text:
Okay, so the headline's a little jarring, especially paired with that mullet-mustache look that Bird's sporting there. But hear me out. Imagine someone reading about Larry Bird for the first time.
He was so self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents' bench before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself. ... Such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced three-pointers with his eyes closed. ... Idolized by fans and basketball purists of all allegiances. His last-second heroics, ranging from seemingly impossible reverse layups to miraculous 35-foot bombs over multiple defenders, never ceased to amaze those who followed his career.
"He has helped define the way a generation of basketball fans has come to view and appreciate the NBA," said Commissioner David J. Stern.
After only two seasons, fans, coaches and players knew exactly what he was all about: big numbers and clutch performances. Bird's concentration and composure were unmatched. He was unflappable and virtually unstoppable.
That's from Larry Bird's official NBA.com bio. Think about it. Reading those descriptions, someone unfamiliar with Bird would imagine a black player. He was a 6'9 forward with a deadly jumper, endless swagger, and a reputation for embarrassing anyone that had the gall to guard him one-on-one. Maybe it's the way he's described. Or maybe it's just that anyone that's uninitiated would make the reasonable assumption that one of the greatest basketball players in basketball history was black. But either way, that's what they'd assume, right? It's funny to think about.
Because for any basketball fan, sports fan, or even just a regular person that was alive during the 1980s, it's simply inconceivable that Larry Bird could have been a black man. Not for any negative reasons, just ... He's Larry Bird! Magic's black, Larry's white.
Down to every last detail—race, hometown, college team, pro team, playing style, personality—the dichotomy between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird was perfect. This was the only way it could have happened. Bird played in blue collar Boston, Magic amid the glitz in Hollywood. Bird was a ruthless scorer, Magic a brilliant creator. In nearly every category, they were polar opposites. And given the cultural context, Bird's race made it all the more important. If Bird was black ... This would've just been basketball.
Instead, It took on a cultural meaning that was bigger than the game, and in sports, established a prism for Rivalry through which all future rivalries have been understood. And even thirty years later, nobody's quite measured up to the standard set by Magic and Bird. That story was so good, you'd think it was scripted.
So of course it made for a phenomenal documentary.
One day, some movie studio will screw up and try to turn this story into a biopic, and it'll be a disgrace. Because there's no need to embellish the characters—just get Magic and Bird in a room, get them talking, and splice in some game footage. That's your movie. It can't fail. HBO's latest documentary, Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, was riveting, but that's not even a little surprising.
You could make ten Bird/Magic movies, and they'd all be just as successful. The stark contrast is no less compelling now than it was then. There's a moment in Magic and Bird where they cut to interviews with both players from 1984, just as the first Celtics-Lakers series was going to its seventh game.
In the Lakers locker room you've got Magic, smiling into the camera saying, "If everybody had to look at it, they probably would have said this is gonna be a seven game series." Then in the Celtics locker room, you've got Bird, head down and pissed off, before he deadpans, "I thought we'd sweep 'em in four. But this went a little longer, so now we gotta do it seven."
Moments like that are what this movie gives us. More insight into characters we feel like we already know. Magic Johnson the innocent, fun-loving prodigy, and Larry Bird, the insolent introvert, who seemed like a gruff veteran even as a rookie. Looking back at the seventh game in 1984, which the Celtics won, Magic laments, "I pride myself on being the guy who's going to win it for us, and deliver under pressure. And ... It didn't happen."
On the other side, Larry Bird was brutally honest, "I hope he was hurting, I hope it killed him. He made some bad plays down the stretch, and nobody in there was happier than me. Not only winning the game makes you feel good, but just knowing the other guy's suffering. And you know he was."
Cut to Michael Cooper, Magic's teammate: "I remember after the game, [Magic] and I were in the showers crying, and stayed in there crying for about 35-40 minutes."At this point, Bird and Magic legitimately didn't like each other. Magic's disappointment was compounded because it came at the hands of Bird, while Larry, as he freely admits, was elated to know that somewhere in the bowels of the Boston Garden, Magic was suffering. That's a rivalry.
And then the documentary takes us to this commercial shoot in French Lick, Indiana, and everything softens. Magic and Larry were the stars, and after some initial uneasiness, they were eating lunch with Georgia Bird and talking like friends, forging a bond that'd come to last a lifetime. Magic says with a smile, "We just became two relaxed guys, just talkin." Larry then stares into the camera, deadly serious as usual, "That day was great. It was a great day. Beautiful day." That's friendship.
That's what makes their relationship so great. As a rivals on the court, they produced some of the best basketball the NBA has ever seen. But off the court, too, they were such an odd pair. The type of friends where you always wonder what they could possibly talk about, but you get the feeling it's interesting. And with this documentary, we get to be a fly on the wall for some of those conversations. We hear each guy recount his thoughts as history was unfolding on the court and a friendship endured triumph and tribulations off it. It's fascinating, powerful stuff.
But back to my first point. ... To some degree, people take the Bird and Magic rivalry for granted. We never ask "What if Larry Bird had been black?" or "What if Magic Johnson had gone 5th instead of 1st in the 1979 Draft?" He'd have been a Milwaukee Buck. It's not our fault, either. The rivalry has become so ingrained in sports—and even culture, at large—that it's just a forgone conclusion to most of us.
"Of course it happened that way," we say. "It was destiny. Without Bird and Magic, the NBA would have failed." But that's not really true. Without Bird or Magic, the NBA could have treaded water during the 1980s, waiting for America to become more racially tolerant, and then Michael Jordan would have arrived along with David Stern, and the league would have eventually thrived.
What is true though, is that Larry Bird and Magic represent a cosmic intersection so rare and so perfect, it almost defies explanation. There may be another Larry Bird or Magic Johnson, but something tells me there will never be another Bird and Magic. For two guys to be that good, and that distinct from their only competitive equal, and then become the best of the friends ... it's just amazing. And no, they didn't keep pro basketball from dying out, but their rivalry was certainly the first thing to give the NBA life in the mainstream.
You might expect a documentary to poke holes in the mythology of a rivalry like this, but watching Magic and Bird, it only enhances your appreciation for just how special these two were. Everything happened just right, at exactly the right time, and these two men became part of something that was bigger than basketball and bigger than themselves. It was about both of them: white and black, Boston and L.A., flash and fundamentals, and a hundred other opposing motifs that Magic and Bird embodied.
Larry Bird could just as easily have been a black superstar, but this one worked out just right.
Now then: go watch that documentary. It'll be running on HBO for the next few weeks, and available On Demand, as well. With that, onto the rest of this week's talking points...
Speaking of Magic and Bird, Kevin Durant saw the film, too. From the Oklahoman:
"I was watching the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson documentary the other day. I'm similar to Bird. I like being at home. I like staying at my mom's house and her cooking. That's the kind of person I am. I'm not into the big city lights and the paparazzi, that type of stuff. I just love playing basketball and chillin' out."
First of all, any player that can realistically compare his basketball obsession to Larry Bird ... well, that's a player that you want on your team. So that's number one. But also, Kevin Durant just seems like an awesome person. Rather than play up his role as "NBA superstar," he's far more comfortable chillin out at home and talking with his neighbors. They give him snacks, you know?
LeBron has Jay-Z, but Durant has some good ass Skittles, son!
And that's the other thing. While other superstars actively promote their free agency and fuel the media speculation about whether they may or may not leave, almost every quote you hear from Durant, he's showering praise on his franchise, and pledging his longterm allegiance. I still want him to come to D.C. when he's a free agent—a long shot, but there's still a chance that Scotty Brooks kills Durant's dog or something—but you have to respect his loyalty, and more than that, his humility. He's not trying to be an icon, he's just playin' basketball and chillin out.
It's so refreshing as a fan, I'd almost want to move to Oklahoma City. Except ... Oklahoma City? If this were happening in Seattle, there would be a 50-50 chance I move out there for Durant's prime. Instead, Oklahoma City. Ugh.
Thanks, Clay Bennet!
Thursday night vs. Orlando, Derrick Rose went down with what's either a simple sprained wrist, or possibly, a fracture that will end his season. Just terrible. For the first two months of the year, he was slowed by ankle injury that made him look disturbingly human. Then, when he was finally healthy again, I called him a point guard created by aliens, and one his dunks prompted Jon Bois to write this:
I was looking away from the screen when I heard [the announcers'] reactions. I turned around expecting to see a zombie Richard Nixon juggling torches while riding a unicycle at half-court. This was even better.
When Derrick Rose is healthy, he's better than Zombie Richard Nixon! Do you know how good that is??? But unfortunately for everyone, he plays for the Bulls, a team with the laziest, most half-assed management in the league. We don't even need to get into it here (for more, click here or here). All you need to know is this: the Bulls have used Derrick Rose's brilliance to obscure their otherwise all-encompassing incompetence and apathy. While the owners make money hand over fist and point to a future that may never come (and hasn't for a decade), Derrick Rose is the one bright spot that makes everything better.
The problem, of course, is that people like the Bulls ownership can't succeed. The basketball Gods won't allow it, even if it means injuring one of the best young talents in the NBA. Does this mean I think that Derrick Rose will have his career ruined by karma? No, but look at this reporting from Alex Kennedy at HoopsWorld:
Steve Kyler from Bulls locker room says Derrick Rose will have an MRI in the morning, teammates don't believe he'll be playing anytime soon.
Rose had X-Ray after injury which didn't show a fracture but doctors say that the break is likely on the inside of wrist.
These types of fractures usually don't show up in X-rays which is why Rose is having the MRI in the morning.
Despite what the team is saying, nobody believes this is a sprain based on the amount of pain and anger Rose was showing.
Karma may not kill his career, but if Rose fractured his wrist Thursday night, he's done for the year. That means he'll have spent about three-and-a-half months of the year battling injuries or on the DL. In the long run, Rose's career will be fine, but this season's definitely seen a lot of bad luck. Coincidence? I say no. BLAME THE BULLS.
(HT: Ben Q. Rock, a.k.a. the best pseudonym ever)
Okay, so last week we declared a moratorium on all Lebron Free Agency talk, so don't misinterpret this. But reading through the following passage, I couldn't help but chuckle. From Brian Windhorst in Cleveland:
LeBron James' ankle is fine. You should have seen him dash across the room to see the finish of the Knicks-Hawks game in the locker room after the game.
In this game of analyzing and then spinning everything LeBron within the free agency prism -- "What? He ordered a vodka tonic? Does that mean the Nets are still in the game?" -- I'm sure that will get all whipped into something. I probably shouldn't even be writing it because I'll be getting calls from New York radio stations for "my take" tomorrow.
But I did write about it because, well, LeBron is moving just fine on that ankle. And to pass along how it is always interesting to watch games with LeBron. Like when he's on the court, he usually sees things before they happen even on TV. He'll predict when players will go for backdoor lobs or scold players for not forcing the opponent into help or to his weak hand. You can really tell he watches a lot of film ... on everybody. For that matter, he also reads a lot about the game. He's very up on the happenings in the league.
Does that passage strike anyone else as kind of bizarre?
First of all, nobody really thought LeBron's ankle was a problem, but if it was, what does his ability to scurry across the locker room prove? It's amazing to me how defensive the Cleveland media is about even a tweaked ankle from King Bron Bron. And then there's the requisite, "I'm sure this will get blown out of proportion by those crrrrazy New Yorkers." You know, he "probably shouldn't even be writing it"; but he did, because he wanted to take the opportunity to say that anyone who thinks Lebron's leaving Cleveland is completely overanalyzing things.
But my favorite part is the end. ... "It is always interesting to watch games with LeBron. He usually sees things before they happen even on TV. You can really tell he watches a lot of film ... on everybody. For that matter, he also reads a lot about the game. He's very up on the happenings in the league." Jeez. Does the Cleveland media room come equipped with kneepads for all the beat writers?
I mean, I just don't believe that watching a game with LeBron is very much fun. Check the article.
Lebron's quotes during the end of the game are as follows.
Knicks up one with the the ball in the final seconds. Toney Douglas attempts to drive to the hole but gets the ball stolen by Jamal Crawford.
LeBron: "Oh, h--- no, you can't turn it over there. But you know J. Crawford loves last-second shots."
Hold up, you can't turn it over the final seconds? OHMYGOD how brilliant. And for the record, J. Crawford doesn't love last-second shots, he just loves shots, period.
Crawford drives length of floor and then dishes to Josh Smith on the baseline with a great pass for what appears to be an open dunk to win the game.
LeBron: "Ohhhhh, great look."
An assist that leads to a dunk is definitely a great look. Nice insight.
Wilson Chandler comes out of nowhere to reject Smith. The ball bounces into Al Horford's hands and he makes at short putback right at the buzzer.
LeBron: "Wowwwww, looks like the Hawks won."
Yeah? Atlanta has more points at the end of the game? LOOKS LIKE THE HAWKS WON.
Wait, officials go to replay. First look shows Horford's shot came after red light. No good, Knicks win (for third time in 11 games).
LeBron: "Oh, no, that's no good, that's no good. Ha, ha!"
See, LeBron can watch replays. You know what that tells me? He's a student of the game. Just everything you could ever want in a superstar. Really LeBron, WE LOVE YOU. YOU ARE PERFECT. And you know, even better than watching games with him, LeBron's got an awesome sense of humor. You'd really have to live in Cleveland to understand. Like how he's selfishly strung this city along for 18 months? Isn't that hilarious? Soooo funny. Ha, ha!
(In news that's possibly related, this past week, Forbes Magazine named Cleveland, Ohio the most miserable city in the United States. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Jay-Z broke ground on a new stadium for the Nets. Hmm.)
(And finally, what can I say? I'm a Wizards fan and one of my best friends is from Cleveland. If I don't take shots at C-Town, I'm admitting defeat in a war of words that has lasted the past five years. No way.)
A decade ago, "American pro athletes used to think of Toronto as a backwater." Today, the city of Toronto has become a playground for international ballers of the highest order, prompting the Wall-Street Journal to explain Why Pro Athletes Love Toronto. And really, why do pro athletes love anything?
Athletes get a warm welcome at the city's relatively libertine gentlemen's clubs which ... tend to "clear out the champagne room" for visiting athletes.
That gets the award for best sentence of the article. Here's my favorite paragraph:
Knicks rookie Toney Douglas, who was descending the hotel elevator in a sparkling diamond necklace and a puffy vest, said he never goes out before games and isn't a fan of cold weather, but had heard from friends that Toronto, "party-wise," was one city worth making an exception for. "It's something different – it's another country," he said.
Can someone make sure that quote makes it into next year's NBA media guide?
Essentially he said this: I usually don't go out before games, but party-wise, I had to make an exception. Toronto's different. A whole other country, man. You heard about the gentleman's clubs out here?
For this week's Song of the Week, we go to Baltimore. Have you ever seen The Wire?
If you've never seen it, you're probably tired of people spewing hyperbole at you about the virtues of the show. And that's alright. I missed the first three seasons as they happened, solely out of spite for the people that treated the show like some life-altering experience. It's not TV, it's HBO ... And a bunch of hopelessly pretentious hipsters ranting about urban decay.
Then I watched the show, and totally became one of those people. Point blank, it's the best show that's ever been on television and even now, two years after the season finale, I think about it every day. All of which is an introduction to this song, which I re-discovered this week, thanks to the magic of iTunes shuffle. Below, Baltimore rapper Blaqstarr teams up with M.I.A. to re-make The Wire theme song, "Way Down In The Hole."
Even if you don't watch The Wire, you have to admit ... This song's pretty awesome:
Until next week...


text:
74 comments found
Great theme Sinote GLWS !
Hi Sinote,
I must give you our compliments, sometimes European think a like Good luck with sales
It looks great. I hope to see your mobile demo site on my mobile phone.
Thanks mate. I did not quite get the mobile phone part though. You can view it ok on your mobile, right?
Hi again
Btw, something I missed, if you're opening with your mobile phone, you'd need to close the default ThemeForest iframe (top left – Remove Frame), it's a default for all ThemeForest items.
Ok. I saw on mobile phone. Perfect! I have just purchased. It's truly responsive. No margin on both side on large(4inches over) mobile phone as galaxy note) and zooming out with two fingers on mobile device. It means browsing with more bigger character size. I have been waiting for it for a long time. Most up-to-date some theme works so. NO margin and zooming will be a selling point of this theme.
I've just fixed the issues. But it takes time to resubmit the new version. If you want me to send you the files please send me an email through the contact form on my profile page
Hi Sinote.
This theme is really something I was looking for long time! I want to buy this theme but could you possible change some items to make it a more affiliate like theme.
Suggestion; 1. Add a Play Now button in the top 10 right sidebar where the poker rooms are, direct next to the bonus in stead of the + (read more)
2. Add a structured H1 and H2 on every single page and post, that is much better for SEO and .. don't give the Site Name the H1 tag ..
3. Make a tabel for a top 10 poker rooms complete with play now button, review link and bonus etc etc so hat the tabbel can be added sitewide, just like WP Table Reload but add your own css..
Anyway, if you can assist me with this, I will buy the theme.
Cheers, David
Hey david we've spent more than 3 months working on the theme so these 3 features won't be a problem. We'll be happy to assist, as this will add quite some value to the theme, which we appreciate, and look forward to.
If I buy the theme, could you add the 3 items for on my website?
PS. You should add a H1 tag on the homepage, thats a must for SEO !
Yes, we will add the 3 items and add the h1 tag. Just send me an email through the contact form on my profile page, so I can send you the modified files.
Hi Sinote,
very interesting theme indeed
Hope isn't suitable only for poker' sites.
Are you preparing some documentation to show how administration panel works? I see a lot of functions there but cannot understand how easy is to manage them.
For my curiosity, what it means exactly Bootstrap "compatible"? is it BS based or not?
And, last, I don't see a "portfolio" feature, is it something that is possible to activate with gallery? (show a list or a grid of post or custom posts).
Thanks and best wishes for sales
Hi Holodigit,
The theme comes with documentation included. It covers the usage of all of the admin features, and the page builder. The concept is really straight forward actually – you do not have fixed page templates. Instead, on each page you have the "Page Builder" panel, from where you can add, or change the sidebars as well as the layout of the page with a single click. And you have layout elements. Each block you see on the demo site (the slider, the news listings, even the gallery listings) is a layout element, which you can drag into the builder and it will appear on your page. Each element comes with some custom settings you can modify (for example for the slider – animation speed, autostart etc, for post elements – posts number, titles etc).
The template is using bootstrap of its core layout construction. So if you were to make some modifications or extend functionality – you can do it following the bootstrap framework – keeps it consistent.
Well, the "portfolio" feature is just label actually. We have not included the portfolio custom post type, as this is a magazine template, but of course, you can use the galleries for example, if you wish to have a portfolio feature. You would create your portfolio items as gallery posts, create a page, include the gallery layout element on the page and name it "Portfolio". I believe this should work
Hope this helps
Hi Sinote,
thanks for answer.
I have no doubt that there is documentation or that it's easy to manage, what I asked is to see it before to buy
There are many themes out there that allows to build page with drag and drop and plugins too, the difference between them is just how to use
If you want to boost sales I think that should be better to demonstrate, with video or demo site, how it works.
Thanks to clarified other points
I see
Well, you can check this video- http://vimeo.com/47736167. It was done for a previous template – BlueBox – but the Page Builder's functionality is the same.
if you think that this video it's enough to help people to choice your theme, ok
Thanks for your time
Well, I kinda thought the demo site should do the trick, but there was a question about visual representation of the admin panel in the form of video
I believe the theme came to something good, and I thank you all for appreciating it. If you'd send me an email through the contact form on my profile page, I will setup a demo account for you to play with on one of our testing servers. Let me know, cheers.
Hi Antoni,
First of all my congratulations with nice theme that really stands out from a lot of standard and boring themeforest items.
A few pre-purchase questions about theme features I couldn't figure out from demo site:
1.Is it possible to have different google fonts for headings and content (and may be navigation)? (It's not clear because you have only one option on your demo to change overall font for the theme)
2.Does your theme provide support of Cyrillic alphabet for google fonts?
3.Is it possible to change the font size separately for headings, content, navigation
4. Is it possible to change the width of left or right sidebar(to make them a little bit narrow) or to insert two widgets in a row in these sidebars?
I sent you a private message from your profile page, it would be very kind of you to reply me.
Good luck with sales
Kind Regards, Misha
Hi, Mishka
I've just replied to your email
Antoni, thanks a lot for your fast reply.
Hi, great theme!
Just a few questions. 1) What are the 6 blogging formats? 2) Is it possible to give the author avatar, social network links and/or a short bio on each post? 3) Is it possible to use a review system some way with this theme?
Hi and thanks for the interest.
1. The blog formats: – Standard – Gallery – Video – Quote – Link – Poker Hand
You can view and distinguish them by the associated icons on the demo blog page: http://antonibotev.com/themes/pokeroost/?page_id=63
2. We can put the author's avatar quite easily instead of the post-format icon (above the date of the post), but the rest will definitively need some coding. But if you want send me in details what exactly you have in mind (should any registered user that can edit posts have this feature, or something else … )
3. We have not tested any particular plugin. Can you please send me an email through the contact form on my profile page, and I will be glad to see what specific info I can give you.
Hi, guys I'll reply to all your questions asap. But unfortunately I'll be away for about 2 days.
Nice work
Is there a file rtl.css
Hi and thank you,
Currently – no. But if you are interested in the theme, please send me an email through the contact form on my profile page, so I can give you more detailed answer on what and when I'd be able to do regarding this.
Doesnt work with WordPress 3.5 tested earlier, shame. Any chance you will make changes to be compliant with 3.5?
Sidebar widgets do not work in the back end and all javascript functionality is conflicting with WordPress 3.5 so it basically is useless for those looking to use it with the new version of WordPress when it comes out.
Is there a quick fix?
I'm working on it. And I'll resubmit the item when it's done.
Hi mate, was away for a couple of days and now I can reply back with some more info on what's going on
Well, the 3.5 is at RC3 now, and is not stable. You can imagine that we cannot, and will not make any sense, in making compatibility releases for all WP Release Candidates – but just stable versions.
Once 3.5 is officially out, we'll definitively test all functionalities and fix asap whatever needs changing
Hi Sinote,
Please don't think I was being rude by my comment was looking to review the theme for my blog plus potentially use it for a future project.
Let me know when you have an updated version that's compatible with 3.5 and I will start using it. I do have a couple of other questions about minor changes better to email you?
Let me know on firstname.lastname@example.com
Just sent you an email. Let me know what can I help you with. And regarding the 3.5 – once it's out we'll start working on it right away
Hi There
Great theme, pre-sale question:
I have noticed that when I take the width down to anything less than "full" the theme is no longer responsive. Is this going to happen once I have purchased or is it just because this is a preview?
Thanks Jaun
Hi, and thanks.
Ah, this was my bad. Now you can see on the demo site how the fixed width will behave.
I just purchased your themes, it look awesome, indeed. Do you think its gonna work for 3.5 version? I will do my installation today…
Is there any way to remove all information related to Poker, I'm running different kind business here. I would like my team to be able to get in to the admin and submit contents and do the collaboration. The things is a lot of section/field has poker related information. I just want to remove/replace based on my requirements. I'm a real estates agency. I hope you can help and lead me to match with our requirements.
Just want to avoid the confusion when my team entering the admin panel to submit their own contents because of Poker related label, navigation and information.
Well, sure, I can help with that. We are just now working on the new release and will help you at once we're done.
Just help me a bit please, send me an email through the contact form on my profile page, and let me know which parts in specific you'd like changed in the admin, so I can follow something like a list, and give you the modified files.
Hi all,
We are currently working on the new 3.5 compatible and we'll have it submitted by the end of the day.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Beautiful Factories That Combine Architecture & Engineering
How To Improve Your City: 10 Feats Of Engineering
Check out these Amazing Pics of Subterranean New York!
'A Room with a View': Abandoned Italian Bridge may House High-Rise Vacation Homes!
Finally! An Urban Moon Bounce Bridge for Paris!
Architecture of Conflict: Israel's Iron Dome
Popular Singapore Park Transformed by Restoration of Urban River
Incredible new photos of New York City's 7 train expansion project.
Tunnel by Hoichi Nishiyama.
The legend of the Smith Mansion in Wapiti Valley, Wyoming.
The newly inaugurated Baluarte bridge in northern Mexico is officially the world's tallest suspension bridge. [Reblogged via globalpost]
(via npr)
Drawings of the newly completed ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower in London's Olympic Park.
Hydro Power Projects
What happens when you flush a toilet on the 100th floor of the Burj Khalifa?


text:
LAS VEGAS -- Dozens of volunteers came out Thursday to help Arturo Martinez move on to the next chapter in his life.
Arturo Martinez lost his wife and daughter in a brutal attack last year, and was himself almost beaten to death.
With new floors, new carpet and new lighting, his house in downtown Las Vegas is almost ready to be rented out.
The house carries with it a sad story, one the owner hopes can eventually be left behind as another family moves in and turns the house into a home again.
Getting a house ready to rent out takes a lot of work.
"Everybody's working their behinds off," a volunteer said.
The volunteers from Keller Williams Realty said their sweat is nothing compared to the tears the man who owns this home has gone through over the past year.
"This will help him move on with his new memories and get past what happened," said Leah (last name not given) of Keller Williams Realty.
On April 15, 2012, the house turned into a crime scene when, police say, Bryan Clay broke in, assaulted and killed Martinez's wife and daughter. Martinez was beaten and left for dead.
"All this wall was bloodshed," Martinez said. "This wall, that wall. I was there right here, face down."
Martinez said he has to leave the broken pieces of his life behind.
Special Report: Arturo Martinez: One Year Later
He's putting the house up for rent, but will remember the good times, such as when he cemented his children's names in the front yard many years ago.
"The house is just a house," Martinez said. "What I take with me is the good memories."
As Martinez shook hands and thanked the volunteers, these men and women say they couldn't find a more deserving family to give their time and energy.
"It's a positive experience to be able to give back to such a positive person," Leah said.
Martinez, who is now a widowed dad to two young sons, says staying positive is all he can do to move on.
The project is part of Keller Williams Realty's RED Day event, where tens of thousands of agents volunteer around the country every year.


text:
Route Guide - iPhone / Android - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New - School of Rock
Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
Rock Lobster climbs a left-facing dihedral just right of Thanks a Latte'. After the angle decreases, place a #2 C4 (or #4 C4 higher) and reach far right to a bolt. A long reach to a sidepull and a hard crank (5.10) placed me on an insecure slab and the second bolt. I diagonaled up and right across heavily lichened slab (green Alien), then reached right to a crack, then climbed straight up very heavily lichened rock to the top, where I slung a block and placed a yellow Alien for an anchor. Perhaps the intent of the route setter was for a climber to continue right onto R4, instead of straight up.
SR and two bolts.


text:
Shane Wilson has been replaced as Kevin Harvick's crew chief at Richard Childress Racing, FOXSports.com's Lee Spencer reported Monday evening, and in his spot will be a familiar face.
Gil Martin, who was Harvick's crew chief for parts of three seasons until this year, will reunite with the driver at a time when the No. 29 team seems to be a non-factor for the championship.
Harvick approached team owner Richard Childress after the Phoenix race last November and asked for Martin to be replaced, and RCR responded by pairing Harvick with Wilson – a duo which had found some success together in the Nationwide Series.
This season, though, things never clicked. Though Harvick is eighth in the point standings, he has just three top-five finishes this year (he had 16 two years ago when he strongly contended for the championship) and is winless through the first 23 races. The driver's frustration was apparent on the team radio in recent months, and Martin even joined Wilson on the pit box this weekend.
"We're just trying to turn things around to make sure we get in the Chase, then be competitive once we get into the Chase," Martin told FOXSports.com. "It's not a question of us knowing each other's history, we've worked together before.
"This is a good team. We're just trying to get things turned around."
Clearly, Harvick and his team were looking for some sort of spark to jump-start their struggling season. This move isn't a surprise considering how unhappy Harvick was and how disappointing RCR had been by its own standards this year.
As Harvick tweeted after Sunday's race:
Fun meter is at an all time low..— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) August 19, 2012


text:
Daily Kos Week In Review: Conservatives On The Couch
Sigmund Freud's reputation isn't what it used to be, but his thinking still influences behavior such as the left's tendency to psychoanalyze the right. This past week, one Kossack speculated that the forced-haircut incident suggests Mitt Romney may have a serious personality disorder, and another informally diagnosed conservatives as "completely off their rockers" and "f---ing nuts."
As usual, each headline is preceded by the blogger's name or pseudonym.
mel4444: Romney may be sociopathic...
...Romney also claims that he doesn't remember...To forget something like an assault and battery on a classmate is something that one might expect, well, from a sociopath...
Hunter: ...and the GOP is crazy...
...I think...that the election of the first black president sent a good portion of [Republicans] completely off their rockers, perhaps for reasons not even they themselves can parse out. When you look around you, after an economic collapse caused by greed and fraud and imaginary paperwork, and after all the bullying pseudo-patriotism of the Bush years, and after seeing all the simple, easy-to-understand charts that show how certain wealthy interests have made off better and better over the last years and decades, while everyone else, the whole of the rest of the country, has been doing worse...if you can look around at all that and see a march to socialism in all of it, than you are simply not a rational person. There is something wrong with you. You, dear conservative, are fucking nuts...
David Satterlee: ...not to mention mean...
...[T]he Republican party is structured for divisiveness and conflict rather than constructive citizenship...
This conservative disposition tends toward "Leave me alone, I'll take care of myself and you take care of yourself," or simply "fuck you"...The moderate liberal center, however, tends toward "we're all in this together." Oddly, while this conservative position pointedly rejects the interests of others, the liberal position embraces and empathizes with the interests of others including, ironically, conservatives...
T C Gibian: ...and desperate
After years of stealth promotion of their agenda, the Republicans are going for broke -- why now, and why with such intensity?...
...The theory presents itself that the current Republican ferocity at "right wing social engineering" is not motivated by the assurance of victory, but by the fear of total loss. Perhaps they sense that their time is ending, that their power is falling away, and that they are doomed, like a hooked fish flapping its last on a boat deck. What we are witnessing from the Republicans may not be a victorious rush from the trenches to smash all opposition, but rather a fanatical banzai charge which will result in their inevitable defeat...
Dartagnan: Lugar, beaten by hatred and ignorance
...[Lugar] was defeated in large part by the same coalition of billionaires and their ersatz shadow groups that have, through their race-tinged propaganda and manipulation of social issues, captured what miserably passes for the "imagination" of the Republican base, a base so deluded with white-hot hatred that they are long past even a dim awareness of what they're voting for. It's a base that has no interest in helping the conditions of American citizens in their current economic straits, and ultimately no interest in governing. It's a blind, flailing juggernaut of pure hatred and ignorance, a lobotomized snake striking dumbly and without sense everything that it confronts...
Hunter: Here comes the Republican gay-bashing
...[E]very good Republican presidential campaign needs a threatening, omnipresent villain to mount furious battle against. These are typically brown people, or "welfare queens," or people who don't like war enough, or when the Republicans are really hard up it's "flag burners"...This year it looks like Teh Gays are going to stand in for that existential threat to all that we know and love, since not hating gays sufficiently is now declaring "War on Marriage." Well, it was going to be them or the Occupy folks, I guess. It's not conservatism unless you're trying to condemn or oppress someone...
- Tom Johnson's blog
- Login to post comments
Wow I am glad conservatives are on the couch
Submitted by ohio granny on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 9:53am.
I am glad conservatives are on the couch and not under the bed with their fingers in their ears and their eyes closed.
Most conservatives try to listen to reason, but liberals close their eyes and cover their ears because they are so afraid of hearing or seeing anything that might differ from their viewpoint.
It is true what Ronald Reagan said. The trouble with libs/dems is they know so much that is not true.
- Login to post comments
Kosmonut criticism?
Submitted by Huapakechi on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 10:02am.
Consider the source.
When that many rabidly deranged socialists communicate within their group about threats to their agenda, there can only be a cacophony of screaming rage against the perceived enemies of their program of destroying the freedoms of capitalistic societies.
I can only liken their actions to the reaction of a troupe of monkeys when they discover a snake in their favorite tree.
Economics simplified:
Capitalism: Looking for a black cat in a dark room.
Fascism: Using taxpayer money to pay professional cat catchers to search in the wrong room.
Communism: Looking for a black cat in a dark room, but the cat is gone.
Chinese Communism: Looking for the cat in a dark room, no cat, and yelling "I've got it!" every few minutes.
"o"bamanism: Hold up a bag and declare "I've got the cat, but I won't show it to you."
- Login to post comments
You're wrong...
Submitted by Jer on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 10:14am.
It should be a "troop" of monkeys.
- Login to post comments
Queen's English, Jer.
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 10:49am.
You better tell the UK Daily Telegraph that they misspelled Troupe, Jer. They seem a bit confused about the English language.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
- Login to post comments
Who cares about the Brits...
Submitted by Jer on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 11:04am.
We're in America. One more screw up by Huapakechi and I'm going straight to the admins.
- Login to post comments
When did you move?
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 11:17am.
I thought you were in Canada?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
- Login to post comments
Jer, the Grand Liberal Panjandrum, who---
Submitted by The Vet on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 1:24pm.
simply cannot, or will not, accept the validity of this site, or conservatives, who prove over and over that the claims that vilify Democrats are NOT crackpot claims, but instead, truthful statements.
Get well buddy. I don't know how you do it so I will just copy and paste the best of MD and drive Uncle Jer nuts while you are recovering.
- Login to post comments
I really get disgusted seeing this idiotic psychoblab.
Submitted by drsamherman on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 10:29am.
Mel44444 doesn't know what a sociopath is, and certainly would not recognize one. "To forget something like assault and battery" is rather pathetic. The event was alleged to have occurred nearly a half-century ago, and memories of adolescent events are often the first forgotten because they have little or no relevance to an otherwise adjusted, functioning person. Mel44444 (a little OCD there, Melsy?) sounds like he/she/it is projecting he/she/its own neuroses and producing a false emotional narrative. Very lame, and right out of the playbook of some college student trying desperately to sound relevant after taking that Abnormal Psych course and believing they have practicing credentials. Sorry, Melsy, you're full of crap. Stick to the gossip boards when you cruise the internet in your mommy's basement.
As for Hunter's post, let me just say that "nuts" is not a psychological or psychiatric term. "Fixated" or "obsessed" certainly is, as are "deluded" and "cognitively impaired". Hard to tell which Hunter might be, but the historical patterns of Hunter's posts make me suspect a combination of delusions and obsessions. Delusions and obsessions differ from each other largely by the amount of functionality they take from the patient, e.g. a delusion doesn't keep someone from the activities of daily living (ADLs), but obsessions certainly do. Hunter's fixations on conservatives, along with the delusions he/she/it writes into the cespool blog known as DKos, are certainly entertaining and instructive on how to avoid becoming obsessed. Perhaps some avoidance CBT would help poor Hunter.
TC Gibbian (or is that "gibbon" as in the monkey species?) presents us with yet another post that reads like some distressed college student desperate to impress a 60's has-been radical professor with an essay that hits conservatives just to get that grade up from a "C" to a "B". We can be sure our little gibbon would also clean the professor's coat by picking off fleas and gather berries and roots for it too.
Dartagnan is showing off the results of the most recent creative writing course he/she/it took. Stick to stories about castles, wizards and magic. J. R. R. Tolkien you are not, Dart.
- Login to post comments
Let's see
Submitted by LinTaylor on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 11:25am.
"This conservative disposition tends toward "Leave me alone, I'll take care of myself and you take care of yourself," or simply "fuck you""
Or, more appropriately, "We trust individuals to be smart and strong enough to stand on their own two feet without constant babying, because we think individual exceptionalism is a good thing."
"...The moderate liberal center, however, tends toward "we're all in this together.""
Again, more like "Life is eternal torment and you're an incompetent boob who doesn't know what's best for him/herself. Shut up and hand control over to a faceless, uncaring government while we give you vapid televised garbage to keep you placated."
Isn't it fun?
- Login to post comments
Too bad we can't get Condi
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 12:58pm.
Too bad we can't get Condi Rice to run for President.
That would really set the Kossaks off.
- Login to post comments
When You're a Liberal
Submitted by LinTaylor on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 1:20pm.
I had these thoughts about an hour ago, and I decided to put them all down for posterity.
When you're a Liberal, you understand the meaning of life: there is none. We're all the result of random chance, one egg and sperm out of a nearly infinite number that could have easily become someone else. Therefore, there's nothing sacred or special at all about being alive.
When you're a Liberal, you understand religion perfectly. It's all just a bunch of mouth-breathing morons trying to indoctrinate everyone else to their way of thinking. If they were really smart, they'd be Liberal like you, so you should tell them that over and over again.
When you're a Liberal, you have a firm grasp of reality. The Muslim religion, which says non-believers should be converted or killed, is just misunderstood. But the Catholic religion, which says "love thy neighbor", is just a bunch of child-molesting, woman-hating Neanderthals.
When you're a Liberal, you understand the universe better than anyone else. In a cosmic sense, we're just borrowing everything. That means the money you thought you earned for a hard day's work is actually the government's, and it's their right to take it away and give it to someone else as they wish.
When you're a Liberal, you're just plain smarter than everyone else. The dictionary might say that "skinny" means "thin", but you know it really means "stupid Negro monkey", and anyone who uses it is hiding a white hood and a noose behind his back.
When you're a Liberal, you understand others perfectly. If a Conservative uses the term "bullet point", it means she's telling her brainwashed minions to go out and shoot a Liberal, and that's just proof that she needs to be killed herself.
When you're a Liberal, you know that decorum is key. This is something those braindead, racist, homophobic psychopath Rethuglicans don't understand, and they deserve to be raped up the ass by a gay man with a large penis and then shot dead for their blind hatred.
When you're a Liberal, you know that tolerance is important. The Arab man who wants to kill you for not worshiping his god? You just need to sit down and have a good conversation. But the straight, middle-class white male over there? He's Hitler.
When you're a Liberal, you're the life of the party. You understand how funny it is to talk about Conservatives getting payback for being such intolerant assholes, and if they disagree, they just don't understand comedy like you do.
When you're a Liberal, you know that violence is never the answer. When someone holds you at knifepoint and clearly wants to kill you, the best thing to do is shrug and accept it. Fighting back just makes you a thug.
When you're a Liberal, you're the ultimate pragmatist. Conservatives whine about responsibility, but you know it's all a crock. If a woman gets pregnant when she didn't mean to, there's nothing wrong with flushing that worthless clump of cells down the toilet.
When you're a Liberal, you know all about economics. Anyone who makes over a certain amount of money is a robber-baron who wants to kill the poor. The best thing to do is storm his office, slit his throat, and give his money to college students who smoke pot and play "Halo" all day, because they're the real heroes.
When you're a Liberal, you understand racism perfectly. Only whites can be racist; when a group of black teens beats an elderly white woman to death and robs her house, she probably deserved it for secretly hating them or something.
When you're a Liberal, you understand truth better than anyone else. Just because facts disagree with you means nothing. If you think someone's a draft-dodger, ignore the obviously forged counter-evidence and keep hammering that fact until people listen.
When you're a Liberal, you understand human nature. We're all a bunch of worthless losers who would walk off a cliff if we didn't have a strong, distant guiding hand to tell us where to go, what to eat, and how to think.
When you're a Liberal, nothing is more important than family. Parents are great, but when you get older you need bigger parents, and who's bigger than the President of the United States?
When you're a Liberal, you stand by your friends no matter what. The worst possible thing you can do is disagree with someone you admire, so save those tough questions about the economy for a Republican slimeball and ask about his golf score instead.
When you're a Liberal, you have your priorities straight. Nobody cares about crap like unemployment, war, or the economy. What's really important is giving the thumbs-up to gay marriage.
When you're a Liberal, you're an excellent judge of character. Grade school pranks and summer vacation spots are a better yardstick than what someone did two or three months ago.
When you're a Liberal, you're the best kind of patriot. You know that America is a rotting, selfish cesspool that isn't worthy of the respect and admiration those dumbass Repuglicans give it, and if they were smart like you they'd want to be more like Greece or France.
But most importantly, when you're a Liberal, you know that you're perfect, and anyone who disagrees with you is just in denial of reality.
- Login to post comments


text:
Showing 1-96 of 315 items
2014 Rockford Midwestern - Biennial Juried Art Exhibition
The Rockford Midwestern is a biennial juried exhibition that originated as an annual showcase for local artists. The year 2014 marks the 73rd presentation of this regional show that draws the best works from artists from a nine-state region. Artists residing in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin participate. With this exhibition, Rockford Art Museum shows its commitment to presenting the breadth and depth of contemporary art in the Midwest.
CITY: Rockford
A League of Their Own - Illinois Railway Museum
This comedy follows the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1940s, at the start of World War II. All of the movie's scenes on the train and at the railroad depot were shot at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, home to more than 250 restored electric, steam and diesel trains. The Nebraska Zephyr passenger train seen in the film is part of the museum's permanent collection.
CITY: Union
Abreo Restaurant, Wine Bar & Patio
In the heart of the up-and-coming 500 block, Abreo has become known as downtown's premiere restaurant and nightspot. Housed in vintage 1888 architecture, the atmosphere is uniquely its own. From its cozy wine bar with a beautiful stone fireplace, its whimsical dining room, its peaceful garden patio, to its intimate wine cellar, Abreo is an experience for all of the senses.
CITY: Rockford
Aldeen Golf Club & Practice Centre
Considered a "must play" course in the Midwest, Aldeen has an impressive list of accolades, including being voted best municipal course in Illinois by Golf Digest, and ranking number 38 in Golf Magazine's Thrifty 50 list.
CITY: Rockford
Alden Resale
Alden Resale is a flourishing resale shop with excellent prices on a wide variety of quality merchandise. Specializing in furniture and memorabilia. This is a bargain hunter's paradise.
CITY: Alden
All My Stitches Quilt Shop
Quilting fabric, books, patterns, notions, and classes. Come check us out!
CITY: Belvidere
All Seasons Apple Orchard
Take a wagon ride to the orchard where you will be surrounded by thousands of apples trees and 12 varieties of apples and pears. Enjoy seasonal activities like pumpkin picking and the corn maze. There is also a cow train, goat bridge, corn crib, giant swings, a spider web, jumping pillow and a petting zoo. The weekends even have pig races and a magic show for the kids. Take your whole family down for some apple picking and make sure to stick around for the many other activities.
CITY: Woodstock
Alpine Inn
With the most competitive rates in town and newly renovated rooms, Alpine Inn offers the best in clean, affordable comfort. Each room has been upgraded with new flooring and granite countertops, refrigerator and microwave, beautiful furniture, and much more. Providing free high-speed wireless internet, continental breakfast, and the friendliest staff; whether staying on business or leisure, you are guaranteed to feel at home. Conveniently located on the Miracle Mile in the heart of Rockford at E. State Street and Alpine Road.
CITY: Rockford
Ambrogio's Pizzeria
Restaurant serving Italian foods. Dine-in, delivery, or carry-out available. Pasta, steaks, chicken, sandwiches, fish, pizza and more.
CITY: Belvidere
America's Best Value Inn - Belvidere
Welcome to the Americas Best Value Inn of Belvidere, IL. We are located in north central Illinois, approximately 75 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and 12 miles east of Rockford. Our newly renovated exterior access facility offers 44 guest rooms and 2 efficiencies. All guest rooms and efficiencies are furnished with complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access, cable TV, complimentary local calls, and wake-up service. Our efficiencies also feature a kitchenette with a stove. For your convenience, we offer fax and copy service at our 24-hour front desk and complimentary wireless Internet access in our 24-hour lobby. Take a moment to enjoy our complimentary continental breakfast served every morning and our picnic area. Come experience the value of staying at Americas Best Value Inn Belvidere/Rockford.
CITY: Belvidere
Anderson Japanese Gardens - Japanese Summer Festival
Join in the fun at this two-day cultural event featuring exhibits, traditional demonstrations and unique performances that appeal to all age groups. The Taiko drummers and Candyman, a traditional Japanese street performer, will return for multiple performances on both days. Traditional Tea Ceremonies will be offered for an additional fee; seating is limited and advance registration is required. Please call 815.316.3306 for more information.
CITY: Rockford
Angela's Attic Antiques & Collectibles
Angela's Attic is located in a 35,000 square foot historic factory that has been converted into five large buildings of antiques and collectibles, including one-of-a-kind antiques from Victorian to modern era, furniture, toys, jewelry, textiles, collectibles, ephemera, glassware and more.
CITY: South Beloit
Angelic Organics Learning Center
We offer public and custom programs for children, adults, and families on our beautiful, organic farm to help build the local food system. Whether its a day camp or a cheese making workshop, participants gain hands-on experience preparing farm-fresh food, from field to table, while learning about organic agriculture and the whole farm system in the process. The Learning Center also offers farmer training and support to beginning farmers and facilitates youth-led urban agriculture projects in Chicago and Rockford.
CITY: Caledonia
Angelo's Restaurant
Complete family restaurant on the Historic Woodstock Square. Come to the Woodstock Square to enjoy the many things to see and do, then stop in to Angelo's Restaurant to enjoy a good old-fashioned family style meal that is sure to satisfy everyones taste.
CITY: Woodstock
Apollo Activity Center
The Apollo is an all-purpose activity center, featuring a renovated historic 1912 theater.
CITY: Belvidere
Arte Verde Garden Center and Landscape Co.
Come see the area's largest selection of top-quality plants, including annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, vegetable plants, and shrubs. Farm animals and exotic birds. Unique plants not found in other garden centers. A name that stands for quality!
CITY: Poplar Grove
Artists' Ensemble Theatre
Artists's Ensemble is a thriving theater group that offers five professional productions a year in the Clark Arts Center at Rockford University. Tickets are available by phone or online.
CITY: Rockford
Autumn at the Arboretum - Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
Join us for out annual fall festival. Experience the beauty of fall as we use our entire 155 acre property for family-friendly fun. October is one of the best times to witness trees with their rich autumn colors. Build a scarecrow, enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides, make a fall craft to take home, and enjoy entertainment and activities for kids of all ages.
CITY: Rockford
Autumn Drive in McHenry County
Welcome to a different kind of fall festival! Spend a leisurely day with family and friends on a real country road. Fourteen family farms in rural McHenry County, Illinois are open to the public for three days the third weekend in October. Each stop along the way offers a unique country experience. There are antiques, arts & crafts, pumpkins, and many surprises to discover along the way. Follow us on Facebook - facebook.com/autumndrive
CITY: Woodstock
Autumn Pioneer Festival
Travel back to the 1800's and learn about the lifestyles and crafts of the day. Watch a blacksmith working at his forge, talk to voyageurs, settlers and buckskinners. Explore a wigwam in the Native American area, visit two authentic 1800's log cabins, a one room schoolhouse and 5 ethnic gardens. Enjoy the sights as you tour the grounds on a horse drawn wagon. Learn to throw a tomahawk, use a cross cut saw and play old time games. Listen to live music throughout the day. Sample apple butter and bean soup cooked over an open fire. Food vendor offerings include prairie chicken, pioneer fries, buffalo stew, pie and ice cream, doughnuts, popcorn, old fashioned root beer and lemonade. These are just a few of the many fun activities offered at the festival.
CITY: Belvidere
Aviators Stadium
Aviators Stadium is the home of Rockford's own professional baseball team, part of the Frontier League. Specials, giveaways, entertainment and good, old-fashioned summertime baseball make a visit to the ballpark a great family outing.The stadium is located just off I-90 at Riverside Blvd., the first exit north of Business 20 (E. State St.).
CITY: Loves Park
Bank Block Antiques and More
Antiques, collectibles, furniture, floral arrangements, jewelry, glassware, made-to-order furniture and shelves, in-home help with decorating and more.
CITY: Marengo
Baymont Inn & Suites - Rockford
Whether your stay is for business or leisure, our guests can enjoy Rockford with our hotel's close proximity to area businesses and popular attractions. Guests enjoy our heated indoor pool and spa, fitness room, and complimentary enhanced breakfast at the Baymont Breakfast Corner which includes Belgium Waffles. Relax and take away the stress of the day in our pillow top mattresses. We offer contemporary rooms with the option to upgrade to a suite or Jacuzzi room. Our entire hotel has wireless internet access and several hardwire locations. We are pet friendly.
CITY: Rockford
Beattie Park
Downtown park on the banks of the Rock River. Site of several Native American "Effigy Mounds," which have been preserved.
CITY: Rockford
Beef-A-Roo - Cafe Style
Not a chain, but a Rockford Original cooking it just for you. Sandwiches are made to order and the sides, including baked potatoes, are delicious. Each area location has its own, distinct personality.
CITY: Loves Park
Beef-A-Roo - Northwoods Lodge
Not a chain, but a Rockford Original cooking it just for you. Sandwiches are made to order and the sides, including baked potatoes, are delicious. Each area location has its own, distinct personality.
CITY: Machesney Park
Beef-A-Roo - Rock 'N' Roll South
Not a chain, but a Rockford Original cooking it just for you. Sandwiches are made to order and the sides, including baked potatoes, are delicious. Each area location has its own, distinct personality.
CITY: Rockford
Beef-A-Roo - The Depot - Roscoe
Not a chain, but a Rockford Original cooking it just for you. Sandwiches are made to order and the sides, including baked potatoes, are delicious. Each area location has its own, distinct personality.
CITY: Roscoe
Beef-A-Roo - Warehouse East
Not a chain, but a Rockford Original cooking it just for you. Sandwiches are made to order and the sides, including baked potatoes, are delicious. Each area location has its own, distinct personality.
CITY: Rockford
Beef-A-Roo - Warehouse West
Not a chain, but a Rockford Original cooking it just for you. Sandwiches are made to order and the sides, including baked potatoes, are delicious. Each area location has its own, distinct personality.
CITY: Rockford
Belvidere Cemetery and Pettit Memorial Chapel
Established in 1847, this is the burial ground for Belvidere's illustrious pioneers. Want to go right to a Frank Lloyd Wright landmark? Visit the Pettit Memorial Chapel.
CITY: Belvidere
Belvidere Farmer's Market
Community Farmer's' Market. Due to their commitment to quality and freshness, not all products are available all year round. The farmers bring only their produce to market in their freshest state so not all selections are in stock every week. The Market does its best to ensure seasonal produce is abundantly available during harvest time. Open seasonally June through October.
CITY: Belvidere
Belvidere Park District
The Belvidere Park District spans stretches of the Kishwaukee River and Mill Race. It's a great place for fishing, biking and playing tennis, and includes a playground, picnic shelters, pool, swinging bridge and the historic Baltic Mill.
CITY: Belvidere
Belvidere Rent All & Party Store
Get all your party supplies here! We rent just about everything, from blow-up obstacle courses, to tables and chairs, to wedding trellises. We also carry all sorts of tools and machinery to suit your needs.
CITY: Belvidere
Ben's Christmas Tree Farm
Ben's Christmas Tree Farm was founded in 1983. Since then, Ben's has provided visitors with organically grown fir and pine trees in an authentic country atmosphere. Besides trees, enjoy the animals, wagon rides and more.
CITY: Harvard
Best Western Inn - Woodstock
45 room hotel with many amenities, located in historic Woodstock, Illinois. Close to many attractions in and around Woodstock.
CITY: Woodstock
Best Western Legacy Inn of South Beloit
Welcome to the Best Western Legacy Inn & Suites of South Beloit. After a good night's sleep on our pillow top mattresses, start off your day with our deluxe continental breakfast, which includes fresh waffles, fruit, cereal, breads and more. For our business travelers we also have free local phone calls, free faxes, and copy services, as well as a full service meeting room. During the rest of your stay relax by the indoor pool and whirlpool or kick back in one of out 67 spacious guest rooms that include free cable including HBO, in-room coffee, hairdryer, microwave, and refrigerator.
CITY: South Beloit
Bill Cosby - Coronado Performing Arts Center
One of America's most beloved comedians of all time, Bill Cosby has captivated generations of fans with his comedy routines, iconic albums and best-selling books such as Fatherhood. His comedy transcends age, gender and cultural barriers. Cosby broke television's racial barrier with I Spy, becoming the first African American to costar on a television series while winning three consecutive Emmys. He created and produced the Emmy-winning cartoon Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which began airing in the 1970s and was made into a film in 2004. Perhaps Cosby's greatest contribution to American entertainment and culture is The Cosby Show, which dominated the #1 spot for years.
CITY: Rockford
Blackhawk Valley Campground - Rockford
More than 130 units in developed campground located in a wooded and secluded area on the Kishwaukee River with mini golf, pedal carts, a playground, weekend activities and hayrides for the kids.
CITY: Rockford
Blue Eagle Pottery
"Our work embodies skill, insight, and respect for both the material and process. It is useful in the kitchen, on the table, or as an accent to decor. The warmth and beauty crafted into each pot will touch those who use it. Its artistry functions best through daily use, through intimate acquaintance."
CITY: Woodstock
BMO Harris Bank Center
Rockford's downtown arena hosts a variety of world-class entertainment, including concerts, circuses, rodeos and family shows. The BMO Harris Bank Center is also home to the Rockford IceHogs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.
CITY: Rockford
Boberosa Barnworks
The quaint shop opened in the fall of 2001, selling pumpkins and barn wood crafts. Antiques and crafts, from furniture and home decor to primitives, tools and vintage farm equipment -- there's a wide assortment to choose from.
CITY: Capron
Boone County Conservation District
The Boone County Conservation District manages over 3,00 acres of prairies, woodlands and wetlands in scenic Boone County, Illinois. Minimum impact recreational opportunities, special events and educational programs are offered to the public throughout the year.
CITY: Belvidere
Boone County Fairgrounds
Location for many events including craft shows, auto shows, animal shows, softball & volleyball games, and the Boone County Fair (held in August). Also see one-room school house relocated from northern Boone County.
CITY: Belvidere
Boone County Historical Museum
Explore this varied collection of local memorabilia. The museum includes a log home, Civil War artifacts, a natural history room, historic dolls, clothes, tools and transportation ranging from a 1906 Eldredge Runabout to Belvidere's first Chrysler.
CITY: Belvidere
Bowl - Hi Lanes
Enjoy bowling as well as karaoke every Friday and Saturday.
CITY: Huntley
Pizza and Italian restaurant. Dine in, Carry out, and Delivery. Everything from pizza to sandwiches, Friday fish fry to pasta.
CITY: Belvidere
Brook Farm
Brook Farm is your stop for local produce this season. We grow a wide variety of fresh vegetables, popcorn kernels and produce delicious flavored popcorn products.
CITY: Harvard
Budget Inn
Newly renovated Budget Inn. Comfortable rooms at a reasonable price.
CITY: Belvidere
Bundling Board Inn
Queen Anne style B & B, 2 blocks from Historic Square and Woodstock Opera House. Intimate Victorian atmosphere, elegant amenities, full gourmet breakfast. All non-smoking rooms with private baths. Central air, heat, sprinkler system. Check website.
CITY: Woodstock
Cafe 72
Cafe 72 is a family owned and run restaurant serving daily breakfast, lunch and dinner specials. A party room to accommodate up to 75 guests, free of charge when ordering off the menu.
CITY: Genoa
Camp Grant Museum and Command Post Restaurant
Memorabilia of Rockford's Camp Grant, U.S. Army induction and training camp during World Wars I and II. The museum, an original building of Camp Grant, houses the Command Post restaurant and contains postcards, pictures, and memorabilia of the camp along with Rockford postcards.
CITY: Rockford
Candlewood Suites - Rockford
All studio-room hotel convenently located off I-90 and State Street (US BR20). With easy access to I-39 and US Routes 20 and 43/Wisconsin, Candlewood Suites-Rockford is perfectly located near business and entertainment centers. Near Magic Waters water park, CherryVale Mall, and numerous golf courses. Located adjacent to Van Galder Bus Terminal with 24 hour shuttle service to O'Hare and Midway Airports. All studio-rooms have kitchens with full refrigerators. "Candlewood Cupboard" offers frozen entrees, breakfast items, snacks, 50-cent soft drinks, personal items, etc. Complementary High Speed Wireless Internet.
CITY: Rockford
Carlson Ice Arena and Sapora Playworld
Located near the I-90 tollway at Riverside Boulevard and Perryville Road, the Carlson Ice Arena features a 200 x 85 feet ice rink with seating for 600 spectators. This facility is also home to the Sapora Playworld, a three-level soft play structure designed for children ages 5-12 and a Tiny Tots Playspace designed for children 4 and under. For fun, family-friendly-priced recreation, Rockford Park District's Sapora Playworld at Carlson Ice Arena offers discounted rates weekly on "Half-Price Tuesdays and Thursdays" at the three-level indoor soft play structure for ages 5-12.
CITY: Loves Park
Carlyle Brewing Company
Enjoy the taste of quality, handcrafted beer in the atmosphere of a true European-style ale house in the Rockford Region's premiere microbrewery. Ten to twelve styles of ales and lagers are on tap at any time, chosen from more than 30 styles of beer brewed on-site throughout the year. For a real treat for the beer lover, try the sampler tray of current beers. Delicious homemade root beer is a great treat for the whole family, available in a tall glass or as a root beer float. Sandwiches, bratwurst, and hot pretzels are also available.
CITY: Rockford
Cattywampus offers fun, affordable gifts! A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest folks!
CITY: Genoa
Cattywampus featuring MCR Framing
Fun and unusual gifts plus home accessories and custom framing for your favorite art.
CITY: Genoa
Challenger Learning Center for Science & Technology
The mission of the center is to honor the memory and spirit of the Space Shuttle Challenger 51L crew by providing hands-on space exploration curriculum and center that enhances thinking skills and inspires those to meet the challenges of 21st Century.
CITY: Woodstock
Cherry Valley Festival Days
Great food, the carnival, on-site activities, and of course, the bands are what make a summer music festival an event to remember. Valley Days at Bauman Park has proven to be the fun-filled summer music festival your family shouldn't miss.
CITY: Cherry Valley
CherryVale Mall
Enclosed 2-level regional shopping mall with many external businesses on same property. Many public activities including craft and car shows, community and holiday events. Food court, children's play area, early morning walking. CherryVale Mall is also one of just a few locations with new Tesla Supercharging Stations. These stations are for the all electric-powered Tesla cars to use to charge up the vehicle.
CITY: Cherry Valley
Chicago Northwest KOA Campground
Tent, vehicle, and cabin sites. Game room, pavilion, playground, and laundry facilities.
CITY: Union
Cliffbreakers Restaurant and Bar/Lounge
Overlooking the Rock River, furnished with antiques and architectural artifacts. Enjoy Cliffbreakers' Fauerbach beerstube lounge, martini lounge, eclectic menu, Carvery Buffet Thursdays, Seafood Buffet Fridays and Champagne Brunch Sundays.
CITY: Rockford
Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort
Cliffbreakers overlooks the beautiful Rock River. Whether you have come here to attend a business meeting or celebrate with loved ones during a wedding reception, enjoy an evening of fine dining in Cliffbreakers Restaurant, a view of the Rock River will offer a pleasant and memorable time. On-site fine dining restaurant, martini lounge, Swedish hot rock sauna, business center, 25,000 sq. ft. of function space.
CITY: Rockford
Clock Tower Resort & Conference Center & CoCo Key Water Park
Located right off of Interstate 90. Guests traveling for work can make the most of their stay with many businesses and organizations within just a few miles of this Rockford hotel. The spacious, clean rooms offer wireless Internet access, a coffeemaker, cable or satellite television with in-room movies and much more. There are two dining options right on property with the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery and Tempo Italian Bistro & Lounge. There is an indoor and outdoor heated pool, fitness center, business center, free complimentary WiFi and more. CoCo Key, one of Illinois' largest indoor water parks, offers over 60,000 square feet of fun with water slides, activity pools, a lazy river, an interactive play island, private cabanas and party rooms, and a 10,000 square foot arcade. We happily accept birthday parties and group outings!
CITY: Rockford
Cobblestone's on the Square
The place to visit for a charming shop offering a wide selection of furniture, home furnishings, gifts, candy, and more!
CITY: Woodstock
CoCo Key Water Resort - Rockford
CoCo Key, one of Illinois' largest indoor water parks, is Rockford's home for any-weather family water park fun. Attached to the Best Western Clock Tower Resort and Conference Center, CoCo Key Water Resort makes for a perfect tropical family getaway. Explore over 60,000 square feet of indoor water park fun with three giant waterslides, Coconut Grove Adventure River, Parrot's Perch interactive Play Island, indoor/outdoor spa, kiddie pool with zero depth entry, 10,000 square foot Key Quest Arcade, private cabanas, birthday party rooms, and more
CITY: Rockford
Colonial Antique Mall and Restoration Center
150 Quality dealers in spacious 35,000 square foot mall, featuring largest furniture inventory in Northern Illinois including: Architecturals, built-ins, mantles, lamps & fixtures. PLUS: 85 showcases - jewelry, collectibles. No reproductions or crafts.
CITY: Woodstock
Comfort Inn - Rockford
The hotel is centrally located within one mile of several restaurants and shopping areas, close to I-90 and Business 20. Pets allowed with fee.
CITY: Rockford
Copperstone Inn
Copperstone Inn is one of the most luxurious bed and breakfasts you will ever visit. The original limestone home was built in 1858 in traditional Greek revival style. This grand majestic limestone home exudes an ambiance of total elegance, comfort, and chic sophistication. Owners Richard Spanton Jr and Chrissie Spanton. The Inn is available for rehearsal dinners, corporate retreats, weddings, bridal showers and upscale luncheons or cocktail parties.
CITY: Rockton
Coral Woods - McHenry County Conservation District
This sugar maple forest provides the sweet sap necessary for annual maple sugar programs, and is also known for its magnificent display of spring wildflowers. Activities include hiking, x-country skiing, picnic shelters and scenic views.
CITY: Marengo
Corner Grill on Main
We are known for our Italian beef, gyros (cooked on the spit), 10oz. burgers, Chicago-style hot dogs, and BBQ ribs. We pride ourselves on having great food, big portions, and fair prices. Located in downtown Genoa, stop in today!
CITY: Genoa
Coronado Performing Arts Center
See a play or musical performance at the wonderfully ornate Coronado Performing Arts Center, which was once a 1920s movie palace and vaudeville hall. The Coronado still features its original whimsical details, such as gilded Spanish castles, Chinese dragons in relief on the walls and a faux starry sky. Coronado Performing Arts Center is the venue for many performing arts groups and traveling shows.
CITY: Rockford
Country Cabin Orchard and Nursery
This u-pick apple orchard (with eight varieties), also includes a petting zoo, gift shop, wagon rides, pumpkin patch, Christmas trees, donuts, pies, bakery and fall nursery. Open mid-September through December 24.
CITY: Woodstock
Country Faire
Afghans, books, baby quilts, birdhouses and feeders, ceramics, goose clothes and geese, southwest artifacts, lawn and garden decor and more.
CITY: Hampshire
Country Lanes
Good old-fashioned family fun.
CITY: Hampshire
Courtyard by Marriott - Rockford
Courtyard surrounds travelers with the conveniences that make business and pleasure travel easy. Relax and get ready for the day ahead in one of our spacious guest rooms, featuring a comfortable sitting area, large work desk, two phones with data ports, free in-room high speed Internet access, in-room coffee service, HBO, in-room movies, and a newspaper. Unwind in our swimming pool, whirlpool and fitness room. No pets except service guide animals. Totally non-smoking facility. 24 hour Courtyard Market with snacks and drinks for your convenience. WiFi in lobby. You can also dine at the The Bistro, a "fast casual" restaurant for guests and the public, serving breakfast and dinner. The restaurant proudly serves Starbucks coffee and products 24 hours a day.
CITY: Rockford
Craig Woods Golf Course
Take a swing at this challenging par 34, scenic nine-hole course.
CITY: Woodstock
Crumpets Tea Room and Ice Cream Parlor
Enjoy a unique dining experience in our Victorian tea room and turn of the century ice cream parlor.
CITY: Genoa
Crystal Woods Golf Club
This beautiful par 72, 18-hole golf course in a scenic rural setting features a driving range and banquet facility.
CITY: Woodstock
When in Belvidere, stop by, walk-up and enjoy a refreshing desert or a quick meal. Many choices to choose from and quality is always the best.
CITY: Belvidere
Days Inn - Rockford
Conveniently located off I-90 and Business Rt. 20, and only minutes to area attractions and golf courses. Cracker Barrel, Texas Roadhouse, Subway, Machine Shed within blocks. Complimentary high speed wireless Internet.
CITY: Rockford
Deer Run Golf Center
This golf center features a driving range, chipping green, putting green and adventure golf.
CITY: Woodstock
Der Rathskeller German Restaurant & Bar
One of Rockford's oldest restaurants, featuring German cuisine in a warm, intimate old-world setting. German ancestry shines through at this favorite eating place since 1931. Banquet facilities available. Delicious sandwiches for lunch and traditional family style German specialities for dinner. Live accordion on weekends. Outside dining in the Biergarten.
CITY: Rockford
Discovery Center Museum
Named one of the top 12 children's museums in the nation by Forbes in 2012, here kids can explore more than 250 hands-on art and science exhibits, a planetarium, TV studio and the Tot Spot for toddlers. Discovery Center also boasts the nation's first community-built outdoor science park, the Rock River Discovery Park, featuring a two-story maze, water play area and dinosaur fossil dig.
CITY: Rockford
Donahue Furniture
Family owned -- fine furniture. 53 years of business
CITY: Woodstock
Donley's Wild West Town
See a Wild West show and museum of Western memorabilia, then dine at Donley's Old West Steakhouse.
CITY: Union
Donley's Wild West Town
Wild west displays and genuine cowboy memorabilia including train rides, horse rides, panning for gold, cowboy shows and more. Extensive antique phonograph and music box collection on display. Seasonally open April - October.
CITY: Union
Edgebrook offers local specialty shopping with a unique blend of eclectic boutique shops, excellent restaurants and convenient service-oriented businesses, where there is truly something for everyone. Please visit edgebrookshops.com for a list of merchants and events happening. Owned and operated by Orput Companies, Inc.
CITY: Rockford
Edgebrook Farmers Market
Sample the area's best seasonal Farmer's Market. Dozens of local farmers display their highest quality vegetables, fruits, flowers and plants.
CITY: Rockford
Edwards Apple Orchard West
Edwards West is a popular destination for families to enjoy the sights, tastes, and activities of an apple orchard and farm market. For a fun family outing, enjoy the experience of picking your own apples, pumpkins and raspberries. Visit the play area featuring the wooden bus and train, the corn cribs, the wagon slide and our animals in the "Petting Farm." Stroll through the over 100 year old dairy barn with displays of bright colored apples, freshly squeezed cider, fresh apple cider donuts, and wonderful gift items that are on display.
CITY: Winnebago
Edwards Orchard
Open August through November, come visit our farm this fall to share in our rustic culture and enjoy a taste of the season. Many varieties of apples to taste. Also available, in season, are raspberries, pumpkins, home-made goodies, and our famous apple cider donuts. Take a horse drawn ride out to the orchard to pick your own apples too. Family tradition starts here! There's a petting zoo too.
CITY: Poplar Grove
El Niagara Mexican Restaurant
Authentic Mexican restaurant. Daily lunch specials and children's menu. Reservations recommended for groups of 5 or more.
CITY: Woodstock
Elliot Golf Course
Located on Rockford's far east side, Elliot is an 18-hole course with 6,443 yards of rolling terrain, large trees and spacious greens. A smattering of water hazards and sand bunkers make Elliot a challenging course for any golfer.
CITY: Rockford
Enders Flowers at Edgebrook Shopping Center
Fresh and exotic flowers plus garden gifts.
CITY: Rockford
Erlander Home Museum
The cultural centerpiece of Rockford's Swedish-ancestry community, Erlander Home Museum is located in Rockford's first brick home, built by John and IngaStina Erlander family in 1871. Restored to its original Victorian decor, the twelve-room home features collections that include Rockford-made furniture, a renowned collection of more than 50 dolls created by Charlotte Weibull and many artifacts recalling Swedish immigration to northern Illinois and Rockford's Swedish heritage. Don't miss the Midsommar Dag festival in mid-June, and Lucia Fest in early December.
CITY: Rockford
Exclusively Yours Leiza-George
A shopping experience like no other, this store has floor-to-ceiling gifts from around the would. Its specialties include handmade oak and Amish furniture, jewelry, linens, cards, Christmas items and more.
CITY: Belvidere


text:
You're worried about lenses... Obviously you bought a body, so you need at least one to take pictures with... What I would be more concerned about is the fact that your last two shot, of landscapes, your horizons were noticeably not level....
Which can be fixed in Photoshop, so I have no idea what you're going on about. But you digress, so back to the topic on hand.
Totally agree with bvukich, would have gone with the kit, the 24-105 is a great all round lens, but in the absence of having one, I'd suggest at least a 17-40 f/4 L, which, if you're after landscapes, should be a nice lens to use, not much difference in this and the faster 16-35 when stopped down, which you'd be doing when taking landscapes (generally) anyway. Pretty cheap too, so its not gonna blow your budget.
Interestingly though, while you missed out on the 24-105 f/4, you've given yourself a chance to go for the 24-70 f/2.8, which is also a pretty good all rounder, but also cover your landscapes AND portraits if need be. A 50mm f/1.4 (The Sigma is another possibility (HERESY! I hear you shout... nevermind =P)), or the 85mm would be beautiful, or go for the longer 135mm. (which could help get shots of your "uncooperative" daughter - can't be uncooperative if she doesn't know she's in your sights.
70-200... I'd put that off first though, from what you describe I don't think you'd need to go into that range yet... but thats just me.
Thats just me though.


text:
There's something to be said for doing your own home-improvement projects.
Being able to look at a newly painted room, for example, and say, "I did that" is rewarding.
And it can save you money, especially if you shop around for the best prices.
Since a lot of people don't have the time to check the prices at a variety of stores, I did it for you, making a spot check on prices of items you might need to paint a room in your house.
I chose products that matched as closely as possible. For paint, I went with the cheapest brand, which was often the store's brand, in eggshell. For roller brushes, I chose the same length, even if the brand was different.
I went to a couple of specialty paint stores, but they are a whole different ball game. Prices of paint are much higher, but the stores offer their own labels and boast personalized service that they say you won't get at a big-box store.
For example, the least expensive gallon of eggshell white paint at Dunn Edwards and Sherwin- Williams starts at approximately $35, compared to $13.97 at Home Depot and Lowe's.
I did not include the specialty stores in my chart for fairness purposes, since they only carry their own higher-end brands of paint.
I chose supplies you might buy if you were starting from scratch. Obviously, you don't have to have a canvas dropcloth, but I chose it because you can reuse it. I felt it was more cost-effective than buying plastic sheeting - not to mention better for the environment.
What you would pay for painting project
Product Ace Hardware Home Depot Lowe's Lowry Hardware Walmart
White eggshell paint, 1 gal. $21.99 $13.97 $13.97 $21.49 $17.94
Spackle, 1 quart $6.99 $6.98 $6.98 $4.29 $4.47
Putty knife, 1.5" flexible $3.99 $2.97 $6.88 $3.29 $3.97
Painter's tape, 60 yards $3.99 $3.93 $3.93 $3.99 $3.27
Canvas dropcloth, 9'x12' $22.99 $21.98 $21.98 $23.99 $19.97
Angled brush, 1.5" $7.49 $7.37 $6.98 $4.79 $5.63
Paint roller frame, 9" $4.99 $4.98 $3.57 $4.49 $3.97
Paint roller cover, 9" $3.69 $4.97 $2.98 $5.49 $3.67
Paint tray, plastic $2.49 $1.97 $2.29 $3.29 $1.87
Sandpaper, 3 sheets $2.88* $3.97 $2.97* $2.70* $1.77*
Flat brush, 3" $10.99 $9.97 $6.98 $9.99 $5.97
Totals $92.48 $83.06 $79.51 $87.80 $72.50
Notes: Prices were recorded Wednesday and Thursday in Tucson. * Ace Hardware sold 5-sheet packages of sandpaper. I adjusted the price to that of a 3-sheet package. Lowe's sold a 4-sheet package of sandpaper. I adjusted the price to that of a 3-sheet package. Lowry Hardware sold a 5-sheet package of sandpaper. I adjusted the price to that of a 3-sheet package. Walmart sold a 5-sheet package of sandpaper. I adjusted the price to that of a 3-sheet package.


text:
Women's Volleyball
Volleyball Drops Season Opener to No. 6 Southern California, 3-0
Aug. 25, 2007
LOS ANGELES - The Michigan State volleyball team (0-1) dropped its first season opener since the 1996 season, falling to No. 6 Southern California, 3-0, on Friday night at the Galen Center in its first match of the Trojan Invitational. USC won by scores of 30-24, 30-23 and 30-25.
Ashley Schatzle began her senior campaign leading the Spartans with her first double-double of the season, posting 15 kills and 16 digs, one dig shy of her career high.
Freshman setter Lauren O'Reilly made her collegiate premier with 33 assists.
Game one proved to be a battle at the service line for both programs, although State failed to capitalize on seven Trojan service errors. The teams traded points early before USC took a five point lead at 20-15 and never relented. Despite the 30-24 loss, MSU tallied 17 kills against just nine by the USC offense.
Southern California went on a quick roll in game two, scoring the first seven points. Sparked by senior Katie Johnson's smart play at the net, MSU settled down and tied the game at 19-19, forcing the Trojans to use their first timeout of the set. USC regrouped and made use of its home court advantage, as the Spartans managed to tally only four points the remainder of the game, retiring 24-30 in the USC victory.
Game three proved to be the Spartans strongest effort of the evening, as the Green and White fought hard before dropping the decisive match 30-25. MSU jumped to an impressive 9-5 lead before USC went on a four-point run to tie the game. The Trojans then took 12 of 17 points for a 17-14 lead. But the Spartans weren't done fighting and stole three points back to retie the set. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for USC to regain control, claiming six-straight points and eventually owning the game 30-25.
The Spartans return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET against Loyola Marymount, and conclude tournament action against St. John's at 8 p.m. ET. Live stats and radio are available for all Spartan matches at www.msuspartans.com.
at the official


text: If you have all your assets "transferred" to your revocable trust, titling all your accounts under your revocable Trust, then you have "funded" your trust. But the Will is there to catch anything that you many have forgotten to transfer to your trust. The Trust does not require any Court approval for fiduciaries to act, but the Will does. So it's prudent to make sure ALL your assets, car, insurance policies, brokerage accounts, houses are all titled under your revocable trust.