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Lucas–Lehmer primality test
This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (January 2014) |
In mathematics, the Lucas–Lehmer test (LLT) is a primality test for Mersenne numbers. The test was originally developed by Édouard Lucas in 1856,[1] and subsequently improved by Lucas in 1878 and Derrick Henry Lehmer in the 1930s.
The test[edit]
The Lucas–Lehmer test works as follows. Let Mp = 2p − 1 be the Mersenne number to test with p an odd prime (because p is exponentially smaller than Mp, we can use a simple algorithm like trial division for establishing its primality). Define a sequence {s i } for all i ≥ 0 by
The first few terms of this sequence are 4, 14, 194, 37634, ... (sequence A003010 in OEIS). Then Mp is prime if and only if
The number sp − 2 mod Mp is called the Lucas–Lehmer residue of p. (Some authors equivalently set s1 = 4 and test sp−1 mod Mp). In pseudocode, the test might be written:
// Determine if Mp = 2p − 1 is prime Lucas–Lehmer(p) var s = 4 var M = 2p − 1 repeat p − 2 times: s = ((s × s) − 2) mod M if s = 0 return PRIME else return COMPOSITE
By performing the mod M
at each iteration, we ensure that all intermediate results are at most p bits (otherwise the number of bits would double each iteration). It is exactly the same strategy employed in modular exponentiation.
Time complexity[edit]
In the algorithm as written above, there are two expensive operations during each iteration: the multiplication s × s
, and the mod M
operation. The mod M
operation can be made particularly efficient on standard binary computers by observing the following simple property:
In other words, if we take the least significant n bits of k, and add the remaining bits of k, and then do this repeatedly until at most n bits remain, we can compute the remainder after dividing k by the Mersenne number 2n−1 without using division. For example:
916 mod 25−1 | = | 11100101002 mod 25−1 |
= | 111002 + 101002 mod 25−1 | |
= | 1100002 mod 25−1 | |
= | 12 + 100002 mod 25−1 | |
= | 100012 mod 25−1 | |
= | 100012 | |
= | 17. |
Moreover, since s × s
will never exceed M2 < 22p, this simple technique converges in at most 1 p-bit addition (and possibly a carry from the pth bit to the 1st bit), which can be done in linear time. As a small exceptional case, the above algorithm will produce 2n−1 for a multiple of the modulus, rather than the correct value of zero; this should be accounted for.
With the modulus out of the way, the asymptotic complexity of the algorithm depends only on the multiplication algorithm used to square s at each step. The simple "grade-school" algorithm for multiplication requires O(p2) bit-level or word-level operations to square a p-bit number, and since we do this O(p) times, the total time complexity is O(p3). A more efficient multiplication method, the Schönhage–Strassen algorithm based on the Fast Fourier transform, requires O(p log p log log p) time to square a p-bit number, reducing the complexity to O(p2 log p log log p) or Õ(p2).[2] Currently the most efficient known multiplication algorithm, Fürer's algorithm, needs time to multiply two p-bit numbers.
By comparison, the most efficient randomized primality test for general integers, the Miller–Rabin primality test, takes O(k p2 log p log log p) bit operations using FFT multiplication for a p-digit number (here p can be any natural number, not necessarily a prime), where k is the number of iterations and is related to the error rate. So it is in the same complexity class as the Lucas-Lehmer test for constant k. But in practice the cost of doing many iterations and other differences leads to worse performance for Miller–Rabin. The most efficient deterministic primality test for general integers, the AKS primality test, requires Õ(p6) bit operations in its best known variant and is dramatically slower in practice.
Suppose we wish to verify that M3 = 7 is prime using the Lucas–Lehmer test. We start out with s set to 4 and then update it 3−2 = 1 time, taking the results mod 7:
- s ← ((4 × 4) − 2) mod 7 = 0
Because we end with s set to zero, M3 is prime.
On the other hand, M11 = 2047 = 23 × 89 is not prime. To show this, we start with s set to 4 and update it 11−2 = 9 times, taking the results mod 2047:
- s ← ((4 × 4) − 2) mod 2047 = 14
- s ← ((14 × 14) − 2) mod 2047 = 194
- s ← ((194 × 194) − 2) mod 2047 = 788
- s ← ((788 × 788) − 2) mod 2047 = 701
- s ← ((701 × 701) − 2) mod 2047 = 119
- s ← ((119 × 119) − 2) mod 2047 = 1877
- s ← ((1877 × 1877) − 2) mod 2047 = 240
- s ← ((240 × 240) − 2) mod 2047 = 282
- s ← ((282 × 282) − 2) mod 2047 = 1736
Because s is not zero, M11=2047 is not prime. Notice that we learn nothing about the factors of 2047, only its Lucas–Lehmer residue, 1736.
Proof of correctness[edit]
Lehmer's original proof of the correctness of this test is complex, so we'll depend upon more recent refinements. Recall the definition:
Then our theorem is that Mp is prime iff
We begin by noting that is a recurrence relation with a closed-form solution. Define and ; then we can verify by induction that for all i:
where the last step follows from . We will use this in both parts.
In this direction we wish to show that implies that is prime. We relate a straightforward proof exploiting elementary group theory given by J. W. Bruce[3] as related by Jason Wojciechowski.[4]
Suppose . Then
for some integer k, and:
Multiplying by ,
Now suppose Mp is composite, and let q be the smallest prime factor of Mp. Since Mersenne numbers are odd, we have . Informally,[note 1] let be the integers mod q, let , and define multiplication in using:
Clearly, this multiplication is closed, i.e. the product of numbers from X is itself in X. We shall denote the size of X as .
Since q > 2, and are in X.[note 2] X is not a group under multiplication because not every element x has an inverse y such that .[note 3] If we consider only the elements that have inverses, we get a group X* of size . Since 0 has no inverse, .
Now, since , and , we have, in X,
By equation (1),
and squaring both sides gives
Thus lies in X* and has inverse . Moreover, has an order dividing . However, , and so the order does not divide . Thus, the order must equal .
Since the order of an element is at most the order (size) of the group, we conclude that
But since q is the smallest prime factor of the composite , we must have
yielding the contradiction . So is prime.
In the other direction, we suppose is prime and show . We rely on a simplification of a proof by Öystein J. R. Ödseth.[5]
First, notice that 3 is a quadratic non-residue mod , since for odd , and so the Legendre symbol properties tell us is −1. Euler's criterion then gives us:
On the other hand, 2 is a quadratic residue mod , since and so . Euler's criterion again gives:
Next, define , and define X* as before as the field of units of . We will use the following lemmas:
(the Binomial Theorem in a finite field) and
for every integer a (Fermat's little theorem).
Then, in the field X* we have:
We chose such that . Consequently, we can use this to compute in the field X*:
where we use the fact that
Since , all that remains is to multiply both sides of this equation by and use :
Since is an integer and is zero in X*, it is also zero mod .
The Lucas–Lehmer test is the primality test used by the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search to locate large primes, and has been successful in locating many of the largest primes known to date.[6] The test is considered valuable because it can provably test a very large number for primality within affordable time and, in contrast to the equivalently fast Pépin's test for any Fermat number, can be tried on a large search space of numbers with the required form before reaching computational limits.
See also[edit]
- ^ Formally, let and .
- ^ Formally, and are in X. By abuse of language we identify and with their images in X under the natural ring homomorphism from to X which sends to T.
- ^ In fact, the set of non-zero elements of X is a group if and only if does not contain a square root of 3.
- ^ The Largest Known Prime by Year: A Brief History
- ^ Colquitt, W. N.; Welsh, L., Jr. (1991), "A New Mersenne Prime", Mathematics of Computation 56 (194): 867–870, doi:10.2307/2008415,
The use of the FFT speeds up the asymptotic time for the Lucas–Lehmer test for Mp from O(p3) to O(p2 log p log log p) bit operations.
- ^ J. W. Bruce (1993). "A Really Trivial Proof of the Lucas–Lehmer Test". The American Mathematical Monthly 100 (4): 370–371. doi:10.2307/2324959.
- ^ Jason Wojciechowski. Mersenne Primes, An Introduction and Overview. 2003.
- ^ Öystein J. R. Ödseth. A note on primality tests for N = h · 2n − 1. Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen.
- ^ The "Top Ten" Record Primes, The Prime Pages
- Crandall, Richard; Pomerance, Carl (2001), "Section 4.2.1: The Lucas–Lehmer test", Prime Numbers: A Computational Perspective (1st ed.), Berlin: Springer, p. 167–170, ISBN 0-387-94777-9
External links[edit]
- Weisstein, Eric W., "Lucas–Lehmer test", MathWorld.
- GIMPS (The Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search)
- A proof of Lucas–Lehmer–Reix test (for Fermat numbers)
- Lucas–Lehmer test at MersenneWiki


text:
Houston to Gain New Direct Flights on Turkish Airlines in 2013 to Istanbul
June 21, 2012 by TMO
Houston Mayor Annise Parker announces new non-stop flights to Istanbul beginning April 1, 2013, operated by Turkish Airlines between George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport (IST).
"Houston's strong business connections with Turkey created the opportunity to attract this foreign flag airline to our city," said Mayor Parker. "Houston has become the gateway to the world. Our global business structure helps our economy thrive and our job market remains the envy of the nation. These four new weekly flights will surely lead to increased economic opportunity for both Istanbul and Houston."
Turkish Airlines will operate the new route with a Boeing 777-300ER, which seats up to 334 passengers. Based at Ataturk International Airport, Turkish Airlines serves 190 destinations and carries 33 million passengers as the national flag carrier airline of Turkey.
A number of Houston community organizations worked with the Houston Airport System to attract this new direct air service by Turkish Airlines, including the Texas Turkish American Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Houston Partnership and the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau. The addition of this new direct flight will provide a meaningful economic boost to the Greater Houston region. Turkey remains a fast growing and emerging business and leisure economy with a strong cultural link to Houston.
"The total Houston to Turkey trade value in 2010 was $1.9 billion," said Celil Yaka, President of Texas Turkish American Chamber of Commerce. "We anticipate this trade will grow significantly thanks to this new flight."
"The Houston Airport System exists to connect people, businesses, cultures and economies of the world to Houston," said Mario Diaz, Director of the Houston Airport System. "This flight will open up more convenient travel options to both Turkey and beyond points, in particular, those in South/Central Asia and Africa."
Flight Schedule:
The new service will operate four days per week with flights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
- Departure from Houston at 7:50 p.m. local time and arrival in Istanbul at 3:55 p.m. local time.
- Departure from Istanbul at 1:05 p.m. local time and arrival in Houston at 6:05 p.m. local time.
The seating capacity of a B777-300 ER is 28 Business – 53 Comfort – 253 Economy
The flights are currently available in the Turkish Airlines reservation system at http://www.turkishairlines.com/
Recently Turkish Airlines was selected by Air Transport World as the recipient of the "world's market leadership award." Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, which is the dominant airline network at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston as the largest hub for the Star Alliance.

subset: commoncrawl


text: There are still very few actual CDs out there with park music on them. That said however, there are quite a few sites that offer it. Mouse Bits is a great one. There's also a relatively newer one that has come up that is a Tumblr site. let the memories begin ºOº


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Police have released dash cam video of an October 1, 2013, arrest in Lafayette, Indiana, in which the former Lt. Tom Davidson, now demoted to officer and given 30 days suspension without pay, is shown knocking down a wheelchair-bound man before arresting him for running over his foot.
Another first for the U.S. police: We have a dancing cop, a Grinchy cop, a cop who plays catch with kids, and now a skate cop. His mere existence confirms the decades-old statement: skateboarding isn't a crime. In fact, he says, "skateboarders aren't just punk kids causing trouble. They're all kinds of people in your community; they're even your police force."
What is the deal with cops and doughnuts anyway? This brief video will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the relationship between law enforcement and tasty fried dough.
There's one cop who likes to give speeders a brake during the holidays, and that is Major Lou Caputo, of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. During the Christmas season Caputo dresses like a Grinch, and rather than issuing citations to speeders, gives them really raunchy onions instead.
Here on the Crime Library we've seen all kinds of cops: good cops, bad cops, serious cops, nice cops. Today we present the "Dancing Cop." As far as we know he is the only one of his kind, but we sincerely hope to see more of this kind of police officer in the future — and not just at Christmas.
From officers passed-out drunk while driving their cruisers, to prescription-drug scams, to simple abuse of authority; we present a rogue's gallery of bent cops.
Six Boston cops who were fired after testing positive for cocaine have been given their jobs back after a board ruled that the hair test used was unreliable. Four other cops who were fired for positive cocaine tests had their dismissals upheld by the board, despite their brilliant explanations for why they tested positive.
In the wake of the Aurora movie theater shootings, other shoppers are not amused.


text:
The Webster Bible (WBT) | New International Version (NIV) |
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then will he sit upon the throne of his glory: | 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. |
The Webster Bible is in the public domain. (The Webster Bible Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


text: Penicillium pinophilum Hedgcock, anamorph (ATCC® 36839™) Strain Designations: IMI 114933 [CBS 631.66, CEB 3296.31, IAM 7013] / Product Format: freeze-dried General Information Characteristics Culture Method History Documentation Print Email Share Share this product Facebook Twitter Google+ Permits and Restrictions View Permits Deposited As Penicillium funiculosum Thom, anamorph Strain Designations IMI 114933 [CBS 631.66, CEB 3296.31, IAM 7013] Application fungus resistance testingfungus resistance testing plasticsfungus resistance testing textilestesting Biosafety Level 1 Product Format freeze-dried Type Strain yes (type strain) Preceptrol® no Medium ATCC® Medium 336: Potato dextrose agar (PDA) Growth Conditions Temperature: 26.0°C Name of Depositor IMI Chain of Custody ATCC <<--IMI<<--CEB 3296.31 Isolation Polyvinyl chloride plastic, France References . The genus Penicillium. London: Academic Press; 1979. Deutsches Institut fur Normung Testing of plastics: Influence of fungi and bacteria; visual evaluation, change in mass or physical properties. Berlin, Germany:Deutsches Institut fur Normung;DIN DIN 53739. IEC Basic environmental testing procedures: Mould growth. Geneva (Switzerland):International Electrotechnical Commission;IEC 60068-2-10, Part 2, Test J. U.S. Department of Defense Environmental test methods and engineering guidelines. Washington, DC:US Department of Defense;Military Standard MIL-STD-810F, 2000 type strain Environmental testing. Part 2.10: Tests--Test J and guidance: Mould growth. Sydney, NSW, Australia:Standards Australia;Standards Australia AS 60068.2.10-2003. Fibre Optic interconnecting divices and passive components --Basic test and measurement procedures--Part 2-16: Tests --Mould growth. Geneva (Switzerland):International Electrotechnical Commission;IEC 1300-2-16, 1995 Plastics--Evaluation of the action of micro-organisms. Geneva (Switzerland):International Organization for Standardization/ANSI;ISO ISO 846:1997. Testing of textiles -- Evaluation of the action of microfungi. London, UK:British Standards Institution;British Standard BS EN 14119:2003, 2003 Plastics - Evaluation of the action of microorganisms. London, UK:British Standards Institution;British Standard BS EN ISO 846:1997. type strain Permits These permits may be required for shipping this product: Customers located in the state of Hawaii will need to contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to determine if an Import Permit is required. A copy of the permit or documentation that a permit is not required must be sent to ATCC in advance of shipment. USDA APHIS PPQ Permit 526, plant pathogens permit must be obtained and a copy of the permit must be sent to ATCC in advance of shipment. Isolation information for this item is required by USDA. Please check our website or contact Technical Service for assistance. Domestic isolates are easier to obtain than foreign isolates. Basic Documentation Product Sheet Certificate of Analysis SDS


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I was out harvesting zucchetta today and thought ya'll would like to see them :)
two grown up zuchettas making the toddlers jealous Zucchettas in the wild... Zucchetta vines taking over the world |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by soonergrandmom Z6 Grove (My Page) on Sun, Oct 7, 12 at 10:52
Looks like my house did this week. I made 15 pints and one half pint of squash relish yesterday. I see that you also had some of the same problems with yours that I did. In years past, they have always bulbed on the blossom end, and the early crop this year looked normal, then they started looking like they didn't pollinate right and didn't form the bulb, or if so, it was a smaller bulb. I looks like I made it through without a frost last night so I may pick a few more squash, then grate and freeze them for bread and such. I don't usually make zucchini bread, but it seems a shame to waste the squash, or anything else, after the weather year we have had to contend with. I love to grow Zuchetta. It is by far the most dependable squash for me. |
- Posted by ChickenCoupe 7a (My Page) on Sun, Oct 7, 12 at 10:55
That is huge! You were right. Mine are far too small. I had the same miniature problem with all my various tomato plants earlier this year. I don't know what's stumping their growth. |
Bon, these things just naturally act like they are on steroids! I don't normally let the squash grow that big, but these two were hiding in the neighbor's yard and I had obviously missed them in the last squash round up! I did grow these just for fun, since Seedmama made me laugh so much with her stories, but I really do like them. The plants are very hardy, they were not bothered by anything! Well, except when I was forced to step on stems trying to navigate the patch! Next year I will just set them to grow on the fence. They want to grow there anyway! I may try to avoid the back fence though...there's a pit bull back there that doesn't like me to get anywhere near his yard.... Not only are the plants tough, the squash is really good. What I read about them, it sounds like they are a winter squash versus a summer squash. I don't find them as hardy as a winter squash, so I would call it an in between. Fall squash? :) They taste pretty yummy too. I've substituted them in cake for zucchini and it worked very well. I've also cooked them with italian sausage and tomatoes/onions/peppers and I have cooked them with tortelli and alfredo sauce. I like them in both types of dishes. |
- Posted by ChickenCoupe 7a (My Page) on Sun, Oct 7, 12 at 15:06
My kids love zucchini bread. That's one of the reasons I'm growing squash and not much else right now. ( I had some broccoli amongst the weeds lol) Btw, squash is one of the worms' favorites! Never worry about having too much squash. They'll handle it all. lol |
All right, you got me convinced! Put me down for some Zucchetta seeds for next year please.... Moni |
Sure, Moni!!! Make friends with all your neighbors...you'll be sharing! Lisa |
- Posted by ezzirah011 7a (My Page) on Mon, Oct 8, 12 at 7:42
Whoa! Those things are huge! Wow! Good job! |
- Posted by soonergrandmom Z6 Grove (My Page) on Mon, Oct 8, 12 at 16:56
Lisa, I always let mine get that size and I consider that about normal. |
- Posted by slowpoke_gardener 6/7 (My Page) on Tue, Oct 9, 12 at 11:51
Those look good, how are they used and stored? Larry |
- Posted by soonergrandmom Z6 Grove (My Page) on Tue, Oct 9, 12 at 13:44
Larry, I use mine as a summer squash only, although some claim they work as winter squash. In summer, I fry them, or cut them in strips and stir fry. I slice in half inch rounds and put them on an oiled pan, drizzle a little olive oil and some type of herb seasoning and bake. I make squash casserole, with cooked squash, Ritz crakers, egss, etc. I think I made 21 jars of squash relish. I froze squash for casseroles this winter, and I will probably use the ones left in the garden as frozen shredded squash for bread or cake. You can use them just as zucchini, but no mater how big these get, all of the seeds are in the lower bulb, and the neck is all firm usable squash. Warning: It is a huge plant! |
Carol is not joking about the plant size. Even in those pics you cannot see how they crawled into all three neighbors' yards. I planted the entire packet, which is supposed to be 20 seeds, I think. I made four hills at the four corners of my compost pile. I bet each vine is more than 10 feet, 15 maybe. I've corralled a couple of them and rerouted them. One was about to mix it up with my passionvine. I'm not sure who would have been the winner there, but it would have been an ugly battle! (The passionvine lost ultimately because I got tired of the thuggishness and yanked it a week ago) |
If you have any cars up on blocks you need to hide from Code Enforcement, this is the squash to plant. |
Lol |
- Posted by shankins123 7aOKC (My Page) on Wed, Oct 10, 12 at 15:14
Another use...of the "firm" parts - I've sliced those up and put them on top of home-made veggie pizza, too....very good! The firm portions have no seeds, so there's no messiness or weeping as a pizza topping - good stuff! Sharon |
Hi y'all! I know it's been a while since any one has posted on this particular subject, but we're new to this this year, and would like any feedback on what's going on. This picture is a couple of weeks old, maybe 3. The vine is now at least 8 ft I'd say (taller than me, I'm 5' and seems to be growing back down itself), and we still just have beautiful, green, leafy, prolific vines. They don't seem to be in any hurry to flower, much less fruit. At a loss here. They were seeded back in late May. Any thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated! :) |
Maloree: I am not the veggie expert around here, but my guess would be that if you will wait a couple weeks, they will start producing. ...also check underneath all that foliage, sometimes there's squash hiding that you never saw! We have a current thread with some zucchetta postings under "Seminole Pumpkins" ..I think. |
I agree. This is a common comment when people are fairly new to growing these kinds of squash and can't wait for production. It's like the watched kettle that won't boil. About the time you forget about it... they bowl you over with production! George |
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Taking the Lead
To the end of World War I, the League of Nations was set up to promote international peace and cooperation. The League of Nations and the Treaty of Versailles did not find the endorsement of the US Congress despite President Woodrow Wilson's active campaign. America did not join the League. The idea of an intergovernmental organization to promote international harmony and cooperation did not, however, die out. In the early days of World War II, the United States and Britain together drafted the Atlantic Charter. The statement was issued in August 1941, and later agreed upon by all the Allied nations. The principles of the charter translated into the Declaration by United Nations, agreed upon by the allied countries on January 1, 1942. The name United Nations (UN) was coined by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The 'Big Four' allies who formed the core of the United Nations were the US, the UK, the USSR, and China. This declaration formed the basis of the formation of the current United Nations.
Engineering the United Nations
President Roosevelt took the lead in the formation of the United Nations. Along with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill, and Premier of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, President Roosevelt formulated the principles and structure of the United Nations at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference (1944). The representatives of over fifty nations met at Dumbarton Oaks in 1944 to discuss the proposals put forth by The Big Four. Again in 1945, at Yalta, the structure of the United Nations was reviewed by the US and the UK. On October 24, 1945, the United Nations Charter was ratified by the US, the UK, the USSR, and many other nations, thus marking the birth of the United Nations as we know it. Between 1946 and 1952, the United Nations was based at the Sperry Gyroscope Corporation in Lake Success, New York and was then moved to the United Nations Headquarters at Turtle Bay in Manhattan. The contribution of the United States and President Roosevelt to the birth of the organization remains a significant legacy that impacts the American influence on the United Nations.
The Veto
With the establishment of the Security Council, the five major founding nations – the US, the UK, the USSR, China, and France became permanent members and assumed the authority to cast a veto – the right to reject any major resolution of the UN Security Council. Though a number of nations opposed the veto, the United States was insistent on this one demand. Over the years, the US has used the veto to halt several critical resolutions. The veto was first cast in 1970 by the United States. The latest use of the veto by the US was in February 2011 against resolutions condemning Israeli settlements. In the past decades, the veto has often been cast by the US to stall anti-Israeli resolutions.
Ambivalence of the US
Since the inception of the United Nations, the US has maintained an intense level of involvement in its proceedings and activities. In the wake of the Cold War, however, focus on the UN was sidelined when it came to America's foreign relations. This was primarily because the USSR was also a member of the Security Council and both countries wielded the veto, effectively paralyzing the UN agency. In the early days of the United Nations, Vyacheslav Molotov of the USSR, cast vetoes many times earning him the nickname 'Mr. Veto.' In the 1970s a rapidly expanding General Assembly made the US take notice of the United Nations. With colonialism coming to an end in many parts of the world, the newly formed nations of Asia and Africa were active in propagating their non-alignment ideologies, and the UN became an important forum for these nascent nations to form a strong lobby. This was not in line with the foreign policies of the United States, and the country's relations on the UN front started to sour. By the 1980s, US involvement in the activities of an expanding UN was at its lowest. Ronald Reagan had taken charge of the Oval Office and promptly withdrew the United States from a number of UN agencies.
Back to the United Nations
In the early 1990s, the United Nations once again started to feature prominently in the foreign policy framework of the US. The collapse of the USSR and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait gave US President George Bush the perfect opportunity to engage with the United Nations again. With the launch of Operation Desert Storm, the UN became prominent in the US foreign policy agenda again. The US attempt to engage with other nations through the UN was viewed as an attempt to give what was essentially an American operation a global outlook. The Clinton administration started off with an aggressive commitment to multilateralism. The United Nations once more became a tool for global endorsement of America's decisions to intervene and to abstain from the ongoing developments in Bosnia, Somalia, and Rwanda. Support for the UN in the USA ebbed after the disastrous operations in non-US Somalia. President Clinton called for a reform of the global organization and vehemently opposed the reelection of Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali. Despite its active role in the early years, America's defiance of the United Nations came as the fallout of the perceived threat to the country's foreign policy agenda and to its sovereignty.
The Withdrawal Debate
In the 1990s, the growing unpopularity of the United Nations in Washington sparked off a movement for the US withdrawal from the United Nations. The movement found active endorsement of a number of prominent US legislators. The H.R.1146 (110th): American Sovereignty Restoration Act was introduced in Congress on February 16, 2007, but never acted upon. The bill called for withdrawal of the US mission to the United Nations and demands the termination of America's participation in any UN agency. Though the bill did not find popular endorsement, it crystallized into America's firm non-endorsement of the International Court of Justice.
The Scales Tip
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the US led invasion of Afghanistan was not authorized by the United Nations Security Council. While the United States maintained that UN approval was not required because the invasion constituted self-defense, a number of UN members criticized the move on the grounds that the 9/11 attacks were not acts of aggression by the state of Afghanistan. An escalation of hostilities led to the establishment of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) by the United Nations, roping in NATO. Since 2003, the ISAF has been actively involved in combat. This again, detractors of the US claim, was the country's effort to use the United Nations as a tool to further its own agenda of aggression.
Split Wide Open
In March 2003, the United States invaded Iraq following reports of the latter's possession of weapons of mass destruction, while the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission had not found evidence to substantiate the claim. The US insisted that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had planned to pursue a nuclear program. The United States-led invasion of Iraq was vehemently criticized by many nations as a violation of the UN charter. On September 16, 2004, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan said, "I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN Charter. From our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal." Critics of the war, including Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela called the act a violation of multilateralism and of the United Nations' ideals.
A Shift in Focus
The exceptional success of UN peacekeeping forces in countries such as Cambodia, Guatemala, Mozambique, and Tajikistan, point to a shift in the organization's focus away from the US. The Arab Spring revolts of 2011 revealed a rift in the UN Security Council between the western countries, led by the US, and countries such as Russia and China. The issue of debate remained the policy of outside pressure as championed by the US and several European countries. Russia, China, Brazil, India, South Africa, and a number of other nations (members of the UN Security Council) vehemently opposed any infringement on the sovereignty of these countries. The IBSA – India, Brazil South Africa – approached the matter of UN intervention in the Arab countries. The US–led NATO intervention in Libya was also vehemently criticized by these nations in the United Nations. The economic, social, and political growth of the BRICS countries and other African and Asian nations has been a big challenge to the implementation of many US-led resolutions at the United Nations. A shift in focus is evident but the consequences are uncertain. The tilt of the votes in favor of Asian and African nations has not succeeded in overriding the US at the UN. Instead, they have led to a paralyzed deliberation process, and the UN is now unable to respond unanimously to global crisis. Then again, the UN forces have been successful in supporting political transitions in countries like Sierra Leone, Timor–Leste, Haiti, Liberia, and Kosovo. The inclusion of Palestine as a member of UNESCO is an important instance of the United States being overridden by other countries at the United Nations.
The Funding Issue
The United Nations receives its funding from member states. The United States contributes about 22 percent of the United Nations' budget and about 27 percent of the organization's peacekeeping budget. Through the late twentieth century, the United States maintained a state of ambivalence and ran up dues on its funding. During the Clinton administration, the arrears of the United States reached about $1.6 billion, and the UN was on the verge of bankruptcy. In 2009, US Congress approved payment of all arrears to the United Nations.
The issue of sanctions and withholding funds has been a significant one, however. In 2011, Palestine was granted UNESCO membership despite severe opposition from the United States, Israel, and several other nations. Of the 173 members, 107 had endorsed the decision. The United States initiated punitive action, cutting off its funds to the UN's cultural and educational agency, withdrawing a $70 million fund contribution and severely affecting the stability of UNESCO. The United States alone had contributed about 22 percent of UNESCO's annual budget prior to the withdrawal. The United Nations has been used as a tool for legalizing the US sanctions against states such as Iraq and Iran, but the defiance of countries such as Egypt, India, and China have been a matter of concern causing much dissent.
A number of concerns have been raised when it comes to ties between the United States and the United Nations. Is the United Nations' value centered on the implementation of the United States' national interests? Does the US adopt a policy of conformation to the UN when multilateralism falls in line with its domestic agenda and depart from adherence to the UN when it doesn't?
Is the United Nations dominated by the United States?


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Check out some of these short videos as members of this year's Raptors Dance Pak travel around the world to China as part of an NBA promotional tour!
Dance Pak: At the Airport – November 22, 2011
Amberley and members of the dance pak team await at the airport for their flight to China, for some promotional work!
Dance Pak: Arrive in China
Amberley Waddell welcomes everyone to China!
Dance Pak: Let's go to the Ex…China!
The Raptors Dance Pak heads to the Exhibition Center in China for their first appearance!
Dance Pak: At the Car Show
Members of the Raptors Dance Pak head to a car show in China for their next show!
Dance Pak: Out to Lunch
The girls head downtown during a lunch break to find some eats!
Dance Pak: Ordering Food
The girls talk about the difficulties of ordering food in a country where you don't know the language.


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36 Things We Learned from the 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace' Commentary
Commentary Commentary By Kevin Carr on July 24, 2014 | Be the First To CommentOften great movies come with great commentary tracks. Few things beat listening to filmmakers of masterpieces deconstruct their own films, offering insight into the genius that went into the process. However, some of the worst movies make spectacular commentaries as well. These commentaries give us a look into the delusional process of how an attempt to make fine art turned into some of the worst films in the history of time. Back in 1987, Christopher Reeve convinced Warner Bros. to help him revitalize the Superman franchise from the disappointing third film. He also wanted to bring a level of social responsibility by addressing the nuclear arms race at the height of the Cold War. The result was Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, a bargain-basement sequel that effectively killed the franchise for almost 20 years. In 2006, co-writer Mark Rosenthal recorded a commentary about the production of the film which is included in the Superman Motion Picture Anthology Blu-ray box set. Now, we get a look into the madness and some reasons why the final product was so terrible.
The Morning Read: Hollywood Racism, 'Avengers'-izing and Jewish Superman
Features By Scott Beggs on December 19, 2013 | Be the First To CommentThe best movie culture writing from around the internet-o-sphere. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya?
Conclusive Evidence That Dominic Toretto from 'Fast & Furious 6' is Actually Superman
Features By Kevin Carr on December 12, 2013 | Comments (6)Whether you get into the Fast & Furious franchise or not, there is no denying its massive popularity and ability to rule at the box office. A lot of the success of the franchise has come from the fact that in the past three movies, it has moved from a street racing series to basically a mix of muscle-car James Bond with the Oceans Eleven films hopped up on NoS. This past summer, Fast & Furious 6 went head-to-head in the summer box office with some of the biggest names in blockbusters, including Iron Man, Superman, and Gru's Minions. While there's no comparing the characters in Fast & Furious 6 with the Minions (although Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson try their hardest to be that charming), Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) gave Superman a run for his money. Not only did Fast & Furious 6 best Man of Steel's international box office, Dom performed his own Superman-like stunt to save his amnesiac lover Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) from certain death. This got me thinking: Is Dominic Toretto actually Superman?
Speeding Bullet: The Justification For a Killer Superman
Features By Scott Beggs on October 7, 2013 | Comments (27)It's totally fine for Superman to kill people. He's done it before, he'll do it again, and in every instance he'll most likely have strong reasons for doing so. Obviously this question came up over the summer when Man of Steel hit theaters, but it has sustainably permeated the cultural conversation and returned with enthusiasm now that writer David Goyer has weighed in on the subject. Fanning the flame wars of a divisive issue, it's launched a thousand opinions from those standing their ground on why Superman (as a representation of God, or America or merely the best of the superheroes) shouldn't take lives. The intention is understandable and powerfully compelling, but it's still wrong.
The Morning Read: Lindelof Lets Go of 'Lost,' A Killer Superman and More
Features By Scott Beggs on October 3, 2013 | Be the First To CommentThe best movie culture writing from around the internet-o-sphere. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya?
Broken Projector: Hiring a New Batman
Broken Projector By Scott Beggs on July 26, 2013 | Comments (1)This week we answer the most important question of our time: how can a city the size of Detroit go bankrupt? It's crazy, and after figuring that out in about three minutes, we then spend twenty trying to game out what Warners has planned for Batman vs. Superman before pitching actors we want to see take the cowl from Christian Bale. Plus, we've got an Interrogation Review of The Wolverine, and in case your brain is overwhelmed by things in capes, Geoff and screenwriter Brian Duffield explain what to do when you get an extreme case of writer's block. You can follow Brian Duffield (@brianduffield), the show (@brokenprojector), Geoff (@drgmlatulippe) and Scott (@scottmbeggs) for more fun stuff on a daily basis. And, as always, we welcome your feedback. Download Episode #26 Directly Or subscribe Through iTunes
Could Lex Luthor Really Make California Fall Into the Ocean with a Bomb Blast?
Features By Kevin Carr on July 23, 2013 | Be the First To CommentWhen Superman and Batman finally team up for a movie, will Batman take Supes to task for allowing such widespread destruction in Metropolis? Will Superman counter with Batman allowing his city to be taken hostage for months while he was cured of a broken back with a rope in a dirty dungeon? These (and many other lingering questions) demand to be addressed. Either way, movie fans know that Superman has faced some pretty huge threats over the years. From killer computers to the genetically engineered Nuclear Man, massive city-wide destruction has always been in the cards. In Richard Donner's 1978 Superman: The Movie, Lex Luthor stands to literally make a killing in the real estate market by wiping out the California coastline, transforming the tracks of worthless desert the new West Coast. His plan involved detonating a 500-megaton bomb in the San Adreas Fault, causing the unstable land to shift, resulting in everything to the west would "fall into the sea." This got us thinking (and worrying, since some of FSR's best writers live on the West Coast): Could Lex Luthor, or some other super villain, cause part of California to fall into the ocean?
10 Things We Learned About 'The Lego Movie' At Comic-Con
Comic-Con By Jack Giroux on July 21, 2013 | Be the First To Comment"The Lego Movie combines all your favorite pop-culture characters: Batman, Superman, The Green Lantern, (most likely) Hobbits and Harry Potter, all for one giant commercial for Lego!" Good thing for us, that's not the animated picture directors Chris Miller, Chris McKay, and Phil Lord are making. A movie that literally has "Lego" in the title could easily be interpreted as just that, but at the film's Comic-Con press conference, the three filmmakers stressed the actual movie is far from an ad. This was a project treated with a good deal of skepticism when it was announced, but after the trailer, it's shown skeptics they're not going to see the movie they were dreading. We learned plenty more about the film while in attendance at Comic-Con, so if you're curious in how the film is more than a payed advertisement, read what the the three men had to say about Michael Bay, Morgan Freeman voicing a crazy wizard, and more.
Screenwriter David S. Goyer Explores First Contact with 'Man of Steel'
Features By Jack Giroux on June 21, 2013 | Comments (10)Screenwriter David S. Goyer and his bank account must be very pleased with the audience turnout for Man of Steel, but this Superman reboot wasn't always an easy bet. Remember in 2006 the months leading up to Bryan Singer's Superman Returns? The buzz and box-office expectations were all around hyperbolic. So much so even Entertainment Weekly predicted it would make over 300 million dollars domestically It didn't. Was that because audiences no longer had an interest in Superman or that they just couldn't get behind Singer's idealistic ode to the Donner films? Maybe both. Goyer, producer Christopher Nolan, and director Zack Snyder realized audiences needed a more modern take on the character, which they delivered on with large-scale action sequences, shades of science-fiction, and no bumbling Lex Luthor goons. We spoke with screenwriter David Goyer after the film's opening weekend about the project's conception, grounding an alien who flies, and how we still haven't seen a fully-formed Superman in our SPOILER-filled discussion:
Development Hell: Why We Didn't Get a Superman Movie From 1988 to 2006
Features By David Hughes on June 17, 2013 | Comments (6)Few franchises have crashed and burned as spectacularly as the Superman films, which reached their nadir with 1987's fourth installment, The Quest for Peace, which grossed barely a tenth the box office of Richard Donner's classic origin story a decade earlier. SUPERMAN'S DIMINISHING RETURNS Superman (1978) $134M Superman II (1980) $108M Superman III (1983) $60M Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) $15M With Tim Burton's dark, gritty Batman demolishing box office records in 1989, Warner Bros. had no reason to think audiences would respond to the brighter, more colorful Man of Steel mythos – at least, not until 1992, when DC Comics' bestselling "The Death and Return of Superman" cycle put The Daily Planet's most famous reporter back on the front page. In the comics (later turned into a 2007 animated film, Superman: Doomsday), Superman is killed by a creature called Doomsday, before being resurrected after a three-month publishing hiatus which became a publicity magnet. Deciding that the death-and-rebirth story merited a movie, Warner placed a full-page ad in the trade press announcing a working-titled Superman: The New Movie, with Batman producer Jon Peters at the wheel, and screenwriter Jonathan Lemkin (Lethal Weapon 4, Devil's Advocate, Demolition Man), at the typewriter.
7 Questions Left Unanswered by 'Man of Steel'
Features By Jack Giroux on June 15, 2013 | Comments (37)Spoilers Ahead: This article contains advanced talking points for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. We recommend reading it after you see the film. Anyone who called Iron Man 3 or any other blockbuster in the past few years an "epic" will be eating their words once they see Zack Snyder's giant toy set called Man of Steel. It's as if Shane Black and J.J. Abrams were playing with plastic action figures and then, all the sudden, Snyder showed up with real heroes. His Superman reboot is exciting, a visual marvel, and gives fans the movie they wanted to see from Bryan Singer. Finally, we have a 21st century Superman who punches somebody, but is there more here than a few wicked brawls? For the most part, yes. There's some heart present, especially with Russell Crowe taking part in the film's emotional peak within the first twenty minutes. After that, the movie loses some of that patient drama with certain structural and character choices. This isn't, let's say, a Star Trek Into Darkness situation where the experience falls flat by Abrams & Co. consistently choosing spectacle over logic. For every confounding choice made in Man of Steel, there's plenty of right choices made. Some of those puzzling choices raise questions, though. There's no plot holes to drive buses through here, but they feel like issues that shouldn't go unnoticed.
Superman, Schwarzenegger, Spielberg and Hollywood Interns Star in the 10 Best Movie Stories of the Week
Features By Christopher Campbell on June 15, 2013 | Be the First To CommentYou can tell Man of Steel is the movie of the summer because none of us can stop writing about it. Would it be more or less covered if the Superman movie actually got mostly favorable reviews? It's hard to say, as much of our and other outlets' think pieces are a mix of pre-planned stuff on the character in general as well as superhero movies in general and reaction posts both about what the new movie gets wrong and right. All I know is I could have devoted this week's whole Reject Recap to the ol' Caped Kryptonian (is that not one of his nicknames?). Let me just point out that it's deserving. While the official FSR review is fairly negative, I'll admit that I love it. And it's definitely worth seeing even if you have problems with much of it. As is clear, there's so much to talk about. There's a bunch to discuss on other topics and movies, too. We had two big stories involving the future of Hollywood, thoughts on some older favorites and some other characters' announced returns, an update on real-life versions of characters from one of this week's new releases and also a geeky comparison between video game consoles complete with their relevance to movie fans. Before we get to your week in review, here's some trivia regarding the headline above: all are tied to Superman. Steven Spielberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both linked to Superman: The Movie and, well, some interns probably […]
10 Things the Internet Got Wrong About 'Man of Steel'
Features By Kate Erbland on June 14, 2013 | Comments (7)It has happened before and it will happen again – the Internet rumor perpetual-motion machine got some stuff wrong about Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. While Snyder doesn't ascribe to something even remotely like J.J. Abrams' "Mystery Box" way of hiding information (including the barest of facts) about his films, fans of Superman have been so revved up about the new Henry Cavill-starring film for so long that it's understandable that a ton of rumors would be cooked up about the film before and during its production. After all, who wouldn't expect to see Lex Luthor in a Superman film? In the wake of the film actually being released in theaters, let's recap eleven big rumors about Man of Steel that got root on the interwebs (either via traditional reportage or speculative message boards) and have now been proven to be patently false. While a few of these have already been debunked, the release of the film finally signals the most formal of debunkings for all of them. Fortunately for fans of Supes, most of these are rumors we definitely didn't want to see pan out (even if they did take some serious chatter wing for a bit there), at least in a newly rebooted origin story. Of course, there are tons of spoilers ahead for anyone who has yet to see Man of Steel, so beware.
What Does It Mean That 'Man of Steel' Has Superman Pledging His Allegiance to the U.S. Flag Again?
Features By Christopher Campbell on June 14, 2013 | Comments (4)Warning: there are mild spoilers ahead for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Haven't seen the movie yet? Go see it, then come on back. Man of Steel couldn't have a more perfect release date. This Sunday is Father's Day, which makes it a very appropriate weekend for an action flick about a superhero with two dads and the wisdom imparted by each of them. Meanwhile, today is also Flag Day, and while the latest Superman movie isn't overbearingly jingoistic, it is significant for explicitly returning the character's national allegiance. "I'm about as American as you get," he says when his loyalty to the U.S. is questioned. The line wouldn't be so notable if it weren't for the way the previous live-action movie we got, Superman Returns, represented the hero. When Perry White (Frank Langella) references a familiar catchphrase by asking if Superman still stands for "truth, justice and all that stuff," that made many conservative fans upset. Never mind that the original "American way" version wasn't even introduced until years after his comics debut (on the radio show in 1942 and then resurfacing on the 1950s TV series). "The truth is he's an alien," said Returns co-writer Dan Harris in 2006, "He was sent from another planet. He has landed on the planet Earth, and he is here for everybody. He's an international superhero."
What 'Man of Steel' Gets Right About Lois Lane
Features By Kate Erbland on June 13, 2013 | Comments (9)Warning: there are spoilers ahead for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Haven't seen the movie yet? Go see it, then come on back. It's long been the running gag of the Superman universe – that the world's populace and his closest friends are unable to comprehend that Superman and Clark Kent are one in the same, only one of them happens to be wearing glasses. While it is somewhat conceivable that Supes' fans and Clark's acquaintances are too knuckle-headed to see the truth (particularly in the early days of his existence, as we suspect that modern day Superman will have some major problems when it comes to social media, smart phones, and citizen reportership), it's always been dunderheaded that Superman's perennial love interest, Lois Lane, is consistently in the dark as to who is who. The main issue with the lovely Lois not seeing the obvious is that she is not only a highly intelligent woman, she is a woman who investigates things for a living. Rooting out truths and seeing beyond the status quo is not only what Lois does, but it's who she is. Open your eyes, Lois! In traditional Superman comic history, Lois first became suspicious of Clark Kent's true identity (or Superman's true identity, whichever, really) back in the Golden Age of DC Comics. Lois, like Superman, was first introduced in Action Comics #1 in 1938, though she didn't start putting the Clark/Supes pieces together until sometime in the early 1940's. To get into the rest […]
Super Strengths and X-Ray Revision: How 'Superman' Past Affects 'Man Of Steel'
Features By Brian Salisbury on June 12, 2013 | Be the First To CommentLook, up on the marquee! It's a sequel, it's a remake…no, it's another Superman reboot! A mere seven years after Bryan Singer's Superman Returns leaped into theaters in a single bound, Zack Snyder now has his chance to reset the Superman dial and hopefully make the series more powerful than a locomotive. However, if Man of Steel is to represent the future of the franchise, it must first train its superpowered eyesight upon its own filmic past. Whether revisiting these films on DVD, Blu-ray or Kryptonian crystal, the franchise's successes and failures must be weighed in order to ensure the triumph of Man of Steel. Here is what each movie has taught us, and how those lessons have refined our expectations.
How Superhero Movies Save Us When We Need Them Most
Features By Louis Plamondon on June 11, 2013 | Comments (3)The first superhero in comic book history and famous instigator of the most profitable movie genre of all time (a.k.a. the one who started it all) is flying back to theaters this Friday in Man of Steel. Few industry analysts seem to agree on a common lockstep to pin down box-office predictions for the one we now like to refer to as the "Man of Steel." According to most recent reports, distributors expect a $130M opening week-end domestically and a healthy run that could fly as far as late August. There are many arguments against the movie doing great business and many arguments in favor. I personally think the Zack Snyder/Christopher Nolan joint effort will perform exceedingly well, and one reason I consider relevant is the current state of the world and how we could all use a hero in light of recent times. Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie opened in theaters on December 15, 1978 and would have made $455M with today's 3D ticket prices. Perhaps it was Marlon Brando's infamous 15 minutes of screen time with his nicely coiffed hairdo that infused enough credibility into the production to seduce audiences at the time. Or perhaps there was more. The movie's very first frames took us back to June 1938 – showing the original issue of Action Comics featuring Superman – as you can hear a young boy uttering these words: "In the decade of the 1930's, even the great city of Metropolis was not spared from the ravages […]
Get Ready for 'Man of Steel' By Watching the Oscar-Nominated 'Superman' Film From 1941
Features By Christopher Campbell on June 9, 2013 | Comments (3)This is another edition of Short Starts, where we present a weekly short film from the start of a filmmaker or actor's (or character's) career. As we get excited about Man of Steel this week, it's once again worth considering Hollywood's incessant need to re-tell superhero origin stories every time they begin or reboot a franchise. The new Superman movie does indeed go back to the beginning and tell of Kal-El's birth on Krypton and travel to Earth, where he grew up with the Kent family. Sure, this one is not as quick a rehash as the Spider-Man or even Batman properties have done. The last time we saw Superman's start on the big screen was 35 years ago (never mind that there have been TV tellings since). Before that we'd already seen the origin story done perfectly well in the 1948 serial version (his first live-action film appearance). Interestingly enough, though, the character's earlier debut on the silver screen barely bothered with his origins at all. This short start is an animated film titled Superman (some refer to it as "The Mad Scientist"), which arrived only three years after the superhero made his first appearance in any media, in the pages of "Action Comics" #1 (take that, adaptations in development hell for decades). And after a very, very brief introduction telling of Superman's backstory, this ten-minute work gets right into an original, isolated adventure in which the character must destroy a mad scientist's death ray and also save Lois […]
Infographic: The Financial Success of Superman
Movie News By Neil Miller on June 8, 2013 | Comments (2)Beyond busting up what appears to be a bank vault door in next week's highly anticipated release Man of Steel, Superman has always had a positive relationship with money. In fact, even off the big screen, the Man of Steel has found himself to be a great financial success. Remember that one Superman comic that grossed $30 million dollars? Of course, it took his death, but still. The following new infographic, courtesy of the folks at FinancesOnline, charts the success of he who is faster than a speeding bullet. From the success of the film franchise to record comic sales, there seems to be no amount of Kryptonite in green money. Okay, enough puns. The infographic has a bunch of interesting stats and some fun facts about Superman. Just skip on down and see for yourself.
The 10 Most Hellish Movie Prisons
Cinematic Listology By David Christopher Bell on April 25, 2013 | Comments (9)Prison sounds like hell. You're locked in one room, barely going outside while you are forced to sit around all day and like… read and watch TV and shit. I hear there are movie nights and exercise equipment as well. You'd probably get really fit, and hell – you'd be socializing for once in your life. Okay, when I describe it like that, prison sounds all right. In movies it varies, especially when the film doesn't exactly take place in our own reality. They cane be comedic, nightmarish and, in some cases, musical. They can also be like hell. Here are the ones that look like the biggest pains to reside in – places where, in a world where you have to either get busy living or get busy dying, the latter would probably be best.
Neil Miller
Scott Beggs
Rob Hunter
Kate Erbland
Christopher Campbell


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Well the kids just got done with school on the fifth. Yay. Sort of.
We got report cards in the mail the other day. My DS got great grades, very proud of him. He brought up his grades to all A's and two B's. He actually had a D in english at semester and a C in science and I ripped into him about it and he pulled a B out of both the classes. yay! SD was supposed to get at least C's on her report card. Because she had D's and F's at semester. Well, she ended up with three D's and the rest C's. Not exactly great. Not sure yet if she can still do summer school since she got D's, which are considered passing. School called last week and left a message that she is on a wait list, there are no computers available. but that is just because she had to sing up early for summer school with the F's on her semester report. DH is supposed to call and find out more. So she is supposed to be working since she blew her grades, and we let her keep the job. Well, for some reason, she is only on the schedule for the weekends still. No extra hours. For last week, or for the new week. I didn't think anything of it last week, but now that the new schedule came out and she is still on the weekend hours. I am thinking, ok...either they want her to quit, or she has not asked for the additional hours. When asked, she just shrugs, and says she doesn't know. She wrote them a note and asked for more hours but nothing. A note?!!! WTF?!! I am so smelling a lie. So, she has been hanging out at home, sleeping till past noon. Lucky if she will get dressed before 2 in the afternoon. No, it isn't depression. She just wants to be up late trying to watch television etc and sleep all freakin' day. Oh, and she manages to get "let off work" early cuz they have too many people at least one day of her weekends. So she is lucky if she is getting 12-15 hours a week. But she will say that they are shorthanded too. ??? Which is it? I am thinking she doesn't want to even work now. But yet, she is asking us how much lap top computers cost because she wants one. Yeah, then she would never leave her room. Right now she is supposed to be doing laundry (no clean clothes running around in pj's) and her regular chores. It isn't happening. She asked to do laundry but it will take her the entire day to do 4 loads of laundry. Dishes are still sitting in the sink. She just goes off to her room. But she will come out and do them before her dad gets home. She wouldn't want dad to see. If he was here he wouldn't put up with it, but since it is just me, she just does as little as she can get away with. Love that passive aggression. Oh and for those that just think its step mom vs step kids...my son is out job hunting as well, and he has daily chores he has to get done as well as some extras. So it isn't just the poor step kid being "picked on". Oh, and the 6 year old has chores too. Not the baby so much, but we are teaching him to pick up his toys. |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by organic_maria (My Page) on Tue, Jun 16, 09 at 5:40
oh i believe you. ITS PLAIN F'N LAZYNESS! And procrastinating as well. What does your dh do about this? Is he on her case or does she blow him off as well? ANd no computer for her...she doesn't deserve it and she will probably get worse. My ss is failing now and dear bm is not taking away his playstation game away from him...and still putting him in sports! go figure! she F'n rewards him for doing nothing!...well...her problem when he gets older and wants to live with mom till 45. not my problem. Thank God my Sd is smart in school and even though she can be an issue at times, she will definitely make somethingof herself. She has the drive, the brains and the will. As for work for your sd, do you have any friends who can take her in for a few hours of work, weather its cleaning...or whatever , a family business at a restaurant??? dad can tell her to go, its not a choice here. Just drop it on her lap. |
- Posted by lovehadley (My Page) on Tue, Jun 16, 09 at 14:32
"As for work for your sd, do you have any friends who can take her in for a few hours of work, weather its cleaning...or whatever , a family business at a restaurant??? dad can tell her to go, its not a choice here. Just drop it on her lap." That is an excellent idea. |
A family business? How many people here know soemone who can get a kid a job? I think this is a little unrealistic. There are adults looking for work and cant find it. |
- Posted by poppingrays (My Page) on Tue, Jun 16, 09 at 16:06
Boy this sounds so familiar.... My SD went throught this last year with her job. She complained because they didn't give her enough hours, but if they were letting people go home early, she was the first one to step up. It was shortly after that she just up and "quit" (got fired for no-call, no show). I hope that's not in your SD's future. SD should have something else to do during the week. There are plenty of volunteer positions for a multitude of things. Even if SD's not making money she could be helping someone. The grades... Unless SD miraculously begins to care about her grades, she'll never do better than C's & D's. I've watched all of our kids, both bio and step, scrape by with below average grades. I was a straight A student and it seemed like I never worked that hard at it. I have such a hard time grasping why our kids think school is so hard. Some kids believe as long as they pass then that's good enough. We've always offered monetary rewards for good grades, but even that didn't work after time. Punishment for bad grades doesn't seem to help either. I've taken away TV's, cell phones, computers, X-boxes, you name it! Just doesn't work... My oldest SD has managed to make it through 3 years of college, so far, and her high school grades stunk! So I guess there is hope. The kids only make it harder on themselves with their poor grades, they just don't figure that out until it's too late. The laptop... I suppose if she's the one who buys it then there is probably not a lot you can do about that, other than not provide internet access to her bedroom. I feel for you! Been there! The worst part is you can't even "reward" her for getting her chores done in a timely manner because she never wants to leave the house and do anything... Hang in there. Just keep talking to DH. |
- Posted by lovehadley (My Page) on Tue, Jun 16, 09 at 20:02
Actually, off the top of my head, I can think of two families I know that own casual bar & grill type restaurants. My friend who is a single mom waitressed at one of them off and on all through college. Or what about a babysitting gig? surely, there is a family in the neighborhood or at church or school with young kids who could use a mother's helper/sitter for a few hours a week. We are not talking about gainful permanenet employment here, we are talking about a summer job for a kid who doesn't seem to work hard at anything, whether it's school or otherwise. If she is not able to do summer school, something else has to occupy her time. Sleeping until two pm is not okay for someone in her situation. Don't get me wrong, I am all for a kid having time off in the summer to re-charge, but when I say that, I am thinking more of the responsible child who works hard in school, etc. What about a pool? The big complexes around here are always looking for more lifeguards. Or if worst comes to worst, what about her doing some volunteer work? My parents never made me get a job in the summer, but I usually did some fun stuff, like camps, swim team, and a program called Broadreach. But these were all things I WANTED to do. My parents always made me commit to volunteering somewhere for a few hrs a week. I was a candystriper at a local children's hosp. for 3 summers in a row. Bottom line--this girl needs to do something! |
Where I live, in order to get a lifequard job, you have to have passed a test. Yes, there should be volunteer ops and/or summer school. |
- Posted by wild_thing (My Page) on Wed, Jun 17, 09 at 4:17
What does your dh do about this? Is he on her case or does she blow him off as well? Maria: Dh keeps her on her toes when he is home. But as soon as he walks out the door...yeah you get the picture. I stepped out of it, I won't tell her what she needs to be doing. She knows. So pretty much she just does what she is told when he is here to make sure it is getting done. He works all week, so I think she has been counting on that with all this "time off", and thinking she is on vacation. She used to babysit for my friend. That did not go well. For several reasons. I am also no longer friends with that friend because of her involvement in issues with my sd. She didn't watch the kids. She let them run amok in the house and trash it while she sat and watched t.v. or talked on the phone. Poppin': Thanks for the words. I hear ya! I don't think she will ever do better than C's and D's. Lucky if there are C's. I don't get what they think is so hard about school either. Like I said, my son brought his grades up in the given amount of time, there was no reason why sd could not have done the same thing... she even went down in some grades. Cuz she had a couple of B's. A 'C' in chorus? How does that happen??? who the heck knows, school is obviously not important to her. today her dad came home for lunch and she asked if she could get on the computer and check her mail. He said for 30 minutes if she gets her stuff done. (that is pretty much the standing rule here, no fun till chores are done). Well, he leaves back for work and she gets on the computer right away. Stays on it for 2 hours...until I finally had enough ( I wasn't going to get involved) and I just couldn't let her sit there and mess around any longer when nothing was getting done. |
- Posted by organic_maria (My Page) on Wed, Jun 17, 09 at 6:22
Thats a shame. i know tons of people with businesses and can get parttime jobs for them...inside scoop and favors help. No kkny, its not unrealistic. ITs called asking around and people due tend to pull more strings for young teenagers. Its easier to slip them in , with no benefits , odd hours ettc..etc... Adults look for more pay and benefits....so its harder on them. wildthing, your sd knows what she is doing when daddy is out the door and she knows you are not stepping in...soooooo...she's lazy. But dont worry, its gonna bite her in the *ss when she's out in the real world. |
- Posted by finedreams (My Page) on Wed, Jun 17, 09 at 8:16
well, where I live unemployment rate is the highest in the country so there are no jobs for teenagers. not everyone can be lifeguard, has to pass the test and actually know what to do. organic you are judging by the area where we live. aren't you in Canada? where i live automotive industry crushed and everyone who is out of job takes those random jobs. when unemployment wears off people take whatever is there. nobody hires teenagers. It doesn't mean one needs to sit and do nothing. if there are no jobs then she should help more in the house. |
Fortuntately my DD doesnt need the money but has already applied for over 30 jobs. Even camps, if they can get 18YOs, they will take them over 17YOs. I dont blame them -- they have to try to fill camps and it it better to tell parents older counselors (college v. HS) |
But yes, DD still has to hear on some jobs, and she is hoping to get -- otherwise I still think summer school better option And this year, where I live, the college kids arent getting office jobs or internships, they are taking the camp jobs. |
- Posted by wild_thing (My Page) on Thu, Jun 18, 09 at 18:36
Well there are still job openings around here. I see the signs on the marquees, and in the paper. Not the big cushy jobs for professionals but jobs for teens, yes. But my sd already has a job. It is just that she isn't asking for the summer hours. I talked to one of my friends about it today and we both figured that she has been there for over a year now, so she is the one not asking for the hours. She is just dragging her feet and wanting to do NOTHING. Like I said, she better have more hours on that dang schedule next week. It is 4:30 here, and she just barely came up from her room to do her dishes and wipe down the counter. (I don't care, but its just the fact of the matter) She might as well wait till after dinner to do them!? But she knows her dad will get on her if he sees them. No computer for a few days per dad's orders because of her lapse in being able to tell time the other day. At 1pm I finally had her sister go down and tell her to come upstairs, she was still in bed. No clue what she does till the wee hours of the morning to warrant sleeping that late. Since she works on weekends she has to be at work at 7am so I have no clue how that works for her lol. But yeah, she knows dad leaves for work and is gone until a certain time and she takes full advantage of it. I am beginning to hate this summer vacation. I hope it improves soon. I still have two months left!!!! |
- Posted by wild_thing (My Page) on Thu, Jun 18, 09 at 18:49
Oh yeah, maria, she doesn't get her cell phone. She has a pay as you go one, but she doesn't get to use it because of her grades and not following through on anything her counselor is trying to help her with. So it just sits, brand new in the package on the kitchen counter as a reminder to her. Some reminder she still isn't doing a damn thing. Unmotivated doesn't even begin to cover it. I just can't understand it. She wants a lap top....her dad already told her it would be just like the phone. She wants a car....yeah sure with 12-15 hours of work per week?! Right. We sure are not going to buy her one. She does have her ipod thingy, whatever it is...some sort of mp3 player. But she hasn't been able to update it. Don't even know if she knows how to charge it. She hasn't used it in forever anyway. She probably lost it. Now that I think about it lol. There is a tv downstairs, but she isn't allowed to watch it. That doesn't mean she hasn't tried. It isn't hooked up to cable but there is a DVD player with it. One of the things she is supposed to be working on is the friends thing....well she went and did something once since school has been out. She was gone for all of an hour and a half. Woohoo! She hasn't been calling her "friends". Really there is only the one girl that we really like. The "other friends" we have never had the pleasure of meeting. Go figure. |
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text:
More on Disney Baby
Create magical moments with these inspired ideas and feel-good products.
One of My Favorite Mom Milestones
I was just away from my family for a few days on a business trip, which is always hard for me. I hate to say goodbye, and I find myself thinking of the kids the whole time I'm away. (Ok, almost the whole time.) "Ooh, 'Big' would love this place!" Or, "I wonder what 'Pink' would say if she saw this." I can't help it. I'm a mom first.
Well, it turns out that being gone wasn't too hard, because I was in for a real treat this trip. When I called home to chat with the kids, it was the first time I could really have a phone conversation with my (not-so) baby girl. I could really and truly understand what she was saying. Gone were the days of constant beeping because all she really wanted to do was play with the phone.
No, her, "Hi Mama!" could have easily been mistaken for her 4-year-old brother. I asked yes or no questions and got clear, definitive (and totally precious) answers.
But the best thing she said? Well, there's just no question.
"I love youuu!"
I love you, too, sweet girl. I love you, too.
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text:
Hi guys,
My TomTom Start (1EX00) will not boot up, it is stuck on the start screen.
I have used tomtom home and removed the application from the device and then downloaded and installed the replacement.
I have tried backing up the contents of the storage, and doing a full fat32 format.
I have run a chkdsk on the drive with both tick boxes and no errors.
Yet I still can't get the device to boot.
I have run the tomtom home update utility a number of times and there are no updates available.
Any suggestions greatfully appreciated.
I've had this on a previous device for a friend and an app replace worked, but not happening this time round.
Cheers in advance for your help.
Solved! Go to Solution.
did you try resetting your device? If not, press and hold the power button until you hear the drum roll (approx. 15 seconds). Afterwards try to start your device.
Did you completely charge your device (approx. 4 hours)?
Does your device start when connected to a power source?
Cheers for your quick response
Holding the power button even for 30secs does nothing but remain on the stuck startup screen.
The device does have a pinhole reset which as soon as the button is pressed the device immediately powers down, and keep holding does nothing.
The device has been charged overnight.
When connected to a power source, does not power itself up, but pressing the button turns it on and it gets as far as the stuck startup screen.
Cheers for your help
I have tried that already more than once anf formatting the system using full fat 32 format, sd formatters, full chkdsk but when I restore my gps using the home update and copying my maps back, the gps still remains non booting. I have tried formatting again and restoring all my original from back up and still no boot. chkdsk says the drive is fine, but cant see why it wont boot?
03-11-2011 09:19 PM - edited 03-11-2011 09:21 PM
Plug your gps in the computer and in "Home" -> "Manage my device" the click on the + sign to the left of "applicaiton", then click on "more info". What version number is it showing installed on the gps? Also what are the first two letters of your serial number?
Cheers for your assistance
The app version is currently 8.544
I'm assuming the serial number is the one below the barcode which is XC
I think it should be 9.053. But I am not an expert on version versus model including special editions versions. We need user DHN right now. Who will probably show up sometime today.
In the mean time try this. With the gps plugged into the computer, Go to Home -> Manage my device. Remove all the applications (if more then one showing) from your device. Then switch to "Items on computer" and remove all applications shown there.
1. Perform an update. Once updates are completed disconnect the gps and restart it. Don't worry if it hangs up.
2. Plug your gps in your computer again and perform another update.
3. Perform steps 1 and 2 until Home reports there are no further updates.
I've just tried clicking update about a dozen times and everytime it says 'no items available'
Cheers for your help so far matey, appreciated
Will wait and see what DHN says, hopefully we can get sorted
Try this link for app versions: http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_
There are a few app versions for the Start 20 series.


text:
Wildcats Announce 2014 Schedule; 31 Home Dates Highlight Slate of Games
Season opener scheduled for February 14, home opener on March 7
Ostapeck Fires Four-Hit Shutout, Wildcats Slam Three Home Runs in 8-0 Win Over Georgetown
Villanova head coach Joe Godri wins 300th career game in opener of three-game series
Head Coach Joe Godri Previews This Weekend's Series against Connecticut
Villanova hosts Huskies in three-game series at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth
Offense Continues to Break Out as Wildcats Overpower No. 20 Notre Dame, 10-6
Harris pitches eight-plus innings and Villanova notches first-ever win at Notre Dame
Wildcats Host Three Game Series against Cornell This Weekend
Big Red return to Plymouth Meeting for first time since 2011
Baseball Senior Day vs. Louisville
Villanova recognized its graduating seniors prior to its home game against Louisville on May 4, 2013.
Villanova Baseball vs. La Salle
Villanova defeated La Salle, 5-3, on March 26 in a game that was part of the Liberty Bell Classic.
Villanova Baseball vs. Chicago State
Villanova defeated Chicago State, 8-2, on March 15, 2013.
In a program that has been around for nearly 150 years, the coaches that have led the Villanova baseball team have carved out their own unique part of the team's history. Despite the Wildcats baseball longevity there have been only 10 full-time head coaches in the program's history, including just four in the past 65 years. Joe Godri begins his 13th season in the position in 2014 and is looking to build a young team into a perennial contender in the new-look BIG EAST Conference.
Through his first 12 years as head coach Godri has averaged better than 25 victories per season while posting a record of .500 or better eight times. His Villanova teams have also won 30 or more games twice and made two postseason appearances.
Godri coached a Wildcats team in 2013 that was among the youngest that the program had ever put on the field. Although there were the typical growing pains associated with such a young roster, by season's end the progress and growth of the entire team was fully evident. Over the final two weeks of the 2013 campaign Villanova significantly improved both its team batting average and fielding percentage while playing like a much more experienced team. The end-of-year push included sweeping a three-game series at Georgetown on the final weekend of the season.
The year of experience that the younger side of the roster gained last season has created plenty of optimism for 2014. Sophomore third baseman Kevin Jewitt earned preseason All-BIG EAST honors and the Wildcats like their chances of competing with the top conference teams and securing a spot in the four-team BIG EAST Championship to be held after the close of the regular season.
In addition for developing successful collegiate student-athletes Godri has also prepared his players well for professional baseball careers. At least one Villanova pitcher has been selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in 11 of the 12 seasons that Godri has been head coach and the total number of draft picks from the Wildcats in that span is 22 after the selections of 2013 standouts Pat Young and Tyler Sciacca. Young was chosen in the 13th round by the San Francisco Giants and went on to enjoy a successful start to his professional career.
During his time on the Main Line, Godri has emphasized the importance of growing a collegiate baseball program through incremental team achievements that build up to an ultimate goal, which in the Wildcats case means having success in the highly competitive BIG EAST Conference.
In 2008, the Wildcats made an impressive run late in the regular season to assure themselves of being one of just five teams from the 2007 BIG EAST Championship that would return the following year. Villanova won seven of its last 10 regular season conference games and clinched a playoff berth against regular season champion St. John's at home on the final day of the regular season.
In the conference tournament, Villanova knocked off the top-seeded Red Storm, 12-0, in the opening game. The No. 8 seed Wildcats went on to reach the semifinals before being eliminated by eventual champion Louisville. During the season, shortstop Derek Shunk broke the program's career records for hits, games played and at-bats en route to finishing his career ranked in the top-10 in school history in eight different offensive categories.
Many of the achievements of the 2008 team mirrored those of the 2007 squad, which ended the program's 10-year drought from postseason competition. The Wildcats also clinched their playoff berth in 2007 with a come-from-behind win over the league's regular season champion (Rutgers) during the final weekend of the regular season after making a significant run in the final weeks of the year just to be in position to contend for a playoff spot. In the 2007 BIG EAST Championship, Villanova showed that it belonged, knocking out five-time defending champion Notre Dame in an elimination game on the second day. A day earlier, the Wildcats had taken eventual College World Series qualifier Louisville to the wire in their opening game.
Throughout his coaching career, Godri has demonstrated the ability to develop individual players into top professional prospects within the context of successful team performances. In 2009, Kevin Mulvey made his major league debut pitching for the Minnesota Twins and Arizona Diamondbacks. A former top draft pick of the New York Mets in 2006, Mulvey is the second former Villanova player coached by Godri to reach the major leagues. Brian Slocum pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 2006 and 2008.
Villanova had four former players active in the minor leagues during the 2013 season. Outfielder Matt Szczur, a fifth round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2010, played the entire season for the Cubs Double-A affiliate in Tennessee and is considered to be among the team's top Major League prospects. Also playing pro ball in 2013 were Young and fellow pitchers Kyle Helisek (St. Louis Cardinals) and Kyle McMyne (Cincinnati Reds).
The selections of Young and Sciacca in 2013 marked the ninth time in 11 years that Villanova had multiple draft picks. During Godri's time as coach the Wildcats have had three four players chosen in the top five rounds of the draft, including Brian Slocum (2002, second round, Cleveland Indians), Kevin Mulvey (2006, second round, New York Mets), Szczur and McMyne (2011, fourth round).
Villanova alumni have also gone on to have success playing internationally. The most recent in that group is Mike Loree, the Wildcats career innings pitched leader who spent his second season in Taiwan pitching for the Lamigo Monkeys. Loree has had a great deal of success internationally after a minor league career in the Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates systems, in addition to a successful sting with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. Other notable international players from the Wildcats include Mark Cardillo and Angelo Petracca (Italy), Bob Grzenda (Germany) and John Yeager (Mexico).
Godri's success at Villanova has gained the notice of his peers and during the summer of 2006 he was named to the USA Baseball selection committee that chose the players for the collegiate National Team.
Villanova has developed into one of the top baseball powers in the region under Godri's watch. Over the past 10 seasons (2004-13), the Wildcats have gone 170-99-2 (.631) against non-conference competition and posted a record of 115-66-1 (.635) against opponents from the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The team's success on the field has been duly rewarded. In the past seven seasons, the Wildcats have had 24 selections on the Philadelphia Big Five Baseball All-Big Five team, including winning at least one of the Player of the Year or Pitcher of the Year awards six times in eight seasons. In 2008 Villanova was named the city's Team of the Year and Godri earned Coach of the Year honors. In addition, the Wildcats have earned 19 All-BIG EAST honors during Godri's tenure and three players have earned All-America status. Derek Shunk was a three-time All-BIG EAST selection and in 2007 was chosen as the District I Player of the Year and a third team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. More recently, Matt Szczur (2010) and Matt Fleishman (2012) became the first players under Godri's watch to be first team All-BIG EAST choices, while Szczur also went on to receive third team All-America recognition from the website Ping!Baseball.com. In 2013, Tyler Sciacca was named to the ABCA All-East team for the second consecutive year.
Several highlights of Godri's early tenure as head coach came during the 2005 campaign, when the Wildcats achieved many of the goals that he laid out upon his arrival. In only their seventh game of the season, Villanova erupted for 15 hits in an 11-1 rout of the nation's eighth-ranked Florida Gators. Florida was playing its 12th game of the season and eventually reached the final series of the College World Series that spring.
Also in 2005, starting pitchers Nick Allen and Kevin Mulvey threw no-hitters exactly one month apart. They were the seventh and eighth no-hitters in school history and the first in more than 40 years. Both pitchers were named as National Players of the Week for their achievements, making them the first Villanova players to earn national honors in Godri's tenure.
In the season prior to being named the head coach, Godri served as the associate head coach in 2001 during the final season of George Bennett's 16-year stay on campus. In this position, Godri had the unique opportunity to recruit the first class that would play for him in 2002. That first recruiting class included eventual Villanova stars Nick Allen, James Baxter, Mark Cardillo, Alan Day and Mike Grodecki. Godri's recruiting classes since then have been on par, as Villanova recruits have been ranked among the top 100 classes in the country seven times by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Godri was named the 10th head coach in the illustrious history of Villanova baseball on May 8, 2001. He took over the reigns from all-time program wins leader George Bennett, a 16-year veteran of the program and a member of the Villanova Varsity Club Hall of Fame. Godri's stint as head coach is actually his second with the Wildcats. He previously came to the Main Line in 1991 and served as the hitting coach for three seasons before returning in 2000 as an assistant coach.
During his first stay at Villanova, Godri coached All-American players Mike Neill and Gene Schall. Both went on to play in the major leagues, while Neill won a gold medal playing for the United States in the 2000 Olympic Games. Godri helped lead the Wildcats to the 1991 NCAA Northeast Regional, the team's second NCAA appearance in three seasons.
Following his first three years at Villanova, Godri was the head assistant coach at New Mexico State from 1994-97. While coaching at New Mexico State, two of his three recruiting classes were ranked in the top 40 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. In addition, the Aggies were ranked in the top 25 for the first time in school history.
With his focus on hitting as a New Mexico State assistant, Godri helped the Aggies crack the top five in several NCAA offensive categories including hitting, runs scored, stolen bases and home runs. He also coached another future major leaguer in Jason Rackers, who would go on to play for the Kansas City Royals. While with the Aggies, Godri coached under current North Carolina State head coach Elliott Avent who was named National Coach of the Year in 2003.
After three seasons at New Mexico State, Godri spent one season as an associate scout for the Cleveland Indians. He then traveled to the University of Utah where he assisted with the pitching staff for two seasons.
Godri played his collegiate baseball at Colorado State and Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla. After finishing his degree as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh with his Bachelor's Degree in Education, Godri went on to receive a Master's Degree in Marketing and Management from New Mexico State.
Godri and his wife, Michelle, reside in Linfield, Pa.