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One of the great perks of having been at this wine writing thing for some time involves my association with the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, for which I am now a member of its board of advisors (just by way of a disclaimer in advance of the plug which follows). And one of the great pleasures of this association is getting to spend a few days every year attending the convocation that occurs under this association's banner, nestled into the luxurious surroundings of Meadowood Resort in the Napa Valley.
I've been to all of these Symposiums in the last nine years, save one, and I can tell you that for anyone who writes about wine, or dreams of it -- or anything in between -- the conference represents an unparalleled opportunity. An opportunity to learn, to practice, and just as importantly, to celebrate wine writing and the people who are passionate about it.
This year marks the 10th year of this event, and its lineup of speakers is quite impressive. For three days, attendees of this year's conference will get to hang out with, listen to, and learn from an incredibly talented (and famous) group of individuals, including: Robert M. Parker, Jr., Lisa Perotti-Brown, Eric Asimov, Alan Kropf, Karen MacNeil, Jay McInerney, Sara Schneider, and more.
But in addition to such accomplished professionals, there are always a lot of people who are in much earlier stages of their careers, including some who have just begun their journeys as aspiring wine writers.
Perhaps one of those people should be you.
The main point of this announcement, other than to get fellow wine writers to consider blocking off your calendars in late February, is to make you aware of the fact that the Symposium gives away 10 fellowships each year to aspiring writers. These fellowships cover both the modest cost of attending the Symposium, as well as the cost of lodging at Meadowood, which even at discounted rates isn't negligible.
The fellowships are awarded based on quality of writing, and all you have to do is submit your work. The deadline is November 1, 2013.
While I certainly can't say that the competition for these fellowships is sparse, I can say that it is not so fierce that the winners are always accomplished wine writers with a lot of bylines on their resumés. For the past two years, I'm proud to say that relative novices, encouraged by this annual posting, have won a fellowship to attend.
I've watched magazines get launched from this conference. I've watched amateurs with a few blog posts to their name blossom into serious wine writers that write regularly for major print and online outlets. And I've both watched and participated in the continual renewing of the intimate sense of community that the world of wine writing enjoys in part thanks to this Symposium.
And did I mention that the whole thing is catered by the same kitchen that operates the Michelin Three-Starred Meadowood Restaurant? Oh, and don't forget that every meal after 11 AM is flush with wine from the libraries of the Napa Valley Vintners Association. The food and wine alone are worth the price of admission.
The week I spend in Napa as a speaker and attendee at this conference is one of the best weeks of each year for me, and I hope you'll consider joining me (and lots of other folks who are more worth getting excited about) at the event, either as a paid participant, or as a fellowship winner.
The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers
February 18-21, 2014
Meadowood Resort
St. Helena, CA
The fee to attend is $595 per person, and that will go up to $695 after December 1, 2012. Participation is open to those who write about wine and food in some professional, journalistic capacity, and in any medium. This means that if you make your living, or part of it, doing PR or Marketing writing for wineries or the wine industry, you may not qualify.
Fellowship applications are DUE ON NOVEMBER 1 and can be completed using the instructions available on the event web site. Yes, I know, it's a little weird in the digital age to force you to send 5 copies of a story printed on dead trees to enter, but trust me when I say I've complained about this to the proper authorities without much success.
I am, of course, happy to answer any questions you might have about the symposium.
Hope to see you there.
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Marlins (or as the dolphins might say they-who-shall-not-be-named) owner Jeffrey Luria is making the rounds on a "public relations tour"...
Basically he's saying that losing prompted him to sell off all the talent in the team; and his promises with regard to the stadium were all met.
On the one hand, you could argue that his being out in front of the public is good because it takes attention away from the phins and their bid for money (and possibly to what's sure to be another blunder-filled offseason).
And on the other it could hurt their chances for stadium bucks because the other guy with the other stadium deal is making the city of Miami look stupid for agreeing to a deal that it would seem hes reneging on.
Which is it? Time will tell.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
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The Mobile Base System (MBS), parked overnight on the station's robotic arm about three feet from installation, has had a chance to receive the proper thermal conditioning to match the temperatures on the Mobile Transporter, the actual railcar on the truss itself. Operated by Expedition Five Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson and Endeavour Astronaut Carl Walz, the space station robotic arm will mate the MBS platform to the railcar and flight controllers on the ground will command latches to close to secure the platform in place. Eventually, the station arm will "walk off" its current base location on the Destiny Laboratory to the MBS and ride the railway to move up and down the entire length of the station.
The 10 astronauts and cosmonauts on the Shuttle/Station complex will also continue their transfer of equipment and supplies to the station from the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module.
Endeavour's crew - Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Paul Lockhart, Mission Specialists Philippe Perrin and Franklin Chang-Díaz, and former station residents Yury Onufrienko, Walz and Dan Bursch - were awakened at 4:23 a.m. Central time to "I Only Have Eyes for You" by the Flamingoes, from the American Graffiti soundtrack which was selected for Lockhart.
Although Expedition Five crewmembers Whitson, Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev have been in charge of ISS operations since Friday afternoon, an official change of command ceremony between Expedition crews will occur early this afternoon.
The crews will also participate late today in a review of procedures for tomorrow's second spacewalk by Chang-Díaz and Perrin to hook up cables between the Mobile Base System and the Mobile Transporter and to bolt the two components together. Systems on both Endeavour and the ISS continue to function normally as the two craft orbit the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of about 240 statute miles.


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I was poking around in some of the statistics offered by the Wine Institute earlier today looking for global per capita wine consumption. I found the numbers for 2004-2008 and was quite surprised by some of them. If I were I an investigative journalist with a lot of time on my hands, or a behavioral economist with a fast command of world trade facts, I might be able to answer the question "why?" for each of the following. But I've got other things to do, so I'll just ply you with trivia and hope you win $50 from a friend... continue reading
Yesterday I wrote a post in which I remarked on the relative few numbers of wine bloggers in the UK compared with the US (even considering the differences in size of our two nations). One of the comments left by a reader got me thinking a lot about the differences in wine culture between our two nations, and the degree to which those differences might be responsible for the much lower ratio of wine bloggers to wine drinkers in the UK. Moreover, there are a lot of countries in Europe that also have far fewer wine bloggers than might be... continue reading
One of the longest running UK wine bloggers, Andrew Barrow recently wrote an article on his blog Spittoon, entitled The Definitive List of UK Wine Bloggers. My first reaction after reading it was: that's it ?!?!? His list of every single wine blog published in the UK was merely 28 URLs long, and one of those was actually written by someone who lives in Spain. Granted, this list did not include blogs by wine retailers or by UK wineries, but even so, it is remarkably, even dumbfoundingly brief. Another reader of Andrew's blog chimed in suggesting the list was more... continue reading
There was a time (think: late Seventies, early Eighties) when a lot of people would have put money on California being the next Champagne. It seems quite improbable now given California's reputation for Cabernet and the relative paucity of sparkling wine producers in the state. Yet there are many California winery names that have become synonymous with sparking wine (Schramsberg, Iron Horse, Korbel, Chandon, and more) and which have been producing sparkling wines for decades, and continue to do so. This is not the story of one of those brands. This is the story of the next generation. In the... continue reading
I've never been one of those folks who decries the globalization of wine. I find the Mondovino crowd to be alarmist and polemical in their approach to wine, more concerned with their ideology than with the facts. However, there has always been an aspect of their argument about which I have shared some concern: the seeming inexorable consolidation of wine companies into large corporate behemoths. I've watched many brands be swallowed up and come out much worse for wear after going through the digestive tract of these beasts, and I've watched these massive companies lumber about in the industry crashing... continue reading
Once upon a time, the Golden Glass tasting was about as close as you could get to a secret "wine insiders" tasting. Historically under-promoted, and generally not well attended, this tasting began as a smaller Italian focused "slow wine" tasting put on by Slow Food USA. Now in its 7th year, The Golden Glass continues to be co-produced by Slow Food (who recently pulled out of their relationship with the Gambero Rosso tasting), and now focuses other regions in addition to Italy, with a decidedly sustainable, regional bent. Over 100 different wine producers are supposed to attend and pour their... continue reading
The finalists for the 2010 Wine Blog Awards have been announced and voting is now open to members of the public. That means you. If you're reading this wine blog, then chances are you probably read one or two others, and therefore you know better than anyone what passes for compelling content when it comes to wine blogs. Which is why you should exercise your vote and support the folks that spend their time writing about wine for free so you can enjoy it. These awards aren't just a chance for you to make your opinion heard, they're also a... continue reading
When I was a kid, I read a lot of science fiction. On long plane flights I still occasionally pick up a book to read, and I still get a thrill from letting my imagination explore the fantastic possibilities of the future. Perhaps it's a bit of a stretch as an analogy, but I get that same sort of thrill from exploring the world of wine. Every new wine offers an opportunity to discover and learn something new -- to recalibrate my own sense of possibility. On occasion, in my curiosity-driven stumbling through the world of wine, I come across... continue reading
Anyone who reads Vinography with any regularity would know that I spent some time in Australia recently on a press trip. I got the chance to visit a lot of wineries in both Victoria and South Australia, in the regions of Yarra Valley, King Valley, Beechworth, Heathcote, Adelaide HIlls, McLaren Vale, and the Barossa Valley. My two week trip by no means made me an expert on Australian wine, but it did significantly increase my understanding of what Australian wine is all about, what's going on in the country, and it certainly expanded my horizons when it comes to Australian... continue reading
Early in my stages of self-education on wine, I often said to myself, "I really don't see what all the fuss is about with Bordeaux." I had tasted quite a few lesser growths, and found them mostly unapproachable: tannic, tight, too mineral, or simply bad. Over the years, I gradually had a chance to taste both aged Bordeaux as well as some of the First Growths, and I began to understand the mystique. But to be perfectly honest, I've never had a Bordeaux that blew my socks off the way that some Burgundies have. I've yet to drink Petrus, however,... continue reading
The term garagiste, originally coined as a pejorative referring to the small wineries in Bordeaux's Right Bank who were making more modern style wines from purchased grapes, has been greatly overused to the point of cliché. Nonetheless, I consider it a very, very good sign when I discover the people that actually are making good wines in their garage. That's why on my recent trip to Australia as I trundled up the driveway of Noon Winery in McLaren Vale past old, gnarled vines of Grenache and into the garage that holds the ancient wooden fermenting vats and the basket press... continue reading
The wines of Alsace are some of the most unique and distinctive in the world. They are also some of my favorites, not only because they are delicious, but also because they are made by some of France's most individualistic and headstrong vintners. Alsace has long been a place apart, both from France and Germany, each of which have laid claim over the valleys and hills that lie west of the Rhine river which currently demarcates the border between the two nations. It's easy to characterize the region as a smooth and quirky blend between the two countries, but such... continue reading
Sometimes I feel like California vintners don't experiment enough. While they may be trying a wide range of rootstocks, clonal material, yeast strains, trellising methods, barrel regimes, and the various other minor, yet important variables that can make for higher quality wine, far too few wineries are trying to grow different grape varieties from around the world. That's a generalization, of course, and there are plenty of exceptions, but by and large most California winemakers stick to the tried and true: white and red Bordeaux varieties, Syrah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, with occasional branching out into Grenache, Viognier, or... continue reading
As some of you know, I recently spent some time on a press trip down in Australia. I'm still working through my notes from that trip, but one of the main points of interest for me were the vineyard practices of many of the producers, in particular with regards to harvesting. Many wineries, of various sizes, opted to do mechanical harvesting, rather than harvest by hand. "Opted" may be slightly inaccurate, however, as the choice is less one of philosophy rather than necessity for most. While the United States, Europe, South Africa and other major wine regions have the benefit... continue reading
We owe much of modern viticulture and winemaking traditions to the church in some form or another. Even before the last supper's famous entreaty that gave rise to the concept of Christian transubstantiation, wine has been a sacred fluid that was grown and made by various religious orders who had the land, the time, and the knowledge to make it happen. In the past, most such organizations were the exclusive domain of men, and consequently so were the wines. Even as various religious orders for women have proliferated, it seems that most of those that make wine (or other... continue reading
They say the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business is to start with a large one. Actually there are several ways to make a small fortune in the wine business, but today we must add one more: blackmailing Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. As reported in the UK's Telegraph newspaper, apparently the owner of Romanée-Conti, Aubert de Villaine received at least two threatening letters that promised to poison his vineyards unless he forked over the equivalent of roughly 1.2 million dollars. Apparently the letters, which revealed a detailed knowledge of the vineyards, suggested that two vines... continue reading
The best wines in the world all share at least one thing in common, and that is a winemaker who brings a unique combination of both vision and passion to their work. At the age of thirty, winemaker Ron Laughton found himself managing the southern hemisphere's largest cheese factory, and with a total absence of passion for what he was doing. Having grown up on a farm and gotten degrees in chemistry and food science, Laughton worked all over the world for Kraft Foods before being headhunted by an Australian dairy company. His career path seemed as assured as it... continue reading
I'll tell you right off the bat that if you live in the United States, you can't buy this wine. It's currently not imported. Those of you who live in Europe or Asia may be able to get your hands on it, but not much leaves Australia. What is the point, you may ask, of reviewing a wine that most will not be able to buy? Firstly, the wine is delicious, and worthy of a review on its own merits alone. But more importantly, the wine represents a very under-appreciated Australian contribution to the world of wine: old vine Semillon.... continue reading
California Pinot Noir lovers take note. Wine lovers with a free weekend, listen up. It's Spring, and the wine events are coming fast and furious. It seems like every week there's a new wine tasting to go to. But some are more worth paying attention to than others. Anderson Valley is known for two things in California, and not coincidentally, it has more or less two major wine tasting events per year. The first, the International Alsace Varietals festival took place a few months ago, and I was sadly prevented from attending. The second is the annual Pinot Noir Festival,... continue reading
This page only has the last sixty entries in this category. If you're interested in digging farther into my archives, you'll want to use the complete list of archives to access my articles by month.
Fun With Wine Consumption Statistics The Cultural Origins of Wine Blogging? Where Are All the UK Wine Bloggers? 2007 J Vineyards "Barrel 16" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley The Great Wine Unraveling Golden Glass Wine Tasting: June 12, San Francisco Cast Your Vote for the 2010 Wine Blog Awards 1980 Soldera Case Basse Brunello Riserva, Montalcino, Italy Some Thoughts on Australian Wine Bordeaux. The Anti-Millenial Wine?
Wine Will Never Smell the Same Again: Luca Turin and the Science of Scent Forlorn Hope: The Remarkable Wines of Matthew Rorick Debating Robert Parker At His Invitation Passopisciaro Winery, Etna, Sicily: Current Releases Should We Care What Winemakers Say? The Sweet Taste of Freedom: Austria's Ruster Ausbruch Wines 2009 Burgundy Vintage According to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Charles Banks: The New Man Behind Mayacamas Wine from the Caldera: The Incredible Viticulture of Santorini Why Community Tasting Notes Sites Will Fail Chateau Rayas and the 2012 Vintage of Chateauneuf-du-Pape A Life Indomitable: The Wines of Casal Santa Maria, Portugal Bay Area Bordeaux: Tasting Santa Cruz Mountain Cabernets Forgotten Jewels: Reviving Chile's Old Vine Carignane The First-Timer's Guide to Les Trois Glorieuses of Hospices de Beaune


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Understanding Autism For Dummies : Autism affects more than 1 million children and adults in the United States, and parents may be confused by the behavior of autistic children. This book provides help - and hope - by explaining the differences between various types of autism and delivering the lowdown on behavioral, educational, medical, other interventions. Featuring inspiring autism success stories as well as a list of organizations where people who support those with autism can go for additional help, it offers practical advice on how to educate children as well as insights on helping people with autism use their strengths to maximize their potential in life.
|Familia y Relaciones
|Children with Special Needs
|Salud y Bienestar


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|Spring is here!
Note: Friday's originally scheduled spring opener has been moved to Sunday at 3 p.m. Inclement weather and a University event inside the Kibbie Dome necessitated the change of schedule. The Vandals have added a 3:30 p.m. practice Monday, March 31.
Leadership, commitment, camaraderie and competition are key words for the University of Idaho football team this spring as coach Paul Petrino heads into his second season as head coach of the Vandals.
Together, they're the foundation for success and the first of the building blocks the Vandals are putting together as spring ball 2014 begins this week.
"The biggest thing I'm excited about," he said as the first practice of the allotted 15 for spring neared, "is we actually have competition across the board."
He said the battles should be particularly intense on both lines as well as among the linebackers, secondary, receivers and running backs. He expects to drill sophomore Chad Chalich and redshirt freshman Matt Linehan equally at quarterback, as last year's backup QB, Josh McCain, makes the transition to receiver.
An influx of junior college talent to go with the development of last year's players has generated the position-by-position competition that builds success.
"They know if they don't perform well, the next guy is going to beat them out," Petrino said. "What's exciting is we have more guys who show up and work every day and compete every day. If they don't, they won't see the field.
"That's how you become great."
Petrino said that off-season conditioning also was team-building.
"We just had a team meeting a couple days ago," he said. "We're all in this together. We all have to come together. The more we can build relationships among each other – the stronger those relationships, the better chance you have of winning games, of fighting for each other."
Leadership is inherent at certain positions and in certain classes but Petrino said Idaho's leaders will be determined by the training habits and on-the-field performances. But, he added, he expects defensive end Maxx Forde, center Mike Marboe and receiver Dezmon Epps – all seniors, to step into leadership roles along with junior linebacker Marc Millan.
"We have more leaders now," he said. "It helps that the whole team knows what to expect. Everybody that is here now knows how we're going to grind; how we're going to work.
"Everybody who's here, is here. They've bought in."
Practices are:
March 30, 3 p.m.
March 31, 3:30 p.m.
April 2, 4 p.m.
April 4, 4 p.m.
April 7, 4 p.m.
April 9, 4 p.m.
April 14, 4 p.m.
April 16, 4 p.m.
April 18, 4 p.m.
April 21, 4 p.m.
April 24, 4 p.m.
Scrimmages are:
April 5, 10 a.m.
April 11, 4 p.m.
April 19, 10 a.m.
April 25, 7:30 p.m. – Silver and Gold Scrimmage


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Minnesota Wild forward Dany Heatley had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder Tuesday.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the procedure was performed at the Cleveland Clinic. There is no timetable for Heatley's return, but according to the newspaper, Wild coach Mike Yeo said he hopes the surgery allows Heatley to come back prior to the end of the regular season.
Heatley was hurt during a scrum at the end of a game April 3 against the San Jose Sharks when he was pushed to the ice with the Sharks' Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
In 36 games this season, Heatley has 11 goals and 10 assists.
|Back to top


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Tonight on TBS was a night of dad lessons, blue periods, and of course, wine on the Tuesday, January 8th premiere of Cougar Town on TBS. In the season four premiere titled "Blue Sunday", it has only been one week since Travis (Dan Byrd) exclaimed drunkenly his feelings for Laurie (Busy Philipps). Plus it has been a week since Jules (Courteney Cox) married Grayson (Josh Hopkins) in what was the final moments of the season three finale. How has their wedding bliss gone? Has there been any regrets within that week for them besides those two times? And do the Cul De Sac crew, which is rounded out by Bobby (Christa Miller), Andy (Ian Gomez) and his wife Ellie (Brian Van Holt) answer the age old question of whether or not they are Alcoholics; is the Cul De Sac crew an A.A. meeting?
Well that age old question is actually two separate questions…
For those who were unaware, after an amazing campaign from creators Kevin Biegel and Bill Lawrence and the entire Cougar Town cast and crew to keep the show alive after it's amazingly horrible treatment from ABC for its third season on the alphabet network, the show's future was uncertain. While the show wasn't picked back up or had word of being renewed for season four, the series soon had murmurs frequent of other cult classic television shows like Futurama, Family Guy and Arrested Development, that the show was going to maybe get picked up by another network. When the news broke that TBS was the network to give the Cul De Sac crew their reprieve, no one was more estatic than I, but it did raise a few questions. With the new pick-up, also was the loss of creators Lawrence and Biegel captaining the ship o' Cougar Town. And after an amazing finale that would have been an amazing series finale for the show, how do you go from here? Will the writing be as sharp, if not better?
It'd be easy to let you know, but Wine Guy and Coffee Bitch, the lamest super heroes ever, are intervening from this examiner's reviews.
While the plot itself of the episode and most episodes of Cougar Town, such as tonight's 'a story of Jules having a blue crisis (much like the great first notice of arm fat blue crisis of '06) due to a bad dream she had about how Grayson acted in her mind, is simplistic in its approach and would seem dull on any other show, but Cougar Town makes it work, and further more, makes it funny. It also is great at reintroducing all the characters and what they are, and the show delivers with the funny.
"Blue Sunday" actually delivered one the heartiest laughs this examiner has experienced in such a long time in any television comedy and that is thanks to the wonderful writing but also comedic timing of Miller and co-star Bob Clendenin as Tom with the "You'll never catch me" line from Ellie followed by "TOM NOW!". To say that I've viewed the episode multiple times writing this review and each time I have always hit the rewind button to watch that sequence over and over again. It is hysterical. Hats off to Miller and Clendenin's comedic timing.
Something else that seemed important which I hope they continue more of, is Clendenin's further involvement in the show. I thought I heard that they were adding him as a cast member this season, and I sincerely hope they add him in as a main character. Bob Clendenin as Tom, despite his character's creepiness, is also part of the Cul De Sac crew in his own unique way, and Clendenin is really Cougar Town's version of Ted from Scrubs: the residual sad-sack-like character that really brings in the laughs almost 99% of the time he is on screen. Biegel and Lawrence though usually have their 'B' team characters 'earn' their heart, so I sincerely hope that the more Tom appears this season, we get a bit more heart for his character. (As of now, he is still sort of the butt of jokes, etc.)
There was one story-point that bugged me while watching "Blue Sunday", and perhaps it is classic misdirection on the writers part, but Bobby's advice of running away from your problem, while hilarious, is actually horrible advice. For the sake of Travis, the joke pays off well. To me, it was a forgone conclusion on how the episode would end; Travis and Laurie would be hanging out, Laurie brings up the season three finale, and Travis finally takes his father's advice and bolts.
When it comes to Andy though, his whole running away from his boss slash co-worker, to me made me blurt out while watching the show with another reviewer, that I bet Andy loses his job following Bobby's advice. So the whole episode I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never happens mind you, and again, it is probably misdirection on the writers' part, or maybe this television examiner putting their own thought process into it, but not all of Bobby's wisdom is wise, at least in all situations. And it would have made sense that Andy would never tell Bobby that his advice doesn't work because he is so in love with Bobby anyway. Yet, this is also another case of throwing too much seriousness into a show that doesn't tend to get too serious. While I love Cougar Town for it's very light hearted approach to everything, to see it tackle something like that would be interesting. And we know the show's cast and crew can handle it.
Overall, Cougar Town's return to the television landscape thanks to TBS is well-deserved. In earnest, Cougar Town's return is a triumph of comedy; the show returns more funny than it was in season three, at least with "Blue Sunday", the first episode in season four. Let us hope the reason of the season follows suit.
Cougar Town airs on TBS which is on Channel 17 on Columbus Insight Communications and Channel 18 for Columbus Time Warner Customers.
But what do YOU think?
You can comment below or send your thoughts via e-mail. Heck, if you have twitter, tweet us!
Let us know and we may read your comments on Nick's podcast, the Good, The Bad & The Geeky. If you like what you hear, please subscribe on iTunes, rate and comment!
You can read Nick's additional reviews on The TV King.


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The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) announced on Monday, April 28, via press release that Indy 500 star Parnelli Jones will serve as Grand Marshal at its first Brickyard Invitational taking place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) June 6-8.
"I just can't find words to describe how honored we are to be associated with Parnelli Jones," said SVRA President and CEO, Tony Parella. "All you have to say is, 'Parnelli' and everyone thinks of speed and excellence."
Jones is the 1963 Indy 500 winner and the driver who first broke 150 mph at IMS. He is revered as one of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's greatest racers.
Jones has been inducted into six auto racing halls of fame and is well known for diversity behind the wheel. He won races across many forms of the sport such as in sprint cars, midgets, off-road vehicles, sports cars, and stock cars. Jones's achievements in the glory days of Trans-Am in the early 1970's at the wheel of a Boss 302 Mustang added to the legend of that brand.
"The Brickyard Invitational will be a great event for fans who appreciate all types of racing and cars," Jones said. "The competition is real and I appreciate how they are honoring the great history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."
One of Jones's duties as grand marshal will be to pace the feature race of the weekend called the "Indy Legends" Pro-Am. SVRA plans to create a return to competition for veterans of the Indianapolis 500 with a 40-minute race of American muscle cars on the Speedway's 2.43-mile Grand Prix road course on Sunday, June 8. The vintage racing organization expects to attract a field of at least 24 Indianapolis 500 veterans for the competition.
Among the previously announced entries are two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Al Unser Jr.; 1992 Rookie-of-the Year, Lyn St. James; Willy T. Ribbs; Mark Dismore; Geoff Brabham; Johnny Parsons Jr.; Alex Lloyd; and Rick Treadway.
SVRA also announced Monday three additional entries for the "Indy Legends" competition: Spike Gehlhausen, Billy Roe and John Hollansworth. Gehlhausen is a veteran of five Indianapolis 500s, finishing tenth in 1979 and starting fourth in 1980. Roe raced in 1997 and 1998 while Hollansworth made the big show in 1999.
They, along with the other Indianapolis 500 veterans for the Pro-Am, will be in 1967 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs of "Group 6," with an engine displacement limit of 355 cubic inches. The professionals will be paired with amateur drivers, each taking a 20-minute stint. Five minutes will be allotted for driver change.
SVRA claims that the "Brickyard Invitational" weekend will be "the largest gathering of race cars ever assembled for competition in America." The SVRA has 11 groups of cars spanning 100 years of vintage machines and all will be in action at IMS.
Entries include examples of select pre-war machines, classic sports cars, Formula One and Le Mans prototypes as current as 2008. The 2.5-mile oval will be utilized as well with exhibition runs by a wide variety of cars including several of the crowd-favorite 1950's-vintage Indianapolis 500 "roadsters." Race fans will also have overnight camping available inside the Speedway.
According to the press release from SVRA, the Pro-Am cars and drivers will also participate in a Fan Walk through the starting grid prior to the opening ceremonies allowing fans to see the cars up close, take photos and chat with the drivers. Driver pairings and starting positions will be determined by a lottery. Entries to this event will be limited and all entry fees will be donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum Foundation.
The 2014 Brickyard Invitational historic/vintage racing weekend is open to the public. Tickets are available through IMS at a nominal price.
Suggested Links
- Historics: Al Unser Jr. joins Indy 500 legends for SVRA Pro-Am race
- Historics: Indy 500 legends to race SVRA 'Brickyard Invitational' vintage event
- Historics: Lime Rock announces Stirling Moss, Ralph Lauren for Historic 32
- Historics: Goodwood posts race results for 72nd Members' Meeting
- Historics: Lime Rock seeks volunteers for Historic Festival 32, season


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Home Depot and Dollar General are among a total of 23 national brand name retailers that now accept PayPal as payment in their physical stores.
NEW YORK -- Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy and CVS took top honors in Interbrand's annual ranking of the 50 most valuable U.S. retail brands. The U.S. brands are valued in collaboration with Interbrand Design Forum, the retail experience group within Interbrand.


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Tag Archives: grtis ivey
Coolio's Son Grtis Ivey Sentenced for Armed Robbery
*Coolio's eldest son was sentenced to between 42 and 120 months in jail for his part in an armed robbery, reports TMZ. [SUBSCRIBE TO EURWEB's RSS FEED] Grtis Ivey, who starred with his rapper father in the reality show "Coolio's Rules," was accused of breaking into an apartment in Las Vegas last October and threatening … Continue reading Coolio's Son Grtis Ivey Sentenced for Armed Robbery
Coolio and His Son Held in the Same Las Vegas Jail
*The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. TMZ is reporting that Coolio was arrested in Las Vegas today, and was thrown in a jail where his son is currently serving time. According to law enforcement, Coolio was a passenger in a Nissan Versa that was stopped for a routine traffic violation early Friday morning. … Continue reading Coolio and His Son Held in the Same Las Vegas Jail


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Cyclists and walkers from Leighton Buzzard have helped to raise £117,000 for churches and chapels in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Churchgoers from across the two counties participated in the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust's annual Bike 'n' Hike event on September 14, with the money raised now counted and collected.
Half of the final cash total – of which All Saints Church in Leighton contributed more than £1,200 – will go straight to local churches while the rest is kept by the Trust, which provides grants to churches struggling to meet their repair bills.
Organiser Madeline Russell said: "The weather was not very good so although we were aiming for a target of £100,000 we were really quite staggered when the total crept past that figure, topping £117,000.
"More than 600 churches and chapels of many denominations were specially open on the day and churches throughout the two counties sent out walkers and cyclists to visit them, with an amazing amount of sponsorship on their backs."


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Nokia Lumia 900 delayed by AT&T?
Before introducing the rumored Nokia Prodigy and Nokia AC/DC, AT&T first has to release the Lumia 900, announced back in January as its first Windows Phone handset from Nokia.
Initially, we've heard that the Lumia 900 would become available at AT&T starting March 18, for just $99.99 on contract. Unfortunately for those who are eagerly waiting the smartphone, it looks like this won't happen.
According to BGR, the Nokia Lumia 900 has not "received technical acceptance" from AT&T yet. In consequence, its launch has been delayed, reportedly until April 22. It remains to be seen if this is true or not.
The Lumia 900 features LTE connectivity, a 4.3 inch WVGA ClearBlack AMOLED display, Nokia Drive, 8MP rear camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 1.4GHz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of non-expandable memory, and a 1,830 mAh battery.
Another new LTE-capable Windows Phone Mango device that's coming soon to AT&T is the HTC Titan II. Unlike the Nokia Lumia 900, the Titan II might get the chance to hit the shelves on March 18.


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The Jobs Act of 2009 introduced Crowdfunding as a useful tool to help entrepreneurs raise capital for new and existing businesses. There is no limit to the capital you can raise but you must be realistic because there is a timeline involved that you set and the project must be viable to the platform you are using to raise capital.
There are three platforms used to raise capital:
1. Donations/Rewards
2. Debt
3. Equity
The most popular platform for small businesses is the Donations/Rewards style. With this platform an entrepreneur would ask for donations in exchange for offering a reward. The other two platforms Debt and Equity are reserved for the more sophisticated entrepreneur and they must be in compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) rules. But do not be discouraged with the last two platforms for they have been very successful in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in capital. Check out this article from Globe Street.
The first step to raising capital through Crowdfunding is to create an effective pitch. This is a very critical role for it requires a lot of creativity and persuasion to reach your funding goals in the time permitted which is set by you and you need to reach your goal or the various Crowdfunding sources such as Go Fund Me, Indiegogo and others will enact their own rules to measure the failure or success in you reaching the benchmark you established for your campaign.
To get through this critical (creating your pitch) step it would be wise to review your pitch by use of words and video to see if your business is fundable. With this being said there is an online business finance source called The Business Finance Store which offers a variety of free services for businesses interested in using Crowdfunding, but just need some guidance to help them ease through the initial process. The Business Finance Store can help you create an effective pitch through word and videos so that interested donors will take a serious look into your venture.
For more information about valuating your chances of raising serious capital visit the Business Finance Store online.


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Forty-seven UW students honored for hard work in classroom
Indoor: Earned a career-best 11:19.59 in the 3,000-meter run for 15th place at the Air Force Invite ... achieved sixth place in the 3,000-meter in 11:34.84 at the AF Team Challenge.
Competed in the 800-meter run at the Cowpoke Open, placing eighth in a career-best 2:27.21 ... finished 22nd in the 1,500-meter in a career-best 5:07.97 at the Jack Christiansen Invite ... came in 12th place in the 1,500-meter at the Fum McGraw Quad in 5:13.08.
Had her best finish of the outdoor season at the Snowball Meet where she helped the 4x400 relay to a fourth-place finish in 4:27.95 ... at the same meet, came in 12th in the 1,500-meter in 5:17.09 ... her best 1,500-meter came at the Jack Christiansen Invite where she finished in 5:12.41 for 24th place.
High School
A four-time first team All-League performer and four-time section qualifier for Novato HS in both cross country and track ... was a state qualifier three times in cross country, and was part of the 4x400-meter relay that established a team-record time of 4:09 for the event ... class president all four years of high school.
Born November 13 to Steve and Tamara Madson in Santa Rosa, Calif. ... has a sister, Carissa ... majoring in communications.
Madson's Bests:
3000m run - 11:19.59 (2013)
800m run - 2:27.21 (2013)
1500m run - 5:07.97 (2013)


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Multi-jaw Position Power Clamp
Does the work of multiple sized standard clamps
Innovative box joint prevents twisting and keeps the jaws square,while pivoting non-marring clamping jaws create a secure, uniformedgrip. This allows the clamp to be applied from any angle between0–7". The patented adjustment mechanism allows infinite adjustmentsnot found in competing standard hand clamps. Ergonomic handlesprovide a safe, comfortable grip while clamping. Imported.


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2015 Rental Boat Rates
Your premier source for Ski Boats, Pontoon Boats, and non powered boats on Keuka Lake. The 2015 Season is fast approaching. We are taking reservations now and weeks are filling quickly. All of our power boats are brand new each year. We offer the boats for sale at the end of the season(Click for details). Rentals are for Keuka Lake Only. Please see our rental terms at the bottom of the page.
Ski Boat
Ski Boat
24' Premier Pontoon - Triple Tube
22' Premier Pontoon - Triple Tube
20' Premier Pontoon
Sport Rental
Hobie Tandem Island
Pedal Boat
Stand up Paddle Board (SUP)
Double Kayak - Hobie Mirage Drive
Single Kayak- Hobie Mirage Drive
Must be 21 with proper ID to rent and operate powerboats, 18 for non-powered
All rentals subject to 8% Sales Tax.
The deposit is for reservation, security, and cleaning. It is a separate charge from the daily/weekly rental fee. The deposit is refundable with 90 days written cancellation notice to us, less a $25 processing fee. When less than 90 days exists before day/week of rental, no deposit refund is allowed if reservation is cancelled. Pets are allowed with a $100 cleaning fee.
Rentals are Rain or Shine unless Thunder Storms are Imminent
No Refunds on unused time
All power boats are rented with a full tank of fuel. Any fuel returned at the end of the rental is refunded from the fuel deposit.
The rental week runs from Saturday at 10 AM through Friday, at 2:00 PM.
Daily Rental is from 9 AM to 4 PM
Daily Reservations available only with Pontoons & Jet Skis. All others are weekly reservations or first come first serve the day of rental.
Full Day Rental will take precedent over ½ day.
All weekly rentals must be picked up by 3:30 PM to allow time for proper check out.
We accept Visa, Mastercard,
NOTE: All Rentals are for Keuka Lake Only


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I am so excited about this guest post Ayana over from her blog AyanaREd. She has lots of great stuff, so be sure to check her out.
A friend of mine taught me how to knit last year, and it was highly addicting and fun for about a week, then I got pissed off from all my mistakes, packed it away and never touched it again.
I hear crocheting is supposed to be easier. I wanted to learn how and see if that is true. Ayana just happens to be a crocheting expert and she is going to help me learn. This will be a series of guest posts that builds on one another, did I mention I am excited?!
So here is Miss Ayana…and best of all her tutorial is a video!! I told her that I am bit dyslexic when it comes to directions and that I am visual learner, and so she whipped up this video for me. Thanks so much Ayana!
The Chain Stitch, so simple.
I saw this scarf, this scarf, and this scarf on Etsy and I thought they were super cute. (What? You don't look on Etsy for some DIY inspiration, too?).
Anyway, what struck me about these scarves was the fact that they were nothing but a bunch of CHAINS! Yes. The super, simplest crochet stitch of them all… I don't even know if it is considered a stitch.
Generally, it is used as a foundation. Most all crochet projects start out with some chains. If you see it in a pattern it will be abbreviated to just ch. For example if you see ch 8, this means that you should make 8 chains.
Let me show you how to do it:
Easy, huh? Let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks again, Ayana. I am so excited for the rest of this series and to learn how to make that beautiful scarf!
Or on Facebook!


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Every owner of a personal electronic device knows the frustration of running out of battery power when out and about. Solar bags offer a great solution and a growing number of shapes and sizes (even golf bags) are hitting the market. The new Fusion Messenger Bags by Eclipse Solar Gear further adds to the options.Read More
Having already distributed more than 500,000 XO laptops in 31 countries, One Laptop per Child (OLPC) has launched its "Give 1 Get 1" program for 2008. The scheme raised more than USD$35 million in 2007 to fund the delivery of tens of thousands laptops to kids in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mongolia and Rwanda.Read More
Capturing an image takes on a different meaning with the Touch Sight camera. The device makes it possible for the visually impaired to take digital photos by using a Braille-like screen to make a raised image on the user's forehead of whatever the lens sees.Read More
In disasters such as hurricane Katrina, dealing with wastewater can be one of the greatest difficulties facing military and relief operations. Nicknamed "DAAB" (Deployable Aqueous Aerobic Bioreactor), this new self-sustaining, portable, and "smart" wastewater treatment system offers a solution to this critical problem. Read More
Each year an estimated 20 billion cubic feet of styrofoam is used globally for the shipment of 250 million perishable packages. Once the packages have arrived safely, this quickly translates to mountains of landfill. Coldpack's eco-friendly alternative is an inflatable insulating liner that converts a corrugated box into a cooler with better insulation and cushioning properties than styrofoam, reducing supply chain costs as well landfill.Read More
The EPP-HH01 Pico Cube from Epoq Multimedia lays claim to the mantle of the world's most compact and lightest portable video projector. We're not sure how accurate the claim is, but a unit which includes a speaker in its 2 x 2.2 x 1.6 inch footprint is pretty impressive, and anyway, it's a title that will undoubtedly change hands many times in coming years as video projection systems shrink rapidly to satisfy our mobile multimedia demands.Read More
Designed as a low-cost option for converting images captured on film into digital files, the new Epson Perfection V300 Photo scanner offers optical resolution of up to 4800dpi, 48-bit color depth, zero warm up time and can also be used for regular A4 document scanning.Read More
The Side Solution Pillow from AbsolutelyNew offers relief for the more than 50 percent of the adult population that sleep on their sides. The unique shape is designed to cradle the entire neck, head and shoulders to reduce stiffness and promote better circulation in the arms as well as helping prevent snoring and mild sleep apnea.Read More
If hot-rod screen-savers just aren't enough to satisfy your automotive-obsession while perched in front of the computer, it might be time to branch out into peripherals. The new Road Mice series from Four Door Media is range of a wireless car-shaped computer mice (complete with working headlights) officially licensed by some well-known auto manufacturers, including Corvette, Chevrolet and Ford.Read More
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The Crimson Tide's 126 honors came from nine different teams and was led by rowing's 36 accolades
The Crimson Tide's total includes a pair of NCAA champions, 11 All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans
Crimson Tide paced by its distance runners in Birmingham on Friday
Numerous Crimson Tide freshmen shine on Friday in Bloomington
Crimson Tide men and women combine to score 11.5 points in the field events on Saturday
Junior (2015-16)
Indoor Season
Jumped 20-10 3/4 (6.37m) at the Samford Elite Team Invite … recorded a mark of 23-2 1/3 (7.07m) to finish third at the Indiana Relays … jumped 23-0 3/4 (7.03m) to finish eighth in the long jump at the Conference Clash … recorded a jump of 21-8 3/4 (6.62m) in the long jump at the Commodore Indoor Invitational.
Did not compete.
Sophomore (2014)
Outdoor Season
Jumped a wind-aided mark of 23-9 1/2 to finish 13th in the long jump at the SEC Championships … placed fourth in the long jump with a mark of 23-6 at the Jace Lacoste Invitational … finished fifth in the long jump with a mark of 22-9 at the Alabama-Mississippi Border Clash … jumped 22-4 1/2 to finish ninth in the long jump at the Crimson Tide Invitational … finished third in the long jump with a mark of 23-6 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational … jumped 22-7 to finish 13th in the long jump at the Alabama Relays.
Jumped 22-9 3/4 to place 11th in the long jump at the SEC Indoor Championships … finished 10th in the long jump with a season best mark of 23-4 1/2 at the Tyson Invitational ... placed sixth in the long jump with a mark of 22-7 1/4 at the Indiana Relays... jumped 22-1 3/4 to place 12th in long jump at the Rod McCravy Memorial.
Freshman (2013)
Outdoor Season
Finished 15th in the long jump at the SEC Outdoor Championships (22-5 1/4/6.84 meters) ... recorded a long jump of 21-11 1/2 at the Drake Relays (23rd place) ... placed seventh at the LSU Alumni Gold with a mark of 22-4 1/2 ... finished fourth at the Spec Towns Invitational and set a season best with a 24-2 1/4 long jump, finishing fourth ... jumped 22-10 at the Crimson Tide Invitational, good enough for sixth ... placed third at the Yellow Jacket Invitational with a mark of 23-4 1/2.
Set a personal best in the long jump at the SEC Championships with a mark of 23-8 ¼, finishing 10th ... finished seventh at the Mark Colligan Memorial with a best of 22-3 3/4 ... jumped 22-3 to place third in the invitational long jump at the Indiana Relays ... placed sixth at the Auburn Invitational with a best of 23-1 3/4 ... finished seventh in his first collegiate long jump, with a 23-3 1/4 at the Crimson Tide Indoor Opener.
Prep and Personal
Set the Huntsville High School record in the long jump (23-6) in 2012 ... voted team captain as a senior in 2012, when he also was named team MVP ... also played football in high school, earning the team's Character Award in 2012 ... member of the National Honor Society and the Mu Alpha Theta honors fraternity ... graduated from Huntsville with a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average ... won his first long jump competition in the fifth grade, jumping 13 feet ... son of Alison Vardaman ... born Oct. 31, 1993, in Huntsville, Ala.