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Pointing to our theme here of both markets and the regulatory environment adjusting favorably for the small cap public and the private company investment markets, today the SEC reduced the holding period for Rule 144 restricted stock from one year to six months.
The change will greatly help smaller public and private companies raise capital by easing the liquidity concerns of outside investors in these companies. Liquidity concerns are one of the biggest, if not the biggest, challenges to overcome in securing investment in private placement transactions.
Quite simply, this change is great news and in our view will be part of a theme we will see over the next few years to ease the regulatory burden on smaller company financings.
Read the article here on the change.
In 2007, for the first time Southern California passed the Boston area as the 2nd largest venture capital market in the country. According to Dow Jones Venture One, Southern California saw a 12 percent increase in amount of funded deals - to $3.8 billion. Venture funding in general was up 8 percent in 2007 - and VC's raised over $35 billion in fresh capital from limited partners to invest.
A few takeaways:
The "Roger Clemens Goes To Washington" side show was the lead mindshare item across arenas today - sports obviously, but also popular culture and surprisingly the business press as well. CNBC broke in extensively from their market coverage in the morning to cover portions of the hearing, and the lead items on most Internet news sites were reports and analysis of the hearing.
Against my will, I found myself both anticipating the big event as well as excitedly following its course. And since my business plan and Internet marketing minds are, for better or worse, always on, I couldn't help but have my wheels turn in regards to the value of the millions of eyeballs tuned to the spectacle.
On some levels, it would seem impossible to put a marketing plan together for a profit-making enterprise that could capture so much free media so cheaply as these hearings (and let's be real here folks - there was really no point nor lesson to be learned from these hearings other than their "pleasure in other's misfortune" appeal of watching a rich and famous and seemingly untouchable sports icon fall from his pedestal).
But heck, the combination of the sheer numbers involved and our celebrity-obsessed culture certainly make "voyeuristic-based" promotion and PR worth exploring -- especially for consumer-facing product and service offerings having difficulty being heard above the noise (and operating, as we all are, with limited marketing budgets). GoDaddy and their racy Super Bowl commercials come to mind as a great example in this regard. So does Mark Ecko and his purchasing and then online vote regarding what do with the Bonds home run ball.
While certainly a lot of this kind of promotion is done in what we will call the "You Tube" marketing channel, it hasn't bled over to mainstream media as much perhaps as it should. My gut says that enterprising marketers will be putting this kind of "scandal marketing" more and more in their business plans in the years to come.
Raising capital for a startup or small business is without question one of the most challenging aspects of growing a business. The stories are manifold of entrepreneurs and small business owners becoming both frustrated and discouraged by the amount of time it takes to secure capital, the rejections they endure, and the lack of linearity and progress checkpoints over the course of the fundraising process. Complaints we hear repeatedly from entrepreneurs regarding fund raising include the following:
An overlooked benefit of The Federal Reserve Board cutting interest rates by 75 basis points last week and an expected additional 50 points is the palatable benefit it has and will have for equity investments:
Further to this point, the noise of the chattering classes often drowns out the remarkable resiliency of American capital system. In America, there is an enormous institutional commitment to maintaining stability and fluidity to economic markets. Rarely do things, on a macro level, get out of balance either very badly or very exuberantly (or when there is exuberance, it is usually contained to a particular sector).
It is no accident that the United States is the unrivaled venture capital investment center of the world, and no accident that a significant plurality of most the leading technology companies in the world are American firms. Capital usually feels safe in the United States, and it is safe capital that inve sts in growth investments. Stable monetary policy, which Americans often take for granted, plays a key part in inculcating this sense of safety.
Amid the tumult in the public markets, venture capital investments in U.S. startups remains very, very strong -- climbing to a six-year high of $29.4 billion in 2007. It was the busiest venture capital investing year since 2001, with investment spread across 3813 deals, and 11% more money invested than in 2006.
Perhaps most encouragingly, both the venture and individual investor forecasts for 2008 early-stage investments are robust - in spite of and perhaps even driven by public market equity and debt investment uncertainty.This robust outlook is confirmed by the amount of new investment capital that venture capitalists raised in 2007 - $34.7 billion -- 9 percent more than in 2006.
Key market arenas spurring this optimistic outlook include health care and biotechnology, Internet-based business models, and alternative energy. These three sectors accounted for more than 55.1% of 2007 VC investment -- with positive and recession-resistant outlooks for these sectors in 2008.
Growthink's long-term view regarding the early-stage private company investment market remains strongly bullish. Long-term investment return data supports our view that early, or seed stage, private equity investing will always, over the long-term, out-perform all other classes of investment. According to Thomson Financial's US Private Equity Performance Index, 20-year early/seed stage private equity investment has averaged over 20.6%/year in investment return - easily out-performing investment classes including later-stage private equity and public market indices.
Our more prescient short term guidance -- avoid listening to the chattering classes with their "it bleeds it leads" mindset to stoke fear and crisis. The capitalist system that has and will continue to create prosperity to the world is led and driven by entrepreneurs and managers with the resiliency and foresight to act while others dawdle and fret. The great ones are acting now. What will you do?
Growthink Co-founder David Lavinsky was interviewed on BusinessWeekTV recently regarding his core understandings of strategic business plan development gleaned from nine years of working with hundreds of entrepreneurs.
Entitled "What the Business Plan Expert Knows," key takeaways from the interview include:
The full interview can be seen on BusinessWeekTV here.
The tradition of making a New Year's Resolution dates back to ancient Babylonian culture, when the most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. Today, many are still using New Year's Resolutions as their way of setting business goals.
If you're an entrepreneur -- or even if you aren't -- here are eight New Year's Resolutions that could lead to success in 2008.
#1) Don't be afraid of new things.
In 2008, you will see a lot of new websites, new software, new companies, and old companies offering new products and services. Get rid of the mentality that some of these new offerings don't affect you. Rather, try as many new products and services as you can. Make predictions on which you think will work. Watch to see which ones DO work and refine your strategic thinking accordingly.
#2) Find someone you hate, or someone you love, and follow them.
Many people are motivated more by hate than by love. Find someone who is really successful that you don't like and use them as a benchmark. If that scoundrel can be successful, so can you. Follow that person, and when they succeed, force yourself to succeed as well. Or, if you prefer, follow the career of someone you admire, and each time they succeed at something, emulate them by working harder in order to succeed yourself.
#3) Develop a NEW To-Do list.
Look at your To-Do list, and you'll find that it probably has things on it from a year ago. Delete those things. Create a new list of only the things that MUST be done in order to be successful in 2008. Create a plan to achieve those things.
#4) Talk with your current and prospective customers.
Entrepreneurs often develop the mindset that their ideas are great and will work. They often don't like getting feedback from customers and prospective customers, because it might be negative and burst their bubble. Go out and talk with customers. Even if they HATE your idea, they may spark you to come up with another idea that they LOVE.
#5) Organize.
Organization sucks. But once you do it, you'll save time each and every day. Organize your email inbox and your filing cabinet so that you have easily accessible folders and can find everything quickly and easily. This will save you many, many hours in the coming year; hours that could be used to create new products/services and better fulfill on existing ones.
#6) Make sense of something that doesn't currently make sense.
For some people, words from a Shakespearean play seem like gibberish. For others, a world renowned painting looks like paint that a child could have splattered on a canvas. Find one thing that you have avoided for years, or something that you have discarded as unimportant, or that just doesn't make sense to you. Analyze it. And make it make sense to you. Even if you end up interpreting it in a different way than others, that's OK. What's important is that the process will train your brain to look at problems and situations differently, and give you an improved ability to overcome obstacles.
#7) Keep a blog, diary or other method of tracking your progress.
We've all heard the saying that you can't improve what you can't measure. Measure your progress in 2008. Our lives today are so incredibly busy, and every day, each of us is working on numerous projects. Track your progress on each important project. This will allow you to see what you've accomplished, come up with ways to ensure that your goals are completed on time, and help you to forego the non-critical tasks that eat up your time.
#8) Do it and do it on time.
How many ideas did you have in 2007 that you never found time to execute on? How many phone calls or emails did you want to make (or send), but you didn't find the time? I just did the math; there are 525,600 minutes in a year. That should be enough to accomplish the key things!
Every now and then, a commercial comes along that really makes you stop and take notice. This year we saw a good amount of those, and entertaining ads from companies like Geico and Dove made us smile, laugh, and think about our culture at large. Then there were the commercials that annoyed us. Badly.
Some of the following ad spots were a good laugh the first 400 times we saw them, but then we began to pick them apart. Some of them just stunk from the beginning. Regardless of the reasons, here are the commercials we'll be glad to forget about in the new year.
12) Burger King - Whopper Freakout
If there is one thing old men, housewives, and emo kids can agree on, it's that the whopper freakin' rocks. This fact, however, didn't stop Burger King from having a little "fun" at the evangelists' expense.
Apparently, their game plan was:
If that doesn't say "we love our customers," what does?
Want to avoid these types of mistakes? Speak with a professional business plan writer today.
Leslie Feist was one of our favorite indie musicians in 2007. For those of you who've been out of the loop, indie songs are supposed to be approximately 50% cool and 50% catchy. That is the balance Apple was looking for when they enlisted "1, 2, 3, 4" to help hawk their new iPod line. Unfortunately, this tune ended up being too catchy, and then, painfully annoying. Now, Feist's microscopic-yet-highly-choreographed prance in tight Canadian spandex is the lone redeeming value to these commercials.
10) Volkswagen - Eos
This is when the otherwise-pleasant Wilco-scored Volkswagen ads jumped the shark. No dude, you are NOT the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
Are you starting a new business or seeking to grow an existing business? Contact a Growthink business plan consultant for complimentary consultation.
9) Astelin - Doo Wop Allergens
"Don't let allergens or irritants do you in..." Gee, thanks docs! Oh wait, you're not doctors. You're a barbershop quartet that sings about allergy medication! Hmm, well you do have the Astelin logo unevenly dispersed across your sweaters, so you must know what you're talking about...
8) Coke -
How dare they emasculate
7) Axe - Bom Chika Wah Wah
There were a handful of similar ads from Axe this year, but this one was especially heinous. This girl's mother must be so proud.
Growthink's business plan consultants can help you avoid these mistakes with a professional business and marketing plan.
6) Target - Hello, Good Buy
Target's commercial featuring the Beatles song "Hello, Goodbye," which repositions the song as "Hello, Good Buy," is the worst thing to happen to John Lennon's music since Yoko Ono. On the other hand, McCartney probably had to make a move to prepare for those gargantuan alimony checks that'll be fueling Heather Mills' checking account: And honestly, who has time to write a song called, "Hello corporate ignorance Licensing Fees, Goodbye Artistic Integrity!"
5) I Know Who Killed Me (Movie)
Um, What? Not only do we not know what's happening in this commercial, we don't want to know what's happening in this movie. Fortunately, neither did the rest of America.
4) Snickers - Super Bowl Commercial
While the goal of a Super Bowl commercial is to grab the attention of the masses, this spot is just slightly less controversial than: "Don't Be Gay. Eat a Snickers."
The agency that put this commercial together did wonders for the Snickers brand, which will now and forever be associated with chest hair antics and mild homophobia. Good job, gang!
3) HP - The Hands of a Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld is an American Treasure. There is no amount of celebrity, however, that makes it ok for him to repeatedly drench us in a river of shameless self promotion. Ok, we get it: You're wife has a cookbook and you made an animated movie about bees. You're life is awesome.
All we're saying is, next time Seinfeld is on screen for more than a minute, it better be as part of a Seinfeld reunion show.
Growthink's professional business plan writers can help you avoid these types of mistakes.
2) Redenbacher - Orville returns?
Really? A dead guy with an mp3 player... selling popcorn? That it seemed like a good idea to anyone, let alone a team of people is the surprise of the year. We got chills every time we saw this creepy, creepy ad. To say that it was in poor taste is a gross understatement.
1) Cingular - IDK, My BFF Jill?
Cingular's commercial was pretty funny for a week or two. If we hear one more person say "OMG", "INBD", or "IDK my BFF Jill," though, we just don't know what might happen.
As 2007 draws to a close, we can only hope to say farewell to the Astelins, Whopper withdrawal, and overhyped bodysprays. Who knows what the New Year will hold for us in commercial land? There will undoubtedly be branding faux-paus, moments of poor taste, and scantily-clad attempts to seperate us from our hard earned dollars. Just remember advertisers: we'll be watching.
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Welcome to Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital, we are glad you have chosen us for your clinical practicum experience.
Facility Coordinator: Maureen Phillips, Professional Development and Retention Coordinator
Phone: 804-287-7170
Email: email@example.com
The Confidentiality and Security Agreement for, the Student Agreement Form, and the Student Orientation Guide Attestation Page must be SIGNED, SCANNED, and EMAILED to the facility coordinator three (3) weeks prior to your START date. Please also include your Course Syllabus and Learning Objectives.
Confidentiality and Security Agreement
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Syllabus/Learning Objectives From your University or College
Contact facility coordinator for a list of required Immunizations.
Complete and submit the form below in order to have appropriate access to our systems. We look forward to participating with you in your Professional Development as a Registered Nurse:

subset: commoncrawl


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Stephen Elop hints at Nokia tablets, doesn't exclude Android. Thinks BlackBerry 10 can't threaten Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices
It's been almost a year since we first heard about a possible Nokia Windows 8 tablet. Of course, nothing has been announced until now. But that doesn't mean it won't happen at some point.
During a recent chat with Australian reporters, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop declared that the company is certainly looking at tablets as a means to expand its client base. Here's the exact quote:
"We haven't announced tablets at this point, but it is something we are clearly looking at very closely. We are studying very closely the market right now as Microsoft has introduced the Surface tablet, so we are trying to learn from that and understand what the right way to participate would be and at what point in time."
Interestingly, when asked about the OS that Nokia's tablets would run, mr. Elop didn't exclude Android. However, he did make it obvious that Windows 8 is the first (and logical) choice:
"We would consider any option… It is important to note that the opportunity for companionship is something that any user is looking for. So, when you think about the Lumia 920, running on Windows Phone, having a Windows tablet or PC or Xbox is something that will give us the opportunity to have a pretty integrated experience. Our first focus on what we look at is clearly in the Microsoft side. But we have made no decision or announced nothing."
If previous rumors are to be believed, the first Nokia Windows 8 tablet should feature a 10.1 inch display, and a dual-core Qualcomm processor. A report from December had it that the device would be announced at MWC 2013 (hence later this month). Still, seeing what Nokia's CEO has just declared, it's very unlikely for that to happen.
Tablets aside, Elop also talked about Nokia's smartphones, apparently acknowledging that – at least for now – the company can't compete with Android and iOS sales-wise, but it can challenge BlackBerry for the third spot in the smartphone market.
With the brand new BlackBerry OS 10, the Canadian company (which is no longer known as RIM) has definitely managed to attract the interest of many potential users around the world. Even so, Stephen Elop believes Lumia Windows Phone handsets can offer a better experience, as they provide access to a more developed ecosystem (including 125,000 apps). Moreover, Lumia smartphones have differentiating features, like Nokia's maps and navigation services, or the PureView technology (which makes the Lumia 920 arguably the best cameraphone out there). Naturally, future high-end Nokia WP8 devices will also come with PureView, and other exclusive stuff – so Nokia is hoping this will enable Lumias to be more successful than BlackBerry handsets. Well, only time will tell what's going to happen.
Via WMPowerUser


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Gay people got married and the sky didn't fall in says US judge
A Cincinnati Circuit Court of Appeals judge hearing arguments on gay marriage bans in four US states commented: "it doesn't look like the sky has fallen in" regarding the decision by other US states to legalise same-sex weddings.
The federal appeals judge Martha Craig Daughtry made the comment on Wednesday while hearing from lawyers on both sides of the case on the battle for gay marriage rights in four US states, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Another judge questioned whether it was better to wait for popular change rather than seek change through the court.
both sides are still presenting arguments and the Circuit Court of Appeal is yet to provide a ruling.
- TOPICS: Cincinnatti, marriage equality, Martha Craig Daughtry, Same-sex Marriage, US Circuit Court of Appeal, USA
- CATEGORIES: World, News + Politics


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TC TO W. IRELAND ; 1 October 1858; DOI: 10.1215/lt-18581001-TC-WI-01; CL 34: 207-208
Chelsea, 1 Octr, 1858—
Dear Sir,
I understand Mr Jones1 of our London Library, to whose merits I have borne testimony on occasion,2 is now a Candidate for the Librarianship in Manchester. If you are interested in that affair, allow me to recommend Mr Jones specially to your attention, as a man of real worth in his department and otherwise: affable, obliging, yet I think accurate and methodic; possessed by this time of such a knowledge of Books as is very rare in this Country;—in short a man altogether likely for such an office.
Believe me / Yours always truly / T. Carlyle
W. Ireland Esq


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Celebrating the outstanding achievement by an online retailer that specializes in Designer Toys and has been active last year. Criteria for consideration include range and selection of products, overall website presentation, ease of use, and customer service.
The DTA's cost upwards of $20,000 per year and that's not counting staff salaries! So please donate even a couple of dollars and help us continue to make the ceremony bigger and better!


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Barre woman ordered not to drive
BARRE A Granite City woman has been told by a judge she cant drive after being charged with swerving into oncoming traffic several times Friday.
Maryellen S. Harris, 54, pleaded not guilty Monday in Washington County criminal court in Barre to negligent operation, a misdemeanor. If convicted, she faces a maximum of a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
According to the Vermont State Police affidavit, police received a call about a vehicle going into oncoming traffic on Route 2 in East Montpelier. The caller gave the license plate of the vehicle, which came back as a 2011 white Kia Sorento registered to Harris.
The caller told police she and her husband were driving east toward Plainfield with the Kia in front of them. The caller said Harris swerved into oncoming traffic about 10 times, causing westbound traffic to swerve to avoid a head-on collision.
Police called Harris home and spoke to her husband, who told them she had been out delivering newspapers during the time of the incident, according to the affidavit. The husband told police Harris must have been tired, suggesting her fatigue caused the car to swerve.
Police say there have been several reports about a white Kia swerving into traffic over the past few months. On Jan. 30, a report was made about erratic driving by Harris on Maple Hill in Plainfield. On April 10, a report came in about Harris vehicle speeding on Route 2. May 21, a report was filed about a white Kia being operated erratically on Route 2 near Twinfield Union School. Thursday, a white Kia was seen being operated erratically on Route 2 in East Montpelier. And Friday, a call was made about a cream-colored Kia running people off the road on Route 2 in both Marshfield and Plainfield.
Harris is also facing an unlawful trespass charge in an unrelated matter. She pleaded not guilty May 21.
According to the state police affidavit in that case, Harris went onto someones property in Plainfield on April 3, even though she had been served with a no-trespass order for that property in February.
In both cases, a competency evaluation has been ordered.
In court Monday, Judge Thomas Zonay ordered that Harris not drive and had her husband sign her conditions of release. The judge said that if Harris violates her conditions, her husband is to inform law enforcement immediately or possibly face a criminal charge himself.
Harris has two driving under the influence convictions, one in 2009 and the other in 2005.MORE IN Central VermontWASHINGTON The lusty applause that greeted his return to the Capitol is behind him now, as are... Full StoryBURLINGTON The Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival opened its 2016 Artist Faculty Series... Full StoryWILLISTON Vermont State Police say they are ramping up enforcement efforts to nab drunken... Full Story
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It is a common enough word, especially these days when everyone is into upcycling and reusing and making sure things don't go to waste. But how much thought do we really put into the word itself and what it means? Due to overuse it seems to have taken on that shabby well-worn mantle held by words that are known without being really understood.
The word purpose is defined as (among other things): "the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc." It is a word that is tied to some of the deepest philosophical and spiritual questions asked by humans. Purpose: what and why we are. With that in mind, I take it as no light thing when setting out to "repurpose" an item.
Case in point; I have recently come into possession of a used wedding dress with a sad history. The woman who wore it had her heart broken soon after and has since been able to remarry and move on to actual happiness. The dress however has been able to do nothing but remind her of that time. And so, rather than throw it out she elected to sell it to someone who could find some use in it.
Enter the "re" aspect of the purpose. With a little time and sweat the unwanted dress will be transformed from a bad memory into a completely new costume. Altered, cut, adjusted, torn, dyed, frayed, and finally, stitched back together in a new shape. The same dress, with a new personality, new spirit and new identity. A mirror of the painful, but necessary process that any human must go through to reach the other side of transformation.
From my perspective there is a massive amount of metaphor in this situation. The previous owner, rather than holding onto the pain and punishing herself and innocent aspects of her past, chose to let it go, forgiving those people and things that were not the cause of her pain and allowing them and herself to find new life, new purpose, and thus renewal.
The original purpose of the dress was broken, mocked and treated as a sham. Much like what happened to the once happy bride who wore it. Much like what happens to so many of us throughout life. And like everyone, she was given the chance to let go, move on and be happy or to hold on and suffer from a past that cannot change and cannot be of any further use. And that act of moving on is now mirrored in her choice to give the dress to someone who would give it a new life as well.
The previous owner has very kindly asked to see the finished product once I complete this dress. And I fervently hope that I succeed it making it a visual representation of her new joy and purpose as well. Please check back for updates as I work on this special project.


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Results tagged ' Carlos Gomez '
A Decent (If Lucky) Start To The Road Trip
If you missed the first three innings of tonight's Twins-Brewers contest at Miller Park, you were pretty much out of luck action wise. The Twins put seven runs up on the board in those three frames, with Carlos Gomez getting a hit in each!
The bad news is that Liriano stunk once again, allowing three runs over five innings but walking guys all over the park, giving up deep flys, and then getting a lucky strikeout to end an inning. He was essentially in trouble all night, yet ended up getting the win.
However, the bullpen (Dickey-Guerrier-Nathan) was able to take care of the latter four innings in perfect fashion, something that cannot be underestimated by the Twins pen on the road against a decent team. I always love it when Nathan completely blows away the side in the ninth, and that is EXACTLY what happened tonight.
About the only thing that made the game less enjoyable was that my FSN North station was crap for the entire game. It would skip, jerk, and blank out at intervals just enough to be maddening. Did anyone else have this problem? I hope it doesn't continue into tomorrow.
-You know, Joe Crede has got to be one of the most productive .230 hitters I have ever seen. I don't know how a guy with a batting average that low that provides so much offense when in the lineup. He must never hit any singles, just extra-base knocks.
-I guess that before Luis Ayala was designated for assignment yesterday, he complained to Gardy about his role in the pen, as he thought he should (and was brought onto the team) to be the primary setup man. Basically, that tells me why he didn't last very long here in Minny, what with our general preference for team-first kind of guys. Nobody gets a free ride around here. He made have had one decent season in the National League, but when transferring to a different organization you have to prove yourself all over again. The only thing he proved is that he could give up deep gopher balls with men on base.
-Also, as if this needs to be prefaced, Delmon Young made himself look silly out in left field tonight. He had one nice running catch, but later on he misplayed a carom so badly that he fell down on the completely opposite direction of the ball. Would have been quite funny if not for the fact that Young is getting a reputation for that sort of clumsiness.
Preview (36-36, 2nd, 4.0 GB DET): Nick Blackburn (6-2, 3.09) vs. Braden Looper (5-4, 5.21).
Didn't See The Game Today…But Didn't Miss Much
Yep, it was that kind of day today. Carlos Gomez just about knocked himself out with a bunt attempt (something I honestly think only Go-Go could accomplish), the Twins only collected two hits, and once again the overall record dropped below the .500 mark.
Plus, Glen Perkins gave up three runs in the first inning, and despite settling down after that, the Twins' bats couldn't touch Wandy Rodriguez.
I guess the Twins were just following the well-laden pattern of getting completely shut down on Sunday afternoons no matter what the venue or opposing starting pitcher (although the "lefty" and "on the road" combination might as well equal a loss every time). Perhaps this is just an errant thought from myself (imagine that!), but I would be willing to almost bet that, since Gardy took over in 2002 as manager, the Twins (day-of-the-week wise) have played their worst baseball on Sundays. There's a challenge for all you stat nerds out there…figure out the Twins' record per day since 2002. Heck, if "Plunking Gomez" can make Jesse Crain's stats look good, anything can happen (!).
Oh well, at least something exciting happened today (and no, it's not that I figured out how to do that cool word-linking thing).
Preview (35-36, 2nd, 4.0 GB DET): Francisco Liriano (2-8, 5.91) vs. Jeff Suppan (5-4, 4.48). Off on Monday, then jetting to Milwaukee for a Tuesday night game. Am excited to watch the Twins pitchers hit again!
"Getaway" Gardy
Truth be told, I think that Ron Gardenhire is a good manager for the Minnesota Twins. For a team that is always developing young players because we don't have enough money to spend on the big boys, Gardy also seems to have the right touch to bring the young guys along in the best possible manner. He may play favorites (Nick Punto, Jesse Crain) and once you get in his doghouse (Delmon Young) it's tough to get back in the main living quarters, but all in all he seems like a good guy who works hard and demands the same of his team.
That being said, there are some days that I just want to hate on him…and today is one of those days. As is his custom, Gardy put out his "Getaway" lineup featuring a stretch of batters that included Brian Buscher, Young, Mike Redmond, Punto, Carlos Gomez, and Matt Tolbert. Joe Crede (hit by pitch the day before), Joe Mauer (general day off), and Denard Span (flu-like symptoms) were all out of the lineup. While I agree with the Span "benching", why were BOTH Crede and Jo-Mo on the bench at the same time against arguably the best team in the American League right now?! The Red Sox trot out the likes of Ellsbury, Pedroia, Bay, Youkilis, and Lowell, while the Twins counter with that above quintet of guys who will make more outs than hits and inspire little confidence.
I guess it just really hit home to me after Mauer hit the home run in the bottom of the ninth off Papelbon, thinking "what would have happened if Mauer (and Crede) had been in the lineup all game long?". Mauer would have probably gotten a couple of hits (he is so locked in right now), while Crede wouldn't have let three balls by him in one inning (yes, they were tough plays, but Crede may have made them).
When playing the BoSox, one has to expect that many runs will need to be scored to win the contest, and Gardy just didn't put out a viable lineup today to do that. Of course, he can probably justify every move, and perhaps be correct in the long run, but I still just want to pout for awhile anyway at a loss that could have been a whole lot different.
Preview (22-24, 3rd, 4.5 GB DET): Jon Lester (3-4, 5.91) vs. Nick Blackburn (3-2, 3.83). Blackie has been carrying the pitching staff as of late, and I look for that streak to continue.
The Next Timo Perez?
One of the surprises of the 2009 Minnesota Twins' season so far has been the reduced playing time of Carlos Gomez. Whereas last year Gomez seem to be the catalyst of the batting order more times than not, this year he starts about one in every four games or so. Conspiracy theorists like to point out that perhaps Delmon Young is "stealing" Go-Go's playing time to maximize his trade potential come mid-season, but I think the fact of the matter is that Young can keep his batting average above .250, while Gomez cannot.
Right now, Gomez (while improving defensively…he is taking much better routes to balls and I haven't seen him overrun a grounder yet) is completely lost at the plate. He takes swings that often embarrassing and his pretty much a goner if the pitcher ever gets two strikes on him.
I hope I am wrong in this parallel, but currently Carlos Gomez is falling into the pattern of another young, exciting player who never lived up to his potential:
During the late 1990s, with the Twins a perenniel cellar-dweller, I jumped on the bandwagon of the New York Mets, partly because I hated their chief rival the Atlanta Braves and partly because I just wanted to cheer for someone in the playoffs! Thus, during the 2000 playoffs, I remember watching young Timo Perez make a tremendous impact for the Mets. Timo only played about 20 games for the Mets that entire '00 season, but he made a big enough impact with his torrid September play that he made the playoff roster. For that one month and during most of the postseason, Timo was the catalyst for the entire Mets' lineup, whether it was getting on base, stealing them, or hitting line drives all over the field. Unfortunately, Perez is probably best remembered for his baserunner blunder that may have cost the Mets a game in the 2000 "Subway" World Series with the Yankees, but he was the kind of player that seemed to have a bright future in New York.
However, a telling sign was the two hits that Perez collected the ENTIRE World Series. Thus, it was obviously that pitchers were finally figuring out how to get him out, and it was time for him to make the most crucial adjustment that a batter ever makes (that first one after pitchers find a weakness). He never did. He played a few more seasons with the Mets (one decent), then became a journeyman, popping up in Chicago with the Pale Hose most recently, I believe. However, he was never able to regain that flash of talent he showed late in the 2000 season.
Like I said, I hope this isn't true, but right now Gomez is following that same path. Gomez single-handedly won games for the Twins early last season, but by the end of said season he had been replaced by Denard Span as leadoff hitter and was striking out at an enormous rate. The pitchers finally figured him out, much like they did to Timo Perez, and he has yet (as far as I can see) to make the adjustment to start getting hits again.
The ray of hope I see for Gomez, though, is that he really hasn't gotten enough playing time yet this season to show his current talent level. Whereas Timo Perez got many years to try and recapture that once-attained talent, Gomez has primarily been riding the pine in his second season as a Twin. It is a sticky situation, as the Twins like Cuddyer and Span in the lineup but also have high hopes (and Garza/Bartlett) invested in him. It will be interesting to see how the entire situation pans out.
Earning His Stripes
I imagine that just seeing this picture brings up the gag reflex in most Chicago White Sox fans. Not because they hate Joe Crede, but for exactly the opposite reason…they let him get away. Until Crede landed with the Twins, I had no idea he was so revered by the ChiSox and their fans. It would probably be like Torii Hunter roaming the outfield at U.S. Cellular Field, to put things into perspective.
Until last night, Joe Crede had contributed some very nice plays at the hot corner (something not seen when Brian Buscher was at the same post last year) but not much offensively. Maybe he's just a slow starter, or maybe he was pressing to try and impress his new club, but the hits just weren't falling in for him. However, he bailed his new club out of a game last night that could have been an incredibly demoralizing loss.
Glen Perkins (8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER) turned in another gem of a performance, but the Twins could only muster two runs of their own (hits from Morneau and Redmond) in the required nine, sending the contest into extras.
In the bottom of the eleventh inning, Joe Crede came to the plate with Morneau on first and two outs. The game had not been going well for New Joe up to that point, as he had ground into a pitcher-home-first double play to squash a potentially huge rally in the sixth, then struck out in the home half of the ninth.
This time, though, Crede smacked a ball deep to straight-away CF that hit the base of the wall and allowed Morneau to touch three more bases for the "W". Crede was mobbed by teammates as he ran in from second base, and his "initiation" into the Minnesota Twins family had begun.
-I noticed that only 15,000 fans attended Tuesday night's game. To me, this seems really poor. I know it was a Tuesday night against a team that has zero drawing power, but c'mon…15,000?
-I also have to give Jesse Crain credit for pitching two nice innings (the 10th and 11th) in picking up the victory. I get on him quite a bit, so it was nice to finally see him contribute in a positive way.
-Finally, Carlos Gomez is completely lost at the plate right now. As much as this may be called a form of heresy here in Twins Territory, I would rather see Delmon Young in the lineup at this point. Gomez is up there flailing at pitches he has no business even flinching toward.
Preview (4-5, 4th, 1.0 GB DET & KCR): Scott Richmond (0-0, 6.75) vs. Scott Baker (0-0, 0.00). Baker is making his first start of the season after elbow tightness forced him to miss his scheduled Opening Day assignment. Baker was our most consistent pitcher down the stretch last season and has the stuff to be a bona fide staff ace, provided he can make it through 6+ innings on a regular basis.
17 Drab Innings…Then A Walkabout
Though I was a bit crushed that I had to work at night on the day of the Twins' home opener against the Seattle Mariners, I taped the game and watched it later in the evening. Gee, that was worth it. First, this guy…
…"King" Felix Hernandez, completely shuts down our bats. Even in the sparse situations we scraped together that could have produced runs, Felix would always get out of the jam either via a strike out (usually Michael Cuddyer, who whiffed three times) or a double play (Justin Morneau). This was especially frustrating due to the fact that it wasted a pretty decent effort from our mound man..
Sure, Francisco Liriano gave up three dingers, but one came after a glaring error from Alexi Casilla. All told, he pitched very well and just didn't get any offensive support.
So, I went to bed hoping that the next day's matchup (which I would be watching on TV…or so I thought) would produce a much better result. The next morning, however, I was informed that my grandparents (who live in the Metro area suberbs…Fridley, to be exact) had received four free tickets from a Target store promotion and were wondering if my brother and I wanted to go with them?! Stupid question, as we headed out the door right away!
Game #2 of 162 proved to be much more exciting than the previous one…and perhaps the next 160! Of course, it didn't start out so great, as our guy…
…Nick Blackburn found himself down 4-0 after just four innings. RBI hits from Denard Span and Cuddyer (he was basically either whiffing badly or driving in runs all game) brought the Twins to within one run for the middle innings, but Luis Ayala surrendered another Mariner run in the top of the ninth. Thus, new Seattle closer Brandon Morrow was summoned to the Dome mound with a 5-3. That's when things started to get interesting:
Morrow got two quick outs in Joe Crede and Delmon Young, but Carlos Gomez put together a surprisingly good at-bat (he would have K'd on four pitches last season in that spot) and drew a walk. Jason Kubel was called on to pinch-hit for Jose Morales (who had struck out in all three previous at-bats), and Kubel used patience to his advantage to coax another base-on-balls.
Then, with the Jumbotron at the Dome flashing the "Walks Will Haunt" graphic, Morrow walked a third straight batter (Brian Buscher) and was pulled in favor of Miguel Batista. By this time the lineup had turned over again, so Span The Man stepped in and hit a high chopper that Adrian Beltre couldn't will down into his glove fast enough, making the score 5-4.
This brought Alexi Casilla to the plate, and my flashback started…the last time I was at the Metrodome, Lexi singled to center field with the bases loaded against the Chicago White Sox to complete the late-season sweep. This time, Casilla again ripped the first pitch he saw into center, plating both the tying and winning runs…
Though this wasn't the greatest run-differential the Twins have ever come back from, it still has to go down in team history as one of the great late-inning victories due to the fact that all the action transpired with two outs. When Buscher slide across the plate and was mobbed by his teammates, what was left of the 23,700 announced crowd was in a bedlam!
Man, I think I need to starting getting to more of these games…whenever I'm there, something crazy seems to happen.
Preview (1-1, 2nd, 0.5 GB CWS): Kevin Slowey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Carlos Silva (0-0, 0.00). Though Silva is gone from "Fatboy" to "Slim" over the off-season, he still lives and dies by the sinker. If "on" he can be maddening. If not, he WILL get pounded.
3 Up…or 3 Down?
I will be very busy in the upcoming days leading up to the Minnesota Twins' Opening Day on April 6th, so I just wanted to post a few season-preview thoughts before the regular season campaign kicks off.
The way I see it, there are three areas in which the Twins need to excel this season in order to win the division crown. In all honesty, these areas are pretty much the same for all other teams as well, but the Twins have their own unique challenges:
1. First, the starting pitching quintet of Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, and Glen Perkins needs to continue to keep the team in games. This is the most important cog in the machine, as if the quality starts keep pouring in the Twins will at the very least compete no matter how bad the bullpen or offense stinks. The old baseball adage that "good pitching beats good hitting" holds as true now as it always has. I mean, if say Johan Santana faced no one but Ichiro Suzuki all season long, the very best that Ichiro could do is get a hit four times in every ten at-bats. Thus, the starting rotation is the anchor of every staff, and the Twins' staff is still a bit of a question mark:
Baker: Has ace-type repertoire but struggles to pitch into the later innings. Is usually up around 100 pitches by the fifth inning or so, putting a strain on the bullpen.
Cisco: Could dominate, could fall apart due to control issues.
Slowey: This is the guy I think is poised for a huge season. He is essentially the second coming of Brad Radke, only with a better assortment of pitches. Just needs to work on limiting damaging situations, as they tend to snow-ball on him pretty quick.
Blackie: As a play-to-contact, ground ball sort of pitcher, Blackburn walks the fine line between Carlos Silva and Jack Morris. On some days he can be the most frustrating guy in the world to drive the ball off of, while on other days he gets lit up.
Perkins: The great unknown. Was very up-and-down last season…showed flashes of both excellence and utter failure.
So, the extent to which that rotation comes together is the biggest factor in how the Twins will finish in the standings in 2009.
2. The bullpen, however, isn't far behind. Whereas I am confident that the starting five can find a way to hold up their end of the bargain, I'm not nearly as sold on the bullpen, which looks to include:
Joe Nathan: The only sure-bet of the bunch. Will blow a few (who doesn't…well, besides Brad Lidge last year), but let's just say that a "down" year would be an ERA over 2.00.
Jesse Crain: Pretty much the root of all frustration in the world. Was overhyped even when he was good, but does have a glimmer of hope in that now is arm is finally "back" after having surgery a while back.
Matt Guerrier: Will have to prove that last year's collapse WAS just a fluke (or due to fatigue), not because batters just figured him out.
Craig Breslow: The lefty-lefty specialist. Will likely do a good job, and is an upgrade over Dennis "Throw One WP And Leave The Game" Reyes.
Luis Ayala: Don't know much about his guy, only that he came from the Nats (not a good sign) and struggled mightily last year. Has potential…but so did Mike Fetters.
The final bullpen spot, thought to be filled by Jose Mijares until he came to camp looking like Hideki Irabu, is now up for grabs between newcomer Brian Duensing, Philip Humber (obtained in the Santana trade), and R.A. Dickey, a knuckleballer.
All in all, that is not a very impressive bunch. Like I said, Nathan is solid, but getting to him will be the difficult part. Someone is going to have to step up and become the eighth inning man that guys like LaTroy Hawkins and Juan Rincon were in the past.
3. Finally, I would like to quickly comment on the Twins' offense. Here is a sample lineup that the Twins could trot out on a semi-day basis:
Denard Span, Alexi Casilla, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Joe Crede, Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, Nick Punto.
Essentially, it would likely be the best starting lineup the Twins have had in quite some time (plus Carlos Gomez off the bench). However, I am very wary of predicting a high offensive turnout from this bunch, as it so rarely happens up here in MN. It seems as if the Twins are much better at developing pitchers than hitters (perhaps due to the small-ball philosophy that reins hitters in instead of turning them loose?), so even a lineup that looks rock-solid can quickly turn gooey. Actually, I think the biggest positive this season, as opposed to '06 or '08, is that no old fogeys are being counted on to produce. The days of experimenting with guys like Tony Batista, Rondell White, Mike Lamb, and (cringe) even Bret Boone seem to be behind the Twins, with the lineup now given over completely to the young veterans and just youngsters period.
So there you have it…how the Twins perform in those three areas will go very far in determining their division standings come October. Hopefully before the season begins I will post an article about my divisional predictions for MLB (if it ever stops snowing here to allow the mail through!).
Saved From The Dark Side
Well, the Minnesota Twins finally have the right-handed bat they have been so desperately looking for since Ron Coomer went from playing in the All-Star game to laughing like a goon during Twins TV broadcasts (!). Now, as long as his back can hold out, the Twins have to be the favorite to win the division.
Joe Crede came over to the Twins (The Great White Light) from the Chicago White Sox (The Dark Side) for one year and $2.5 million guaranteed. He could make up to $7 million in incentives revolving primarily around the number of at-bats he accumulates over the course of the season (which is exactly the kind of contract a guy with his injury status SHOULD sign).
A healthy Crede can be expected to hit in the .270-.280 range with 20-30 home runs. He is also excellent at the hot corner (something neither Brian Buscher nor Brendan Harris have on their resumes) with the glove.
Perhaps the biggest implication of this move, though, is that it gives manager Ron Gardenhire much better depth on the bench. In late-inning situational ball, Gardy can send up either Harris or Buscher (both decent batsmen) as well as the odd man out of the Gomez-Span-Cuddyer-Young conundrum. In recent seasons, the Twins have lost big series (think the '03 and '04 ALDS rounds against the Yankees) because of their lack of depth, but this move for Crede changes all that.
CF: Spick and Span? Not With Go-Go.
When Torii Hunter (arguably the most popular Twin since their rise to prominence in 2001) left for the Anaheim Angels via free agency after the 2007 season, a gap hole was left in center field at the Metrodome. After an intense Spring Training competition for the job between Carlos Gomez (acquired from the Mets in the Johan Santana trade), Denard Span (the heir apparent to Hunter's job until he struggled in the minor leagues), and Jason Pridie (a cast-off from the Rays who had a great spring). Although Span seemed the more polished of the three come April, "Go-Go" Gomez was named the starter due to his almost unbelievable speed and the excitement he brought to the club and their fans on a daily basis.
For the first few months of the season, Go-Go was indeed the most exciting player on the team, whether it was streaking to catch balls out in the field or flying around the basepaths after driving the ball into the gap. As the season stretched on, however, pitchers began to learn how to pitch to the rookie Gomez, and the strikeouts and terrible at-bats began piling up. At one point, Ron Gardenhire considered benching the fiery youngster (after dropping him from 1st to 8th or 9th in the order), but Carlos likely saw his job saved when Michael Cuddyer went down with an injury, and Span (the guy who would have taken over in CF) came up to replace him instead.
Gomez did finish the season on a high note, and his stats are respectable for essentially a first-year player: 577 AB, 79 R, .258 BA, 33 SB. However, he also struck out a near Twins-record 142 times and also was prone to defensive lapses in CF from time to time. His blazing speed and cannon arm more often than not made up for his mistakes, but too many times would a ball roll right under his legs or he would juggle the ball at a crucial moment.
Of course, Gomez would still be penciled in as the starting CF in 2009 if not for the emergence of Span (who will be moved back to his natural position when Cuddyer returns next year). During the 2008 season, Span manned the leadoff spot in the order like no Twin has done since Shannon Stewart, working deep into counts, drawing walks, and spraying the ball all over the field. In 347 at-bats, Span hit .294 with 70 R, 50 BB, 102 H, and 18 SB. Whereas Gomez struggled in the pressure of the leadoff spot, Span thrived. Defensively, Span made some of the most athletic catches ever seen in the Metrodome, and also has a rifle arm.
So, with Cuddyer (and his shiny, long-term contract) coming back to man RF in 2009 (as he should), it should be an interesting battle for the centerfield spot. Whereas Span seems to be ready right now, Gomez is a remarkable young talent whose potential is the teflon roof. Knowing Gardy, each player will get their share of ABs in 2009, although a riskier move would be to deal one of them for a relief pitcher that the club so desperately needs (to be discussed later).
Playoff Notes:
-Perhaps it is time I stop doubting the Rays, as their 13-4 crushing of the Red Sox tonight leaves them one game away from the World Series. I still think the series will need to go back to Tampa to be concluded, but now the Red Sox are up against the wall and will find it extremely difficult to beat the young Tampa club three times in a row.
SS: The Anchor
Much like at the previous position I review, second base, the shortstop position was thought to be locked down early in the season by newcomer Adam Everett. However, Everett's sub-par batting average (.213) and multitude of injuries once again made it necessary to turn to old stalwart Nick Punto to become the starting shortstop.
Now, there are many of you out there you probably think that Nick Punto is not a major-league caliber player (at least offensively). However, surprisingly enough, he added an element to the Twins' lineup that proved crucial to them scoring runs all season: speed from the #9 hold in the lineup. With guys like Alexi Casilla, Denard Span, Carlos Gomez, and Punto batting consecutively in some fashion, their combined speed put a tremendous amount of pressure on opposing pitchers, as every batted ball needed to be played perfectly in order to record an out.
Of course, Punto WAS effective because his .284 batting average was a huge improvement from his 2007 campaign, when he flirted with the Mendoza line for a good portion of the season. He was on-base enough times to make himself valuable, also stealing 15 bases in the process. In years past, when the Twins were desperate to score runs, Punto would be a huge liability in the lineup, but with the better hitting the Twins could count on in 2008, Punto's athletic play was useful.
But let's not kid ourselves too much here…Punto is really in the lineup every day in large part because of his spectacular infield defense. Whether at shortstop or anywhere on the diamond, Punto is a human highlight reel, turning in remarkable play after remarkable play.
Looking ahead to 2009, Nick Punto (provided he continues to produce at least average offense) should be the starting shortstop for a large portion of the season (when he's not filling in somewhere else!).
For a more long-term future of the shortstop position (and in case of a Punto injury, say, diving headfirst into first base), the Twins have developed another dynamic youngster in Matt Tolbert. First called up from the minors when Everett went on the DL, Tolbert was very impressive both in the field and at the plate. A wrist injury then sidelined him for nearly the rest of the season, but he ended up hitting .283 in 113 at-bats. He could easily eclipse 300 at-bats next season (as Punto is often needed elsewhere).


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One of the most daunting and intimidating experiences in life is walking into a new synagogue for the first time. You enter the sanctuary, and it feels like 1,000 eyes are focused only on you. You're not sure what prayer book they're using, what page they're on, and where you can find a tallit.
What happens next either makes it or breaks it for the visitor. In a good shul, someone comes over to you and says, "Hi, you look new here. Shalom Aleichem. Can I help you find a seat? Would you like a siddur?" In the bad shul, the only time someone comes over to you is to tell you, "Excuse me, you're in my seat."
This is not exclusively a Jewish problem. The book, "The Inviting Church, a Study of New Member Assimilation" (Alban Institute, 1997), reports that one congregation handled this situation by putting the following two notices in the Order of Service:
"Notice to Visitors: People who attend St. Mark's regularly are for the most part kind and friendly people, but they tend to be a bit shy and self-conscious with strangers. They are afraid of greeting people they think are new and discovering that 'the visitors' have been attending St. Mark's for years. So please help. Identify yourself to the people nearest you and ask them to tell you about our church."
"Notice to St. Mark's Members: Please do your best to make everyone feel welcome. Always introduce yourself to the people sitting near you if you don't know their names. To avoid the embarrassment of mistaking a longtime member for a visitor, use the following ploy: 'Good morning. My name is ____________. I've been coming to St. Mark's for _________(years/weeks). How about you?'"
As a rabbi, I know that my congregants aren't bad people; some of them are simply a bit shy and unaccustomed to greeting total strangers. I use the argument that we have to put ourselves in the stranger's shoes. If we were to be the visitor and they the host, wouldn't we want to be treated with friendliness and a smile instead of silence and a cold shoulder? This week, they came to daven with us; next week, we may be guests in their shul.
Our parsha describes the mitzvah of bringing one's first fruits (bikurim) as a gift to the Temple. This was a way of showing one's gratitude to God for a good crop.
The Torah concludes the mitzvah by saying, "And you shall rejoice in all the goodness that God has given to you and your household; you, the Levite, and the stranger that is within your midst." This commandment to rejoice with the Levite and the stranger, people who aren't local landowners, teaches us that there's more to this mitzvah than just mustering proper gratitude. It's also meant to remind us that no matter how comfortable we've become as the ba'al habayit, as the owner of our home and our field, we are still no different from the stranger. He may have just arrived to town a few days ago, but we also arrived from a strange land. We know what it feels like to be treated like the outsider, and remember that feeling of "otherness" we had in Egypt. Hopefully, this will spur us to treat the strangers in our society with the compassion that we never received from the Egyptians.
Right after World War II, refugees were pouring in by the thousands to the United States. Many Jews, recognizing these "greeners" as their cousins, welcomed them with open arms. Other, more Americanized Jews kept their distance. The bitter irony was that many of these Yankees were themselves just first- or second-generation Americans, and their parents or grandparents were the same "greeners" just a few years previously. Many of us are faced with the same challenge when dealing with new immigrants from Israel, Iran, or the former Soviet Union. The "greener" that I see before me today may be the spitting image of my grandfather 70 years ago.
During the recent war in Lebanon, thousands of northern Israelis had to temporarily relocate to cities further south. One of Israel's proudest moments was when fellow Israelis opened their homes with open arms to their brethren from up north, and shared their shelters and meals with complete strangers for weeks at a time. Similarly, one of America's proudest moments was when evacuees from last year's Hurricane Katrina were welcomed with open arms to their new communities and treated like family.
As the High Holidays approach, and we all make our way back to our respective congregations, some of us may feel inadequate as a greeter. You might think: "Who am I, after all, to be the one to go over and say hello? I barely come to shul anyway." But that may be precisely what a dozen other people are thinking, and in the end, the stranger will remain the stranger, and both you and the shul will have lost out. Let's remember that we are all equally strangers, but at the same time all equally the ba'al habayit when standing before God. What binds us is that we are God's children, and that makes us all brothers and sisters -- mishpacha, family.
Shana Tova.
Rabbi Korobkin is rosh kehilla of Kehillat Yavneh, and is director of community and synagogue services for the West Coast Orthodox Union.
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Best Bet: Stomp On at the Rosemount Museum
August 14, 2014 | Pueblo Events, That's Entertainment | 1 Comment|
Forty-three years. That's how long Pueblo's been gathering on the Rosemount Museum grounds, every August, for the Stomp On.
The recipe doesn't change because it doesn't need to: one night, two bands (Black Rose and Southern Belle this time around), food, drinks, dancing, fun.
Tonight's the night. It starts at 7 p.m. and is open to those 21 and older — ID required.
Tickets are $5 in advance at the museum and $8 at the gate. Raise some money for part of Pueblo's history and have a good time in the process.
Looking for more things to do this weekend and beyond? Head over to Pueblo Events to browse and submit your own happenings.


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Designer Kate O'Riley opens her debut store, selling her collection of handmade bags ($195–$350) and women's threads ($45–$295)—dubbed Line & Label—as well as trendy goods from brands such as Le Mont St Michel and Habitual. The shop features pale gray walls and live greenery, with clothing on a black metal rolling rack and accessories on an island in the middle of the space. Stop in for Line & Label pieces including colorblock leather totes ($195) and leather-hem T-shirt dresses ($125). Browse curated goods such as Habitual stretch skinny jeans ($195–$235), Serefina gold-plated crystal necklaces ($75) and Lee Coren landscape-print clutches ($75).
|Venue name:
|Line & Label
568 Manhattan Ave
|Cross street:
|between Driggs and Nassau Aves
|Opening hours:
|Tue–Sat noon–8pm, Sun noon–6pm
|Subway: G to Nassau Ave
|Do you own this business?
Average User Rating
5 / 5
Rating Breakdown
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1 person listening
Line and Label is a great store welcome to the neighborhood! Also, love that clutch!
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2014 - US Cyclocross National Championships - Course Preview
Submitted by David on
Here is a great video that shows a lot of the key features of the 2014 - US Cyclocross National Championships. It looks like it will have a little of everything from 2 stair run-ups, some sand and some tricky off-camber descending.
Below National Cyclocross Champion Brandon Dwight gives you his perspective of the course
Course prep
News Item:
1 Comment
If we don't get "cross"
Submitted by daily commuter (not verified) on
If we don't get "cross" weather for nationals, its just going to be another boring course with boring racing.
Points: 38


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John Bernard Dempsey
Position: T
Height: 6-2 Weight: 225 lbs.
Born: March 12, 1912 in Scranton, PA
Died: August 26, 1988 in Saratoga, CA
High School: Ridley Park
College: Bucknell (school history)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 0 (15060th overall since 1950)
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Color Scanning Capability Enhances Productivity
West Caldwell, NJ, March 13, 2008 - Ricoh Americas Corporation, the leading provider of digital office equipment, today introduced the Aficio MP 2550B/MP 2550 and MP 3350B/MP 3350 Digital Imaging Systems. Ideal for small and mid-sized businesses, the MP 2550 and MP 3350 models have color scanning capabilities that produce clear images, store documents securely and boost productivity and efficiency. The MP 2550/MP 3350 models are replacing the MP 2510 and the MP 3010. The Aficio MP 2550 and MP 3350 come standard with monochrome printing, copying and color and black-and-white scanning capabilities out of the box in two pre-configured models – the SP and SPF (the SPF includes faxing capabilities). The Aficio MP 2550B and MP 3350B come with copying capabilities and have a flexible upgrade path which includes monochrome printing, scanning and faxing that allows features to be added as users' document management needs evolve over time. The Aficio MP 2550B/MP 2550 and MP 3350B/MP 3350 improve overall productivity with a print speed of 25 pages per minute (ppm) and 33 ppm, respectively. Designed to make professional business documents easier to produce, the MP 2550 and MP 3350 models offer a 1,000-sheet booklet finisher and optional hole-punching a Ricoh first for Segment 2 Black & White. These models also include special design features that provide ease of use, such as a Full-Color VGA Control Touch Panel, easy-access paper tray handles and animated menu guidance. In today's business environment, security plays a crucial role, especially since compliance regulations, such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley, make it necessary to keep confidential records secure. With the MP 2550B/MP 2550 and MP 3350B/MP 3350, administrators can restrict access to the system to only the users who are authorized with Windows/LDAP/Kerberos Authentication. The Locked Print feature is another security function that allows users to protect confidential documents from being seen or accidentally picked up in the output tray by unauthorized parties. For organizations to meet the highest security requirements, customers can also use the DataOverwriteSecurity System (DOSS) to prevent the possibility of reconstructing data from "latent images" on the internal hard drive. "We are pleased to introduce the Aficio MP 2550B/MP 2550 and the MP 3350B/MP 3350 as we believe these document imaging systems meet the needs of today's fast-paced business environment," said Michael Hunter, director of product marketing, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "These models incorporate high productivity and security with a low total cost of ownership that our customers have come to expect from Ricoh products." To enhance organizational efficiency, the MP 2550 and MP 3350 models can store up to 3,000 frequently used documents in its Document Server, where they can be instantly accessed for reprinting, re-faxing or re-scanning. Furthermore, users can prioritize job lists by automatically moving the most critical jobs to the head of the print queue to ensure they are finished first. In addition, the MP 2550 and MP 3350 models offer full-color thumbnail previewing on the control panel that improves productivity and accuracy as users can preview images to confirm that scanned documents are captured correctly prior to distribution.Equipped with Web SmartDeviceMonitor, these digital imaging systems allow centralized configuration, monitoring and management of multiple connected Ricoh devices. The MP 2550 and the MP 3350 also include auto e-mail notification that sends a report to a designated e-mail address when the machine is not operating at optimum performance levels, maximizing uptime. In addition, the @Remote Intelligent Management System saves administrators time as it automatically places a detailed request for service when needed, eliminating the need for users to initiate service calls, which reduces the total cost of ownership.The Aficio MP 2550B/SP/SPF models are available at the suggested retail prices of $5,085/$7,035/$8,130 and the Aficio MP 3350B/SP/SPF at $6,435/$8,385 $9,480, respectively.To learn more about Ricoh's full line of multifunction products, please visit www.ricoh-usa.com. About Ricoh Americas CorporationRicoh Americas Corporation, headquartered in West Caldwell, N.J., is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 72-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment and electronics, with fiscal year 2006 sales in excess of $17 billion, an 8.4 percent increase over the previous year. Ricoh Americas Corporation is a leading provider of document solutions. Ricoh's fully integrated hardware and software products help businesses share information efficiently and effectively by enabling customers to control the input, management and output of documents. Ricoh Americas Corporation directly or through its network of authorized dealers markets and distributes products in North, Central and South America.Information about Ricoh's complete range of products and services can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.ricoh-usa.com.# # # Ricoh Aficio MP 2550B/MP 2550 & MP 3350B/MP 3350Engine/Copier SpecificationsConfiguration ConsoleScanning Element Flathead with Moving CCD Array Image SensorPrinting Process Single Laser Beam Scanning & Electrophotographic PrintingDocument Feeding Optional 50-Sheet ARDFToner Dry, Dual Component System Memory (std. /max.) MP 2550B/MP 3350B: 256/512 MB RAMMP 2550/MP 3350: 768/768 MB RAMHard Disk Drive MP 2550/MP 3350: 40 GB standardMP 2550B/MP 3350B: 40 GB optionalCopy Resolution 600 x 600 dots per inch (dpi)Grayscale 256 levelsExposure Adjustment Manual & AutomaticQuantity Indicator Up to 999Original Type Book/SheetMaximum Original Size Up to 11" x 17"Paper Size 5.5" x 8.5" to 11" x 17"Paper Type Plain Paper, Transparencies, Envelopes, Cardstock, RecycledWarm-Up Time 14 secondsFirst Copy Speed 4.5 secondsContinuous Copying Speed MP 2550B/MP 2550: 25 copies per minute (cpm) (LTR)MP 3350B/MP 3350: 33 cpm (LTR)Recovery Time 10 seconds (from Auto-Off)Power Source 120V/60HzDimensions 24.8" (W) x 25.7" (D) x 27.9" (H)Weight 143 lbs.Standard Paper Capacity 500 Sheets x 2 trays, and 100-Sheet Bypass TrayOptional Paper Capacity 500 Sheets x 2 trays or 2,000-Sheet Large Capacity TrayPaper Size 5.5" x 8.5" to 11" x 17" A5 to A3Paper Weight 16 – 28 lb. Bond/60 – 105g/m2 (Tray 1 and Duplex)14- 42 lb. Bond/52 – 157g/m2 (Tray 2 and Bypass)Standard Output Tray Capacity 500 Sheets (Letter) 250 Sheets (Legal, Ledger)Reduction Ratios 25%, 50%, 65%, 73%, 78%, 85%, 93%, 100%Enlargement Ratios 121%, 129%, 155%, 200%, 400%Zoom 25% to 400% in 1% incrementsStandard Features Auto Magnification, Auto Paper Select, Auto Tray Switch, Center/Border Erase, Chapters, Full-Color VGA Touch Screen Control Panel, Combine Mode, Cover Insertion, Data Stamp, Directional Magnification, Electronic/Rotate Sorting, English Pre-Set Stamps, Negative/Positive, OHP Slip Sheet, Page Number Stamp, 10 Job Programs, 500 User Codes Requires Hard Disk Drive 8 Job Presets, Background Numbering, Booklet/Magazine Copy, Document Server (3,000 file capacity), Series Copy, User StampsPrinter Specifications (Standard on SP/SPF Models)Print Speed MP 2550B/MP 2550: 25 ppmMP 3350B/MP 3350: 33ppmCPU RM7035C 533 MHzStandard Interfaces 10/100BaseTX Ethernet, USB 2.0Optional Interfaces IEEE 802.11 a/b/g Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, IEEE 1284, Gigabit EthernetMemory Capacity Shared with CopierNetwork Protocol TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, AppleTalkUtilities SmartDeviceMonitor, Web SmartDeviceMonitor, DeskTopBinder, Web Image Monitor Page Description Language PCL 5e/6 emulation; Ricoh RPCS Adobe PostScript3 (Optional)Print Resolution Up to 600 dpi (2400 x 600 dpi with smoothing)Grayscale 256 levelsFonts for PCL 5e/6 35 Intellifonts, 10 TrueType, 1 Bitmap and 13 International FontsFonts for PS3 136 PostScript FontsStandard Features (Hard Drive Required) Watermarks, Sample/Locked/Hold/Stored Print, EncryptionScanner Specifications (Standard on SP/SPF Models) Scanning Speed B&W/Color Embedded Scanning: 50/29 images per minute (ipm) at 200 dpiScanning Resolution 600 dpiGrayscale 256 levelsScan Area Up to 11" x 17"Standard Interfaces 10/100BaseTX EthernetOptional Interfaces IEEE 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN, Gigabit EthernetProtocol TCP/IP, NCP, SMB, SMTP, POP 3, LDAP, FTPMemory Capacity Shared with Copier File Types Single and multi-page TIFF/PDF, High Compression PDF, Single-page JPEGStandard Features Embedded Scan-to-Email/HDD/Folder/ URL and TWAIN
Contacts:Linda MontefuscoMelissa EinfrankRicoh Americas firstname.lastname@example.com@peppercom.com
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Started by two sisters who wished to honor the dad "Charlie", Charlie's Angels specializes in healthy cooking without compromising taste. They offer a variety of cuisines including Caribbean, Indian, Italian, and Spanish.
I literally stumbled into one of the sisters, Max, at the gym. When she explained their approach, I placed an order for my family. They focus on small scale catering and family meals. They even have a school lunch program for area private schools.
Here is the nutritional information for the meal we had:
Turkey Meatballs - 8 pieces
Calories - 160, Fat 24%, Carbs 4%, Sodium less than 2%
Rice & Beans - 1/2 cup
Calories - 140, Fat 4%, Carbs 8%, Sodium less than 2%
Jerk chicken (dark meat) - 1 piece
Calories 160, Fat 6%, Carbs 2%, Sodium less than 2%
Cabbage & Carrots - 1/2 cup
Calories 60 calories, Carbs 1%, Fiber 3%, Sodium less than 2%
Max delivered the meal pipping hot and delicious. The prices are more than reasonable, I paid around $35 to feed my family of five. With our crazy summer schedule, I was thrilled to find this healthier option. I even programed their contact information into my phone!
I wonder how they manage to cut the fat and calories and maintain the taste. I've tried pressing Max for her 'secrets'. So far, she has managed to avoid answering by simply referring to their slogan "It's All in the Herbs and Spices!"


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Good guy Campbell enjoying first playoff ride
Gregory Soup Campbell is just one of many former Panthers enjoying their first playoff experience….
This was written before their first game loss to Lightning
A five-year veteran of the NHL's Southeast Division as a member of the Florida Panthers, Bruins [team stats] center Gregory Campbell got to know the Tampa Bay Lightning as well as, say, the B's know the Montreal Canadiens.
And Campbell has seen a profound change in the Lightning under general manager Steve Yzerman and coach Guy Boucher, both in their first year in those posts. The Bruins and Bolts face off in the Eastern Conference final series starting Saturday night at TD Garden, and Campbell sees it as a stern test.
"I think it's a lot different," Campbell said of the current edition of the Lightning. "They have most of their top guys who are still there. They're such a talented team, but when you talk about the Tampa Bay Lightning now, most times it's about how well they play defensively."
Much of the credit has to go to the 46-year-old Yzerman, who is as classy and smart as a GM as he was as a player. He has added stability and credibility to a club that was somewhat of a mess under former GM Brian Lawton.
The team has superstar forwards Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos embracing sound defensive principles every bit as religiously as role players such as ex-Bruin Nate Thompson.
"It's a credit to those guys how they're buying into the new system that the new coaching staff has instilled, and it's working for them," said Campbell. "They've always been a team that can score, that can kill you on the scoreboard, but they're built a lot more solid now, from their goaltender out, their defense is stronger.
"I think they've made a turn for the better down there and they're a real good team now."
The Lightning have followed an uneven path in recent years. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2004, the team lost in the first round of the playoffs the next two seasons, then missed the postseason entirely the last three seasons.
They're back in the Cup race because of a new dedication to team defense under rookie coach Boucher, 39, who last year coached Montreal's American Hockey League affiliate in Hamilton.
"They don't give you an inch," said Campbell. "It'll be a tighter series. It's hard to say that, because they are so skilled. Their top guys do like to open up and create chances; those guys are still scoring. But they have bought into that system where they're playing real tight defensively."
The Bruins are determined to be the team that is able to set the tone, establish its game plan and not worry about the opponent's system. The team that is best able to do that — play its game, not react to what the opponent is doing — should find itself a couple of weeks from now in the Stanley Cup final.
"It seems like we've been in the playoffs forever, but we're only halfway there, we have eight more wins to go," said Campbell. "But with 30 teams and only five — going to be four — remaining, it's an opportunity that doesn't come around often.
"I know this (Bruins) organization has been waiting for this for a while. I've been waiting for this my whole career, just to have the chance to be in the playoffs."
The Bruins are fully cognizant of how hungry their fans are for the first Stanley Cup championship since 1972, and how this team has already brought hockey excitement back to the forefront in the region.
"Well, I think that's been the goal from Day 1," said coach Claude Julien. "We've always wanted to bring that, I guess that excitement back to this city. And to be at the stage we are right now, it's great. Again, I'm going to say the same thing as a lot of people say when they get this far: You can't be satisfied.
"We have bigger goals and we have bigger intentions than just getting to the third round. But you got to take care of business where you are at the moment, and that's the third round. We understand it's going to be a big challenge, but we certainly love to bring more excitement to this area and bring back hopefully a Stanley Cup final to them."


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by Dante Alighieri
Purgatorio Purgatory Canto IX (Ante-Purgatory: the Valley of the Rulers) Summary
- Night has fallen. Dante tells us that dawn (or Aurora, if you want to get technical) has abandoned the bed of her lover and is growing beautifully pale. Meanwhile, opposite her the constellation Scorpio has jewels (read: stars) lining its tail. You astronomers out there can calculate to the exact minute what time of night it is, but for us average readers, roughly two-thirds of the night have passed by.
- Dante observes that, unlike his comrades, he bears "something of Adam" (he has a human body with a biological clock) and is sleepy. So he lies down on the grass.
- It's implied that he falls asleep.
- In the hour "when the swallow begins her melancholy songs," or near dawn, Dante has a dream. (Note: popular medieval belief held that dreams experienced close to daybreak were most likely to come true.)
- In his dream, Dante sees a golden eagle poised high in the sky, as if ready to swoop down on him. Hmm, this might be highly symbolic.
- Dante imagines that the eagle can only hunt for food here, not elsewhere. How comforting.
- Then, the inevitable happens: the eagle dives like a lightning bolt and snatches up Dante in its talons and soars upward. They both burn in the flaming sky.
- At this point, Dante does something clever: he wakes up.
- Being the proud man he is, Dante compares his awakening to Achilles' when he woke up in a new kingdom after being carried there by his mother. Dante is so startled that he turns pale and cold.
- Virgil, at his side, comforts him.
- Dante notices that the sun is already up; it's two hours into the morning.
- But something's gone wonky. Dante sees the sea… which wasn't in sight when he went to sleep.
- Virgil explains to Dante that they're already at the gate of Purgatory; see over there, where there's a breach in the wall?
- To stymie Dante's questions, Virgil continues. At dawn, while Dante was still in the throes of his nightmare, a lady came by, called herself Lucia, and asked permission to "speed [Dante] on his way."
- Apparently someone gave consent because Lucia (yes, the saint) carried Dante all the way to Purgatory's gate, with Virgil in tow. She set Dante down, showed Virgil the entrance, and then disappeared.
- Dante listens with consternation but quickly regains his composure.
- Afterwards, he follows Virgil confidently to the entrance.
- As they draw near, Dante notices three stair-steps that lead towards the entrance, each a different color. There's also a guard sitting on the top step; and he's shining. In fact, he's so bright that Dante can't bear to look at him. It doesn't help that the guard holds an unsheathed sword that reflects more light into Dante's eyes.
- The guard speaks, asking them where their escort is and warning them to be careful in their approach.
- Virgil answers: that a lady from Heaven just pointed them here.
- Suddenly, the guard doesn't seem so menacing anymore. He blesses them and invites them onto the stairs.
- Dante, being a keenly observant poet, makes note of the color of each step. The first step is made of white marble, so polished that Dante can see his own reflection in it. The second, made out of cracked rock, is dark purple. And the third appears to be made from blood-red porphyry.
- On the top step stands the guardian angel before the adamant (read: diamond) gate.
- Virgil urges Dante to climb these steps and to beg the guard to let them through. Dante, being a closet thespian, overdoes it a little.
- He beats thrice on his chest, Tarzan-like, then throws himself at the angel's feet, begging for mercy.
- The angel's response is equally strange. He raises his sword and carves seven letter P's in blood on Dante's forehead.
- The angel says that when Dante enters Purgatory, he'll slowly be able to wash away those wounds.
- Now let's check out the angel's clothes. Seriously. Dante notes that the angel's robe is the color of ash (earth tones?) and from beneath that robe, the angel fishes out two keys, one gold and one silver.
- He uses both to unlock the gates. He then tells Dante that although one key is more expensive, the other requires more skill to use. Cryptic. He informs Dante that he got the keys from Peter, who warned him—when in doubt—to open the gate rather than turn praying souls away. A truly nice Apostle.
- He allows Virgil and Dante to enter, but warns them that they can't look back or they'll be ousted. Consider him the bouncer for Club Purgatory.
- The gates creak as they open, sounding really old.
- From within come the lovely strains of "Te Deum laudamus," yet another hymn (which translates as "We praise you Lord").
- Dante compares this music to an organ and vocal song—where the words are fleeting.
- On that strange note, the canto ends.
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- Paperback Edition
- Publication Date: 03-01-2007
- Page Count: 128
- Categories: Activism, Fiction, Poetry, Social Justice/Globalization/Economics
- Search within this book, powered by Google.
Here and Somewhere Else
Introduction by Marianne Hirsch
Husband and wife, parents and grandparents, Grace Paley and Robert Nichols are two writers and activists who constantly engage the world. Here and Somewhere Else, including uncollected or unpublished fiction by both Paley and Nichols, encompasses diverse countries and cultures, and counterpoints stories and poems that reveal engaged artists inventing different ways to illuminate political themes and issues.
"A wife and husband write politically in very different ways, charting "new territories of the imagination."
"A work of the highest interest, Nichol's ironic juxtapositions and Paley's heartbreaking elisions smile at each other across eternity."
"Life and art interact . . . reminding us of the intensity with which words do things in the world—and in the home. . . . A dialogue of love, a long conversation in two distinctly different voices, bounded only by life itself."
"Opens up our thinking about race and class and the 'little disturbances' of men and women. A generous helping of stories and poems of two wonderful political writers bundled into one economical package."
Also Of Interest
- Long Walks and Intimate Talks
- Grace Paley
- Rites of Compassion
- Willa Cather & Gustave Flaubert
- The Riddle of Life and Death
- Tillie Olsen & Leo Tolstoy


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NL Baseball: Now Worth Watching
There has been some grumbling. Television schedules being what they are and baseball's postseason being what it is, some teams have found themselves in prime time notably more often than others. The St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, for their part, have spent much of their series playing baseball at strange times – in the anonymous mid-afternoon or the long shadows of twilight – and have not been shy about voicing their unhappiness about it. Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino can't blame the sun or shadows (or sunspots, or DJ Shadow) for his bizarre poleax/lawn-dart of a first-inning error on Wednesday, but the two teams do have a legitimate beef.
Fortunately, it won't be a problem for them anymore. Their exceptionally strange and surprisingly competitive series has ensured them both a prime-time berth and a decisive Game 5. And with the Arizona Diamondbacks slugging four homers later on Wednesday night en route to forcing a Game 5 in their series with the Brewers, the NL's ostensibly lower-wattage, stick-them-in-the-afternoon-spot series have each ensured themselves both a share of high October drama. Milwaukee and Arizona still get the twilight spot on Friday, with the Cardinals and Phillies in prime time. Besides a berth in the National League Championship Series, the winners get the privilege of not having to play baseball at 5 p.m. ET again.
While Arizona's air show in the last two games has been impressive, the Phillies and Cardinals have inarguably reached their Game 5 in a weirder way, thanks in large part to those strange shadows, the unexplained disappearance of the Phillies offense, and a pair of in-game cameos from a Busch Stadium squirrel. After all that, Game 5 makes perfect sense. "What else would you expect from a series where a Cliff Lee can't hold a four-run lead, a series where Ben Francisco becomes a Phillies legend, a series that is now headed for Game 5 after the Cardinals' 5-3 win in Wednesday's Game 4?" Danny Knobler asks at CBS Sports. "At this point, you'd have to say that both of these teams are really good. But you'd also have to say that they're playing a really entertaining series, one that fully deserves the Game 5."
The same, minus the bit about the squirrel, can be said of Arizona and Milwaukee. The D-backs looked well on their way to collecting their postseason bonuses and hitting the links a couple of games ago, but the season-long underdogs played brilliantly in front of their home fans to force a deciding game in Wisconsin. It's even more surprising than it sounds. "Beyond the first-year players, the Diamondbacks' lineup is laden with recent additions, journeymen and guys for whom struggle has been a constant," Yahoo's Steve Henson writes. "The team's only true star is right fielder Justin Upton, one of the best players in baseball. He's surrounded by the unproven and unheralded. Yet they are headed for a Game 5 showdown in Milwaukee on Friday and a chance to advance to the NLCS."
* * *
When the University of Missouri announced that it was exploring a departure from the Big 12 on Tuesday, the impact was somewhat muted. After all, Mizzou is neither the first nor the most high profile NCAA program to express a wish to play the field a bit. Those so inclined will doubtless get a kick out of gaming out Mizzou's possible next move. To the Big Ten, which is the school's preference? To the Southeastern Conference, because everyone else is doing it?
But not everyone is eager to see where the next BCS domino falls. Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, for instance, would hate to see Mizzou's departure end one of the Jayhawks' longest-running and most intense rivalries. And while it's difficult to be sentimental about something like an athletic conference – especially when most Fix readers are old enough to remember the Big 12 when it was the Big 8 – the death of a century's worth of regional rivalries due to such bottom-line concerns as television revenues won't sit well with many fans. "Missouri administrators don't care. The SEC doesn't care. The networks will continue to televise games. They don't care," Dennis Dodd writes at CBS Sports. "Conference realignment goes on unabated. Traditional rivalries are being cut down like rainforests. Our natural habitat is being destroyed."
* * *
Players, of course. Coaches, too. But when college sports fans get emotional one way or another about their favorite program, it's unlikely that the school's athletic director enters the equation. Indeed, until it's time to hire a coach or mount a mournful mea culpa press conference after winding up on the wrong end of a NCAA investigation, fans seldom think of the men (and occasionally the women) who are the NCAA's CEOs. That may change once fans know how much big-time athletic directors are getting paid.
The University of Michigan's David Brandon, for instance, is making far less in his current gig than he did as the chief executive at Domino's Pizza, but his $700,454 salary (according to USA Today) is nearly twice what his predecessor made in 2009. That's not a salary your Fixer would ever turn down, but it's also notably less than the six ADs who earn more than $1 million per year. And Brandon's big raise is in keeping with a new trend in AD compensation as the job grows more and more complicated – more, in other words, like that of an actual CEO.
"Even without Brandon's level of boardroom experience, major-college ADs are expected to find ways to keep shoes on hundreds of athletes who will never make the pros while still investing heavily in traditional revenue-generating sports," USA Today's Steve Berkowitz and Jodi Upton write. "They have to be fans and dispassionate observers. They must have creativity, imagination and vision, but they better know NCAA rules to the letter."
* * *
Some sports stories – midseason losing streaks, quarterback controversies, that sort of thing – simply could not exist without the embellishment, overkill and hyperbolic gymnastics that define most sports media. But where some stories beg for overstatement, others defy it. For instance: Matt Stutzman is an Iowa-born Paralympian in archery, and he was born without arms. It's a story that oversells itself, and which is both more amazing and more human-scale than that brief description makes it seem.
"There is not a single jerk or flinch, not one wasted movement as he places the arrow onto the bow with his left foot and then draws the string back," Yahoo's Martin Rogers writes. "A mechanism attached to his right jaw enables him to release the arrow and send it speeding towards its intended target. It is so smooth, so graceful and so precise that is it easy to forget just what a preposterous concept it is. For crying out loud, this guy is firing arrows with his feet."
Found a good column from the world of sports? Don't keep it to yourself — write to us at firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email David at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Memorial Day 2014 is coming up this weekend, so get those white shoes and Coach wristlets ready ladies. Here in Raleigh, we welcome the gateway to summer with open arms after the winter we just endured! Are you wondering the dates of Memorial Day and what will be opened or closed? Let's get started.
The date of Memorial Day 2014 is Monday, May 26, 2014. The dates for Memorial Day weekend are Friday, May 23 2014 thru Monday, May 26, 2014.
In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress and the date was set as the last Monday in May. The following is a list of government offices and businesses that are closed and open on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014:
- Government offices: Federal, state, county and municipal government offices are closed on Memorial Day with very few exceptions.
- Retail stores: Memorial Day is a day many people enjoy hitting the malls, outlet centers and other retail stores due to their great Memorial Day sales. There may be a few local stores that close their doors for that day; however they are few and far between.
- Banks: Most banks and credit unions are closed on Memorial Day; however most banking can now be conducted on-line and through ATM transactions.
- Mail delivery: Memorial Day is a Federal holiday so there will be no mail delivery. All U.S. Post Offices are closed on Monday, May 26, 2014.
- Schools: Most public schools are closed unless there are days to be made up due to bad weather. If your schools had to make up several days this year, double check with your county to be sure.
- Libraries: Public libraries are closed.
- Stock market: All U.S. stock markets are closed on Memorial Day.
Brush up on your Memorial Day fun facts and trivia
Looking for events in Raleigh, NC to commensurate Memorial Day 2014? Here are five events around town for you and your family to observe:
- Memorial Day Service, Annual Memorial Day Service in Cary sponsored by Post 67 Cary, NC American Legion. 05/26 Monday 10:00 am, Hillcrest Cemetery , Cary NC
- Memorial Day Picnic- Wake forest. Hope Baptist Church of Wake Forest invites you to join us for a full day of fun and enjoyment. We have held this event for 13 years, and it has been a blessing to us as we encourage the community to come together and honor those who have served in our military, and thank God for His protection throughout American history. This event is open to the public and is full of activities that are sure to make this a special and memorable day for the entire family! Throughout the course of the day there will be captivating speeches, lively bluegrass, country, and folk music, and games for children young and old. This event is held at The Brown Farm located on Quarry Rd. in Wake Forest. It is an outdoor event but there will be bathrooms provided and everything is held under a large tent. Address: 3721 Quarry Rd Wake Forest, NC 27587
- Memorial Day Observance 2014- Historic Oakwood Cemetery will hold a ceremony of tribute to our deceased veterans who have served this country on Mon., May 26, 2014 at 4pm. The setting will be the beautiful Veterans' Field of Honor within Historic Oakwood Cemetery. This meaningful 45 minute ceremony will have meaningful music, tributes to our military and a key note speaker. Times: 4-4:45pm Venue: Historic Oakwood Cemetery Location: Historic Oakwood Cemetery, Field of Honor Address: 701 Oakwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27601 Admission: Free Phone:919.832.6077
- Memorial Day Wreath laying ceremony at North Carolina State Capitol- May 26, 2014. North Carolina State Capitol. 11:30am
- Stars, Stripes and Celebration! At Marbles Kids Museum- May 26, 2014. 201 E Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601. Saturday, May 24 - Monday, May 26 | 9am-5pm We'll have a blast welcoming back summer and celebrating the USA with Memorial Day play! Join us for Fizzy Fireworks Painting, a Rocket Science Lab and more spring into summer fun.
You still have plenty of time to plan a fabulous Memorial Day cookout!
In between all the Memorial Day sales at the mall and enjoying a barbecue with friends and family in the backyard, take time this Memorial Day to remember those service men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom. It's all about them!
Be safe, have fun and may God continue to bless the U.S.A.
Thanks for reading Raleigh Etiquette! Click here to subscribe to this column and you'll get an email each time a new article is published.
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