yi Sao (郑一嫂), or "Zheng Yi's wife".
One might expect a sinister fate to have awaited Zheng Yi Sao upon her deliverance to the pirate captain (rape, swiftly followed by murder, being the most obvious). In actuality, Zheng Yi's intentions were considerably more gentlemanly.
He intended to marry her. And recognizing that her current future prospects were rather limited, Zheng Yi Sao accepted.
But Zheng Yi Sao didn't intend on spending the rest of her days as some plunder-hungry pirate's eye candy. She wanted to become a pirate as well, and she did – one of the greatest pirates to have ever lived.
That first part doesn't do justice, here read this:
Right from the get-go, Zheng Yi Sao displayed a staggering degree of cunning. She happily accepted Zheng Yi's proposal, but only on the condition that he share his wealth and power with her, equally. Then, while her new husband went about his pirate duties – further plunder and rum-drinking, presumably – she focused on the business side of things. The result was that in six years, she had engineered an alliance between Zheng Yi and his former pirate rivals, amassed a force of some 1500 ships (called the Red Flag Fleet) and created a swashbuckling empire that extended all the way from Korea to Malaysia.
Zheng Yi certainly knew how to pick 'em.
Unfortunately, Zheng Yi was killed in 1807 after a misunderstanding with a typhoon. Unfortunate for him, but extremely fortunate for Zheng Yi Sao. Refusing to step aside like a good, diligent widow, Zheng Yi Sao took charge of the Red Flag Fleet, convinced her late husband's First Mate to support her and swiftly set about making herself the most respected and/or feared individual in all the East.
If films/books/video games have taught us anything, it's that pirates were a rowdy bunch at the best of times, and their attitudes towards women were…less than progressive. Zheng Yi Sao, of course, was having none of that and quickly established a new pirate code to keep her peg-legged men in line. Anyone who looted a town that had already paid tribute had their head cut off and was dumped in the ocean. Anyone caught, or even suspected, of stealing from the treasury had their head cut off and was dumped in the ocean. Anyone who raped a female prisoner had their head cut off and was dumped in the ocean (there's a pattern there somewhere).
Needless to say, Zheng Yi Sao was not messing around. Not all her laws were quite so decapitation-happy, though. Ugly female prisoners were to be set free, and when a crewmember purchased one of the prettier captives, he had no choice but to marry her.
But if he was unfaithful…head cut off, dumped in the ocean.
After just one year leading her pirate hegemony, Zheng Yi Sao had formed one of the largest navies on the planet, with some 17,000 men under her command. Extorted tributes from merchants across the Chinese seas and from the coastal towns between Macau and Canton swelled her treasury to staggering levels, and her power was so great that she became the de facto government of the region. No longer was she merely a pirate; she was an entire political entity.
(via manticoreimaginary)
I am in love with Gemma Ward ♥
My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,
There is nothing that can console me but my jolly sailor bold.
Come all you pretty fair maids, whoever you may be
Who love a jolly sailor bold that ploughs the raging sea.
My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,
There is nothing that can console me but my jolly sailor bold.
My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,
There is nothing that can console me but my jolly sailor bold