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Live Blog: Gabby Wins the Gold
The Journal provides minute-by-minute analysis of the Olympic women's gymnastics individual all-around final. Geoffrey A. Fowler, Bruce Orwall and Stu Woo offer live coverage and commentary from London.
Today at the Olympics, we will crown a new queen of all-around gymnastics -– and icon for moms and girls across the land.
Going into the event, a heavy favorite is Gabby Douglas, the perky American known for looking like she's actually having fun while she's out there flying, twisting and tumbling. Douglas will be competing against her teammate Aly Raisman, also known as "Not Jordyn Wieber." During Sunday's qualifiers, Raisman surprised everybody (except possibly herself) by placing second overall, knocking Wieber out of the running for today's competition. Gymnastics rules only allow two women from each country to participate in the all-around finals, and for the Americans, that is Raisman and Douglas.
But they don't have this crown totally in the bag. First, they have to vault past Russia's Victoria Komova, who put in the strongest all-around performance during preliminaries, and her equally talented teammate, Aliya Mustafina. And Romania's wonder-girl Larisa Iordache has the potential to be a serious competitor.
The pre-show is just getting going now. Instead of just the regular circus-like act that we've had the rest of the week, today we're being entertained by a troupe of ballet dancers performing "Swan Lake."
And we're on, folks! The ladies are walking onto the floor now in all their sparkly leotard glory.
The event to watch first tonight will be the vault, which has Douglas, Raisman and Komova all taking a flying start, in that order.
Gymnastics puts the top six finishers from the qualifiers in the same grouping to make the ending as exciting as possible. It's similar to how golf puts the leaders together on the last pairing of the day.
Makes it easier for all the top ladies to give each other the stink eye.
Which is better than beach volleyball's pinkeye.
Up first on vault: Gabby. Here she goes. Boom — and she sticks the landing.
Aly's up next — also strong, but she takes a bit of a hop at the end.
Gabby's on top, with a 15.966. Aly's close behind with a 15.9.
That's a fine start for the Americans, though not spectacular. Expect a couple of vaulters to break the 16-point barrier today. Russia's Viktoria Komova has a mediocre vault, scoring just a 15.466.
Vault is a part of gymnastics that definitely has specialists. And with good reason, considering it basically involves flying.
A bad start for Romania's Larisa Iordache, who scored just a 14.233 on the uneven bars.
And now it's Russia's Mustafina with a beautifully delivered vault. I'd expect a high score on that.
There's far less camaraderie tonight compared with yesterday's men, when competitors high-fived and shook hands with gymnasts after their events. You would've thought it was a Sigma Chi party.
Britain's Rebecca Tunney, for example, just finished her floor routine. Only her coach came to greet her.
Mustafina is definitely one to watch — she was a little bit behind the Americans, but still strong. And she gets a 15.233, which puts her in fourth.
Stu, Geoff: You guys have been here all week. Who do you think has breakout marketing potential on the American team? Or are they forever tied together as the Fab Five?
It's quite cold in the arena today, and we see Douglas and Raisman hopping up and down to stay warm.
Who are the Fab Five? Do you mean the Fab Four, and featured player Jordyn Wieber?
You do wonder if there's a bit of a Dream Girls dynamic on the team.
If so, Douglas would definitely be the Effie White. She came out of nowhere in the gymnastics world to be considered perhaps the top American.
OK, that was a little mean. Wieber was fabulous in the team final two days ago. They do have star potential, especially because they represent America's diversity. I usually think of gymnasts as corn-belt girls, but this year, we have Gabby Douglas, a black Houston native, and Aly Raisman, a Jewish teenager from the Boston suburbs.
Raisman is now doing a headstand in the corner as part of her stretching routine.
I'm not that impressed. How do you think I get ready for live blogging, Geoff?
The TV cameras in the arena here cut to a shot of Wieber sitting in the bleachers and watching, looking a bit forlorn. Bless.
So she's Justin Timberlake, even though she's missing the biggest show of the tour?
It's sort of as if 'N Sync got back together, but Justin Timberlake sat out the biggest show of the tour.
We're just waiting now for a few of the women who aren't contenders tonight to finish on the floor.
Gymnastics are a four-ring circus, all happening at the same time. But some acts, like the vault, happen in a blink.
Correction from a commenter: Douglas is from Virginia Beach. My bad. Our colleagues had met her at the U.S. Olympic Committee mixer in Texas, which now that I think about it, was in Dallas. I am not the Kohei Uchimura of live blogging.
But Stu Woo is the Kohei Uchimura of stacking, and he had a bag of Cadbury "Twirl Bites" to help him stress-eat through the competition tonight.
Geoff, the New York Times and ESPN writers can read our live blogs. I would prefer that you not divulge classified live-blogging tactics.
There's a break in the competition as the gymnasts move on to their next routine.
And cue the jaunty music: We're off to the second of four rounds. At this point, no huge surprises in the standings: 1) Douglas, 2) Raisman, 3) Komova and 4) Mustafina.
One reason that's not so surprising is that all four of them were just doing vault, usually the highest-scoring event.
That's right, Geoff. We'll have to wait till their rivals complete their vault for an apples-to-apples comparison.
All of those ladies are now up on the uneven bars, which is Stu's favorite apparatus. Why is that, Stu?
Where else do get you get to see human beings whipping themselves around bars and launching themselves into the air? And sometimes, the gymnasts even manage to catch the bar on the way down.
The chalk is flying, as Douglas's coach is prepping those uneven bars for her to warm up.
The Empty Seat police are still not going to be happy tonight: a few dozen empties scattered around the lower level, though not nearly as glaring as some nights.
We haven't been talking much about the Chinese women tonight. You may remember that they dominated during the 2008 Games. The Chinese do have two women competing in the all-around tonight, but they lost a lot of that ground over the last four years, because they didn't have a fresh supply of young talent.
Expect tonight's competition to zip along compared with yesterday's men's final. The men compete in six events, while the women do only four. They don't do the parallel bars or rings. Instead of the high bar, they do uneven bars. And they compete on the beam rather than the pommel horse, a major bummer for the British and their insatiable desire for horse events of any kind.
In women's gymnastics, experience doesn't count for much. It's all about flexibility, which comes with youth.
Raisman's coach is still chalking up the bars for her. She'll be jumping on to them any moment now.
Meanwhile, the lower bowl of North Greenwich Arena is only about 85% full. Everyone else must have decided it's more fun to watch badminton players hit shuttlecocks directly into the ground.
In case folks are wondering, Stu and I are sitting right in front of the uneven bars today. And Raisman is up!
It's been a strange revelation here this week to learn that the British are not that well acquainted with gymnastics — it's not the marquee event that it is on American TV. Give 'em a good rowing race, though, and they go nuts.
And Raisman delivers a strong performance — only a slight bounce on the dismount.
Raisman had trouble keeping her legs together on a couple of her swings. She looks satisfied, but not thrilled. Her coach hugs her, and so does Douglas's coach, but Douglas herself didn't appear to say anything.
Raisman gets a 14.333 on her uneven bars — not one of the top scores of the day.
The British aren't quite as nuts about gymnastics as Americans are. That's fair: A British team hasn't even qualified for an Olympic final in 88 years before the men stunned the commonwealth by winning bronze Monday. But give them horses, or that nice Wiggins lad on his two-wheeled cycling contraption, and they go nuts.
Meanwhile, Romania's Iordache is having a tough day. She got a 14.3 on beam — not a good score.
But Komova is definitely giving the Americans a run for it. She gets a 15.966 on the uneven bars — the best score of the night so far. Gabby Douglas has yet to hit the uneven bars, though.
We're still waiting for the third uneven bar performer, Italy's Vanessa Ferrari. While the vaulters are already done with the second rotation, the uneven bars take more time because each gymnast and her coach takes their time to clean and then re-chalk the poles.
Excuse me: We're now on our fourth uneven bars performer, Deng Linlin of China.
With that uneven bar score, Komova has now gone ahead of Raisman in the standings.
Remember, though, that Raisman's best two events are the floor and the beam. She still has those two remaining.
One of the reasons this is such a difficult medal to win is that these women get just four chances to perform. If they are off slightly on one piece of equipment, it's over.
Russia's Mustafina just delivered a strong routine on the uneven bars. She usually does a very difficult routine, which racks up the points in gymnastics these days.
As Douglas's coach, Liang Chow, chalks up those bars, she does the same to her hands. Some fans sitting directly behind her are shouting "Gabby!" in encouragement.
We're stil waiting for Mustafina's score, but if she keeps this up, she could seriously challenge the Americans.
Douglas hops on the mat. She's ready. She scored a phenomenal 15.333 Sunday, when she also qualified for the uneven bars final.
For those watching this on TV, you might have noticed that Mustafina has one of the most unique looks of any of the gymnasts here, with beautiful, wide-set eyes.
Whoa! Mustafina scores a 16.1 on the uneven bars. And now it's Gabby's turn.
There's a big windup and great landing from Douglas, with just a slight hop. She has her big smile on her face. Her coach pumps both his arms in the air and gives her a big hug. So does Raisman.
Douglas's uneven bar score: 15.733.
Great score, but only the third highest of the day — right after the Russians.
I love how during uneven bars — and on the high bar for men — the gymnasts' thighs are covered in chalk because they rub their chalked-up hands on them. This must be why I'm not good at gymnastics. Gotta chalk up them thighs.
An indecipherable Russia chant in the arena is answered with a more comprehensible and familiar "U-S-A." But then answered again with "Rush-ee-a!"
The version of Team USA seems a little less error prone and more steely nerved than some past squads. Less sense of impending danger.
It's enough to keep Gabby in gold standing after the first two rotations — but Komova is breathing down her neck, only .267 points behind.
It looks like a three-way fight for gold now. Midway through the competition, Douglas leads with 31.699. Russia's Komova and Mustafina trail with 31.432 and 31.333, respectively.
Raisman is in a distant fourth with 30.233. But remember that her two best events, floor and beam, are coming up. It's shaping up to be a good old-fashioned USA-Russia rivalry. The kind I read about when I was in grade school in the mid-1990s.
Stu, don't forget you're still ancient compared to these Olympians.
How can I, Geoff? You remind me every day.
Meanwhile, our Russians and Americans are preparing to hit the beam. Up first will be Komova.
A good old-fashioned shootout between the Americans and the Russians. I wonder if Vladimir Putin — who spent the afternoon at judo — will rush over and try to push them over the top. Or just stare menacingly at the Americans.
In the preliminaries, Komova and Douglas were both pretty strong on the beam, in fact getting the exact same score: 15.266.
I think I'm the ancient one in the broadcast booth — old enough to remember watching both Olga and Nadia in their day. Probably well before Stu's birth.
There's a huge gap between the top three and Raisman, who's in fourth. There's another big gap between Raisman and the fifth-place gymnast, China's Huang Qiushuang, who trails her by nearly a whole point.
That gold medal could go to either Douglas or Komova, who's on beam now and starts a little wobbly.
Komova almost slips twice! After one flip, she swung both arms to her left to stop her from falling. She did the same on a flip a few seconds later.
Looks like Komova came up a little short on that dismount, too.
Standing by for Komova's score as Italy's Ferrari prepares to go on the beam.
On the dismount, she did two backflips before launching herself in the air. She wasn't balanced in the landing, leaning to her left.
That will bring a deduction for execution. Komova's score: 15.441. Wow, that's a strong score — that would have put her in first on the beam during the preliminaries.
That means her beam routine was insanely difficult.
She's raising the bar (or, um, beam) for Douglas.
Guys, is there more pressure than usual on Raisman to make it onto the medal stand, after spoiling the plotline for America's Almost Sweetheart?
We have some questions from commenters about the color of the U.S. leotards. Geoff says it's kind of a purple-pink. I say it's more of a pink-purple. Whatever it is, it's sparkly.
I'd think Raisman is definitely under some pressure today to prove that she deserves to be here, Bruce. A lot of gymnastics fans were very angry at the two-per-country rule following the preliminaries.
We have China's Deng Linlin on the beam now.
She lands a bit short on the dismount.
She under-rotated on the reverse flip, landing while she was still leaning pretty far forward.
Always hard to watch the high-level beam routines and not be concerned about safety. It's a very treacherous place to flip over backward.
Very true about the treacherousness of these events. These events are dangerous, and injuries are common, but the equipment has gotten better — and more spring-loaded — to make it a bit safer.
Deng got 15.3 on the beam. Now Mustafina is up on the beam and she has fallen off! She appeared to land a flipping move called an Arabian, but then wobbled off. She gets up and finishes.
Falling off the beam must put so much pressure on your ankles.
Mustafina's score: just 13.633.
Which means Raisman's odds of medaling just got a lot better.
Douglas is up now on the beam. Slightly wobbly, but doing OK so far.
She needs a 15.175 to ahead of Komova.
Gabby says she hates the beam, but she's happy now, after sticking her landing.
She also under-rotated on her landing and took a short hop back, but her coach loved it. Mustafina just watches. Are her eyes a little watery?
Oh, boy, Gabby is staring at that screen waiting for her score.
Deng, meanwhile, is sitting in third place, just .05 points behind Mustafina. Raisman still hasn't gone yet, and she should be in the top three after her beam, barring a mistake.
Gabby's score: 15.5 The crowd goes wild as she vaults into first place.
That's the best score on the beam by anyone all day.
Now Raisman is up on the beam as Douglas leads Komova by 0.326 points. They really keep it moving here.
Raisman is a little wobbly, too. After a flip, Raisman landed but then stuck her right leg out to the side to find her balance. She just did it again, this time with her left leg.
That performance might take Raisman out of medal contention.
Tough ride on the beam for Raisman. If that does her in, her failure to medal will turn into an interesting subplot to Douglas's gold.
Raisman needs 14.733 to be in the top three. The judges are taking their time giving us her score. And here it is: 14.2.
That puts Raisman down to fifth place in the standings.
Raisman had a 15.1 on the beam in qualifiers.
So that's the end of the third or four rotations. The music that they play as the women march to their next piece of equipment is a bit ominous.
Now we move onto the fourth and final event, which for the leaders is floor routine. Here are the standings: 1) USA's Douglas, 47.199. 2) Russia's Komova, 46.873. 3) Russia's Mustafina, 44.966. 4) China's Deng Linlin, 44.466. 5) USA's Raisman, 44.433.
The order will be Deng, Mustafina, Douglas, Raisman and Komova. Very exciting.
It's made for TV! And live blog.
What's not made for live blogging, Geoff? Well, maybe the 100-meter sprint.
Do we need to call in the mathematicians to sort out whether Douglas can lose the gold — and whether the Chinese gymnast can elbow past one of the Russians?
Floor usually takes the longest to perform. The beam, vault and uneven bar finishers should be done by the time Raisman and Komova take the floor. The pressure will truly be on. It's the only event that the arena will be watching.
Right now, Douglas and Komova appear to have a lock on gold and silver, though it's not clear in what order.
Meanwhile, there's a real three-way battle for bronze among Mustafina, Deng and Raisman.
You've got to wonder how exhausted these woman are at this point.
This is Raisman's best event. She finished first in qualifiers Sunday, with a score of 15.325. That was more than two-tenths of a point better than the second-best floor exercise.
This is their third day of competition at the Olympics, though they've a day of break between each.
Neither Douglas nor Komova scored well in qualifiers Sunday. Komova had a 13.9. Douglas: 13.766.
Geoff, don't give them too much credit. Yes, they've performed. But we have live-blogged this entire time. Men and women. Team and individual.
Here comes Deng Linlin. She's about to step on the floor and swings her arms back to stretch.
She strikes her starting pose. She's got the white socks on. All the Chinese gymnasts have worn those on the floor. She gets big air on her first run, but stumbles to the left on her landing. Her uniform is also pink-purple, almost the same color as the American one.
She doesn't rotate enough on the last, backward flip on her final run and hops forward slightly.
She looks satisfied as she walks off and hugs her coach. Now she'll play the waiting game as judges think about her score.
Deng Linlin and her coaches look a bit uncertain about her performance. Se may need a mistake by the Russian to move up.
Deng's score: 13.933. That's 0.1 better than she did in Sunday's qualifier.
Mustafina is up next on floor. Her leo is also kind of purple. Clearly everyone wanted to match this pink venue.
Deng might be out of medal contention now. She sits in second, with 58.399. Romania's Sandra Raluca Izbasa hit a vault of 15.333 to put her into first — for now. We're still waiting for Mustafina, Douglas, Raisman and Komova to perform, though.
Mustafina, on the other hand, shows a lot of power.
Not to mention she's also got the grace.
Mustafina does ballet training, and it really shows. She gets a 14.600.
Now Douglas is up.
The crowd is clapping along with her peppy music.
Very graceful on her first run! She's skinny. But she looked as if she had too much juice on her second run and nearly steps out. I didn't see a flag go up, though, so no deduction.
She looks so happy when she performs!
With good reason — she's sticking all her landings.
And she gets a bear hug from Chow.
I don't think I've seen a bigger smile all week. The Americans think she's clinched the gold. They are screaming.
She's waving to everyone as she walks off the floor.
Here comes the moment NBC waits for every four years: an American gymnast with a gold medal at her doorstep. Steve Burke and the guys must be high-fiving in the Comcast booth. This is why they bought NBC.
Gabby gets a 15.033.
So here are the standings, with just Raisman and Komova left to go on the floor: 1) USA's Douglas 62.232. 2) Russia's Mustafina, 59.566. 3) Romania's Izbasa, 58.833.
Gabby gets second-highest score of the day on the floor. Deng is knocked out of the medal. The Chinese gymnast sits in fourth, with 58.399.
It's really a testament to her great control in performance. Now it's Raisman's turn. With the Hava Nagila, which the crowd just loves.
But Raisman is out of running for gold. She'd need a 17.799 to top Douglas.
Aly needs a 15.133 to move into silver position and clinch a medal.
She's not smiling as she finishes. Gabby goes up to her and gives her a big hug.
The hyper-American atmosphere here is briefly broken as Team GB's Rebecca Tomney got a big ovation coming off the uneven bars just as Raisman started. But it's all screams for Raisman now.
Raisman's floor score: 15.133.
She's tied for second! She has clinched a medal!
Now here comes Komova.
She's happy with her routine. Very controlled. She made it look easy.
Komova needs to score more than 12.693 to take the silver. It looks as if she's done it.
Douglas looks to be the gold medalist, with Komova taking the silver and Mustafina and Raisman both winning bronze.
Has the USA and Russia tied in this rivalry, with two medals each?
It was a very difficult routine, but performed like a ballerina. The Russians are beautiful to watch on the floor.
Well, I suppose the gold is worth 10 silver medals, and who knows how many bronze medals.
She needs a 15.359 to top Douglass. It's official: Gabby Douglas is the world's top gymnast.
Komova got a 15.100.
Komova looks happy to win silver.
Oh, wait.
Raisman's floor exercise goes down as one of the great redemptive performances of these games following her balance beam wobble.
Brief shot of dazed-looking Wieber in the arena. Meanwhile, time to launch the debate about a tiebreaking shootout in gymnastics.
It looks as if Raisman finished fourth, losing the tiebreaker. Raisman has finished fourth, losing the execution score tiebreaker.
They're playing more Katy Perry here in the arena. Douglas looks a little shocked, but you can tell she's happy. Couldn't happen to a nicer young woman.
As Suzanne Vranica wrote in the Journal this morning, NBC has already been minting money during these Olympics despite the complaints. Douglas's gold will only mean they need to work the presses overtime tonight.
Raisman was looking at the scoreboard, her eyes watering, but she doesn't appear to be crying.
While we wait for the medal ceremony, we'll explain a bit what happened with that tie breaker.
The gymnastics federation says that if two gymnasts tie in an event final, the execution score serves as the first tie-breaker.
Mustafina had a higher execution score today than Raisman. Had Raisman and Mustafina had the same execution score, the difficulty score would have served as the second tie-breaker. If both gymnasts were still tied after that, they would have shared the bronze.
I'm sorry for the initial confusion there. It's a confusing formula.
Interesting that the execution score is the one that matters the most. It is called "artistic gymnastics," after all.
Gabby Douglas is the third straight American to win the Olympic all-around gold medal. It's a three-peat.
The best advice for Douglas after a win like that is to probably enjoy it now and reap whatever the short-term benefits are. Star power of all-around champs is usually not that long-term. You're not a movie star — just Mary Lou Retton for the rest of your life. Which is pretty great.
So, just to recap, the final scores are:
- Douglas: 62.232 (gold)
- Komova: 61.973 (silver)
- Mustafina: 59.566 (bronze)
- Raisman: 59.566
But Raisman doesn't medal because she got a lower score on execution.
It's a very tough outcome for Raisman on a number of levels. Not just losing a medal on a tie, but also the additional burden of having edged the U.S.'s pre-packaged star out in the qualifying.
Medal ceremony about to begin. The champs file out to the stand — two Russians flanking Douglas.
A blast from the past as Nellie Kim — who dueled with Comaneci in Montreal in 1976 — is helping to distribute the medals.
And now the moment you'll see on NBC in about 10 hours: Douglas gets a gold medal draped around her neck.
I'm sure NBC isn't that worried about the delay in getting this on the air. Douglas's first duty as all-around champion is to visit Ryan Seacrest and get a call from Justin Bieber.
The national anthem has been played, and Douglas heads off to her Wheaties box.


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Skip to comments.Obama Makes Comment On St. Louis Beatdown of Conservative Blackman
Posted on 08/08/2009 7:45:38 AM PDT by urroner
Obamessiah come out late last night and commented on the beating of a black man by a local union in St. Louis. His exact words:
"I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the SEIU acted stupidly in beating down somebody."
Well, actually he didn't, but I'm sure that being the fair man that he is, he'll do it soon.
yeah right
And then The Messiah, the beaters and the beatee will get together in the Rose Garden for a beer.
Question is will he invite the 5 union goons and the reporter that were arested and the beaten man to the WH for a beer to talk about it?
Well it was a black guy accosting a black guy, so it'll be hard for Zer0 to do any race baiting this time.
"Well it was a black guy accosting a black guy, so itll be hard for Zer0 to do any race baiting this time."
What a racist statement! The black man who was attacked was conservative, so he wasn't really black! BHO can race bait all he wants!
He sure likes the word stupidly.
This is not a word he should be using in front of the nation.
He sure likes the word stupidly.
This is not a word he should be using in front of the nation.
He sure likes the word stupidly.
This is not a word he should be using in front of the nation.
sorry for the tripple header
My computer is acting up or the site is slow
i agree, but then again he is not the brightest commie in the bunch.
>>> conservative, so he wasnt really black! BHO can race bait all he wants! <<<
Hmmm... true enough.
"He sure likes the word stupidly."
He keeps using that word. I donah think it means what he thinks it means.
I love the Princess Bride.
I also bet that the Obamessiah is a whiz with Sicilian logic.
You noticed how he uses the word 'stupidly'? He is projecting.
I guess the next thing we will hear from him is that his people ( henchmen ) handled his birth certificate situation " Stupidly " and trow more money at his effort to conceal anything about him that the public has the right to know.
It's probably more likely that he will say that Gladney was acting stupidly for handing out the flag.
I sent this to email@example.com this morning:
As a good and obedient citizen, I felt it necessary that I ask why the president has not denounced how his SEIU goons attacked an American citizen exercising his right to free speech?? Especially since the president directly called for this type of action. I find this VERY FISHY!
Don't you think that the president and his union goons acted "stupidly"??
A concerned and obedient citizen
Well Stupidly is as stupidily does
Forrest Gump 1958
We don't use the "S" word in our house at all. I have told my children that the word only shows lack of intelligence on the user's part. You should have heard my son when he heard 0bama use it. He looked at me and said "I thought the president was supposed to be smart".
Out of the mouth of babes.
This is not a word he should be using in front of the nation.
Fishy is another word the WH should not use.
This administration is SOOOO unprofessional, SOOOO un-Presidential, it is sickening.
Stupidly: means given to unintelligent decisions or acts or acting in an unintelligent or careless manner. Does any of this sound like Obama
The only blacks that can be beaten by whites without all
heck breaking out!
He is stupid so that is the reason he uses the word stupidly all the time.
SEIU member: Oh, I thought it was a Townhall BEATING!
It was a conservative black guy. Liberals have always called conservative blacks Uncle Toms and other racially derogative names. Conservative blacks are all heroes in my book. I look up to them and wish that I could measure up to them.
This black hero can be crucified and the Kenyan will not care. All his friends in the international political community are dictators and socialists and islamic pigs. PS there are some good islamics it's just that all those the Kenyan hangs out with are pigs.
Ja !!! Der fuhrer promises a beer-hall riot (Putsch) in every district !!!
I heard Obama say that the black man acted stupidly by trying to sell "racist" propaganda and the SEIU members thought he was a Timothy-McVeigh-style-domestic-terrorist-in-black-face and they were just trying to hold him down while someone emailed email@example.com
please mark this as spoof or something
Of course, Zero won't say a thing. His presidency is all about retribution. In reality, his rhetoric and the rhetoric of his administration encourages violence against conservatives. As Sebellius told SEIC yesterday, "keep doing what you're doing."
How about the beatee invite the beater and Obama for a beer!
He'll probably invite the thugs to the Whitehouse for a beer, too....
This Administration's behavior with regard to the SEIU has been one heck of a "teachable moment". That includes Secretary Sebelius' call to the SEIU after this beating happened. She called the SEIU "brothers and sisters", and told them to keep on doing what they're doing.
Can you imagine if something like this had happened in the Bush Administration? But we no longer have an independent news media, we have a Democratic news media. Which is why I mostly ignore it.
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subset: commoncrawl


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CLINTON, IA - Thursday evening's game between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the Clinton LumberKings at Ashford University Field has been postponed due to wet grounds. The heavy rain that caused Wisconsin's Wednesday game in Cedar Rapids, Iowa hit Clinton hard overnight and flooded portions of the field to make the grounds unplayable for the first meeting of the season between the Rattlers and LumberKings.
This was the seventh game that Wisconsin has had either postponed or canceled by weather this season. Clinton has been just as affected by the lack of spring. The LumberKings were rained out at home on April 10 and April 11. They were also rained out in road games at the Quad Cities on April 15 and April 17.
Wisconsin and Clinton will try to get their series started on Friday night with a single game starting at 6:30pm. Thursday's game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The first game of Saturday's twinbill is scheduled to start at 4:00pm.
The reason the game will be made up on Saturday is due to Clinton having played three doubleheaders since April 13 (April 13, 14, and 16). By rule, no minor league team may play three doubleheaders in a seven-day period. Tomorrow would have been their fourth twinbill in a seven-day period. So, Thursday's game had to be rescheduled for Saturday.
Today on MiLB.com
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Viral Infections in Asthma, An Issue of Immunology and Allergy ClinicsElsevier Health Sciences 2010; US$ 99.00
This issue, Guest Edited by Drs. Shyam Mohapatra and Gary Hellermann, will include topics such as: Virus-induced airway injury and asthma inception; Pediatric infectious diseases and asthma; Rhinoviruses and inception or exacerbation of asthma; Respiratory syncytial virus infections in the adult asthmatic?role of viral subversion and host susceptibility... more...
The Skin in Systemic Autoimmune DiseasesElsevier Science 2006; US$ 160.00
This book represents the state-of-the-art in the field of skin and autoimmune rheumatic diseases. It covers systematically a growing and multifaceted topic which is of great importance in the clinical practice. It also serves as a sharp educational tool as each chapter provides summaries and specific highlights to key references cited into the text.... more...
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Esta gu�a pr�ctica para el control de la fiebre amarilla fue dise�ada por la Organizaci�n Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) con objeto de proporcionar a los trabajadores de salud de diferentes niveles de atenci�n, as� como a los diversos programas de estudios de las facultades y escuelas de ciencias de la salud herramientas para el control de la fiebre... more...
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Interview: Paul McCartney guitarist Brian Ray talks about his fave Macca moment
There are a lot of great jobs out there, but it's hard to imagine one better than guitarist for Paul McCartney. Just ask Brian Ray, who has held that title since 2002. Most recently, his gig took him to the White House, which he admits was mind-blowing, when McCartney received The Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in Performance. In the PBS special, which begins airing tonight (July 28) -- and we review here -- McCartney plays a few tunes, but his band backs up most of the artists paying tribute to Macca, including Stevie Wonder, Dave Grohl, Faith Hill and Elvis Costello.
Ray served as Etta James' musical director and guitarist for 14 years and has also collaborated with artists such as Peter Frampton, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Cornell and Smokey Robinson. He releases his second solo album, "This Way Up," Aug. 3 digitally and Aug. 9 as a physical disc via the Sony-distributed Icon Music Group.
Hitfix recently talked to Ray, who indulged our McCartney questions. Hear two tracks, "Happy Ending" and "I Found You," from "This Way Up" here.
What have you learned from Paul McCartney about songwriting?
Paul is one of the, arguably, two best songwriters in rock and roll history. John [Lennon] would be the other one. He's responsible for music that makes up our DNA and he is an inspiring guy. Not just for this incredible canon of work he's produced over the years in his solo work and with Wings and with the Beatles, but also just who he is as a guy. That he's still making records with the same passion and love and thought and caring that he's always made them with at this point in his career is, to me, inspiring. Just that in itself--that he's continuing to create.
And then, just on an hourly basis, being around him, you just see that he is music basically. He'll be walking across the kitchen during rehearsals out in the country with us and he'll whistle a melody that is beautiful and he might run into the other room and start writing a song. He just lives and breathes music and that, in and of itself, is so inspiring. Even if I don't end up writing a song that sounds like a Paul McCartney song, and I hope that I don't do that since w should all be individuals, [there's an] inspiration that you get from someone whose spirit is so musical.
What did you learn about songwriting from listening to the Beatles growing up?
Lennon and McCartney wrote songs that were full of promise and surprise and they were vehicles for escape. For a guy like me, whose upbringing wasn't the best--it wasn't the worst by any stretch--but all kids want to escape, and the Beatles and so many of the other British Invasion groups, offered an incredible vehicle… You could paint it as you want, you could see in your own life what you wanted these songs to mean and you could drive that escape vehicle right out of your own reality and we all did it together at the same time.
What is your best moment of every night on stage with McCartney?
Oh man, there's 36 songs and all of them start with so much excitement for me, but I guess when we get to "Band on the Run." That signals a run up of 15 of the largest songs, the tallest songs, that I've ever heard in my life and I'm fortunate enough to get to play that 12-string guitar break that's all alone in the middle of "Band on the Run" and you feel a shift because we've been on stage by then for an hour and a half and we're up there for two hours and 45 minutes. It's like the sun comes up right there. It does in the song with that guitar and then the songs just get taller and taller until you're just been beat up by Mike Tyson by the end of the night, but in a loving way.
What's something about Paul that you know that the rest of us don't?
He is funnier than hell. All of us have seen interviews with Paul by now and we know that he's cheeky and funny. He's also very warm and he's very intuitive. You can feel that he is still curious about others and about this world and about this life like a kid would be and that he's very childlike in the most positive ways. If it were up to him, he'd be barefoot and hanging out in loose khaki pants and a t-shirt. He likes to have a laugh. I mean, it's all gotta be funny to him.
What was your best show with McCartney ever?
I'm going to have to say second night in Fenway last summer, 2009. It was just one of those stunning gigs. It's almost like a ballet; it's the light, it's Paul's mood, Paul's voice. It's the way the five of us play together. All of those things come together and then there's another X factor and that is the crowd--and what you get back from a crowd and the venue. And then a full moon happened to be rising over my shoulder. At one point, Paul looks my way and he does one of those things where he raises his head to like 'look up there,' while he's singing. I look to my left and the moon was coming up. I don't remember what the song was, but it was just one of those melt your heart moments. But we've had so many great moments.
You've played with a lot of people. Best non-McCartney gig?
I'd say playing with Etta James at the Montreux Jazz Festival when I was 19 years old. I started playing with Etta when I was right out of high school. We played a fantastic set there and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin was our bass player. Hanging out with Led Zeppelin at the age of 19 wasn't bad. And then we opened some shows with the Stones with Etta that were remarkable too. I remember Anaheim Stadium for 50,000 people in the daytime with the Stones was pretty remarkable because everyone was already there. They weren't trickling in. It was packed. I remember a giant beach ball being kicked up on stage and Etta, who's wonderful on stage, kicked this great big beach ball back into the crowd. It was just one of those magnificent days, you know.


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- Report: #409695
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: National Institute Of Mental Health
National Institute Of Mental HealthMartin Luther King Ave. (St. Elizabeths) Washington, District of Columbia U.S.A.
National Institutes Of Mental Health Medical malpractice, died and came back to life, neglect, denied rights, lied to, etc. Washington District of Columbia
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Then, I was sick with a high fever for about two weeks. I don't recall even going to the bathroom.
Then, after being in there a long time, they had put me in a seclusion room when I had not done anything violent. I was crying and Mr. Bigelow came in and said he was releasing me.
After that, it didn't end. A series of events took place in my life. Many more hospitalizations from getting sick on the meds they gave me and saying that it was my illness or I was not complying with taking my meds. That is a lie!
Then, I found how this all can be used against you by others who think they are privy to your personal records or other things they know. I had a hard time finding work. I found that I was always getting jobs that only paid minimum wage.
I have been homeless 7 times due to the oppressive use of force of family involvement, police dragging me to the nearest hospital when I was no danger to anyone and only needed to go off the meds and have nutritional needs met. The psychiatrists see the results of what other psychiatrists have done and willingly take you on and automatically diagnose and drug you whether you are hungry, etc. I have come close to falling again due to being doped up. A nurse in a state hospital in Catonsville had to catch me saying that I needed to eat, and that I was skinny. Upset that this had been done to me.
Accusations from family members which mostly came from my sister and my mom's past informing these kooks about what I was about, and how she saw things.
I had a bad experience when I was fourteen, but was taken to a psychiatric hospital for this, instead of getting proper medical or nutritional care. I had mononucleoseis and it was treated as a mental disease. I was never diagnosed for this as it was treated as a mental disease. My doctor at the time was an Oswald V. Todd when I was fourteen.
I have had to deal with all that is in my past presently and have even been denied the right to have my SSI money after being used and ending up out in the streets. This happened about 1 1/2 years ago.
The NIMH thinks that they can use you as their guinea pig and try drugs on you that can kill you against your will! Sometimes, I believe out of sheer curiosity as a way to practice their arts, and sciences on unwilling, helpless victims.
They think that they are the law. It is called Mental Health law. Not the laws of the land that were put here to punish wrongdoers.
I realize this happened years ago, but it is not easy to hold them accountable for all they have done, and how it impacts your life later on. Because of them I have had arguments with a stubborn family, and lost the benefit of my health, my posessions, being exploited, examined, robbed out in the streets. They are not successful in helping most people. And certainly not me.
They know that we are put on Government assistance and how poor we are because of our so-called disability. Therefore they use their postion and wealth as a way to manipulate us and cause us alot of pain and inconvenience. I have called lawyer after lawyer and not one of them is willing to help me even though I have a case. Even recently, I have people who are bothering me and know certain things about me.
They know that there is such a thing as statutes of limitations and therefore what limits you can help them, as there seems to be little you can do about it.
I want some legal advice. I even have my church invading my privacy and showing disrespect for me as a person. And because these crooks know the laws better than I (Which law is that)? I frequently come up with a lack of evidence and other things. No conscience, no compassion, and no morals from what I have seen.
I could go on and on. Hope someone out there is humane and knowledgable enough to want to investigate this matter and help me. This case could open up the doors for others who have had their share of abuse and neglect. These are civil rights matters and it is not a pretty picture. There are psychiatrists that are so confident about all they have done that they are secretly planning to change and implement new plans to hone their craft and use it on unsuspecting people while convincing those they know, including familly members that I am to be their wimp.
If you don't care, then don't bother getting in touch with me. I want someone who has been successful in winning cases of merit. I will gladly pay you a sum of money for winning the case. I will pay you a partial payment that I can afford according to my income level to help you earn your keep for time and effort done on my behalf. Don't tell me nothing can be done. You wouldn't want this to happen to you!
God bless you. Any comments about what others have experienced are welcome. I don't need rebuttals. I don't care what you think anymore.
Dover, Delaware
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/08/2009 02:17 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/National-Institute-Of-Mental-Health/Washington-District-of-Columbia-20892/National-Institutes-Of-Mental-Health-Medical-malpractice-died-and-came-back-to-life-negl-409695. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Item Description
Nice Stove-Top Percolator in Very Good condition. This is not the electric version. Not abused, cracked or damaged. Inside is not stained. Slight marks on exterior from normal, light use. Complete with all the inner parts. Plastic lid and glass dome both look great as well. Fully functional and ready for your use.
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Hi, this is a great plugin, and it correctly adds the two missing fields to the Media Settings page, but I've just discovered that when I disable and remove the plugin afterwards (even after I entered a path into those two fields), the two fields disappear again after the plugin is removed.
When I look in the SQL database afterwards, using phpMyAdmin, I can see that the two fields there are empty:
So for some reason the plugin isn't actually saving the field values into the database. The field values stay there when the plugin is activated, but they disappear when the plugin is removed. :(
Can this be fixed please?


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Poster ID: CL38824
Original Title: Carosello Napoletano (3)
English Title: Neapolitan Carousel
Year of Poster: 1950s
Category: Movies
Genre: musical,comedy
Actor/Artist/Director: Sophia Loren, Paolo Stoppa, Beniamino Gigli, Folco Lulli, Nadia Gray, Carlo Tagliabue, dir. Ettore Giannini
Studio: Lux
Country of Poster: Italian
Country of Film: Italian
Size: 79 x 55 inches = 201 x 140 cm
Condition: Good
Price: $600
Available: Yes
Notes: 1954.
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|E-Mail to a Friend
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Southwest Region
Posted: June 20, 2013 at 3:31:05 PM
In Arizona | California | Nevada | New Mexico | Southwest Region | Sedona | Caliente | Idyllwild
Southern California MTB Summit a Success! We recently had an awesome regional summit up in the San Jacinto Mountains in the beautiful mountain town of Idyllwild, CA. We had 65 mountain bike advocates attend from southern and central California and... Read More / Post Comments
Posted: May 22, 2013 at 9:43:08 AM
In IMBA Trail Solutions | California | USFS | Southwest Region | Big Bear | Skyline Trail
I've been working with the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation and the United States Forest Service (USFS-San Bernardino National Forest, Mountain Top Ranger District) for more than a year to encourage trail development at Big Bear Lake, California.... Read More / Post Comments
Posted: May 15, 2013 at 5:04:53 PM
It's been a busy spring in the southwest! Read on for updates on some of the projects that we are involved in with our great partners across the region. IMBA Southern California Mountain Bike Summit, Idyllwild, CA, May 31-June 2 Join IMBA, land... Read More / Post Comments


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Forever Isn't What It Used To Be
Great news – Chasing the Dark is off for editing and cover art! That's book 3 in the Dark Universe series. Originally I planned a trilogy and after that some spin offs. Well, it turns out the characters I planned to do spin-offs with have meshed too well and the story isn't done yet. So there will be at least 4 books, if not many more before I even consider branching off.
But that's not what this is about. I was excited about Chasing the Dark. I mean really, really excited. It was a fun story and the characters were a blast. Aden, Twyf, and Seph were the main characters throughout and the things they said and did…well, I won't give any spoilers, but it was great. Then a new character entered the storyline and really made a difference. Of course, tragedy struck and things got complicated. Life was on the line and there was a lot of hurt being dished out. All in all, good times!
So I came off that high and went straight into Voidhawk #8 this morning. I had ideas that had been bouncing around in the back of my head for months now. Well, they spilled out tonight and filled page after page. The first chapter is written and I'm shocked at how energized I feel, especially after how busy I've been lately and how Chasing the Dark played out.
It's far too early to give any details about how Voidhawk – Fallen Goddess will go, but here's a tiny snippet to enjoy. It will provide a little extra enjoyment to those familiar with the Blades of Leander series and / or Voidhawk – Broken Shards.
The demoness took an awkward step forward and swept her hand to the side. Caitlyn fell silent as though she'd had the air snatched from her breast. "Come to me, child," the demoness purred. "I grow cold and I hunger."
Caitlyn moaned. She wasn't supposed to touch her. The instructions had stressed that. She was to acquire the demon's name and give it instructions and a prize it could claim. Then it would go. Her brother would be lost, ensnared by the demon. Strife would follow and Queen Patrina would find herself sickening from poison. Then Caitlyn would rule, forging an alliance between Shazamir and Altonia. The Order would have their biggest threat removed, clearing the way for the armies in the south to launch their war.
"Isn't that better?" the demoness whispered in Caitlyn's ear.
Caitlyn gasped. When had she crossed the circle? She was inside…with her! She tried to shake her head but only a tiny whimper escaped her lips. The demoness's fingers caressed her cheek and neck, setting her skin aflame with sensation. The flames ran through her body, making her tingle all over before settling low in her belly and leaving her gasping.
"Feed me," she murmured into Caitlyn's ear.
Caitlyn turned, trying to see through the red fog that overwhelmed her. She was on fire with need. She'd never felt this desire. This lust. She needed to be touched. To be filled. To be completed. "Yesssss," she whispered until her sibilant compliance was swallowed by the demoness.
Stay tuned for more. Or, at the rate this book is burning through me, stay tuned for me to announce it's ready to read!
To learn more about Jason Halstead visit his website to read about him, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
Late to the Show
Unless I'm mistaken, The Avengers set a new record for biggest opening weekend. Everybody I talked to and everything I read said that the entire world had seen the movie, yet I had not. It was a busy weekend spent out of state visiting relatives. Good times, but devoid of any spandex wearing superheroes. So last night after work we decided it was time to stop living in the dark – we rounded up the kids and headed off to the theater!
As another point of interest, we saw the 3d version of the show. We hadn't planned on it, but our timing made it so that we could walk in to the 3d movie or wait 40 minutes for the next one. Ever tried spending 40 minutes in crowded theater with a 3 and a 5 year old? I shelled out the extra cash and expected to not be wowed by the 3d.
I was shocked by how much better the 3d was than I expected. Even the previews were impressive! Granted, they could have cut at least three of the previews out, if not four or five, but I still did my best to enjoy them. Then the main show came along and it was a nonstop good time. Not to worry, I won't share any spoilers, but I do have some thoughts.
As entertaining as The Avengers was, in hindsight there were parts that just don't seem necessary. Maybe I missed something or maybe there's behind the scenes work that will be more apparent in Avengers 2. As it was, I just didn't understand why it unfolded the way it did. Sure, the scenes worked to pull the heroes together and make a team out of them (well, mostly), but looking back it seems forced or contrived. Does it detract from the enjoyability or entertainment factors? Hell no! It's just the writer in me that doesn't like a cop out.
Even with that said, Joss Whedon is the man. I've been a worshiper from afar ever since Firefly came out. Now, with the Avengers behind him, I see no reason for my faith to waver.
My favorite character / superhero? That's an easy one! A little past halfway through the movie I had both my kids on my lap. They weren't scared, just enjoying it. Acting on a hunch, I leaned in between them and whispered, "Are you guys ready to see Daddy's favorite superhero?"
They were, and they even asked which one. I hushed them, we were in a movie theater after all, and told them to keep watching. Sure enough, in a few moments Bruce Banner got angry. Then he proceeded to spook the crap out of my son when he took off after Black Widow. I was thrilled by the superhero deathmatch throughout the movie as well. Trust me, that's not a spoiler, I was just reminded of the special run comics I'd enjoyed as a kid that pitted this badass against that badass. Very fun!
And as The Hulk kept on getting better and better, I felt he really dominated the latter third of the movie. I was cool with that, I've been a Hulk fan since I was old enough to watch The Incredible Hulk starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. I don't doubt that played a part in me becoming a competitive powerlifter a few years ago (and setting a couple of state records).
Now where did the movie fall short? I'm not sure it did, to be honest. I was disappointed to see Mark Ruffalo instead of Ed Norton as Bruce Banner – but that doesn't mean Mark Ruffalo didn't do a great job. In fact, it might have been necessary to not have Ed Norton in it. I have a feeling Mr. Norton might have stolen the show. Captain America was a heck of a lot better in The Avengers than he was in his own movie. Sure, I get the necessity to have the first Captain America to set the stage for much of what occurred, but wow was it boring. Tony Stark and Iron Man? Great, as usual. Pepper Pots in some short shorts in the beginning? Can't go wrong!
That leaves Thor. My wife got my daughter to agree that Thor was there favorite because he was so "dreamy". Barf. I used to like Thor before that comment. I think he's too scrawny to play the Norse God of Thunder, but at least in this one he wasn't prancing around with his shirt off. I want my superhero tanks to be big and beefy. Well defined is a must and I understand the physique I'm asking for is either the result of computer graphics or a lot of anabolic chemicals. All the same, when I'm talking about bigger / better than human – I expect bigger / better than human. At no point did Thor disappoint me though.
Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanov / Black Widow. I actually thought the actress had changed between Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Scarlett Johannson bulked up for The Avengers, and I don't feel she did so in a good way. I much preferred how she looked in Iron Man 2. Even better though was how she acted. She kept it real, displaying a hint of weakness at the appropriate times and even showing how terrified she'd been whenever she was within the same time zone as The Hulk. Black Widow truly kicked ass, but compared to the superheroes involved, her performance was outstanding.
That leaves Hawkeye. Personally, I think they could have left him. Behind. Out. Whatever. Seriously, a bow and arrow? I'm a hunter and I've spent a lot of time hunting and on the range with a bow. I love shooting, but there are so many reasons why bringing a bow to a Ragnarok level event is not a good idea. Especially when the people around you have firearms, energy weapons, and mythical hammers that are capable of summoning lightning strikes. As a kid I was never into The Avengers much. The Incredible Hulk and X-Men were my comics of choice, so I didn't know much about Hawkeye. I don't feel like I missed out on anything either.
So what's next? Avengers 2? Count me in! Iron Man 3? I'm there. Captain America 2? Er…okay, why not. Another Hulk movie? Yes, please! But until then I have to stick with my own superheroes in the stories I write. Most of them can only aspire to the Black Widow / Hawkeye level of prowess. Although there's one guy in the Voidhawk series that seems kind of hulkish…
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
The Awkward Review
Sooner or later a writer's nightmare comes true – a negative review rolls in. The knee jerk reaction is to dig deep and find out who the identity of the reviewer is so you can hunt them down and scream at them…or worse. That moment passes quickly though, and what remains is a jumble of emotions.
As a writer we want everybody to like our work. Unfortunately the universally liked manuscript has not been invented yet. Not only that, but if it was, sales would blossom and then fall away once people stopped talking about it. A negative review can help a book more than a positive one, in fact.
Negative reviews are not things to be feared. In fact, I recommend embracing them. Read and understand the review, then see if there is merit to it. It's not possible to please everybody, nor should a writer attempt to, but that doesn't excuse us from wanting to make our work as flawless as we can.
The real problem comes when a negative review rolls in that doesn't offer any help. I recently had just such an incident occur, although fortunately it came in the form of an email rather than something posted publicly. The reviewer requested a manuscript from me several months ago and I sent it off, then forgot about it as time passed. It came back to me last night out of the blue and, I'll admit, it took some time for me to even remember who the guy was and what was going on.
He was polite and respectful throughout his review, I'll give him that much. As a counter-balance to that he was also very condescending, which amused me. This reviewer is not a professional, or at least does not review or blog professionally. Yet he went on to opine about how characters and flow and so on and so forth weren't right, not to mention formatting issues that were so distracting he couldn't read more than a few pages of it.
Let me take a moment and expose that more clearly. He wrote up a damning review and sent it to me based upon six pages of text. Six pages out of a 128,000 word novel. Some of his complaints were a lack of depth and a failure to understand many of the concepts of the novel. He read six !#%^ing pages!
To his credit he was correct in some of his assertions about formatting. Such is a bane of all writers who publish in an electronic format. In this particular case I also grabbed an older copy of the book on accident and used a conversion program to make it available to his e-reader. In my experience Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and even Smashwords do a bang up job of converting documents to their various reader formats. Outside of those I haven't seen much of anything that isn't rife with flaws. I pointed that out to him but he had no interest even in pursuing a copy off of Smashwords that I could have given him via a coupon code. Instead he hoped I could be honest with myself regarding the book.
The book in question, Voidhawk, is a niche piece. It's part fantasy and part science fiction. I prefer to think of it as space fantasy, but even then it's definitely in its own niche. It sells quite well for me, and aside from this one individual I've received lots of love regarding it. Or, in the case of my wife and family, they gave up after attempting to read it. Seems the book and its sequels, being such a specialty niche, are either something you love right away or just can't get into. I don't blame anyone for that. Wooden ships sailing through space harnessing magical solar wind definitely requires a powerful suspension of disbelief!
This reviewer though didn't make the connection. That's not his fault, it just wasn't his niche. Trying to speak knowledgeably about it without having read more than a handful of pages, however, is just bad form. If you're going to review something for somebody, read the entire thing. If you can't, feel free to tell the writer as much but don't offer an opinion beyond that because all you'd be doing is judging a book by its cover.
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
Why Twitter Rocks or On The Fly Cover Art
I had a few moments of peace today and I wondered how I could ruin it. Well I just recently finished writing the rough draft for my second part of Vitalis so I thought, why not work on the cover for it?
Many thoughts came to mind, most unreasonable or way beyond my ability. Ultimately I decided to see if I could find a critter that is featured in the novella. To risk a minor spoiler, said critter is a combination of a dinosaur, a bird, and a gorilla or feline. Not a chimera, per se, but an alien critter that developed thusly. Oh, and the characters call it a "chickasaurus". Yeah, you're curious now, even if it's only to understand just how off my rocker I really am!
So anyhow, I'm looking for this critter online, hoping for some way to either find a free pic that was similar or something I could photoshop together. I ran out of time quickly without any luck. So I posted on Twitter that I was looking for a free pic of a cross between x, y, and z.
Almost immediately I got a response from a guy by the name of @joekawano on Twitter. He threw something together and offered it up to me. It was clearly an amalgamation and cartoonish, but it was amazing and cool. No, it doesn't fit what I'm looking for but that doesn't detract from the plain coolness of the out-of-the-blue situation. I mentioned I was just kind of venting a little and he went another step to actually throw together a sample cover for me with a silhouette of the "monster" in question. Here's his cover:
It's wrong in many ways, but that doesn't diminish the fact that I thought this was downright cool and entertaining. Joe thought this was for Voidhawk, not a new series, and again the creature just doesn't work for me. It's still a pretty cool image and offering though, and I wanted to make sure I drew as much attention to Joe's work as I could as a way of saying thank you for both his offer and the entertainment I got out of the process.
So if you're on Twitter give this guy a follow and a shout! @joekawano


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Category — Vendor Spotlights
August Artist of the Month: Humble Design Co.
We are super excited to feature Sarah Glover of Humble Design as August's Artist of the Month! Sarah's adorable felt creations are hugely popular at the shop! We can never keep her potted felt cacti and succulents on the shelf for long!
Sarah's provided us with some extra special goodies this month, like super-sized plush cacti – one customer said she was going to make it her travel pillow! – so be sure to come check them out before they're all gone! Also these new wooden spool pins are sure to look smashing on the jean jacket lapel or backpack of your favorite crafter!
Show some Oregon love with a mini pennant or magnet, or surprise someone special with a colorful felt flower hairclip or felt garland or tiny owl plushie. All of Humble Design's work is sure to please as gifts!
Sarah was very excited to be featured as Artist of the Month and to answer our questions:
What is your favorite TV show or music to play while you work?
The Office for sure! It's my all time favorite, and it doesn't distract me too much except when "That's what she said!" jokes happen…but overall I'm able to get quite a lot of crafting done while it's on.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration really everywhere, from flowers in the garden to the colors of buildings, to just walking around the fabric store.
Do you have any pets? Please describe, if so.
Yes! I have one cat named Kitty, who's sassy and has an extreme tuna addiction. I also have a Chiweenie named Molly and she's pretty much my spirit animal! When she's not sleeping she's eating cheese or relaxing in the sun… just living the life!
What is your favorite food?
Mexican food for sure! Burritos are my go to food, with chips and salsa of course! The spicier the better!
How do you reward yourself for a job well done?
When I'm not crafting, I'm thrifting – so if I get a big job done I love to reward myself with a day of thrifting or garage sale-ing with my family. It's amazing what you can find for a bargain!
August 10, 2016 No Comments
July Artist of the Month: You Are Here
We are happy to shine a spotlight on Lyn Nance-Sasser and Stephen Sasser of You Are Here for July's Artist of the Month!!! You must come check out their expanded selection of prints, cards, postcards, magnets, buttons, journals, patches, souvenir viewfinders and framed prints!
Stephen and Lyn became master printmakers in the 1980's when they were founding members of the Northwest Print Council, an organization of artists from 5 western states and 2 Canadian provinces, that later became Print Arts Northwest. At that time, they worked in silkscreen printmaking; but they have now embraced technology by using digital techniques to create their prints of landmarks and icons.
The You Are Here series all started in 2012 when Lyn and Stephen received a grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council to create 12 images of Portland icons. Marketing their prints all over the country via the internet, they now have over 60 images of cities from coast-to-coast, as well as Europe and Japan!!!
What are your favorite Portland landmark(s)? The multiple Benson Bubbler drinking fountains, the Thompson Elk fountain and the 31-foot Paul Bunyan statue in Kenton.
What are your astrological signs? Our astrological signs are quite compatible: Lyn is a well balanced Libra, and Stephen is an optimistic-to-a-fault Aries.
Do you have any pets? Please describe, if so. Our famous cat Jimmy (who has appeared on the front of a Hallmark card), is an orange tabby.
What are your favorite foods? Portland is such an epicenter of good, farm to table food, that it is impossible to pick a favorite.
How do you reward yourselves for a job well done? We love to travel, near and far! Favorite NW locations are Astoria, Seattle, Vancouver BC, Central Oregon, the Wallowas, Tacoma and Walla Walla.
July 12, 2016 No Comments
June Artist of the Month: 20 Leagues!
June's Artist of the Month is the incredibly inventive husband and wife team of 20 Leagues! Morgan Pasinski and Jamie Hudson are always crafting up some new displays and fun items for our shop using not much more than a bit of cardboard, a laser cutter, and mystical crafty powers bestowed by Captain Jules!
Tiny dioramas and diorama kits for your houseplants, taxidermy magnets, Oregon-themed ornaments, rebar bottle openers, and more!!!
Extra- special for this month we have on display a "Two-Bit Time Machine" diorama gumball machine – for 25 cents you can experience their vision for the time capsule in Pioneer Square!
Always ready with a clever twist on words, the dynamic duo supplied some rhymes in answer to our questions – check 'em out (though we just can't believe that these folks don't leave themselves any time for fun!)
What's your favorite music to play while you're working?
Anything with a beat – we're the Riverdance of twerking.
Where in the world do you find inspiration?
A place in our heads that needs medication.
Which of the twelve is your astrological sign?
We ended up married last time we fell for that line.
Do you have pets? Please describe them, if so.
We've two blue cats. One's sharp and one's slow.
What are your favorite things to eat?
Just about anything that doesn't have meat.
Where would you say you most like to work?
For ourselves, even though our bosses are jerks!
How do you reward yourself for a job well done?
We do the next job better. No time for fun.
Check out their website for even more 20 Leagues fun!
June 14, 2016 No Comments
May Artist of the Month: Appetite!
We always get excited for our customers when they get to take home an Appetite piece and so of course we are excited to feature this super sister team as May's Artist of the Month! Appetite's Erin Albin and Megan Oser design and manufacture by hand an incredible array of housewares and personal goods! You can find their work at their storefront on East Burnside as well as many other local stockists.
We truly love recommending Appetite napkins, potholders and dishtowels to customers looking for thoughtful, handmade gifts and their new fabric buckets are a crowd pleaser as well! And of course we are always thrilled to see people treat themselves to a gorgeous leather and fabric handbag, backpack, wallet or clutch!
Here's what Erin had to say in answer to our questions the business and process:
Where do you find inspiration?
When we moved our studio into our combined shop/studio space 4 years ago, we added selling vintage and plants to our offerings. We are constantly finding amazing vintage textiles, bags and paintings that inspire our bag shapes and textile choices or inspire a new colorway to print our fabric in. And working so closely with plants has inspired many new botanical illustrations for our printed fabrics.
What is your favorite music, TV show or podcast to play while you work?
We love this show called "Chances with Wolves" from East Village Radio. It's a variety show that can go from obscure song covers to choral tunes to rock & roll in one show. You can find it Saturday afternoons on Xray.fm or stream it on Soundcloud.
Tell us about your pets!
We are a sister team and we work together almost everyday. Megan has a 10 year old Boston terrier named Beetle that comes to the shop with her and has his own teepee for naps. He's very social and will try to get you into playing fetch with him when you stop by the shop.
We encourage you to come check out our sweet selection and also visit the Appetite shop (especially if you can meet Beetle!) or visit their website at www.appetiteshop.com!
May 9, 2016 No Comments
April Artist of the Month: Unusual Cards
Portlanders, that blazing ball of fire in the sky has finally arrived and we are so excited to welcome the sunny weather as well as April's Artist of the Month, Francesca Berrini of Unusual Cards!!!
This sunshine makes it feel like anything is possible and almost anything IS possible in Francesca's art – dinosaurs, kittens, religious and historical icons, jello mold spaceships, all hanging out together! Customers have a great time pouring through all her designs in the shop!
Francesca collects most of her original source materials from various thrift stores and the "kindness of strangers" to create unique, colorful, hilarious collage designs. She cuts and pastes multiple layers of images to create scenes that are the embodiment of tall tales and turns them into prints, candles, greeting cards and magnets. We currently have a couple framed originals in the shop!
Francesca was very happy to answer some questions (truthfully? You decide – her bio on her website indicates she was born in the Arctic tundra in 1952, and raised by polar bears until the age of 7!) about herself and her process for our blog:
What is your favorite TV show or music to play while you work?
It really depends on the type of work I'm doing. For creative work I'm obsessed with podcasts – Serial, Sawbones, The New Yorker Fiction Podcast, What the Crime, This American Life, the Moth. For the really boring work of stuffing cards into clear bags I'll watch RuPaul's Drag Race or Black Mirror.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in anything that's very sincerely trying to convince me of something in an overly enthusiastic way. The mid-century printed material I scavenge to cut up is really full of unblinking optimism, but it's really not that different in tone than a lot of stuff that's being produced today. I love the look of a solid lie printed in glorious technicolor.
What is your astrological sign?
Tauraquaries with Leobra rising.
Do you have any pets and if so, please describe!
I have a Shiba that came from the Humane Society about 11 years ago. This is the reason I am constantly covered in pet hair.
What is your favorite food?
Whatever my husband cooks for me.
Where do you most like to work?
I love working in my art studio at the North Coast Seed Company. I've been there for over 10 years now!
How do you reward yourself for a job well done?
I guess I don't really "reward" myself per se. I just keep working and hoping that I'll keep doing it well. The reward is being able to work on whatever I think is worth working on. I think the idea of rewarding myself would work well if I was taking steps towards some kind of goal, but if the goal is just being able to continue to do the work I like, then there's no end in sight. Maybe I'll invent a time machine so I can high five myself right before I die.
Come check out Francesca Berrini's work at the shop and at www.unusualcards.com!
April 18, 2016 No Comments
March Artist of the Month: Kara Burke!
We're thrilled to announce Kara Burke as our March Artist of the Month – just in time for the arrival of Spring and perfect Portland dog-walking weather! This long-time member of the Crafty family's irresistible pet pillows, paintings, patches, snap pouches and jewelry are sure to charm any animal lover!
This lovely lady recently got so busy making custom pillows she was able to leave her full-time day job and work solely for herself. She feels very lucky to have time to work on new projects and enjoy life in between. "I'm excited to work on different custom projects this coming year, including but not limited to my custom pet pillows. I love being able to come up with something made just for the recipient. Especially when it's of their dog! I get lots of commissions for kids who are away at college and are homesick / missing their family pet. I love helping them feel closer to home."
Kara likes to keep things light and easy, but her work is truly a labor of love – from drawing to sewing, she does it all by hand. Her simple, affectionate style will draw you in and her sweet, sad-eyed pups and other animals (cats! pigeons! whales!) will warm your heart. "Sometimes I find inspiration from travel but more often than not, I find it most from my home – my family, my childhood, the different places I've lived. And my dogs, of course! We've just recently upgraded our pooch pack to 3 – Henry, Blue and our new baby Bob. They're so fun and are hilarious together."
Springtime in Portland means you may find this hard-working lady walking to local spots Ruby Jewel or Eb & Bean for ice cream (with 3 dogs in tow!) after a long day. But come the warmer weather, she'll happily be heading out of town – "I'm excited to marry my best friend this summer, at the place where so many of my memories have been made – my family's chalet on the most perfect midwest lake. He loves dogs and ice cream too. Woof! Perfect." We couldn't agree more.
March 7, 2016 No Comments
February Artist of the Month: Willamette Valley Confectionery!
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we are very excited to announce February's Artist of the Month, Willamette Valley Confectionery!!!
This old fashioned candy company does its namesake valley proud by using berries, fruits, nuts and dairy products from local farms. They are a self-proclaimed "little family" consisting of Kenneth Hoyt, Risa Northway, and resident "new guy" Zack Jackman, a recent graduate from Oregon Culinary Institute. Ken says they work "shoulder-to-shoulder" in their candy kitchen/lab/packaging room and warehouse, nicknamed "Candyland," and that having a new employee brings lots of energy and excitement to the mix.
"I find creative inspiration in the farms and farmers that supply us with our beautiful berries and nuts… and vintage cookbooks, where are all of our recipes originated."
Willamette Valley Confectionery small-batch, handcrafted candies are free of all artificial colorings and preservatives, and their nostalgic packaging, all of which is compostable, biodegradable and/or recyclable, will complete your sweet experience!
Ken recommends their salted caramels, either coffee or regular, with coffee. Treat your sweetie (or yo'self!) to a perfect Portland pairing this Valentine's Day (or anytime!)
by Joanna Kurimsky
February 12, 2016 No Comments
December Artist of the Month: Robot Candy
Our final Artist of the Month of 2015 is the spectacular dream team Jenn Hill + Jenny Tiffany of Robot Candy!!! They were actually our first ever featured artists to grace this page and the special space on our shop wall in 2012. We are so happy they are still a part of our family!!!
For over 10 years Jenn and Jenny have been making Portland a cuter, craftier place with their awesome work inspired by the designs of Japan, Sweden and the 1960s.
Most recognizable are these ladies' famous tile coasters featuring fun, retro imagery sealed under a resin coating. There are literally hundreds of designs to choose from, including Portland bridges and other landmarks, crafty cats, vintage ads, sweet floral patterns, and more!!!
Besides the plethora of coasters, you can also find adorable needle felted critters and bowls, hand-sewn tissue pouches and pincushions, plush sweater softies, art prints, zipper pouches, and tiny handmade buttons and necklaces.
So much of their lines, Robot Candy as well as Chet & Dot and Automatte, have a warm + fuzzy, comfy vibe and no wonder, Jenn highly recommends embroidering in bed while watching tv. Sounds excellent! And after the holidays you may find them treating themselves to a very well-deserved dinner at Screen Door or Lovely's Fifty-Fifty here in town!
December 21, 2015 No Comments
October Artist of the Month: Red Bat Press!
October is here and we are super thrilled to announce Carye Bye as our Artist of the Month!!! She's stocked us with lots of goodies just in time for Halloween!!!
Carye, a local Portland artist since 2002, does wood-block printmaking under Red Bat Press, and publishes guidebooks and illustrations under Hidden Portland. Known by many as the "Museum Lady," Carye is nearly as much of an institution in Portland as the landmarks and sights she loves to illustrate!
Along with framed prints and drawings, Hidden Portland Guidebooks in singles or sets of 3, you've got to come down to the shop to check out Carye's punny and adorable Halloween wood-cut and letterpress art postcards and cards, such as "Pumpkin Patch" (he's a pirate!), "Roller Ghoster" and "Bat-Tub Party!" Customers also love the Halloween-themed $5 Treasure Packs — no two alike — with wood-block prints and other spooky, seasonal ephemera! Perfect for trick-or-treaters (and we're pretty sure they will last longer than fun-size candy bars.)
We think Carye Bye is pretty rad! We asked her some questions about herself for our blog and here's what she had to say:
What is your favorite TV show or music to play while you work?
When I'm doing repetitive production style work (hand-painting art postcards or stapling guidebooks) I enjoy watching dvds from the library — I've discovered some great shows — Downton Abbey, Story of Film: an odyssey (it was 15 segments!), and I've even returned to childhood classics like Little House on the Prairie — still holds up all these years.
Where do you find inspiration?
I'm inspired by place and where I am, as well as some nostalgia — I love vintage and old-timey eras and also am inspired by block printing styles from China.
Do you have any pets? Please describe, if so!
One cat, Murphy: my second orange cat. Orange-ginger cats are the best — well known for their sweetness.
Where do you most like to work?
If I had my way, I'd always be exploring — that's my favorite part of work…being inspired by beauty, color, contrast, as well as seeing interesting juxtapositions and surprises. But at some point it's time to move into my studio and create. Many artists love the process–and I do to an extent–but what I really like is finishing, because I print on a semi-worn out table-top letterpress I have to trouble-shoot so much that it's always a mini miracle when something turns out looking like I hoped!
How do you reward yourself for a job well done?
Go take a day off to explore! and maybe some ice cream!
October 6, 2015 No Comments
September Artists of the Month: Pixel Party + Cookoorikoo!
Crafty Wonderland welcomes a dynamic duo to September's Artist of the Month spot: Shanalee Hampton (Cookoorikoo) and Shawn Hampton (Pixel Party)!!!
Shanalee Hampton began selling embroidered hoop art in her online shop in the summer of 2013. Embroidery had been her go-to craft for gifts for years, since learning how to embroider as a small child, hating it, and then later discovering a real love for it. She switched entirely from jewelry to embroidery the following spring. She finds inspiration everywhere – words, quotations, space, art nouveau illustration, her friend's social media feeds… Everything can be turned into an embroidered hoop, according to Cookoorikoo!
Shawn (aka Shampton) Hampton has been pushing pixels since he was 7. From playing with print shop on the Apple ii in elementary school to playing Pacman in the arcade and Jumpman on the Commodore 64 to making websites as an "adult", he sees the world through pixelated glasses. He started making video game jewelry when he got a little jealous of all the things Shanalee was making & has since branched out to art and bumper stickers. Customers especially love the bumper stickers quoting "Oregon Trail"!!!
These two have been working on art projects together for the last fifteen years and have been living in Portland for the last five. Shanalee can also be found mending vintage clothes at Wanderlust Vintage and Shampton can be heard playing with Lovebomb Go-Go Marching Band or solo as 8-bit Zero. They love tacos.
September 1, 2015 No Comments


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Bell Curve
Looking for Work. Salary: $10,000 or less
You stand out in front of the local gardening store hoping to get picked up for some work that day. Standing in the hot sun, you watch as both the day and the cars pass you by. Finally, towards the end of the day, a nice old lady drives up and says she'll give you two bits if you help her plant an herb garden. You realize too late that two bits equals a whole quarter.
Part-Time Gardener. Salary: $20,000
You've been hired to do some yard work for a wealthy couple. Your favorite aspect of the job is being able to trim the hedges into interesting shapes. Your life-sized trimming of Elvis certainly makes the neighbors slow down to take a look. Unfortunately, it turns out your clients just wanted you to take off an inch or two.
Professional Landscaper. Salary: $30,000
You take pride in your work for all of your clients. Lawns are walkable, hedges are shorn as they should be, and there's not a dry patch of dead grass on any property for which you're responsible. Customers are reasonably happy with your work and rates, and most of them are fine with the extra hundred bucks you add for the "complete horticultural experience"—whatever that means.
Lawn Care Specialist. Salary: $40,000
Taking both your knowledge of plants and your ability to make them look pretty to the next level, you've started offering your services as a Zen contractor. Because of you, every garden you work on feels like an improved space, and the extra oxygen in the air really opens the lungs (not to mention the wallets).
Lawn Company Owner. Salary: $50,000
Ever since becoming one of the more respected gardeners in town, you've had to hire extra help just to deal with all the business. You sort of miss getting dirty throughout the day, but the increased revenue more than makes up for it. If you ever feel the need, you can always roll around in some mud.


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Welcome to South End Surf 'N Paddle
The shop is open everyday 8am – 8pm!609-492-8823.
Free Stand Up Paddleboard Demos
New Boards New Colors Every Week
SUP Lessons & ToursSurf Camp & Surf Lessons Drop by the ShopRent a Board
LBI Stand-Up Paddleboards (SUP's) & Surfboards
Located on Long Beach Island in Beach Haven, New Jersey our LBI surf shop specializes in top quality, state-of-the art stand-up paddleboards (SUP's) from Riviera and longboards, both custom-made in our shaping room and from iconic Stewart, Stoke, and Pine Knot Surboards. Plus we offer apparel and gear. However, we are so much more. We are your neighborhood surf shop. In addition to very reasonably priced stand-up paddleboard lessons (group and private), surfing lessons and the latest trend, SUP yoga classes we regularly offer community events like free ukulele lessons, surf jams, surf movies, and alaia building workshops. Or if you are into racing, the LBI Paddle Race Series.Drop by the Shop
LBI Surfing & Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) Lessons and Tours
SUP Lessons & Tours. Small client to guide / instructor ratio! Safety and fun are paramount. Morning and afternoon sessions. Enjoy the gorgeous views on the bay while exercising and having fun with family and friends. We also specialize in private group tours – bachelorette parties, family reunions, etc.
Our "Surf N Paddle" Surf School Package is three days. You can take them all in one week or spread out over a few weeks. There is an optional 4th day (or more) that can be taken as well to continue to hone your surfing skills. We are unique in that the first day we take you out on the bay and teach you surfing skills that you will use on the ocean later. We teach you how to surf.
SUP Boards
We carry a wide selection of Riviera paddleboards, SUP racing boards, touring SUP boards, inflatable paddleboards, paddles and accessories.
We carry surfboards by companies like Stoke Surfboards, Cloud Nine and Barfoot as well as offer surf lessons and surf camps. Check out our new shaping room!
Gift Certificates Available
Proudly offering top-quality paddleboards from Riviera Paddlesurf. Riviera was established in Southern California and is a family-owned and operated paddleboard manufacturer. They make stand-up paddleboard products only.
Explore & Experience LBI with Stand-Up Paddleboarding!
Ready to Try Stand-up Paddleboarding?
It's the Perfect Way to Exercise & Explore Long Beach Island!
Our seasoned SUP instructors help you find a pace that's challenging but manageable. South End offers SUP lessons, SUP tours, SUP camps and SUP yoga.
Sign up for a free demo so you can find a SUP that fits you and your skill level best.SUP Lessons & Tours Drop by the Shop Rent a Board
Free SUP Demo!
Personalized gift certificates available for a new SUP board, 3-day surf lesson package, SUP lessons & tours, and SUP yoga! Call for details.
What is Stand-Up Paddleboarding?
Easy & Fun
Stand-up paddle boarding is an accessible sport the whole family can try. (Yes, even your grandmother.)
"Sweeping" can be done on most bays, lakes and rivers as well as the ocean.
Low Impact
Stand-up paddling puts no unnecessary pressure on your joints while gently improving balance and building core strength.
Considered a form of "aquatherapy", stand-up paddling is a perfect way to relax, unwind and get in touch with nature.
According to a 2013 Outdoor Foundation recreation report, standup paddle boarding is the most popular outdoor activity for first-time participants. Find out why!


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I've had a couple different wordpress blogs, and a couple days ago I went to start another website and my comments just don't show up but instead it loaded my homepage in the iframe.
I did delete the classic theme and am just using the default theme. I also did change the index.php in the default theme, but the comments didn't work when nothing was changed either.
Can someone please help me?
Thanks so much :]


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Oratia Bed and Breakfast
From $90 / night
Payment Protection
balance of due
Description from the owner
Description from the owner
Bedrooms: 1/
Bathrooms: 1/
Sleeps: 2/
Type: Bed and Breakfast
Book this 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom bed and breakfast in Auckland today! A total of 2 people can sleep here comfortably. This property has been booked 5 times.
Guests can enjoy a deck, parking space, and internet access among other amenities offered by this rental.
Travelers are sharing their opinions on this property. It has an overall rating of 5/5 thanks to an average of 3 reviews.
Costs vary, with the average weekly rate as low as $630.00, depending on travel dates.
The owner responds to 93% of inquiries and last updated the property's calendar 6 months ago, so this rental may not be available for your requested dates, but please inquire to confirm.
Proximity to TripAdvisor's Top Auckland Attractions
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Victory saw Adams' side stretched their unbeaten run in 2013 to eight games in a game they dominated after a slow start. Ivan Sproule scored his fifth goal in as many starts to give County the lead in the 11 minutes from the break.
Second-half goals from Richard Brittain and Iain Vigurs completed a fine display after the break from the home side.
Adams said: "After the first goal it (winning) was probably never in doubt. We should have probably scored a few more but I'm happy with another clean sheet. It was a terrific performance against a side who are trying to get into second position after finishing third last year.
"I thought Motherwell didn't really trouble us to any respect throughout the 90 minutes.
"I watched them on Tuesday night and they had a lot of play against Dundee United but we have a lot of good players in our side. We coped well with (Michael) Higdon, who has been a good signing for them.
"When we keep him quiet and Henrik Ojamaa quiet we're doing all right."
His opposite number Stuart McCall felt it was his side's worst performance in some time, and he said: "Fortunately I haven't had to talk about performances like that in recent months.
"In fact, I can't remember the last performance that was as limp.
"Ross County wanted it more. They played the condition of the pitch better than we did and just all over the park they were hungrier, that's not what you want to say as a manager."
- Sports & Recreation
- Iain Vigurs
- Ivan Sproule


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Hearthstone Country Club
Main Number: 281.463.2201
Leagues & Tournaments
Set up a tour for a closer look at Club tennis.Set Up a Tour
Prospective Members
Carmen Pleasanton
Membership Director
Interest in becoming a Member?
Host a Tournament
Host an outing or a tournament. Find out more in the tournaments section.
Jr. Tennis Camp
For information on any of these groups or to find out how to join one or more of these fun associations, please stop in or call the pro shop.
- Boys Night Out
- Ladies Social Tennis
- Ladies' HLTA
- Men's North Suburban Tennis League
- Ladies' WHLTA
- Ladies' Jackrabbit League
- Cardio Tennis
Your leagues provide some of the most exciting tennis tournaments around. Here, you'll play challenging matches, meet fellow Members and, with any luck, win some great prizes.


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Since i am not technically allowed to ask for paid services i thought i would ask for someone to volunteer to do this for me. I will be more than willing to allow the person to put a direct link to their "sites" .
My contact info is my member name @ earthlink.net