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Battle of the sexes
I'm on the job hunt these days, and a friend of mine just quit the one she's had for two years. This piqued my interest because hers was the sort of role that I always found interesting and even coveted. But she insists that I'd be a fool to go for it. "I quit this job to go into the job market, as tough as it is. Doesn't that tell you anything?"
She has a point. Right now, even the rats in London are claiming benefits. I tried to explain to her my own situation and why I wanted – needed – to move on. She wouldn't have it. She said the job was demeaning and demoralising and degrading and any other progressive adjective with the de- prefix, save for maybe detoxifying. It will break your spirit, she said. It's a bunch of delusional balding men trying to hang on to their waning libidos, she said. You'll hate it there just as much.
Then she paused. "Well… you're a guy. It might be easier for you."
I knew immediately what she meant, but I can't figure out whether or not to agree with her. I know what she was trying to get across: that it was a work environment that perhaps isn't as accommodating to women as it is to men (which I think is classified as "illegal," but hey, never you mind). And I wasn't sure if I should be insulted by the implication. Would I be complicit, a willing party, if I benefited from an environment that excludes women? (And seriously, boys, the Mad Men days are over. You can't even smoke in the office anymore.)
These are all fascinating questions, really – they are, honest – but, me being me, her comment got me thinking about myself, and myself only. It affected me less on the Should-I-Take-This-Job-If-Offered front and more on the Wait… I'm-A-Guy? front.
The concept that there is some fundamental difference between the sexes, something deep down, ingrained, either through nature or nurture, a little pink or blue dot in the middle of our brains that determines how we see the world, is one that has always frustrated me.
It's always been my belief – and feel free to mock here, because everybody does – that men and women are essentially the same. We all just want happiness, and peace, and comfort. We might go about it differently on occasion, but shit, we're all on the same team here. But no one ever agrees with me.
I missed the blokes' handbook they evidently handed out in primary school, along with the What's Happening to My Body? book. I don't think of myself as some member of an enormous fraternity, a man before I'm a human. I mean, I can barely grow a decent mat of chest hair, I really love Meryl Streep and I often talk to little babies and small, furry animals using words like "cute yiddle puddy wuddy." If I'm supposed to be a representative of some guy culture by my very existence, I think I'm doing a very poor job. Shit, sometimes, get this, I even talk about my feelings.
But the rest of the world doesn't seem to see it that way. And I wonder if I have a choice. I will admit, there are most certainly benefits I have received only because I am a guy, most of which I've never noticed and likely never will. But I didn't sign up for this. I'm just a person, like everybody else.
I fail the Bloke Test in almost every way. Sure I talk meaningless shit about girls with the guys – and sometimes to the girls, which usually gets me in trouble. But that's all it is to me – meaningless shit. I've never been in a real fight. I own no weaponry. If pressed, I'll confess I prefer cricket, and maybe even tennis, to football. Wrestling and Formula One confuse me. I don't spit in public. I worry about my weight. I'm not sensitive about my penis size (OK, maybe a little).
These are all stereotypes, urban legends, myths passed down through the generations. (When did they become hard, real ways to live our lives?) But I'll never be able to live them down.
Put it this way: I was out with some friends the other evening, and one of them, a post-grad student, mentioned that she was working on a paper. She asked everyone she knew a question: If you found out your partner had developed a deep emotional attachment to someone of the opposite sex, would it bother you more than if he/she had meaningless sex with someone he/she hardly knew?
The student claimed that of the 50-something-odd people she asked, every single woman said she would be more bothered by the deep emotional connection, and every single man said he would be more bothered by the sex. She revealed this after she'd polled us, and, lo and behold, her postulate proved accurate. The four women didn't care so much about the sex, and the two guys (myself included) did, quite so. The student was quite pleased with herself, convinced she'd stumbled across a universal truth.
I dissented, strongly. Listen, I calmly explicated, the reason I give that answer is not that I'm a guy. Don't we, as humans, have the right, no, the duty, to develop as many "deep emotional connections" with as many people as possible? If I recognise someone as some sort of kindred spirit, male or female, why is it wrong for me to pursue a relationship – and by "relationship," I mean an exploration of another person's mind and thought processes, not anything sexual – with them? Isn't it inherently flawed thinking to limit ourselves to enjoying the company of only one person, female or male? Would a girlfriend of mine object to me making a new male friend? Isn't the real betrayal sex, and cheating, and lying?
For not the first time, the group of women laughed at me. "Guy," they said. "You're just a guy, and you're full of shit, and you know it."
See what I'm up against here?
The Ultimate Alpha-Male (Yes, that's me…)
It has been brought to my attention that women want confidence, and that's what I need to hold on to them. Women want a man with his act together, someone who knows what he brings to the table, who isn't asking a woman to take care of him or fill a void. Someone male. Preferably with big, ripped abs.
I suppose they're right. They should want those things. They should want a confident alpha male. Who wants a snivelling girly-man who needs constant reassurance? They want men, dammit!
So I am putting together my CV. I will attach this to my back at all times, right next to the "WEIRD" sign. In this day of constant advertising, it just seems natural, like a boxer with a casino ad in temporary tattoo on his back. This will take the form of a list: My alpha-male accomplishments since birth. Think I'm a panty-man, too much of a sensitive pussy? Think I can't make a relationship work because I don't feel good enough about myself? Ha! I snort at your short-sightedness. I laugh at your inability to look past my lack of chest hair. I chortle at your continued insistence that you don't want a man who pees sitting down.
You don't know me. I'm all man. I am a Samuel L. Jackson, a tall Humphrey Bogart, a black Jack Bauer. And don't you forget it. Or I'll do that thing where I clinch my hands together and move my arm toward you really quickly, where it then hits your face! Yeah! Take that! Your pain shall be immense, and incapacitating. Feel my wrath! And then, before you even had a chance to think about attacking me in return, I will be long gone… whoosh!, just like that.
You don't think I'm enough of a typical male? I'm too self-loathing and feeble? That I'm too sensitive? You just wait, bitch. I've got Full-Scale Male Credentials. I can prove it. Because evidently, this is what women want, right?
My CV will look like this:
1972 – Upon exiting my mother's womb, doctors were stunned to find I had stencilled lyrics to the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" in the birth canal. Also, they found circumcision near impossible because of my massive, almost elephantine testicles. Overheard in the delivery room: "This kid's going to be one hell of a baby-maker someday."
1973 – I share a nursery with a little nymph named Nicole. By withholding a rattle until just the right moment, refusing to poo while Nicole is in the room, and being generally uncommunicative, I drive young Nicole wild. There are other babies who share their plush toys and do not fling their poo at her, but Nicole finds them dull and too easy. The year ends with Nicole heartbroken when I decide it's not working out and that I'd rather spend more time drinking my own drool.
1975 – I bite the head off a toy bat. It was an aluminium bat.
1976 – I learn how to read, years earlier than my family expected. I use this newfound power to write letters to girls in my pre-school, telling them they should really lose some weight.
1977 – My family buys me a toy phone for Christmas. I then tell Sharon, the five-year-old next-door neighbour, that I'll call her, and then I don't.
1978 – The first of my little sisters is born. I make a vow to be exemplary in every aspect of my schoolwork and social life, so that she will feel inferior and grow up with self-esteem issues.
1981 – My mother, as our family struggles to make ends meet, says she needs to find a job. I tell her that if she were a real mom, she'd stay home and take care of her children.
1982 – Next-door neighbour Sharon comes over to play. I tell her I'm watching the football on telly. And to shut her bloody trap.
1983 – I learn that flatulence not only disgusts people, but, in fact, is quite funny. I commence to fart every time I'm in mixed company. Years later, I will refine this process, adding open flame.
1984 – I start secondary school a week late because I refuse to ask directions to school.
1986 – A new girl moves into the neighbourhood, named Tanya. She makes many friends, but I am her favourite because I am unresponsive and mysterious. One night, with parental approval, I spend the night at her house. She asks me to come over the next night as well, but I refuse, because I'm sleeping with all her friends.
1987 – I score my only goal in youth league football when the goalie is distracted by an asthma attack and I trip on the ball, sending it spiralling toward the goal. In years, this story will be told thus: "Well, I was being chased by wolves, you see, that had been released onto the field by Nazi sympathizers. Meanwhile, a waterboy with Down's Syndrome was firing an AK-47 at me while I ran. Fortunately, I avoided them all and scored the winning goal, which was huge, since the Libyans had kidnapped my family and had threatened to anally rape our dog had we not won. It was right after this that I stopped the bullet meant for the President."
1988 – To try out for my school football team, I am required to take a physical. The female doctor asks me how I'm feeling. I look down, grunt, and act like I didn't hear her. When she asks again, I exclaim, "Forfucksake, I'm fine! Fuck! What's with all the questions? That's all I get from you! Nag, nag, nag, nag, NAG!"
1989 – While showering after a football game, I see my cousin naked. I beat the shit out of him, because, man, he was looking at me. You know… in that way?
1990 – I drink my first beer. Upon finishing it, I exclaim, "Wow! This really does make ugly chicks less repulsive! This stuff is amazing!"
1991 – My first week of uni, and I attend a freshers party. I hand out then-up-to-date copies of this CV. I am immediately selected as their chief party organiser.
1995 – I buy my first Nirvana record. It, like, really speaks to me, like, on a really deep level.
1997 – I persuade a girlfriend to give me her virginity by explaining that "everyone's going to think we did it anyway, so we might as well. Besides, um, I, like, love you or something." I tell her I don't want to use a condom because "I want to be as close to you as possible."
1998 – I break up with my girlfriend and sleep with all her friends.
1999 – In August, I have sex with seven females in six days, with a combined age of 125.
2001 – In October, I visit New York, buy a NYFD uniform from a Salvation Army store and wear it to various Manhattan bars while sitting alone in a corner, pretending to weep while looking at an empty pint glass. I break another record by having sex 57 times in a week.
2003 – I get Amy Chen really drunk and bed her, thereby completing my goal of promoting diversity by shagging a girl from every major ethnic group.
2005 – After an unfortunate three-week stretch without sex, I discover roofies, and the sky is the limit.
2007 – I set a personal record in January by waking up in my own piss and/or vomit six times in one month. This record is broken five times by September.
2010 – I am selected as one of London's "20 Most Eligible Bachelors" by GQ magazine. I am lauded for my "burning mystery," "quiet sensitivity," and "virile masculinity."
*Sigh* OK, ladies… so this really is what you wanted… right? Right?! Good. It is now time to take a number. Step right up. The line, as always, forms in the back…
A funny thing happened on the way from a wedding…
For years, people told me how weddings, for single guys, were one step removed from a university freshers party meat market. "Man, people always hook up at weddings," they told me. "And they especially love the single ushers."
I never believed them, mainly because I'd never seen it. At most weddings I've attended, everyone either already had dates or was married. There were never enough single people to go around. Plus, it would seem that members of the wedding party would just be too busy to have a fling at a wedding. I mean, ushers have duties to perform. There are pictures to pose for, and, um, er… alcohol to drink, and, um… you know, all the other stuff that ushers have responsibility for.
So when I was asked to serve as an usher at a mate's wedding a few years ago, with the recent breakup still lingering, and the confusion and depression not having dissipated, the last thing I wanted was any excess female contact. It had been all I could do not to start any conversations with women by saying, "Hi. My name is David. I am a human. I respond to logic, reason, and external stimuli. My life view will be the same in five minutes as it is right now. Please, tell me about your species."
But people told me to just sit tight. "They'll find you, mate. You're an usher," they told me. "People always hook up. Always."
And, would you believe it… they were right.
Sort of.
Setting: The reception at Gav's wedding. I ended up sitting next to an attractive young woman at the front table. (She wasn't in the wedding party, which I thought meant she couldn't sit at the head table, but no matter.) After a cursory discussion, I learned that she loved playing tennis and was the best friend of the bride's sister. We ended up talking a little about Wimbledon, which had just concluded, and had a nice enough time, though I thought little of it. I was just concerned the bar would run out of my favourite rum.
After dinner, I told her it was a pleasure to meet her and went downstairs for the first dance. I danced with the mother of the bride, coiling her round and round until she almost vomited, and then, out of nowhere, the tennis player pushes in. OK. So we dance for a bit — I am a decent enough dancer — and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, right there on the dance floor, in front of God and everybody, she starts to kiss me.
I would have protested, but I was already quite light-headed. Oh, and there was an attractive, athletic girl in front of me. This lasted about two songs. Then, after I socialised a bit, she asked if I "wanted to go for a walk." I said, sure, air is good, walking stimulates circulation. So we went for a walk, and she started kissing me again. She then asked me what I was doing after the reception. Like everyone else in the wedding party, I said I was going back to our hotel. She smiled and looked me deeply in the eye. "I'm coming with you. Is that OK?"
I did the rest of my wedding stuff, with this woman trailing behind the whole time. (Talking to the guys the next day, I was told: "We were all watching the two of you, thinking, 'Dave has no chance. It's like she came here to attack someone, and she chose you. You were a Dead Man Walking.'") At the end of the evening, we all piled into a large people carrier and headed back to the hotel, with just a brief stop at a bed-and-breakfast where the groom's parents were staying. (They were next to us drunken kids in the cab, looking nervous while we passed around bottles.)
The tennis player sat next to me, giggling and whispering things in my ear while propping her lovely legs on my lap. The cab cruised on. Then, suddenly, she paused mid-sentence and pulled out her mobile. I heard her call:
"Hi, it's me. Listen, I'm in a really awkward position right now, and I'm not sure how to get out of it. I need someone to come pick me up. Can you do it? No? Oh, shit. I dunno, I don't know how this happened."
Um… Everyone in the cab was staring at me. The guys were mouthing, "What the fuck?!" The girls were wide-eyed. The groom's parents… well, the look they gave me made me want to jump out of the cab and start running like Gump.
I turned to her, quietly, and said, "Hey, listen, I certainly didn't mean for you to be in an awkward position. I, um, kinda thought this was your idea. Seriously, you don't have to go anywhere or do anything. I'd be more than happy to tell the driver to go wherever you need to go. It's really OK." She looked down, then made another phone call. Exactly the same conversation. Exactly the same result.
I repeated to her that the driver could take her wherever she needed to go. She remained silent, staring out window, not meeting my eye.
We then arrived at the bed and breakfast. The groom's parents hastily said their goodbyes and exited. Then, just as the door was about to shut, the tennis player jumped out. Just like that. The cab then took off. Match. Set. Game over.
(I can't imagine what the groom's parents thought of this. They leave a cab of drunken ushers and bridesmaids, and out hops a scared girl, no idea where she is or where she's going. I must have seemed like Charlie Sheen to them.)
And that was that. I went back to the hotel, dazed and confused, became even more drunk, and I ended up even more depressed. I never saw her again until, quite unexpectedly, I ran into her yesterday. She seemed to recognise me — she smiled and said a cheery 'Hi' — and I pretty much ran across the street, dodging traffic and looking over my shoulder to be sure she wasn't following.
So let's get this story straight: David meets girl, she's really into him, she's all about David; then, suddenly, for no apparent reason, with no warning, she just switches, decides she wants nothing to do with him, and vanishes.
Ha! What the fuck, indeed! Such strange creatures they are…
Sex musings at midnight
Here's a question for you: How important is sex?
I don't mean how important it is to a healthy relationship. Sex is a vital part of any relationship, and usually when a couple has a poor sex life, you can tell after hanging out with them for about 20 minutes. The air's a little thicker, more dense, there's a certain level of tension… and people keep accidentally crushing wine glasses in their hand. Here's a tip for fellow people-watchers: When a woman walks across the room and punches her boyfriend in the face, their sex life is not working. Or, perhaps, it has reached a level that you and I just don't want to think about.
I'm speaking more specifically of the amount of sex we individually need. How important is it to us? Is it all relative?
Let's take two people, for example:
One is a female friend of mine. She lost her virginity when she was about 16. She is pretty, smart, sociable, and is a serial monogamist. No matter what, she always has a boyfriend — I've never known her to be single. Then, about six months ago, she had a long-term relationship end and, in a first for her, there was no one else waiting in the wings. She's hardly the type of girl to sleep around or just pick up guys at clubs so, suddenly, something that was a regular part of her life just ended. She's now gone six months without sex. According to her, the longest she'd gone without sex until this six-month hiatus was 32 days. Imagine that: something that had just been a part of your life… just gone. Emotional attachments aside, when something you've lived with on a reliable basis since you were 16 is taken away suddenly, that's a definitive change. (Of course, I know the guy she was just dating quite well and… let's just say that I doubt she's missing too much.)
The other is a male friend. Whatever the opposite of a serial monogamist is, that's what he is. Dates? Ha! He never dates. Ever. He went on a few dates with one girl and never even got her winter coat off. Other than that, zilch. Six months without sex? Try six years. At this point, he's almost asexual. It's not that he doesn't want to have sex; it's just that he's got used to not getting any. He doesn't even really think about it that much anymore (though when the 40 Days, 40 Nights movie first came out, he did bash his head against a wall repeatedly for about a week and a half). He doesn't even try to go after girls anymore. What's the point? Sex is something on the Internet or late-night telly, a spectator sport far more than a participatory one. Someday he'll have sex again, I'm sure. But at this point, there's no rush.
Which person would you rather be? Neither is having sex right now. Both are human beings, and both need it. But the girl is having a far more difficult time with it than the guy. He's accepted his lot. To put this another way, paraphrasing: Is it better to have had some play and lost it, than to have never had any play at all?
Another friend is getting married later this year. From all accounts, he seems to have a happy, moderately healthy sex life. Nothing to complain about. But, like all relationships, sometimes circumstances dictate performance. Occasionally, he'll go a week or two without having sex. No big deal when he was a single guy; essentially, his life was just a continuous string of a week or two without sex. But now, when that week or two takes place with a hot girl sleeping next to you, and you start to itch and squirm, suddenly a week seems a lot longer.
I spoke with him about this some months ago. Specifically, I spoke about a little, um, dry spell I was going through myself. He looked at me like I'd just peed in my pants: "Man, stop being a dickhead! No sex for how long? Seriously man, there was a point a few years ago I was tempted to screw the dog!" (Trust me, that's not an image you want in your head at midnight!)
But he's right. I suppose my major neuroticism about sex and relationships is that while I know some women might find me attractive, sexy even, I often can't quite figure it out myself. (Well, other than the minor man-boobs!) Do I think about this more when I'm in a relationship, or when I'm not? I figure I'm probably the worst at the start of a new relationship. If I go without sex for a while, I can pretty much just convince myself that it's only because I haven't found the right woman yet. But put a woman in my bed every night for a week and, until I get used to it, I'm convinced she's really dreaming of the guy in the kebab shop up the street, the one with the mole shaped like a penis on his cheek. She wishes she were in bed with him right now; I just know it!
And what is it we really get out of sex anyway? Is it strictly orgasm? If so, there are some guys (and girls) who have the most functional relationship I know with their shower heads. Shit, the shower doesn't even mind if they bring in pictures of other girls! Or do we just need the closeness? Or, lo, could it be, that we have sex because we're actually in love? How much less is it when we're not? And, after six years without sex, does it even matter?
I think we have the best sex when we're in love, because we've got the other person more or less figured out, and because it's a legitimate sharing process. But then this logic makes me think that a good wank can trump sex, and I don't really believe that. Do I…? Whoa! Perhaps I should just get off this logic train!
Of course, ideally, someone is just single, without commitments, and still having sex on a regular basis, with no ebbs and flows — just something new all the time. I don't think those people actually exist though. Well… maybe in the Premier League…
Sound the alarm! There are no single men left in London!
Did you know there are no single guys in London? I didn't know this. It was quite a shock!
In the past, I've scoffed at women who say they can't find a nice single guy. It doesn't make any sense. There's a reason the "Men Seeking Women" section of personal ads is five times larger than the "Women Seeking Men" section. To me, it always seemed that if a woman wanted to meet a guy, the process would be a simple one:
1. Walk into bar.
2. Announce, "I am looking for a man."
3. Wait 5-10 seconds.
4. Repeat if necessary.
Apparently this isn't the case. I was having a party some time ago, and I was talking to a female friend of mine about who was going to be there. She didn't hesitate: "Are there going to be any cute single guys there?" This is an attractive, funny, successful woman. It would seem that if she had a desire to be with a guy — a desire I'll never understand; I guess womankind still hasn't figured out that we are, generally speaking, a worthless, dead-end gender — actually landing one would be the least of her worries.
But no. She is always claiming that there's a shortage of single guys. She posed the question to me: "David, seriously, how many of your friends are both single and good-looking?" (I ignored the fact that she was talking to me, a single, good-looking guy; she was "just a friend" after all, although… well, let's not go there…) I thought about it for a minute:
Hmmmm… Let's see… he's stupid-looking… he has Oedipal problems… he's been seeing the same girl since uni… he wears dirty tracksuit bottoms to work… he doesn't even work… he has a wart on his left eyeball… he's gay… he's gay too… Shit! Where IS everybody?
I think my misconceptions about all of this started at St Mary's College — the boys-only institution I attended. Neither I nor many of my male friends were ever dating anyway, mainly because none of us were in the football team. The lovelies in the girls-only St Joseph's Convent just across the street seemed only interested in dating the athletes, and the footballers in particular (yes, this is nothing new), and every one that wasn't, was either ugly, aiming for sainthood, experimenting with lesbianism or shagging some older guy. On to university, which fosters the mindset that you have to go to the students bar to pick up a girl with some line or gimmick. But all the guys with gimmicks were the athletic guys. Many of my friends today talk about how "wild" they were in uni, how they had loads of sex and drank all the time, recklessly, out of control. Yeah, right… I should have gone to their university.
Since then, to me, the relationship power struggle has seemed to be impossibly balanced toward women. Guys were the ones staring at women's chests; women were the ones deciding which guy staring at their chest they were going to select. This balance of power seemed so clearly logical that I couldn't imagine the world being any other way. Guys: Doltish, expendable, interchangeable, dime-a-dozen. Women: Running the world.
But as we've got older, the dynamics have shifted, though I don't think anyone would argue that women aren't still running the world. I'm not sure if it's some biological clock thing, or more guys realising that once they trick a woman into liking them, they should just hang onto them while they can, or whatever. But it's true, in London at least: I know a lot more single women than I know single men.
After thinking about it, I told my friend that I only knew a couple single men who would be at the party and neither of them were really her type. Thinking aloud, I came up with a guy I know who could fit, but I wasn't sure if he was seeing anyone or not. She was already off and running, peppering me with questions about him, what was he like, how tall was he, where was he from, what's his family like, so on, so forth. After 20 minutes, she was telling another girl how excited she was to meet "this great guy" at the party. And all I'd really said about him was, "Um, he's tall. And he might be seeing someone." She was so excited; a real single male!
I always thought it would take a nuclear war with just one guy and 10 women living in a bomb shelter, but no, believe it or not, in this great city of ours, we have reached that threshold: There are more women looking for men than men looking for women. It's astounding.
I could analyse this and try to figure out why. I could really attempt to figure it out, decipher what socioeconomic factors are at work. But I have a higher purpose.
(The next two paragraphs are to be read by men only. Thank you.)
Men of England: Guys! Check it out! If you come to London, women will be all over you! Our day has come! I never thought I'd see it either! I mean, they're actually looking for us now! And they totally want it! I know! Amazing!
Get your arses out here! Everything must go! This can't last forever! Hurry, before they figure out what's going on!
I told her that I'm sure there's a nice guy out there for her. Somewhere. She said she'd try to hold out hope.
My God… could it be true? Have we finally WON?
The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics: Sooner or later everything turns to shit
Earlier today, I got a phone call from my friend Nicola. Now here's the thing about Nicola: There are times when it appears she is the most intelligent woman on the planet. At other times, she seems like some kind of alien, or saint, or mutant. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that she is all of these things.
Nicola, who lives in Brighton, does not date. She does not have one-night stands, meaningful fortnights or month-long affairs. It is not that she does not like men; it is not that she's a lesbian, and it is not that she can't find anyone. She simply chooses not to. She has weighed all the dating options, lifted them one way and the other, tested their density, volume and surface area, put on gloves and checked them for lice, asked them to cough. And she's just decided that this dating world is not something she wants to be a part of, thank you very much, next caller.
Nicola has been through the wars. She's been through all the blood and piss and shit and mud and pus and grime too many times, and enough is enough. She's retired.
"But Nicola," I ask her, "don't you ever get lonely? Don't you miss having someone who will listen to you talk about your day? Don't you miss that close contact? Don't you ever just want to throw somebody down and rip his clothes off?" (This last question was not a come-on, I swear.)
She manages a smirk. "Listen… I have my own life to live. It's just too much trouble… and it usually ends up badly, anyway."
The difference between Nicola and me is that she is honest, and she is smart.
Nicola sees what happens when you give yourself up, when someone gives himself or herself up for you, when the balance is tipped one way, when it's tipped the other. You end up hurt, or you end up hurting someone else. Someone ends up sad, or bitter, or just changed. She's been there before.
Alas, I agree with Nicola, but selfishly, foolishly, I choose the other path. I simply opt to ignore the logic and try anyway. I know it's stupid, and I know I'm a danger to others and myself (and them to me)… and nevertheless I just keep forging blindly forward, like a Godzilla-sized baby, waddling around aimlessly, causing destruction.
My old friend Karen, whom I haven't spoken to in about a year, once explained to me what she called the "cool quotient" of dating. According to Karen, no matter the relationship, no matter how healthy or happy it seems, each partner deep down knows the inherent inequality. One person is always "cooler" than the other — that is to say, one person always considers the other somehow in a different league, Premiership compared to Championship — in some social way. It doesn't mean that they can't get along or that such things are even all that important. Just that they're there.
Karen always used this analogy to describe my relationship with ex-girlfriend Laura, who she felt was above me on this unscientific scale and therefore was destined to leave me (Karen never pulls her punches). Therefore, it was counterproductive to be involved in any relationship whatsoever because, regardless of the circumstances, one partner was either going to feel woefully inferior to the other or think that they were slumming. Hence everything was doomed. I believe Woody Allen's line was, "It's the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Sooner or later everything turns to shit."
You waltz into these relationships, and everything seems happy and fresh and new and clean. You're flattered someone you admire will even talk to you, that they don't dismiss you out of hand. You see problems, but you're convinced this time such little things won't matter. It'll all be good this time, promise; the fact that you don't really like pop music and she doesn't get Woody Allen, that she's too young or too old, that you don't like her cat, that she's your cousin, none of it will make a difference. Why should such silly matters get in the way of us?
Then you find yourself worrying. You find yourself thinking that she is right, and that you are wrong, and that you are stupid for not being more like her. A little pop music never hurt anybody. You think that she should be with someone better, someone not so cynical, and this thought invades you, and you sabotage everything, and you drive her away. Because she is better. They are all better. And she is sad… yet you're convinced she's better off without you. Thing is, you're right.
And yet, and yet, and yet, we keep trying. It should go without saying that my friend Karen, inventor of this injurious theory, is now in a serious, allegedly happy relationship. And off we go.
I think about how my parents did this, how my grandparents did this, how their generations pulled it off. Was it that much simpler? You just got married, you started a family, and if you had problems, you just dealt with them. Stop your bloody whingeing. No self-loathing, no twisted sabotaging of your own happiness. You paid bills. You went to the store and got milk. You attended parent-teacher conferences and grounded the boys for getting into fights after school.
I think of the line from Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, in which an elder man tells his young wife, "The difference between our generations is that we got married young to prove we were adults, and you do the exact opposite for the very same reason." I think the older guys might have had the right idea, though.
But whinge, whinge, whinge, bitch, bitch, bitch. Enough!
So I look at Nicola, and I see that she's right, and I look at Karen, and I think she's right, too. Yet I continue to search, sleepwalking into a mess, hoping the ground doesn't turn to shit beneath my feet.
Oh, I almost forgot, I started this piece with that phone call from Nicola earlier today: "I just met this really cool guy," she started excitedly. And off we go. Sigh.
The Valentine's Day Millstone
I don't know anyone who really likes Valentine's Day. Do you?
Valentine's Day — or Hallmark Rip-off Day, as I like to call it — just squats there on our calendars, in the middle of the dreariest month of the year, and taunts us. More than any other day, even New Year's Eve, it serves as a signpost, reminding us where we are, where we've been and where we're going. It poses questions that most people have no desire to answer.
There's a strange dichotomy in our thoughts about Valentine's Day. On one hand, for people in relationships, particularly males, it's a weighty millstone, a day wrought with artificial expectations. Guys dread the day because they know that their significant others — what a weird term "significant others" is; it doesn't make a jot of sense, really — will be anticipating something romantic and touching and special. Women dread it because they're smart enough to know they shouldn't have such high hopes for one silly day and nevertheless can't help but be disappointed when those hopes inevitably fall short. (And they always do.) For people in relationships, particularly those in the early stages, Valentine's Day is a day to be endured, to be survived. On the two occasions I actually let myself be bothered, I certainly woke up on February 15 with a sigh of relief. She's still lying next to me; I couldn't have screwed up too horribly.
Some time ago, I had been dating a woman for about a month when Valentine's Day came up. This is the absolute worst time for Valentine's Day to appear; I liked her, and she liked me, but we certainly weren't in any position to start making googly eyes at each other and pouring our hearts out. Plus, you know…
As if we were actually trying to become case studies of humans' inability to overcome our natures through logic, we decided to be pragmatic about it. She told me that I had no Valentine's Day obligations, that the day was entirely unnecessary, and I, stupidly, agreed. We are intelligent people, we told ourselves; what is one day, really? Valentine's Day is so fake. Let's stick two fingers to the system!
You can probably guess what happened next. Her friends started asking her what she was doing for the big night — another mistake: Thinking an anti-Valentine's Day policy will actually work with a woman who shares a house with about 10 other females — and as the day grew closer, she began to suspect that my easy adherence to our rules somehow reflected on her, and how I felt about her. Well, surely he's just planning a big surprise on Valentine's Day. He's such a romantic, I'm sure he'll pop out of thin air with flowers and a nice bottle of wine. She had psyched herself out of her own plan. The big day showed up, and passed, with no roses or mushy poems. I received a call at 10 p.m. Not only had I failed in my duties, but some other guy — an idiotic, dodgy guy we both knew — had sent her flowers with a card attached. "I know you're seeing David, but I wanted you to have some flowers on Valentine's Day. I hope that's all right." Awwww. How sweet! Our relationship didn't make it to the next Valentine's Day. Shit, it didn't even make it to Easter.
That said, Valentine's Day is probably hardest on some single people. The very same people who grit their teeth under the pressure of Valentine's Day when they're in a relationship are often the ones who are all weepy and depressed when the day comes and they have no one with whom to spend it. This is natural, of course; the tendency to romanticise relationships, the fear of being alone trumping truthful remembrances of paranoia and neuroticism, is one of the cuter things we humans do. But somehow Valentine's Day becomes this one day a year where it's not OK to just be on your own, doing your own thing, no strings attached. For some people it's a constant reminder that when the lights are out, and their head's on the pillow, only they care what they did at work that day, and only they care what mood they're in. It's dark, and they're the only one in the room.
In fact, Valentine's Day has gathered such animosity over time (from me, at least) that it's almost impossible not to be cynical about it. It's just so forced. Those in relationships get flowers and go out to dinner and hope the other party doesn't analyse things too deeply, and those who are single try to pretend the day isn't happening at all.
I mean not to assassinate the day. Like New Year's Eve, another day where people feel so coerced into "fun" that they invariably rebel against it, Valentine's Day, at its core, is a pleasant enough concept. How many days a year are devoted to something happy, something that we are all searching for, whether we wish to admit it or not? That someone at Hallmark even thought of Valentine's Day is proof that we subconsciously sway closer to optimism than pessimism. We should appreciate it more.
But we should do a lot of things. The irony of having a day devoted to love is that, in practice, it becomes the one day a year we try not to think about love. The next story I hear from someone who was made to feel more in love because of Valentine's Day will be my first. Valentine's Day is like that woman at work who is always a little too excited when someone has a birthday. Yes, she's coming from a good place, and you know she means well, but when's the last time you sang Happy Birthday to a co-worker with feeling? It's always more effective when you just pop by their desk and tell them happy birthday in person. No need to make a big production out of it. Doesn't it mean more that way?
But no. We always go through the singing and blowing out of the candles, because it's tradition, because it's what we've always done. That in itself says something, and I'm not sure it's something bad. Cynicism aside, it always is a nice gesture. And, I suppose, so is Valentine's Day.
Having said that, I have no plans for tomorrow. (Or Tuesday, or Friday, or the day after that… or next week… or anything.) But a lot of you will go out and should. And guys, when you do, try to make her feel special and cared for and that the night is a really, really big night for you, and for her, and at the end of the night, you will both breathe a silent sigh of relief that on Tuesday, everything can go back to normal.
And so, perhaps, that's the only thing that might make Valentine's Day a little bit worthwhile. Any couple that endures and survives it just might end up staying together after all.
Soooo… let's talk about SEX!
I write about all sorts of things, but I've found one aspect of the human condition near impossible for me to write about: sex. I just can't write a sentence about it without cracking a lame, backpedalling joke or hitting delete immediately before anyone has a chance to make fun of me.
I'm not sure why that is. I enjoy sex. Quite a bit, actually. I might even say, if I dare, that sex was something of a driving force behind some of my decisions in life.
I don't consider myself a prude, far from it. It's just… well… a bit hard writing about sex. What seems majestic and earth-shaking at the time comes across ridiculous in print. I can't fathom how people write those Mills-and-Boon-type novels with a shirtless Fabio on the cover, with titles like Desire in the Desert. I mean, how could you type, "His brawny, sweating chest glistened as he ripped off her blouse and caressed her supple, ripe breasts. She found herself flush with desire," with a straight face? I certainly can't.
About eight months ago, as a practice session intended to help correct this writing deficiency, (and to ensure that, if I ever succeed as an author, I would never win the Bad Sex In Fiction Award) I sat down to write a 2,000-word piece about my most recent intense, powerful sexual experience. To make sure I got in the groove, I drank about a quart of Jack Daniels, shut off all the lights and cranked up Motley Crue's Red White & Crue album (when writing about love, try Miles Davis; when tackling sex, it has to be the Crue). Adequately drunk, I dove in and hammered away for about three hours straight, pausing only for some sausages and to restart the iPod playlist. I didn't read what I wrote until I woke up the next morning. It could not have been more embarrassing if it had been written by one of my exes with an axe to grind. In fact, it read like Alex Reid being anally raped by Katie Price. Here's a tip: When trying to write sexy, avoid the words labyrinthine, perpendicular, snorkel and "mayonnaiseish". I beg you to trust me on this one.
A market has sprung in recent years for sex columnists. People love reading sex columns, but I'm not sure I ever believe them. It's one thing to be frank and matter-of-fact about sex; it's another entirely to confess the weird shit you do in print, with your name attached. If most of these women (and, of course, they're always women; a guy's columns about sex would always have the same predictable, abrupt end, and they'd all run about 150 words) had sex as often as they claimed, I don't know how they'd even have time to write their columns. And how real can it be when everyone you're having sex with knows you're a sex columnist? I would suspect, knowing most guys, that this would be more of a detriment to finding willing subjects than a benefit. (And, come to think of it, if you're a sex columnist, is it OK to miss deadline because you're having sex? Is it considered research? What kind of stuff can you get tax credits for? Do you ever have normal work hours?)
Sex is such a mystery it's a wonder anyone even knows how to do it. You never know who will be into what. Who would have guessed that Max Moseley fancied a bit of spanking? I'm reminded of Woody Allen's Manhattan, when Diane Keaton's character tells Woody about her last lover, a ferocious hellion in bed who sent her to heights she'd never imagined. When we meet him, he's played by Wallace Shawn, the short "inconceivable" bald guy from The Princess Bride. I suspect that's always the way it works. The hottest girl is often the coldest fish, and the guy who boasts about sex all the time can't get it up.
But two play this game, and it's strange sometimes how two people simply cannot click. I've been with people in the past who have surely considered themselves skilful at intercourse, and they appear to know all the right moves. But for whatever reason, we were never quite on the same page. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't mine. (No! It wasn't! Couldn't be!) That thing just wasn't there. Sometimes it just doesn't work, no matter how perfectly matched people seem to be. And, as we all know, when the physical attraction goes, it's all over. We can fake smiles at cocktail parties, but we can't fake that (though we can't help ourselves from trying). On the flipside, we've all had that person that we have crazy chemistry with even though they drive us nuts. Sex has a tendency to goad us into abandoning all reason and self-preservation. It's either a not-that-funny joke played by the universe or God punishing us for having sex before marriage!
You know, it really is a bit nerve-wracking writing this! It makes me uncomfortable just putting it into words. But, driving on… Once, I had a brief fling with an associate of a few close friends of mine. The Monday after we went out, my friends cornered me and demanded some locker-room talk. I couldn't do it. They peppered me with questions, digging for details, intricacies — they were just friends of hers, but she was pretty, and they had to have wondered — and I gave them nothing. Just stammered, babbled, and changed the subject. "Um, guys, did you see Rooney's hattrick yesterday? Uh… did you read about those thieving MPs? Man, the weather… what is it with this weather?"
It didn't feel right, reporting back details. It never does. People look at the sex other people have far more dispassionately than they do their own. Personally, we have this notion that sex is supposed to be this sacred, two-become-one experience that is deeply profound, and we hold out for that ideal, but when we imagine others having sex, it's either repulsive or just a manipulation of genitals. And both views are right, of course. We never truly and irrationally surrender ourselves to sex — I hereby submit the condom as Exhibit A — but it's supremely important to us nevertheless. Sex does change everything; it's just that none of us are sure why.
After all, it's only natural, right? The birds and the bees do it. (I'm thinking of the way the parents of a friend of mine explained sex to him: "It's like a hug, only it takes longer and you're tired afterwards." Ladies, you have to agree: sometimes, that sums it up entirely!) That sex affects us the way it does is a uniquely human thought process, and sometimes I wonder if the rest of the animal kingdom has it right. I witnessed two flies having sex the other day. It went on for about five minutes, which in a fly's lifespan is about four years. I doubt the male fly was bragging to his larvae friends the next day, and I seriously doubt the female fly was upset the male fly didn't call her. (I, naturally, swatted them both. Why should they get to get some?)
Think of it this way: If you and your current mate had never had sex, had never even considered it, how would your relationship be? Is what you learn about your mate during sex worth knowing? I've tried to foster an image as a cultured and witty person, but I'm a sweaty, hulking mess when I have sex. It is us at our most open and unguarded, completely bare for another person — a whole, entirely different person! — to witness and comprehend. There is nowhere to hide. That we continue to have sex is a triumph of nature, not our brains. It is safer not to be close. It's more comfortable keeping it inside.
But look at me. I'm saying too much. I knew this would happen. I'm giving away my secrets… The "sexiest" thing I've done? Let me think… Hmmm… Well, there was… Shit, David, you can't write that! No, seriously, don't… What if your parents read this? Your readers will lose all respect for you and people will mock you forever… OK, fine, fuck it: a girl and I once filmed ourselves. We were both drunk, there was a camcorder in the room, and we figured: What the hell; we're young, footloose, fancy-free, and all that. It was a sexy, dangerous thing to do at the time, and whenever we talked about it afterwards — only with each other, of course — it never failed to titillate us both. It was exciting and reckless, and certainly worth the trouble. Or so we thought.
We eventually broke up, obviously, but the tape remained in my possession. Choose to believe me or don't, I don't care, but I swear, I never thought about watching it again. OK, that's not quite true; I did once… but I had no choice.
Two mates on a tour of Europe came to visit me in London one summer. They stayed a day later than I thought they would, so on the last day of their sojourn, I had to work. They grabbed some drinks and hung out at my place while I was gone. I thought nothing of it. They returned about three months later, and the three of us sat around reminiscing and getting drunk. We were giggling through the alcoholic mist when one of them stopped abruptly.
"Um, Dave, we have to tell you something. You might be a little pissed off," he spluttered, still laughing stupidly. "Remember when we were here a few months ago? Well, we got a little hammered and started watching some of your old tapes. We found one…"
The next morning, when I finally came out from under the bed, I took a cricket bat and destroyed the tape — admittedly, a bit late. When your friends have witnessed something that inspires the comment, "Interesting technique there, mate," it's best to destroy the evidence, and violently.
Wahey! Check it out… I think I'm finally writing frankly about sex.
Oh, and about that story I just told? I made it all up. Not true. Don't believe it. You know what writers and journalists are like… always fabricating! Just pretend you didn't read it… Um… what about that Arsenal – Newcastle draw, eh? And the weather! Don't you think it's getting a little bit warmer outside these days?


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Visas and Travel
Russian visa
Visitors to Russia must hold a valid passport. Passports should be valid for at least three months after your planned departure (to be sure, check with the Russian consulate in your country). Nationals of most countries are required to obtain visas, see http://www.russianvisa.org/index.html. Invited speakers and registered participants will receive a package with an invitation, which will allow them to apply for the visa.
It is strongly advised that you apply for the visa immediately upon receiving the invitation to avoid expedited processing fees.
By air
Saint Petersburg Pulkovo International Airport (LED) is ~25 km from the city center and Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge. Direct flights to the Pulkovo airport are available from most major European cities. Travelers from overseas countries need to take connecting flights through one of the European airports. Connecting flights through Moscow are offered by travel agencies but are not recommended.
The Pulkovo airport is connected to the city subway or directly to the hotels by buses and taxis. Detailed information on travel to the destination hotels is available at the information kiosk. Transportation services from the airport to the hotels and back will be offered for the meeting participants (advance reservations are required).
|$55 / 1650 rubles
|~$11-$22 (330-660 rubles) per person
|Bus (availability depends on the participants' arrival and departure schedule)
|$5-10 (160-320 rubles) per person
By train
Five major railroad stations in St. Petersburg (Moscow Station, Finland Station, Vitebsk Station, Ladoga Station, and Baltic Station) are within 10 km from Sokos Hotel Palace Bridge and are immediately adjacent to the city subway stations. To request a railroad station pick-up/drop-off service, please contact the organizers.

subset: commoncrawl


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Grocery and Supermarket: On-Site Physical Inventory Services, Store Merchandising and Operational Shrink Solutions
When low margins meet high volume, every decision counts.
That's why we help grocery stores and supermarkets accurately collect physical inventory counts. And then we go beyond the count with inventory management solutions and store planning that let you make smarter, more agile decisions—purchasing and placement decisions that make a difference for the bottom line—from store to store, across the entire supply chain.
When it comes to grocery, we're a lot more than a provider of accurate on-site physical counts and advanced inventory management solutions.
Consider our mobile workforce positioned across the country, decades of grocery industry experience, and state-of-the-art software as a strategic asset for you, ready to make a difference with manpower and turnkey intelligence when you need to:
open new stores
reset existing ones
stock the shelves
plan the space for maximized sales
reduce shrink
much, much more
Below are more details on just some of the ways that we give grocers a competitive advantage in the low-margin, high-volume marketplace:
Physical Inventory Services
We're the industry leader in retail physical inventory services. Our auditors come to your stores, warehouses, shipping depots—anywhere you need us, with the latest technology and at times of the day and week that cause the least distraction for your shoppers.
With hand-held technology that integrates seamlessly with your inventory management software or solutions we provide, we perform all manner of physical inventories, including complete counts of merchandise and fixed asset physical inventories. We serve stores of all sizes, from rural mom & pops to the largest household names in grocery and supermarkets.
Battery Test & Replace™
A simple procedure with surprising savings, Battery Test & Replace™ is where we go to your store locations, test the rechargeable batteries in all your devices and equipment, recycle the unhealthy ones and replace them with healthy ones.
The retailer in our pilot study experienced a 64% reduction in OEM service calls and a 94% reduction in repairs that came back "no trouble found." The retailer saved $9 million over the course of the one-month test by having RGIS make a series of discreet 90-minute visits to their 2,000 stores. A savings of $4,500 per store per month.
RFID Inventory System
Radio Frequency Identification is making its way to supermarkets and grocery stores, improving store and warehouse efficiency, increasing inventory accuracy and reducing shrinkage of perishable goods.
RGIS can help get you started with an RFID inventory system proof of concept customized for your needs: Start with one or two of your stores for a 4-month trial period that includes setup on your network and store tag-up. Key performance indicators include:
sales uplift
comparison of physical inventory vs. RFID inventory
comparisons of % out of stock and % out of shelf
comparisons of aged out of shelf and aged out of stock
Shrink Solutions
Grocery and supermarket clients also rely on RGIS for effective, integrated shrink solutions customized to the specific needs of each client, and based on a custom audit by RGIS of the client's inventory data to fully reveal the sources of shrink that need to be addressed.
Grocery stores and supermarket businesses interested in macro space management take advantage of SmartSpace™ store layout software and surveys for asset optimization, using real sales data and real layouts of actual stores to identify and experiment with the small changes in product placement and planograms that can make a huge difference across stores.
Additional Services
compliance audits
fixture installations
scan-based trading audits
supply chain audits
truck/trailer audits
warehouse physical inventory
Partner with RGIS for physical inventory services and specialized retail merchandising programs to make day-to-day work more effortless and reduce the cost of business—while making it easier for your staff to focus on what they do best
Upon its acquisition of Albertsons' Sav-On and Osco pharmacies, CVS was faced with the daunting challenge of converting over 620 stores to the CVS look and feel....
A sporting goods (SG) company in Europe comprises 145 stores across 20 countries...
Copyright ©2014 RGIS, LLC


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Dimerization of isobutylene
Iso Octane (2,2,4-trimethyl pentane)
The constant increase in demand for liquid fuels is the driving force for the petroleum industry. To satisfy high performing engines and more and more strict exhaust emission standards, modern gasoline must meet exacting specifications which can vary from country to country.
The Octane rating is one of the most known measures of gasoline quality. In order to achieve an acceptable octane number, oxygenates like MTBE, ETBE or TAME are added to gasoline to ensure clean combustion.
MTBE is by far the most important gasoline additive. Very recently discussions to replace MTBE with a less environmentally sensitive compound like Iso-octane have started in the US and the first installations have been put into operation in North America and Canada.
The common practice is to replace existing MTBE units with Iso-octane units.
Iso-octane through dimerisation of isobutylene
Recommended Catalysts
Highest performing catalyst which has been developed for MTBE, ETBE and TAME production. Its novel acid functionality outperforms any other commercial catalysts in olefin conversion and catalyst life.
|Amberlyst™ 36Wet
|Highest performing catalyst which has been developed for MTBE, ETBE and TAME production. Its novel acid functionality outperforms any other commercial catalysts in olefin conversion and catalyst life. Different pore size distribution compared to Amberlyst 35Wet.
Amberlyst™ catalysts are approved by all major process licensors.
For sampling, pricing and availability of AMBERLYST™ catalysts please contact your Rohm and Haas sales representative.
Further Reading
- M.D. Girolamo, L. Tagliabue "MTBE and alkylate co-production: fundamentals and operating experience", Catalysis today, Volume 52 (1999) pages 307-319.
- Mario Marchionna, Marco Di Girolamo, Renata Patrini "Light olefins dimerization to high quality gasoline components" Catalysis today, Volume 65, Issues 2-4, 20 February 2001, pages 397-403.
For reactor loading and unloading or general questions around catalyst handling please consult our Frequently Asked Questions page.


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In 1976, former NHL exec Bill Putnam took three swings at bringing the WHA to the Hollywood Sportatorium and came up empty.
Bruins atop conference. Smith, Rask win shootout over Bolts. Meszaros scores in first Bs appearance. Paille hurt. Iginla near Bucyk's mark. WAY too many men penalty. Miller, Boychuk hits. MN...
Bs top Caps, Rask shutout. Recchi puck drop. Edler trade fail. Bs fine without big trade. Spectators injured at TD Garden. TOP SECRET trade form. Giroux, Simmonds to play Globetrotters!...
The Harlem Globetrotters are coming back to Austin, Texas and former Longhorn Jimmy Blacklock will be on the bench as coach. It has been 40 years since Blacklock played at Texas, but his presence...
When Sweet Georgia Brown came to Austin, Texas.
I know a lot of you are looking forward to the greatest footballing spectacle the world has ever seen. No, not the highlight of this weekend's Blue Square Premier: Stevenage v. Luton Town. We're...
I have nothing against Hubert "Geese" Ausbie. How could I? The guy entertained millions as a Harlem Globetrotter. Great comic timing, and a very good basketball player (which nobody remembers); he...
Illinois College's Jacob Tucker Drafted By Harlem Globetrotters
With the possibility that the end is near for Nassau Coliseum, we reminisce over some of our favorite moments.
We have Cory and Tristan, Kalisha Keane, the NCAA Tournament, CIS and CCAA championships and more in Canadian Content.
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Music Lyrics
Bass and Guitar Tabs
and More...
Custom Search
We don't have a cd yet but we play live shows as often as we can. Our band name is Soberface but we aren't sober very often. We come from a little town and had nothing better to do so we started a band. We have six members including 2 guitarists, 2 singers, a bassist, and a drummer. We play hardcore metal. I am one of the singers and I can't stand people who write songs about love. Love is so fake now a days that I don't even tell my parents I love them. We are young but we are getting better. We would appreciate anybody who lives close by to come and give us a listen to see if you like what we have created.
Return to my Soberface page or my local bands page
Website © 2000-2013 mattsmusicpage.com. All rights reserved. Operated by MM Page, LLC
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Some may disagree with me, but I think Mike Shanahan has been a very good coach for a very long time in Denver. I mentioned him in a post this summer about the 5 best teams of the past decade:
Anyway, I wanted to see how Shanahan had fared coming out of a BYE week since taking over the Denver Broncos in 1995.
How'd his teams do? 9-3, with losses coming in 1997 (@ Oakland 35-38), 1999 (10-16 vs. KC) and 2002 (10-34 vs. Oakland).
That's four straight and six-of-seven for Shanahan's teams. More to come this week on what kind of team Denver has in 2007, but suffice it to say, we shouldn't be penciling this game into the W-column just yet.


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Everyone knows how HOT Marc Lawrence has been for the past month or so. More recent he is 8-3 (73%) for the past 6 days alone. Tonight he has an NBA Winner for sale but is also giving away a FREE Pick on the Georgia Vs Arkansas matchup in the NCAAB. Last night we gave you yet another FREE WINNER, do not miss this one too!Pick: Georgia
Start: February 21, 2013 - 7:00 PM
Capper: Marc Lawrencehttps://experts.covers.com/Handicapper/Marc_Lawrence
Offered at: betonline @ 9 -110 Georgia
Play On: Georgia
Note: When the Dawgs meet the Hogs in a SEC showdown in Arkansas Thursday evening, Georgia will take the court looking to even their slate at 13-13 this campaign knowing they are 11-2 SU and 7-2 ATS this season in games against sub .650 opponents. That's in direct contrast to the Bulldogs' beastly 1-11 SU and 4-8 ATS mark against greater than .650 opposition this season.
With the Razorbacks eyeing up a return rematch with Florida, and just 2-4 SUATS in games before the Gators, look for Georgia to improve to 17-7-1 ATS in this series here tonight. Grab the points. We recommend a 1-unit play on Georgia. Thank you and good luck as always.
Look: Marc's powerful database shares another Top Key Play winner on Thursday night's NBA card, supported with a pair of killer winning angles inside the game that together have come up a winner 31 times in a row. Don't miss out, get it now - you'll be glad you did!If you don't currently have an Expert account, simply sign up and receive 2 FREE Guaranteed Winners.https://experts.covers.com/
Copyright © 1995-


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Batman Santa Hat
Celebrate Christmas Gotham style this year by donning this ultra-cool Batman Santa Hat. Tis the season for the Caped Crusader in a Santa hat. This Santa's hat and Batman mask features white fur trim and a pom-pom as well as an embroidered Batman logo. One size fits most and it measures 8″ x [...]Read more


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Project specialist to drive Wilcherry Hill
5th Jun 2012
June 6 – Civil engineer and large-scale resource project specialist David Burvill has been named project director for IronClad Mining's 80%-owned Wilcherry Hill (Trafford Resources 20%) iron ore project on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.
Burvill moves from a similar position for engineering firm Worley Parsons at Hancock Prospecting's Roy Hill iron ore project in Western Australia, responsible for greenfield development of the mine's processing plant and associated infrastructure.
He previously held similar roles at OZ Minerals' Prominent Hill copper-gold project in South Australia and for Ertech at the Chevron-Exxon Mobil Gorgon LNG plant on Barrow Island, off Western Australia.
IronClad is at expressions of interest stage for detailed front-end engineering and design and construction of the gravity separation (wet beneficiation) circuit at Wilcherry Hill.
Also in the May 30 - June 5, 2012 edition
- DiamondCorp sets up finance for Lace
- Geopolitical forces reshaping West African view
- Local and global pressures take toll on Eastplats
- Play time for Papillon
- Momentum shifts
- AustMETS
- At your service
- Manufacturing growth
- Build it, and they will come
- Research targets dragline cost
- Holding back to move forward
- CEEC aims to find answers
- METS sector to feature at Minerals Week; plus updated mining events diary 2012
- Truckless in Bali
- Highlands highs and lows
- Syndicate formed, now for the drilling
- Nautilus cops double whammy
- Venturing out not for faint-hearted
- Kimberley gold story has familiar tone
- And Barloworld makes five
- ETF trucks bound for Brazil
- Heavy Metal in brief: ABB, Keech, Ludman
- Digging deeper reveals greater riches
- $55M raising to get Namakwa cash positive this year
- $6.4B Alpha project faces new environmental hurdles
- $6.4B Alpha project go ahead unlikely for months
- 94% underground upgrade for WSA's Spotted Quoll
- AmmLeach pilot plant produces first metal
- Anglo Asian posts 750,000oz maiden gold resource
- Aurizon confident of more at its Joanna gold project
- Balamara picks up the pace in Poland
- Barrick sacks CEO over share declines
- Cacata partners find scope for hope
- Cameroon miners close in on Mbalam vision
- Capital costs up, production costs down for Orosur
- Cat acquires major Chinese manufacturer
- Cleveland takes up Brazilian iron ore prospect
- Cobham cruises to new FIFO heights
- Condor moves to large scale gold mine economics
- Contractor buys into 10moz Conrad silver project
- Contractor disputes new Gold Ridge claims
- Coolgardie rewards modern explorer
- Cortona wraps up Dargues Reef approvals
- Court appeal halts Ebenezer coal project
- Crusader set to lift Brazilian gold resource
- Diavik diamonds shine for Harry Winston
- Didipio gold/copper production end of 2012
- Discovery switches on Boseto concentrator
- Epic journey leads to McPhees
- Ferrum gains Moonlight mining right
- First Quebec Lithium carbonate due in 2013
- FMG secures $490M expansion funding
- Former Australian minister appointed to Tiaro Coal
- Funding falldown threatens Integrated Resources deal
- GBP8M funding boosts Argentine projects
- Giant graphite find for Energizer
- Gippsland makes late start to Egypt tin project
- Goldplat studies new recovery
- Grades support Integra's Randalls expansion
- Greenland metal inventory rises again
- GSZ reports large Wolfsberg lithium resource
- Heap leach option for Parral gold project
- Hunan takes 19.9% of Siburan
- International Minerals lines up Balmoral funding
- Kula awards Woodlark feasibility engineering studies
- LionGold offers $US7M for Bolivian gold project
- Major drills up record earnings
- Masbate hits record after upgrade
- Metaliko lifts Goongarrie Lady's skirts
- Mill failure hits San Gold
- Mine purchase to advance calciner technology
- Minemakers seeks takeover intervention
- Miner takes the lead on environmental protection
- Minera wins community support for Peru mine
- Miranda gets permit for Burnside coal mine
- Modder East strike illegal: Gold One
- Modder East workers defy return order
- Nevada plant signs to treat carbon stockpile
- New Age opts for long-term Colombian option
- New direction for tech firm APA
- Nickel equity deal repays ENK loans
- Nordic head for Nordic growth
- Norsk confirms Kurri Kurri smelter shutdown
- Not at their Wits' end
- NRW wins more Fortescue civil works
- OGL upgrades Bremer coal reserves
- OM wins Bootu Creek damages claim
- Paragon wins time for Lesotho exploration
- Paulsens moves towards a grade jump
- Peninsular posts record Raub production
- Pilbara partners disagree on study status
- QMC, Ivanhoe agree on White Range deals
- QR tackles high staffing levels, bureaucracy
- Radar deal progresses Central Yilgarn iron project
- Russell takes CAMAR executive position
- Safety alert shuts Vale's Qld mine
- Santa Fe's takeover bid falls short – again
- Sihayo gold project in Indo upgraded
- Sky Chrome ramp-up heads higher
- Slow progress for Arian's Mexican silver project
- Study supports Aspire's Mongolian mine
- Study supports Cerro Resources gold-silver mine
- Substantial upgrade at Roper Bar iron ore project
- SXE wins Yandi powerline construction
- Talga settles on Swedish graphite licences
- Two new rail corridors for Queensland's coalfields
- Underground find to boost Troy output
- Upgrade lifts Marengo's confidence
- VANE takes over management of Wate uranium project
- Vector push for Gwendolyn commissioning 2013 new year
- Vista expands its Mt Todd vision
- Wah Nam moves to mop up Brockman shares
- West Pilbara study waits on port decisions
- Whitehaven powers up new Narrabri longwall
- Wolf raises $5M for UK tungsten project
- Mindoro looks to build Philippines profile
- Sukari Hill plan B resonates with analyst
- Okay, so where do we go from here?
- Automated monitoring delivers fine results at Paraburdoo
- Dispatch to mine owner: more training needed
- People on the move: Excelsior Gold, Image Resources, Ausdrill, Sandvik, Atlas Iron
- ABB China deploys palletising robots
- Imdex adds drilling horsepower to DET CRC
- Ball gazing


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The following seven stages were developed by researchers and physicians to describe how you or your loved one will change over time. Your doctor might collapse the seven stages into early/middle/late or mild/moderate/severe, so these classifications are provided as well.
Stage 1 (Absence of Impairment)
There are no problems with memory, orientation, judgment, communication, or daily activities. You or your loved one is a normally functioning adult.
Stage 2 (Minimal Impairment)
You or your loved one might be experiencing some lapses in memory or other cognitive problems, but neither family nor friends are able to detect any changes. A medical exam would not reveal any problems either.
Stage 3 (Noticeable Cognitive Decline)
Family members and friends recognize mild changes in memory, communication patterns, or behavior. A visit to the doctor might result in a diagnosis of early-stage or mild Alzheimer's disease, but not always. Common symptoms in this stage include:
- Problems producing people's names or the right words for objects
- Noticeable difficulty functioning in employment or social settings
- Forgetting material that has just been read
- Misplacing important objects with increasing frequency
- Decrease in planning or organizational skills
Stage 4 (Early-Stage/Mild Alzheimer's)
Cognitive decline is more evident. You or your loved one may become more forgetful of recent events or personal details. Other problems include impaired mathematical ability (for instance, difficulty counting backwards from 100 by 9s), a diminished ability to carry out complex tasks like throwing a party or managing finances, moodiness, and social withdrawal.
Stage 5 (Middle-Stage/Moderate Alzheimer's)
Some assistance with daily tasks is required. Problems with memory and thinking are quite noticeable, including symptoms such as:
- An inability to recall one's own contact information or key details about one's history
- Disorientation to time and/or place
- Decreased judgment and skills in regard to personal care
Even though symptoms are worsening, people in this stage usually still know their own name and the names of key family members and can eat and use the bathroom without assistance.
Stage 6 (Middle-Stage/Moderate to Late-Stage/Severe Alzheimer's)
This is often the most difficult stage for caregivers because it's characterized by personality and behavior changes. In addition, memory continues to decline, and assistance is required for most daily activities. The most common symptoms associated with this stage include:
- Reduced awareness of one's surroundings and of recent events
- Problems recognizing one's spouse and other close family members, although faces are still distinguished between familiar and unfamiliar
- Sundowning, which is increased restlessness and agitation in the late afternoon and evening
- Difficulty using the bathroom independently
- Bowel and bladder incontinence
- Suspicion
- Repetitive behavior (verbal and/or nonverbal)
- Wandering
Stage 7 (Late-Stage/Severe Alzheimer's)
In the final stage, it is usually no longer possible to respond to the surrounding environment. You or your loved one may be able to speak words or short phrases, but communication is extremely limited. Basic functions begin to shut down, such as motor coordination and the ability to swallow. Total care is required around the clock.
Although the stages provide a blueprint for the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms, not everyone advances through the stages similarly. Caregivers report that their loved ones sometimes seem to be in two or more stages at once, and the rate at which people advance through the stages is highly individual. Still, the stages help us understand Alzheimer's symptoms and prepare for their accompanying challenges.
Progression of Alzheimer's disease: The Global Deterioration Scale. Alzheimer's Society of Canada. October 2005. http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/disease/progression-intro.htm#GDS
Stages of Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's Association. 2007. http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp
Understanding stages and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. National Institute on Aging. October 26, 2007. http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/stages.htm


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Recruiting Without Visiting Campus
Want to recruit Carnegie Mellon students, but can't make it to Pittsburgh?
You can post a job and review our resume books right on your computer. You could even choose to do videoconference interviews so you can see your candidates. To get started, review your options below, then log into TartanTrak to get started.
Posting a Job
If you already have your job description, all you need to do is paste your information into our online form. There is no fee to post a job or internship at Carnegie Mellon. Once your request your account and are approved to use our system, log back in and click on "Create FREE Carnegie Mellon Job Posting" under the shortcuts. Questions? Contact Judy Ellgass at firstname.lastname@example.com or 412-268-3994.
Phone/Video Interviews
We have the resources to facilitate a phone/video interview -- whether you plan to interview just one student, or want to schedule a whole day of interviews. If travel restrictions are known ahead of time, employers should set a date at least one month in advance for video conferencing. If a scheduled recruiting visit is unexpectedly canceled, we can facilitate these options with a week of advance notice. Please contact Judy Elgass at firstname.lastname@example.com or 412-268-3994 if you'd like to consider this option.
Resume Books:
TartanTrak will allow you to search our students' resumes and create your own unique resume book each time you need one. You can log into TartanTRAK and click on "resume book" on the top menu to get started.
There are also several pre-established resume books:
General Resume Book
This book contains the entire population of registered Carnegie Mellon students. You can use search criteria such as major or keyword to find your target audience, then download the resume and/or email those students.
Geographic Resume Book
Alumni Resume Book
This resume book contains the entire population of alumni who are using TartanTrak. You can use search criteria such as major or keyword to narrow them down to your target audience, then download the resumes and/or email those alumni.


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More Articles for Jesse McConnell
Real Costs Vs. Budgeted Costs
Software handles the uncertainty between estimates and actual job costs
By Daniel C. Brown, Contributing Editor
An Iowa-based contractor has won 80 percent of the available bonus payments on a successful 18-mile, two-lane asphalt paving project near Grinnell, Iowa.
Contractors today can compare ... Read More...
Read More...
- Vehicles covered in oil and grime after construction project gone wrong991 Views
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Soldiers parade through Oakham
Soldiers from the 16th Regiment Royal Artillery will march through the streets of Oakham in Rutland today.
The Regiment will be presented with Freedom of Entry to the town. Up to 250 soldiers will take part in recognition of the barracks' military history.
The 16th Regiment Royal Artillery was part of the 2012 London Olympics Air Security Force.


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The ASPCA teamed up with TurboTax to help animals while filing taxes this season.
The ASPCA will receive a donation when anyone files with TurboTax, at no extra cost to tax filers. A donation of 8.5 percent is made for each TurboTax online product and $0.50 for each TurboTax Online Federal Free Edition product.
To participate, sign up at We-Care.com


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Chapter 22
home | < Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >
The Elusive End
Apr. 4, 2010
I mentioned in the last chapter that I was nearing completion, and while that's true, the last couple of weeks have felt like my status bar has gotten stuck at 96%
It's like when you're installing software, and the progress zooms along until the very end, and then just never seems to finish the last few percentiles? That's how I feel.
That said – Yesterday was a HUGE leap forward.
The rusty Triumph from Kentucky came with a cylinder head that was so corroded that it was unusable. I bought one on eBay that turned out to be the wrong year and I re-sold it to someone else on eBay at a substantial loss (lesson for me ; -) Sometime later I bought another cylinder head on eBay that came complete with a pair of Mikuni carburetors, all set up for my 500cc motorcycle. Late last week I had a rather major set-back as I was trying to replace the valve guides in that head and found I did not have the tools or skills to do it. Back to the head-shopping drawing board.
I've shopped around for a parts supplier and bought from several sources during this project. There is no end to business that cater to 40 year old British motorcycles. Towards the end of this deal I found the best one. Not only are they on this side of the 'pond', but they are close-by (San Jose) and willing to take my calls, spend gobs of time on the phone with me and get my order out the door the same day if I call before 3pm. Rabers Parts Mart – My saviors (Hm… yes it IS Easter – nm).
I ordered the proper head on Wednesday, it arrived Friday and on Saturday morning I started to run through the short list of machinist that do 'valve jobs' in the Corvallis area on the off-chance someone would answer the phone and let me begin the negotiations of 'how long and how much'. The first place on my list answered and said to bring my valves and head over – he'd take a look. Two hours and $45 later he was done. He was done doing something that I could not have done on my own. Wow – What a stroke of luck – What a fantastic day!
Here's a pic of the head that the rusty Triumph from Kentucky came with, and another of the head I got from Rabers after the machinist finished with it:
All of the parts are required… One thing the folks at Rabers and I talked about was all this extra cable I had on the front brakes. My brake cable was about 2 inches too long. I tired taking up the slack with extra adjusters on the handlebar lever, contemplated making my own cable and spent quite a few hours head-scratching. The Rabers folks talked about a 'cable clamp' that was just the ticket and it was only a few dollars. I ordered it and I also ordered new brake shoes (maybe mine were so worn that the cable was loose?). When I was installing the new shoes I noticed a couple of parts in the service manual that I had in a ziploc bag on the shelf, which I had wondered what they were for, for some time. These parts go between the brake shoes and the base of the brakes. Once they were installed, the brake cable no longer had any slack – This problem had befuddled me for more than a month – the solution was to install ALL THE PARTS – one more lesson for me ; -)
Here's the last bit of welding I had to do. There had to be some way to attach the tail light and license plate to the plastic sewer pipe that makes up the end of my 'bum-stop' seat. So here's what I came up with -
(If Linda sees motorcycle parts on her couch, there will be proof she reads the blog…)
Next chapter will be installing the engine in the frame, and that 'should' happen in less than seven days…
home | < Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >


text: Home Before we move on, please review the fields in red. They contain incorrect or missing information. Cashmere Love Intarsia Gloves Based on 0 reviews | Write Review QTY: Out of Stock Monogramming Available Share: Wonder awaits! Here's your code for 20% off your next full-price order (valid for 48 hours): ###-Unique-Coupon-Code-### Happy shopping! Product Details Our irresistibly soft cashmere gloves let you talk with your hands in more ways than one. Smart-touch technology on the thumb and index finger keep you app, email and text-ready, while an intarsia knit of scripted typography whimsically spells out L-O-V-E between your left and right hand. These gloves keep you (and your mood) warm all season. Materials & More CashmereSmart-touch technology on index finger and thumbStyle # 9349Imported As Seen In The Atlanta Journal Constitution loves these gloves. Read more on our blog. What's on your mind? Write a review. Back to Reviews Please enter your review Review Title: Review Description: Your Rating: 1/52/53/54/55/5 Your Name: Submit Review


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This morning Dreamhost released an email to a number of clients notifying them that a database was being moved to a new server. If you're one of our clients and you receive Website Disabled warnings its likely being generated from this temporary outage.
Please allow the the scanner to run again, once the database server is back up it should update the scanner on the next run.
Here is the message from Dreamshost:
Read More


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Oct 20, 2008, 05:24 AM
Ive been like dying, not knowing which to pick. I have a black iPhone. So if I got the Nu Form I dont know what color Id get. And are the anti-static screen protectors like the protectors that are like stickers?
View Full Version : Should I get the Switcheasy Capsule Rebel Tiger or the Nu Form?


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Home > Post > Post 7 > Post 7 News Release > 2008 News Releases > News Release
News Release
Trooper Robert Purdy
Public Affairs Officer
Kentucky State Police
Post 7, Richmond
(859) 623-2404
Click here to e-mail Trooper Robert Purdy
Kentucky State Police Post 7 Richmond Welcomes New Troopers
Date of News Release: 02/26/2008
(Richmond, KY) - The Kentucky State Police Post 7 Richmond welcomes two recent graduates of the Kentucky State Police Academy at Frankfort. Trooper Phillip Powell and Trooper Donnie Foley graduated from KSP Cadet Class #86 on February 25th, 2008.
Trooper Phillip Powell, age 30, is a native of Berea and attended Berea College and Eastern Kentucky University. Prior to joining the KSP, he was an officer with the Richmond Police Department.
Trooper Donnie Foley, age 32, is a native of Corbin and attended Eastern Kentucky University. Foley is a veteran of the United States Army and a member of the Army National Guard. He attended Eastern Kentucky University. Prior to joining the KSP, he was an officer with the Chesterfield Virginia Police Department.


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Death in Miniature
In "Burned Cabin," the model shows a meticulously built cabin after a destructive fire had incinerated it. In this 1943 "incident," Lee's description indicates that two men had resided there, an uncle and nephew; the uncle was dead in the bed and the nephew gave a statement to the police that he'd woken up and run from the burning building.Ā The fact that he was fully dressed made his story suspicious.
To achieve a sense of authenticity, this model had been built and then burned with a blowtorch to replicate an actual crime.Ā While no one mentions it, Lee was likely aware of the reputation of Edward O. Heinrich, a criminology professor from the University of California at Berkley, who was renowned for his uncanny ability to read seemingly invisible clues.Ā He was often called into cases on the West Coast that defied solution, and one involved a burned building that turned out to be other than what it seemed.
In 1925, an incinerated set of human remains was found in the laboratory of Charles Schwartz after an explosion, and Schwartz had turned up missing.Ā Heinrich used an X-ray to indicate that the victim had been bludgeoned to death rather than killed by the explosion, so he suggested it was a staged scene with an unknown victim.Ā However, the corpse was missing a molar that matched dental records for Schwartz, so the police were ready to conclude that the corpse was Schwartz's.Ā But Heinrich was not deterred.Ā He asked for photographs of Schwartz, but the man's widow reported that someone had entered her home and stolen them all.Ā Still, she had left one at a photo studio, so she retrieved it and delivered it to Heinrich.Ā He compared it to the corpse and noted that the single intact earlobe was the wrong shape.Ā In addition, the missing molar from the jaw had been forcibly yanked out, and quite recently.Ā The eyes, too, had been gouged out, and chemical tests proved that the fingertips had been burned with acid.Ā
The police re-opened the case and learned that Schwartz was a long-time confidence man, living off his wife's money and falsely posing as something he was not.Ā He had befriended a missionary who resembled him, killed the man, put his body in the laboratory that he then exploded, pulled out the tooth, and fled.Ā Investigators tried to lure him out with rumors of a large life insurance settlement, but rather than be caught he shot himself.
In the Lee scenario, it could be that the nephew killed the uncle, set the fire and tried to stage the death to appear the result of the fire.Ā But it would take a shrewd and observant investigator to look for the right clues.Ā That's just what she had in mind, and to make sure that more officers were able to do this, she supported formal seminars for training.


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Genre: Series
When nurse Kate Rhodes reports an illegal immigrant she believes is abusing his son after the boy is admitted to her hospital, she meets the father's attorney, Stephen Creighton, a man convinced she's wrong. When it turns out the father is innocent, Kate learns that she may have endangered his life, because
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: October 2007


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I know you were all waiting with baited breath for this, and I apologize for my tardiness. I was planning on getting it done yesterday, but life interfered and I just didn't have the time... Oh well, better late than never, right? Well, the wait is over, if you'll jump with me.
When the Giants put together a game like they did on Sunday, it is DAMN tough to angst over anything... But as a good New York Sports fan, I'm sure I'll find something...
- Red Zone Offense: Gotta love the fact that they were able to move the ball down the field pretty much at will, and however they wanted to against one of the nastiest D's in the league... But they settled for WAY too many field goals. Part of my angst is mitigated by how good the 9er's defense is. Its just tough to score on them, and I'm confident that against a less vicious D, they would have won about 43 to 3. Still, gotta get stick the dagger when you get the chance, like Rolle gave you the chance to twice.
- 3rd Down Defense: This one is really nit-picky, but I wanted to have SOMETHING to write here lol. So, I KNOW I'm not the only one who's blood pressure rose every time Fewell would call for an 8 yard cushion on a 3rd and 5. Otherwise the defense was suffocating, so why give them the easy conversion?
- No Calls: Can somebody PLEASE tell me why other teams are allowed to mug Giants receivers and pass rushers are still allowed to tee off on Eli 2 hours after the game is over!? If a late hit like the one that left Eli bleeding was laid on Brady, it would have been called for 15 and the guy ejected before he even hit the ground. And this happens at least once a game.
- Offensive Line: This is the best this unit has looked since 2008. Seriously, averaging 193 rushing yards per game over the last 2 weeks, and dropping 150 on the stingiest run D in the league? Oh, and keeping Eli's uniform pristine (barring an uncalled late hit) against a variety of pass rushes.
- DEE - FENCE!: Except for the angsting above, this D was a joy to watch. They had Alex Smith befuddled and bruised, and the "WildKaep" neutered. 6 sacks (with only what? 4 blitzes?), 3 INTs, and they held Gore to 36 yards and the '9ers as a whole to 80.
- Prince: The kid is Shut. Down. The only time he gives up a reception is in zone, and then he does not allow YAC. Even against TE's, he lays the wood with Authoritah.
- RB's: I can't separated Bradshaw and Wilson in this one. Bradshaw is running with power, speed, and decisiveness. He hasn't run like this since the beginning of 2009. Wilson is quite simply the best kick returner in the league, and he is showing that same explosiveness out of the backfield. He's protecting the ball, hitting the hole hard and fast, and then turning on the afterburners and running through everything but solid form tackles. EXACTLY what we want to see from him. If it weren't for my undying love of Darkwing Duck (DW), I would propose the nickname "Nitro" for him, because if defenses don't handle him with care, he's going to explode.
- CRUZ: Gotta love Cruz. He is a TD machine, and whenever he makes a catch, its a big one. BUT, between the easy drops and at time obviously not being on the same page with Eli... He's a one-man thrill ride. Gilbride said it best: "Cruz giveth, and Cruz taketh away." He's still young and has a LOT of football ahead of him (which NEEDS to happen in a Giants uniform, dammit!)... for all intents and purposes, he's barely a sophomore. But he needs to get his concentration on point for 60 minutes. That's the biggest part of his game that needs improvement.


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Slavery in America ended with the Civil War, but the long struggle to end slavery actually consumed much of the first half of the 19th century.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The moral crusade against slavery was greatly inspired by a novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Based on real characters and incidents, the 1852 novel made the horrors of slavery, and the silent complicity of many Americans, a major concern in countless American households.
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a loosely organized network of activists which helped escaped slaves find their way to a life of freedom in the North, or even beyond the reach of United States laws in Canada.
It is difficult to document much of the work of the Underground Railroad, as it was a secret organization with no official membership. But what we do know about its origins, motivations, and operations is fascinating.
Frederick Douglass, Former Slave and Abolitionist Author
Frederick Douglass was born a slave in Maryland, managed to escape to the North, and wrote a memoir which became a national sensation. He became an eloquent spokesman for African-Americans and a leading voice in the crusade to end slavery.
John Brown, Abolitionist Fanatic and Martyr for His Cause
The abolitionist firebrand John Brown attacked pro-slavery settlers in Kansas in 1856, and three years later he attempted to foment a slave rebellion by seizing the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry. His raid failed and Brown went to the gallows, but he became a martyr for the battle against slavery.
A Savage Beating Over Slavery in the U.S. Senate Chamber
Passions over slavery and "Bleeding Kansas" reached the U.S. Capitol, and a Congressman from South Carolina entered the Senate chamber one afternoon in May 1856 and attacked a Senator from Massachusetts, brutally beating him with a cane. The attacker, Preston Brooks, became a hero to slavery supporters in the South. The victim, the eloquent Charles Sumner, became a hero to abolitionsts in the North.
The Missouri Compromise
The issue of slavery would come to the forefront when new states were added to the Union and disputes arose over whether they would allow slavery or be free states. The Missouri Compromise was an attempt to settle the issue in 1820, and the legislation championed by Henry Clay managed to appease opposing factions and postpone the inevitable conflict over slavery.
The Compromise of 1850
The controversy about whether slavery would be allowed in new states and territories became a heated issue after the Mexican War, when new states were to be added to the Union. The Compromise of 1850 was a set of laws shepherded through Congress which essentially delayed the Civil War by a decade.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Disputes about two new territories being added to the Union created the need for yet another compromise on slavery. This time the law which resulted, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, backfired horrendously. Positions on slavery hardened, and one American who had retired from politics, Abraham Lincoln, became passionate enough to once again enter the political fray.
Importation of Slaves Outlawed By an 1807 Act of Congress
Slavery was embedded in the U.S. Constitution, but a provision in the nation's founding document provided that Congress could outlaw the importation of slaves after a certain amount of years had passed. At the earliest opportunity, Congress did outlaw the imporation of slaves.
Classic Slave Narratives
The slave narrative is a unique American art form, a memoir written by a former slave. Some slave narratives became classics and played an important role in the abolitionist movement.
Newly Discovered Slave Narratives
While some slave narratives have been considered classics since before the Civil War, a few slave narratives have only recently come to light. Two particularly interesting manuscripts were discovered and published in recent years.


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Nature's Plus brings you love and nutrition in a delicious new heart-shaped Vitamin C tablet. Lovites are fun, delicious and nutritious. There's a reason why Vitamin C is the most well-known and highly regarded vitamin in the world its antioxidant powers run broad and deep, affecting many of the body's internal systems extensively. Why not offer someone you love a Lovite today?
Suggested Use As a dietary supplement chew one Tablet - Or as directed by your healthcare professional.
Other Ingredients: Fructose, rose hips (Rosa canina fruit), Cherry (prunus serotina fruit), silica, Magnesium Stearate, beet juice (beta vulgaris root), Apricot (prunus armenjaca fruit), peach (prunus persica fruit), bioflavonoid complex (from citrus limon exocarp), green peppers (capsicum annuum fruit), rutin, hesperidin and acerola.
Warnings: Keep out of reach of children. As with all dietary supplements, consult your healthcare professional before use. See product label for more information.