text:
Script: Marathon in the Sky
Scripts written by Jim Jenner
Marathon in the Sky
Narrated by Michael Landon
History and Life Cycle
It is the sport with a single starting gate and a thousand finish lines. It is the aerial contest with a cloud of competitors and no spectators. It is the race of one of nature's most amazing creatures, and man's oldest feathered friend, the homing pigeon. This is the story of marathons in the sky, the story of pigeon racing.
Like many of nature's creatures, doves and pigeons have an innate ability to return to their nesting places from great distances. For centuries, this has permitted them to fly far from home in search of food and return to their young. What makes the pigeon unique is how comfortable it is with man.
Whether one accepts a biblical or scientific basis for life on earth, pigeons predate man. Genesis has them created by God on the fifth day, man on the sixth. By evolution, pigeons are at least 30 million years oldsignificantly older than humans.
The names dove and pigeon describe the same family of birds. Before recorded history, they lived with man. In early times, they were a source of food and their droppings provided fertilizer for the fields.
Their gentle ways and soft cooing made them a symbol of peace and love. In ecclesiastical art, the dove was a symbol of the Holy Spirit, but pigeons grew to fill another role. Men learned they could carry messages home. This instinct made the birds essential to civilizations as early as 5,000 years before the birth of Christ. Noah's dove flew over the horizon to find land. Ancient Egyptians developed special paper to permit birds to carry more information.
Athletes in the first Olympics carried pigeons from their villages to the games. If they won, they'd tie a strand of finish line to the birds foot. Its arrival home signified the local athlete's victory. The release of pigeons is still part of Olympic ceremonies.
In the 12th century, the Sultan of Syria had dovecotes built across his realm, and this early air mail system brought messages to Baghdad.
After thousands of years of selective breeding, pigeon keepers have developed many different types of pigeons. There are now almost 300 breeds of pigeons, all of them thought to descend from the rock dove.
The sizes, shapes and colors of these fancy pigeons in a modern pigeon show are a far cry from the little grey dove that made its nest along the rocky cliffs of ancient lands, and, while these birds are bred for their beauty, the rather ordinary looking homing pigeon was the one who served man the most.
As fast messengers, they were important to ancient military and business leaders. A horse and rider galloping at top speed could cover only a few miles an hour. A pigeon could carry a message almost 50 miles an hour and fly over rivers, mountains and possibly the enemy below. Today in England, you can still find dovecotes erected on great estates. Hundreds of birds lived in these stone nesting spaces. They provided more than food and fertilizer. For thousands of years, they were the world's fastest way to send messages.
In the business centers of London and Antwerp, it was common for bankers and traders to maintain their own homing pigeons, used to deliver secret messages from distant cities.
One of the first was the great financier, Nathan Rothschild, whose intelligence network included well-trained homing pigeons. In 1815, a Rothschild pigeon flew home to London carrying the startling news that Napoleon's grand army had been crushed at Waterloo. Information like this, arriving by pigeon many hours and even days before it was known to others, was invaluable. Combined with the Rothschild family's astuteness in finance helped them to create one of the greatest financial institutions in Europe.
During the siege of Paris in 1871, Prussian troops surrounded the city. Homing pigeons were carried in air balloons past enemy lines. Then, using microdot photography to record hundreds of messages on a tiny piece of film, letters from as far away as London were carried back into Paris by the birds. During the four month siege, the Parisian pigeons carried home over a million different messages.
By the late 1800's, pigeons were often used for fast communications. Birds delivered stock prices from one city to another. A key part of the early Reuters news agency used them to carry news. Government run pigeon posts became common in many parts of the world. The birds racing today are the descendants of these messengers. For, when business could send messages faster with a new invention called the telegraph, the pigeon couriers became obsolete, but the sport of pigeon racing was already being developed.
A race begins when the birds are released from a distant point. This is the starting gate. These releases are from standard locations and are named for the nearest town. The birds race home. The distances from the release point to each pigeon loft are calculated by special surveyors. They compute the flying distance down to the thousandth of a mile or kilometer.
By the turn of the century, special clocks had been developed to time the birds arrival. Before the race, a numbered rubber band, called a countermark, is placed on each pigeons foot. A bird is officially home when this band is placed in the clock and the timing handle turned. When the clock is struck, the exact time is recorded, and the countermark enters a sealed chamber that can't be tampered with. This makes it impossible to time a race bird before it actually arrives home.
It also means that getting home first is not enough to win. A trainer has to make sure the racer comes inside instantly so its countermark can be removed. With thousands of competitors in a race, seconds often make the difference between first place and 50th.
The equation is simple mathematics. Distance divided by time equals speed. With an exact flight distance and flying time, the birds average flying speed can be very precisely calculated. Because competition is so keen, this speed is figured down to the yards flown per minute. The winner, as in any race, is the bird with the fastest homing speed.
Today, quartz clocks and computer systems are making the complex calculations. In much of the world, the new generation of clocks is connected directly to a main computer, and, as each trainers arrival times are entered, the standings for the race winners change until all the information is in.
Although they became obsolete for most business communications, homers remained crucial military tools. In both World Wars I and II, homing pigeons provided a reliable means of delivering messages. They were used in the desert over arctic terrain and in the densest of Asian jungles. They were often released behind enemy lines from airplanes and from ships far out at sea. Many a downed airman owes his life to a pigeon he let go as he bobbed in a tiny rubber raft in the ocean.
An American homing pigeon known as GI Joe saved the lives of over a thousand British soldiers in World War II, when he carried a message 20 miles in only 20 minutes to stop the bombing of an area the British troops had just overrun. GI Joe was one of thousands of pigeons used in wartime. Their loyalty and heart resulted in birds delivering vital messages, in spite of mortal bullet wounds, and missing eyes or feet as the result of enemy gun fire. Pigeons were so reliable they were often the only way messages were sent without being coded, and, in the five years of World War II, military birds successfully delivered an incredible 98% of hundreds of thousands of messages.
Today, only the Swiss, French and Israeli armies still use the reliable couriers. But the birds delivery skills have also resulted in their continued use to fly blood samples from remote areas and to carry industrial data and other materials over crowded urban highways.
Released in a town they have never seen before, rising from the ground hundreds of miles away from home, these racers take only minutes to get their bearings. Then, one pound of flesh and feathers hurtles home over the earth at 50 miles an hour. They can fly from sunrise to sunset. In terms of a marathon, there is no match for their stamina, and no level of competition can match the thousands of wings that vie to achieve the fastest speed. It is to the one who is among the first to determine the correct route home. It is to the leader who never falters, the bird that never stops and, on arrival, goes immediately into the loft.
For all the unique traits of a champion, each pigeon's life starts as any other.
The lengthening days of spring spark the hormones in both male and female. The courtship habits of pigeons are marked by a level of love and devotion seen in few other birds.
The larger, swaggering cock birds strut their stuff to any and all females who will listen. The deep melodious cooing comes from the males throats as they inflate their crops.
For every strutting male, there is, in the pigeon world, a coy hen, and, while first ignoring the cock bird or walking out of his bulldozing advances, sooner or later the lady will succumb.
The mood changes; the male pretends to preen. The hen does the same. As they draw closer, the magic builds. They exchange a quivering first kiss. The chemistry of this moment is important. Love and mutual attraction are vital because these two birds will remain forever together.
Nature has wisely made the pigeon's love life a satisfactory experience for both partners and, after they join for a brief moment, their wings quiver with excitement.
Like many birds, pigeons are gregarious. A modern breeding loft looks like a small apartment house. But the birds gregarious nature does not include their own nest. Nothing in the universe is more important than the little piece of real estate they call home. Birds will fight almost to their death to defend their own nesting space, and, to this special place, the male calls his mate to nest.
The quiet cooing fills the pigeon loft, and these birds of peace also affectionately massage each other by gently opening and closing their beaks.
A week after they first kissed, the hen retires to the nest box to await the first egg. As the sun begins to set, she exerts herself to lay the pure white egg.
It is the first of two. Until the second arrives, two days later, the birds will not warm this egg. Like a seed, without soil or moisture, the spark of life in the egg only begins at 82 degrees. The birds instinctively know that by waiting and then starting to incubate both eggs together; they will hatch within hours of each other. This means the baby in the first egg is not older and thus stronger than the other. This gives both an equal chance to survive.
Now comes a peaceful two weeks in their married lives. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs.
As the seventeenth day approaches, the baby stirs within the egg, and, with the aid of a sharp point, called the egg tooth, on its tiny beak, it circles the inside of the shell with a line of cracks. Once weakened, the top of the shell yields to the final, great pushes of the tiny pigeon as it enters the world. It can take over a day for the baby to break out of the egg. Hatching within hours of each other, the slightly older youngster sometimes helps his exhausted nest mate by removing the shell from its head. Their eyes are closed. Without their parents, they are helpless.
This birthing drama takes place beneath the parent's warming breast, and, after a period of rest, a tiny head wobbles upward for its first meal.
Like few other birds on earth, both parents develop a milky secretion inside their crops. For the first five days of the babies lives, this rich pigeon milk, as its called, will nourish the young birds.
As father takes his turn with the newborns, instinct tells mother to keep things tidy, and she removes the sharp edged shell from the nest.
At three days, their eyes are open and their body weight has doubled. At a week, feathers begin to appear, and again they have gained weight rapidly. They now weigh five times more than at birth; the equivalent of a human baby achieving three years of growth in seven days. Before they grow too large, they are banded with a seamless metal ring. Slipped over their tiny feet, this registration band carries the year they were born, the club theyll race in and an identification number that is each birds alone. No pigeon can race without this band.
At two weeks, they are flapping and noisy youngsters. I'm sure you can tell why pigeon breeders call them squeakers. They have faces only a mother could love. They're losing their porcupine appearance. The mass of tiny quills are beginning to open, and the feathers sheathed inside spring free.
When full grown these birds will carry almost 10,000 feathers, none more important than the long, supple flight feathers that make up the bird's wing.
At this age, the young birds plumage color becomes apparent and the little creatures possess instinctive behavior, such as their attempts to appear tough and intimidating to their keeper's gentle hand.
Between the second and third week, the youngsters undergo another growth spurt. Now, they are ready for the transition from parental care to a life on their own.
A young pigeon is considered ready to leave the nest when the growth of feathers under its wings covers the last portion of exposed skin.
For three weeks, the young birds have eaten, slept and, apart from banding, had little contact with man. This is about to change. The youngsters now enter a stage of training where one goal is paramount, to come home as quickly as possible.
At less than a month old, these gawky, squeaky babies are hardly the feathered jets of the bird racing world. At this stage, their first lesson is to eat and drink on their own. Like tiny children learning to coordinate their writing skills, eye-beak coordination is less than exact. It takes all of the young bird's power of concentration and a lot of misses to capture an elusive pea. The bird's keeper also gently shows the babies how to drink water. Unlike other birds, pigeons swallow water like a horse and do when they're thirsty.
With the last sprigs of yellow baby down sticking out like stuffing from a rag doll, these young minds are absorbing the surroundings of their loft in great detail. Pigeons somehow imprint the location of home, and part of their training is for these youngsters, still too young to fly, to see, hear and smell the outside world and view the open sky. The next step is to learn to fly.
As their wings grow rapidly, the young birds experiment with lift off. Like little children, nothing can prepare them for what's to come. As they first take flight outside their home, their piloting skills are no match for the power and speed their young bodies can generate. Like new drivers, these early days are a comedy of tail spinning takeoffs, near mid-air collisions and missed landings.
The ecstasy of flight is apparent in these young flyers, and their uncoordinated early efforts soon give way to the single most beautiful sight in a pigeon flyer's eyesthe tight maneuvers of a team of birds freely wheeling over the surrounding countryside. This is the moment when the bird's freedom is part of its education. A flock of young pigeons, fueled by boundless energy, will disappear for hours at a time as they roam to any point of the compass, and, from any direction, as hunger or thirst pull them home, they'll rocket over the loft and wheel and drop down.
Now, the bond with their trainer begins to form. It's vital that the youngsters learn to trust this human, to look for him or her for food and heed the call. By keeping just the right edge to their appetites, the trainer teaches the young birds to trap quickly after landing. This lesson, taught time after time in the spring, will be a key to victory in the young bird races to come later in the summer.
It's not really too tough a job descriptiongreat food, lots to drink, regular exercise with your friends, plenty of rest and a nice clean home, and, you usually only have to work six to eight weekends a year.
The Perfect Airframe/Homing Instinct
As a product of nature's superb aeronautical engineering, the pigeon comes close to perfection. The airframe is made up of hollow bones, whose interior is permeated by tiny air bubbles, making them half the weight of the same amount of our human bones.
The hollow skeleton plus numerous air sacs provide reservoirs of oxygen to augment the birds lungs. This efficient system oxygenates tremendous amounts of red blood cells which, in turn, power the muscles.
The fuselage is tapered to the finest point, a beak made of keratinpound for pound the strongest natural substance on earth. After a strong jump to get airborne, the landing gear is tucked above the point of air resistance. Most important of all, anchoring the skeleton, like the foundation of a sailing vessel, is the great keel bone. The keel anchors the pectoral muscles, the pigeons amazing power supply that drive the wings and rocket the bird through the air. This huge muscle accounts for almost a third of the bird's weight. Fueled by an almost limitless supply of oxygenated blood, the tremendous strength of these muscles powers the key down stroke of the wings. A bird can make up to ten complete strokes in a single second.
Pushing the air are the extraordinary wing feathers. Light, supple and extremely strong, these feathers bend and let air pass through on the upstroke of the wing, then lock into place for the down stroke. To keep the bird at peak efficiency, flight feathers are replaced each year. During the late summer, when food is most abundant in nature's cycle of life, the body and wing feathers are gradually molted and replaced with a new suit of feathers. When it's done, the birds look brand new, but, during the molt, they begin to look a little the worse for wear.
After millions of years, nature has refined this airframe for a special purpose. This is not a glider, nor a bird meant to flit from tree to tree with short bursts of speed. This is nature's version of the perfect marathon machine, designed to reach peak velocity in seconds, then, incredibly, hour after non-stop hour, to sustain a tremendous pace.
At rest, the birds heart beats 200 times a minute. When it takes flight this shoots to 600 beats and remains there as long as it flieseven as long as 15 or 16 hourscovering over 500 non-stop miles. If human beings could achieve this performance level, a typical marathon would be over a hundred miles long and last all day.
No matter where they will fly in the world or from how far they'll compete, the basic training for the homing pigeons is the same. In their early days of training, the young racers are taken several miles from home and taught to return quickly for the tastiest grains. At first, they're released as a group, but, to give them more experience and self confidence, a trainer will often release them to fly home solo.
Despite years of intense research, the homing ability of birds, animals and insects remains one of nature's best kept secrets, but the racing pigeon is providing data that may someday explain this fascinating ability of creatures to find their way over vast distances.
Since 1967, Cornell University, in New York State, has been conducting experiments with racing pigeons in an effort to understand their homing ability. Data gathered here, combined with research in Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland and Italy, reveals that nature has blessed these birds with senses far more sophisticated than human beings.
The experiments point to the possibility the birds use a combination of senses for clues to find the route home. Each bird has a very accurate internal clock and is able to tell North and South by sensing the sun's position in relation to the time of day. If the sun is obscured by clouds, it seems likely that pigeons are able to sense the earth's magnetic fields. In addition to their clock and compass, they have visual senses that allow them to see ultra-violet and polarized lightpossible aids to determining direction.
Backing all this up is a sense of hearing so sensitive to low frequencies they can perceive infra-sound, inaudible to humans. Scientists believe they can actually hear certain noises, such as the wind blowing over the Rocky Mountains from several thousand miles away.
But that's not all that makes up their on board computer system. Pigeons can also smell so well that some bird researchers believe they might use odors to help them find their way.
Exactly how they know to correctly pick the route home remains a mystery. Whatever the answer, these quiet, sensitive creatures live in a world of sights and sounds and smells that is much different than our own.
To the modem man on the street, the pigeon is a nuisance or the butt of jokes. In our high-tech society, the thought of pigeon messengers and pigeon racing is laughable. These earthbound humans are oblivious to the marathoners in the sky.
There are certain people who know the racing pigeon is in a class by itself. The fanciers who breed and train them are as woven into the fabric of these creatures as the trainer of any race horse or the breeder of any blue-blooded greyhound.
Unlike horse racing, the sport of kings and princely incomes, pigeon racing is a sport that attracts all types of people from every walk of life and of every income level.
Throughout the world, as many as one million people keep homing pigeons, as many as forty million birds, and the people who care for them are carpenters and doctors, captains of industry and coal miners, and, while money may make things a little easier, in pigeon racing it does not buy success against a poorer man who has good birds and more skillful training methods.
From its birthplace in Northern Europe, pigeon racing is now a truly international hobby. For over a hundred years, books and magazines have recorded the history of the sport, and, in many parts of the world, there are weekly and monthly magazines filled with race results, stories about trainers, and advertising for pigeons.
The housing built for racing pigeons reflects both the local climate and the quality of life that fanciers want for their birds.
Throughout the world, palatial pigeon lofts, such as this one in Belgium, are designed to provide the birds with much more than shelter. Buildings are oriented to provide the pigeons with maximum exposure to morning sun. Ventilation is designed to assure the flow of dry, pure air, and cleanliness is carried to the extreme, with special flooring and perches that keep the birds from standing in their droppings. It's not unusual for a fancier to clean the loft twice a day. Remember, what lives here are athletes. Their health and happiness are paramount to their owners.
The formula for consistent winning is painfully simplebirds and brains, and it is in the daily solitude of a flyer caring for and observing his family of pigeons that the sport's great racing triumphs are based, and, like any human endeavor, pigeon racing has many champions.
For over 40 years, Paul Haelterman has chronicled the victories of pigeon racing. Nowhere on earth is the sport as popular or as organized, as in the tiny European nation of Belgium. With only ten million people, Belgium has over 100,000 pigeon lofts. So many people fly pigeons here that the national radio stations broadcast race course weather conditions and release information every race day.
What Haelterman writes carries weight because he too is a champion. Throughout his comfortable home are countless reminders of the family's love of racing pigeons. Most notable is the likeness of ''My Darling, a young hen that won Haelterman a National race; to win a National is the dream of every Belgian flyer.
As in thousands of other Belgian families, pigeons have long been a passion for the Haeltermans. Flyers like Paul and his nephew Roger represent third and fourth generation Belgians who fly marathons in the sky.
Haelterman chronicles the winning methods of top trainers. One of the family favorites is Frank Tasker, a brilliant English trainer, who for a decade, has won repeatedly at middle distance pigeon races. His visit is part of a twice-a-year ritual, as he and old friend Haelterman meet to compare ideas and often exchange birds.
Haelterman's daughter runs a bustling pet shop in their home town, and, while the cages are full of hundreds of song birds, a big part of the volume is in pigeon supplies. Like any typical Belgian village, there are hundreds of pigeon keepers nearby and thousands of birds to be fed each day. Entire shelves are devoted to pigeon medications. Every conceivable type of grain is for sale, and the back room is full of perches, carrying cages and nestbox systems. In Belgium, pigeon racing is big business.
Though Belgium has the highest per capita percentage of pigeon flyers, the United Kingdom has the highest total number. Over a quarter of a million English, Irish, and Scottish families keep racing pigeons, and the lore from a century of racing is as deep here as on the Continent. Even the royal family has racing pigeons in England. The Queen still makes regular visits to her lofts. Only her birds can carry the distinctive bands that begin with the letters ER for Elizabeth Rex. Her father was also interested in pigeons and much of the royal flock is descended from birds given to the British Royal Family by the King of Belgium.
In England, flyers can race their birds from two directions. On the South Road, as its called, pigeons are released on the mainland of Europe and cross the ninety miles of open Channel water to home. On the North Road, birds are released as far as six hundred miles from home from islands at the farthest tip of the British Isles.
Several of the greatest races are named for the crown. In fact, the most coveted trophy is the Kings Cup for long distance flying. Many Englishmen spend a lifetime trying to win this trophy.
In the back of this tiny row house in Northeast England, lives one of them. His name is Frank Perkins. In his 80s, "Mr. Perkins," as he is known at the local club, has forgotten more about pigeons than most men will ever know. The birds are his family. Pigeon racing is his life; trying for the King's Cup, his greatest goal. Like many pigeon keepers, Mr. Perkins is not a wealthy man. The tiny loft is hardly a showplace. But two times, to this humble building, flew pigeons that came in second against thousands of others for the King's Cup, and, one time, on the same day of the great race, Mr. Perkins watched a bird land in the afternoon light and he clocked her. The bird won the King's Cup and Frank Perkins name was engraved on the face of one of England's most coveted trophies.
In Belgium, one in a hundred people keep racing pigeonsIn England, one in 200. In America, the ratio is less than one in a thousand, but, in typical American style, what racing there is here tends to be on a grand scale.
Suvit Asawapornsnit (Ahh Saw Wah Porn Snit) learned pigeon racing in his native Thailand. Now, he competes in a club in the suburbs of Los Angeles with flyers whose names are Asian, Mexican, Polish, English and Italian, and, as a member of the Fernando Valley Pigeon Club, Suvit flies the biggest race in North America, The Snow Bird Classic.
Because there is no national series of racing on this huge continent, the Americans have invented another way to match the best birds. The Snow Bird Classic is the grand daddy of a type of young bird racing called a futurity". Young, un-flown pigeons are sent by breeders from all over the country. Handlers like Suvit train the birds to home to their lofts and prepare them for these special races. Hundreds of these futurity birds then compete for prize money and pools that can total hundreds of thousands of dollars. Over the years, this quiet-spoken Thai has become one of the most respected young bird trainers in the world.
In the world of long distance pigeon racing, there is another name that evokes the drama of the Marathon in the sky. That name is Barcelona, a release point on the Southern coast of Spain. From here, each summer over 20,000 of Europes veteran long-distance pigeons compete, flying five to seven hundred miles to their homes in England, Belgium, Germany and other countries. To win Barcelona is a special feat, but among the true sportsmen there is an even greater victory. That is when the trainer correctly picks, or "nominates" which of the pigeons he sends will be the first to arrive home. This takes a person who knows each bird as he knows life itself. To select such a bird from the long distance station of Barcelona is an extraordinary challenge. It even carries a special award, The Golden Wing.
As they say in Belgium, a lucky man may win Barcelona; only a brilliant man can pick his winner. Such a man is Alphonse Bauwens (''Bowens''), a quiet rose grower in central Belgium. His loft houses some of Europe's great long-distance pigeons. The family business is to grow roses; the family passion is to fly the greatest marathons in the sky.
Bauwens is following his father's footsteps as a flyer, following in his are two competent sons. Bauwens won The Golden Wing in 1987. He and his sons want to win it again.
Each continent has its champions, every club its best trainers, and part of the beauty of this sport is that there are many different roads to victory. While it is principally practiced by men, pigeon racing is also a hobby for quite a few women. Family partnerships are also common.
As a hobby, it is relatively inexpensive, compared to those that require a lot of expensive equipment, and the finish line on this race course is as near as the back garden.
Even as a relatively small sport, it is still big business, and, like any endeavor, the names of a handful of top competitors are known around the world. Near the coast of Belgium is the home of Norbert Norman. Downstairs is his home, upstairs the home of his old birds. Behind this building is another, equally as large, which houses the young bird racing team and stock birds. The lower level also has a large office. Racing pigeons have always been a part of Norbert Norman's life. He started helping clean his father's loft at the age of three. Coupled with his success as a businessman, he has had the time and money to earn himself a special niche in the pigeon racing world. For Norman, it's a serious hobby. For his full-time loft manager Gilbert, and his assistant Michel, its a serious business and how they earn their living. But Gilbert has earned every penny. Together the industrialist and the pigeon manager are a deadly partnership on the race sheet. Four times in just six years in the 80s, the Norman Lofts were ranked Grand Champions of all Belgium by one of the top pigeon publications.
Racing success on a national level brings a steady parade of visitors from around the world to visit the lofts and sign the guest book. Like many of the world's champions, after countless seasons, Norbert Norman still loves his pigeons, and, even with shelves of trophies piled in the office, the team is always planning for the next season, readying another generation for the airways. And, as with all good planning, they never forget to remember lady luck in the equation.
For the millions of birds and thousands of races flown each year, only a handful of names dominate the stud books of the sport, and, when in every race there can only be a single winner, every year the pigeon books and magazines are full of ads for birds that will make the difference in victory for the flyer that buys them.
In recent times, the Japanese have purchased many of the top European birds, and literally thousands of pigeons are imported and exported throughout the world each year. If racing is a hobby for most people, breeding birds is definitely a big business in many parts of the world, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the center of England at a place known appropriately as "Pigeon World. Here, on every day but Christmas, pigeon flyers can come to shop for new birds and supplies, and, to people who never heard of pigeon racing, this edifice erected to the sport by the Massarela family is nothing short of amazing. In one great hall, the size of an American supermarket, are 600 individual homes for birds of special bloodlines.
If you want to stock your loft with birds descended from pigeons of the famous Norbert Norman, you'll find a row of breeders who are children, or more likely great grandchildren, of Norman pigeons. Row after row is dedicated to the household names considered the very best breeders and flyers in all of pigeon racing. For as little as a few dollars, you can buy a bird on sale, or for several hundred more you can order the babies of some of the world's top racers. The patron of Pigeon World, Lou Massarela, is famous for paying six figure sums for top pigeons, including $135,000 for this International Barcelona winner, and $80,000 for this bird Peter Pau ("Po").
In the spring, when trainers select young birds for the new racing season, these cages and halls are full and Pigeon World sells thousands of pedigreed pigeons. Nearby, you can sit in the restaurant or take the kids outside to the playground. If you're looking for pigeon supplies you'll find them here. There are even complete pigeon lofts on display for the fancier who wants one built in his back yard.
While Pigeon World and other breeding facilities may sell a lot of birds, they are only the commercial spectrum of the sport. Each year, millions of young pigeons are traded by fanciers. Many old friendships are based on this nonprofit give and take of babies of top pigeons. The interchange helps to keep the gene pool of each racing team as viable as possible, and it also shows a breeder how his birds respond to the methods of another trainer. Although the parentage of each bird is discussed, most pigeon trainers don't believe a racing pigeon's performance is guaranteed by its pedigree. Nature is not always predictableany egg could hold a champion.
No matter what a piece of paper says about a racing pigeon, or how many winners it has in its ancestry, the sport's ultimate equalizer is this, the shipping basket. No matter how good a bird looks, or feels in the hand, this is where the truth begins. When they leave these baskets, out among the clouds are where the true champions are found.
Shipping night, central Belgium.
Shipping night, Northeast England.
Shipping night, the Northwest United States.
All of the days and weeks and years of effort end here, when the birds are entered into the race. In all parts of the world, the routine is basically the same; all that varies is the sophistication and the stakes, depending on the level of competition. The races themselves are typically weekend events with weekdays spent carefully analyzing each bird ... of exercise and judicious feeding.
On the day before the race, the birds are selected to compete. This is when the trainer wants to make sure that his entries are in perfect health, with the right wing condition and top physical form. Those chosen are basketed and taken to the clubhouse along with the fancier's clock. The birds band numbers are listed on a form and turned over to the race committee. As the birds are passed to the race committee, it is the last time the owner will touch them before they come home. Many aspects of this entry process have been designed to prevent any find of fraud.
Each bird's band number is checked and a numbered rubber countermark is placed on its leg. The countermark actually bears two numbers, one outside and another, known only to the race committee, on the inside. In big money races, like the Snow Bird the precautions are extreme; Birds are double countermarked and examined prior to being put into the shipping crates. They are placed in the crates at random so no crate contains more or less of one loft's entries.
Each crate is sealed.
Clocks are placed together, and, at exactly the same time, are started. They too are carefully sealed.
The camaraderie of shipping night is the same at every club on every continent. These competitors meet each week to race against one another. Many have been flying against the same faces in the same village, since they were children. Tomorrow could be a great day. Tomorrow is the chance for each flyer to taste victory. Tonight is time to taste Belgian, or English or American beer and laugh at the stories of another pigeon lover.
To the birds, this is just the noisy part of the job, and even these young birds quickly learn to relax in the basket and doze through the racket of shipping night.
What is at stake tomorrow depends on where in the world the race takes place. In small clubs, members fly for pride. Maybe they will each put up a dollar to be won by best loft tomorrow. In Europe, the pooling system is relatively sophisticated and a wager of a few pounds can come back four or fivefold.
In the big futurities, like the Snow Bird Classic, a lot more than pride is at stake. Prize money alone will push the purse to over $300,000, to be won this weekend. In addition, proud breeders and local handlers drive up the pool of wagers between lofts.
Each bird entered is listed. Its parents may have cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, so the pride of the breeders is reflected in their willingness to bet on their own birds. But, for all the dollars at stake, few fanciers make much money at the game. Many of the breeders here have paid to come from around the world to sunny California to see their birds compete, and, of the few that do win money, most will only buy better bloodstock or build a bigger loft.
But, as a way to keep score, the dollars riding on futurities like the Snow Bird can be significant. The shipping baskets, containing about 25 birds, are loaded on transports for the journey to the release points. Often the crates of one club join those of many others, swelling the total number that will compete for top honors. A bird can win against those in its club, against birds from its section of the country or against all comers, meaning that as this transport prepares for the start of the race, over four thousand young pigeons will vie for top honors.
In the larger pigeon racing area, the transport trucks are huge, professional affairs, and they can get stacked up like cargo planes ready to discharge their living contents into the crisp morning air. The drivers often know each other and compare notes on who will release when and on the weather. Decades of decorum call for the birds with the furthest distance to fly going up first, and, when the weather is bad and the pigeons are held until it clears, these truckers can spend hours and days waiting, playing cards or cooking a meal to the melody of cooing birds.
Weeks, months, years and even generations of work have gone into what is about to begin, but for the pigeon flyer the start of each race is invisible.
Hour after hour, as the rising sun brings Saturday morning to thousands of release points, the scene is the same. From starting gates on every continent, up into the morning light, the races are on.
As they spill from the shipping crates, the birds form great wheeling balls of flashing wings. It is almost impossible to release them at once, but a few seconds lost at the beginning can be made up in the hours of flight to come.
Ahead, out over the horizon, is home.
Paul: Right Weather is good at release and they were in the air at 7:00 AM. Do us a favor and call Barry, will you Frank?
The waiting begins.
As they fly over the summer countryside, the flocks begin to stretch out. Those that first locked the correct route home are far in front, and, of these brightest birds, the race homeward boils down to pure stamina. Their heart and respiration rates shoot up; the tremendous pectoral muscles fire. The wings complete over seven complete cycles each second, over 400 pulls of air per minute; almost 30,000 strokes per hour.
These numbers become meaningful because each wing stroke, like each runners stride, is the foundation of victory. For victory is the sum of the parts. First comes homing instinct, then comes a hundred thousand pulls of air, and on each stroke the blend of better breeding and conditioning pulls some birds a little farther forward.
Out here is where the sons and daughters of champions, bought to peak physical form in clean and healthy conditions, begin to leave the others behind.
To the waiting pigeoneer, the drama is unseen but ever-present in his mind, and all of the guesses about which bird to buy or breed and a thousand little things hes done to create the fittest pigeons, are on the line.
Years of squinting at the distant summer sky has never dampened the emotion of these trainers; staring at the horizon, jumping when any kind of bird flies by. In their hearts these are the children who first saw the great miraclethe miracle of a beloved bird, a feathered friend, appearing in the distant sky, coming back from the wild and then magically gliding and landing near your waiting hands. This moment, resonating only with the whisper of wings, is what keeps the ember burning in the heart of these pigeon flyers. This is the moment when the partnership rings true.
They are bred to race and born to fly, these marathoners of the sky. They are of all colors, and they fly over the contours of the globe from the fields of France to the open water of the Sea of Japan. These birds of peace are loved and cared for by men and women and children who speak all of the earths languages.
For these people, the sport has a magic that will hold them forever. Each new egg could hold a champion; each week, another race, another chance to see your birds come home. And, for the elders in the sport, there is the mission of teaching the next generation of flyers. What keeps these senior competitors young is that there will always, always be another spring. The cycle of life will begin again with their beloved birds.
In their freedom, are born the sinews of greatness, the wisdom of the air and the stamina only nature can create, and, in this joining of two creatures, are the legends of thousands of years of friendship. Man and bird. One earthbound and looking skyward at the product of his and natures partnership; the other airborne, taking wing from distant points to complete its instinctive purpose for being, to magically come home, and to fly farther and faster than those before. This then is pigeon racing. This is the marathon in the sky.
Im Michael Landon, thanks for watching.
Written & Directed by Jim Jenner


text:
This dress shows no wear… Excellent condition! Sweetheart neckline with handmade embellishment… Lace up back…. Worn on wedding day only for a couple hours…
- Alterations:
- Preservation Method: Kept in bridal zip up bag
- Terms of Sale: All Sales Final
- Original Owner:
- Has Original Receipt:
- Location: Louisville, KY
- Will Ship to: Anywhere at Buyer Expense
- Payment Methods Accepted: Other
Please read our BUYER'S GUIDE before purchasing a dress online.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Check out this Basketball DVD featuring Greg Lansing, Indiana State University Head Coach. His team was 2010 MVC Tournament Champions. Also there are three Basketball DVDs from Marquis Hines, former player at the University of Wisconsin. He has also coached the Vincent (WI) High School Girls Basketball Team and led them to 3x WIAA Division-I State Champs. See what you can pick up from these DVDs:
Building Your Defense with the Shell Drill
About Us | Security & Privacy | Shipping | Affiliates | Advertise With Us | Help | Contact Us | Site Map | Drake University Distance Learning | Gift Certificates | Request a Catalog | Print Order Form
© 2016 Championship Productions, Inc.


text:
Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving South Pasadena and Los Angeles County in California. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in South Pasadena, CA today!
Popular Tags for Skydiving South Pasadena:
Skydiving South Pasadena, Skydiving in South Pasadena, Sky Diving South Pasadena, Skydive South Pasadena CA, Skydiving 91030, South Pasadena Skydiving, Skydiving South Pasadena California, Skydiving near South Pasadena, Skydiving in South Pasadena California, South Pasadena Sky Diving, Skydive 91030, Skydiving South Pasadena CA, Skydive South Pasadena, Skydiving Los Angeles County, Skydive in 91030, Skydiving CA, Sky Diving South Pasadena CA, South Pasadena, California
Conveniently Serving 91030 and 1 other South Pasadena, CA zipcode:
Sign up for our newsletter and receive updatesand specials on skydiving across America!


text:
Each has their purpose, I'm sure. So for what activities is each better? When would I use one over the other? What about half-serrated blades?
The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who love outdoor activities, excursions, and outdoorsmanship. It's 100% free, no registration required.
Sign up
Sign up
Here's how it works:
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top


text:
Welcome to the Laura Folk Fair Website
Laura Folk Fair will be held on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd of April 2017
~ Unique 2 day Event ~ Over 100 Craft, Hobby, Food & Refreshment Stalls ~ Free Entertainment ~
~ Bush Dance Saturday Night ~ FIREWORKS Saturday Night ~
~ Awards & Competitions ~ Sideshows ~ Kids Zone ~ & much more!!! ~
Come and celebrate with us at the award winning National Tourism Accredited Laura Folk Fair. The two day event is held annually in early April. The family focused event provides a wonderful country experience, with free entry and entertainment.
The Laura Folk Fair is a major rural festival of the Southern Flinders Ranges. Enjoy art, a street parade, bands, dancers, musicians, puppetry, rides, fireworks, bush dance, side show alley, competitions, and with over 100 stalls selling handcrafted items, local produce and plants, you'll have a truly unique shopping experience. Also take time to enjoy South Australia's iconic Golden North ice-cream.
The annual renown Art Exhibition and Literary Award attract Australia wide entries. Laura is a vibrant, artistic rural community with a population of approximately 780 it is situated beside the Rocky River and amongst the rolling hills of the Southern Flinders Ranges, agriculture being the main local industry. Laura boasts a proud connection to two icons of South Australian culture – boy-hood home of the "Larrikin Laureate" CJ Dennis (1876-1938) and the home of Golden North Ice-cream (since 1923)
Remember to bring cash with you as EFTPOS facilities are very limited in Laura. You know you'll need it as there will be just so many great things to see & do. 🙂
Come along & join us for a fun weekend out for the whole Family!


text:
Metropolitan Opera: Parsifal Showtimes and Tickets
Read Movie Reviews about Metropolitan Opera: Parsifal Write a Movie Review for Metropolitan Opera: Parsifal
Release Date: 2013-02-15 (Limited)
Genre: Musical, Program
Rating: NR
Duration: 5hrs 45min
Director François Girard's timeless new vision for Wagner's final masterpiece explores the many facets of this mystical score, while designer Michael Levine (Eugene Onegin) creates a surreal landscape. Jonas Kaufmann stars in the title role of the innocent who finds wisdom. His fellow Wagnerian luminaries include Katarina Dalayman as the mysterious Kundry, Peter Mattei as the ailing Amfortas, Evgeny Nikitin as the wicked Klingsor, and René Pape as the noble knight Gurnemanz. Daniele Gatti conducts.
Cast and Crew
- Starring
Peter Mattei, Jonas Kaufmann, René Pape, Katarina Dalayman, Evgeny Nikitin
- Directed by Daniele Gatti
- Produced by Francois Girard
- Written by Richard Wagner
Search For Theaters
Write a review for Metropolitan Opera: Parsifal
Login to write review:


text:
Jul 3, 2009 12:10 PM
Not a morning person? LA-based design firm, PAD, has a tough girl solution: the Gold Knuckle Mug ($98). Pouring your daily dose of caffeine into a vessel this angsty is sure to start your day off with some oomph. Featuring high-fire earthenware and genuine gold plating, this cup combines luxury and bad-assery for one heck of a killer beverage. To say the least, the first impression is intimidating, but well worth it. This freakin' sweet mug might just replace our morning mirror mantra.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
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:


text:
Draft in progress
Working in close consultation with a faculty advisor, students in this BFA major design a course of study that bridges two or more traditional areas. The course of study should:
In addition to fulfilling general degree requirements, undergraduate students majoring in interdisciplinary visual arts must complete the following requirements (85 credits):
Foundation Courses: 19 credits
VIS 1050/ComX: 1 credit
VIS 1060/Foundation Drawing: 3 credits
VIS 1070/Extended Media: 3 credits
VIS 1080/Visual Language: 3 credits
VIS 1250/2-D Processes: 3 credits
VIS 1260/3-D Processes: 3 credits
VIS 1270/4-D Processes: 3 credits
Art History Courses: 12 credits
ARH 1020/History of Art Survey II
ARH —/One course in the history of art before 1800 (lower-level)
ARH —/Art history elective (modern/contemporary)
Studio Art Courses: 30 credits
Students must find a faculty sponsor in each of the two areas (primary and secondary).
Primary area:
V —/Studio art courses (lower level): 6 credits
V —/Studio art courses (upper level): 12 credits
Secondary area:
V —/Studio art courses (lower level): 6 credits
V —/Studio art courses (upper level): 6 credits
Studio Electives: 13 credits
V —/Visual arts studio electives: 13 credits
Synthesis Courses: 11 credits
V —/Senior seminar or other synthesis course: 3 credits
VIS 4990/Senior Project: 8 credits
For updates during 2013–2015, please visit www.purchase.edu/
Visual Arts–Interdisciplinary:


text:
Rare Plant Information
Oregon Biodiversity Information Center
About ORBIC
Rare Species of Oregon
About Species Ranking
Rank Definitions
Rank Documentation
Survey and Manage Assessment
Endangered Invertebrate Program
Natural Areas Program
Natural Areas Plan
Register of Heritage Resources
Dedicated Conservation Areas
Research Natural Areas
Invasive Species
Invasive Plants in Oregon
Invasive Species Links
Rare Plant Information
T&E Plant Guide
T&E Plants by Basin
Biodiversity Data and Services
Data Requests
Submit Data
Publications and Reports
Staff and Contacts
Site Index
Species Ranking Documentation
This page provides PDF reports documenting our rationale for species state and global ranks. Other taxa are also listed on this page.
Oregon Threatened or Endangered Plant Field Guide
This guide provides detailed information on federally or state listed threatened and endangered species. Includes information on a species' status, description, habitat and range, along with references, technical illustrations and photographs. Created in 2002-2004 and periodically updated with information from the ORBIC database.
(Field Guide last updated on 07/15/2008.)
Threatened or Endangered Plants by Basin
Search for status, distribution, and background information for federally or state listed threatened or endangered plants by drainage basin in the state. Uses the same database as the Oregon Threatened or Endangered Plant Field Guide.
Glossary of Plant Identification Terms
Brief descriptions of some common terms used when describing plant characteristics.
Oregon Flora Project Rare Plants Guide
For more information, the Oregon Flora Project has PDFs describing over 100 rare plants found in Oregon at their
OFP Rare Plants Guide
Specific Species Locations and Distributions
To obtain specific spatial data for rare plants (or other species), you will need to make a formal data request to ORBIC. Please see the
Data Requests
page to contact us about the information you are interested in.
Photo of western lily (Lillium occidentale)
© Margie Willis
© 2014 Institute for Natural Resources


text:
Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Jarbidge and Elko County in Nevada. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Jarbidge, NV today!
Popular Tags for Skydiving Jarbidge:
Skydiving Jarbidge, Skydiving in Jarbidge, Sky Diving Jarbidge, Skydive Jarbidge NV, Skydiving 89826, Jarbidge Skydiving, Skydiving Jarbidge Nevada, Skydiving near Jarbidge, Skydiving in Jarbidge Nevada, Jarbidge Sky Diving, Skydive 89826, Skydiving Jarbidge NV, Skydive Jarbidge, Skydiving Elko County, Skydive in 89826, Skydiving NV, Sky Diving Jarbidge NV, Jarbidge, Nevada
Sign up for our newsletter and receive updatesand specials on skydiving across America!


text:
NBA Picks: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz Prediction: December 28th 2012
NBA Picks: December 28th 2012
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz
Prediction: Utah +3
We have been getting burned by going against the Clippers their last three games, but they have been blowing everyone out and have been playing out of their minds. This would be a member's play for us but we can't release another pick against the Clippers since we have been on the wrong side three times in a row. But we do think the Clippers streak ends tonight in Utah. For one, this is a revenge spot for Utah, who lost by one here in this same building early in the month. While revenge is normally an overrated handicapping factor in NBA betting, we do think it comes into play here because of the large target the Clippers now have on their collective back, as well as the way the Jazz lost that game, by missing a last-second shot that would have won it. That was also Utah's first home loss of the season. We're sure that loss still stings and that the Jazz will be bringing their A Game here on Friday night. Even though the Clippers have a deep bench, this is still a back-to-back situation for them and their third game in four nights. The Jazz had a day off and, before their home loss to the Warriors, two nights off before that. Utah has covered five of the last six meetings in this series and we think they make it six of seven tonight.
Doc's Sports has a very strong NBA card for Friday including a rare 5* pick as they look to sweep the board tonight.
Category: Basketball Picks


text:
Erik James Coleman (twitter: @Erikcoleman26)
Position: DB
Height: 5-10 Weight: 200 lbs.
Born: May 6, 1982 in Sacramento, CA
High School: Lewis & Clark
College: Washington St. (school history) (Coleman college stats)
Drafted by the New York Jets in the 5th round (143rd overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 34 (2861st overall since 1950)
Other SR Links: College Football at Sports-Reference.com
Sponsor this page for $5 and help Pro-Football-Reference.com provide this service. Your message will replace this ad.
|0 Accepted Penalty


text:
Bottega Wapping is an Italian restaurant, wine bar and deli in the creative hub of Metropolitan Wharf.
The space is inspired by the famous Campo de' Fiori farmers market in our hometown of Rome. Filled to the brim with fresh produce from Italy, you'll find artisan charcuterie and cheeses, a treasure trove of wines and some serious coffee.
With everything down to our pasta and bread made in-house, we're open for lazy brunches, evening feasts and everything in between. So just give us a call or click here to make your reservation.


text:
Ozone (O3)
Ozone is a gas that you cannot see or smell. Ozone occurs naturally in the sky about 10 to 30 miles above the earth's surface. Sometimes, this ozone is called 'good ozone' because it forms a layer that protects life on earth from the sun's harmful rays.
Ground-level ozone, on the other hand, can be bad for your health and the environment. Ground-level ozone forms when pollutants from cars and trucks, power plants, factories, and other sources come in contact with each other in heat and sunlight. Factors such as weather conditions and intensity of sunlight also play a part in how ozone is formed. Ground-level ozone is one of the biggest parts of smog, and it is usually worse in the summer months.
Many urban areas tend to have higher levels of ground-level ozone. However, rural areas have ground-level ozone, too. Wind carries ozone and the pollutants that form it hundreds of miles from their original sources, and rural areas have sources of ozone that contribute to this problem.
Ozone is a highly reactive molecule made of 3 oxygen atoms (O3) bonded together. Ground level ozone is an air pollutant, as opposed to stratospheric (high-altitude) O3 (the ozone layer) which is beneficial as it blocks the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays from hitting Earth's surface (for more information on the difference between stratospheric and ground-level O3 see Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby.
Ozone molecules are highly reactive because they want nothing more than to give their 3rd oxygen atom to something else. The 3rd oxygen atom will react with anything that it comes in contact with, including lung tissue when inhaled.
Ozone is not directly released into the atmosphere. It forms from a secondary reaction between other pollutants already in the air when it is hot and there is sunlight (see figure below). The pollutants necessary for O3 formation are nitrogen dioxide (NO2-) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Nitrogen dioxide comes from the combustion of fossil fuels (vehicles, industry, power plants, etc.). Volatile organic compounds come from industrial emissions and plant life and because NH is rich with plant life, there are usually enough VOCs in the atmosphere to create O3 whenever NO2 and sunlight are also present. The figure below illustrates the sequence of factors that lead to ozone formation.
Weather plays a large role in determining how much O3 builds in NH's air. In NH, O3 events usually occur on the afternoon of hot and sunny (or hazy) days. The worst events occur on hot, sunny (or hazy) days when the air is stagnant (no breeze), and has been stagnant for several days.
Ozone and Health
Some people are more sensitive to air pollutants than others. People with lung disease, children, older adults, and people who are active outdoors (athletes, workers, etc.) can be affected when O3 levels are unhealthy. Elevated O3 levels can limit a person's ability to take a deep breath and trigger symptoms such as coughing, throat irritation, and breathing discomfort. Ground-level O3 can also make it easier for you to get a cold or pneumonia. It can damage your lungs and make heart and breathing problems worse. Children are sensitive to the effects of O3, and even healthy adults engaged in moderate or strenuous outdoor activities can be affected.
When ozone levels are very high, everyone should be concerned about ozone exposure. But ozone bothers some people more than others, mainly when they are outside. People in these groups may feel the effects of ozone when they are outside for short periods of time, even if they are only doing light activities. Those most likely to be bothered by ozone include:
- active people of all ages who exercise or work hard outside because they are in contact with ozone more than people who spend more time indoors.
- children who spend a lot of time outdoors. Children are also more likely than adults to have asthma, which may be aggravated when they breathe in ozone. Being exposed to ozone for short periods of time over many years may cause children to have more breathing problems as adults.
- infants because their lungs continue to develop after birth and can be impacted by air pollutants.
- older adults because they are more likely to have heart or lung disease.
- people with asthma or lung disease because they will feel the effects of ozone sooner and at lower ozone levels than less-sensitive people.
Many scientific studies have linked ground-level ozone contact to such varied problems as:
- aggravation of asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema
- coughing and pain when taking a deep breath;
- higher chance of getting respiratory illness such as pneumonia or bronchitis;
- lung and throat irritation; and
- wheezing and breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities.
As a result of these studies, scientists know that breathing in too much ozone can increase events such as:
- absences from school,
- asthma medication use,
- premature death from heart and lung disease.
- visits to the emergency room and hospital admissions, and
Reduce Your Risk
Being very active outside during peak O3 hours carries the biggest risk. If you start coughing, having trouble breathing, or get a sore throat, you should reduce your level of activity or reduce the time you are outside. People in the above groups should be especially careful to limit their outdoor activities during peak ozone hours, as they may feel the effects of ozone more quickly than others, even if they are only doing light activities.
EPA's Air Quality Index, or AQI, is a tool to help you quickly learn when air pollution is likely to reach unhealthy levels. Local TV stations, radio programs, and newspapers carry these air quality forecasts to tell you when particle levels are likely to be unhealthy. You can use the AQI to plan your daily activities to reduce exposure to ozone.
Your exposure to ozone depends mainly on where you live and work and how much time you spend outside. When ozone levels are high, you can:
- do easier outdoor activities, such as walking instead of running; and
- plan indoor activities.
- plan outdoor activities when ozone levels are lower, usually in the morning and evening;
- reduce the amount of time you spend outside;
For more information about ozone:
- 8-hour Ozone Designations, EPA web page
- Air Quality Criteria, for Ozone, EPA web page
- Ozone, Related Photochemical Oxidants, EPA web page


text:
Enter DP Fanatics →
- Content Quality: 19.0 / 20
- Quantity/Volume: 17.5 / 20
- Updates Frequency: 16.0 / 20
- Value for Money: 16.0 / 20
- Reviewer Opinion: 18.0 / 20
DP Fanatics Site Facts
DP Fanatics Review
Double penetration porn is some of the most intense in my opinion and just happens to be one of my favorite niches. The action at DPFanatic will not disappoint you if you're searching for gorgeous euro babes getting all of their tight holes plugged with thick cocks, fucked roughly then lathered in messy cum shots. You'll see these babes do more than just fill both their ass and pussy simultaneously with cock. Many will take two dicks in one hole, or have their throats fucked while their asses are pounded raw.
At the time of this review there are a total of 410 babes dp movies at DP Fanatic. You can stream them in a good quality Flash video or download them in an HD Windows Media format. Older movies come in a great quality MPEG4 format. The site will add a new clip from a scene every day until all 10 clips are online. At that time they make the full-length downloads available. New scenes get introduced every week like clockwork.
With each movie comes an equally stunning photo gallery. These contain 130 high-res pictures that are large and crisp. You can browse through these online or download them in convenient zip files. For fans of gritty close-ups these will be a huge asset.
The site is easy to navigate and the newest material is right there on the landing page. You can browse chronologically or jump into the model index to browse by babe. There is also a link to "Network" which will give you links to the 41 bonus sites included with you membership. These include hardcore dp and anal sex sites like DP Overload, Fassinating, Asshole Fever and Anal Teen Angels to name just a few.
Everything about DP Fanatics is high quality. The anal dp movies and pictures here are served up in gorgeous HD download formats, new material is added daily and the huge selection of bonus sites contain equally stunning and related content. For fans of teen dp action it doesn't get much better than this. I highly recommend you give DP Fanatics a visit as soon as possible.
Network 21Sextury (27)
89.5 Anal Teen Angels
93.3 Pix And Video
87 Club Sandy
82.5 Teach Me Fisting
74 Only Swallows
76 Pee And Blow
86 Asshole Fever
86.5 DP Fanatics
82.5 Lez Cuties
71 Creampie Reality
82 Cuties Galore
83 Footsie Babes
97.7 21Sextury.com
76 Deep Throat Frenzy
77 Hot MILF Club
82 Dirty 101
88 Blue Angel Live
75 Speculum Plays
88 Nude Fight Club
83 Aletta Ocean Empire
83 Old Young Lesbian Love
82.5 Cheating Whore Wives
82 Sex With Kathia Nobili
80.5 Ladyboys and Trannies
83.5 Gape Land
79 Lets Play Lez


text:
A mother's love for a child is a beautiful thing. Nothing can come between them; including religion and husband in some cases. It is also no secret religious beliefs can bring relationships together and strengthen them or it can tear those involved apart. In a recent report from TMZ disagreement over a religious decision regarding little Suri may have been the final straw to break the back in the unexpected divorce announcement from Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise.
According to the report from TMZ a source close to Katie revealed that Tom and Katie had been fighting over a decision to send Suri to a scientology boot camp at sea (aptly named Sea Org). There are rumors the boot camp is more military in style than some might like. Tom, always the scientology supporter was reportedly for the idea and Katie, who came into scientology after getting together with Tom was not. The report goes on to say that Katie felt she had not choice, she had to protect her daughter. Of course, this report appears to be pretty one sided and there may be more to come from the other side. This column will do it's best to keep you update on the story.
As mentioned earlier a mother's love for a child knows no bounds. When photos are taken of Suri, Katie always appears to be very close to her daughter. This could be a likely reason. If so this argument between the couple has been going on for quite some time because it has also been reported Katie had leased a NY apartment before she filed the papers. Also as reported by multiple television gossip shows it has been sometime since the public has seen Katie and Tom together on the red carpet.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Feel free to leave a comment below. Please subscribe to this column by clicking the button above and entering your email. It is simple and free and will get you email alerts when new food news stories are published. We have made it convenient to share stories with your social media friends. Please click the links above. As always, thank you for reading, and have a great day~
Suggested Links
- Dylan McDermott's mother's murder solved 45 years later hopefully brings closure
- New study links 'Social Jetlag' to obesity, smoking, insomnia and drinking
- Dr. Drew gets real with Wendy Williams and talks Nivea 'Touch' campaign
- Tips to help you revitalize a stale relationship
- Is chivalry dead or does it live on in the modern day and age


text:
Joe Hughes
Email Joe Hughes
Joe Hughes enters his fourth season as the director of baseball operations at Texas Tech in 2016. Hughes was named director of operations with the Red Raiders on July 17, 2012.
Hughes is responsible for the baseball program's day-to-day operations and oversees every Tech baseball student-athletes' needs. He manages team travel, scheduling and the program's team budget. Hughes also oversees facility needs for the home of Red Raider baseball, Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
Hughes serves as fall, winter and summer camp director for Red Raider baseball and works as the baseball team liaison with every area and department throughout the Texas Tech athletics department.
In just year two of the Tim Tadlock head coaching era, the Red Raiders put together the best season in program history while winning Tech's first NCAA Regional (Coral Gables), capturing the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional and advancing to the first College World Series in school history.
Tech's turnaround (26 wins in 2013 -- 45 wins in 2014) is the biggest turnaround season in school history and the second biggest turnaround in Big 12 history.
Hughes and the Red Raiders posted a 45-21 overall record in 2014 while finishing 14-10 in the Big 12, marking the program's sixth 40-win regular season and collecting the most conference wins by the Red Raiders in a decade.
The 2014 season was highlighted by numerous team and individual accomplishments, including breaking several all-time records, a number of individual accolades and countless on-field performances.
Tadlock was named the ABCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year and also the College Baseball Hall of Fame Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year, outfielder Tyler Neslony became the first Red Raider in school history to lead the Big 12 in batting, left-handed pitcher Chris Sadberry was a sixth-round draft pick by the Marlins, designated hitter Adam Kirsch was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, left-handed pitcher Dylan Dusek broke the school record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season, Big 12 freshman ERA (1.94) and was one of two Red Raiders (Stephen Smith) to earn Freshman All-America.
That was just the start of what the Red Raiders accomplished in 2014.
Tech had a pair of sellouts hosting the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional where they recorded back-to-back 1-0 shutouts (first time in NCAA Super Regional history) over No. 16 College of Charleston. The over capacity crowd of 4,811 that attended both games of the Super Regional, set a new stadium record (since 2012 renovation) for single-game attendance and also two-game series attendance at Rip Griffin Park. In addition, Tech fans purchased the tickets available for the Super Regional in less than 40 minutes from when tickets went on sale soon after Tech won the NCAA Coral Gables Regional.
The Red Raiders followed with a 31-24 campaign in 2015, marking the first time the Red Raiders had compiled consecutive 30-win seasons since doing so over a 14-year stretch from 1993-2006. The 76 combined victories over the past two seasons are also the most over a two-year stretch since Texas Tech totaled 85 wins from 2001-02.
Hughes, who also handles on-campus recruiting duties, has been instrumental with Tech's rise in recruiting on the national level as the Red Raiders have tallied back-to-back nationally-ranked recruiting classes. In 2013, Tadlock's first season as head coach, the Red Raiders earned a No. 24 ranking by Perfect Game and a No. 27 ranked class of 2013 recruits by Collegiate Baseball.
Tech's second season with Tadlock as head coach and Hughes as director of operations, Tech received a No. 13 national ranking for its 2014 recruiting class by Collegiate Baseball and a No. 23 ranking by Baseball America, which marked the first Baseball America recruiting class ranking for the program.
Tech assembled the No. 14 recruiting class in the country and top one in the Big 12 according to Perfect Game in 2015. The class was boosted by three of the top 31 high school players in the country
Texas Tech won its first NCAA Regional (Coral Gables) during Hughes' second year on the Red Raider staff in 2014 while also winning the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional and advancing to the College World Series in school history.
A former college baseball player at Oklahoma (2006-07), Hughes joined the Red Raiders coaching staff after a year as assistant director of event management at Oklahoma (2011-2012).
Hughes worked with all 21 intercollegiate athletics programs at OU in event management. Hughes spent significant time working with athletics administration, individual coaching staffs, sport administrators, athletics communications, ticket sales, athletic trainers, marketing and officials to list a few.
Hughes served as a student assistant coach with the Oklahoma baseball program in the fall of 2007 and following his post-graduate studies became a graduate assistant in the OU athletics department in January 2011.
In addition, Hughes worked Oklahoma baseball camps along with private lessons while coaching high school and youth baseball teams during his time in Norman.
Hughes' relationship with Texas Tech head coach Tim Tadlock dates back to the beginning of his collegiate playing career at Grayson County College (2004-05) when Tadlock served as the head coach of the junior-college program in Denison, Texas.
Following his junior-college career, Hughes turned down numerous NCAA Division I scholarship offers to reunite with Tadlock at Oklahoma where he was a two-year starter for the Sooners while helping lead the Sooners to the 2006 Norman Regional championship and to an NCAA Super Regional appearance. In fact, Hughes was a key member of the Sooners offense that led the Big 12 in hitting (.323) in 2006.
Following his senior season, Hughes signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Royals where he made 16 appearances during the 2007 season with Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League. Hughes' playing career came to an end following 2008 spring training due to an arm injury.
Hughes played the outfield and pitched for the Sooners. He received several honors during his Oklahoma career, including All-Big 12 honorable mention, Academic All-Big 12 first team and Big 12 All-Tournament Team as a senior, and he was named Big 12 Player of the Week during the second week of the season in 2006.
He was a .348 (73-for-210) career hitter at Oklahoma while playing in 86 games (62 starts) with 43 runs, seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 42 RBI with a .990 fielding percentage.
Hughes' senior season he batted .333 (43-for-129) with 22 RBI and won six games on the mound (6-3) with a 5.32 ERA in 16 appearances (12 starts) with 66.0 innings, 48 strikeouts and 25 walks allowed while picking off three runners.
Hughes batted .375 during his freshman season at Grayson County in 2004 where he helped lead the Vikings to the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., following a Region V Tournament title. Hughes helped guide Grayson County to a conference championship in 2005 with a 41-10 overall record while batting .367 with 20 RBI and 13 stolen bases while pitching 35.1 innings with a 3-1 record and 3.57 ERA with 34 strikeouts.
Hughes graduated from Oklahoma in 2008 with a degree in human relations. He earned his master's degree in 2010 with a degree in adult and higher education with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletics administration. Hughes is originally from Plano, Texas, where he played high school baseball at Plano East Senior High School. Hughes was born in Oceanside, Calif., on October 4, 1984.


text:
Theron Joseph Rubley
Position: QB
Height: 6-3 Weight: 212 lbs.
Throws: Right
Born: November 29, 1968 in Davenport, IA
High School: West
College: Tulsa (school history) (Rubley college stats)
Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 9th round (228th overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 5 (9377th overall since 1950)
Other SR Links: College Football at Sports-Reference.com
Sponsor this page for $5 and help Pro-Football-Reference.com provide this service. Your message will replace this ad.
Output includes all games from 1920 to 2015.


text:
Are you looking to treat your lips? With Lipsicle from Paula Dorf you can do just that! Indulge in this blending richness of a lipstick, with the shine of a gloss. The variety of colors gives you the chance to be daring and bold or sophisticated and sweet. These colors allow you to create any look you desire! Pucker up and give your lips a treat with this wonderful lipstick. Enjoy the best of both worlds. It's time to give your lips dazzling, long-lasting, and beautiful color. For best application use with the Paula Dorf Lip Brush. Do not hesitate, make your decision today!
Directions: Apply directly to lips or with the Lip Brush.
Net Weight: 1.21 oz. / 6 g
Ingredients: Methyl Hydrogenated Rosinate, Glyceryl Hydrogenated Rosinate, Lanolin, Ricinus Communnis (Castor) Seed Oil, Pvp/Hexadecene Copoymer, Microcrystalline Wax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Silica, Beeswax, Quaternium 18 Hectorite, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Toccopherol, Tocoascorbyl Acetate, Retinal Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palimite, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Frangrance.
Disclaimer: Ingredients are subject to change at the manufacturer's discretion. For the most complete and up-to-date list of ingredients, please refer to the product packaging.
If you need any help for applying these offers or any other issue please call us toll-free at 1-866-830-6161.


text:
Your Voice Matters: The Briggs & Stratton Reviews Sweepstakes
Consumers Want Your Product Reviews
When it comes to purchasing decisions, homeowners are hit with a lot of information from all directions that it's sometimes hard to decipher the facts. That's why 8 out of 10* consumers consider online reviews an important part of their purchasing process. To most, there's nothing better than hearing first-hand accounts from people just like them about products they need or are interested in purchasing.
Briggs & Stratton Uses Consumer Reviews to Improve
At Briggs & Stratton, we've always valued our customers' opinions and they often lead to new small engine innovations. Now, with our Ratings & Reviews program, it's easy for our customers to rate a product, leave a dealer review and help out fellow consumers with their lawn mower or other small engine purchasing decision. The best par? With the Briggs & Stratton Consumer Reviews Sweepstakes, you can win a $100 cash card!
Simply locate your product or dealer from the sweepstakes page or on our website and provide the following in your review:
For products:
- Overall rating
- How you rate the product based on power, value, starting performance and reliability
- Whether or not you would recommend us to a friend
For Briggs & Stratton dealers:
- Overall rating
- How you rate the dealer's product knowledge
- How you rate the dealer's professionalism
- How you rate the dealers responsiveness
- Whether or not your recommend the dealer
- Why you chose the dealer
Of course, you can always provide an in-depth product or dealer review for others to factor into their purchasing decision.
Enter the Consumer Reviews Sweepstakes to Win Weekly Giveaway
We're giving away $100 each week now until June 30, 2014. That's 30 chances to win! Plus, each review counts as an entry. Check out the official rules to learn more.1
*Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange, December 2012.


text:
Home | Contact Us | Site Map | Staff Tools | Classes | Newsroom
Unity Home Care
Unity Home Care provides service for more than 3,000 seniors every day and offers the most comprehensive range of services for seniors in Monroe County.
Adult Day Care Programs
Adult day services provide a caring, supportive, and therapeutic environment for people who need care or supervision during daytime hours. Six locations throughout Monroe County.
Caregiver Support
From free caregiver support groups to health care coordination and assistance, Unity can provide you and your loved one with the best possible health care and support for you.
Housing and Retirement Communities
We offer a wide spectrum of living options to suit a variety of tastes, health care needs, and budgets. Unity offers independent and enriched living communities, as well as four affordable housing communities throughout Monroe County.
In-Home Services
Unity has a variety of home-based services to help you or your loved one continue to live safely and independently at home such as meal delivery, companion services, home health aides, skilled nursing visits, and waivered services. We also offer a personal emergency response system and medication monitoring system.
Skilled Nursing Homes
Unity Center for Aging offers three skilled nursing homes, each providing its own specialty of care, and a brand new state of the art transitional care center on the Unity Hospital campus.
Unity Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA)
Unity CHHA provides short-term in-home care to patients recovering from an illness, injury or surgery.
Physician, Service, and Referral Line
All queries and responses are strictly confidential.
Make a Donation | Find a Doctor | Jobs | Patient & Visitor Info | Services & Locations | About Unity
Care to Compare Reports | Classes | Newsroom | Privacy Notice


text:
People often say that Writer's Block is the very worst thing that can happen to a writer. I myself knew that it wasn't true. Writer's Laziness is.
Writer's Laziness means that you have ton of amazing ideas but you don't care any of this while Writer's Block means that you desperately want to write but the you can't find inspiration or enough motivation that you keep mentally grasping for words but they all run away laughing before you can trap them on a page.
This is a list of things I would rather be doing right now than writing:
Sleeping: Whilst one of my all-time favorite activities it's never something I want to do when I'm supposed to.
Shopping: Who didn't love to shop? As long as you have enough money. oh! i mean extra on your pocket.
Have some cake and cookies: I shouldn't feel guilty about eating a cookie. In fact, I shouldn't be doing any of these things. Life is too short to waste it oogling Henry Cavill and complaining about being bored.
Learning a new language by watching SBS World News: I'm a big fan of different languages and foreign accents. They excite me. I'm being quasi productive and smart whilst procrastinating. It's genius.
Make a new soundcloud cover: It's my stress reliever.
Play with my baby Yesha : She is so addicting! cute and fluffy.
Got any of your own?


text:
seems like a genuine good idea
We recently reported that the Nintendo 3DS has a slight problem with its current design where the lower screen rubs against the top screen causing marks to appear which can then become permanent scratches (SSoD).
Well it seems some illustrious gamers have come up with a home made solution to an increasingly common problem especially as Nintendo refuse to take responsibility for the problem and recommend using a piece of plastic or cloth placed between the two screens instead.
By taking off the little rubber feet from the base of their Xbox 360 consoles and sticking them to the top screen of the 3DS creates better cushioning and prevents the lower screen housing from ever touching the top screen, thus alleviating the scratching issue.
If you're a 3DS owner and also own any electronic device (especially a 360), then perhaps this method is something you should consider - do try this at home. We spoke to Nintendo customer services about performing this action and because the rubber feet would be removable, this act wouldn't be classed as a permanent modification to the console thus not affecting your warranty in any way.
step 1 buy Xecuter X360USB PRO - ModTraders.co.uk plus ck3 prob 3
step 2 find out what drive you have by opening it and looking at drive
step 3 find tut for drive you have : X360USB PRO Guides & Tutorials - Team Xecuter
step 4 download latest jungle flasher :JungleFlasher.0.1.87.Beta(277)
step 5 download latest firmware :ixtreme LT 1.91 LT 1.92
Also flash your drive back to stock before updating to latest dash :http://hotfile.com/dl/120935934/28dc..._Pack.rar.html
seems like a genuine good idea
Berkshire Flashing and Mods Service
c4eva Speaks
I will only respond to another forum users PM if ive sent you one first!!If I helped you please press the "Thanks" button
creative idea....too bad the 3ds is going to suffer the same fate as virtual boy


text:
A toddler with heroin at a New Jersey daycare prompted the arrest Monday of the young boy's father, who is accused of filling his 2-year-old son's jacket with 48 small bags of heroin and forgetting to remove them, reports NBC News on Wednesday.
Phillip Young, 27, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, and certainly won't be up for any parent of the year accolades after he shamelessly stuffed his boy's clothes with the illegal drug.
Daycare workers at the child-care center in Paterson discovered the heroin, and called police, who then arrested Young after it was confirmed he dropped the boy off that morning, said Paterson Police Lieutenant Bert Ribeiro.
Parents of the other children who attend the Michael's Energy Center non-profit preschool said they were not immediately informed of the "drug bust," leading to several complaints and concerns over the safety of their children.
Some parents found out from reporters telling them as they arrived to pick up their children.
"And my babies are in there, are you kidding me?" said mom Countswella Lampley when informed by a local TV news reporter.
Another parent said young kids have a tendency to put things in their mouth and was concerned over an accidental ingestion of the drug. The daycare takes children from 18 months up to four years of age.
"My daughter sees something on the floor, puts it in her mouth thinking it's candy – same thing could have happened here," said Dulce Ibanez.
Young has been jailed on $85,000 bail. His boy is in the care of his family.
Suggested Links
- Target Photoshop: Target's wonky Photoshop fail carves out a model's behind
- 911 call: Cat holds Ore. family hostage in wacked out 911 cat-astrophe
- Lakewood Church $600,000: Joel Osteen's Lakewood megachurch burglarized of $600K
- Colorado marijuana tax: Weed tax is 'rolling' in a windfall of cash for Colorado
- Yik Yak: Is anonymous messaging app 'Yik Yak' stoking cyberbullying fears?


text:
Restaurant Pho Viet
1663, rue Amherst, Montreal, QC, H2L 3L4
Bring your own wine, appetite and a thirst for adventure! You'll need them to completely experience the charms of this friendly artists' hangout.
|Type de cuisine |
|Type de repas |
|Dîner, Souper
|Caractéristiques |
|Apportez votre vin
|Prix moyen |
|Paiement |
|Argent comptant
|Quartier |
|Se rendre |
|Berri-UQAM or Beaudry Metro
|Intersection |
|between Maisonneuve and Ontario
|Mon - Fri 11AM – 3PM& 5PM – 10PM; Sat 5PM – 10PM; Closed on Sunday
Profil Dernière mise-à-jour: 03 avril 2009
Nested in the eclectic village district, this little restaurant has become a landmark in the neighborhood, offering good meals, good prices and an amazing atmosphere. From Monday to Saturday, hungry regulars come to Pho Viet to fill up. Made up of passionate intellectuals and university students, Pho Viet's clientele meet up to discuss, debate and change the world! And while they talk a lot, they party even more, reveling in the friendly and electric ambience at this bistro-style restaurant. At Pho Viet, you will discover the flavours of the world in a festive ambience and in good company.
Alluring Specialties
Pho, caramelized salmon, green papaya, crispy noodles and flavourful grilled meats: the chef has eccentric tastes and creatively mixes spices and textures to create meals that will surprise your taste buds. Culinary savors from abroad liven up by some exotic touches, dishes are generously served but always in good proportions. Chances are, your first visit to Pho Viet will probably never be the last.
Great prices, great ambiance
For a very affordable price, you'll feel like an emperor lounging on his sparkling pillows, surrounded by his royal court—you'll only be missing the silk pyjamas! The flow of wine depends solely on you, since the restaurant is a "bring your own wine". At Pho Viet, clients are more than kings, they are friends, guests, who appreciate what they have best to offer sitting around a table filled with some tasty delicacies. Sharing is what matters so why not head there to give it a try for yourself!


text:
If you've ever tried to quit smoking, you know how tough it can be. And you're not alone – 70% of smokers want to stop, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Quitting smoking is the single most important thing anyone can do to improve their health and decrease their risk of dying," says Lloyd I. Sederer, M.D., medical director of the New York State Office of Mental Health.
But as former smokers know, fighting the urge to smoke can require almost superhuman mental strength.
According to the U.S. Public Health Service, while medications and nicotine-replacement therapies can help reduce urges and ease temporary withdrawal symptoms, they can't stop a smoker from lighting up again weeks, months or even years after quitting.
But it doesn't have to be that hard — there are also psychological tricks that reduce cigarette cravings and overcome the desire to light up.
"Smokers need to realize that the wiring in their brains has changed," says Saria Carter Saccocio, M.D., chief medical officer of Danville Regional Medical Center in Virginia. "Medication is one part of it, but the mental piece plays into it as well. When we have a craving, our brain's trying to get us to do something we don't want to do. Cigarettes trick smokers' brains into thinking those cigarettes are essential."
Here are 10 expert tips tips experts that are effective enough to help you outsmart your own brain and stop lighting up…for good.
1. Adjust your attitude.
You won't be able to push through cigarette cravings until you've decided that quitting is something you really want.
"If you're quitting because your spouse asked you to or someone's nagging you, it's not going to last," says Voelker. "Step 1 is getting your head in the right place."
That includes changing your point of view to that of a non-smoker, rather than an ex-smoker who's feeling deprived.
"Once you quit, if in the bottom of your heart you can pity those who still smoke – in the same way you might pity the alcoholic passed out on the bar or the diabetic eating a hot fudge sundae – it gives you the best chance of walking away from smoking for good," Voelker says.
2. Identify your triggers.
Cigarette cravings tend to be triggered by "cues" or things you associate with smoking.
That could be anything from a person, song or smell to a place (like your car) or a time (such as after a meal), Lieberman says.
To identify what triggers your urge to smoke, you need to be conscious of when you light up, Saccocio adds.
"Many smokers smoke without even realizing it," she says. They don't [notice] they light up every time they turn right on Main Street on the way to work.
"When you have a craving, notice where you are and what you're doing and thinking about," she adds. Even better, write it down.
One way to avoid your triggers is to shake up your routine by doing things in a different order or adding an activity.
"We coach people to change all their patterns," says Barry Hummel, Jr., M.D., co-founder of the Quitdoc Research and Education Foundation, a group of physicians dedicated to reducing the U.S. death rate from tobacco use.
For example, make a new habit of brushing your teeth right after you eat. This not only helps you fill the time needed for the craving to pass, it also changes the taste in your mouth.
It takes 25-30 times of successfully doing something differently to break a habit, says Voelker. So you'll need to remember to brush after meals repeatedly before it becomes second nature.
Try to avoid your most powerful cigarette associations, Sederer suggests. Drinking alcohol, for example, is one of the most common triggers for smokers. So are situations where others smoke.
"Maybe you have to stop going to clubs on Friday nights for a few months," he advises.
3. Delay yourself.
Cigarette cravings will pass, experts say.
"You think the only way to make the craving go away is to give in to it, but that's not true," Lieberman says.
If you manage to delay gratification for as little as 3-5 minutes, the urge will subside, he says.
"The technique is called 'craving surfing,' " Lieberman explains. "It involves recognizing that cravings [come in] waves. Every minute you wait, the intensity goes down."
4. Get moving.
Exercise is one of the best ways to distract yourself from smoking, Voelker says. It has other benefits too: Quitting smoking often leads to negative mood states and weight gain, and exercise is a powerful weapon against both, he adds.
That's why the American Lung Association recommends daily workouts for all participants in its tobacco-cessation programs
"Exercise definitely reduces cigarette cravings," Voelker says. "It also relieves stress, releases endorphins [natural mood-enhancing chemicals] and can help keep you from gaining weight."
Withdrawal symptoms and cigarette cravings in ex-smokers decreased during exercise and for up to 50 minutes afterward, according to a 2007 review of 12 studies by researchers from the University of Exeter in England. In a 2006 Austrian study, 80% of smokers who combined exercise with nicotine replacement therapy successfully quit. The success rate was only 52% for those who used nicotine replacement alone.


text:
Duke Ellington: Black Beauty
Black Beauty
Duke Ellington (piano)
The Duke: The Columbia Years 1927-1962 (Sony Jazz 5176872)
Duke Ellington (piano).
Composed by Duke Ellington.
Recorded: New York, October 1, 1928
Rating: 97/100 (learn more)
Duke Ellington is revered for his suave showmanship, his prodigious output of timeless compositions, and his knack as a bandleader to herd cats. Central to the legend is his unparalleled mastery of orchestration. How many times have you heard it? Ellington's true instrument was his band. Yet there remains something deeply affecting about Duke, alone at the piano, playing one of his loveliest tunes—a portrait of Florence Mills, the internationally adored African-American musical comedy star who'd died at 31 less than a year before. He's technically no James P. Johnson or Fats Waller, but Duke as solo pianist lets us access one of the 20th century's keenest intellects and grandest charmers, unfiltered by interpreters. Ellington's true instrument was his mind.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Tags: solo piano
Comments are closed.


text:
Miles Davis: Yesternow
Miles Davis (trumpet)
A Tribute to Jack Johnson (Columbia S 30455)
Miles Davis (trumpet), John McLaughlin (electric guitar),
plus in Group 1: Steve Grossman (soprano sax), Herbie Hancock (organ), Michael Henderson (electric bass), Billy Cobham (drums); and in Group 2: Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet), Sonny Sharrock (electric guitar), Chick Corea (electric piano), Dave Holland (electric bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums).
Composed by Miles Davis.
Recorded: New York, February 1970
Rating: 96/100 (learn more)
Producer Teo Macero really chopped up this piece in the editing room. Consequently, cohesion suffers, and many people didn't care for that. Today, however, in this jam-band, home-studio and sampling recording world, Teo seems like a genius. At times, "Yesternow" is haltingly slow and disjointed; at other times, it builds pace with such thick electricity—an overwhelming feeling of voltage—that the tune seems plugged directly into a wall outlet. Miles himself plays sparingly, more intent on being charged-up as he lets guitarist McLaughlin and bassist Henderson provide the power supply. To create the final version, Macero tacked-on a couple of other session pastiches involving, except for Miles and McLaughlin, completely different personnel (listed in our Musician credits above as Group 2). This music too has its moments, but the original lineup is the dominant force in the tune. As the piece comes to a close, the great actor and voice, Brock Peters, declares his identity as Jack Johnson and informs us, in so many words, that he is not going to take any shit from anybody. Dig it!
Reviewer: Walter Kolosky
Tags: 1970s jazz · fusion · yesternow
Les Nelson
// Apr 26, 2009 at 03:26 PM
One of the greatest recordings in jazz and one of Miles' best. McLaughlin's playing on Yesternow (and on Right Off, on the other side of the original LP) is awesome! What a groove! It sounds as fresh to today as it was all those years ago. Macero was a great A & R man and he definitely got the best out of Miles. The recordings in the later years never came close to matching this album.
// May 05, 2009 at 06:21 PM
This song has to be listen to with your eyes closed. you can see yourself walking the streets of any downtown only to find yourself looking back in time. it seems so real now as it did yesterday which brings up to today. things have a way of repeating it seems like are worst times and our best times will replay itself, but once we have truely learned from what we did before can we progress to become something better. the past holds the key to the future. this is what this songs means to me. close your eyes and maybe you will see it to.


text:
VALIC offers several Retirement Accounts Seminars throughout the year. The seminar workbooks outlining the material presented are available for download from the files above, and workbooks are available in the Human Resources office. Please contact Jonathan at extension 2897 if you would like any additional information. Future seminars will be scheduled for Union College staff and times will be announced. The seminar is most helpful for new employees.
Tim Briggs, our VALIC representative, will continue to be available on a monthly basis for your retirement account consultations. Please contact Salli at 2502 for an appointment.


text:
Introducing Anthem's New President, Pam Kehaly
On August 30th, Pam Kehaly became president and general manager of Anthem Blue Cross of California. In this position, Pam will be responsible for the management of all local group health care business in California including sales, account service, marketing, underwriting and plan delivery. She'll also be responsible for maintaining customer relationships. In addition, she'll be leading the development of Anthem's long-term strategic direction and their collaboration with local and state elected officials to improve the health of Californians.
Pam has a proven record of delivering results. Her extensive experience in P&L management, strategic planning and operations management will be an asset to Anthem's California team and their commitment to delivering outstanding service to their customers and members throughout the state.
She has nearly 25 years of health care industry experience, including senior leadership sales and operational roles at Aetna and WellPoint. Most recently, she served as president of national accounts at Aetna. Prior to that, Pam led Aetna's West Region National Accounts division. And before joining Aetna, she worked in a variety of sales and operations leadership positions in WellPoint's California market.
Pam also serves as a board member of Adaptive Business Leaders and is an active member of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Los Angeles Division.
Anthem Blue Cross has made significant strides in improving the health of their members and customers by working closely with hospitals, providers and regulators. And with Pam's leadership, Anthem looks forward to continuing the positive relationships with them as they work to address California's most difficult health care challenges.