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Georgia State got on the board first with a run in the top of the first inning. Brenna Morrissey lead of the game with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Clifton and scored on a double by Lauren Coleman.
That represented the only hit by the Panthers over the rest of the game as Hofstra pitcher Olivia Galati continue to stifle the Panther offense. The junior threw a complete game and struck out ten batters.
Galati, named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, also hit one of four home runs for the Pride. Becca Bigler had two of the long-balls and Krista Thorne added a solo shot in the second inning.
Coleman, Paige Nowacki and Ashley Christy were the three representatives from GSU on the CAA All-Tournament team.
GSU was trying to repeat as CAA champions after capturing the conference title in 2011 on this same field. This marks the fourth time Georgia State has been the conference runner-up to Hofstra.
Three Panther pitchers were used on the afternoon, after starter Alana Thomas was knocked out in the second inning. McCall Langford gave up six runs on as many hits in her 2.1 innings pitched. Kaitlyn Medlam got the final two outs in the fourth inning without allowing a baserunner.
The Panthers went 2-2 in the tournament, earning two wins over James Madison and suffering two losses to Hofstra. Overall, GSU finishes the season with a 38-18 record, the fifth best in school history.

subset: commoncrawl


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The New York Knicks are not the only New York team who have figured out this whole basketball thing in the new year. The Brooklyn Nets have recently gotten better at playing basketball and with Wednesday's 102-98 victory over the Golden State Warriors, the Nets accomplished two feats in one fell swoop; in addition to winning their fourth straight game, the Nets also ended the Warriors' own winning streak at 10 games. Remarkably enough, the Nets were able to pull out their victory over the overall superior Warriors without starting point guard Deron Williams, who is dealing with yet another ankle ailment that will cause him to miss extended time.
Also noteworthy was that the Nets won the contest with defense, a continuation of a winning formula that only recently has the team embraced. For most of the season, the Nets defense bore a strong resemblance to tissue paper; with even the slightest amount of force applied to it, in this case, an opponent wishing to navigate through the Nets defense and score points, causing a tear in its fabric.
The Nets were able to hold the Golden State Warriors to just 101.3 points per 100 possessions, well below the 105.9 points per 100 possessions the Warriors have been accustomed to scoring this season. The difference in the efficiency is the result of the Nets limiting the accuracy of the Warriors' three-point shooting; on Wednesday, the Warriors only connected on nine of their 26 three-point attempts (34.6 percent).
As the Warriors are incredibly reliant on the three-pointer for their offensive efficiency, with 29.0 percent of their field goal attempts coming from three-point range, taking away the three-pointer was to take away their most potent offensive weapon. With that done, the road to victory was a lot less arduous for the Nets to travel.
Even so, with the Warriors struggling to connect on three-point attempts in the contest, there were still some tense moments for the Nets in the fourth quarter as they tried to preserve their victory. After falling behind by three points with 4:05 left in the fourth quarter, the Nets then went on to score the next nine points in the game, six of which were provided by shooting guard Joe Johnson, to build a five-point lead with just ten seconds remaining in the period.
Holding that advantage over the Warriors should have made the Nets' win expectancy impregnable, but they were almost undone by a silly foul by Shaun Livingston on Stephen Curry during a three-point attempt; Curry only made two of his 10 three-point attempts in the game. Curry fully capitalized on the gift Livingston had given him by making all three of his free throws to bring the Warriors to within two points with nine seconds left to play.
Yet, despite Livingston's regrettable foul on Curry, the Nets still held all the trump cards as the few remaining seconds on the clock dictated that the Warriors would have to foul the Nets, which would have sent the Nets to the free throw line. Then the Warriors would be forced to pin their hopes on the Nets missing free throws while they shook off their earlier poor shooting and scored points on each of the possessions they managed to squeeze out of nine seconds of game time.
Unsurprisingly, the Nets were not obliging as Kevin Garnett and Joe Johnson combined to make four straight free throw attempts while the Warriors' final two offensive possessions of the game yielded one made jumper and one missed three-pointer by Curry.
With their fourth straight victory, the Nets are loudly announcing to the NBA that they are now a team to be reckoned with. No longer are they unable to stop opposing offenses from scoring at will, and with their improved defense will come more opportunities to score victories over their competition.


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Saturday, August 15, 2009
Mexican Pizza... but not like Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza, y'know?
And that's when it happened. That was when the whole train of thought got diverted. Because in our preparations for dinner I found something that I had to write about, which I could not even consider not writing about. I put together the following pizza:
A light pizza crust (recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook again, which is quickly becoming our go-to dough for its ease [it comes together in seriously five minutes tops] and its hands-off approach to flavor [it imparts just the tiniest hit of saltiness and a fresh floury oomph that really suits summer veggie pizzas] ) topped with fine local extra virgin olive oil; half an organic yellow onion sauteed with diced jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; a light scattering (maybe half a cup? 3/4 of a cup?) of a blend of pepper jack and medium cheddar; and slices of a variety of heady, ripe heirloom tomatoes layered on raw.
We popped it onto the pizza stone which had been heating in our oven and we waited, half-crouched to keep an eye through the oven door and maybe, if we were lucky, to catch a whiff of the flavors melding inside.
And just to build suspense, let me add a little sidebar about our oven. The house we moved into a few weeks ago had recently had the kitchen remodeled by my parents. One of the appliances they put in is a GE Profile stove and convection oven. Now, I've had a convection toaster oven that I use all the time but there's just something a little bit... well, intimidating about the real thing. So while we've been using the stove daily, the oven has done no more than keep a set of (weird weird weird) soy pancakes warm while I cooked bacon last weekend. This was, for all intents and purposes, the maiden voyage of this little beast. Our first foray into high heat and moving parts. I can honestly say, watching the crust puff and brown and the tomatoes steam in maybe half the time it would have taken in a conventional oven, that I did take a step toward conversion.
After it came out of the oven looking gorgous, we topped the steaming tomatoes and cheese with crumbled queso fresco (which we got from this great store in Fresno called Vallarta which my original post was going to be about), and roughly chopped cilantro. And then sliced it up and took bites.
Let me tell you. Without exaggeration. It was damn good.
Given the fortuitous combination of good ingredients on hand, a bad ass oven, and some "what would happen if we..."s, we haphazardly threw together one of our top five best dishes ever. Maybe top two. I don't know. I'm stoked, though. And I could have eaten the whole pizza by myself. I love California Pizza, and I didn't think I could make it on my own, but there it is. Proven. Now how long until I get to make another one?
6 comments:
- Alex Solla said...
This needs a lime!
Okay, now I need to get ANOTHER baking book. Email me this dough recipe. I want to make pizza again!! Heck... what I really want.. is to GRILL a pizza like this.
- August 16, 2009 at 8:01 AM
- nancy said...
Drool, drool, slobber, slobber.
This sounds awesome and I want some RIGHT F'IN NOW.
- August 16, 2009 at 6:35 PM
- Dana said...
Oh, lime, interesting. We'll have to try that. The dough recipe is actually in this post here: http://eatthishouse.blogspot.com/2009/06/guess-what-pizza.html
And yeah, dude, this post even makes me hungry. I wonder if I can convince Justin to make it again...
- August 16, 2009 at 6:53 PM
- oneshotbeyond said...
it's really pretty for a pizza! :-)
- August 18, 2009 at 10:36 AM
- emmaco said...
Tracing backwards, I think I found your blog through Eisha at 7 imp. I just wanted to say your pizza journey was similar to mine - great at the start but recently been quite meh. I tried this dough recipe on the weekend, and wow. Just like you said, slightly crunchy and subtly flavoured, a perfect accompaniment for the topping. So thank-you!
- August 31, 2009 at 9:50 AM
- justin said...
emmaco: I'm glad that this dough recipe reenlivened your pizza making, too! At this point, so many years from my inauspicious beginnings with homemade pies, I feel like pizza is a sacred practic--like a martial art or high level yoga--something that I both cannot stop and cannot--can never--master. This dough is just one more step along the journey. Welcome to the ride! And welcome to the blog! It's great to have gathered some 7-imp readers!
- August 31, 2009 at 10:23 AM


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Click this Link for Summer Music Camp Information
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Fans might have trouble recognizing the players on the field for the Park City High School girls' soccer team this year. After all, the Miners lost 13 seniors from last year's squad.
But don't fall asleep on this year's team, coach Chip Cook said. On Monday, after the first day of team tryouts, Cook was very confident in the Miners' chances to make yet another deep playoff run in 2014.
"I think we have a lot of talent coming back," she said. "Some of the younger players, just from what we've seen in day one of tryouts, have grown quite a lot. We have a lot of returning players who were on varsity last year. I think they're ready to step up and take on more of a leadership role."
So, Cook said, the Miners aren't going to be in a rebuilding stage this year. Instead, they'll be aiming to regroup, plug in new players and get back to the later rounds of the playoffs again.
It'll take some time to get there, Cook admits, but that's what the preseason is for.
"Preseason is critical," she said. "We want to challenge ourselves, but we don't want to get to the point where we get crushed. This group has a ton of talent. It's just going to be about understanding their roles and understanding the system we're playing in and playing hard. The outcome is never the goal during preseason. It's nice if we win a couple here or there, but if we can stay close to those 5A giants and improve along the way, then we feel really good about where we are in the preseason.
Some of the big names on Park City's preseason schedule include Bountiful, Skyline, Wasatch, Alta and Provo.
Though those games will be tough, Cook said she hopes the team emerges from the early schedule ready to dominate the Region 10 portion of the schedule.
"We've got to focus on getting kids some crucial playing time, figure out our lineups and systems," she said. "Some kids are going to be asked to step into different roles this year hopefully they embrace it.
With a small region, featuring only five teams, Cook said she's expecting mostly the same thing from Juan Diego, Uintah, Union and Morgan.
"Every year is a new year, but I think it's probably going to be the usual suspects," she said. "Juan Diego always puts together a strong team. Morgan, Union and Uintah are always very athletic if they get a couple of really good players, they challenge us."
Offensively, though the Miners lost many of their goal scorers, Cook is confident that returners like Lindsay Gordon, Reese Pearson, A.J. Casey and others will pick up the slack.
"We've got some kids with some incredibly strong shots," she said. "I'm not worried about it it's just learning to connect with each other to create the opportunities. I'm more concerned with creating the opportunities the goals will take care of themselves if we just create chances as a team and as a unit."
Defensively, Cook will rely on returning goalkeeper Hannah Hyatt to anchor a young backline.
"Our backline might be on the younger side," she said. "Giving that backline the confidence that they have someone behind them who can handle any shots is important. What we're really looking for is to build up our defense and make them cohesive and have them communicate with each other so that Hannah's, or whoever is in goal, job is that much easier."
Overall, Cook thinks teams are going to look at all the players the Miners lost from last season and expect a down year from Park City. But, she added, that's fine with her.
"I think people are going to underestimate us a little bit," she said. "I kind of like that. I like that role."
Park City's first game of the season is on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the North 40 fields. The Miners will take on Bountiful at 4 p.m.
Park City Girls' Soccer Schedule
Region 10:


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From the monthly archives: May 2011
Taipei Treats
On May 30, 2011 By hungryc
OUR short holiday in Taipei was kind of impromptu, although my sisters and I have been talking about going on a trip together for ages. We wanted an easy trip, and Taipei turned out to be an incredibly easy and uncomplicated city. It is not a flashy big city, but they've got all the important […]Continue Reading → →
Kerabu Cekur And Salted Fish
On May 1, 2011 By hungryc
I WAS stressed out over work last weekend; mostly from not being sure of what I had to do. Instead of turning on my notebook and actually doing work, I procrastinated…. by reading cookbooks. I read Nigel Slater's The 30-Minute Cook: The Best of the World's Quick Cooking, and came across his recipe for plum […]Continue Reading → →
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AJA Heroes
By PacificNetwork.tv
American Heroes
During its 6-week visit to Honolulu, March 9-April 14, Bishop Museum's Castle Memorial Building will become the home of the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM). Exhibits from the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, and other related organizations will also be on display. Weekly panel discussions and film screenings will also be presented during this historic exhibit.
The Congressional Gold Medal is a tribute to valor in combat and there is no more deserving and worthy recipients than the thousands of Japanese-Americans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (the "Go For Broke" regiments), and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) who dedicated their lives to the United States during WWII. This Congressional Gold Medal commemorative event is designed to celebrate these citizens and soldiers, and to educate today's youth as to a history they may not know.
After the Pearl Harbor bombing in 1941, Americans of Japanese ancestry became victims of discrimination and negative stereotypes. Over 120,000 Japanese and Japanese-American citizens were held in internment camps throughout the United States. These families faced myriad challenges. While they were held captive, most of them lost their businesses, their careers, their homes and farms, and their loved ones. While they suffered at home their sons, fathers and brothers, all loyal Americans, were soldiers at war, becoming some of the most highly decorated citizens in U.S. military history.
Partnering to share their stories of valor and sacrifice are Bishop Museum, the National Veterans Network, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
ABOUT 100th INFANTRY BATTALION
The 100th Infantry Battalion was a unit within the U.S. Army's 34th Infantry Division. Compromised mostly of Americans of Japanese Ancestry (AJA) from the Hawaii Army National Guard, the 100th Infantry Battalion also included volunteers from Japanese internment camps, which were then located throughout the United States during WWII. With the "Remember Pearl Harbor" motto, the 100th Infantry Battalion were consistently motivated to prove their loyalty to the United States. During their 20 month combat term in Europe, the unit became known as the "Purple Heart Battalion" for the number of casualties. They fought in six war campaigns in Italy and France, and garnered four Presidential Unit Citations. http://www.100thbattalion.org/
Considered to be one of the most decorated combat units in United States military history, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team consisted of a share of enlisted soldiers, as well as volunteers who fought in Europe during WWII. Two-thirds of their original unit were Americans of Japanese Ancestry, or Nisei, from Hawaii. Others were Nisei soldiers from the Mainland.
The "Go For Broke" motto means to risk everything in order to win. Activated under the command of Colonel Charles W. Pence, the 442nd worked closely with the 100th Infantry Battalion. Over 14,000 men served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Their values of service, loyalty and sacrifice earned the unit over 9,000 Purple Hearts, eight Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, and 560 Silver Stars. http://www.the442.org/
The Military Intelligence Service, or MIS, was a group of smaller units consisting of Nisei soldiers during WWII. Their average unit size was between 10-20 men. Playing a vital role in the U.S. military tactics during WWII, the MIS units used linguistic skills to gather intelligence, decipher captured enemy maps and documents, and conduct translations and interrogations. MIS unit members were at heightened risk because they could be confused for enemy troops by their own U.S. military personnel. MIS servicemen provided indispensible assistance during Japanese war crime trials, in the repatriation of Japanese prisoners of war (POWs), and in establishing positive relations between U.S. military forces and Japanese civilians. Working most often with classified orders, the MIS units have not receive the recognition other units and battalions have received during and post war.
Recognized throughout the world for scientific research, educational programs, and extensive collections which give voice to the stories of Hawai'i and the broader Pacific. http://www.bishopmuseum.org/
National World War II Museum, New Orleans, LA: Jan 12 – Feb 17, 2013
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI: March 9 – April 14, 2013
Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA: May 4 – June 9, 2013
De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA: June 29 – August 4, 2013
Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR: August 24 – Sept 29, 2013
Chicago History Museum, Chicago, IL – Oct 19 – Dec 8, 2013
Houston Holocaust Museum, Houston, TX – Dec 21, 2013 – Jan 24, 2014


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Aug 19, 2013 10:45 AM
Corduroy trousers come back every fall like squirrels and leaf-peeping tourists, but that doesn't mean these time-tested classics can't use the occasional update. The 1969 Sexy Boyfriend Cords ($60) combine the preppy staple with the oh-so-hot-right-now rolled and loose denim trend to particularly fetching effect. Use them to add both color and texture to those layered fall ensembles.
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Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


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Hex Origin Backpack - Charcoal Canvas is constructed in custom slate grey waxed canvas with fully coated custom camo accents for a water resistant exterior. Incorporates padded and fleece-lined storage compartments for up to a 15" MacBook Pro inside, as well as iPad on the front of the bag for quick access. The main internal storage compartment is spacious and includes an organizer for pens and cards. Also includes genuine leather zipper pulls, black custom logo lining, bar-tacked critical seams for durability, and surplus grade web straps. That should just about cover it, don't you think? Hex Origin Backpack - Charcoal Canvas is available with free 2 - 4 day shipping!


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24hrs and 28mins to be precise...
My whole year had been about this one race, this one day (plus 28 minutes) and now it's over.
I can quite easily say it was the longest, most exciting, breathtaking, exhausting and mind blowing event I've ever had the chance to do. Now the question is, what was it actually like to run for over 24hrs?
Before the race
I'm going to be totally honest here and tell you I'm not an ideal person for a support team to deal with! I don't like to talk about the race, the course, what my goals are or what my race plan is in the last few days before the race. This was not particularly helpful for the incredible support team that I was lucky enough to have come out with me - my mum (Sue), my brother (J) and my brother from another mother (Luke).
Banana muffins were made (thanks mum!), race bag was packed, kit was laid out and now it was just time to relax. I'm not good at this part either. I got concerned that my legs felt really odd on the day before the race until I realised this is what it feels like when your body is fully rested (it had been the longest I hadn't trained for all year - 4 days).
Race Day
Stood at the start line I wasn't nervous at all. Then the race started and after 5 mins of flat running I hit the first climb. The nerves kicked in but excited nerves. I wasn't doubting myself in any way, it was simply the realisation of how massive a feat this was going to be to just finish.
The first few hours were entirely climbing. Up and up and up. It was slow but it very quickly became apparent how much my CrossFit training was helping with my ease of heaving on the poles and how strong each step I took felt. I felt great and I found myself overtaking a considerable amount of people. I was surprised to see how many people were suffering badly on the 1st climb.
Reaching the first peak was a surreal experience, the views were beyond epic and I was just loving every minute. This is what I had trained for. My approach to an ultra is not about racing, it's about the experience of enjoying a new unexplored route with a mass group of people who are just as excited about it as you are.
After the first climb came the first descent. This first descent was one of my top moments of the race. The trail was a fast, flowy single track along a ridge that just kept on going. Everywhere you looked was epic.
Soon after I hit the first check point and got my first taste of the classic noodle soup. I didn't hang around long as I wanted to get going and get as much distance completed as possible during the day as I knew the night would be where it got really tough.
The heat really started to kick in and you could see it on everyones faces as runners looked more and more drained.
The mountains kept coming and the views got better and better. I was loving this!
After 60km I finally saw my support crew. By this point I was still mentally and physically in a great place but it is still such a massive boost to see your support crew that I just felt better and better. I was also provided with some serious laughs when my brother was running along with me into the check point, he was out of breath...after 400m!! After a good laugh, some encouraging words, a hug from mum and some food I was off again. I spent a bit more time in the check point but I was feeling good and felt the 15mins of sitting down and keeping my feet off the ground was worth it.
Off I went and before long it was getting dark. This is the point when you realise why this race is so tough. The climbs during the day are tough but there's always an end in sight. At night you have no concept of this and it's just brutal. I did a lot of night running in my training but nothing could have prepared me for this.
It didn't take long for me to really start suffering. The sight of hundreds of head torches winding their way up a mountain will never leave me. You look up from the bottom of the mountain and know you have to spend the next few hours climbing and it is soul destroying. I wanted to just sit down and take my feet off the ground but I had to get going.
As soon as it got dark I noticed a difference in the way everyone was running. Everybody ran in small packs, grouping together with a leader pulling everybody else along, the rest just focusing on the person in front's feet. By this point it was no longer a solo effort. I might not have known anyone in the various packs that I ran with but it truly felt like everyone was helping each other along despite no words being shared.
Before the race I had been told to look out for someone called Trevor as he was a friend of a friend. Now, I never expected to meet this man (for a start I had no idea what he looked like). All I knew about him was he did the same qualifying race as me and he worked for The North Face. Earlier on in the day I spotted someone head to toe in The North Face kit and he had an Endurancelife band on, amazingly it was him! We got talking and spent the next 20-30mins discussing races and how we were getting on before I headed on ahead. I'm mentioning this because later on I saw Trevor again at one of my lowest points. I can't remember much about what he said but seeing a friendly face and having someone ask if I was ok was enough to spur me on again and give me a little boost that meant so much and I can't thank him enough for that...cheers Trev!
The times spent in the check points got longer and longer. The painkillers came out and I was really struggling to eat. The final check point where my support crew could meet me was tough to leave. I spent far too long there but I was a wreck and I just wanted to be with my crew for a bit longer. After being told to eat and given as much encouragement as possible I left. I was cold and it was still pitch black but I was getting there. Every step now was one step closer to the finish.
I had to keep reminding myself to just keep leaning forward. Despite all of this through the night there were moments where I was running and actually enjoying it...just not many!
Finally the light started to return. It was still cold but the sunlight behind the mountains was bringing ever more hope. I had just reached the top of the final mountain when the sun popped out from behind the mountains (moments after the photo above was taken). That moment of the sun emerging will stay with me forever, it was glorious. The warmth from the sun and the realisation that Chamonix and more importantly the finish line weren't far away was immense. I broke out of the shuffle and into a run, loving being back on a slightly downhill single track with the sun shining down on me.
I was 10km away but in my head I was picturing that finish line. I was so close. Then I stopped at the check point to use the toilet. My stomach had been pretty bad for the past hour so I knew I needed to stop. As I stood up from the toilet I felt my achilles go. I couldn't move it. After 90km of running it was going for a poo that injured me!
I hobbled along and used my walking poles to support my weight watching everyone I had overtaken run past me. I carried on and just kept moving. It was frustrating but it didn't matter, I was nearly there. Eventually the adrenaline of realising I was in Chamonix took over and I started running again. I was in so much pain but I didn't care, there was no way I was walking past the crowds.
All I remember about the finish is running through the town with my brother (I can't remember a word he said) and seeing my mum waving a Union Jack flag on the finish line and being greeted with a big hug from her on the finish line.
That was it, done.
I was shattered, everything ached but I didn't care. I had finished and you know what, despite all the lows I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was an incredible, life-changing experience and that's what Ultra running is all about.
Now it's just to think about what's the next event...after a burger or five.


text:
Memorial Day gives time for individuals to honor their partners, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, family and friends- a celebration of our military's commitment to country. For those who've served, it's a sensational way to reflect.
Thousands gathered in cemeteries around the nation to remember heroes who've given their lives while serving our country. And, also to support those who stand side-by-side with comrades who pay the ultimate price for duty.
Addressing folks at Arlington National Cemetery, President Obama said, "Today most Americans are not directly touched by war. As a consequence not all Americans may always see or fully grasp the depths of sacrifice- the profound costs that are made in our names right now as we speak, every day."
Reminding that our troops are coming home as the Afghanistan War ends, Obama made no specific mention of what may be an example of Americans not fully grasping. The recent queries into Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system where at least 40 veterans died while awaiting appointments, centered on deliberate manipulation is a civilian disconnect.
Allegations that Phoenix officials kept separate lists to hide backlogged appointments for veterans has spawned the investigation into 26 other agency facilities with evidence confirming the VA knew about the separate wait lists.
Dr. Katherine Mitchell who runs the post- deployment clinic at Phoenix VA Hospital told CNN Senior Investigative Correspondent Drew Griffin that troops coming home from Afghanistan and Iraq with injuries sustained from IEDs, suffering from severe PTS and cannot function are put on a waiting list for 6-8 months, sometimes longer.
Mitchell told Griffin that she was so worried that documents supporting the allegations would intentionally be destroyed, the night prior to the Inspector General investigators showing up at the hospital she hid the separate list where no one would find it prior to getting the reports to the investigators.
Most Americans support the military but, as Obama noted, "Not all Americans may always see or fully grasp" the sacrifice of our military and some cull commitment of duty to service members. Many of them hold high-ranking positions within the country's military health care system.
Director of Phoenix VA Sharon Helman was put on administrative leave after allegations that the hospital and clinics developed strategies that produced dirty data to meet department obligations to maximize monetary rewards from the VA's bonus system.
Agency critics have stated that incentive monies "motivates some employees especially managers to misrepresent achievements to meet performance goals."
The Afghanistan and Iraq Wars have caused the VA to see an influx of veterans seeking care and the numbers are expected to rise. Veterans depend on benefits because they are promised them over and over again.
Obama told the crowd, "These Americans did their duty. They ask nothing more than that our country does ours….to give our troops the resources they need."
As questions of quality of care inside the VA arise, it may send a discouraging message to troops who trust the Administration for support and care. Citizens are charged to ensure those suspected of wrongdoing within a (any) government military health system is held accountable.
Some in Washington argue that the outrageous circumstance of discarding troops' care aside is politically charged, underscoring an election year. But, contrarily, attempting to divert the importance of America's wounded warriors care may be an opportunity for Americans to demand the exposure those plagued of unethical behavior.
Since 2007, President Obama has touted siding with the vets on VA health care services. Millions of dollars was put into the VA's budget to modernize medical recordkeeping, and improve care and treatment. "No veteran should have to fill out a 23-page claim to get care, or wait months—even years—to get an appointment at the VA," he said.
If allegations are proven right, officials inside the VA blatantly disregarded the President's intent on the use of taxpayer millions, manipulated accounting and fraudulently took the booty. Which, may quite well be politically charged, but certainly criminal, no?


text:
Eric Schmidt is planning a trip to North Korea, a country where the internet basically doesn't exist. Eric Schmidt will be accompanied by former New Mexicon governor Bill Richardson. However, the US State Department isn't happy with the trip's timing, especially considering North Korea's long-range missile launch just a few weeks ago.
"We don't think the timing of this is particularly helpful," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.


text:
Yakuza 3
For the most part, videogames are guilty of playing safe when it comes to genre categorisation, constrained by staunch alignment to popular or recognised styles of gameplay - whether it be in the guise of a first-person shooter, an action platformer, or a real-time strategy title. Of course, that's not always the case and, as such, sprawling RPGs and open-world sandbox games tend to spread focus across multiple contributing aspects such as character evolution, action mechanics, and interactive narrative.
Then there's Sega's Yakuza 3, which isn't a shooter, isn't an action platformer and isn't a real-time strategy title. But then it's not an RPG or a sandbox game either. Like other recent Japanese hits making the Western leap (i.e., No More Heroes), Yakuza 3 defies categorisation and stands alone by delivering an oddly disjointed but compelling experience that manages to strike the right notes and maintain player interest without ever settling on one concrete style of play. So what the heck is it?
At its heart, Yakuza 3 is a pseudo open-world gangster adventure set around returning series protagonist Kazuma 'Dragon of Dojima' Kiryu, the revered Fourth Chairman of Tokyo's mighty Tojo Clan. With his friend Diago safely installed as the new Tojo Clan boss, the game opens with Kazuma pursuing a bizarrely idyllic life on the island of Okinawa - where he runs a small beach-side orphanage and strives to avoid contact with the island's yakuza contingent. However, it doesn't take long before a shadowy mainland attempt to buy the deed to the land beneath Sunshine Orphanage combines with an assassination attempt on Diago's life and draws a smouldering Kazuma back to Tokyo in search of answers.
The reason why Yakuza 3 is such an oddball offering is that it chooses to dip a toe into various gameplay pools and its impressive open-world setting remains so without being very open at all. Specifically, players will often find exploration throughout the streets of Okinawa and Tokyo curtailed by annoying invisible barriers, pesky knee-high bollards and unwelcome camera shifts that push Kazuma back into quite disappointingly confined environments. That being said, players are unlikely to care because there are so many core story missions, secondary side quests, and random brawls crammed into these areas that boredom and frustration rarely sully enjoyment.
For example, beyond the beach-fronted Sunshine Orphanage, Okinawa's available streets amount to little more than a lively intersection and a modest smattering of urban sprawl crossing a meandering river. But packed into this small grid of roads and side streets are bars, shops, restaurants, convenience stores, a public shopping arcade, and a food market - all of which can be entered to unveil lots of hidden activities. Sticking firmly to the main story will keep such extras out of view, but a willingness to wander and chat to the game's plentiful NPCs will see players rewarded with distracting tasks and mini-events such as darts, pool, golf, gambling, karaoke, and even fishing. While Tokyo offers yet more in terms of both exploration and interactive entertainment (hostess clubs, bowling and videogame arcades), the total game world is somewhat condensed - but there's little doubting the richness and appeal of the content therein.
Of course, the main attraction attributed to Sega's Yakuza series has always been its bloody-knuckled action, and Yakuza 3 certainly pulls no punches where the liberal pummelling of faces is concerned. Sampling the game's hidden activities may be largely reliant on side quests and exploration, but battles are much more random and often involve street punks and gang members simply trying to relieve Kazuma of his wallet or doling out punishment for entering rival yakuza territory. Whatever the motivation of opponents, brawls are always fun and seldom disappoint, allowing players to hone their fighting skills and gather important experience points that can be traded against new attacks, throws and counter moves.
The really weird thing about Yakuza 3 is to be found in its gameplay balance. Before embarking on the trip to Tokyo - which is the main meat on the game's bones - up to 10 hours can be spent watching Kazuma delivering side-mission life lessons to his gaggle of young orphans before then chasing Okinawa's main storyline and mercilessly thrashing through hordes of naughty local yakuza who've kidnapped the orphan daughter of a rival clan boss.
For example, Kazuma addresses incidences of bullying, deals with inter-orphanage thievery, and teaches his charges to be kind and considerate to others. And when not being the perfect guardian by playing baseball and hide-and-seek, the former clan boss is kicking folk through shop windows, slamming heads off lamp posts, and using all manner of environmental objects and weapons to inflict excruciating pain on enemies. The distinctly black and white structure means there's no moral middle ground as such, but the stark contrast actually works surprisingly well given that Kazuma never really looks to pick a fight (a la Keith Carradine in Kung Fu) and is always trying to leave his questionable past behind.
The battle mechanics in Yakuza 3 are pleasingly simple to execute but also provide a decent amount of progressive depth. A basic attack combo is performed via repeated presses of the square button and can be punctuated at any time by a more violent final attack when used in conjunction with the triangle button. From a defensive standpoint, the L1 shoulder button is used to block incoming blows, while holding R1 and pressing the 'X' button causes Kazuma to dodge in whichever direction the thumbstick is pushed. Each victorious battle, completed mission and various other in-game actions reward the player with experience points, which can be traded through the Upgrade menu to attain more powerful attacks, throws and finishing moves - and here's where the Heat Gauge and context-sensitive special attacks steal the show and earn Yakuza 3 its PEGI 18 rating.
Specifically, the Heat Gauge fills as Kazuma completes chained attacks, bathing him in ethereal flames when full and granting temporary access to unlocked finishers that are likely to cause the player to yelp in empathy as enemies are pulverised. Depending on where the action is unleashed - and often depending on whether Kazuma has a particular weapon to hand - finishers can range from crushing a bloodied face underfoot to bouncing skulls off walls, smashing foes through the air with a sledgehammer, or using seemingly innocuous items to inflict damage (i.e., a park bench, a flag pole, or even a traffic cone). Factor in cash-based weaponry and equipment modification and there is more than enough on show to keep action fans happy. And, trust me on this, when it comes to tackling some of the game's latter yakuza bosses, players would be well advised to whittle experience from every aspect of gameplay in order to sculpt Kazuma into a suitably formidable fighting machine.
Another point of interest worth noting is Yakuza 3's new 'epiphany' system, which is tied to Kazuma's mobile phone camera and can be used in first-person to locate and snap NPC events that present the player with three possible on-screen interpretations of what has just transpired. For example, a drunk man staggers into a young woman and accidentally gropes her breasts, to which the otherwise timid woman becomes incensed and throws the man to the ground. If the player correctly surmises that the move is a grapple counter, Kazuma's skill portfolio receives a new move to use in future brawls. If the player guesses incorrectly that the girl has perhaps unleashed a secret rage or is incredible strong, Kazuma gets nothing and has to wait until the next 'epiphany' moment to try again. It's a clever mechanic that encourages the player to monitor their surroundings at all times, which in turn helps reveal flashing keys scattered about the game world that open goodie-filled storage lockers in both Okinawa and Tokyo.
From an aesthetic point of view, the streets of both Okinawa and Tokyo are teeming with NPCs and certainly work well in creating believable virtual populations. Yet, although the predominantly urban game world carries plenty of atmosphere, Yakuza 3 isn't going to win any awards for its visuals, which fail to tap the PlayStation 3's potential. Character models are decent enough and animation is strong, but everything else has a gritty, almost dirty presence that suggests PlayStation 2.5 and doesn't marry well with all the surrounding inner-city colour provided by glitzy shop signs, product ads, and nightclub hoardings. Game sound also falls short in striking a consistent tone (no pun intended), and while the soundtrack and original Japanese character voices lend a weight of authenticity during cut-scenes and brawls, the generic typewriter sounds accompanying text-based conversations grate after a while - not least because ambient game world sound effects are almost non-existent during such (often incredibly lengthy) exchanges.
Yakuza 3 doesn't completely defy description and, if pushed, I'd be forced to draw a parallel with one of Sega's other videogame adventure series by saying it most closely resembles Shenmue. Don't be dissuaded by that comparison; while Shenmue was largely an exercise in boredom that crawled along at a snail's pace with as much personality as a housebrick, the two games do share the same narrative and gameplay structure. Yakuza 3 excels thanks to an irresistibly likeable hero, a world pulsing with life, brutally fulfilling battles, and a good 30 hours of core story missions and secondary character tasks. Plus, if we're comparing Yakuza 3 with Shenmue, it doesn't involve mundane forklift employment, time-restricted exploration, and a questionable homoerotic search for sailors.
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