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When the GNU/Linux revolution started reaching the masses, around 2000, I predicted that by 2010 there would be full vendor support for the free operating system. Well, it's 2009, and I have to admit it -- I am feeling nervous. This article will outline my odyssey, the causes that triggered it, and -- for a change - a number of possible solutions. (Note: in this article I will mainly focus on third party devices such as 3G modems, cameras, MP3 players, and other "support" hardware which can be seen as "gadget".)
The odyssey
(Note: if you can't be bothered reading yet another sad story about poor vendor support for GNU/Linux, feel free to skip to the section "The causes")
My little odyssey started when I decided that I needed a 3G broadband connection so that I could work while on the run. (The reasons why I needed to do that, rather than using my phone, is going to be the subject of another blog entry...). In Australia all major carriers offer a "dongle" (that is, a USB 3G modem) and a SIM card for very little money. Those deals allow you to have prepaid internet access with reasonable speeds.
As A GNU/Linux user, I have experienced a lot of grief in the past; laptops, cameras, and all sorts of other devices just didn't work -- or only partially worked. This was especially true before 2005, when hardware support for GNU/Linux was already quite good but disturbingly patchy. Whenever there were problems, I kept on reminding myself of my self-appointed 2010 deadline, when allegedly virtually every vendor would support the Penguin. Things looked bright - until last week.
Three main carriers here offer prepaid Internet dongles: Telstra, Optus and Three. My first stop was Telstra -- as "evil" as their reputation is, their coverage is much better than anybody else's. I went and asked: "So, does it work fine in GNU/Linux?". In 2005, I would have expected a pathetic "What is Linux?". This time, I had an even more pathetic "Linux? No, I don't think so, just Windows and Mac, a few people ask for that though". Knowing that I was heading for trouble, I had my laptop with me. I pulled out of a bag. "Can I just try your dongle right now?". As it turns out, they didn't have one to "test". However, the shop assistant was kind enough to allow me to plug his into my computer. I tried it. It didn't recognise it at all. One thing I learnt with GNU/Linux is that things either work on the spot, or they will require quite a lot of black magic to make them work. As a GNU/Linux user, my black magic days are gone. Telstra was out. The shop assistant, who should get a pay rise, told me he had a Three dongle in his car and offered me to try it. I couldn't believe my luck. We walked outside to his car, and -- guess what -- I was online five seconds after plugging in the dongle. (To our US friends: yes, in Australia shops will happily tell you where their competitors are and even what their number is!).
So, I went to a Three shop, 10km away. I approached the shop assistant. "Does your dongle support GNU/Linux?" The answer: "Ah mate, I don't know, officially it's Windows and Mac... I know of a guy who tried but it didn't work". It turns out that the dongle I tried at the Telstra shop was the "old version" offered by Three. Only the new ones were available. I took a deep breath, and bought one. The shop attendant activated it for me.
It was recognised, but it didn't work -- it didn't connect. After a search online, and a lot of stress, I discovered that the APN needed to be changed into "3services" rather than "3netaccess". I did exactly that. It worked. I was online immediately after activation. In fact, right now I am connected using that very dongle.
The causes
My small odyssey could have been a whole lot worse. I could have discovered that the new Three dongle wasn't actually supported. The fix to the problem could have been harder and required black magic, rather than a configuration change from the GUI. The question really is: why did it happen? Why is a GNU/Linux user still treated as a second class citizen in the end-user IT industry?
(Note: if you are an experienced GNU/Linux user, you probably know all this already -- and in fact you can probably add to this list).
I think this is a specific problem caused by several factors.
Market penetration. This is slowly changing, thanks to the Netbook market and embedded device. But it's true: most desktop computers at the moment are running either Windows or OS X. I could look smart and pull numbers from one of those reports, but I don't really believe those numbers. I believe what I see, and I haven't seen a desktop GNU/Linux machine other than my own for a long time. This means that hardware companies are encouraged to only officially support what most users actually run.
Fragmentation. This is also slowly changing, thanks to Ubuntu basically taking over the GNU/Linux desktop market. I don't think I will ever thank Mark Shuttleworth enough for this. Mark was the perfect person at the perfect time. However, Ubuntu is not quite widespread enough to be "it". A lot of Netbooks still come with a lame sub-version of GNU/Linux (see the EeePC). Hardware vendors and companies are confused about GNU/Linux. Not only there is no one vendor to deal with, there are also a zillion different versions of it: Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Mandriva, and so on. I suspect a lot of vendors would rather say "We don't support GNU/Linux" rather than finding their way in the GNU/Linux distribution jungle.
Lack of door-knocking. Is anybody knocking on Three's door, telling them that they should support GNU/Linux, and telling them how to do it? I doubt it. The trouble is that there are too many doors to knock on -- at the end of the day, Three is a small phone provider in Australia, a rather remote country. Even worse, there isn't a single company which will directly and solely benefit from this door knocking.
Late device driver support. In Linux, the drivers are in the kernel. In Windows, supporting a device is a matter of writing a device driver and creating an installation disk. This causes a lot of problems in the Windows world -- a lot of Windows' problems derive from the fact that a lot of device drivers, which run in kernel space, are written badly and turn the operating system into something really unstable. Supporting Linux requires coordinating with the kernel developers and offer kernel patches so that everything works. At the moment, chip makers don't have a very strong incentive to make sure that their chips works with Linux immediately. So, Linux support tends to lag behind. I am not going to mention the intellectual property issues that some vendors still raise -- luckily, they are just a minority now.
The solutions
Each one of these issues has a solution. Unfortunately, the real problem -- that is, vendor support for GNU/Linx -- is not going to get fixed until each issue is fully resolved.
Market penetration. We can say that this is only a matter of time, but we mustn't forget that we can't rest on our laurels just yet. Microsoft is doing anything and everything to stop the GNU/Linux penetration rate, and it's winning some battles. Think about Netbooks: they should come with a common version of GNU/Linux like Ubuntu, which is the perfect OS for them; instead, Microsoft has resuscitated an 8 year old operating system just for them -- and vendors are installing it! Personally, every time a friend or a colleague comes to me desperate because his or her computer has been taken over by viruses, I upgrade to Ubuntu -- and nobody has ever complained. This should be taken a step further, by everybody -- common GNU/Linux users, LUGs, companies for their employees, and so on. Basically, everyone who cares aboug GNU/Linux and free software needs to work really hard and pulls any lever in order to make sure that Windows desktops are replaced with GNU/Linux ones.
Fragmentation. I am going to cause a few angry comments with my proposed solution, but I think many out there share my view: "Ubuntu". Ubuntu should become the default desktop distribution for GNU/Linux. Vendors should coordinate with Canonical to make sure that things "just work", and maybe even have a logo there. Canonical should provide logos and a lab to make sure that certified hardware actually works. This is especially important for gadgets and hardware aimed at receiving a service. Other distributions should be able to say "whatever is certified for Ubuntu, will work for us too" -- and it will be up to them to make sure that the statement is true. In my little dongle saga, Three would have simply interfaced with Canonical to make sure that the dongle "just worked", and would have simply attached a logo to their packaging: "Works with Ubuntu GNU/Linux". If their dongle wasn't supported by Linux, then they would have a choice: pick better supported hardware, or state clearly that they didn't support Linux. In this case clarity helps -- a "no" is definitely worse than a "yes", but it's definitely better than a "maybe".
Lack of door-knocking. A single company cannot possibly manage to knock on everybody's door to push day 0 GNU/Linux support for new devices and for certifications. However, GNU/Linux is all about the community behind it. We, the community can organise a major campaign aimed at making sure that the right doors are knocked on. For example if I came out with a simple instruction booklet which explained exactly how to install the Three 3G dongle in Ubuntu, and confirmed that it all works, Three could then add Ubuntu to the list of supported systems, and include the booklet with the packaging. Basically, the community would tell each vendor 1) If the piece of equipment is compatible 2) How to install it in Ubuntu. We as the community can kick and scream about the fact that we have to do the work for them. However, we need to remember that we are a minority, and that it's not yet financially feasible for them to support GNU/Linux users.
Device driver support. This is a sticky subject. Drivers are written by kernel developers. I am not sure if this particular driver was contributed by the modem's maker or by a volunteer. The big issue, however, is that there needs to be enough pressure on companies like Three to pick a chipset that is fully supported by the Linux kernel. When that happens, chip makers will make sure that there is a driver in the Linux kernel as soon as the chip is released -- which means that more hardware is supported and Three has more choice.
The conclusion is simple: "we need to work harder". We need to get to the point where getting an Internet modem is safe, because there is a sticker there that tells you so. We need Day 0 chipset support, and motivate vendors to work with the Linux kernel developers to make sure that spport is absolutely perfect.
We need to work harder and eventually live in a world where GNU/Linux is not a second class citizen, and hardware in general has three stickers: Windows, OS X, and GNU/Linux.
2010 might be a little optimistic. However, one can only hope.
Market penetration
there are vendors selling laptops and desktops with Linux preinstalled. Dell do so, Lenovo do so.
I do not know if they sell such devices in Australia but they do in Germany.
But I think the amount of such offers in the market is far to low, but there is good news at last.
Fragmentation not a problem
Regarding fragmentation, I don't see why this should be an issue for device support. Drivers live in the kernel, so why does it matter what's up the stack from there?
Another good question is why, in 2009, do we still need unique drivers for so many basic pieces of hardware -- network, for instance. Basic wired NICs haven't done anything new since the 1990s, apart from maybe a speed increase. Why is there not a generic industry spec a la VESA to give basic network functionality on any card, out of the box?
Driver certification
I am going to cause a few angry comments with my proposed solution, but I think many out there share my view: "Ubuntu". Ubuntu should become the default desktop distribution for GNU/Linux.
No problem here.. as long as I can use my favourite one.. Although..i don't think this is necessary.
Vendors should coordinate with Canonical to make sure that things "just work", and maybe even have a logo there. Canonical should provide logos and a lab to make sure that certified hardware actually works.
Other distributions should be able to say "whatever is certified for Ubuntu, will work for us too"
Wouldn't be better for vendors to coordinate with the Linux foundation,or with the Kernel developers, so that hardware support is certified together with a kernel version. That way, it will not matter what distribution you use, as long as you have a current kernel. I think that's already the case - it's up to the distribution to update it's kernel.
And, honestly, I would rather buy a gadget with the Linux logo on it, instead of Ubuntu's. Why? I often change distributions.. Maybe in several years, Ubuntu will wear off, and something else will be your prefered choice (or mine, or someone else's).
(For the reference: running Arch, Mint 6, and Windows XP. I have nothing against Ubuntu, but I can really see a difference between Ubuntu and Linux, and I prefer it like that)


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Debra Bekerian
Personal Information
California School of Professional Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Fresno Campus
Interim Program Director
Assistant Professor
Alliant International University Fresno
5130 E. Clinton Way
Fresno CA 93727
Courses, Research Interests, Publications
Basic Foundations of Clinical Diagnosis and Intervention
PsyD Proposal Development
Group Psychotherapy
Supervision Seminar
Adult and child event memory (qualitative/quantitative paradigms); child development, including impact of abuse on development and attachment; cognitive models of trauma; applied psychology.
Bekerian, D.A. (2006). Libraries: Linking the Past to the Future. Big C . Beijing, China
Stokes, D., Dritschel, B. & Bekerian, D.A. (2005). The effect of burn injury on adolescents autobiographical memory. Behaviour Research and Therapy'
Bekerian, D. A. & Levey, A. B. (2005). Applied Psychology: Integrating theory and practice. Oxford, Eng: Oxford University Press
Academic History and Background
PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 1978, 1978
Chartered Scientist, British Psychological Association
Chartered Psychologists, British Psychological Association
Accredited Gestalt Practitioner, British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Psychological Society
British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy
Fresno Area Psychological Association
Professional Practice and Community Service
Member, County Board of Mental Health

subset: commoncrawl


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FREMONT -- James Logan High wrestler Jacob Macalolooy put himself in rare company with his performance at the Mission Valley Athletic League championships on Saturday at Kennedy-Fremont.
Macalolooy won his fourth straight MVAL crown after he claimed the 138-pound title, making him just the fourth grappler in league history to achieve the feat. He joins Victor Pereira (Newark Memorial, 2009-2012), Kirk Fitzpatrick (Logan, 1999-2002) and Mark Trice (1985-1988) as the only four-time winners in the league.
In the finals, Macalolooy was pushed to the limit, but prevailed with a 5-3 decision over John Andrade of Irvington.
"It feels pretty cool to join a group like this," Macalolooy said. "After I won it my freshman year I knew I had a pretty good shot at reaching that goal."
Macalolooy will now look to defend is crown in the North Coast Section championships, which begin on Friday at Newark Memorial High.
Logan's Clayton Hartwell and Jacob Donato both won their third straight MVAL titles as well. Hartwell, who is ranked No. 4 at 195 pounds according to The California Wrestler, disposed of Tim Tuite (Newark Memorial) with a fall in 53 seconds. Donato (120) won by a major-decision over Eric Yang of Mission San Jose.
American sophomore Jared Luty won his second league title after winning the 113-pound title. Luty, who won the NCS title at 106 pounds a year ago, has set some lofty goals for the postseason.
"I not only want to win another NCS title, but I want go and win the state title as well," he said.
Logan had seven league champions to easily win the team title with 240 points. Raymond Monela (106), Felix Bonavente (132), Zack Wally (182) and Jose Zamora (285) also won league titles for the Colts. Mission had three champions in Dante Sirwet (126), Enrique Green (145) and Zeki Yasar (160). Washington had a pair of champions in Austin DeReis (152) and Elijah Johnson (170) while Mohammede Joiyah was victorious in the finals at 220 pounds for Kennedy.
MVAL Championships
Team scores: James Logan 242.5, Mission San Jose 120, Newark Memorial 91, Washington 89.5, Irvington 82, American 81, J.F. Kennedy 66.
Individual results
Top three advance to NCS championships
Championship finals
106 -- Monela (JL) f. Santos (A) 3:02; 112 -- Luty (A) t.f. De. Sirwet (MSJ) 17-1; 118 -- Donato (JL) md. Yang (MSJ) 11-3; 126 -- Da. Sirwet (MSJ) d. Morini (JL) 4-1; 132 -- Bonavente (JL) d. Hess (NM) 12-9; 138 -- Macalolooy (JL) d. Andrade (I) 5-3; 145 -- Green (MSJ) d. La (A) 9-7; 152 -- DeReis (W) d. Kang (JL) 3-2; 160 -- Yasar (MSJ) d. Salas (JL), injury default; 170 -- Johnson (W) f. Dizon (JL) 3:42; 182 -- Wally (JL) m.d. Austin (A) 9-1; 195 -- Hartwell (JL) f. Tuite (NM) 0:53; 220 -- Joiyah (K) d. Roberson (JL) 10-6; 285 -- Zamora (JL) d. Anderson (NM) 4-2.
Third place
106 -- T. Tran (NM) f. Moore (W) 1:34; 112 -- Singh (JL) f. H. Tran (NM) 2:38; 118 -- Smith (NM) d. Phan (A) 7-1; 126 -- Vu (I) f. Lopez (A) 1:24; 135 -- Lin (MSJ) d. Delbarrio (I) 8-1; 138 -- Kiester (K) d. Renteria (MSJ); 145 -- Blanco (JL) f. Thomas (I) 3:56; 152 -- Robillo (I) d. Padilla (NM) 13-6; 160 -- Hernandez (K) d. Varges (W) 11-5; 170 -- Redeker (I) d. Dixon (K) 10-3; 182 -- White (W) f. Terry (I) 2:35; 195 -- Jones (W) f. Robertson (K) 3:49; 220 -- Guzman (MSJ) by default; 285 -- Kayumy (K) d. Yim (I) 1-0.


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Lindsey Malecek originally set out to go into law enforcement.
After she graduated from Redwood Valley High School in 2007, Malecek switched gears.
"I didn't choose cosmetology, it chose me," she said. "When I was going to school, I would get up early and sacrifice sleep to do my hair."
After graduating from cosmetology school last April, Malecek worked at a local convenience store until a position opened up at Hair Company in Redwood Falls.
"I talked to Sue (Tholkes, owner of Hair Company) in May, and took a gamble on waiting. She was sort of busy with the move to her new location," said Malecek, who started as the newest stylist at Hair Company last week.
Malecek particularly enjoys styling for formal events, such as weddings, and doing nails. She's planning on adding further training in facials and possibly massage.
"I've always gotten my hair done here, and knew the stylists," said Malecek. "Cosmetology is a continuing education. The ladies here have a lot of knowledge, and I've always felt comfortable here."
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Jordan Play In These II Toddler Basketball Shoes
Buy Online & Pick Up In-Store
The Jordan Play In These II Toddler Basketball Shoes are similar to the original version with the exception of the Hyperfuse paneling on the upper. This new benefit increases the breathability of the shoes so your feet stay comfortable when you heat things up on the court. The popular silhouette remains intact, so be sure to pick up a pair before your next big hoops game.
- Toddler Jordan basketball shoes


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National Lawyers Guild at New England Law | Boston
What is the National Lawyers Guild All About?
Professor Faulkner teaching Stop and Search training.
The overarching goal of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) is to bring together students who look upon the law as an instrument for the protection of the people, rather than for their oppression; who recognize the importance of safeguarding the economic and social freedoms, protections, and rights of people everywhere; and who seek justice and work to maintain and protect our civil rights and liberties in the face of persistent attacks upon them. The New England Law chapter of NLG is committed to organizing and hosting Street Law Clinic trainings for students interested in teaching off-campus workshops that seek to educate non-lawyers about their rights under the law and what to do when those rights are violated. This year we will host trainings in Stop and Search and Tenants' Rights. Students that attend these trainings are encouraged to give back to the community by going out and helping teach Street Law Clinics.
How Can I Be a Part of the National Lawyers Guild?
Contact any of the Executive Board above or join the NLG TWEN page to stay current on all things NLG!
For even more information, check out the following links:
NLG National Website, http://www.nlg.org/
NLG Massachusetts Website, http://www.nlgmass.org/


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Scientific name: Hemaris fuciformis
May - August. Large and often found near honeysuckle, in woodland rides and clearings. Resembles a bumble bee, and is similar to the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, though with a broader dark band on the transparent forewing edge.
Bee Hawk-moths are more agile than the bumble-bees they resemble. They feed when flying, have long clubbed antennae and are much larger than the superficially similar bee-flies. The Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth has reddish-brown bands on the wings and abdomen but this may appear black as the hairs wear off. Active in late-morning and early-afternoon sunshine, feeding on nectar of Honeysuckle in particular, but also Bugle, Ragged Robin, Rhododendron, louseworts and Aubretia.
Size and Family
- Family – Hawk-moths (Sphingidae)
- Large Sized
Conservation status
- UK BAP: Not listed
- Scarce (Nationally Scarce B)
Particular Caterpillar Food Plants
Wild Honeysuckle, but also occasionally on cultivated honeysuckles and Snowberry
- Countries – England, Wales
- It is restricted to small areas and uncommon in southern England and Wales, with strongholds in East Anglia and Lincolnshire, and scattered records in the West Midlands north to south Yorkshire
Prefers foodplants in shrubby habitats, particularly in woodland and heathland.


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Sage Francis wrote: The people in Thursday are great dudes.
seandaley wrote: Sage Francis wrote: The people in Thursday are great dudes.
good review.
i think it would be a lot of fun to watch you deal with a big room full of canadian punk kids.
can't say that about many of our peers.
Sage Francis wrote: "have some fucking respect"
The Mean Eagle wrote: At least the zoo-yorker didn't throw pizza at you..
The Maguire Man wrote: Definately glad to hear you plan on headlining your own Canada tour Sage, I'll def be lookin' to attend...
SteveJB wrote: "Tune in next week to see what happens when Sage opens for Underoath!"


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I Want To ...
Know about the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act
ARRA Non-discrimination Statement
Contractor Information
Related Links
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009. The Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so that the country can thrive in the 21st century.
From the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: For an additional amount for Building and Facilities $176,000,000 for work on deferred maintenance at Agricultural Research Service facilities: Provided, That priority in the use of such funds shall be given to critical deferred maintenance, to projects that can be completed, and to activities that can commence promptly following enactment of this Act. (Recovery Act, H.R. 1-3)
The principal objective of the Recovery Act is job creation. Through the completion of $176 million of critical deferred maintenance work at ARS facilities across the country, the agencys Recovery Act program will create about 1,900 jobs.
ARS is pleased to utilize Recovery Act (ARRA) funds to take care of critical deferred maintenance on some of our laboratory research facilities across the Nation. These projects not only will help revitalize local economies by creating jobs and supporting local businesses that supply needed construction products and services, the results of the agriculture and food product research that takes place in these laboratories supports the agricultural economy, contributing to its high productivity and efficiency.
Most important of all the outcomes of ARS research and that of our many cooperators provide the science and technology that enables the U.S. agriculture and food system to provide consumers the highest quality and most abundant, safest, nutritious, and affordable food supply in the world. ARRA funding will assist ARS in sustaining the efficiency of our research performance and their benefits to the public.
Edward B. Knipling
Identifying Facility Repairs to Be Funded Under the Recovery Act
All of the projects selected for Recovery Act funding were taken from the ARS Capital Project and Repair Plan, a plan that was developed in accordance with the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Building Block Plan, as required by Executive Order (E.O.) 13327, Federal Real Property Asset Management.
In all instances, selected projects meet the criteria of needing critical deferred maintenance--maintenance associated with critical systems such as HVAC, electric, roofing, exterior closure and plumbing. On many of the projects, adjacent building components will also be replaced as a consequence of the deferred maintenance work. (For example, to replace plumbing it will be necessary to remove laboratory casework; if the condition of the casework warrants, the scope of work will include replacing the casework).
Each specific project was selected based on the high priority of the research program and how it will enhance the ARS core research capacity at that location. Some of the projects selected already have a design for addressing the deferred maintenance work. Having an existing design allows the construction phase of the work to begin much earlier than it would for a facility without a design, resulting in faster job creation.
The program criteria used to identify high priority research programs and the associated need for essential research facility capacity are:
List of Projects
The list includes work at 36 locations in 28 states and the District of Columbia.


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Arsenal close to deal for Velez Sarsfield's Maximiliano Romero
Velez Sarsfield youngster Maximiliano Romero has told TyC Sports that talks over a move to Arsenal are at an "advanced stage."
Ole reported news of Arsenal's interest in the player in January, and Argentine website Infobae has now claimed Arsenal are prepared to pay €6 million for the 16-year-old striker, who has yet to make his league debut for Velez.
The offer would see Romero remain with Velez for a further two years before moving to London.
"Talks with Arsenal are at an advanced...


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AUSTIN (February 25, 2013)--Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman could have trouble keeping her job as her confirmation goes before state senators for confirmation.
Gov. Rick Perry appointed Kitzman in 2011, after the end of the last legislative session and she faces a formal confirmation process, which is expected to begin in March.
She needs two-thirds of the senators to vote to confirm her nomination, but Democrats have enough votes to reject it.
Several Democrats question whether Kitzman is too soft on the insurance industry at the expense of consumers.
State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, called her "biased in favor of the industry."
At least one Republican, Sen. Bob Deuell of Greenville, also accused her of ignoring rules.
Kitzman said she welcomes the chance to give senators "complete information."


text:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Shop MLB.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Features Felt stocking NFL(r) team name and logo on cuff Snowman and snowflakes displayed on body Decorated with team colors Loop at top for easy hanging Dimensions: D 0.5" x W 13" x L 24" Officially licensed Made in China. Price: $29.99
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text:
The Zoot Race 4.0 is a light, fast and cool racing flat designed for triathletes that demand a lightweight shoe with a custom fit. Zoot have collaborated with the renowned fit supplier, Boa, to create a closure system with a 360-degree fit and one that's quick in T2.
The UltraFit Upper with Teksheen utilises a unique compression design to maximise performance and decrease weight. The upper is kept secure with the dynamic fit system with Boa, this durable and lightweight reel also features aircraft-grade stainless steel laces for a smooth, comfortable and customised fit.
CarbonSpan+ helps to make the shoe lighter, stronger and faster. This tunable control boosts a powerful toe off for better forward momentum and minimal forefoot fatigue. Lightweight, comfortable and supportive, the Race 4.0 Running Shoes are perfect for both training and racing. - A.D.
Key Features:
Please remember to add postal time (2-3 working days) to obtain a complete estimate of delivery to your door.
You will receive an email to confirm when your item has been sent.
You can also check the status of your order and individual items by accessing your account details and following the prompts.
Please allow 10 working days from dispatch of your order before notifying us of any late deliveries.
It may be advisable to check with your neighbors to see if your delivery has been left with them, check any places it could be left such as: garage, porch, or behind garbage cans if it was too big to fit through your mailbox. Contact your local post office to see if the item has been returned to the depot as undelivered and awaiting collection.
Please see our returns policy.
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text:
The boreal forest is the world's largest land-based ecosystem. In Canada, it covers two-thirds of the country. At least 20 percent of the boreal forest is comprised of wetlands, and millions of ducks breed in this vast, largely unspoiled region. In some years, this amounts to about 40 percent of the continental duck population.
Millions of other migratory waterbirds and billions of landbirds also use the Western Boreal Forest (WBF). However, human impact on this area is increasing. The WBF is ranked No. 3 of the 25 most important and threatened waterfowl habitats on the continent.
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act into law.
First duck stamp, designed by Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist, Jay N. "Ding" Darling, issued.
Prairie drought peaks.


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Does my world revolve around cancer?
My husband came home today in a terrible mood. He had been gone all week to Chicago and probably had a mess on his hands to deal with when he came back at work. He opens the door and begins yelling at everyone. I don't think anyone did anything, I sure as hell (I was in the bath) know I…. wasn't doing anything. But I heard the words come from his mouth that I had only heard a few times before. "Jeez Jen, not everything revolves around you and cancer."
At this point I realize this argument has nothing to do with me, he just wants to vent and I am here to take it. Now, on a regular (non-cancer) Friday…maybe things would have been different. He walks in, dinners made…house is spotless…I don't have cancer… and we're all just as happy as can be.
But, sadly that's not always the case. I can't BE everything I use to be. I can't DO everything I use to do. I am different…at least for now. I sure hope I go back to the "old me" after this…but we'll see. That is if all this torture is worth it in the end. And there truly is an…END.
It would be a sad sad world if my life was run by cancer…but maybe it is. Even if for now. I know the chemo sure has run my body. Every other week attaching a vein to a pouch of poison and praying for the best. Watching every last strand of hair you have fall into your hands during a shower…. that….. that must play a role right? I know my double mastectomy has run my body. Why wear a bra when you have no breasts? But, why BUY new breasts when they just tried to kill me. That must play a role right? I know the aches and pains and sleepless nights over and over that come from this play a role. My nightstand full of prescriptions must play some role…. right?
But again I can't let cancer run my life.
Sounds easy right? Didn't think so.
I'm attaching a pic of me, as I sit here right now. No make up, no wig, just the "old me" + cancer.
My end on a good note.- every couple fights and we are no different. We wouldn't fight if we didn't love each other and have something to fight about.


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A Conversation with the inventive bassist Rubén Rodríguez.
I just plug in and play...
a conversation with bassist
Rubén Rodríguez
David Barton
John Child
photos by
Bruce Polin
Descarga.com's transatlantic twosome speak with the innovative bass player Rubén Rodríguez, the heartbeat of many recent hit recordings by the likes of Marc Anthony, Tito Puente, Victor Manuelle, DLG, Tito Nieves, India and Africando. Along with his producer/friend, Sergio George, he has revolutionised the sound of contemporary popular salsa. The conversation begins with Rubén talking about his musical evolution and his influences, which include Tito Puente's long-standing bassist, Bobby Rodríguez, Sal Cuevas, the bassist of choice on many Fania sessions, and his teacher Victor Venegas. A more detailed, though not exhaustive, discography of Rubén's Latin work is provided at the end of the piece.
When you were born and where did you grow up?
Born in El Barrio, New York City, Metropolitan Hospital 97th and First Avenue, March 6th 1964, and where I live to this day just up the street. I'm two minutes older than my twin sister, who's a great dancer, which is something that I didn't inherit. Shit, I got two left feet, spinning around in circles! I can move to the groove; but dancing, the way that NewYoricans and Puerto Ricans dance, is totally different to how they dance in Cuba. In Cuba, I can dance 'cause you don't have to follow a pattern, anybody can do that. Here it's steps, mambo dancing, which my wife can do because she's also a great dancer who knows the steps and the routines. Me? Sorry, I need to go to Eddie Torres!
Have you ever been a permanent member with any band?
No. I played steady for a couple of months with people here and there, but never steady in a band, no. I played with Mongo for about a year; Machito maybe a year; with Tito, on and off for 18 years. I played my first gig with him in 1982. Then I was with Roberta Flack for about two and a half years. That was probably the steadiest I've been with anybody, you know, with any band!
Was Roberta a definite move away from Afro-Cuban music?
No. It was just a work opportunity. Growing up here in East Harlem, I listened to a lot of different musics. At my grandma's house they would play TP records, La Lupe, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz, that boogaloo stuff, Joe Cuba. But they would also play Motown and Roberta's stuff like "Killing Me Softly". So I grew up hearing all those different sounds. So I guess that has influenced the way I approached music, or the way I approach my instrument within the Latin Afro-Cuban vibe anyway. But you know, to live in New York and work as a musician, you've got to be versatile. But for me, it's deeper than that, because I just like good music.
It's apparent from your playing style that swing is very important to inspire dancing.
I get off on watching the people dance. For me, it makes it worth doing. To play the bass and be the heartbeat of the band, and there ain't nobody dancing, you're like: "Oh, what's goin' on here?" Now I know better.
Is that something you got from your early teacher Victor Venegas, that you've got to respond to the people around you?
Well, yeah. To play mainly within a rhythm section and your relationship with the percussion. Essentially the bass is a melodic conga, and you've gotta work together to try to establish a groove, not fight each other. Although sometimes there's an occasion where nothing's happening, so you gotta hold it down on your own!
Did you ever learn about percussion to help merge with their sounds?
Yes. I learned the patterns, the conga patterns, and how they relate with the clave, and their relation to the bass, and all that stuff. But I also asked questions. I was like: "Oh, what is this and why is it this way, and why does it work?" I talked to percussionists in my development years. Guys like Nicky Marrero and Bobby Sanabria (I met him in 1979 at the Johnny Colón school). Then they were teaching there, and they're knowledgeable cats, good musicians. Bobby is the "Eloquent Verbalist" who'll sit you down and tell you about the whole history, and he can talk street or he can put it more eloquently. Basically, that's the way I learned. I didn't go to college or a specialised music school. I had high school and then did gigs. That's how I learned, in the streets, not being over-taught. But there are some things which I wish I knew. There are guys now learning in four years what it took me 20 to figure out. Basically I do my job, and I love the music, and I try to "represent". But oftentimes when you fall into a clique with a couple of guys who work a lot, you're gonna stay working. And if you work on a hit record here and there, then other guys will call you. They'll hear you and say: "Oh, we gotta get him." So that's how things evolve in the scene.
You've said that a couple of your key influences were Bobby Rodríguez and Sal Cuevas.
Actually, the first one was Sal Cuevas, because I played electric bass, which is what I was into at the time. Then there was another Puerto Rican guy, Francisco Centeno, who played mainly R&B. There are a lot of records he's on. Incredible bass player. He went to school together with Sal: High School of Music and Art, when it was in upper Manhattan, with guys like Dave Valentín, the González brothers, Jerry and Andy.
So was it common knowledge that these guys were the greatest?
Basically, you know what happened? Back in the days when they used to list the credits on the back of the album covers, you'd say: "OK, this guy's there, so I'll buy this record." It was like that. And back then, I was still studying with Victor Venegas, a great teacher and great friend of mine. We used to study at the Johnny Colón music school. Actually he's responsible for me playing the bass. By the way, he is also on some great records:
Celia & Johnny
(1974 on Fania), Eddie Palmieri's
Vamonos Pa'l Monte
with Charlie Palmieri (1971 on Tico), and stacks of Mongo Santamaría albums. Then later on, I started getting heavily into the acoustic bass, the upright. That's when I really started analysing Bobby's work, and everything else took a back seat while I listened to everything he did. I was also listening to what guys like Sal and Eddie "Gua Gua" Rivera, who was also a big influence, and Bobby Valentín were doing. Those guys all came from the Bobby Rodríguez school of playing. Andy González, for example, is from the more rhythmic Cachao school.
Was it a big jump from electric to acoustic bass?
No. I was doing them both simultaneously because Victor played both. But he is predominantly an upright player because, when he was coming up, maybe there was no electric bass, only upright acoustic. It used to make my fingers bleed. When you started out learning, you'd start on acoustic. You had to learn to get a sound from the instrument and learn the bowing to help you with the intonation. Intonation is the tuning so you can hear the pitch, and there's a truer way to maintain an in-tuneness while playing the acoustic. The bow helps you with that. You see, you can get away with pizzicato but the bow is dead on. So I did a lot of that, maybe two to three hours a week when I was with him. The rest of the time, I was playing electric bass in the junior high school band, high school band and little local Barrio bands, playing block parties or whatever in summertime, and clubs at other times. That was a good time to come up, there was a lot of music. Back then was a different era. There were a lot of more self-contained groups or bands. A guy like Ray Barretto had his band. Tito Puente always had his band. Típica 73, Bobby Valentín, Roberto Roena, all these guys. They were all on the same label, Fania, but they would get together to do these concerts and everybody's name would be on the posters and on the records. So those guys became household names with us musicians. Each band would have great players staying with them for a long time, doing many albums. Now it's a whole different scene, it's about singers and pickup bands for recordings. Although it's changed, at least it's still keeping the music alive. It's gotta change, everything progresses, it goes with the times. A lot of the guys from my era and before, don't like what's happening on the scene. But the records are getting sold, because they wouldn't be putting them out if they weren't selling.
Who do you remember seeing in the '70s?
Well, playing the other night along with Chino Nuñez reminded me we're from the same crowd, the old school. We used to do gigs together at like the Corso, we were the up-and-coming young and hungry guys. We used to go see all the heavy cats, Perico, Pacheco. We used to see Héctor Lavoe all the time, and Angel Canales at the end of his New York days, because he moved to Miami. His bassist, John Henry Robinson III, used to play in El Barrio all the time, my neighbourhood. He was crazy. "Wow, what is this guy doing?!" Then I got to meet him. I started hanging out with him a lot when he was doing Héctor Lavoe. I got to know him really well and found out his main instrument was the cello which is why he played the electric bass like that; on the floor between his legs, sitting down like a cello player. Super musician, beautiful person.
How did you fall in with Machito and Puente?
Guys recommended me, they thought I could do the job. I was 17 at the time, at least ten years younger than the other band members.
That was quite an honour to be there, besides a compliment.
Oh yeah, but a learning experience too. I don't remember much complimenting! I do remember learning and being scared as hell. It was very intimidating, especially with Machito or Puente. Not just because of what they represented, but their personalities too! Let me tell you, sometimes those guys were hard-core. Machito was beautiful, but when you messed around with his music, boy, he'd let you have it. And he let me have it a couple of times, oh yeah. Tito too. You don't deviate from the charts with those guys, and I learned that the hard way!
In Tito's case, I was playing what was there. But the thing is, Bobby Rodríguez didn't record what was there in the charts, he played his own shit. And unfortunately, I didn't know some of those songs. I knew a lot of Puente songs, but not like the B-side tunes, the fillers on the LPs. To me, all the tunes really kick ass. There's something to be said about every song, you know. They don't have to be great songs, but maybe the band's performance or a particular performance captured my ear, and I said: "Yeah, yeah. I like this." So there were a couple of tunes like that, where I didn't know the appropriate tumbaos on the record. I just saw the music and I got screamed at! I could have avoided that by listening carefully to all the records and memorising everything that Bobby actually played. I'm talking about the mambo or montuno sections here. Bobby is the creative soul and he'd come up with all that on the spot, live in the studio as they're recording. For example, on "3D Mambo" from
Dance Mania
(1958 on RCA), there is a four bar montuno. Bobby plays a pattern and the chart is just chord symbols. So I just played a tumbao. Boy! Down came the timbal sticks, "No, motherfucker. Play this!!" He whipped my ass that night... But those are the best lessons I ever had. Puente did that about two or three other times after that. Then I did my homework, listening to the records and memorising them. Finally he loved me. Once you got to know him, he was a gem, just like Macho. I don't sit down and transcribe what's on the records because I'm lazy that way. Although I read music perfectly well. I'll just listen and take the parts I like and use them. I'll always prefer to just play it rather than write it out. I do have a good memory for this sort of thing. Sometimes you'll be in a situation where you gotta learn a song on the spot. Often there's no charts nowadays.
How come there's no charts if there's arranger credits on modern recordings?
Well, the arranger is the one who puts everything together, but doesn't write it down. "This is how it's gonna go, this and that," and actually arranges the song in his mind and tells everybody what to do. So now everybody can be an arranger! This method is more hit than miss with certain people. So although it's not a traditional way, can you argue with the success? A lot of the hit records on the radio that I've participated on have been done that way. Some of the stuff on Marc Anthony's first record (
Otra Nota
'93 on RMM's Soho Latino label, produced by Sergio George) was like that. Sometimes only when it got complicated with a lot of chords, did we write it down on a piece of paper; but no charts. In a way, that's what freed me up from playing the same tumbao all the time, the repetitive tumbao, so I can be free to create.
That makes sense because an arranger is not necessarily an expert with all the instrumentations.
I always got bored with playing the same stuff and I'll try to figure roundabout ways to get from point A to point B, going through point Z. Sometimes you gotta do that to get to the fork, and like Yogi Berra said: "When you get to the fork in the road, take it!" That's freed me up a lot, although there's still sessions I go to, jingles or movie soundtracks or whatever, and the chart is there on the stand all laid out note-for-note and you gotta play just that. I can do that too, a million times. But I like the ones where you're free to play, to try to be creative.
Was your role clearly defined in the studio after Puente and Machito, yet before the new sound became popular?
Up until about 10 years ago, a little before Marc Anthony, about '90 or '91, everything was more or less the way that people wanted it, traditional. You could add your own little thing, like Bobby did forever, and Sal or whoever added their own personality to the thing. But they had their chart, everything was arranged, mambo this way, montunos that way; a lot of unison in the big bands with the baritone sax. Working with Sergio George - who, like me, was raised in the Barrio with the same sounds -, he wouldn't do the horn arrangement until the rhythm track was done. So the arrangement came out naturally, and as a progression as opposed to somebody 1500 miles away getting a cassette saying this is how I heard it this moment when I wrote it. 'Cause that's a snapshot only of that moment like a live performance. An hour later you could do it completely different, but you can't change it. It's there to stay on the recording.
So do you think there was anything new before the modern sound besides individual players?
Hell yeah, Ray Barretto's
(1979 on Fania). The first time I heard that record my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it was a Latin band playing that music. I knew exactly where it came from because I had the same influences as Ray growing up here, even though they were a different generation. He was born in El Barrio too, and grew up on the streets and was another guy influenced by the pop and Latin sounds of his era. And likewise for a lot of the players he had on that record. And the writers and arrangers, Oscar Hernández, Eddie Martínez, Dick Mesa, who's an incredible musician and nice human being who's not on the scene any more, but contributed a major part on that record. By the way, his brother Oscar Mesa used to be bass with the L.A. Philharmonic, now taken over by his son, Oscar Jr.. But anyway, I remember hearing Roger Dawson's Sunday show on WRVR out of Riverside Cathedral. Man, I was in my messy room cleaning up or something, and I think I first heard the song "Tumbao Africano" and my jaw dropped. I had to go out straightaway and get the record. I went to Vicente at Casa Latina on 116th, just where it is now. I used to get all my records there. When I heard that whole record, damn! To me that record is hipper than Damn, I'm not even gonna say, I'm gonna keep quiet! But that record inspired me and made me want to get deeper into it, which I'm sure was what they intended. I listen to that record today, and it's still a killer, and stands alongside anything coming out today for hip
There's also
(1978 on Fania) from Willie Colón and Rubén Blades from about the same time, with a lot of the same players including Sal Cuevas. There were no Walkmans then, and I didn't own any headphones, so I just listened to the radio and my speakers, and tried to play along on a little amp I had at the time. But a lot of that shit was just way too hard! No seriously, I did a good job, listening and learning. What's also great about those records was the social message in the lyrics as well as the great music. It made me a little conscious of the social thing, even though generally we had other things on our minds as 17 year olds! I really didn't get fully into the lyrics until later when I could see for myself what he was talking about, on tour. I remember locking myself in my room with Jaco Pastorius records or Chick Corea's Return To Forever records, trying to figure out the music; not leaving 'til I got it. Now I don't even have time to listen; mainly baby-sitting my kids in the day when I'm not out working gigs or sessions.
Tell us about crucial albums in your career, particularly the first Marc Anthony record.
I remember it like yesterday. I was on tour in Europe with Roberta Flack doing the festival circuit. We went straight to Chicago, and as soon as I came home, I had to run down to 17th Street to the recording studios. Later on, Sergio took over that place for his office as Sir Sound in Chelsea. The first song was the first out on the record, "Palabras del Alma", and then the third cut we did that day too. I felt great coming off the tour with great musicians and the tracks felt good, really slick with a good vibe. Sergio waited for me to return from Europe to put the bass part down because everything was already done, except the vocals and bass, which was only his guide programmed keyboard bass. And listening back at the time, I thought I could go back and fix a few small things. But he said: "No, that sounds fine." I said: "Let me do..." On a record you've gotta remember who the session is for. Sometimes I get a little carried away in the studio and they say: "That's fine, for your OWN record, not for this one! Do it over!!"
As it turned out, that record kind of revolutionised the whole salsa scene. I probably played better on other records, I don't really go back and listen. Man, you hear that shit on the street, you get sick and tired of listening to it on everyone's radio. But then, the whole package was some totally different shit. Incredible. It was very important in my career, and brought me in a lot of work. Because you know how people are, they see your name on a hit record, and they try to get that sound too, for themselves. I don't blame producers for trying to imitate, because it's been like that for years. Motown was copied, all the great big bands too, and musicians are out there looking for work. So the record label says: "Yo, you gotta do this." So you either gonna turn down the gig, or do it.
Was Sergio building up to that style?
Yes, it started really coming together with the Tito Nieves records he was on and like me he was raised in the Barrio with the same sounds. He and I had been doing all kinds of music together on and off since the early '80s, but mainly in a live situation. The thing about the Marc Anthony record is that it's not a bass performance per se, it's just the whole was greater than its parts; the whole idea and style. It was criticised as occasionally going against the clave by the clave police. But rules are sometimes there to be broken. Sergio did his homework, and everything was intentional. Those are not mistakes. From then on, the music scene changed.
The third and fourth Victor Manuelle CDs (
Victor Manuelle
'96 and
A Pesar De Todo
'97 on Sony Tropical)
were where that sound was established and were the ones that Sergio did. The thing about the Victor Manuelle thing, his first two records (
Justo A Tiempo
'93 and
Solo Contigo
'94 on Sony Tropical) were done like whatever the thing at the moment was, which was like love songs, ballads in salsa. You do the intro, four coros, four soneos, mambo and then two or three soneos, and go out to the coda. What I think the Sergio thing was, they picked good songs, but the main thing is that he took advantage of Victor's true calling, which is sonear. That's why on a couple of things, Sergio opened up a little spot where Victor can just improvise, and that he did, and it sounded really good. What a good producer does is take the artist and does a record for that particular artist. Not the formula: "OK let's do this, which seems to work for everybody else," you know. That's what makes a good producer. So even though this has been done long before those records, he brought it back, like a cycle.
Was Sergio always in the studio while you were recording?
When he's doing the record he's always there, and that's how that sound evolved. His ideas and everybody else putting in their two cents worth. As far as the engineers at Latin sessions, theirs is a technical job where it's important to get a decent sound, especially with Latin percussion. It is very important to have the right guy at the board to get a good balance when you're recording, while there are five or six guys in a room together to do a rhythm track. But the producer is a creative issue. When you can hear what everyone else is doing, then you can feed off each other. Sergio keeps everything from veering off line. Nowadays, especially when working with Sergio, his job is to do the record, not to get the band charts or to give the singer the score or whatever. He's probably the only one I worked with who works that way. Everybody else usually has the charts already done and you can add a little personality, but most times it's read it and make it swing.
You tend to somewhat play down your input to the hip and commercially successful "Sergio sound". Please put modesty aside for a moment, and tell us how your bass playing makes such an important contribution to this sound, and how your melodic style is so effective on a rhythm instrument?
You know how I can best answer that? You hadda be there! For me this is the sort of thing I have difficulty talking about, being that I'm not a "schooled" musician, so I don't have the "language". What I like to pick up on is little things on the melody here and there, the phrases, and if a certain phrase reminds me of a certain song that maybe I've heard throughout my evolution as a bass player, then it'll make me do certain things. For example, if there's a line that reminds me of a Stevie Wonder song, or anything. I'll just try to go back and remember what it was that I heard in that song or in the rhythm. Really though, I just play by feel and by instinct. I don't have a set formula, you gotta treat every song a little different. Hopefully you can give it a little personality.
It's not uncommon to hear soloists quoting from famous melodies such as "Stormy Weather" or "Manteca".
Well yeah in a solo you'd do that a lot, but on my instrument, remember, you've gotta accompany. I guess I can thank James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, and Bobby Rodríguez for that kinda stuff. It's a feel thing, it's really hard to explain. But it's usually on the gigs when you've been doing the material awhile, that you can really open it up.
When people ask you about Bobby Rodríguez' playing, what CDs to you send them to buy?
Dance Mania
, Alegre All-Stars, any Puente on RCA, early Machito too, but
Dance Mania
is incredible. He had a sound that without a doubt ... his playing was powerful, that's a given, but his touch wasn't. He had the lightest touch I've seen any upright player with. I have his acoustic bass and I've fixed it up. And the first time I took it back to him was at the Puerto Rican Day parade at the 68th Street stage in '93. That thing was in his basement for years, and when I took it out of the bag, his eyes lit up. He grabbed it like an old friend and just started playing. Giovanni Hidalgo was there, and Bobby started playing the tumbao from "Son Montuno" from TP's record
(1960 on RCA), where he hits his fingers percussively on the side of the bass or the body. Giovanni flipped out: "What did you do?!" Giovanni thought that was a conga doing that. Myself too. And when we saw Bobby do it in front of us, we just cracked up. To see Bobby smiling, and playing that bass again, that was great. Because the first one to play it again after I had it fixed, after myself of course, was Cachao at a rehearsal at Boys Harbor school. Cachao couldn't believe Bobby wasn't playing that instrument. Why? Well, all the Concord recordings were with an electric bass; easier to carry, less valuable. But the original was in the basement all messed up, and he never got around to fixing it. Strings were broken off, everything was just laying around all over the place. But when it was all fixed up and I took it to him it was like he was reunited with an old friend. That was incredible, I'll never forget that. I had a lot of good times with Bobby, all over the world. When I was with Mongo, we used to travel a lot, do a lot of festivals, the same gigs and hang out together on double bills with Tito. When he would be working here in New York, I'd show up and hang out with him at the gigs, and I learned a lot from him.
How do you get a solid sound with a light touch, which sounds like a contradiction?
I don't know how to describe it. When I saw Bobby play the acoustic bass, I was with him at one of those Puente recordings, and I took the acoustic bass to him. He played it and he had to raise the action just high enough so he could slip his finger underneath between the fingerboard and the string, maybe just higher than a quarter of an inch on the G string. That's unusual and that's high. But he had gut strings, so they weren't all that tense. Even still, he pulled lightly. I didn't even see his wrist move, really really light. There are some videos of him playing and he's just caressing. Still, he pulls, so you get a punch for Latin music. He did work harder after I fixed up the instrument, because of the new type strings, but I still just can't do what he did. I kill myself trying! Even with the Baby Bass, the Ampeg, I took it to the shop to Jess Oliver who developed and designed them, reinvented them. He was with Ampeg back in the days. I took my two B15s to him so he could adjust the pickup, the bridge and stuff. The first thing he said was: "You play with the action this low?" The strings were not low, they were kind of high off the fingerboard for today's standards but he was not impressed! So it shows they really did things differently in the old days. Also though, why I don't play my acoustic on gigs too much is because I don't know how to amplify it without it getting lost to the percussionists. I like to make music, not worry how it sounds. I just, like, plug in and play! My working instruments are all that way and the acoustic is a little more "work". But I'll have to start getting used to it, because people want to see it.
Recently I've done recordings with Celia Cruz, Luis Enrique and Caribbean Jazz Project, but I've only done a few gigs with them recently. I approach CJP the same as with a salsa gig: my job is to play the bass, play support, the bottom, keep it together, keep it tight. Of course I have more liberties than if there was a singer, a little freer, but I still gotta be the foundation. So my role remains the same, I gotta be a timekeeper and that's what I do. I also like to be true to whatever idiom I'm playing in, whether jazz, salsa or even R&B. For example, I will be working with a singer who used to be Natalie Cole's musical director, Linda Williams. When you have drummers or percussionists who tend to overplay, then somebody's gotta keep it! But if some nights they're holding the pocket, then I can be free to take liberties as long as somebody is keeping the time and keeping the groove happening. But 99% of the time it's me, so I do that and I love it.
Any memories about your other mentor, Sal Cuevas?
There's a late '70s Los Kimbos record* that Sal plays Fender bass on, and it's incredible playing; funky, and always in the pocket; very creative. New York had that edge since about that time. That was one of the things that made me want to become a bass player, and he influenced me big time. I remember one session when I watched him record. At the time I was playing with Rafael de Jesús, the singer with Perico, at the time of Rafael's second LP
En Grande
(1984 on Corso). Great cover, not yet reissued on CD. Black and white, greyish face on the cover. I was already in the studio with the band when he came in to overdub a couple of José Febles charts. Febles was there, Danny Jiménez too, a great trumpet player, ex-Clásico, recently passed away in Colombia. Yomo Toro was there and played some incredible progressive solos on "Cantar De Un Jibarito". I think it was a Charlie Donato composition and a Febles arrangement. But Yomo's stuff didn't make it onto the record and he had to overdub to make it simpler! Anyways, we hung together then and also during a Son Primero session and rehearsals. Joe Santiago was recording, not Sal.
Sal was often inaccessible, couldn't find him anywhere. I remember I had to work up a lot of nerve to call his house, and he was never there, always out working. I miss him a lot although he's working now out of Miami, like on a recent Gilberto Santa Rosa CD (
'01 on Sony Discos). I'm glad he's still working and we can still get to hear him. A lot of young guys get to hear him too, because people credit me with stuff, which is cool. But when I ask them: "Do you know who Sal is, or who other guys are?" They say: "Who?". They don't remember or they never knew! That's a drag. One of the things I've been doing lately is trying to educate them, and tell them, this is where I came from, I didn't invent nothin'. It was already done. I just took a little certain things that I liked and try to play it to my liking, try to play the way I hear it, you know?
(*Sal Cuevas and Bert Díaz played bass on
Aquacero Ne Me Moja
'79 on Cotique by Vilató y Los Kimbos. Sal also played on the first two Los Kimbos albums,
Los Kimbos Con Adalberto Santiago
'76 and
The Big Kimbos with Adalberto Santiago
'77, both on Cotique.)
Tell us about some of the numerous recordings you sessioned on. You remembered earlier that you played with Louie Ramírez and Ray de la Paz for
Noche Caliente
and its successors.
Great experience. He was a funny guy. Beautiful guy too; beautiful cat, and funny as hell. "Hey Rubén, I don't do that any more, but I don't do it any less!" I miss that guy. He was one of those innovators as well as being amazing. He incorporated jazz into Latin music harmonies, for example, in the big band setting in the tradition of René Hernández. Bobby Valentín is a similar pioneer along with trumpeter José Febles, Perico and Louis Cruz.
José Mangual Jr. has hired you for a number of his productions, with names like Junior González, Salsa Ritmo Caliente, Sarabanda and his second tribute to Chano Pozo (1995 on MC Productions). Do you have any stories about these recordings?
Mangual used to work at Variety Studios on 42nd Street. He still has a lot of unreleased tracks that we did around the Chano Pozo tribute sessions, or maybe in the five or six he did for Junior González, some hard to find, even at the time, because they were for fly-by-night labels, shall we say? We used to do some for a guy over in Jackson Heights in Queens, but I remember a lot of tracks we did with Mangual, with Pepin, myself, Louie Ramírez playing timbales, Isidro Infante or Sergio George on piano. When some of these things eventually did come out, it was a totally different song because they kept the same arrangement, but he composed a whole new song for the track. The blue Chano (
Tribute To Chano Pozo Vol. II
'95 on MC Productions) could be like that with a couple of songs which came out completely different, a new song. The first Chano (
Tribute To Chano Pozo
), originally on True Ventures, was a great record, particularly the "Campanero" track. The Sarabanda with the girl on the cover (
A Golpe De Marea
'91 on Kañaveral; reissued on Platano '93), I got paid for the session that I recorded, but some out-of-town guy came in and they overdubbed his playing on top of mine, so I'm no longer there, even though I was credited on the sleeve!. That's not my playing, but that's cool.
You worked on Louie's Latin jazz tribute to Cal Tjader (1986 on Caimán). Any reminiscences about that project or about those times?
The Louie Ramírez was at the old Fania studios, 1440 Broadway, one of the classic studios: the old WOR studios. During that time my main activity was doing lots of gigs, which was good. Of course I didn't have a family back then, so it was a lot easier. Now it's a bit rough. I had been doing Puente since '82. Machito I did for a three month tour in '83 but haven't played with the band until very recently under the direction of Mario Grillo, the son. Man, I wish that music was still around. Machito died in April '84 and these days a band that size just can't afford to work that much. It's only the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band that carries that tradition, and which I get called for when Andy González can't make it.
Thank you Rubén and good luck for the future.
It's a pleasure. Peace.
Rubén Rodriguez
A Non-Exhaustive Discography of his Salsa and Latin Jazz Recordings...
Caimán 9025 Louie Ramírez -
A Tribute To Cal Tjader
(Johnny Torres also plays bass)
Caballo CR 1659 Junior González -
Sabor y Sentimiento
Latin Phoenix LP 416 Foto Rodríguez y su Orq. La Unica -
Voy Amarte
(invited artist)
TTH TTH 1927 Juan Padin -
Ahora Si!
Buho Records BR 1224 Grupo Baruc de Carlos Paz -
(plays bass on one track)
Tibiri TR 0680 Salsa Ritmo Caliente -
Salsa Ritmo Caliente
(Johnny Torres and Ray Martínez also play bass)
TTH TTH 1942 Ralphy Santi & Tito Allen -
Red 123221 Ray Mantilla Space Station -
Dark Powers
RMM 1692 Grupo Caneo -
Grupo Caneo
(invited artist)
Mercury/PolyGram Latino
422 842 213-1 Junior González -
Más Romántico Que Nadie
Mercury/PolyGram Latino 422 842 214-1 Johnny & Ray -
Salsa Con Clase
Valdésa VR 001/Osagaji 001 Salsa Sudada -
Salsa Sudada, Vol. 1
(Marino Solano also plays bass)
RMM/CBS 80348 Cheo Feliciano -
Los Feelings de Cheo
RMM/CBS 80479 Johnny Rivera -
Y Ahora de Verdad
Kañaveral 1006 Salsa Ritmo Caliente -
Salsa Ritmo Caliente Vol. 2
RMM/Sony 80630 Tito Nieves -
Dejame Vivir
RMM/Sony 80672 Hermanos Moreno -
(Johnny Torres also plays bass)
RMM/Sony 80680 Tito Puente -
The Mambo King: 100th LP
(Johnny Torres and Bobby Rodríguez also play bass)
Sonero Records/Sony 80727 Johnny Rivera -
Encuentro Casual
Tibiri RT 0684 Salsa Ritmo Caliente -
La Mechita
(Marino Solano also plays bass)
Soho Records 80958 Marc Anthony -
Otra Nota
RMM/Sony 80985 Celia Cruz -
Azucar Negra
Sonero Records/Sony 81052 Miles Peña -
De Que Me Vale
(Johnny Torres and Pedro Pérez also play bass)
RMM/Sony 81066 Tito Nieves -
Rompecabeza/The Puzzle
RMM/Sony 81126 Familia RMM -
Combinación Perfecta
(invited musician)
HG Productions HG 0108 Orquesta Palenque -
Como Un Huracan
(guest bassist)
Soho Records 81373 India -
Dicen Que Soy
RMM/Sony 81482 Oscar D'León/Elba Ramalho -
Salsa Brasilera
Platano 5028 Sarabanda -
No Se Tu
(Johnny Torres and Sal Cuevas also play bass)
Polydor 314523184 Elemento 10 -
Solo Para Ti
(guests on one track)
Axile 018 212 Angela -
Jungla Fria
Soho Latino/Sony 81582 Marc Anthony -
Todo A Su Tiempo
RMM 82035 Isidro Infante Y La Elite -
Isidro Infante Y La Elite 2
MC Productions MIC 921 José Mangual Jr. -
Tribute To Chano Pozo Vol. II
(Johnny Torres and César Rivera also play bass)
Sir George/Sony Tropical 81694 DLG -
Dark Latin Groove
Sony Tropical 81733 Victor Manuelle -
Victor Manuelle
Sir George/Sony Tropical 82087 Nora -
Electric Lady
Milestone 9255 Steve Berrios -
And Then Some!
Rodven/Polygram 3267 Pedro Guzmán -
Jibaro Jazz 6
(Fender bass on tracks 2, 5)
Wenmar Records J1131 Mauricio Smith -
Stern's Africa 1071 Africando -
Gombo Salsa
Concord Picante 4732 Tito Puente -
Special Delivery
Sony Tropical 82334 Victor Manuelle -
A Pesar de Todo
Sir George/Sony Tropical 82340 DLG -
Swing On
RMM 82063 Issac Delgado y su Grupo -
Otra Idea
WEA Latina 18410 Yolandita Monge -
Mi Encuentro
WEA Caribe 18730 Frankie Negrón -
Con Amor Se Gana
WEA Latina 21390 Servando y Florentino -
Los Primera
WEA Caribe 22267 Charlie Cardona -
Mi Propia Aventura
Warner Brothers 46814 Paul Simon -
Songs From the Capeman
Stern's Africa 1082 Africando -
Blue Jackel 5028 William Cepeda & Afro Rican Jazz -
My Roots And Beyond
RMM 82256 Johnny Rivera -
Un Estilo Propio
RMM 82266 Miles Peña -
Mis Ideas
RMM 82267 Michael Stuart -
RMM 82270 Tito Puente -
Live At Birdland/Dancemania '99
Sony 82717 Victor Manuelle -
Caimán 9041 Son Boricua -
Son Boricua
(Ray Martínez also plays bass)
WEA Latina 22269 Lisette Melendez -
Un Poco De Mi
Sir George/WEA Latina 24030 Vélas -
No Stoppin'
Sir George/WEA Latina 25581 Various Artists -
The Sir George Collection
Sir George/WEA Latina 26189 Charlie Cruz -
WEA Caribe 24712 Frankie Negrón -
No Me Compares
Shanachie 66010 Ralph Irizarry -
Ralph Irizarry & Timbalaye
(guests on one track)
Sir George/Sony Discos 82924 DLG -
Sony 83209 George Lamond -
Sony Discos 83310 Victor Manuelle -
(Carlos Henriquez also plays bass)
RMM 84047 Tito Puente -
Mambo Birdland
BMG/A&E 72316 Raulin Rosendo -
Donde Me Coja La Noche
(José Tavares also plays bass)
Palm Pictures 2020 Ned Sublette -
Cowboy Rumba
Concord 4872 Dave Valentín -
WEA Caribe 80049 Frankie Negrón -
Lo Que Llevo Por Dentro
CMS Records 0053 Grupo Caribe -
Son De Melaza
CMS Records 0054 Grupo Caribe -
Ritmo Nativo
RMM 84022 Domingo Quiñones -
Poeta & Guerrero
(Johnny Torres also plays bass)
Stern's Africa 1092 Africando All Stars -
(Ray Martínez also plays bass)
WEA Latina 82671 Charlie Cruz -
Así Soy
RCA International 69323 Christina Aguilera -
Mi Reflejo
Asefra 1016 Club 3d -
En Otra Dimension
Concord Picante 4946 Caribbean Jazz Project -
AJ Records 1572 Humberto Ramírez -
Sony Discos 84130 George Lamond -
Sony Discos 84291 Gilberto Santa Rosa -
(plays on one track)
Sir George/Sony Discos 84297 Huey Dunbar -
Yo Si Me Enamoré
Mas Music 1079 Johnny Ray -
Romantico con Timba
WEA Latina 88141 Tito Nieves -
En Otra Onda
WEA Latina 89617 Frankie Negrón -
Por Tu Placer
Sony 84519 Celia Cruz -
La Negra Tiene Tumbao
(José Tavares and Carlos Henriquez also play bass)
WEA Latina 40951 Charlie Cruz -
Un Chico Malo
Du Records 2022 Mel -
Sin Miedo
Javaanse Jongens 77008 Gerardo Rosales -
La Salsa Es Mi Vida: The New York Album
Cobo 9050 Frankie Morales & Orquesta -
Mambo Of The Times / Mambo Del Tiempo
Warner Music 45315 Luis Enrique -
Concord Jazz 2125 Caribbean Jazz Project -
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text:
Joe Austin.
Danny:"Look it's Joe sneaking up the backstairs!"
Rob: "LOOK OUT! HE'S GONNA RAPE YOU!"
Danny: "He's such a creeper!"
Rob: "LOOK OUT! HE'S GONNA RAPE YOU!"
Danny: "He's such a creeper!"
JoeAustinHater tarafından 19 Mart 2009, Perşembe
A guy who hits on a girl, though he knows she already has a boyfriend.
"I don't want to be a creeper, but you're hot and I hate your boyfriend."
GraceGoodie tarafından 14 Aralık 2008, Pazar
A person who is desperate for any attention, but fails to get it. Creepers are always in the pursuit of CAF though they deny that they are. Creepers often possess humongous eyes that make any conversation with one of them extremely awkward. Creepers use thier eyes to creep off and stare at CAFs for hours on end.
Girl: I swear he's been staring at me for over an hour.
Other Girl: Don't you know?
Girl: Know what?
Other Girl: He's a creeper!
Girl: Ahhhhh!
Other Girl: Don't you know?
Girl: Know what?
Other Girl: He's a creeper!
Girl: Ahhhhh!
facelick tarafından 9 Aralık 2008, Salı
Garron + Raymond Nga
Yeah, those two mothafuckas Garron and Raymond are such fuckin creepers
Hit It Twice Then Leave tarafından 18 Ağustos 2008, Pazartesi
One who a) preforms awkward movements, b) looks like a pedifile, c) says unnapropriate things during a conversation, d) is just plain scary and someone you want to stay away from.
Jessie: I think you'd look really hot in nothing Sam...i know I'd like to see you naked.
Sam: AWWWW!!!! Creeper!!!! Help!!!
Sam: AWWWW!!!! Creeper!!!! Help!!!
kaelle216 tarafından 24 Temmuz 2008, Perşembe
A person who is creepy and makes you uncomfortable for reasons you can't explain
look at the creeper in the corner staring at you
Sassy212 tarafından 12 Temmuz 2008, Cumartesi
A man who distinctly creeps or views unsuspecting young girls, generally caught on camera doing various acts of a creepous nature, he will stop at nothing to be satisfied by the intense pleasure of sighting young girls and attempting to "get some" before being dragged away by law enforcement officials
June was caught on camera attempting to pleasure his natural instinct to creep by grasping nicolena by surprise, june is a creeper
30Mike30 tarafından 14 Nisan 2008, Pazartesi


text:
With a busy life on the go and so much to do, the last thing you want is to spend extra time waiting for your files to transfer. Now you can step up to the next level of performance - and take advantage of the USB 3.0 port on your new laptop or computer - with the Lexar JumpDrive S73 USB 3.0 flash drive. The drive leverages SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology to deliver faster file transfer. Also backwards compatible with USB 2.0.
Faster File Transfer with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Technology
With a busy life on the go and so much to do, the last thing you want is to spend extra time waiting for your files to transfer. Now you can step up to the next level of performance--and take advantage of the USB 3.0 port on your new laptop or computer--with the Lexar® JumpDrive® S73 USB 3.0 flash drive. The drive leverages SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology to deliver faster file transfer in a range of colors and capacities from 8GB-64GB.
Convenient, Reliable Portable Storage
Store and Transfer Content Faster with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Technology. With speeds up to 3x faster (up to 45MB/s read and 20MB/s write)* than standard JumpDrive USB 2.0 drives, the Lexar JumpDrive S73 USB 3.0 flash drive gives you the power, for example, to quickly, easily, and reliably transfer a 3GB HD video clip in less than 2 minutes (compared to less than 20 minutes using a standard USB 2.0 drive).** Leveraging the efficiencies of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology, it provides impressive high-speed transfer of your photos, videos, files, and more--for only slightly more than the cost of a standard USB 2.0 flash drive. And for added versatility, the drive is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices.
Colorful Style. Lexar JumpDrive S73 comes in a range of colorful capacity options--8GB in blue, 16GB in purple, 32GB in orange, and 64GB in green. These stylish options make it fun and easy to find one to suit your needs and reflect your personality. They also provide you with a built-in color coding system to help you organize your drives and their contents.
Designed for Convenience. Beyond its performance and good looks, JumpDrive S73 is designed for convenience. It sports a retractable connector and easy-to-use thumb slide, and also includes a key ring loop so you can easily attach it to your keychain, computer bag, backpack, or purse and go.
Lexar Performance, Quality, Compatibility, and Reliability. All Lexar memory card, card reader, and USB flash drive product designs undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with more than 800 digital devices, to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability. This provides customers with a high level of confidence when using Lexar products to capture, manage, move, and store the memories that matter.
- Store and transfer content faster with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology
- Speeds up to 3x faster (up to 45MB/s read and 20MB/s write) than standard JumpDrive® USB 2.0 drives--at only slightly more in cost
- Colorful capacity
- Retractable connector with convenient thumb slide
- Reliably stores and transfers photos, videos, files, and more
- Compatible with PC and Mac® systems
- Three-year limited warranty
- Product Description
- Lexar JumpDrive S73 - USB flash drive - 32 GB
- Product Type
- USB flash drive
- Interface Type
- Storage Capacity
- Enclosure Colour
- Orange
- Manufacturer Warranty
- 3 years warranty
- Product Type
- USB flash drive
- Storage Capacity
- Enclosure Colour
- Orange
- Compatibility
- Non-specific
- Read Rate
- Up to 45 MB/s
- Write Rate
- Up to 20 MB/s
- Interface Type
- Features
- Retractable connector
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support
- 3 years warranty
- Service & Support Details
- Limited warranty - 3 years
Customer reviews
Write a review for the Lexar JumpDrive S73 - 32 GB - USB 3.0 here!
23.6 MB/s Write on USB 2.0
Reviewed by Salford IT Help. Review Posted 23/12/2012
Bought this for my Dad. He wanted it filled with downloads. This drive was plugged into front USB 2.0 port on AM2 Gigabyte board. I was pleasantly surprised at the speed for writing 30 GB of files (175 - 350mb) from an old 1TB HDD (SATA II). I have 2 x 1TB HDD's and they normally have transfer speeds of ~ 55 - 65 MB's for comparison.
- Overall
- Ease of use
- Value for money
So Far So Good
Reviewed by David. Review Posted 05/10/2012
Got this as a BT bargain and so far I'm impressed..even using with a USB2 port this is very noticeably faster. My other sticks are the rubberised Corsairs and I must admit that they feel more sturdy but that is possibly just psychological. Certainly I have no reservations in recommending this stick so far.
- Overall
- Ease of use
- Value for money
Reviewed by ramesh. Review Posted 07/03/2013
good and fast
- Overall
- Ease of use
- Value for money
Good product
Reviewed by CharlieSpring. Review Posted 06/05/2013
Look good, good speed too. Nice for backing up documents, hope it is going to last!
- Overall
- Ease of use
- Value for money
Cheap, nasty but effective
Reviewed by GCooper. Review Posted 06/04/2013
Knowing that I'll probably be moving to a laptop with USB 3 later this year, but needing a larger USB stick now, I bit the bullet and bought this Lexar, largely because it was cheap but comes from a reputable maker.
Cheap, it certainly is. I realised why when I unpacked it. It's downright flimsy. Hard to believe it will last very long in daily use. It's also slow with USB 2 - though, to be fair, it may be faster with USB 3 - I've yet to find out.
For all that, if you need a large capacity USB memory it is very well priced and (so far) hasn't failed.
In retrospect, I wish I had bought another of the rubberised Corsair Voyagers (this Lexar replaced a 16GB Voyager) which is a far nicer product to use. That'll teach me to be cheap!
- Overall
- Ease of use
- Value for money
Failed after 7 months use
Reviewed by peter . Review Posted 09/05/2013
Ran fine for 7 months then without apparent reason stopped. My PC reported that one of my usb devices had taken too much power from the outlet and had shut it down. I tried it on other pcs but they all reported that it was no longer useable.
- Overall
- Ease of use
- Value for money
The opinions expressed in this reviews section are those of our customers and not of BT Shop. Nothing contained herein amends BT Shop's terms and conditions.


text:
Mike Kutzke of Lake Lillian has accepted the position of dean of instruction for technical programs at Ridgewater College and will begin his new duties January 16.
As dean, he will work closely with Mike Boehme, the other dean of instruction for technical programs, and Ron Pribble, dean of instruction for liberal arts programs.
Kutzke has been a faculty member at Ridgewater College in the areas of law enforcement and sociology since 2004. In addition to Ridgewater, he has taught at Fergus Falls Community College, Minnesota State University Moorhead, and other institutions. Kutzke's background includes extensive experience in law enforcement, including several years in an administrative role as lieutenant at the Moorhead Police Department.
"I am very pleased to have Mike as our new dean of instruction," said Ridgewater President Dr. Douglas Allen. "He brings to the job administrative experience, a wealth of knowledge about teaching and learning, and a thorough understanding of the perspective of faculty."
"I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with people across multiple disciplines with a broader scope," Kutzke said. "I am excited about the challenges."
Kutzke holds an A.S. degree in law enforcement from Willmar Community College, a B.A. degree in criminal justice from MSU Moorhead, a M.S. degree in social sciences from North Dakota State University, and additional coursework at the doctoral level at NDSU.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Captain wrote:Army Corps told me that water will probably be coming over the spillway at Turkey Creek by Friday. Dam out-flow is at maximum, which means 11-16 at Penn will be flooded. Supposed to rain all week. My guess is that these holes will be under water for a week.
I agree with Kevin. Water release at Coralville lake today - 10,000 cfs, 12,000 cfs tomorrow and 14,000 cfs on Saturday. Write off playing 11-16 for a couple of weeks for sure. It is too bad because the city mowed the backside last week and it was looking excellent.


text:
The School of Communication and Media
Journalism (UG)
Communication (UG)
Full Name: Michael Ray Smith
Professor of Journalism
B.A., University of Maryland; M.S., Shippensburg University; Ph.D., Regent University.
Michael Ray Smith is a professor in Palm Beach Atlantic University's School of Communication and Media and teaches courses in multimedia among others. In an independent search, journalismdegrees.org recognized Smith as one of "Top 50 journalism professors for 2012." Also in 2012 he received a university-wide teaching excellence award at Campbell University near Raleigh, N.C. In 2011 the World Journalism Institute, Manhattan, named him the John McCandlish Phillips Scholar. Philips was the internationally-known reporter for The New York Times in the 1960s. In 2008 Shippensburg University, his graduate school, honored him as a Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, the highest award presented by the university. That same year Prince George's Community College in suburban Washington, D.C., recognized him as one of its top 50 graduates.
Dr. Smith earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, and for more than two decades taught at state and private universities at both the graduate and undergraduate level. An award-winning journalist and photographer, he has been quoted in the New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, USA Today, The Arizona Republic, The Christian Science Monitor, The Louisville Courier-Journal, Editor & Publisher, Christianity Today, Writer's Digest and many other periodicals. He has been a guest on radio and TV including French TV 24, a Paris-based television broadcast, and online sites such as Ourblook.com.
Dr. Smith has written seven books, 12 journal articles, and hundreds of articles for the popular press. "The ABCs of Feature Ideas," 2014, explores popular writing, and The Jesus Newspaper, 2005, explores the idea of the Christian journalist. A Free Press in Freehand: The Spirit of American Blogging in the Handwritten Newspapers of John McLean Harrington 1858-1869, was released in 2011. He reviews articles for two peer-reviewed journals and is active in two national communication associations. He was a featured speaker at many writer conferences including Evangelical Press Association, Glorieta Writers Conference, Baptist Press and others. He served on the ethics committee for Evangelical Press Association and ruled on violations of the member periodicals.
Dr. Smith has presented workshops on writing in the United States and overseas, including a weeklong seminar on magazine writing for Magazine Training International, a ministry for missionaries. He works with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication on issues of involving programs of 500 or fewer students. He and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters who are involved in media.


text:
By Matt Schwab
ROHNERT PARK -- Miramonte High quarterback Drew Anderson completed four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, including two to his brother, Ryan, and the Matadors earned a thrilling 41-28 win over Casa Grande-Petaluma Saturday night in the North Coast Section Division II championship game at Rancho Cotate High.
In an instant classic, the third-seeded Matadors celebrated a second consecutive stunning upset, this time over the top-seeded Gauchos (13-1). They upended No. 2 seed and defending Division II champion Clayton Valley Charter 44-38 in the semifinals.
"I can't even explain it. We've been working so hard for four years," Drew Anderson said. "I'm just so proud of all these guys. It means a lot to the coaches, the former players too."
The Matadors (12-2) will now see Sunday if they are chosen to play in the Northern Regional Division III championship bowl game. Enterprise-Redding and Manteca are also believed to be in the mix to be chosen for the game.
Dominic Paoletti caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Anderson with no time left in the fourth quarter, setting off Miramonte's celebration. Paoletti dived into the end zone after running laterally to run out the clock.
Miramonte's leading man, the 6-foot-4 senior Anderson, was 21-for-39 passing for 438 yards and five touchdowns, giving him over 4,000 yards passing for the season.
The Matadors (12-2) effectively clinched their first section title in a decade when McLain Lavis recovered a recovered a fumble after a Casa Grande completion on a last-ditch drive. The touchdown pass to Paoletti rounded out the scoring.
Miramonte led 28-21 on an 81-yard completion from Anderson to Anderson, as the wide-open sophomore caught a perfectly thrown deep ball at the Gauchos' 40-yard line and kept going to the end zone.
But the Gauchos, led all night by quarterback JaJuan Lawson and running back John Porchivina, tied it 28-28 on a 17-yard completion from Lawson to tight end Miles Gardea.
But the Matadors caught a break on their go-ahead march. Ryan Anderson fumbled after making a 26-yard reception, but Greg Pietrykowski recovered on the Gauchos' 37. One play later, Anderson completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ryan, who cut back across and dived into the end zone.
The underrated Matadors defense delivered clutch plays all night, and the offense found a way with standout running back Ray Clark injured for most of the fourth quarter.
"It was just the next man up," Drew Anderson said of the team's resilience. "Ray got hurt. He's been battling injuries the last couple weeks, but Ray's a very tough guy and he stayed in there on defense and did whatever he could to help the team."
Anderson said the offensive line and the receivers made "great" adjustments after starting the game slowly. Porchivina ran for 155 yards on 22 carries, but the Matadors kept him out the end zone when it counted.
In an entertaining first half, both teams squandered scoring chances. The Gauchos were stopped twice deep in Matadors' territory, the second of which on an interception by Clark at the 10-yard line with 10 seconds left in the half with Miramonte clinging to a 14-7 lead.
With the temperature at 32 degrees, Miramonte's passing attack warmed up as the frigid first half unfolded. Anderson, after competing two of his first nine passing attempts, got hot, completing 6 of 8 for 171 yards during one stretch. He had 191 passing for the half, and the underrated Matadors' defense contained the balanced Casa Grande offense pretty well.
Miramonte led 7-0 on a 41-yard completion from Anderson to Will Fuller with 50 seconds left in the first quarter, but the Gauchos responded with a 5-yard scoring run by Porchivina to tie the game at 7-7. But Anderson completed a 61-yard pass to Greg Pietrykowski on Miramonte's next possession to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Ray Clark.
Miramonte marched to the Casa Grande 11 late in the half, but the Gauchos got the ball back on downs after Anderson threw incomplete back-to-back incomplete passes in the end zone. The Gauchos then rode quarterback JaJuan Lawson's scrambling and passing to march quickly to the Matadors' 14. Clark battled for his crucial interception diving near the far sideline after Lawson scrambled to his right.
Casa Grande hurt its chances with penalties, also squandering a scoring chance on its first possession against an opportunistic Miramonte defense. A fumbled exchange on a handoff attempt to Porchivina saw the ball bouncing all the way out to the 26-yard line before Miramonte recovered.
The quintessential dual threat, Lawson entered the game with 2,006 yards passing, completing 67.9 percent, and 1,035 yards rushing, averaging 11.01 a carry.
Miramonte finishes the year on an eight-game winning streak after a 38-10 loss to Campolindo on Oct. 4 in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League.
Miramonte averaged 54.7 points a game in the first three rounds of the playoffs, with Anderson throwing for 3,635 yards and 42 touchdowns for the season.
The Matadors were seeking their first section title since 2003, when they upended San Lorenzo 38-12 NCS 2A East Bay title.
Last year, Miramonte played in Division III and bowed out against eventual champion Marin Catholic-Kentfield in the quarterfinals. Casa Grande fell to Concord 14-6 in the 2012 Division II quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed.


text:
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2013
BIG BEAR, Calif. (AP) -- The cabin where a former police officer is believed to be holed up is on fire.
TV footage from the scene shows smoke pouring from the cabin.
Police surrounded the cabin in the snow-covered woods of Big Bear, a resort town about 80 miles east of Los Angeles where authorities have focused their hunt for Christopher Dorner since they said he had launched a campaign to exact revenge against the Los Angeles Police Department for his firing.
BIG BEAR, Calif. (AP) -- San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon says one of two deputies wounded in a gunbattle with a man believed to be a fugitive ex-LA cop has died.
The gunbattle broke out in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles early Tuesday afternoon.
The area had been searched since fired Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner's pickup truck was found burned out near the Big Bear lake ski resort on Thursday.
Initial report:
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities say the former Los Angeles police officer wanted for killing three people is holed up in a cabin miles from where his truck was found.
A sheriff's official says Christopher Dorner stole a vehicle Tuesday near Big Bear Lake, abandoned it after a chase, ran into the forest and barricaded himself in the cabin. He got into a gunfight with officers, two of whom were injured.
As the crow flies, it's about five miles from where Dorner's pickup was found Thursday, though a ridge with peaks topping 8,000 feet lies between the locations. By road, the areas are about 30 miles apart.
The manhunt for Dorner began Wednesday. In an online post, he targeted dozens of people he feels are responsible for his firing from the LAPD in 2008.
(Copyright 2013, The Associated Press)


text:
All Sorts of Weird Stuff offers news and information about George R.R. Martin, in particular about his A Song of Ice and Fire series.
"When I was young, I read all sorts of stuff. One week it would be Lovecraft, the next Vance. It was all imaginative literature, or as my dad called it 'Weird Stuff.' It was all 'Weird Stuff.'"
George R.R. Martin
New to the series? Read our spoiler-free review of A Game of Thrones.
Read our Privacy Policy.
Subterranean Press has just announced that they'll be producing a limited edition of George R.R. Martin's first novel, Dying of the Light. A science fiction novel written at a time when Martin had made waves as one of the foremost short fiction writers in the genre, Dying of the Light is a personal favorite, in large part because of the evocative writing and the setting, the dying festival planet of Worlorn which is soon going to see its "dying of the light". Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire may spot some characters or themes that are precursors to Martin's bestselling fantasy series.
Pre-ordering is now available, and the pre-order page includes some samples of artist Tom Kidd's illustrations and paintings for the nove.
The Westeros network consists of several different sites, including a forum and a wiki, for all your A Song of Ice and Fire needs.


text:
In a press conference this morning, Toronto's honorable mayor Rob Ford told reporters that allegations that he "wanted to eat [staffer Olivia Gondek's] pussy" were not true. "I would never do that," he said. "I've got more than enough to eat at home."
Here's the full statement:
"It hurts my wife when they call a friend of mine a prostitute. Alana is not a prostitute. She's a friend. And it makes me sick how people are saying this. So unfortunately, I have no other choice. I'm the last one to take legal action, I can't put up with it anymore. So I've named the names. Litigation will be starting shortly. I've had enough. That's why I warned you guys yesterday be careful what you wrote. That's all I have to say for now. And the next thing I want to call Mayor Bratina in Hamilton and tell them we are going to have to spank their little tiger cats. Oh and the last thing was Olivia Gondek, it says it says that I wanted to eat her pussy. Olivia Gondek. I've never said that in my life to her. I would never do that. I'm happily married. I've got more than enough to eat at home. Thank you very much."


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The Look Heritage Replica Jersey uses the original LOOK colours and offers excellent moisture transportation with its lightweight material and adjusted fit.
The fabric is cut and assembled based on the position of a cyclists movement to ensure maximum comfort and freedom of movement. The 3D anatomical cut includes preformed elements that perfectly adjust to the body for aerodynamic performance. Constructed from incredibly lightweight material, the jersey features a new generation elastic that's wider and more extendible for improved comfort. - A.D.
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|Avian Influenza
Avian influenza (AI) is a virus-caused disease usually infecting birds. AI viruses can infect chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese and guinea fowl as well as a wide variety of other birds, including migratory waterfowl.
AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin proteins (H), of which there are 16 (H1-H16), and neuraminidase proteins (N), of which there are 9 (N1-N9).
AI strains are also divided into two groups based on pathogenicity—the ability of the virus to produce disease. Most AI strains are classified as low pathogenicity (LP) avian influenza and cause little or no clinical signs in infected birds. LPAI poses no serious threat to humans. Some strains of LPAI—H5 and H7—can mutate to the more highly pathogenic forms. Birds with HPAI get a more virulent form of avian influenza.
People can get HPAI from birds, but it requires extensive close contact with infected birds. For HPAI to spread from person to person, the virus would have to mutate, to change.
The strain that is currently a problem from Southeast Asia is H5N1 HPAI.
To learn more about ARS avian influenza research, see:
"International Partnership for Poultry Safety," in the November 2005 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
"A New, Rapid Test for Avian Influenza," in the February 2003 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
For information about other USDA programs on avian influenza, go to www.usda.gov/birdflu.
ARS Research Projects and Programs
ARS is developing new information and important tools to help control this disease in poultry. ARS supports USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and poultry industry action programs with epidemiology, molecular virology, pathogenesis research, and technical assistance on avian influenza.
Southeast Poultry Research Lab Avian Influenza Research Program:
Research Projects
Agricultural Research magazine
For more information about ARS avian influenza programs, contact