text:
"Predictions" that need to stop in 2012 - Part 2: Google, Android & "fragmentation"
0. phoneArena 11 Jan 2012, 12:47 posted on
Now is the time for "predictions" on what the coming year will have for us, but we're not really the clairvoyant types, so we'd rather just mention the things we all know will happen and talk about why we don't need to hear any more about it...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. ilia1986 (unregistered)
An excellent article, Michael. Truly well spoken. You have not left a stone unturned - or should I say - untouched.
I would also like to add that people who have an Android device - and want Google to be more like Apple - are akin to those who come to a premium restaurant, only to be dissapointed that it doesn't serve McRoyal with fries.
That said - the very idea of people *desiring* that their freedom regarding mobile operating system control and customization - be taken away, or limited in one way or another - is quite a disturbing phenomenon, really.
7. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
It just goes to show that customers often don't know what they really want.
Thanks for the comment!
49. pattypatterson (Posts: 48; Member since: 28 May 2010)
what the heck is a Mcroyal???
51. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
Euro version of the Quarter Pounder. Haven't you ever seen Pulp Fiction?
52. atheisticemetic (Posts: 377; Member since: 18 Dec 2011)
say what again?! i dare ya!
2. audiblenarcotic (Posts: 111; Member since: 16 Nov 2011)
Your articles are always very well written, informative, and usually from a very neutral standpoint. That being said, it's always a pleasure to read them and get your perspective on things happening in the industry. Keep up the great work.
8. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
3. ayephoner (Posts: 850; Member since: 09 Jun 2009)
I found a few details that I wanted to nitpick, but won't. All in all, I completely agree with what you've written.
I missed pt1, which I assume is on iOS. You might want to link it. Again, great job!!
9. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
Added the link, sorry about that. Thanks for pointing it out though!
4. Arpad (Posts: 40; Member since: 05 Jan 2012)
Nice read! I am anticipating the (doom of) BlackBerry part.
Apple still have the momentum from 4s. Wonder how long it will keep it in 2012?
I wonder can the current Android OS have more then 1Gb memory? I have not seen any phone or tablet having more. Or it can but there is no need for it atm?
10. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
I haven't heard about any limitation as far as the amount of RAM Android can handle, but there have been rumors of devices with 1.5 or 2 Gb of RAM on the way this year.
33. ningaman999 (Posts: 13; Member since: 27 Dec 2011)
Not only that but there is a problem that sometimes, usually Samsung it shows 833 Mb Ram compared to 1 Gb or 323 compared 1/2 Gb. Is there any explanation for this? Because the bigger the number, the more it could lose.
44. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
As far as I know, there's no way to check how much RAM you have on your device, at least not without an app from the Market. Are you sure you're not looking at the Internal storage? That would explain the disparity, because storage drives always are listed at larger than the actual usable space.
46. ningaman999 (Posts: 13; Member since: 27 Dec 2011)
For Samsung devices you hold down the home key to open the task manager, and in the top you can click in the Ram category and it tells you how much you are using/how much you have. For my Samsung Captivate it says x/329 Mb, for the Galaxy S II I see in videos x/ 833 Mb.
48. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
Good point. I have looked at that in the running apps menu tons of times, I can't believe I never really paid attention. I'm not sure how that works, because you're right, my Galaxy Nexus claims I have 695MB of RAM (when adding the used and free), when it should add up to 1Gb.
50. thephoneguy92 (Posts: 191; Member since: 29 Dec 2011)
The phones actually do have 1Gb of RAM like they say, but when you factor in the needed apps/bloatware you get down to the actual RAM you have available, and that's where the discrepancy comes in
54. corrifa (Posts: 34; Member since: 28 Sep 2011)
The other RAM that isn't shown from the 1gb is reserved for the OS so it wont crash itself or run out of memory for itself.
14. remixfa (Posts: 14255; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
there is no limitation. its lack of a need. memory isnt free. If it making it 1.5gb of memory doesnt really affect performance more than 1gb of memory does, then why spend the cost? Michael is right though, there are rumors (aka SGS3) of phones coming with 1.5gigs and higher this year... but they also acompany the quad core chips.
5. DROIDX0430 (Posts: 468; Member since: 24 Nov 2010)
Wow! I am speechless. Well spoken article!!! Best article I've read on PA!!! and like I said before in a posting about Nokia and WP7....Android needs to polish the UI.....make sure the apps works across all versions of Android...froyo, gingerbread and icecream...not catching up...I remember when I first got the Thunderbolt..My Verizon app would not even work, NFL App would not even work...Google Talk doesn't work on anything less than Gingerbread 2.3.4...Google + bugs everywhere--just got fixed on the Flagship Nexus phone--how could that phone even be released as a pure Google phone and not even have a Google app properly working on it....the Verizon branding on the back--not Nexus material----and to date the most EXPENSIVE Google phone ever released.....
11. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
To be fair, all of your criticisms with the Nexus are specific to Verizon. The international version has the Google branding front and center, and it was also very cheap, even free on many carriers in Europe.
12. ilia1986 (unregistered)
Also - as a person who has both a username and a profile picture related to Android - you should know that the problem of having only 2.1\2.2\2.3 version of the OS - can easily be negated by installing a custom rom.
15. remixfa (Posts: 14255; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)
i stil dont see the problem. 99.999% of android apps work on 2.1 and up. There are fewer and fewer phones on 2.1 and most of those phones will be coming up for renewal soon if they are not already, so 2.1 is on its way out the door. As far as I know there isnt a single app that is compatible with 2.2 that isnt compatible with 2.3 which make up the vast majority of phones (everything not nexus). By the time ICS updates roll out to current devices the ICS app incompatibilities should be solved.
Im glad you touched on fragmentation. Its a joke issue. Im still wondering why not one single issue on apple's fragmentation has ever been written on this site though. yet we get monthly updates on android "fragmentation". Apple's policy of "point the finger at everyone and yell so no one looks at me" obviously works as most people dont believe apple has a frag issue.. which is worse than android's by far.
18. DROIDX0430 (Posts: 468; Member since: 24 Nov 2010)
#12 you must be talking about me...So I will lead to why...the latest release of lte phones on VW have lead to many returns...customs ROMS and other builds void the warranty...So I learned my lesson to just deal with it!!!!!
26. ilia1986 (unregistered)
Switch carrier. If you say that there is a high return rate - because of a carrier related problem - just go to AT&T\Tmo\Sprint.
"To deal with it" is never the best solution.
53. atheisticemetic (Posts: 377; Member since: 18 Dec 2011)
or he could get a new phone and not switch to a junk carrier.
Verizon might be an elitist company (as they know they're the best), however if I'm going to pay for a cellphone I want it to work.
having had sprint, tmobile, and ATT I can assure you Verizon is worth the money. Sprint doesnt send text messages properly.
ATT has awful customer service and has limited 4g.
Tmobile....i wont talk about tmobile ;)
In his case I dont think he should "just deal with it" (manufacturer warranty enough times to get a new device), however switching carriers is an awful idea
6. darac (Posts: 2156; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)
Michael, you should be a ceo of some great tech company. Google should hire you on a high position at least :p
13. fraydoe (Posts: 57; Member since: 27 Dec 2011)
First of all, you've done another great article Michael, I do believe that you have great potential and actually should maybe expand your abilities to say, a tech or phone magazine?
Second of all, as an iPhone owner, I do believe Android users are more fascinated with what is under the hood while Apple users are gawking at the outside. However the possibilities and functionality with each are pretty much equal.
I also do not think that Apple users desire to be limited, but rather have things simplistically presented to them, hence the very small learning curve of apple products.
17. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
Yeah, that matches pretty much with what I've said before: Android is for tinkerers, and Apple is for those who can't be bothered. I may love Android, but I certainly know better than to suggest that my wife or sister get an Android when they would be far happier with an iPhone.
16. Sniggly (Posts: 7305; Member since: 05 Dec 2009)
Another excellent article, Michael. I'm happy that you tackled the fragmentation issue so brutally head on.
I'd like to add my own thoughts, repeated from a post I wrote about a year ago. I wrote that "fragmentation," in the sense of different UIs, phone sizes, designs, and price points, is the result of Android's ecosystem being the embodiment of a free market economy. Yes, there will be some crap phones, but customers usually move away from them once they learn that the phones are crap and move on to something better. Now sometimes this can be an iPhone, but many times if they're shown that they can get a QUALITY Android device they will pick that up too, for the same price or less than an iPhone.
There was more to my original post, but I have to forgo typing it for now, as I need to eat and get ready for work.
Keep writing MOAR articles, Michael!
19. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
You have a good point, and it completely embodies my argument that "fragmentation" is simply a bad word to describe what we're seeing. There is no such thing as "fragmentation" with the different UIs, sizes, form factors, and prices, that is a simple matter of differentiation (to use Google's new buzzword) and choice. Saying that is "fragmentation" connotes that there is something bad in that system, when there isn't.
20. Musty18591 (Posts: 17; Member since: 11 Jan 2012)
Man, u were the reason i used to enter this until i decided to register and im glad that this will b my first comment
GR88888 article indeed u r the best writer about technology and i am more than glad to Read every one u write ....
sorry about my english but i am iraqi :) keep up the good work ....
22. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
Thanks! Pretty sure you're the first Iraqi fan I've had, so that's pretty cool.
21. SlimSoulja86 (Posts: 660; Member since: 03 Nov 2011)
I also gatta say, the best article i've ever read on PA, good job Michael. If I could, I'd give you an Award for this
Good Job
23. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
24. networkdood (Posts: 6330; Member since: 31 Mar 2010)
I went to Android because it provides choice for the consumer. I was on a custom ROM TILT I, win 6.5, and I had to decide on Apple or Android ow wait for WIN 7. Android won me over because of the varied choices and models it allows. And, yes, I am a tinkerer.
25. bolaG (Posts: 468; Member since: 15 Aug 2011)
Good Article Michael, Very informative and enlightining to me. I like how you always step back from having a "fanboy" voice and now your purpose and audience very well.
Keep it up.
27. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
28. gallitoking (Posts: 4718; Member since: 17 May 2011)
great article Michael.. as always very informative and neutral... extra thanks for doing Apple 1st... and sorry to hear that you have an Android phone.. sorry had to trow it in there... lol...
29. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
I tried the iPhone, had the 3G for almost a year, but ultimately, I got bored with it. Everything I do on the web is Google, so Android works really well for me. And, when I get bored with it, I grab a custom ROM.
35. Sackboy117 (Posts: 178; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)
With that being said, there was no point in trying the iPhone 4 or 4S, since their basically the same UI, right?
36. ilia1986 (unregistered)
Especially when Siri is ported to older devices via JB.
The only reason I don't get bored of my iPhone 4 is because of the huge amount of games for it. That said - I could have bought a PSP, and a Nokia phone with some e-mail\internet access - say a C7 - and my usage wouldn't be any different. In fact it would probably be more delightful since the PSP has physical buttons on it, and the C7 can at least have widgets on it's homescreens.
45. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
I always try the new iPhones when they come out, but it still has the same problems for me, which is a lack of customization. Being able to set a wallpaper isn't enough. I love my widgets in Android, I love the easy sharing menu between apps. I love the deep integration with Google, because as I said, I use all Google web services. And, I like the idea that if I get bored, I can install a launcher alternative and put a skin on it, or install a custom ROM with a completely different feel to it. Not to mention, I love the enormous screen on the Nexus.
I sincerely doubt the iPhone will ever become the kind of device that I personally want to use, but I'll give it a try whenever there's a new one out.
30. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
wow.. amazing read micheal...!!!!! wonderfull. thanks a lot for this amazing piece. i will have to delete something to bookmark this article.
+1 for you.
32. MichaelHeller (Posts: 2703; Member since: 26 May 2011)
but... question: did you just type +1, or did you actually +1 the article and share it?
47. ZEUS.the.thunder.god (unregistered)
i actually +1 the article. again thanx for a great read.
31. putes (Posts: 38; Member since: 03 Nov 2011)
I am tired of the fragmentation discussion because the reality is that users don't care. They do care about choice. Choice in phone size, manufacturer, options, skins, speed and most importantly, price. Android openess enables these choices unlike Apple iOS which is basically no choice. With apple you get a fictitious Utopian world control by a dictator. Apple also has issues with OS versions (or fragmentation). After all, Siri was not ported to iPhone 4. What's up with that? I guess iPhone 4 is fragmented from iPhone 4S.
34. Jarahawk (Posts: 43; Member since: 04 Dec 2011)
Awesome article. It really brought things into focus for me. Thanks!
39. chapizzo (Posts: 116; Member since: 13 Sep 2011)
Nice work Michael. Now i see what the fragmentation talk is about, and its total BS.
41. XiphiasGladius (Posts: 813; Member since: 21 Aug 2011)
Nice article once again, educates a noob like me. Your the main reason I open up phonearena.com first than any other websites. . .


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City guide Lugano
Swiss cities up close and personal.
Discover the unique charm of our Swiss cities - with the vision and the heart of a local:
The most important information, excursions, events and much more.
A printed version for the road.
Download (PDF)
Lugano lies in a bay on the northern side of Lake Lugano, surrounded by numerous mountains offering splendid viewpoints. The traffic-free historic town centre, the numerous buildings in Italianate Lombardy style, the exclusive museums, the mountains, lake and a packed calendar of events all invite visitors to see the sights, soak up the atmosphere – and enjoy "dolce far niente". Thanks to its mild climate, Lugano is a popular tourist destination in the spring when the camellias are in bloom.
The town centre with its Mediterranean-style squares and arcades, and numerous parks with sub-tropical plants such as the Parco Civico on the shores of the lake invite you to laze around, enjoying the atmosphere. By the lakeside promenade are the Belvedere Gardens, where the parkland boasts not only camellias and magnolias but also countless sub-tropical plants and modern works of art.
Art connoisseurs are attracted to this city of art and architecture by the high standard of the exhibitions it hosts. In the Museo Cantonale d'Arte are paintings by Klee, Jawlensky, Renoir and Degas, among others. In the last 50 years, the Ticino region, and Lugano in particular, have developed into an important region for architecture. The most well-known representatives of the "Ticino School" are Luigi Snozzi and Mario Botta. Botta's Banca BSI (Viale Franscini), the Palazzo Ransila (Via Pretorio) and his own workshop on the Via Ciani are good examples.
The two closest mountains to Lugano, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, give you an outstanding panorama of the town, Lake Lugano and the alpine scenery. From Monte Brè there is a walk down to the village of Brè, which has preserved its typical Ticino village centre, and enhanced it with works of art. From the San Salvatore another popular walk leads down through the beautifully situated Carona to Lake Lugano at Morcote. Taking a boat trip back to Lugano is a splendid way to round off the day. Other excursions are to the fishing village of Gandria, up the Monte San Giorgio or the Monte Generoso or to the Lilliput world of Switzerland in Miniature at Melide.
Enjoy the Mediterranean temperatures, palm and olive trees. If you really want to relax, just sit at a table in one of the squares. And do what everyone does here: eat, chat and enjoy life.
Enjoy the Mediterranean temperatures, palm and olive trees. If you really want to relax, just sit at a table in one of the squares. And do what everyone does here: eat, chat and enjoy life.
- Parco Civico Ciani – overlooking the shores of lake Ceresio, its 63.000 sq. metres constitute the city's green lung; it's a quiet place where you can take nice walks and where it is impossible to remain unperturbed by the grandeur of century old trees.
- Monte Brè (925m) – Lugano's closest mountain can be reached by funicular railway from Cassarate on the outskirts of Lugano. Wonderful panorama of the town, lake and mountains, stretching right over the border into Italy.
- Monte San Salvatore (912m) – from the top of the "sugarloaf" (reached by funicular railway from Lugano-Paradiso) you can walk down the panoramic footpath to Carona and then on to Morcote.
- San Lorenzo Cathedral – set above the Old Town, it is worth a visit with its facade in the Lombardy Renaissance style, and countless frescoes and valuable Baroque artefacts inside.
- Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli – in this former monastery church, built about 1500, are fine frescoes by the masters of the Renaissance.
- Hesse Museum in Montagnola – small, intimate museum for the writer and adopted son of Ticino, Hermann Hesse, who lived and wrote in southern Switzerland for at least half a century.
Top Events
- Pasqua in città – explore the numerous intriguing and entertaining activities for young and old (March/April).
- Lugano Festival – an important cultural attraction, mainly devoted to classical music, but also including other aspects of the arts (April-June).
- Lugano Estival Jazz – the main musical event in Ticino, with free open-air jazz concerts - well-established on the circuit of major international jazz festivals (June/July).
- "Blues to Bop" – on the stages and squares in Lugano's town centre, the musical style ranges from blues to pop via gospel and back to soul (August/September).
- Festa d'Autunno – a party featuring gastronomic delicacies, wines and typical regional products (October).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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The Tax Section offers a wide variety of programs on tax issues and engages in tax policy, tax pro bono projects and tax legislative projects. The section meets annually with the N.C. Department of Revenue and IRS representatives located in North Carolina.
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The Tax Section maintains a strong focus on state and local tax issues. The section is continuously looking for ways to increase its outreach while expanding efforts with ongoing projects, such as the Tax Court's pro bono initiative and N.C. military VITA training at Fort Bragg. The section sponsors CLE programs and services; provides members with a substantive newsletter; and helps mold the NCBA's legislative agenda for presentation to the General Assembly.
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5 Things That Are Much Sadder Than They Ought To Be
#2. Guys Who Think Female Bartenders Actually Like Them
Seems like a majority of drinking establishments I frequent these days have young women behind the bar. They also tend to be dressed somewhat provocatively. No surprises there. Bars are filled with men, many of whom enjoy their drinks mixed with a healthy amount of eye-raping opportunities. Most female bartenders seem pretty OK with that if it means more tips. And some are super-OK with it because they engage these male customers with semi-flirtatious banter. Y'know, some "what can I getcha, honey" this and "here ya go, darlin'" that. And, of course, the laughter. Anything some aging, useless putz on a stool has to say about anything gets a big, flirty laugh. Just part of the game. No one gets hurt (except maybe the world-weary stereotypically Irish male bartender who can't get a friggin' gig in this T&A-based business model.)
Seamus McMurphy: hails from Limerick, knows how to make 50 plus drinks and hasn't worked in five years.
But what kills me is watching bartenders flirt up patrons who fall for it. Guys who think, "Hey this chick really likes me. She laughs at my jokes and doesn't charge me for every fourth round." Yeah, some guys are just happy for the attention and looking for something to slip into the spank bank, but you can tell the guys who think more's going on. They try to buy these barmaids shots and get mad when they see her laughing at other patrons' jokes. (Usually, mine. Sorry, fellas, it's tough love. You were bound to find out sooner or later, and, trust me, she's not sleeping with me either.) And then there's the tell-tale sign: They overtip like motherfuckers. (You'd be surprised how well people who bang moms tip.)
"See anything you like? I could be talking about booze or sex! LULZ!!!"
#1. Passive Aggressive Social Media Statuses
This one really breaks my heart: people leaving social media statuses designed merely to give certain people shit without naming names or being specific. Statuses left by friends excluded from plans, or in the middle of a fight. Half-hearted vitriol spewed by spurned lovers. Facebook and Twitter are the best vehicles for passive aggression since the silent treatment or closing drawers too loudly. It's a very tempting thing to do, and I'm sure I've done it myself even though I'm usually like super good at telling people to go to hell directly. But that's me: A debater, a hasher-outer, an insufferable pain in the ass. I'm always more afraid spaces will grow between me and friends -- not from critical words -- but from things left unsaid. Those awkward, unspoken resentments that sit invisibly between you and everyone you care about. For the record, I'm in the minority on that one. Most people prefer a good silent swallowing of concern. But something that everyone can probably agree on is the need to address those feelings for real or just shut up. Bringing it up halfway online where written words count even less than speech helps no one. Specifically, I'm talking about statuses like:
- Aww, it's OK. I didn't want to go to that party anyway.
- At times like these I value all the really good friends I have who would never dream of letting sincere differences of opinion get in the way of friendship.
- Don't be surprised you got burnt little boy. I'm a tigress.
- You give some people love, but what do you get? A slap in the face.
- Apparently some friends don't value honesty.
- I can't believe how many ignorant people there are in the world. Get informed, then talk.
Why is this so sad? It's not because these people are in pain or even because they can't seem to speak directly to whomever has made them feel that way. It's that for a moment they take pride in this act of assertion, believing they have accomplished something. And all they've done is show off their wounds to a group of e-friends, while simultaneously pretending they're too cool to really be in pain, or that the people they're addressing aren't even worthy of being identified. But of course you are (usually), and of course they are (usually). That's why you go back to being friends with or dating them again. And then you have to do that chilly thing where you delete the status and pretend it never happened.
"Oh, hey. How did that status get there? Silly Facebook-whiny-emo-virus!"
Quick rule of thumb: When someone you care about makes you sad and you feel like writing a status? Don't. All you're doing is spreading the sad. Pick up the phone. Sort your stuff. Then leave a status about how you thought your friend Chuck was a prick, but you've got it all worked out now.
Subscribe to the all-new HATE BY NUMBERS. Also follow Gladstone on Twitter and stay up to date on the latest regarding Notes from the Internet Apocalypse. And then there's his website too.
For more from Gladstone, check out 5 Sleazy Strategies for Turning Any Movie Date into Sex and 8 Ways Suburban Apathy Got Me Through Irene: A Hero's Story.


text:
The occasional recurrence of concussion symptoms has not forced Penguins superstar center Sidney Crosby to "shut down" his offseason training, general manager Ray Shero said late Sunday.
"There are going to be some symptoms with this injury, but nothing where he's had to shut it down or anything," Shero said, noting that he was in contact with Crosby over the weekend. "He's pushed himself, which is good."
Uncle Gary is not happy with this news, especially with regards to future Bridgestone NHL Winter Classics. Besides, this situation is Pittsburgh's headache, not Detroit's.


text:
Top Definition
A culchee (Irish countryside resident i.e. anywhere outside Dublin in the 26 counties of the republic)term for Snogging.
"I was caught shifting your mans sister lastnight just before i got me langer out"
po Dave1892 Април 11, 2006
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
The term for sticking ones tongue down ones throat aggressively
I shifted the face off her last night.Shifting
po petermanhardman Јануар 27, 2012
Selling items or narcotics
"What's up?"
"I'm shifting some mandy"
"I'm shifting some mandy"
po carpetting Април 9, 2015
The act of violently thrusting one's pelvic area forward, usually in the direction of another person. Often used my Minecrafters as a form of "virtual humping".
"Dude shift party in the fountain, gonna be shifting them so hard"
Best action ever Minecraft Shift Shifter
Best action ever Minecraft Shift Shifter
po me11/06 Септембар 4, 2013
another word for stealing in a shop or jacking from a shop
michael says to the shopkeeper "what the rasclat bombaclat man fink me shifting for, me was just buying some bombaclating orange juice for bombaclats sake, you fuking bombaclating talibane"
po Sonic (london bre Јул 30, 2005


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Curve manager Carlos Garcia is seeing red with his pitching staff thanks to the red and black of Richmond.
The staff entered the weekend home series with the Flying Squirrels one of the best in the Eastern League and left one of the worst, giving up 45 runs in the final three games, including a 13-2 loss Monday afternoon before 3,114 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
"Pitching has been perfect all year-round," Garcia said. "And we knew at some point we are going to hit the wall. I know they are going to bounce back, but right now we have a tough stretch."
The Curve, who are now a season-worst 10 games below .500, entered the four-game series third in the Eastern League with a 3.84 ERA. That ERA has skyrocketed to 4.28, dropping the team to 10th in the EL.
Despite allowing four earned runs in the first game of the series on Friday, the Curve's pitching staff allowed 33 earned runs in the next three games - an ERA of 11.00.
"We aren't throwing strikes," pitching coach Stan Kyles said. "We did that earlier in the season. We got hitters in swing mode, but for some reason we fell behind in the strike zone a lot. Our strikes that we have thrown are up in the zone."
Fact Box
Covering the bases
LEADING OFF: RHP James McDonald struggled in his second start in Peoples Natural Gas Field, giving up a three-run homer in the first inning. He gave up four runs in the first inning when the Pirates played the Curve in an exhibition at PNG Field on March 30. He said he doesn't know if playing in Altoona has anything to do with his woes and said there isn't anything about the park he doesn't like.
SAFE AT FIRST: RHP David Bromberg pitched 4 1/3 innings for the Curve in relief. He allowed two earned runs and struck out three in his second-longest relief outing this year. He pitched five hitless innings relieving RHP Charlie Morton on May 16.
STEALING SECOND: CF Mel Rojas Jr. went 3-for-5 on Monday, improving his average to .247. He also was 2-for-3 with two runs in the Curve's 20-9 loss on Sunday.
ROUNDING THIRD: With LF Andrew Lambo's triple on Monday, he is now tied for second for the most triples in the Eastern League with four. Lambo is fifth in the EL with 95 total bases.
HEADING HOME: The Curve travel to Binghamton tonight for the first time this season for three games. The Curve will then go to Portland for the first meeting with the Sea Dogs.
- Darian Somers
It hasn't been pretty for the starting pitchers lately. The Flying Squirrels scored nine runs in the first inning Sunday, most off Luis Sanz, and Sunday they chased rehabbing righty James McDonald (0-1)in the first inning after scoring three runs.
The Curve pitching staff has given up 19 runs in the first three innings of the past three games.
"We've got to be better prepared," Kyles said. "We've got to be ready to pitch from the first inning on. We haven't done that the last three, four games. It's something that we will address and hopefully be ready for our next series."
Kyles added the starters must go out and establish the strike zone to help out relievers.
"Our starters are the key," he said. "I expect those guys to throw much better."
In the last three games, Richmond ripped 53 hits off the Curve - 12 percent of total hits allowed by the team this season.
Richmond's Mark Minicozzi and Jarrett Parker were the two biggest hitters in the last three games. Minicozzi, who leads the Eastern League in hitting at .347, racked up nine hits, eight runs and three RBIs in the three games. Parker tallied seven hits, six runs and 11 RBIs in the same span, plus he homered four times in the three victories and five times during weekend.
"That was ridiculous," Garcia said when asked if he had seen anything like the numbers the Flying Squirrels put up. "We hit some balls hard, and it doesn't go nowhere. They make good plays. Whatever they barreled, it drops. It dropped no matter who hit. Even if it was a jam shot, it dropped for a base hit.
The Curve's offense - which could only manage two runs as Richmond's Taylor Rogers (3-2) got the win - has struggled all season long. Throw in a pitching staff with a 4.89 ERA in May compared to 3.67 in April, and the mix is something the last-place Curve don't need.
"I can see some frustration in our guys," Garcia said. "But I mean it's the kind of thing where you have to take a deep breath and keep playing."
Garcia is happy about one thing - not seeing the red and black of Richmond for a while. The four games are the last time the two teams play until late August.
The Curve take on Binghamton and Portland for the first time as they enter a six-game road trip with the two teams beginning tonight.?"I only can hope," Garcia said of more success playing different teams. "[If the pitching staff] sees different color uniforms, then things might start turning around for us."
Game recap
Key player: Richmond 1B Mark Minicozzi was 4-for-6, scored three runs and knocked in one.
Key play: 3B Adam Duvall hit a three-run homer in the first inning off rehabbing pitcher James McDonald.
Key stat: Curve pitching has allowed 45 runs 33 earned in its last three games.
How they scored
Top 1st: Parker walked, Panik walked, both scored on Duvall homer (0-3).
Bottom 1st: Ngoepe doubled, scored on Rojas single (1-3).
Top 3rd: Duvall singled, scored on Herrera sacrifice fly (1-4); Minicozzi singled, scored on Relaford single (1-5).
Top 4th: Castillo walked, scored on Minicozzi single (1-6); Panik singled, scored on Lollis single (1-7); Minicozzi singled, Lollis singled, both scored on Susac single (1-9).
Bottom 5th: Rojas singled, scored on Lambo triple (2-9).
Top 7th: Relaford reached on an error by Ngoepe, scored on Parker triple (2-10); Parker tripled on Duvall singled, scored on Lollis single (2-12); Minicozzi singled, scored on Herrer single (2-13).


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5 Excuses That Prevent Us from Growing Up
#2. "It's Not Just Me Getting Screwed, It's Everyone I Know!"
In general, the members of any particular group of friends tend to share each other's traits to a certain degree. Rich people tend to hang out with other rich people. Sports fans hang out with other sports fans. All of my closest friends are in comedy or have freakishly large penises. The same was true about the group of unmotivated, jobless friends I mentioned earlier. And let me tell you, there is no reassurance on earth as powerful as what a support group provides.
"Hey, it's not your fault, man. Look at me -- I haven't had a job in six months. There just isn't jack shit in this town." But if you had asked any of us when our last application was filled out, the honest answer would have been "weeks." It's not all about laziness, although that was certainly a factor for myself and many of my friends at the time. It's that the more you hang around with other people who are justifying their failures with excuses, the more realistic those excuses sound. And getting on someone else's ass who has the same problem as you ... well, that's exactly the same as admitting that you're just as fucked. So in that situation, reassuring your friends that nothing is their fault and everything will be just fine is, in essence, saying it to yourself. Eventually, you just talk yourselves out of any hope of ever progressing in life.
"I wish I had my own car to lean against and be devoid of hope."
Hanging around that group is a safe, warm, comfortable place to be because nobody is putting pressure on you to get up and fight -- there is only reassurance. "What can you do? It's the economy. Might as well enjoy what we do have: friends and beer!" Again, I don't mean to just harp on jobs -- it works for anything in life. "We're better off alone than dating any of the people in this town. They're all rednecks and dumbasses." "Give up cocaine? Why? There's nothing to do here except get fucked up." "Being a fan of Nickelback and Limp Bizkit is nothing to be ashamed of. We are all good people with great taste in music."
There comes a time when you have to grit your teeth and separate yourself from the things that are holding you back, and the unfortunate thing about this one is that there's a good chance you're going to lose some friends in the process. Because the sheer act of you fixing your life changes your perspective and philosophy, and that is going to set you apart from the group. Not to mention that in making the effort to grow in your job or relationship, that commitment is going to take up an immense amount of time. And while they have hours and hours to kill, sitting around and talking about how much the world has fucked them, you're going to be out there doing the things they say they can't do themselves.
Like mastering snakes.
They will resent you for it because you're proving them wrong, and because you're not spending as much time with them as they'd like. "What, that slut is more important to you than your friends? You think you're better than us because you got a nice job?"
Does that group always collapse when one of the members makes it out? No, but then again, you don't get herpes every time you fuck someone who has it. In my experience, it happens far more often than not. But that's what sets you apart as an adult. Adults prepare for it and accept the consequences. Children stay in the same situation, because upsetting their friends and leaving that comfort zone is too much to endure. And God knows you don't want to lose the respect of people who only hand it out during pity party circle jerks.
What's the nicest way to tell them all to fuck right off?
#1. "I Just Haven't Been Given a Chance Yet!"
There are plenty of things that I'd love to go back in time and kick my own ass for, but that one is pretty high on the list. That was my go-to excuse for not progressing in life, and I used it motherfucking everywhere. "I can't believe they gave her the assistant manager spot! I know more about this gas station than anyone -- this is bullshit!" Or "I can't believe she's dating that dickhead. What does he have that I don't? This is also bullshit!"
In both cases, if I had just been given a shot, I know I could have been the best they'd ever seen. In both cases, I never let them know I was interested -- not even in passing. In both cases, the person who got the spot went after it full force. That ... kind of sounds bad, but you know what I mean.
"I claim this woman in the name of Chad!"
In my own life, I'd sit back and wait for things to come to me, partially because I never had anyone teach me how to go out and get those things. Partially because it's what we've been taught in pretty much every movie ever made. Win the big race, and the girl finally realizes she loves you. Do something even slightly worthy of praise, and the owner of the company pops out and says, "I like your style. Come talk to me on Monday morning and we'll get you set up with a big office and your own secretary to urinate on." (I'm guessing that's how it goes -- I don't actually watch many movies.) There has always been a very clear message of "Just live your life to the best of your ability, and life will shoot rewards out at you like one of those T-shirt bazookas."
That's even reinforced in your everyday life throughout childhood. Do a great drawing in art class, and the teacher holds it up in front of everyone and gives you praise. Good writing is read as an example to other students. Exceptional report cards might earn a few bucks or a night out with dad at the local brothel. But in the adult world, rarely does great work ever get past the "Good job -- now get back to fucking work" stage.
"I'd address you by name, but I'll never remember it. From now on, you are 'Report Guy.'"
Though it does happen from time to time, rarely do promotions come to you without you ever making it known that you're interested in moving up the ladder. Rarely does that girl or guy suddenly look across a crowded party and say, "Oh my God, it was you I've been looking for all along! I can't believe I've been so blind! Touch my hunch monkey!" Not without some genuine effort on your part.
But that's the thing ... using this "I've never been given a chance" excuse is the most effective defense mechanism in the ego's entire arsenal. Saying it puts the blame for your failures on the shoulders of the other person. It's certainly not your fault -- hell, you're the one with all the untapped talent and passion to be the best they've ever seen. How could it possibly be your fault? It also keeps the world from knowing exactly how good you really are, outside of all the talk. If you did make the effort and you did get that position or relationship, and it turned out that you were just average, everyone can see it. Relying on the excuse allows you to talk about how good you would be if only other people were wise enough to notice.
In other words, in your mind, you get to be the best without ever having to prove it. And there aren't many things more comfortable in life than being the best at something without ever having to experience the stress of actually being the best at something.
"One day, I'll be the best shirt wearer ever, and then they'll see."
Again, everyone goes through this stuff. If you're one of the people I'm describing here, I'm not saying it to make fun of you or imply that you're somehow beneath the rest of us. I learned this shit 15 years later than I should have -- I'm a worse offender than almost all of you. I wish I could go back and follow my old self around so I could catch me in the act and say, "There. You're doing it right there, fucko. ELBOW DROP!" But since I can't, maybe I can save a few people some future embarrassment by letting you know that it exists. Because it exists. And you will eventually be embarrassed by it.
John has a Twitter and a Facebook fan page. So suck it.
For more Cheese, check out 5 Ways to Avoid Your Terrible Parents' Mistakes and 5 Simple Things That Every Bad Cook Does Wrong.


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Choosing beautiful plants that double as a food source. Selecting ground cover that produces fruit. Saving rainwater for irrigation during dry months. Planting herbs in the front yard.
These all are part of permaculture, a design system based on ecological principles or based on nature.
But those are only a few of the ideas that can turn your property into an ecological haven - whether it be a city lot with a front and back yard or several acres in the country.
Vince Kirchner of Great Lakes Permaculture said landscaping can be beautiful as well as functional.
The Tiffin-based company specializes in providing permaculture solutions for homeowners.
"It's working with the homeowner to give them what they want," he said. "Not everybody wants a front-yard garden, but everybody wants to eat."
Fact Box
Learn more
Vince Kirchner of Great Lakes Permaculture, Tiffin, is planning to teach a permaculture class beginning the first weekend in April at the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center.
The class continues for five weekends, excluding Easter weekend, and finishes in May.
For more information or to register, call Kirchner at (419) 937-5978 or email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Visit the business website at www.greatlakespermaculture.com.
One example of beauty and functionality is planting a row of rugosa roses, which can be used in teas and soups. Next to those might be lavender, which has scent, medicinal and edible uses, along with creeping thyme as a groundcover, which doubles as a cooking herb.
"We're trying to find the most efficient solution for the property," Kirchner said. "We don't overdesign or underdesign."
Locally, Kirchner has been donating his time to work with the Sisters of St. Francis to create permaculture landscaping around Little Portion Green, the strawbale house.
"When we start working with an owner on a project, we sit down and try to understand what they want to accomplish with the property," he said.
He researches and discusses such considerations as the amounts of wind and rain the land receives, how much water is available, wildlife and plant interaction and the individual wishes of the owners.
For example, at the strawbale house he is taking into consideration the needs of the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center, the St. Francis campus and Sister Jane Omlor, who lives in the house.
Then, he puts together a plan he recommends.
"We started about two years ago, and the plan is still evolving," he said.
The sisters had a few flooding problems to resolve, and they wanted to create some sustainable food for the property, long term, that didn't require a lot of work for an aging population.
"We looked at different cash crops with low maintenance - truffles, mushrooms, nut crops," he said. "Things that, once planted, are perennial types of crops that don't require a lot of input."
Around a house, Kirchner said he divides a property into zones.
"The things she (Omlor) uses every day, we would put closest to the house," he said.
For example, an herb garden and berry bushes might be located in the front or back yard while trees grown for wood or trees grown to harvest nuts once a year would be placed farther from the house.
"We can work with any type of curriculum," he said. "A front-yard garden, backyard garden, a completely edible landscape."
Kirchner said acres of land are not needed. Much can be accomplished with a small yard.
"For most people, that's around the house that they have now," he said
Instead of ornamental bushes, a plan might include bushes that provide an edible berry. Instead of low-growing ornamental groundcover, he said homeowners could choose low-growing varieties of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or figs.
"That way, they're able to harvest something and eat it," he said.
Some homes are good candidates for rooftop gardens, he said, and some are conducive to aquaculture.
"The fish that live in the water create nitrogen, which is then fed to the plants, which, in turn, purify the water," he said.
People can choose to harvest food produced by the plants or eat the fish.
Aquaculture systems can range from large-scale commercial systems or apartment systems in 10-gallon tanks.
Overall, permaculture also takes into consideration methods of storing energy, he said.
"Food is a form of energy," he said. "We take a look at how to preserve that."
Water conservation is another topic. It often includes storing rainwater in containers - rain barrels, cisterns, ponds or even swimming pools. Stored water then can be used inside the house for daily living or for plant irrigation outside.
"There are methods out there for drip irrigation," he said. "You could set it up and, once a week, it would automatically water your plants.
"If you could eliminate some of those mundane tasks, how could you use that extra time?" he asked.
Kirchner said the idea of permaculture is not new. Bill Mollison and David Holmgren were the originators of the concept when they wrote the book, "Permaculture One," which was published in 1978.
He said Holmgren's definition of permaculture is "a design system based on ecological principles."
"It started as 'permanent agriculture,'" he said. "It's gaining a lot of momentum the last five or six years. There are probably millions of permaculturists around the world."
Permaculture concepts encompass everything from backyard gardening to the design of public lands by city, state and federal governments.
"It's a way of creating permanent culture and it's involved in city planning, food security, climate control, soil remediation and water purification, to name a few," Kirchner said.
Kirchner, 57, said he became interested in permaculture about three years ago when he began to look at his life differently.
Although he enjoys his longtime job designing glass for the automotive industry at Guardian Industries, Upper Sandusky, he said he began to look at other aspects of life.
"As you get older, you start to think about the things you're accomplishing in your life and try to find things that give you greater enjoyment," he said.
He remembered spending time on his grandfather's farm in Erie, Pa.
"I enjoyed the time I spent with him on the farm," he said. "And my great-grandfather took me on nature walks."
He started investigating
methods of growing food at his house on Schonhardt Street, five doors down from Calvert High School.
"Because of my engineering background, I wanted to know why to use something and when," he said. "I looked into all the different techniques. ... All these are great techniques, but when do you use one over another?
"I came across permaculture just through a Web search. What intrigued me the most is that it had ethics to it."
He said the practice encourages care of the earth, care of people and reinvestment of surplus.
"It impressed me that it had some values associated with it," he said. "And there are natural techniques associated with it."
He read books and decided to take a 72-hour class to become certified.
"Then, I took another class to be able to teach, and I became a Master Gardener (through Ohio State University Extension) at the same time," he said.
During this time, he started to experiment in his yard and discussed the concepts with his wife, Cindy.
"We don't always agree on the same techniques," he said. "But we agree on the same principles. We started with a square-foot garden. That was the year I went to the permaculture class."
His idea was to make the yard - front and back - a permaculture showplace.
"She wasn't really keen on all that," he said. "So, we sat down and decided what we want. The front yard has roses and a grape arbor and all that, and it's going to become a nice sitting area. The back yard is our food area."
About three years later, the backyard contains fruit trees, hazel nuts, figs, josta berries, raspberries and other berries, currants, grapes, juju and goji berries, among other food sources. And it's an ongoing project.
"You're never where you want to be," he said.
One of the principles he teaches is planning for the long-term, and reacting to the short-term.
"Say you get a pest infestation one year or you get hot weather," he said. "You take care of the problem without changing the plan."
Changes might be needed because there might be too much of something or a lack of something else.
"One permaculture homeowner tried to eradicate black ants, and he created a void in the ecosystem, and the fire ants came in," he said. "He created a void he had to fix. ... It's like a yin and a yang. I have too much of one thing or not enough of something else."
Usually, he said permaculture doesn't eliminate weeds.
"We don't advocate weed-killing and things like that," he said. "I don't know of anybody who uses chemicals. A weed is a misplaced plant. The weeds are there for a reason and we use those as indicators of what's going on in the soil."
Shortly after he became certified in permaculture design, his mother in Texas and son, Joel, now in Tennessee, also became certified.
"Once you understand the concepts, they can be used in Ohio, Texas or Tennessee," Kirchner said.
A plan takes into account the climate and location no matter where the site is.
He said Joel has chosen a site in Tennessee to build an American copy of a house made of natural materials designed in the United Kingdom.
"That's another part of permaculture," he said. "It's called a cruck house. It's a British style of architecture. All the energy is stored in the house.
"It's interesting to see the kids are looking into an energy-efficient house. The amount of money they're going to save over their lifetime is phenomenal."


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Quadruple Helices Appear To Have Role...
LC-MS Gains Favor Due To the...
Process Development Jobs Still the Most...
Adapting to Evolving Business Environments Is...
Last month as the last operating space shuttle finished its final trip into space and began its journey toward becoming a museum piece, a symbol of space travel retired as well. With its distinctive plane-like design, the orbiter looked like the future; everything else was just rockets.
To the uninitiated, the 2002 Atlas V might as well be the Saturn V that first brought men to the moon in 1969. It is only fair to mention that this is the same public that, when asked how much funding NASA received, would generally overestimate by orders-of-magnitude. Why?
When it comes to superprojects requiring large investments and the cooperation of political, corporate, and academic entities, image is everything. After putting a man on the moon (and getting him back), how did NASA make the case for continued investment in projects such as space shuttles, space telescopes, and space stations?
Initially, space travel was bolstered by the idea of the space race, a proxy arms race. However, even as the Soviet Union crumbled, NASA continued to reap high approval ratings (usually the best among federal organizations) and resist turning into a federal agency with nothing to do.
The continued stream of successes (even dotted with catastrophic failures) certainly was helpful, but it is not the full story. NASA managed to convince the American people that they were getting their money's worth, even when they had no idea how little NASA cost.
It did that by engaging the public at all ages—kids wanted to grow up to be astronauts and "space" was up there with dinosaurs in the imaginations of the young. The life of an astronaut was extraordinary and exciting, surrounded by the smartest engineers and the best technology. "Rocket scientist" remains quite a compliment, and terms such as "NASA-grade," "space-age," and "developed for the space shuttle" are still used to sell everything from the utilitarian to the luxurious.
It's not fair to give NASA full credit for this marketing triumph. Science fiction from H.G. Wells to Isaac Asimov emphasized space travel as an integral part of the future of humanity. Whether it was aggressors coming from the great unknown of space or humanity conquering the galaxies, space travel was a de facto necessity. The fascination with space was already well entrenched in the American culture: NASA needed only to feed this great desire to reach the stars.
Space travel is exclusive and accessible at the same time: Only a select few will become astronauts, but high schoolers can get their experiments sent up alongside those select few, and everyone can watch the entire event. Of those space-based experiments, most focus on improving future space travel and colonization by seeing how materials and lifeforms stand up to microgravity.
These experiments do have uses outside of space travel; for instance, the altered behavior of cells in microgravity is useful for studying the role of forces in biology. Amgen's bone-regulating antibody tested in mice in space could reveal previously unknown pathways for bone loss if the mice experience a different response from the earthbound ones. But these experiments focus most on extending the space program, ultimately building up to the idea of humanity's colonization of the stars.
Now compare this to biotechnology: many can be scientists, engineers, professors, and technicians, but high schools rarely do distinctive projects of this sort, and research is seen as a private, mundane activity. Biotechnology is inclusive when it comes to professionals, not public relations, and bioengineers are often expected to produce a nasty lab accident rather than a healthier form of rice.
Space experiments are fun, cool, and contribute to the future of the space program. How about something similar for biotechnology? The rise of synthetic biology and the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competitions have started to bring biotechnology projects to undergraduates, high schoolers, and the public.
Even so, biotechnology could still use a face lift. Perhaps that will come in the form of media-friendly shared labs, where ideas from enthusiasts could be safely developed and tested with regular publicity.
Furthermore, a far-reaching, readily-visible project could be initiated: The human genome project was a triumph, but how about energy generation or garbage disposal? The appeal of space experiments is partly founded in the idea that humanity will establish self-sufficient, extraterrestrial colonies to preserve the species. In the meantime, though, Earth is the only independent space station we have, and preserving it is at least as important an objective.
Furthermore, biotechnological advances in sustainability, efficient production, and environmental engineering could be used to help space programs build a self-sustaining space station, and space stations can be used to carry out experiments with extreme isolation by ensuring that escaped organisms will receive lethal doses of solar radiation and vacuum.
Consider that the Department of Energy received $1.6 billion (in 2011) for renewable energy and efficiency research, of which only $0.2 billion went to biomass R&D. When that $0.2 billion is compared to the $2.5 billion NASA has for space exploration R&D, it suggests that bioengineering needs a central champion to back more ambitious projects. If NASA can provide a single focus (space exploration) to take on the biggest engineering challenges (preserving humanity), why can't biotechnology do the same?
MORE INFO:Experiments in space:NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments_category.htmlHigh school: http://www.stemspacelab.com/
Small community labs:NYC: http://genspace.org/Mountain View: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1040581998/biocurious-a-hackerspace-for-biotech-the-community
MORE INFO:Experiments in space:NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments_category.htmlHigh school: http://www.stemspacelab.com/
Small community labs:NYC: http://genspace.org/Mountain View: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1040581998/biocurious-a-hackerspace-for-biotech-the-community
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While Zika continues to garner a lot of news coverage, a Mayo Clinic survey reveals that Americans believe the country's most significant healthcare challenge is cancer. Compared to other diseases, does the possibility of developing cancer worry you the most?
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MFA Library Basement Reading Series
- When:
- Location:
- Langsdale Library
- Room:
- Lower Level
- http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/about-us/library-services/langsdale-events/library-reading-series.cfm
- Description:
Join Langsdale Library and the University of Baltimore's MFA program for the Library Basement Reading Series on Thursday, February 21 at 8:15 pm. Six selected students in the MFA program will read their original fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
Our readers are: John Benes, Dustin Fisher, Saralyn Lyons, Jessica Jonas, Michelle Junot and Meagan Stolz
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From a winery in Ontario comes a rustic fall meal of Tuscan roast pork, lentil and beet salads, and local cheeses.
by Denise Mickelsen
Making (and drinking) wine is much more than a job for Paul Speck and his brothers: It's a lifestyle, one that includes no shortage of good food. Together they run Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery in St. Catharines, Ontario. Once a month, the brothers and their wives plan and cook a big dinner featuring local food paired with the perfect wine. Fine Cooking had a seat at their October dinner table, where the menu included Tuscan-style roast pork; broccoli raab; beet salad with oregano, pecans, and goat cheese; and a lentil salad with sherry vinaigrette. They ended the meal with an Ontario cheese plate accented with fresh fruit and a Henry of Pelham Riesling ice wine.
To learn more about Paul, read Denise Mickelsen's profile, The Wine Life.
Photo: Scott Phillips
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Event date:
Thu, 10/10/2013 - 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Roberts Middle School, 3333 Charles Street, CFO
The Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation Department is offering a Thursday night Adult Coed Power Volleyball Open Gym at Roberts Middle School from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. This supervised open gym will be every Thursday night at Roberts Middle School begins September 12 through December 19 (no gym on 11/28). This open gym is designated for A Level power players. Fee is $3 per player, paid at the door. For more information please call the Park and Recreation Office at 330-971-8225.
Last changed 08/19/2013 - 10:23am by richardson@cityofcf


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The top two sand volleyball teams in the Atlantic Sun Conference meet in DeLand on Wednesday with a potential regular season title on the line as the Stetson Hatters host the UNF Ospreys in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
Stetson (9-7, 3-1 A-Sun) currently sits in second place in the A-Sun, one game behind UNF (8-1, 4-0). While both teams will have one regular season doubleheader remaining after Wednesday, a sweep by either squad may very likely result in a regular season championship and the no. 1 seed for the conference tournament.
"It's a big match for us for sure," Stetson head coach Tim Loesch said. "We did get to face UNF earlier this season (at Cocoa Beach), and they won a close match. I am confident that we have improved since then, and I'm sure they have improved, too. It should be a great match."
The Hatters are coming off a busy weekend in which the team played five matches in span of about 30 hours, splitting two against A-Sun rival Jacksonville and taking one of three against some of the top sand teams in the region. Included was a 3-2 win over UAB on Saturday as Stetson avenged a 4-1 loss to the Blazers earlier this season.
"Most of our pairs played well (last weekend), we faced some tough competition and played in some close matches," Loesch said. "One of the reasons we are playing so much is so that the girls can get comfortable in those pressure situations and perform well. It is going to be good for us in the long run."
Admission to the Stetson sand volleyball courts is free. Live in-game updates will also be available on twitter (@StetsonVB) and at GoHatters.com. The Hatters will also host Mercer at 10 a.m. on Saturday.


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TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. -The Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe recently announced the winners of the 2012 CATT Annual Awards Competition. The winners were nominated by fellow members for superior craftsmanship, excellent customer service, innovative design, devotion to CATT and community, or other outstanding characteristics. 18 nominations were made in 5 "project" categories and 35 nominations were made in 6 "individual achievement" categories. Winners are:Public Works Project of the Year, Ward-Young Architecture & Planning, Truckee Tahoe Airport Administration BuildingSustainable Building Methods Project of the Year, Kerton Construction, Overlook Place, NorthstarCommercial Project of the Year, Mark Tanner Construction, Truckee Railyard Mixed Use BuildingResidential Remodel Project of the Year, Griggs Custom Homes & Aspen Leaf Interiors, Meeks Bay AvenueResidential Project of the Year, Jim Morrison Construction, Lot 381, Martis CampNew Member of the Year, Michelle Geary, Sierra Sun/North Lake Tahoe BonanzaVolunteer of the Year, Ryan Swenson, Simpson Strong-TieProfessional of the Year, Eric Bacon, Shelton & BaconSupplier/Vendor of the Year, Andrew Cross, Truckee-Tahoe Lumber CompanySub-Contractor of the Year, Gary Crosswhite, Meridian ConcreteBuilder of the Year, Jim Morrison, Jim Morrison ConstructionCATT is a nonprofit trade association established in 1998 representing the broad spectrum of design and building professionals and related suppliers in the greater Truckee/North Tahoe region. Visit www.ca-tt.com for information.
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January 3, 2013
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No Movement in Shutdown Standoff
Obama, Congressional Leaders Meet, But Neither Side Backs Off Budget Stance
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama and congressional leaders met Wednesday for the first time since the federal government shut down, emerging more than an hour later with no evidence of progress toward resolving their impasse over health care and government spending.
With hundreds of thousands of federal workers on furlough for a second day, congressional officials of both parties left the White House meeting pessimistic about prospects for a speedy end to the deadlock. They made clear that neither side had made concessions.
House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said after the meeting that Republicans continue to want changes to the new federal health law, the Affordable Care Act. Democrats have said they won't agree to changes to the law as a condition of reopening the government.
"The president reiterated one more time tonight that he will not negotiate," said Mr. Boehner. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) called the meeting "cordial but unproductive'' and said Mr. Obama "had little interest in negotiating a solution."
Mr. Obama has said he is willing to compromise on a wide-ranging budget deal—but only after Republicans take two steps: reopening the government without changing the health law, and raising the nation's borrowing limit. After the White House meeting, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) repeated that Democrats stood firm against changing the health law.
"We are locked in tight on Obamacare," Mr. Reid said. "We just want to open the government."
Federal agencies suspended a vast range of activities and furloughed more than 800,000 nonessential workers after lawmakers failed to pass funding legislation by a midnight Monday deadline, leaving much of the government without money for the new fiscal year. The White House on Wednesday said the president would shorten his trip this week to Asia, canceling stops in Malaysia and the Philippines, because furloughs had made it impossible to get personnel in place.
Other ripples began to appear: United Technologies Corp. UTX 0.90 % , a major defense contractor, said it would furlough nearly 2,000 workers if the shutdown lasted into next week and 2,000 more if it continued through the entire week.
Other Funding Gaps
The Budget Battle
- Latest Updates | Photos
- CEOs Warn of Economic Hit
- Reid Sets Tone for Democrats in Shutdown Fight
- Capital: Obamacare—A Game-Changer in the Making?
- Both Parties Dread Looming, Bigger Cuts
- Shutdown Pinches Aid Programs
- In a Quiet Capital, Causes Without Rebels
- U.S. Showdown Bites Manufacturers
- How to Salvage a Shutdown Vacation
- New Tack in House: Bills Designed to Fail
- Biggest Threat: Debt Ceiling, Not Shutdown
- Understanding Concepts Behind Battle
- Few Parallels With Most Recent Shutdown
Financial markets generally have remained unperturbed by the shutdown, but business leaders said they were anxious about the growing prospect that the battle would make it harder to resolve a second and more serious dispute over the need to raise the debt limit. The Treasury says the debt ceiling must be raised this month in order for it to pay all of the government's obligations.
Top financial-industry leaders met with Mr. Obama and his economic team at the White House and warned that a protracted battle over the nation's ability to pay its bills would have serious economic ramifications.
From the Archives
- Photos: The Last Shutdown The last government shutdowns in 1995 and early 1996 totaled almost four weeks.
"There's precedent for a government shutdown. There's no precedent for default," Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS 1.74 % Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein said after emerging from an hour-long meeting with Mr. Obama. "We're the most important economy in the world.…Payments have to go out to people."
There is no sign yet that pressure from business leaders or markets is pushing lawmakers to compromise. Mr. Boehner, however, is facing pressure from a small but growing faction of GOP lawmakers who are fed up with the standoff. They could urge Mr. Boehner to end the stalemate by holding a vote to extend government funding without changing the health law, or to scale back the changes the GOP is demanding.
A group of Republicans uncomfortable with Mr. Boehner's strategy met with him Wednesday. "We're looking for ways to break the stalemate and get the government back open as quickly as possible," said Rep. Michael Grimm (R., N.Y.), who was in the group. "We're trying to have cooler minds prevail."
Republican House leaders see the bill to reopen the government—which would extend spending at current levels for a mere six weeks or so—as one of their few sources of leverage to extract policy changes from the president. Mr. Obama and fellow Democrats are especially determined to resist GOP demands that they believe could then hamstring the government each time it faces a budget or debt-ceiling deadline.
"If we get in the habit where a few folks, an extremist wing of one party—whether it's Democrat or Republican—are allowed to extort concessions based on a threat of undermining the full faith and credit of the United States, then any president who comes after me—not just me—will find themselves unable to govern effectively," Mr. Obama said on CNBC.
At the same time, Mr. Obama looked ahead in the interview to budget talks, repeating his position that he would accept a broad budget deal without tax rate increases that Republicans are sure to oppose.
"I think it is possible for us to make sure that we are not increasing the income-tax rate," Mr. Obama said, adding that closing tax loopholes would be needed to pay for spending on infrastructure. The White House would also like any budget deal to scale back the bite to many federal programs of the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester. Republicans want changes to entitlement programs, among other provisions.
On Capitol Hill, the House passed measures extending funding for national parks and the National Institutes of Health, part of a strategy by House Republican leaders to blunt the effect of the shutdown on discrete but popular parts of the government. "We hope that our Democratic colleagues will stop with the games and join us in trying to relieve the pain that is being inflicted on federal employees and on the people of this country," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.).
Democrats said the bills were distractions from the main task of reopening the entire government. They said Mr. Boehner could end the impasse by bringing forward a bill to extend government funding that doesn't attempt to scale back the health law.
Write to Janet Hook at firstname.lastname@example.com, Carol E. Lee at firstname.lastname@example.com and Kristina Peterson at email@example.com


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Name: Collin Glorioso
School: Huntingdon
Age: 15
Article Photos
Grade: Freshman
Sport: Wrestling
Athlete of the week achievement: Glorioso won the 106-pound weight class in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional, avenging a district loss to Forest Hills' Triston Law in the finals.
Season update: Glorioso is 35-4 with 15 pins and seven technical falls.
Coach Jon Mykut's quote: "He's been wrestling extremely well all year, and that carried over to this past weekend. In arguably the toughest bracket in the regional, he went the entire tourney without giving up a single point. He's caught fire at the right time, and we're hoping it carries over to the state tournament."
Favorite teacher: Mrs. Kylor
Favorite subject: Math and science
Favorite movie: "Harry Potter'' series
Favorite food: Deer venison
Favorite music: Rap
Outside interests: Hunting, boating
Favorite professional team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Favorite college team: Iowa wrestling
Pro athlete most admired: Peyton Manning
Best athlete I ever competed against: Mifflin County's Hayden Hidlay
Most influential person on my athletic career: "My coaches."
Proudest athletic achievement: "Winning regionals or going out to Fargo, N.D., and wrestling in the freestyle and Greco-Roman nationals."
How I got my start in wrestling: "My one friend started, and I wanted to do it with him."
Future goal: "Get on a good college team and wrestle."


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In a time when almost anything you could ever want is only a click away, local crafters still find enjoyment making things from scratch and working with their hands.
Hobbies range from crocheting and scrapbooking to woodworking and painting, and each can and has become a source of relaxation and escape.
For Ginny Brady, 58, of Altoona, woodworking has become a way to wind down after a stressful day as a marketing account manager for a software company.
Article Photos
Mirror photo by J.D. Cavrich
Cindy Burget paints a piece of what she calls "primitive folk art."
"It's a really busy industry, everything is fast-paced," she said. "Getting home, as time allows, and going into the workshop is like a vacation. ... The smell of the wood, it's like standing at the ocean. Walking into the workshop, running my hands along the wood and feeling the softness, it releases stress."
Brady taught herself the intricacies of woodworking and specializes in making keepsake treasure boxes. She has sold many through her website or just by word of mouth, but it's not the money that will keep Brady woodworking into retirement.
"I have a need to create," she said. "Starting from scratch, building something and having a finished product at the end, it feeds my soul."
Aneesa Winrick, 55, of Altoona has also felt the need to create throughout her life. Her love of crafting was passed down to Winrick and her siblings by her mother, who crafted and baked to help make ends meet as a widowed single mother.
"My mom taught each one of us how to knit, do embroidery and a little bit of sewing," Winrick said. "She made beautiful socks and sweaters for us as we were growing up, and I still have a mohair coat Mom made for herself more than 40 years ago."
Winrick continues to pass these traditions along through her family line. She has made wedding garters, corsages, candles and favors for her two sons' weddings, and beaded one daughter-in-law's veil.
"You can't go out to Walmart and buy these," she said of her creations. "It's something that's very personal, and I think it's nice to pass it down."
Despite the digital age, the gratification of making things from scratch is not lost on younger generations. Nicole Moore, 23, of Mansfield, began sewing in elementary school, and now crochets to take her mind off of her studies for her master's degree.
"It's just become something that is so important to me," she said. "Everyone [at school] knows me as the girl who knits and crochets."
Because of this, family and friends know to get Moore yarn as a Christmas or birthday present. She has also passed her skill to at least six of her peers, she said, including one male friend.
"The only time he will crochet is in his room with the door shut so no one can see," Moore said.
Despite her friend's shyness, Moore said she thinks hands-on crafting will stand the test of time.
"It's something that is productive," she said. "When you're sitting crocheting or knitting for that long, you have something to show for it. It makes it worthwhile."
For Mary Grace Horton, 58, of Altoona, scrapbooking is not only worth the time, but helps her commemorate the time she's spent and the memories she's made. Old pictures no longer sit unused in boxes, and Horton finds great joy in bringing them to life on the pages of her more than 20 scrapbooks.
"It's a great stress reliever," she said. "If I need to come down a bit and settle down, that's what I'll sit and do. ... I even go to bed at night thinking about what I can scrapbook the next day."
For Cindy Burget, painting what she calls primitive folk art is what helps her get through the day. Burget has suffered from symptoms of lupus since she was diagnosed more than 30 years ago.
"I enjoy doing it because it gives me self-pride about what I can accomplish," she said. "When you have so many disabilities, it takes your mind off of it."
Burget works through the poor circulation in her hands to create vividly detailed landscape scenes. She said each painting could take her anywhere from 40 to 80 hours to complete. She hopes to sell more of her pieces in the future, but the sense of satisfaction painting gives her is a reward on its own, Burget said.
"You even surprise yourself," she said.
Mirror Staff Writer Beth Ann Downey is at 946-7520.


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Just a quick note to readers before I begin: this blog is NOT about environmental degradation – at least not in a physical sense. Although Catholic social teaching has many terrific things to say about our responsibility to be good stewards of this beautiful world and protect this essential goodness from human activities that could physically foul it, the focus of this blog another kind of human activity – one that is no less destructive and has unfortunately been in the news almost constantly lately – that brings about another type of human degradation…one not of the human environment per se but more alarmingly of the human person herself.
As I'm sure almost every reader is unfortunately aware – the news media of late has been riddled with stories of men in prestigious positions behaving very badly. Whether we are speaking of libidinous lawmakers, sports figures who definitely do not "play by the rules" or the increasing roster of "governors gone wild", the news media is littered with stories of men in positions of power whose behavior shows a complete disregard – and lack of respect – for their families generally, but most especially for the women in their lives. To turn on the news over the past few years has been has been like watching an ongoing slideshow of tawdry male behavior. Recent months have only seen this trend continue…moving inexorably from the tragic: with story of former Senator John Edwards two-timing his cancer stricken wife with a celebrity obsessed groupie, then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger admitting after years of denying allegations of marital infidelity that he indeed did father a child with his housekeeper-mistress, to the ridiculous: culminating with the media circus concerning the recently resigned Congressman Anthony Wiener tweeting lewd self-portraits across the Ethernet to women he did not know.
In the midst of all of these public and personal tragedies and the multiple indignities they foist upon the innocent however, the one that stands out to me as the most outrageous – indeed the one that screams of the most misogynistic mindset – is the alleged sexual assault of a 32 year old widowed immigrant mother from Guinea by French politician and former International Monetary Fund Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn when the young African housekeeper came in to clean his $3,000 a night Presidential Hotel Suite in the Sofitel Hotel last month. Now, I have to admit that when this alleged assault first took place, I had never heard of Dominique Strauss-Kahn (or DSK as he is known to those "in the know"); I had however most definitely heard of the International Monetary Fund, or IMF. First established in the wake of the Second World War in 1945, its mandate was to assist struggling economies towards financial recovery. Building on the successes that it had in helping European economies to recover after the Great War, the IMF from the early 1960s onward went on to offer loans to nations in the developing world aimed at securing their own economic growth, an activity that earned the IMF a decidedly mixed reputation as an enforcer of strict "structural adjustments" – austerity programs mandated as a condition of receiving loans, the burden of which fell most heavily upon the poor. In the year 2000, the Jubilee Justice Campaign – which Blessed John Paul II and the United States Bishops' Conference were major supporters of and which was a wonderful example of Catholic social teaching in action – succeeded in altering these "structural readjustments" undoing many of the most usurious conditions enforced on the poorest and most highly indebted of developing nations. In recent years, the IMF has begun a period of recovery and repentance and – after the financial collapse hit in 2008 – the fund roared back into prominence, bailing out the "newly" financially struggling economies of Ireland, Portugal and Greece.
It was during this period that Dominique Strauss-Kahn – or "DSK" – rose to prominence. A top French economics professor, Financial Minister, socialist philosopher and presumptive candidate for the French Presidency, DSK was a shrewd, capable financier who rescued the IMF from its from its less then illustrious past just in time to save the European economy. It was then – when he was basically acting as Europe's wallet – that DSK had the encounter with the young African immigrant woman that would change both their lives: she in her work uniform carrying her cleaning supplies during her appointed rounds, he emerging unclothed from the bathroom of his Presidential hotel suite; when she apologized and tried to leave according to police, he chased her down, grabbed her, locked the door and physically assaulted her. She finally escaped, and when her co-workers at the hotel contacted police about the assault, DSK had already fled the high-class midtown hotel for a First Class seat on AirFrance bound for Paris. The police came on board to remove him handcuffed from the plane – had the jet successfully taken off, he would have been safe from extradition to face the charges against him.
During his rise, DSK – who has been married 3 times – developed a wide reputation as a serial seducer of women, earning him the moniker of being a "chaud lapin" (or "hot rabbit") in French. In New York, the term that such slippery behavior would earn him is a much less cute nick-name – here, we would call him a "player"….of course, if he is found guilty of the activity which is alleged, he is something much, much worse than this – he is – plain and simple – a predator.
Reaction to DSK's arrest and the allegations against him have been almost as extreme as the behavior that he has been charged with – and have exposed a difference of opinion between Americans and Europeans almost as wide as the ocean that separates us from one another. Here at Catholic Charities, a colleague of mine just returned from a trip to Scotland where she participated in a symposium that brought together people from all over the continent; as she was telling me about her trip, she said that DSK was very much on the mind of all the Europeans there, and that they were very upset that he had been arrested. He was – as the presumptive candidate for the French Presidency – in their words "the best hope for France". Within France itself, the American justice system has come under attack for its treatment of DSK – with that country's leading philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy denouncing the judge in DSK's case for "pretending to take him (DSK) for a subject like any other" even though he is – in Levy's words "a defender of proletarian nations and the fragile and vulnerable among us."
Now here, I have to say that I am a major fan of our system of justice in the United States where every person is innocent until proven guilty. In this regard DSK is no exception…I also realize that as regards politics in Europe – from financial policy, to immigration issues, to xenophobia, to the on-going military campaign in Libya – the continent's best and brightest minds are desperately needed on task. That being said, I guess what really disturbs me about some of these reactions is the near invisibility and lack of concern for the alleged victim of this crime – herself such a perfect example of the "proletarian…fragile and vulnerable among us" that you would think she was found in central casting. I must admit here that I am not really surprised by some of these opinions: living in New York and doing the work that I do has allowed me the opportunity to meet many people who work in international development – both at the United Nations and through religiously affiliated organizations. Most of the people that I have met have been some of the kindest and most dedicated servants of the common good that I have ever had the pleasure to know, but to be honest I do know some – the sophisticates mostly – whose attitudes, assumptions and quips about people they meet from the developing world make me question their true dedication to their chosen careers. That's where frankly the idea for the title of this blog came from – how in the world can someone do a good job at constructing and promoting conditions that foster economic justice for all when in particular circumstances they treat those who would be the beneficiaries of those conditions as mere objects to be disregarded, used, thrown away. I think that it is here that Catholic social teaching can give us great insight into the attitudes we all need to foster full human flourishing for ourselves and others: Solidarity – as one of the 7 principles of Catholic social teaching is essential, but it is only built – as are all the other 6 Principles– on the 1st and foundational principle of our social teaching, namely respect for the life and dignity of every human person. Without this firm foundation, our dedication to the true common good for us and for others is about as secure as house built upon sand.
Soon after his arrest, DSK resigned his position at the IMF, prompting an international search for a replacement for him. Traditionally, the roll of Managing Director has been chosen from candidates who hail from the wealthy industrialized countries of Europe, with a French incumbent leading it for 36 of its 65 years. The search for a new director still continues. I myself have my own suggestion of a candidate who I met just recently that believe has the vision that is required to do an effective job. I was reminded of this candidate during a phone call with the colleagues that I traveled to Africa with this past September with Catholic Relief Services. During that call, my colleague Anna recounted our visit to a little village a few hours drive from Dire Dawa in Eastern Ethiopia where we went to see a well that was drilled in the past year by the community with assistance received from CRS. During our visit, the village spokesperson and manager of the water project – with all the villagers assembled around him – spoke proudly about the work that their community undertook to get the water system up and running. When he was asked by one of our group "What changes the provision of the well water had brought", his eyes filled with tears, and said quietly: "We had no bad water to cause dehydration or dysentery because of the well – none of our children died this year". All that were around him hung their heads – not in shame but in sheer emotion.
I'm not sure what the specific skill sets required are to fill the position of Managing Director of the IMF – and I'm not sure that that he would possess all the technical knowledge – but certainly that manager of that well who I met outside Dire Dawa, Ethiopia would not only understand the importance of the work of development; he would also have his priorities strait…unlike so many who think they see the forest – but need to see the trees as well.


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Top Definition
The act of inserting the testicles into a waiting rectum. Named for the conditions required for such an insertion to be feasible.
Due to the shrinkage caused by the cold weather, he was unable to give her a warm and muggy.
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- Match Day
- Educational Recognition Awards
- Class Oath Ceremony
- Commencement
- Convocation
- About Us
- Events Calendar
A ceremony to mark the transition of medical education from largely classroom instruction to the clinical years is a relatively recent phenomenon. The event is held at the end of the second year of classes, when students have been in clinical settings and have had time to reflect on what it means to be a physician. The ceremony includes an address by a faculty member chosen by the class, presentation of Outstanding Medical Educator awards and students' recitation of the oath they have written.
The Class of 2000 was the first to write their own oath. The project begins as an exercise in the doctoring and clinical skills course. After having spent some months in classes and in their preceptors' offices, students read and consider historical and modern oaths, reflect on what patients look for in physicians and on what sorts of physicians they hope to become and write down ideas to include in a professional oath. A smaller group then turns those thoughts into a written oath, which the class reviews, critiques and presents at the Class Oath Ceremony.


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on February 17, 2013 - 12:03 AM
Thomas Vanek could have easily added another goal and assist to his impressive totals last game. He shot twice at an empty net late and set up Jason Pominville on the doorstep early.
Nothing clicked as the NHL's top scorer failed to increase his lead. Instead, Vanek enters today's game against Pittsburgh with zero points in his last three outings.
He's not worried. The Buffalo Sabres' offensive star is confident he and linemates Cody Hodgson and Pominville can find the net in First Niagara Center.
"I'm feeling good," Vanek said Saturday. "Obviously, the three of us had a good run, but I think we're practicing well, figuring things out, and we'll be back on the score sheet."
It would have been unrealistic to expect Vanek to keep up his ridiculous pace. He had 11 goals and 23 points in his first 11 games. But when he fails to show up on the stat sheet in three straight, it gets noticed.
"He's not hurt," coach Lindy Ruff said after practice. "He didn't go well the last couple. I still think he made a great play to Pominville early in the game. I think it hit a crossbar, and he obviously had the empty-net opportunity. Sometimes it's one or two games that you get a little out of sync. I think you'll see him right back on track."
The Penguins certainly don't view Vanek as slumping.
"He's been very hot this season, and every year I think he's always a threat offensively," Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. "He's got a quick release, good shot and is always in the right spot around the net it seems. He's certainly a guy we have to keep an eye on."
One of the Sabres' biggest question marks entering the season was how well their young centers would perform against the league's best middle men. Tyler Ennis and Hodgson were looking forward to the challenge, and they've got a monumental one today against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
"You look at Malkin and Crosby, you're looking at the cream of the crop," Ruff said. "Obviously, we're a little bit younger in that area, but I think that both those guys at times have shown they can handle it. At times there's been a little bit of chaos, but for the most part they've been able to wrap their arms around that."
Ennis and wingers Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno are coming off their best game. They displayed an ideal mix of strength and playmaking against the Bruins to combine for five points, including Stafford's first goal of the season.
"Marcus did a great job hitting and forechecking hard, using his size," Ennis said. "Staff was making plays. It was nice to see him get that one and get the monkey off his back. The mojo is coming a little bit, and we just need to continue it against Pittsburgh.
"Those guys are phenomenal," he said of Crosby and Malkin, "and we're going to have to do a great job defensively against them. They're two of the best players in the world. They do incredible things on the ice, and we're going to have to really focus on our coverage in the D-zone and be aware whenever those guys are on the ice."
Sabres defenseman Andrej Sekera (charley horse) skipped practice and is doubtful for today. The only other change during the Sabres' workout came in the middle of the third and fourth lines.
Jochen Hecht rejoined wingers Steve Ott and Nathan Gerbe on the third line, while rookie Mikhail Grigorenko skated with Patrick Kaleta, Cody McCormick and John Scott. Grigorenko started the Boston game in the middle of Ott and Gerbe but played just 8:08.
"I just thought that Grigo got off to a tough start," Ruff said. "Jochen skated well, had two or three opportunities. We needed to match their speed. It wasn't going well for him, and that's all part of the process.
"That's all part of what we're trying to do with him here, get him the extra work, get him stronger, have him work with our skating coach, try to go through the details that are going to make him a more powerful skater and a more efficient skater. He's only 18. He's pretty good for 18, and I think if you do things right he should be a heck of a player in a couple years."
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The climate may be changing without you
The climate may be changing without you
The weather changes every day, there's no way around it. But is it a trend? Factors outside meteorologists, hurricanes and snowstorms can be offered as proof.
by Lucas Sjostrom, contributing editor
I'm giving up on "climate consistency." That's a term I made up for those of us who believe(d) that climate change wasn't real. It took years, a few movies and a few talks with close friends, but I think it's the wisest choice for me moving forward. Are you a climate change advocate, or do you think the data is being interpreted incorrectly?
For full disclosure, I'm writing this as a -35°F wind chill swirls outside my Brooten, Minn., window. That chill may be the reason I am warming up to the idea.
I rationalized being a skeptic by thinking about avoiding the added costs and additional time spent worrying about climate change. But if we can't study and prepare for something, there's no way to know how to react when it shows up. In other words, I have no clue if climate change is man-made or unstoppable, but if we don't keep studying, I know we won't be ready for it. If we start today, we at least have a fighting chance.
Now, the costs of preparing for climate change could mean real dollars out of the pockets of many. If we alter policy on the national and international level that raises short-term energy costs, invent machines (that we may never need) or slow the consumption of energy as a whole to deal with the problem, we're going to spend time and money to get it done. But new policies may also save the planet.
All of that aside, we need to look inside ourselves as to why some of us (dairy farmers and agriculturalists) disagree with the climate change theory. Here are three I think many of us share:
1. It's an idea that may not fit exactly in-line with your political party's views.
2. We don't understand the science but can't believe they can figure out the weather in the future, OR we think we do understand the science and conclude that it isn't real.
3. We don't want to believe it.
If you're a doubter (number two), stay tuned for the evidence that proved to me the climate is changing. If you identify with category one or three, re-read the category and think about the objectivity of those statements – it appears to be lacking.
Historical evidence abound
I've seen Al Gore's film and watched a few other movies about the climate on Netflix. The graphs were dramatic, but I knew those could be manipulated. The pictures (of icebergs melting and so forth) were sensational, but I thought they could be altered. Nothing stuck in my mind as conclusive evidence.
Then, a few weeks ago, our insurance man came to visit. We learned two things; rates are up on property insurance and our weather pattern is the cause. That meant I was paying more than I did last year, and it was substantial, but we didn't have one claim. Further, it's not like there's a shortage of competition in the insurance world in that I'm getting swindled for no reason. Our agent checks with many companies to find the lowest rate, so rates must be going up because the formula used to assess disaster risk shows higher numbers.
When premiums are up much more than inflation in just a few years, and are basing much of their information on at least 50 years of historical data, it means something is changing fast. That meeting put me on board with climate change. And unless you've examined the evidence with a trained scientific eye, you may want to consider joining my camp to avoid being a hypocrite (see below).
Science is science
A farmer friend of mine had a gripe with me before I changed my views. I was a doubter but still argued that we should use genetically modified organisms, keeping cows comfortable for more milk and a balanced ration for healthier cows. Those three things don't fit unless you also believe in climate change, he explained.
Now that I'm a believer I can see the light. Why do we allow the best cow scientists to change our minds about our livelihood, but we won't rely on the best meteorologists to convince us that the climate is changing. My friend was right, it just doesn't add up.
Speaking of, add up your insurance bill. Did you see a jump? Is it just due to a change in temperature, or is it due to a change we cannot see? Maybe it's time to change some minds.
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