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We all enjoyed being wowed from time to time.
We especially like being wowed when we are not expecting to be. Who hasn't been dragged to an event that we expected to be a yawner, and have benn pleasantly wowed? It's nice.
I've spent the better part of 20 years managing food service sales reps. In that time, I interviewed hundreds of candidates for those positions. I never looked forward to those days spent interviewing. After the third or fourth interview, all candidates seemed alike. "I really like food and I really like people and I really like to go out to eat so I thought that I'd be perfect." It was almost as if they had taken the same "sucking at an interview-101" course.
Every so often, I would get wowed. It was a nice change from the normal, Every so often that special person would come in, apparently very sure of themselves, full of positive energy, incredibly persistent, unwilling to get sidetracked, they would even have shades of charisma.
Inevitably, I would hire these people …who wouldn't? During their first month on the road after training they would open a score of new accounts, usually in places where many would tell us that we already had all the business. Inevitably, however, these folks would be gone in three to five months. This didn't happen once; this happened once a year. Every time I got wowed, this person would look like a super-star after a couple of months on the job. I would beam thinking that my great judgment had been validated. A couple of months later, they would be gone. What was I doing wrong?
I was hiring the wrong person.
That person who wowed me might do a great job at selling cars or computers or jet engines or sales managers …any selling job where they would need to have a quick and immediate impact. Successful food service sales people build long-term relationships.
You folks who run restaurants, yes, you might get wowed at first and give that dynamic new food service rep an application. But you also quickly get tired of the pushy, unrelenting, "this is the product that will solve your problems" type of sales person. Usually, you are justifiably pushing this guy out the door after a few months.
The person who will win your trust and respect over long-term is not the person who will wow you on the first visit. It's the person who gives a crap about the customer (you) that (s)he is servicing; who takes the time to learn their customer's business, their customer's wants and needs, and their likes and dislikes.
The same sort of thing can happen with a waitstaff:
they are your restaurant's salesperson. The super-waiter who can upsell an appetizer or dessert, who will relentlessly sell the blackboard specials; they may be wearing themselves thin with your clientele. These are the same people that will get all of the accolades after their first couple of weeks. A few months later, they too are gone along with many of the customers who were wowed by them.
As a patron in your restaurant, I will be impressed, perhaps amused, by this person on my first couple of visits. It won't take long, however, before I tire of the "antics." I am here in your restaurant to eat and enjoy the food and atmosphere, not to be sold, or worse …hounded. As a matter of fact, as a customer in your restaurant, I hope to be treated the same way you expect to be treated when doing business with your suppliers. Kind of sounds like the Golden Rule, doesn't it?
So don't try to Wow them with your sales pitch, you are probably driving away customers more than driving up the check average. WOW them with your service and food …that will get them coming back. And remember …no butts in seats = no check average = no food cost = an expensive commercial kitchen.
You know all this stuff, but you get so overwhelmed with so much crap that sometimes you can forget the basics. So please, just smile your way back into the kitchen, find a pot with some peas in it, and just stir the frigg'n peas.
The toughest thing about success is that you have got to keep on being a success. ---Irving Berlin


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Kiai -- Precision & Abandon
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Erick Mead
Dojo: Big Green Drum (W. Florida Aikikai)
Location: West Florida
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,568
Kiai -- Precision & Abandon
We had this discussion in class a few months back about kiai. It took on two basic themes -- the combination of precision and abandon. I pointed out that the application of Kiai is not a moan or a wail or a mindless screech but a very tight, precise vocalization -- but, very importantly without any predetermined limit in its intensity. Kiai combines a high precision of action and intent, with a sense of complete abandon in the face of peaceful and social constraints on intensity.
I pointed out that people have many barriers in social settings. Martial art by its nature does not respect those barriers -- and may ultimately deeply violate them in need. This is not to say that we cease to respect people -- we simply do so without necessarily observing
boundaries. Some people miss the point that in disposing of one set of constraints we are not disposing of the idea of constraint -- but our constraint takes on a different complexion within a martial context
I also pointed out that people have personal barriers of things they would not normally be comfortable doing or being seen doing.. Martial art does not accommodate itself to our personal barriers or comforts. This is not to say that it aims to shock or discomfort -- but we simply do not concern ourselves if our proper goals may transgress those barriers, and we find guides
action in place of barriers
action -- and if not a substitute for comfort, then at least a degree of contented familiarity with hardship.
Kiai is training in that sense of abandonment of limitations or barriers to action in a precise and directed way. Most people are uncomfortable screaming in public. Most people feel constraint in doing so. Kiai allows a student to learn to operate outside those boundaries, and without those social constraints -- and to find other more fundamental guides to proper action in the natural circumstance of conflict.
I wonder what other approaches or issues anyone else has used in teaching and discussing the role of Kiai in training.
Erick Mead
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text: Jagged EisenhowerLyrics by Jay Leo Phillips and Mike Shepherd The edict came down from heaven in 1970 Sports cars and wallets all lined up to march into the sea Various presidents' residences would relocate They couldn't find an accountant to fix the rate So they walked into the ocean Slept in their coats and ties But when they thought about it There was too much invested They took a hit! Radio sends static transmission Just when we all thought the worst was done (We) aimed our headlights straight into the sun Jagged Eisenhower on the run! The treasury had one last thing to do And then they were through: A special dime made of solid gold For you to swim and hold.


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He used to live a nice house, a $1.2 million pad with a spa and a swimming pool and a view never sullied by snowflakes.
But he traded the manicured greens of Naples, Fla., for a $1,000-a-month, second-floor apartment overlooking the potholes on West 10th Street in Tremont.
Murphy had never been to Cleveland before his extradition in January 2012 to answer allegations of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with records, possession of criminal tools and money laundering. But Cleveland was his cash cow and he milked it and milked it and milked it.
Long story short: Murphy was a big-time bulk purchaser of zombie properties, a real-estate predator who -- under various noms de plunder -- flipped homes like hamburgers, annihilated neighborhoods and racked up a cool $9.5 million in contempt of Housing Court citations.
On Thursday, Murphy pleaded guilty in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to eleven felonies related to the fraud and forgery he employed to crater once-stable streets. As part of the plea deal, Murphy will pony up $1 million in restitution, a chunk of which will cover the cost of the investigation and prosecution.
Murphy will be sentenced May 8 at 10:30 a.m. in the courtroom of Judge Richard McMonagle. He faces up to 38 years behind bars.
Cleveland City Councilman Tony Brancatelli will be there. His Slavic Village ward bore the brunt of the Murphy money grab. "I would love for him to spend some time in jail," Brancatelli says. "But it's great that he admitted guilt and we're gonna get some financial restitution."
Not that $1 million is going to make much of a difference. "It's a pimple on the ass of the blight he caused," Brancatelli says.


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STATEN ISLAND, NY - TOTTENVILLE - Each youngster learning and playing the game of baseball at South Shore Little League (SSLL) will know that the late Joseph Verdino Jr. will always be watching the sport he loved from the best spot in the house: Just beyond the center-field fence.
Verdino, who was 10 years old when died in 2007, of viral encephalitis, was commemorated early last Wednesday evening with the unveiling of a bronze statue crafted and donated by prominent artist Gregory Perillo.About 160 people consisting of Verdino's family members, friends, and SSLL ballplayers gathered beyond the outfield walls of the baseball field closest to Hylan Boulevard to witness the presentation of the 6-foot statue, which was earlier covered by a blue tarp.
The statue shows Verdino, a second- and third-baseman at the Tottenville-based league, wielding a baseball bat from the left side and wearing No. 2 on his back, chosen after the Yankees fan's favorite player, shortstop Derek Jeter.
Fittingly, the presentation was held on opening day of the league's fall ball season."It's phenomenal," said Joseph Verdino Sr. "All my son wanted to do was play ball."
"This is the best way for his legacy, for us to keep him where he belongs: In baseball. It's beautiful. It's Joseph," said mother Robin Verdino, noting that this was just the beginning.
It was the first phase of a project that includes the monumental renovation of the field near where the statue stands. The field is expected to be transformed into a state-of-the-art "mini Yankee Stadium," said Verdino's father, and it will even boast the trademark white facade prominently known at the ballpark in the Bronx.
If that's the case, consider Verdino the greatest figure to occupy the stadium's own Monument Park.
"It's going to be a nicer stadium than Williamsport," Verdino Sr. said, referring to the annual site of the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania. "It's going to have a big impact on the community."
He said the field will likely be completed in 2013.
John Iorio (Coach Moe) has seen hundreds of kids come through the League in his 26 years of involvement.
"It's a great tribute," said the past president and current first vice president of league, noting that Verdino could play any position. "The neighborhood and the people have been behind this."
Iorio added that future generations of SSLL ballplayers will benefit from the field renovation, as well as always being aware of Verdino's legacy.
"It'll always be here," he said.
City Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) spoke to the crowd, mentioning that he was grateful to be part of the tribute to Verdino.
"The Staten Island community is always there, and it always stands behind its own," he said.
A total of $1.25 million has been committed to the project, including funding allocated by Ignizio, City Council member James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn) and Borough President James P. Molinaro.
Perillo, in a very short speech to the crowd, said Verdino knew the batting and earned run averages of each Yankees player, and that he crafted the statue after learning that the youngster used to hit baseballs that were stored in a bucket by his mother.
As the event wound down, JT Smith, 15, remained awestruck, starting toward the statue and the sun as it set in the background. He then removed his iPhone from his pocket to snap a picture.
"I think it's amazing," said the teen, a Tottenville resident who claimed to be good friends with Verdino.
"He was a really fun kid," he added. "He was always smiling."


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Have you seen the trailer for 'Scary Movie 5'? I've never seen one of these movies, but the celebrity cameos alone seem to be worth checking out! Of course Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen's cameos are included in the trailer. TMZ reports Lindsay was NOT happy about the footage. In the original script, when Lindsay screams and points at the TV, she's supposed to be pointing to herself in the movie 'Herbie: Fully Loaded.'
Instead, the producers put footage of her leaving court with the crawler "Probation Revoked." Lindsay claims she was supposed to give the final okay for whatever producers put in, but she didn't okay THAT. She also reportedly says this is the producers getting "payback" for holding up production and trashing her trailer. Lindsay is said to be consulting with attorneys to see if this is breach of contract.
Check out the trailer. I can see why Lindsay may not find it funny, but… honestly… it is. It's probably not worth the money to go after the producers.
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Rainbox Six Vegas coming to PSP2 Comments Published by ZephyrWest 10 years, 1 month ago in Games, News, PSP.
Ubisoft has announced that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas will be making its way to PSP alongside it's Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 brethren. However, this is not simply a port. Vegas for PSP will feature a parallel storyline with a single and multiplayer action.
In Vegas for PSP, players will play as Brian Armstrong and Shawn Rivers who support the characters in the console version. The game will set place in Las Vegas (who would of thought?) and players are tasked with saving the city from the terrorists.
The controls are being fine tuned for the PSP so don't fret. Although how they will work has yet to be seen. As a Rainbox Six operative, you'll use a variety of high-tech gadgets such as snake-cams for tagging enemies before bursting into a room with guns blazing. Rainbow Six Vegas will also have ad-hoc and infrastructure multiplayer where players can duke it out in Survival and Team Survival modes on classic Rainbow Six maps.
Be on the lookout for this game as it is scheduled to be released this holiday season.[via IGN]
2 Responses to "Rainbox Six Vegas coming to PSP"
Sep 9th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
This will be cool… If they can give it the hype that GRAW had, and still keep the visuals looking good on PSP… Wow. That'd be just STUNNING…
I hope it plays nice. I don't like Rainbox Six.
Sep 11th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Looks good.
I liked the PS2 and PC versions of Rainbow Six, It wasnt my favorite, but i liked it.
Hope this plays like Syphon Filter


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VANCOUVER-- The spotlight was on the goalies Tuesday night as Cory Schneider returned to Vancouver to face Roberto Luongo and the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
Devils coach Pete DeBoer made some lineup changes, scratching defenseman Adam Larsson and winger Ryan Carter, along with Jacob Josefson. Mark Fayne and Rostislav Olesz were in the lineup for the first time this season.
Schneider was cheered when his name was mentioned in the starting lineup.
The lines:
Adam Henrique-Travis Zajac-Michael Ryder
Dainius Zubrus-Patrik Elias-Jaromir Jagr
Ryane Clowe-Andrei Loktionov-Damien Brunner
Rostislav Olesz-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier
Defense pairings:
Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky
Andy Greene-Mark Fayne
Anton Volchenkov-Peter Harrold
Harrold cleared the puck in front of his own net and almost knocked it in at 1:10.
Olesz at left wing with Zajac and Ryder. Clowe now at left wing with Gionta and Bernier.
Zajac also centered for Ryder and Bernier.
Henrik Sedin was called for hooking at 6:25. Elias was tripped on the power play, but no penalty was called.
Elias was not happy when he was called for hooking at 9:12. Henrique was hit by a shot during the Vancouver power play and limped to the bench. He was back on the next shift.
The Canucks were outshooting the Devils, 29-23.
End of period: Devils 2, Canucks 2
After a save, one fan yelled during a quiet spell: "Come on Cory, let one in."
Olesz redirected a Bernier pass, but Luongo was there for the stop at 3:15.
Schneider made a glove save on David Booth from the left circle at 5:13 as the Canucks winger cut across the ice.
At 6:03, Schneider made a pad save on Kevin Bieksa.
Elias centered a pass from the bottom of the right circle. The puck deflected off the skate of Canucks defenseman Dale Weise and into the net at 7:25 for a 2-0 Devils lead.
It was the second goal of the season for Elias and 377th of his career.
The Devils gave one back at 8:51 when Daniel Sedin's shot from the right point deflected off Volchenkov's stick and eluded Schneider on his stick side.
Clowe was hit in the foot by a shot from Alexander Edler at 13:28. With Clowe struggling to get up, the Canucks tied the game at 13:47 when Edler controlled a cross-slot pass from Daniel Sedin with his skates near the left hash marks and then beat Schneider.
Clowe was back before the period ended.
Chants of "Schneider... Schneider"' went up at 15:25. Seventeen seconds later the Devils goalie answered by stopping Jannik Hansen as he walked in alone.
The Canucks were outshooting the Devils, 23-15.
End of period: Devils 2, Canucks 2
As the game began, there was a message posted by the Canucks on the video screen: "Welcome Back Cory. Thanks For Five Great Years."
Volchenkov put a shot on net from the left point at 1:51 and Jagr had several swipes inside the crease before the play was whistled dead.
Ryder fed Zajac driving to the net at 4:11, but Luongo made the stop.
Luongo made save on a nine-foot shot by Zubrus at 5:03.
Schneider made a stop on a slapper from Daniel Sedin at 6:39 and then closed the door as the Canucks moved in for the rebound.
Christopher Tanev's shot dipped on Schneider at 8:45 but he was able to block it.
Olesz showed his physical play at 10:05 when he shoved Jason Garrison into Luongo after the Vancouver goalie made a save.
Zidlicky was called for slashing at the 10:26 mark.
With 1:45 left in the period, Luongo robbed Bernier on a shot from the right hash marks.
Jagr's second goal in two nights gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 18:52. Elias delivered a cross-slot feed from the right circle and Jagr wasted no time beating Luongo from the left circle.
Zidlicky also had an assist on the goal, which came just after Schneider stopped a Brad Richardson shot and Mike Santorelli just missed connecting on the rebound at 18:27.
The Canucks outshot the Devils, 9-8.
End of period: Devils 1, Canucks 0


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Results tagged ' Trent Jewett '
Harper's big bunt: Nats surprise, reap benefits
By Andrew Simon
WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper owns one of baseball's most violent and dangerous swings, so when he walks to the plate in a crucial situation with a runner in scoring position, he is expected to use it.
The Nationals defied those expectations during a key moment in Saturday night's 8-5 comeback win against the Phillies.
It was Harper's run-scoring bunt in the seventh inning that tied the game and set up Jayson Werth's dramatic go-ahead home run one batter later. Asked to grade the bunt after the game, Werth gave it an "S for surprising," and it certainly was that.
The Nationals entered the seventh training, 4-3. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel replaced starting pitcher Cliff Lee with another left-hander, Jake Diekman, and Nats skipper Davey Johnson sent up pinch hitter Steve Lombardozzi.
Lombardozzi got things started with a walk, moved to second on Denard Span's sacrifice and then boldly stole third to move 90 feet from tying the game with Ryan Zimmerman at the plate.
"Well, [Diekman's] real slow to the plate," Johnson said. "He's like 1.6, 1.7 [seconds]. That's what you do. But [Lombardozzi's] a smart baserunner. He had a good jump and he got in pretty easy."
Zimmerman walked to put runners on the corners for Harper. On one hand, the 20-year-old is one of Washington's deadliest hitters, not your usual candidate for a bunt. In his career, Harper had never driven home a run with a bunt, and he had used them for five sacrifices and one hit.
But a couple of factors, other than the element of surprise, made the bunt a more appealing proposition. For one thing, Harper hasn't been the same offensive threat he was early in the year, entering Saturday hitting .225 with a .734 OPS since April 28. He went into that at-bat hitting .174 against lefties, with 26 strikeouts in 101 plate appearances. And lefties are 6-for-35 (.171) with 10 Ks against Diekman this year.
Johnson called for the bunt, later saying his reasoning was simply to, "get a run in." Third base coach Trent Jewett passed Harper the signal to safety squeeze, meaning he only tries to bunt on a strike, and Lombardozzi only breaks for home if Harper gets it down.
Harper took a slider just inside for ball one. He later said Jewett took the bunt off on the 1-0 pitch, a slider down and away that Harper swung through. Jewett signaled for it again on the next pitch, and Harper hung with a slider up and inside. He got it in the air, but in the right spot, the ball shooting toward second base and reaching Chase Utley on one hop. With no play at home, and no chance for a double play, Utley took the force at second, and the game was tied.
"I mean, he hung a slider, so it kind of caught me off-guard a little bit," Harper said. "I think if it was a fastball, it would've gone straight into the ground, because he has pretty good two-seam action on his fastball. The slider, I tried to hit it into right field, it looked like. Thankfully it fell in front of Utley and we got that run."
Of getting called on to squeeze in that spot, Harper said, "I love it. I think it's great." It may have been a surprising call, but it worked.
"The last thing you want to do right there is hit into a double play," Werth said. "Sometimes, first and third with one out and the game on the line like that, a bunt's a good play if it works out. But a guy like Bryce, you want to see Bryce swing the bat. But when the guy he's facing is a nasty lefty, Charlie Manuel would always talk about being creative in the moment. Bryce was definitely creative in the moment right there."
Nats' Wang to have rehab stint
Nationals right-hander Chien-Ming Wang will have a rehab stint with Class A Hagerstown on Monday. It will be his first professional game of any kind for the Nationals. It's not known how many innings Wang will throw for Hagerstown.
Since he joined the club in 2009, Wang has yet to play a professional game for Washington because of right shoulder problems. While rehabbing the shoulder, however, Wang has been able to participate in Minor League intrasquad games.
In other news, with John McLaren as the interim manager, Trent Jewett will be the bench coach for Friday's game against the White Sox.
Jewett to join Nationals this week
Triple A Syracuse manager Trent Jewett will join the Nationals on Tuesday as an extra coach. The Nationals are rewarding Jewett for guiding the Chiefs to a 75-66 record.
Syracuse was eliminated from playoff contention with an 8-2 loss to the Rochester Red Wings on Saturday night.
Jewett is best known for being a managerial candidate after the Nationals dismissed Frank Robinson as their skipper in 2006. The job eventually went to Manny Acta.


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Government: Money better spent in Africa
Brad Pitt was on the news. He was trying to do something about the orphans in Africa. Its a noble cause. There are 20 million orphans there. If we had spent our money helping them out instead of fighting in Iraq (what is it we are there for? I forget), we could have spent $10,000 to help each child. Granted, it would have been hard for our government to get it to the needy without enriching other more oppressive government thugs, but I would have preferred it.
At least, 1,700 of our precious youth would still be alive. Yes, I remember 9/11, that was when 1.5 days worth of Americans were aborted in one hour.
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Dr. Anton "Twan" Leenders has found his perfect balance of research and education.
The new president and chief executive officer of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is the fifth to be named to the position. He is looking to share his knowledge and expand upon the Roger Tory Peterson name.
Leenders was born and raised in the Netherlands, and went to school there as well.
Article Photos
Dr. Anton "Twan" Leenders is the new executive director for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute.
P-J photo by Liz Skoczylas
"During my time at university, I started getting more involved with rain forest conservation, mostly because that was something that was just not mentioned on the other side of the puddle," Leenders said.
Rain forest conservation is something that has always interested Leenders, from the time when he was young. Leenders said he received his first library card at the age of 5.
"I would go to the library pretty much every day and pick out those Disney picture books with the rain forest pictures," Leenders said. "When I finally had my chance to act on that, I did."
Leenders spent several years in Central America, studying rain forest canopy and ecology. He used techniques he had learned from Dr. Donald Perry, a biologist from New York. Additionally, he wrote the first field guide to reptiles and amphibians for Costa Rica.
"I became somewhat of an expert on reptiles and amphibians in Central America before that whole region was really accessible, and before that whole group of animals were accessible," Leenders said.
For several years, Leenders went back and forth between doing field research as a conservation biologist and teaching others what he knew.
"I was very privileged to be experiencing all these different areas and living in these different communities," Leenders said. "I was finding all these different animals on the planet that nobody had ever really seen, or people had seen them but weren't really aware of their relevance."
Eleven years ago, Leenders came to the United States and developed an interest in Roger Tory Peterson.
"His contributions are just tremendous, and they are still so relevant, more so now then they even were then," Leenders said.
Leenders and his family wound up in Jamestown, because his wife is originally from the area. His father-in-law is the chairman of the board of trustees, which provided Leenders with the opportunity to get to know the institute, as well as former president, Jim Berry.
"Whenever I would come into town for family business, Jim and I would always try to sneak off for a couple hours and go birding," Leenders said. "He seemed to have this idea that I would be a good person to apply for his job by the time he decided to retire. Apparently, other people thought that, too, and picked me out of the pool."
Roger Tory Peterson's favorite bird was a penguin, Leenders picks out the bobolink as being at the top of his personal list.
"It's got such a funny name, you've got to like the thing," Leenders said. "But, not only does it have a funny name, it has the most incredible song... It's an indicator species for quality grasslands, which is a threatened habitat in much of the United States."
Now that Leenders has officially settled into his new position, he is looking ahead for what is to come for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. He is looking to restore the relevance of Roger Tory Peterson's mission and legacy.
"In the long term, if we cannot be better stewards of our environment, it's going to come back to bite us," Leenders said. "We have a great example in Roger Tory Peterson, in that he was a normal kid from any small city in the United States, who had a dream, had a passion, and put his talents to use."
Although Leenders has had many experiences throughout his life, he said he is now in his dream position to both do research and educate others.
"Twenty years ago, I was dangling like a Christmas ornament from a tree somewhere," Leenders said. "I've always gone back and forth between my desire to educate and my desire to learn more. I think this is a nice combination of the two."


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Solar industry observers have been watching this train coming for months. As prices fall and margins are squeezed, there is bound to be a shakeout of solar manufacturers. And the first domino has fallen.
Evergreen Solar (Nasdaq: ESLR ) filed for bankruptcy protection this week citing Chinese competition it just couldn't overcome. Evergreen's technology was supposed to lead to lower costs than the competition, and a move to China was supposed to be the final cost cutting step the company needed.
All of the things that were "supposed to" happen never did, and this week's filing was the result.
Who's next?
One minor solar manufacturer filing for bankruptcy doesn't really constitute a shakeout, so who else may be in trouble going forward? Energy Conversion Devices (Nasdaq: ENER ) is one of three clean energy companies I thought were on their last leg, along with Evergreen Solar, so that would be my next pick.
Like Evergreen, Energy Conversion Devices is a great story. The pictures of its products are very impressive, and there are even some nice projects the company is working on. But losses keep mounting, sales are falling, and there's a large debt burden hanging over the company. When earnings are released on Aug. 25, we'll see if the company's solar division has made any progress, but I'm not going to bet on it.
Ascent Solar (Nasdaq: ASTI ) is another company I would be leery of. As I highlighted this week, the company may have gotten a new lease on life, but that doesn't mean it's time isn't coming.
Sticking with solar leaders with high margins like Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL ) and First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR ) , or manufacturers with project development pipelines like SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWRA ) , is much smarter than betting on a risky solar technology.
Stocks can continue to trade after bankruptcy has been filed, but that doesn't mean the shares are actually worth anything. If I owned shares, I would cash them in for anything I could get at this point.
Keep Evergreen Solar and Ascent Solar on My Watchlist to see whether they're going to follow Evergreen Solar's fate.
- Add Energy Conversion Devices to My Watchlist.
- Add Ascent Solar Technologies to My Watchlist.


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Kenneth Faried of Denver made this beyond-half-court alley-oop look ridiculously easy the other night ... which is absurd because it's the farthest thing from it.
Watch as Andre Miller grabs a rebound and throws a LONG alley-oop to Faried, who jumps out of the gym for a two-handed smash he makes look effortless.
THG NOTE: Visiting Denver won, 93-87, over Houston.
THG NOTE #2: Check out our Top 10 NBA dunks!


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Posts by Armando 123
1122 posts • joined 10 Aug 2011
METEORITES, not MEN, are FROM MARS: NASA rover's shock discovery
Re: Greenpeace doom mongering
"So women might be from Venus. They destroyed that one and moved to the next one too."
Explains its runaway temperature. All the women couldn't get warm, all turned up the heat, and hence the lead-melting surface temperature.
OAR-some! 18ft SEA SERPENT discovered off US coast
Re: ""It's one of these rare weird things you see in Southern California," Chace said."
In Southern California, the weirdest and rarest thing would be "common sense".
Alarming tales: What goes on INSIDE Reg hack's hi-tech bedroom
Best alarm clock
Get a beagle with a small bladder. After two carpet cleanings, you are AWAKE at the quietest whine.
Last living NEANDERTHALS discovered in JERSEY – boffins
Re: ...NEANDERTHALS discovered... on JERSEY SHORE...
Please. Such pompous stereotyping is impuning the Neanderthals, and I'm not having it!
Stallman's GNU at 30: The hippie OS that foresaw the rise of Apple - and is now trying to take it on
Re: Bzzzzzt!!! Wrong!!!
No, libertarians are freedom obsessed zanies -- people like Jefferson, John Adams, Franklin, Madison, Mason, Herbert Spencer, and H.K. Mencken provide good examples of libertarianism before it was called that.
The basic idea is that some government is necessary but government's tendency to grow for its own benefit at the expense of others means that government needs to be kept in check.
Take a good hard look at government anywhere and sensible people some something in it.
Judge orders probe over Samsung execs viewing secret Apple docs
Re: Fandroids and Fanbois apart
"And different from ANY other megacorp how?"
No. I've worked in situations that required some delicacy and most corporations do not condone this sort of thing. Even if you doubt their ethics, they mostly want to avoid situations like this.
Re: Fandroids and Fanbois apart
Not only that, but if someone notices that people can access documents they shouldn't, they are required to notify the appropriate people, per a pre-defined protocol, as soon as possible.
I've done work on military projects, other government contracts, HIPAA data, worked at a place which the FTC had required to be split into two companies for anti-trust reasons, and worked with firms pursuing lawsuits. While I don't know the specifics of the rules in this case, I do know enough to know that Samsung is in deep trouble. Judges and other legal authorities do not take kindly to protocol issues when they are unintentional. They tend to view you on how you react to such things. In Samsung's case, it looks like it was with full knowledge and that they are being uncooperative. They could be in for a long, expensive court battle.
Samsung DENIES benchmark CHEATING, despite evidence
Re: What's next?
Denying court orders about document confidentiality?
All rivers flow into the sea: Apple holds TEN PER CENT of corporate America's dosh
Re: What about "non-corporate"?
As privately owned companies, they don't have to publish asset reports like publicly traded companies do.
Re: Green apples
One problem: cash made overseas is taxed AGAIN when it's brought into the US, and at a fairly high rate at that. You try explaining to your shareholders why losing thirty-five cents on a dollar just to move money around is a good idea. Better yet, explain that to your wife.
Washington Post officially sold to Amazon's Bezos for quarter of a Tumblr
Let it go
I've seen a lot of hand-wringing over who will report wrongdoings and be a watchdog when newspapers go away. However, in my fair city, the radio and tv stations have been doing a much better job of this in the nearly twenty years since the newspaper was sold to a national conglomerate.
All we get nowadays are articles sucking up to rich people, shouting about the governor trying to be fiscally responsible in an economic downturn, and demanding higher taxes on working people to pay for bigger government. Given the somewhat conservative/libertarian leanings the city has, they aren't exactly targeting the largest market.
Newspapers had their day, as did buggy manufacturers and hula hoops. They are being killed by craigslist, the web (particularly Google and other news conglomerators), and so on. Hell, they never even adjusted to CNN delivering national and international news, let alone the internet. Better to let them die than to keep the pain going with life support.
A £30,000, 295bhp 4G MODEM?!? Must be the Audi S3 Quattro, then
Have to say this
"neither are fast hatchbacks"
Sorry, no. My wife just got a new car so I just started driving my old VW Golf after years in an SUV. A ten year old Golf is still a damn good car and fun to drive compared to a land barge, and now that we live in a city with traffic circles and roundabouts everywhere I am tempted to dirt-track it when dropping off the boys at school.
As an old f@rt, I hope I never get over a good, sporty hatchback. I can still haul the kids and dogs but still have fun when the mood hits. (And the diesel engine is still getting 44MPG aftter ten years.)
500 MEELLION PCs still run Windows XP. How did we get here?
Re: XP? Pah!
I have a Hyundai.
'Modern warming trend can't be found' in new climate study
Hm ...
So, this bit about warming stalling in the 90s. Isn't that when solar actiivity peaked? And haven't other planets/moons shown a similar pattern of warning?
You know, that big hot thing in the middle of the solar system just MIGHT have something to do with this.
BlackBerry ripped itself apart wooing CIOs AND iPhone fanbois - insiders
"Rows over whether BlackBerry was at its best as a hardware or software company led to years of paralysis"
That's because they were neither; they were a solutions company. But that's what happens when you define yourself on other people's terms.
Samsung: Sod off Apple, we've made gold mobes for way longer than you
"We made tasteless gaudy tat long before you did."
Well, sign me up for that.
TUPPERWARE FOUND ON MOON of Saturn
Titan isn't that unpleasant
It's the only place in the solar system where you can shatter ewoks in a lake of farts, as discussed in that excellent QI documentary with Brian Cox and Ross Noble.
Re: Excellent
@DonJefe - [STANDING OVATION] I wish I could upvote that many times, but I no longer live in Chicago.
Ubuntu 13.10: Meet the Linux distro with a bizarre Britney Spears fixation
Re: @ Pete 2 - Reversing Moore's Law
"I remember the most hate about WIndows 95 was ..."
I remember the Windows guys saying "if I wanted a Mac I'd have goten a Mac". Take ten seconds to ponder that.
Re: Reversing Moore's Law
"Personally, I'd much prefer a user interface that contained one simple question and a box for the user to type, write or speak the answer."
So, a text-based version of Microsoft Bob, then?
Bill Gates: Yes, Ctrl-Alt-Del salute was a MISTAKE
Missing a key point
" Harvard Campaign, a fundraising drive designed to raise $6.5bn for the Ivy League university"
Harvard is the best funded academic institution in the world, sitting on hundreds of billions, enough cash to fund a third world nation for decades or to buy a US Senator for two weeks. The last thing this world needs is more money to go to the one institution who sends people to Wall Street, the US government, and Hollywood.
That's a money spinner: iPod wheel patent bout bags bod £2m from Apple
Wait, I'm confused
Do we like this because we hate Apple, or hate this because we hate patents?
Please El Reg readers, tell me what to think!
Apple blings up new iMac with latest Intel chips, next-gen Wi-Fi
Re: Next gen WiFi???
"Do people still think hiding behind anon makes them look superior?"
Don't worry, the good folks at NSA know.
Austerity BITES: Greece ends extra hols for civil servants forced to use hated COMPUTERS
Re: Oh, the irony
California has one of the highest tax rates on businesses in the US. The "too much democracy" argument is one that I often here from friends in California who work in the public schools, etc, ie in the government system.
If anything, that has exposed the problem in California. The government sector has grown quicker than the private sector, by a large margin. (Recently I saw a report on this for various US states, I think at The Cato Institute site, and it was pretty interesting.) Some of the citiies in California have already had to be bailed out, and the state isn't going to be that far behind.
Re: Turning up for work
"If there's one thing the average bank worker does, it's work far, far harder than workers from most industries."
I wouldn't say it's harder per se -- I used to work on farms and as a lumberjack, so I am aware of what hard work is -- but the jobs in banking do require a lot of work, brain power, knowledge, and integrity. Finding that combination isn't simple and there is a demand in many industries for it, so it's not surprising that people in banking make good money.
Re: Bankrupt - No wonder
Actually, as someone who has lived in DC and Chicago, I don't find that level of corruption mind-boggling at all. In fact, they sound like pikers.
Re: Oh, the irony
"The. Greeks are still complaining, even after their debts have been paid off by someone else?"
Well of course they are. Until they have to pay for it THEMSELVES, they won't understand what the real issue is.
I see the same thing in the US with California (which is approaching Greece's state thanks to similar governmental policies) and places like Detroit (ditto).
They'll expect all us (relatively) fiscally responsible places to bail them out, and I don't see why. You made your choices, live with them. Or is asking these cretins to behave like adults too much to ask?
Boffins debate killing leap seconds to help sysadmins
Re: What a truly advanced civilization would do
"Of course, the proper fix would be to adjust the rotation of the Earth to stay in sync with the atomic clocks!"
Mmmmyessssss .... Going to be a bit difficult getting the moon to agree to that, isn't it? That sort of energy would require burning everything from fossil fuels to orphans.
Microsoft mocks Apple and new iPhones in vids it quickly pulls
Don't mention the competition
If you can advertise without mentioning the competition by name, all the better. You'll notice that the ads for Chrome, iPhone, and many cars do not mention the competition. Apple did with their "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" ads because MS had over 90% of the personal computer market, and it was a market which had flattened; the only way to grow was to pull in frustrated MS users.
MS seems to keep sniping at Apple, which shows 1) they aren't dominant, 2) they aren't confident, 3) they don't get it, or 4) some combination thereof.
TWO can play this 64-bit mobile game, says Samsung, crossly
Re: Here we go again...
We'll see where this goes. There was a time when people didn't see the need for mobile phones outside of very specialized areas.
Anyone else remember ...
... and old story that Microsoft used to call Apple "R&D South"? Would Samsung be taking over Microsoft's roll in the mobile space?
Re: Why oh why
Because 32 bits of processing should be enough for anyone - Bill Gates
Corel re-animates zombie brand for patent case
Only one way to fix this
Allow people who pursue nuisance lawsuits to be countersued. In the US, you can sue without fear of reprisal, providing you don't falsify evidence, lie under oath, etc (ie, make the legal system seem like the ass it is). So one can sue the phone company just to piss off the phone company and get them bad press, then just withdraw the suit and go away, or settle out of court because it will be cheaper for them. Now, if the sue-er and the sue-er's lawyer have to face risk if the court deems the case ridiculous, you'd cut down on a lot of this. Likewise, if a group of non-lawyers were able to remove lawyers from practicing (the ABA is a joke), that would cut it down even further.
Apple's iOS 64-bit iUpgrade: Don't expect a 2x performance leap
Re: iOS-based laptops?
Would the iPad count as an "iOS-based laptop"?
I know, not really, but a touch interface doesn't seem to really work for a laptop. (Now, having said that, I'm sure someone will prove me wrong.) Still, it is surprising what you can already do on an iPad.
The Solar System's second-largest volcano found hiding on Earth
"Since when has depth been measured in feet again?!"
Since Obama said so.
Confirmed by cockup: New iPhones will be named 5S and 5C
I hope so
I want an iPhone 5, and I can get it a lot cheaper when the 5S/5C/5Famous comes out.
Give us a break: Next Android version to be called 'KitKat'
I'm offended!
As someone with a useless liberal arts degree from a pompous college, I am naturally a complete wanker with a sad life who has nothing better to do than to poke my nose into other people's business and be offended for no good reason. Therefore, i will proceed to scream my offense at Google promoting obesity and I'm going to sue and the louder I scream, the more likely I am to get a show on ESPN.
Myron Pantywayste
Furious Frenchies tell Apple to bubble off: Bling iPhone isn't 'champagne'
They can call it Vichy Gold. Or Rifle Dropper gold. Or Collaborate And Get Paid In Nazi Gold.
It would make the French so mad that they would stare angrily from behind the smoke of a Galoise and do NOTHING about it.
iPad classes for DOGS offered in New York
Re: America....
And why part of America really dislikes other parts of America. OTOH, many Americans may shake their head but think "Well, if you can seperate these idiots from their money, do it"
"who had recently left journalism to pursue dog training full-time"
From bullshit to dogshit, then.
Apple's Siri 'hurls insults' at Google Glass
"So much time on your hands that you sit there talking to Siri...."
Probably waiting on girlfriend to get dressed, or kids to get in the damn car, or boss to show up at meeting, or dog to finish "dropping a politician" before continuing the walk, ...
Botched court doc outs Google as respondent in national security flap
Dear Dr. Schmidt,
I'm glad you had nothing to hide.
Your neighborhood cybervigillante
BILLION DOLLAR BALLMER: Microsoft chief makes $1bn simply by quitting
I still say ...
... getting rid of Ballmer and replacing him with someone more competent would be worth a billion dollars to the shareholders. I've been saying this for a decade, about the time Longhorn slouched into XP. MS' competitors might be having an "oh crap" reaction to this.
He always struck me as a phone company bellhead or a Xerox tonerhead. He couldn't think outside the box, partly because he wasn't really aware of the box in the first place.
Pulsars: the GPS beacons of the cosmos
Re: Known and used (differently) in Pioneering days
When the first pulsar was discovered, it was initially thought that it might be a signal beacon for space-traveling extraterrestrials.
Ballmer's emotional farewell to Redmond: I LOVE THIS COMPANY
Re: At least he Tried
Longhorn, Vista, Zune, PlaysforSure, Metro, ... trust me, it's bad news for their competitors that MS is getting a new CEO.
China's Baidu builds new type of App Store
Re: Is innovation going over to the East?
Possibly, but there are differences in marekts, economies, and "culture" (not the right word, maybe "weltanschauung" is better). China was technologically WAY ahead of the west a thousand years ago. But it was more sparks of light in the dark rather than a building of light, so that by 1500, European cannon could threaten the Chinese coast.
Innovation is important, but it's not everything you need for advancement.
NASA restarts WISE telescope to spot potential Earth-killers
Re: Budget cuts, huh?
Or we could get rid of a few layers of mismanagement in all the bureaucracies.
PEAK Apple: Cupertino's hopes died with Steve Jobs, says Larry Ellison
Re: Really
This from the people who gave us the Morris Marina. And other great British Leyland designs.
And reality tv.
I like Ive's designs, but don't extrapolate a national character from one ex-pat's success.
Nude swimmers warned of GONAD-GOBBLING FISH ON THE LOOSE
Re: I call dibs on the Swedish chainmail speedo concession!!
New from IKEA! Unfortunately, it takes 35 minutes to put it on and it never really fits right.
20 injured at LG phone giveaway as PR stunt turns into freetard riot
Re: A Bit of a WKRP Moment, eh?
"One of the funniest episodes in TV sitcom history......"
Can't think of a funnier one, to be honest. Just wish the music copyrights didn't make rebroadcast cost-prohibitive.
Frank Jennings
Trevor Pott
Kat Hall
Iain Thomson
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INDIANAPOLIS -- If you only looked at the NBA standings, the Detroit Pistons would sound a bit delirious in saying things could have gone better in this season gone haywire, as indicated by Wednesday's 101-94 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
That's only if you haven't watched.
The Pistons were ahead or tied entering the fourth quarter for the 37th time this season on Wednesday.
For the 12th time in those 37 games, they lost.
That isn't supposed to happen in the NBA, and this was far from the most egregious example.
The Pistons led on the road, against a premier team, but the margin through three quarters was just 74-73.
Still, the little things got them again.
"We're like a few plays from being in a totally different position in a lot of games -- and especially against them," Greg Monroe said.
The Pistons won one of four meetings with the Pacers this season.
In the others, they lost one solidly, blew one badly, and would have been in Wednesday's series finale in the final seconds if not for poor defensive rebounding in the fourth quarter.
"You look at all four games we played Indiana this year," Pistons interim coach John Loyer said. "We beat them here, we were up 25 and lose a game at home in overtime, tonight can go either way, and our first one at home was a big game. We've played them very well. We showed we can play against the best. We've just got to find a way to finish the game."
The Pistons (27-48) committed a season-low six turnovers, which also were the fewest forced by Indiana this season. They outscored the Pacers 17-5 off turnovers.
But Indiana (53-23) broke a six-game losing streak by shooting 49.4 percent from the field -- that snapped a franchise-long streak of six games shooting less than 40 percent -- and by turning six offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points in the fourth quarter.
One single shot didn't take down the Pistons, though there was little doubt about what the game's biggest basket was: Paul George's 35-footer with 3:19 remaining, after a Roy Hibbert offensive rebound, to stretch Indiana's lead to 94-90.
George mistakenly thought the clock did not reset after Hibbert rebounded his own miss, and had nearly a full shot clock when he launched his bomb with one foot on the center circle.
"Down the stretch, you've got to rebound the basketball," Loyer said. "It wasn't the first-possession, first-catch shot that beat us. That was kind of a lucky one but there were a couple more down the stretch, if you secure that rebound, you're right in the game."
The Pistons were still within 98-94 after a free throw by Josh Smith, who led them with 24 points, with 1:20 remaining.
Hibbert missed but David West rebounded for the Pacers. George, who led all scorers with 27, also missed, but the Pistons fumbled the rebound out of bounds, leaving them virtually out of chances with 33.7 seconds left, and Indiana closed the scoring with free throws.
"In those situations, all we can do is learn is from it," Smith said. "When you're coming down the stretch and you grind so hard defensively, you have to be able to make sure you find a body and get on guys so you won't give up any second-chance opportunities."
Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings said there was hope right up until that sequence.
Despite the Pistons having just seven games left and only draft positioning to play for -- they are tied with Sacramento for seventh-worst record in the league, two games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers -- they have realistic laments.
"Our season definitely could have been better," Jennings said. "We have taken a lot of lumps and bruises throughout the year. We've been an inconsistent team all year and that's been our main problem."
Loyer took the Pistons to task after two of their ugliest losses of the year last weekend, by 32 to Miami and 25 to a Philadelphia team which had lost 26 in a row.
Framed that way, saying things could have been better sounds ludicrous.
Then, the Pistons take the Pacers down to the final minute here, and it resonates again.
"We had good pace, we threw it up the floor, we attacked," Loyer said. "The assist numbers won't really show it but the ball really moved. We turned it over, what, six times tonight? I can't fault the way our guys played. They competed their butts off against the best team in the East. You're in a one- or two-possession game down the stretch. If you get a couple rebounds, you've got a chance to win the game."
Monroe said games like Wednesday's "definitely" indicate there is no reason to be so squarely removed from the playoff race one game into April.
"But there's no moral victories," he added. "We have to show how good we are in the win column."
-- Download the Detroit Pistons on MLive app for iPhone and Android


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What is in this article?:
- Groups partner to bolster food security in India
- Goal is to increase ag production
• The Agricultural Innovation Partnership (AIP) is being launched by India and USAID under "Feed the Future," the U.S. government's global hunger and food security initiative.
Goal is to increase ag production
"As part of the strategic partnership between the United States and India, both countries have agreed to intensify our collaboration to increase agricultural production, develop efficient marketing systems, and reduce malnutrition for a sustainable and inclusive Evergreen Revolution," Robbins said.
The consortium will strengthen the capacity of state agricultural universities by revising university curricula to include important issues such as market-led demand and the potential impact of climate change on agriculture. The consortium will also develop and pilot innovative Extension models to improve the expertise of agricultural graduates in their provision of management and agri-technology support to farmers as they move away from subsistence farming.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for our Illinois faculty to be actively involved in this project," said Prasanta Kalita, lead faculty member for the U of I on this project and professor of soil and water resources engineering. "Our main involvement will be to help develop new-generation academic curriculum for Banaras Hindu University that will be transferred to other similar universities in India while actively engaging in research and Extension initiatives for managing and utilizing natural resources, and providing guidance in establishing a center for teaching excellence."
More than half a century ago, the U of I began a long-standing educational partnership with Pantnagar University in India — creating the land-grant model in India and laying the foundations for feeding a hungry country. Most recently, members of U of I's ACES Global Academy took part in a 14-day immersion experience in India to study the food value chain systems there. Three of the academy's members — Mary Arends-Kuenning, Hao Feng, and Mindy Mallory — also met with faculty at BHU.
The ACES Office of International Programs at the U of I promotes the most effective use of faculty, department, college and external resources to support and strengthen the international dimension of the college's research, teaching, and outreach activities.


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Intero real estate opens downtown Grass Valley office
June 9, 2013
A new real estate office recently opened in downtown Grass Valley that will serve the needs of the entire county.
Intero Real Estate opened its Grass Valley office at 170 E. Main St. Wednesday and offers sales and listing services throughout Nevada County and into Yuba and Placer counties.
"We're thrilled to be in what everybody calls the new old building with 21 parking spaces a block from the heart of downtown Grass Valley," said John Miller, who co-owns Intero with his wife, Edith Miller-Heany.
"That kind of visibility is fantastic, and we're just tickled pink to be there."
The company has 70 offices worldwide and utilizes technology derived from its Silicon Valley origins.
"Every time we list a property, there's 2,000 agents aware of it through our interconnected web features," Miller said.
"They are on the cutting edge of technology all the time, so what we do with our interbranch and intercompany website is pretty unique."
Those who list with the company also have access to a major market in the country, Miller said.
"It's a good thing for us and the clients and the company overall, so we're happy to be affiliated with them."
The couple also opened a Penn Valley office in April at 11434 Pleasant Valley Road and plans to open two other local offices in the next few years.
"We have two major locations, which serve the clientele, and we love that," Miller said.
The company has been among the top 10 realtors in sales and volume for the last five years, according to a document by Multiple Listings Services Real Estate.
Miller was fifth in units sold and seventh in dollar volume out of more than 500 realtors, the document stated.
The couple worked for another company previously and was able to increase business more than 25 percent per year, even with the recession, he said.
"We continued to increase our business volume over 25-30 percent. While a recession was going on, we were growing," Miller said.
"It's attributed to hard work, good training and a good business plan."
The couple moved to Nevada County in 1996 and has several homes in numerous places.
They primarily reside in Lake Wildwood, which has given them a breadth of knowledge about real estate in the county.
"I love it here," said Miller, who listed the amenities, service, weather, topography and views but said he loves the area's bodies of water most of all.
The real estate market has rebounded, Miller said, with increasing property values from the low inventory.
"Right now, we have very little supply and great demand, but there's enough inventory that we can service those who want to move here; they would just have to a pay a little bit more," Miller said.
Intero will host a grand opening in mid-July to introduce its offices to the community.
For information, call 530-615-4321 for the Grass Valley office or 530-615-0111 for the Penn Valley location.
"The Penn Valley office and Grass Valley centralized location give us the ability to hit the ground running and not lose ground," Miller said. "We're excited."
To contact Staff Writer Jennifer Terman, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 530-477-4230.


text:
Achmed the dead terrorist's son has joined Walter the curmudgeonly old man and the talking pepper Josi Jalapeqo on a Stick to become the latest member of Jeff Dunham's suitcase posse.
Dunham, whose performances have made him one of the top grossing stand-ups, will perform at the Mullins Center in Amherst Thursday night and at the DCU Center in Worcester on Friday. The performances will give Achmed, Walter, Jose and another new puppet, Little Jeff, the chance to say all the things Dunham can't say without offending someone in the audience.
Dunham recently sat down with The Associated Press to discuss his current "Controlled Chaos" TV special on Comedy Central and his life as a comedian and ventriloquist.
What can people expect from this special or one of your performances?
What I love about my show is that you can pretty much leave your brain at the door. It's not brainless comedy, but at the same time, I'm not trying to make you think real hard. It's just come in, have a great time, and if a couple of eyebrows are raised, and I step on a couple of toes, well great. That's not what I set out to do, but I feel with comedy, you do have to push the envelope enough to offend a handful of people in the crowd.
You go into your personal life in this special, including your divorce. Do you use that as a means to find the humor in life?
If I'm going to make fun of other people and other things, I'm going to start with myself. I'm the brunt of the joke many times from the characters. I think that endears an audience a little bit. I don't have anything to hide. I come out on stage and I just tell them about my life. ... We all have good and bad relationships and that's what I talk about.
One of the pictures you show the audience is of you and your first ventriloquist doll. What attracted you to it and made you think it could be a career?
It was the simplicity of walking through the toy store and seeing this dummy ... and something appealed to me about it. I asked for it for Christmas and then just started studying and teaching myself. Here I was, this unremarkable kid, as average as average could be – wasn't popular with girls, wasn't popular with my other classmates, I was a little bit pudgy, and I was no good at sports, I was shy. And now I had this dummy, and I could sit up in front of the class and make people laugh and then make fun of the principal or the teacher, or my other classmates and I'd get laughs and get accolades.
But is ventriloquism sort of a dead art now?
When somebody who is 9 years old comes to me and says they want to be a ventriloquist, I think that's great because it's a great hobby. ... When somebody who's 28 years old comes to me and says they want to be a ventriloquist, I think, have you eliminated every other possibility of a hobby? And I just think that it's kind of sad because really, your life's gotten to the point that you're going to pick up a doll and make it talk for other people? That's really sad dude.
Even in vaudeville days, ventriloquists were the guys that came out between the real acts. ... I've come along and tried to paint a new patina on a tired, old art and make it fun and accessible.
How do you develop what characters you use in your act?
Things will hit me one day and I think, 'I think this will be funny.'... Then I'll make a cheap version of that dummy, try it on the stage a few times, and then if it works, I'll create the real dummy and just keep going with it. ... You say racist, you say whatever. If people come to my show, if they call me racist, I have created some stereotypical dummies that are funny to a lot of people. ...
I just come up with these characters that, on the offset, when somebody describes it, it's going to be, 'That guy's a racist. ... Really? He's got a black pimp, he's got a Muslimish character, he's got a white trash trailer park (character). He's awful!' Come to the show please before you make that judgment.


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A popular transportation project that has widened Interstates 10 and 12 to six lanes in the Baton Rouge and Livingston Parish area is about to enter its final phase.
Louisiana's Department of Transportation and Development will finish up the expansion of Interstate 12 from Juban Road to the Walker interchange by the end of this month. Then the agency will break ground on the final phase of the project -- widening Interstate 12 from Walker to near the Satsuma Road interchange -- in February.
The Walker-to-Satsuma leg of the project will take approximately one year, cost $26.5 million and affect approximately 3.6 miles of Interstate 12.
Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Sherri LeBas said the overall project, called Geaux Wider, is one of the most popular undertakings by the transportation department in recent years.
In total, the project included the widening of Interstate 10 from the Interstate 10/12 split to Highland Road. Interstate 12 has also been been expanded from O'Neal Lane interchange to Juban so far.
"I have received more compliments about the widening of I-10 and I-12 than any transportation improvement we've really done, really in my career, which spans 28 years. It made such an impact, such an impact to the traveling public," said LeBas, at a meeting of the Baton Rouge Press Club Monday.
An earlier version of this article said the Interstate 12 widening from Walker-Satsuma would take two years and cost $24.6 million. Transportation Secretary Sherri LeBas had listed those figures for the project in a speech to the Baton Rouge Press Club Monday.


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Two convicted killers were executed in Georgia and Missouri, making them the first death sentences carried out since an Oklahoma execution in April went wrong,
No complications were reported in the execution of Marcus Wellons, 59, in Georgia, just before midnight on Tuesday, NBC News reports. Only moments later, John Winfield, 46, was pronounced dead at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday after his death sentence was carried out in Missouri.
The botched execution of Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma on April 29 has led to legal challenges from inmates against states about the drugs they are using and laws that keep them secret, and it has put increased scrutiny on the executions of Wellons and Winfield, according to the Associated Press:
"I think after Clayton Lockett's execution everyone is going to be watching very closely," Fordham University School of Law professor Deborah Denno, a death penalty expert, said of this week's executions. "The scrutiny is going to be even closer."
Both Wellons and Winfield had filed last-minute appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting the court examine the secrecy laws in their states as a reason to stay their executions, the Los Angeles Times reports. The appeals were denied.
Earlier Tuesday, three judges on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected arguments by Wellons' lawyers that they were being being unconstitutionally blocked from learning more about the quality of the drugs to be used, the Times reports. However, one judge, Charles Wilson, wrote that Georgia's secrecy law had a "disturbing circularity problem."
Wellons was to sentenced to death in 1993 for the rape and murder of 15-year-old India Roberts in the townhouse of Wellons' girlfriend. Wellons was supposed to be moving out of the townhouse when he abducted India as she was walking to her school bus stop the morning of Aug. 31, 1989. She was believed to have been strangled with a telephone cord.
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
Wellons apologized to the family of India Roberts the teenager he was convicted of killing and said, "I ask and hope they will find peace in my death." He thanked his family and friends for their love and prayers and added, "I'm going home to be with Jesus." Wellons hummed as prayer was being said and as the warden read the death warrant. Otherwise there was little movement visible as he lay on the gurney. He was seen to exhale a couple of times before his body seemed to quiver and then there was no more movement.
Winfield, 46, was convicted of shooting his ex-girlfriend and two of her friends during a jealousy-fueled rampage in 1996, NBC News reports. The friends. Arthea Sanders and Shawnee Murphy, were killed. The ex-girlfriend, Carmelita Donald, survived but was blinded, according to NBC.
The Associated Press reports Winfield took four or five deep breaths when the execution drugs were administered Wednesday morning and then fell silent in just seconds. He did not make a final statement and declined a final meal, the AP reports.
The execution of a third inmate, John Ruthell Henry, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday in Florida.


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This page is plain wrong. There is no "Old Entish" predating contact with the Elves.
In Appendix F, it is said:
"They [the Ents] were known to the Eldar in ancient days, and to the Eldar indeed the Ents ascribed not their own language but the desire for speech."
Besides, there is no "New Entish" that they would use among themselves.
In Appendix F, it is further said:
"The language that they had made was unlike all others: slow, sonorous, agglomerated, repetitive, indeed long-winded; formed of a multiplicity of vowel-shades and distinctions of tone and quantity which even the lore-masters of the Eldar had not attempted to represent in writing. They used it only among themselves"
This article is mostly a mess of unsupported assertions and inventions.


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Georgia Teams in South Carolina for Conference Matchups
One team is coming off a win, the other a devastating loss…
This weekend the Georgia Bulldogs and Rambling Wreck of Georgia Tech are playing on the road in South Carolina.
Stephen Black has a light-hearted albeit kind of serious message for Georgia Tech.
"They let me down last week and that was my first loss of the season on your reports and I'm kind of upset with Georgia Tech about that."
Black is the managing editor for Score Atlanta Sports Magazine.
Georgia Tech's home loss to Middle Tennessee State was surprising to a lot of people.
And this week's opponent is a lot better says Black.
"Clemson is about ten times the talent on offense. The Georgia Tech defense looks like they're in for a long day. However, Georgia Tech has a history of playing their best game of the year against Clemson. They pulled off a major upset last year when Clemson was in the top ten and undefeated. So who says they can't do it again."
Tech's defense is allowing more than 40 points a game and Clemson is averaging 40 points a game.
Kickoff is 3:30 and it's at Memorial Stadium also known as Death Valley.
Meanwhile about 1-hunded and 37 miles away in Columbia, South Carolina, the Bulldogs will play the Gamecocks.
Stephen Black says the bulldogs will have to win without their top wide receiver Michael Bennett.
But Georgia has a deep bench of receivers, that's more than any other position on the team.
The gamecocks are coached by a man who's considered college football royalty.
Black says Steve Spurrier is the reason South Carolina has beaten UGA in recent years.
"If the gamecocks were able to win this game it would be the first time they've won three in a row over Georgia in the history of the series. A lot of that can be attributed to Steve Spurrier being there and bringing that confidence that they can get a leg up on Georgia."
But Black still thinks UGA will win 20 to 17.


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Property Name: Rieseling Boracay Beach Resort
Property Address: Bolabog Beach, Malay Boracay Island, , 5608
Property Description: Property Location
When you stay at Rieseling Boracay Beach Resort in Boracay Island, you'll be on the beach and minutes from Talipapa Market and Boat Station 2. This beach resort is within close proximity of Boracay Butterfly Garden and Lagutan Beach.
Make yourself at home in one of the 13 individually decorated guestrooms, featuring refrigerators and LCD televisions. Rooms have private furnished balconies or patios. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Pamper yourself with onsite massages or enjoy recreation amenities such as an outdoor pool. Additional amenities at this resort include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and babysitting/childcare (surcharge). Guests can catch a ride to nearby destinations on the complimentary area shuttle.
Grab a bite to eat at the resort's beachfront restaurant, which features a bar, or stay in and take advantage of room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a beach bar. A complimentary continental breakfast is included.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary newspapers in the lobby, dry cleaning/laundry services, and luggage storage. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available on request), and limited parking is available onsite.
Location Description: Near Boat Station 2
Property Facts: Total Number of Rooms: 1Total Number of Floors: 1Year of Last Renovation: N/A


text:
At times it seems like Special Editions are all trying to outdo one another, each going more over the top than the last. That appears to be the subject of parody in today's hilarious video promoting a fake Special Edition for action game Lollipop Chainsaw, which features a real-life Juliet you can make do anything. Just, um, be careful with that remote.
Lollipop Chainsaw launches June 12 on 360 and PS3. If you've not got a feel for it yet, check the behind the scenes video.


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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Our weather will continue to be warm Saturday in Central New York, but we will continue to be dogged by rain and thunderstorms.
The same upper-level disturbance that has hung over the region will remain with us a bit longer, creating ongoing unsettled weather, the National Weather Service said.
(View live radar map of New York state here.)
Saturday will see scattered rain and thunderstorms across Central New York, with highs reaching near 80 degrees, Time Warner Cable News said. There will likely be periods of dry weather in the morning on Saturday and Sunday.
Though we'll have to deal with rain and storms through the weekend, they will begin to taper off by the early part of next week.
Your Forecast
- Saturday: Cloudy with scattered rain and thunderstorms. South winds up to 5mph. A slight chance of rain and thunderstorms in the evening. Highs near 80. Lows in the low 60s.
- Sunday: Very good chance for rain and thunderstorms during the day. West winds of 5 mph. Partly cloudy later in the day with a chance for rain and thunderstorms. Highs near 80. Lows in the low 60s.
- Monday: Partly sunny with a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms during the day. Highs in the low 80s. Lows near 60.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny with a chance for rain and thunderstorms. Highs near 80. Lows near 60.
- Wednesday: Partly sunny with a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms. Highs in the high 70s. Lows in the high 50s.
You can also follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.syracuse.com/weather/ for more on the weather.
To send in weather info, or especially photos: Use the Twitter or Instagram hashtag: #cnyweather Also, please let us know where the images are located.


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AMHERST – One year after a fire claimed the life of James "Jake" Hoffman there is a scholarship in his name but no official cause for the blaze that killed the University of Massachusetts student.
More than 30 people were displaced by the fire Jan. 21, 2013 at Rolling Green Apartments, including 22 UMass students.
Hoffman died from smoke inhalation. The 21-year-old Stoughton resident would have received a degree from the Isenberg School's Department of Tourism Management last May.
His parents, David and Anne Hoffman, received it instead.
Fire Services Public Information Officer Jennifer Mieth wrote in an email, "There is no change on the Amherst fatal fire investigation and the one year anniversary does not affect the on-going investigation. We are still waiting for test results on equipment to see if that can assist investigators determine the cause."
The early morning fire started in the apartment in which Hoffman lived.
The Isenberg School of Management, meanwhile, has created a permanent scholarship in Hospitality and Tourism Management to honor Hoffman on the anniversary.
Family and his close friend and tourism classmate Seth Rotberg created the James "Jake" Hoffman Memorial Golf Tournament at Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton in October. With 148 participating, the tournament raised $15,000 toward the scholarship, according to a UMass press release. The event featured 18 holes of golf, a silent auction, dinner and raffle.
"The event underscored our affection and admiration for Jake," Haemoon Oh, Department of Hospitality and Tourism department chair who played in the tournament, said in a press release. "A scholarship in his name will be an enduring honor to him and to future HTM students."
Rotberg too said it was a way to keep his memory alive because he effected so many.
He said this week is hard as he remembers his friend, especially since the cause remains unknown. "It's defintely hard. There's really no closure. No evidence of what exactly happened." He said he and his friends talk about that and want to know.
He and Hoffman's parents also want to raise awareness about off-campus fire safety. He said it was not something he was looking at when he was living off campus
Hoffman was a member of the MESIBA Team, which focuses on cross-cultural events, and the Club Managers Association of America, and was vice president of the Jewish Student Union although he was not Jewish.
Contributions to the James "Jake" Hoffman Memorial Scholarship can be made online https://www.umass.edu/development/give/?a=11 or by mailing to the Isenberg Office of Development, Suite B4, 101 University Drive, Amherst, MA 01002.
The scholarship will benefit hospitality and tourism students with professional and student club interests similar to Hoffman's, according to the release.


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Eastern Health is advising the public that visitation to the Interfaith Citizen's Home in Carbonear and the Salvation Army Glenbrook Lodge in St. John's is restricted to immediate family members only, due to an increase in influenza and influenza-like illness, as well as gastrointestinal illness at Salvation Army Glenbrook Lodge.
The health authority says immediate family members should contact the sites directly for further direction on visitation. The phone numbers to call are: Interfaith Citizen's Home – (709) 945-5300; Salvation Army Glenbrook Lodge – (709) 726-1525.
The public is asked not to visit any health-care facility if they feel ill or are experiencing flu-like or gastrointestinal symptoms. For infection prevention, people are advised to wash their hands frequently, cover their coughs or sneezes with a tissue or the crook of their arms and refrain from touching their faces. Anyone still seeking the flu shot should contact their physician or community health office.


text:
Created especially for graduate-level and doctoral-level students in the College of Nursing to guide you through the research process and acquaint you with the many resources available at Falvey Library.
|Finding articles in business and management journals
| Finding reports from Research and Analysis Firms
|Finding books
|World Wide Web sites
| Tips on Keeping Good Notes
Proceed to Research in Education | Return to Graduate Nursing Research Guide homepage
Comments and suggestions to Barbara Quintiliano, Instructional Design Librarian.
Also Team Leader, Nursing/Life Sciences


text:
ALERT: Route 5 reopened just before 5 p.m.
HOLYOKE — Police blocked traffic on Northampton Street (Route 5) north at the Mountain Park Access Road on Tuesday afternoon as they and other public safety officials responded to a two-vehicle accident farther up Route 5.
According to a reporter for The Republican at the scene, a Stan Czaplicki Drywall truck collided with a Volvo sedan. The truck rested against a guard rail.
The driver of truck and the driver of the Volvo were both hurt, but neither sustained life-threatening injuries, officials at the scene said. There were no passengers in either vehicle.
The driver of the Volvo was extricated with the Jaws of Life hydraulic extrication tool.
This is a developing story and will be updated as our reporting continues


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Tennis Discussions > Pro Player Forum
ಲಾಂಗ್ ಲೈವ್ ಏಷ್ಯಾ Asian Players Cheering Thread!
<< < (2/2)
I'm a big fan of Nishikori. And after watching how she battled through the AO Final, I gotta say I'm becoming a fan of Li Na. I don't really keep up with any of the others, though.
Orange Wombat:
Japan beat Indonesia 3-0 in Asia/OCeania Group 1!
In the 1st rubber there was almost a triple bagel as Soeda def Nugroho 60 60 61. But in all fairness Nugroho was ranked 1783 in the world :Confused:
They will play India or South Korea in next round. India kind of sucks now with all their best players boycotting.
Orange Wombat:
Go Devvarman! 2nd round of 5 consecutive tournaments :)>>>> I wonder when his protected ranking stops.
This thread needs some more Wang.
Jimmy Wang that is.
Orange Wombat:
--- Quote from: Freak3yman84 on April 07, 2013, 09:56:01 AM ---This thread needs some more Wang.
Jimmy Wang that is.
--- End quote ---
:rofl_2: The name is Wang. Jimmy Wang. I wonder what his Taiwanese name is.
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous pageGo to full version


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Asheville (19-7, 14-1 BSC) is looking to finish unbeaten on the road in league play for the first time in school history and just the third time in Big South history. Ironically, the Chanticleers accomplished the feat last season. The Bulldogs are 8-0 in enemy Big South territory this season and have won 10 straight games against league opponents on the road dating back to last year.
Asheville will face a tough Coastal Carolina squad on Tuesday night that will try a break a three-game losing streak. The Chanticleers are 17-8 overall and 10-5 in league play. The Bulldogs slipped past Coastal Carolina, 88-81 at Kimmel Arena back on Jan. 17.
"We played very, very well to beat Coastal Carolina last month and it's going to take an even better effort to win at their place," stated Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach. "I know they've lost a couple of games lately but they've had some injuries and some bad breaks. This is still an outstanding basketball team that's well-coached by Cliff Ellis. They have a formidable team both inside and outside."
CCU is led in scoring by senior guard Anthony Raffa with a 16.6 average. Chris Gradnigo is averaging 15.3 points per game. Kierre Greenwood averages 11.2 points per game and has 99 assists. Center Sam McLaurin is one of the best in the Big South with a 10.0 scoring average and is shooting .647 from the field.
In the game on Jan. 17, J.P. Primm led a balanced Asheville attack with 23 points. The Bulldogs were an amazing 31-of-33 from the free throw line at .939. Coastal Carolina was led by McLaurin's 17 points, while Jon Pack had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
"I thought both teams played very well the last time we played," commented Biedenbach. "We did a great job getting fouled and making our free throws. I'd like for us to a better job rebounding than we did last time as they beat us pretty bad on the boards."
CCU had a 36-26 advantage on the boards in the first meeting. The Bulldogs have been much better on the boards lately and have outrebounded their last two opponents by more than 12 rebounds.
"Our rebounding and defense has been much better the last few games," admitted Biedenbach. "We're going to need that kind of effort as we go forward into the Big South Tournament."
Asheville has won seven straight games and 14 of its last 15 games. Dating back to last season, Asheville has won 20 of its last 21 games against league opponents.
The Bulldogs have shot better than 90 percent from the free throw line three times this season.
Asheville has scored at least 86 points in 10 of the last 12 games.
The Bulldogs have won their last two trips to Kimbel Arena, including last year's Big South Conference championship game when Asheville downed the Chanticleers, 60-47.
Asheville has won five Big South Conference regular-season titles, all under head coach Eddie Biedenbach.
The Bulldogs will at least go to the NIT if they don't win the Big South Tournament. This marks the first time Asheville will go to post-season play in back-to-back seasons in school history.
Asheville has five players averaging in double figures in scoring. The five players are: Matt Dickey (17.1), J.P. Primm (15.7), Chris Stephenson (13.4), Jaron Lane (12.6) and Jeremy Atkinson (10.6).
The Bulldogs lead the Big South and are third nationally in scoring with an 82.8 average. Asheville is eighth nationally in assists with a 17.1 per game mark. The Bulldogs are shooting .494 from the field and that ranks them seventh nationally in field goal percentage.


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Results tagged ' J.J. Putz '
Tigers still looking at veteran relievers
Unless the Tigers go with an experimental 10-man bullpen, they'll have more young relievers than they'll likely have spots in their bullpen once the agreed-upon trade of Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson becomes official. But that apparently doesn't rule out the Tigers dealing for a veteran closer.
Quite the opposite, the Tigers would like one, and they're expanding their search after Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon turned down Detroit's arbitration offers late Monday night. They remain interested in bringing one of them back, but they're preparing as if both of them move on.
Whether it's Lyon, Rodney or someone else, the Tigers are hoping to have a veteran reliever.
"It doesn't have to be now," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "We didn't sign Brandon Lyon [last winter] until late January, but ideally we'd like to have somebody [experienced] out there, yes."
By adding potential future closer Daniel Schlereth from Arizona and lefty Phil Coke from the Yankees, Detroit further bolstered a group of young relievers that Dombrowski already praised for its potential depth. Ryan Perry was already expected to compete for a setup role next spring, while similar hard-throwing righties Cody Satterwhite and Robbie Weinhardt could crack the big leagues later in the season after getting more seasoning at Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.
Add in lefty Fu-Te Ni, still-young Zach Miner and a potentially healthy Joel Zumaya, and Detroit's bullpen has the chance to be very deep, very soon. That doesn't, however, mean that they're going to take over the late innings completely quite yet.
When asked about an established closer on Monday, Dombrowski suggested the Tigers could go a different route. On Tuesday, Dombrowski confirmed they were talking with more veteran arms, as well as maintaining talks on Rodney and Lyon.
"Both of them were looking for multi-year deals," Dombrowski said. "They made that clear. We continue to have interest in them, but I'm also sure that they want to explore what's out there, and that's what they're doing. We continue to talk to them and are interested in them."
Whether the Tigers would be willing to offer a multi-year deal just became an interesting question. A trade of Granderson and Jackson will open up payroll space, giving the Tigers some much-needed flexibility to address needs. However, it also gives Detroit yet another closing option for the very near future.
The rest of the market is an interesting mix of candidates, and the Tigers are exploring. A FOXSports.com report listed Detroit among clubs interested in free agent J.J. Putz, a trade market of the Tigers last year before the Mariners traded their former closer to the Mets. Any interest would be relatively new; Detroit hadn't so much as talked with Putz's agent as of last week.
Detroit also was reportedly among a handful of teams with early interest in former Cubs closer Kevin Gregg.
"We did talk to a couple people, yes, once we knew that they were not accepting arbitration for sure," Dombrowski said. "Now, we continue to have interest in [Rodney and Lyon], but we also have to start doing our homework. In case they go to other places, we have to be prepared."
Tigers would interest Putz
Yes, free agent reliever J.J. Putz confirmed, the Tigers would be a situation that interests him. But then, a lot of situations would interest him.
"I'd have interest in most teams, including the Tigers," Putz wrote in an email to MLB.com Tuesday.
In other words, while a homecoming to Michigan might be a good fit for Putz, it wouldn't be the only fit.
Both Putz and his agent, Craig Landis, said the Tigers have not contacted them. He technically didn't become a free agent until this past weekend, after the Mets declined to pick up his option for next season. The Mets still hold exclusive negotiating rights with Putz until Nov. 20, though other clubs can call to express interest and talk in non-financial terms.
The intrigue surrounding Putz and Detroit stems from his Michigan upbringing, his college career at the University of Michigan, and the trade discussions the Tigers had with the Mariners last winter before Seattle sent him to the Mets in a three-team trade.
The Tigers moved on, signed Brandon Lyon later in the offseason, and went with Fernando Rodney as their closer out of Spring Training. Rodney and Lyon are both free agents.
The chance to close somewhere is definitely appealing, Putz said, though it isn't the only situation he'd consider.
"I'd rather be a closer," Putz wrote, "but I am open to setup jobs, depending on the fit."
As for how he's feeling after undergoing surgery in June to remove bone spurs from his throwing elbow, Putz was upbeat.
"My arm feels great! I've been throwing and rehabbing with no pain," he wrote.


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The process to request summer conference housing is as follows:
- Download and submit the Summer Conference Group: Reservation Request.
- Your request will be reviewed and a contract will be mailed. Along with a contract will be a copy of the Summer Conference Group Rules and Regulations. If space is not available on your preferred dates alternate dates will be suggested.
- Have the authorized camp representative review and sign the contract. Mail it, along with a $250 deposit to the Housing Office.
- Contact other campus entities to arrange food service and use of other facilities.
- Campus Dining
- Facilities Reservations (209) 667-3062
- Submit the first half of your contracted fees 30 days prior to the first day of camp.


text:
Under a new procedure intended to ensure that Alabama's condemned inmates are unconscious when executed, a prison guard will call the inmate by name, brush his eyelashes with a finger and pinch his arm, a Department of Corrections spokesman said Thursday.
Gov. Bob Riley announced Monday that a new execution procedure had been adopted, but disclosed no details. Thursday, Department of Corrections spokesman Brian Corbett discussed the new procedure, which will come after a drug causing unconsciousness is administered, but before the administration of drugs meant to kill the inmate.
"It's simply a consciousness check after the first drug has been administered," Corbett said.
The addition to the state's execution protocol was developed after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a Kentucky case challenging the constitutionality of that state's lethal injection procedure. Alabama keeps most details of its execution procedure secret, but lawyers representing Death Row inmates have said that Alabama's procedure was identical to Kentucky's before the change was made.
According to court filings in death penalty cases, Alabama, Kentucky and most other states use a combination of three drugs to execute prisoners. Lawyers representing convicted killer Thomas Arthur said in court documents that Alabama uses Thiopental, Pavulon and potassium chloride.
Arthur was issued a 45-day stay last month pending implementation of the new procedure. A new date for his execution has not been set.
Thiopental is a barbiturate that experts say causes unconsciousness. Pavulon causes paralysis and halts breathing, and potassium chloride stops the heart.
Corbett said that, after the first drug is administered, a member of the security detail assigned to the condemned prisoner will follow the new procedure to assure he is unconscious. Then the execution will continue with the administration of the final two drugs.
Medical professionals said the procedures being adopted by the state are commonly used to assess consciousness. A person who is conscious will blink when his eyelashes are brushed, and will withdraw his arm when pinched, they said.
Death penalty opponents said the procedure will do little to ensure the inmate doesn't suffer a horrible death.
"These additional steps are by no means sufficient to ensure that the inmate will be unconscious," said Elisabeth Semel, director of the Death Penalty Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. The clinic represents Death Row inmates.
Death penalty protocols typically are developed and used in secrecy, meaning qualified medical personnel don't have input, and the result is a system that can suffer catastrophic failure, she said.
Problems inherent to lethal injection have been well-documented in lawsuits arguing that it violates the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, Semel said. Those lawsuits, including suits filed on behalf of Alabama Death Row inmates, argue that Thiopental could lose effectiveness before death, leaving the inmate conscious but paralyzed and in extreme pain.
Those suits also argue that, because qualified medical personnel routinely refuse to participate in executions, it's more likely that the wrong dosage of one of the drugs will be administered, or that an IV will be improperly inserted, leading to a painful death.
Richard Dieter, executive director of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, said Alabama is far from alone in revisiting its lethal injection procedures. Nevada has proposed doubling the dosages it administers of all three drugs in the common cocktail, and North Carolina has proposed using an electronic monitor to assess consciousness. Some states are building new execution chambers.
Dieter, whose organization does not take a position on the death penalty, said most states are waiting on direction likely to come from the Supreme Court in the Kentucky case of Baze v. Rees.
While the court is unlikely to address the procedure adopted by Alabama, it likely will provide guidelines that will determine how states will execute prisoners, he said.
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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A Closer Look with Pam Atherton It's one of the most expensive spirits in the world, and probably the most misunderstood. Tequila journalistMike Morales educates us on the history, background and proper way to enjoy tequila. We learn that tequila comes from a lily, not a cactus…that tequila can only come from a specific area in […]
Posts Tagged 'tequila 101'
Tequila 101 with Pam Atherton & Mike Morales
May 1st, 2014 Lisa Pietsch
David Suro's Amazing Tequila 101
April 21st, 2014 Lisa Pietsch
Special thanks to www.lrfoodcast.com for providing such a great video of David Suro's presentation and staff training on tequila at Local Lime in Arkansas. This is one of the best Tequila 101s we've seen yet! A brilliant businessman, Suro-Piñero has made it his life's mission to preserve and promote the tequila industry, a surprisingly complex […]