text:
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Truex dropped from ninth to 10th in the standings after New Hampshire, only to climb two spots after Dover. He trails points leader Brad Keselowski by 42 points, is three points behind seventh-ranked Dale Earnhardt Jr. and leads ninth-ranked Kevin Harvick by four points.
TALLADEGA RECORD: 15 career starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5, 4 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: fifth in fall 2006. Finished 10th in this race last year. Was 28th in this year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: If he could, Truex would probably just skip Talladega, given it's the worst track for him on the Sprint Cup circuit. In 15 career starts at the 2.66-mile, high-banked superspeedway, Truex has an embarrassing nine DNFs. But sooner or later, his luck has to change, right? Here are his thoughts on Sunday's race: "Our top-10 finish at Dover moved us up two spots in the standings to eighth, but we lost some ground to the leaders. We are now 42 points out. It just shows you how tough it is to win this year's Chase. But anything can happen. Talladega is next and it really is the wild card of all the Chase races. I think the points race will be interesting after Talladega."
LOOKING BACK: Truex had an outstanding sixth-place finish at Dover, the closest track to his New Jersey home. He was part of a pack of five Toyota drivers who finished sixth through 10th, as well as third-place finisher and Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Mark Martin.
ETC.: Truex has completed 87.1 percent (2,486) of the 2,855 laps contested over his 15 career starts at Talladega. He has an average start of 21.1 and average finish of 23.5. But he also has nine DNFs there.
29 KEVIN HARVICK, Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Harvick fell one spot in the standings, from eighth to ninth, after Dover. He trails points leader Brad Keselowski by 46 points and eighth-ranked Martin Truex Jr. by four points and leads 10th-ranked Jeff Gordon by two points.
TALLADEGA RECORD: 23 career starts, 1 win, 6 top-5s, 10 top-10s, 1 pole. Best finish: first in spring 2010. Finished 32nd in this race last year and was 25th in this year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Harvick could be down to one of his final chances to make serious progress upward in the Chase standings at Talladega. If he has another off day, or at the very least another mediocre finish, he can start forgetting hopes for his first career Cup championship for yet another year. Here are his thoughts on Sunday's race: "I go to Talladega with the approach that you have a 50-50 chance when you get there. You're either going to have a great day because you finished or you're going to have a torn-up race car. I've gone with that mentality since my first race at Talladega. It's just one of those race tracks where you really don't have any expectations and you just go out and run as hard as you can because there are so many things out of your control. I love this style of racing. I love the strategy and the pushing and the shoving and all of the things that come with it. With that comes a lot of risk as far as getting torn up. Kind of like the rest of our year, we haven't gotten the finishes that we've been accustomed to in the past at the superspeedways. Hopefully we've been saving all of that luck up and can get through this weekend and put ourselves up front when it counts. It'll be fun to see how it all shakes out."
LOOKING BACK: Harvick struggled with handling at Dover, the second straight week he's had that issue, and came home with an 13th-place finish, three laps behind winner Brad Keselowski.
ETC.: Harvick has completed 97.7 percent (4,257) of the 4,359 laps contested in his 23 career starts at Talladega. His average start is 22.0 and average finish is 15.6. He also has 1 DNF there.
24 JEFF GORDON, Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: After wallowing at the bottom of the Cup standings for the first two Chase races, Gordon finally climbed up two spots and into 10th place after Dover. He trails points leader Brad Keselowski by 48 points and ninth-ranked Kevin Harvick by two points and leads 11th-ranked Greg Biffle by three points.
TALLADEGA RECORD: 39 career starts, 6 wins, 14 top-5s, 18 top-10s, 3 poles. Best finish: first six times in spring 1996, spring 2000, spring 2004, spring 2005, spring 2007 and fall 2007. Finished 27th in this race last year and was 33rd in this year's spring race there.
LOOKING AHEAD: Gordon makes his 40th career start at Talladega on Sunday. He's been attacking its high-banked walls for 20 straight years. If he is to have any chance of winning his fifth career Cup title this season, he needs to make a big move Sunday at 'Dega and hope that the leaders all have disappointing races. Here's his take on Sunday's race: "There is no set strategy that works best. If there was, we all would be doing it. Drafting can be fun and the finish is usually exciting, but you don't know when, where or if you're going to be caught up in the 'big one.' I've raced up front and been caught up in a wreck. I've also been involved while running in the middle of the pack and also while running what I thought was a conservative distance back of the main pack, but I've also won using each of those strategies. If we're going to have any shot at moving up the standings or having any shot at the championship, then things need to go our way this weekend. Everybody knows they can win here, and we believe we can win as well. We always seem to have fast cars here. We look at this race as an opportunity."
LOOKING BACK: Gordon had nothing short of an outstanding run at Dover. Although he led just one lap, he still managed to come home with a second-place showing. It also helped him climb two spots in the standings, from 12th to 10th. But if he's to have any chance of winning his fifth career Cup championship, he has to continue racing the same way like he did at Dover at places like Talladega, Charlotte, Martinsville and the other remaining tracks in the Chase. He can't let up, lest the gains he made at Dover go for naught and he misses out on the Cup title for the 11th straight season.
ETC.: Gordon has completed 91.1 percent (6,660) of the 7,308 laps contested in his 39 career starts at Talladega. His average start is 11.6 and average finish is 16.8. He also has 9 DNFs there.
16 GREG BIFFLE, Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 11th, 51 points out of first place. Lost two spots last week.
TALLADEGA RECORD: Finished fifth in the spring race for his fourth top-seven finish in the last seven races.
LOOKING AHEAD: Biffle said, "I'm definitely looking forward to Talladega because our restrictor-plate program has been on fire for the last 2 1/2 years. It's unbelievable how good our engines have been. I know it's going to be a wild race and there is a lot on the line. It takes a lot of luck to win at Talladega, but I feel like we can do it this weekend."


text:
A baby boy was born early Thursday in a pickup truck stopped on the side of Interstate 15, authorities said.
"The head was already crowning and I had (my wife) in the front seat," said Dave Atkinson, the baby's father. "I was panicking a little bit because she was screaming at the top of her lungs."
Atkinson's wife went into labor as he was driving her to UC San Diego Medical Center. Atkinson pulled over to the shoulder of the southbound lanes near Ted Williams Parkway and called 911. Paramedics arrived and helped deliver a baby boy in the front seat of the pickup.
"I said to her to hold on, try and hold on a little longer but she said no way -- pull over and call 911," Atkinson said.
The mother and child were taken to Sharp Mary Birch Hospital by ambulance. California Highway Patrol officers directed traffic around the stopped vehicle.
KSWB spoke with the father by telephone at the hospital. He said their 10-pound son is named Hank, and both mother and baby are doing well. Hank is her fourth child.
Hank's mother, Katie Ashcraft, had been scheduled to have a cesarean section later this month because of the size of the baby, but Hank apparently could not wait.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Opening Reception for Art in the Arboretum
Fri, 11 Jul 2014 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
5-7 p.m.
Frances Plecker Education Center, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum
Be one of the first to greet Lynda Chandler, the arboretum's artist in residence. Preregistration is required at http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum.
For more information, call (540) 568-3194. Free.


text: Get out to vote! Election Information: Vote No on Question 3 Use the interactive map to see the impact of Question 3 on your community's schools and local services. The Facts About Question 3 NEA Election 2010: Why education voters should care Secretary of the Commonwealth voter information League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Rock the Vote More Information for MTA members (log in required): Campaign 2010 Election Guide 2010


text:
Knoxville Nationals Time
WoO racing tonight Knoxville Nationals. If you have a dirt vision account, you can listen or view tonight's race.
Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz have combined to win 17 titles, with Kinser claiming an event-best 12 wins and Schatz winning in five of the last six years.
7:15 PM Goodyear Knoxville Nationals
8:00 PM National Anthem, Color Guard
"We know that Mother Nature is a woman. If she were a man, there would be no rain on race day."


text:
Four arrested on drug, weapons charges
Photo by Adam Caira Hope P. Nisen, of Barre, appears with her public defender at her arraignment Tuesday in Washington County criminal court in Barre.
BARRE Three men from out of state and a Barre woman have been charged with conspiracy to sell cocaine and are each being held on $100,000 bail.
Dwayne T. Miley, 22, of Factoryville, Pa., Byron Matthews, 18, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Nathan R. Gore, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., each pleaded not guilty to felony possession of cocaine and felony conspiracy to sell cocaine Tuesday in Washington County criminal court in Barre. If convicted, each faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $200,000 fine.
Hope P. Nisen, 28, of Barre, pleaded not guilty to three felony charges: possession of cocaine, conspiracy to sell cocaine and carrying a firearm while committing a felony. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $200,500 fine.
According to the police affidavit, officers responded to a 911 call Monday night after a man said three black males had assaulted him and were following him in a red car. Police say they located the red Volkswagen sedan in the parking lot of the Days Inn Motel on South Main Street. Police say the car had Maryland license plates and was registered to Enterprise Rental.
At the Days Inn, police say, they located the room where the men who were driving the car had been staying. Police knocked on the door and a male opened the door while another male stood in the middle of the room.
While police were questioning the two men, one officer saw a black semi-automatic pistol on the nightstand, which turned out to be loaded; a knife on a table with a white substance on it next to large white flakes of a powdery substance; and a box of plastic sandwich bags, according to the affidavit.
As the officer was looking into the room, he saw the bathroom door moving and yelled for the person inside to come out, according to the affidavit. While the officer was approaching the third male, another officer found Nisen behind the front door of the room with a gun in a holster on her hip.
Police took all four into custody and unloaded the guns. While doing so, police say they located a black plate on the shelf of the nightstand with a large quantity of white powder on it and a bag of marijuana.
Police then received a search warrant for the room. The items they seized included the knife, a Keltec 9mm pistol, a Taurus .380-caliber pistol, $4,526 in cash, a digital scale, and 15.75 grams of what tested positive for cocaine.
When questioned by police, all four suspects either denied knowledge of the guns and drugs or declined to speak with officers.
In court Tuesday, States Attorney Tom Kelly asked for $150,000 bail for all four. Gores attorney, Amanda Kitchen, argued against bail, saying what he was facing for a maximum sentence did not warrant such a high bail, while admitting he did not have strong ties to the community.
When Judge Thomas Zonay asked what ties Gore had, Kitchen said he had been in Vermont since Thursday and has had several relationships with women in the area and had considered moving to Vermont.
Unconvinced, Zonay implemented the $100,00 bail.
While the court understands that he may have had several relationships with young women, several relationships within a week in the state do not ties to the community make, Zonay said.
Mileys attorney, Colin Seamen, suggested to the judge that there was no probable cause for the charge of conspiracy to sell cocaine, arguing that there was no evidence of any actual sales or distribution of any drugs.
Zonay responded that when deciding probable cause, the law does not require that the state establish each of the elements of the charge by direct evidence alone. The state, he said, can cite circumstantial evidence in this case large amounts of cocaine, the plastic bags and firearms to find probable cause.
Nisens lawyer, Andrew Delany, said Nisen is a licensed gun owner and the weapon that was on her at the time of the incident was registered to her.
Nisen has previous convictions for driving with a svvuspended license in 2009, negligent operation in 2008, driving under the influence in 2008 and 2007 and unlawful mischief in 2006.
Miley and Gore both have trespass convictions in New York, in 2010 and 2009, respectively. A criminal records check on Matthews turned up no prior convictions.
@timesargus.comMORE IN Central VermontMIDDLEBURY According to WebMD, Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes a persons muscles ... Full StoryTiffany Briggs and Kayla Jackson eyed each other across the table, clasped hands, and then it was... Full StoryMARLBORO Police are investigating a burglary on Higley Hill Road. Full Story
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed


text:
Work from home. Whether you have a dedicated home office or just a space to get some work done, our modern office furniture will have you taking care of business in style. Designed for urban spaces, our sleek, minimalist-inspired desks and mid-century modern office chairs are the epitome of fashion and function. To ensure the highest level of efficiency, add industrial-chic filing cabinets and space-saving shelving to help you stay organized.
Newrunway mirror desk$499.00
dahlia marble desk$699.00
Newpeekaboo acrylic desk$1,099.00
guapo desk$499.00
Newperforated desk$799.00
Newflynn desk$799.00
Newrecluse desk$449.00
Newrouka office chair$299.00
runway white desk$399.00
SAIC little wave desk$499.00
chamber desk$499.00
go-cart white rolling desk$149.00
go-cart carbon rolling desk$149.00
lecture desk$569.00
tesso chrome desk$329.00
stairway white 72.5" desk$349.00
stairway white 96" desk$399.00
helix acacia desk$249.00
foundry 72" trestle table$499.00
foundry 80" trestle table$599.00
acacia wood console$299.00
Newpeekaboo 56" acrylic console table$699.00
Newpyramid etagere$399.00
Newmesh bookcase$299.00
Newtesso bronze 84" wall mounted bookcase$399.00
Newhelix 96" acacia bookcase$349.00
getaway wide bookcase$449.00
getaway narrow bookcase$299.00
v bookcase-room divider$699.00
stax bookcase$399.00
hancock white bookcase$199.00
3.14 white bookcase$499.00
helix 70" acacia bookcase$199.00
carlson II white tower$199.00
framework bookcase$699.00
NewTPS teal 3-drawer filing cabinet$159.00
mad snakeskin office chair$299.00
studio II office chair$199.00
mad black office chair$299.00
form white office chair$229.00
form brown office chair$229.00
coup grey office chair$329.00
coup teal office chair$329.00
Newnovus plastic polish-cleaner kit$12.95


text:
Marge Fuellenbach, the 91-year-old grandmother of Wave owners Laurie Wynn and Kari McFee entered Heber Valley Medical Center on Friday afternoon with a heart condition.
A quick trip through the Emergency Room determined that more substantial care was needed, so Marge was admitted to the medical floor.
After spending three days receiving exemplary care from the Dr. Haderlie and the staff of the emergency department and medical floor, Marge passed away peacefully Monday morning.
The Wave would like to commend the HVMC staff for taking such good care of one very special woman. But not only did Marge's needs get met, the caring staff went above and beyond to ensure the entire family wanted for nothing and was comfortable during this trying time.
From providing warm blankets to upset relatives; snacks to make sure we were taking care of ourselves; to compassion and understanding when it was Marge's time to pass, this staff was amazing.
There are too many of you who were involved in Marge's care to thank by name, but our heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you.
If you find yourself in need of a hospital in the near future, we highly recommend our own Heber Valley Medical Center.
We are so fortunate to have a facility of this caliber at our doorstep - and this week, the hospital adds to its repertoire a Dialysis Center that will serve patients who require kidney dialysis here on the Wasatch Back.
How fortunate we are to have quality health care within walking distance.


text:
January 15, 2015 | By Amanda Carlson
No-niche southwest Florida fabricator grows big in small time frame
December 12, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Ron Covell's 50-year career manually building autobodies for street rods, dragsters, and motorcycles is impressive, to say the least. But he doesn't plan on hoarding all of the expertise he's garnered over the years. His latest passion, of the last 20 years anyway, has been sharing information in his traveling workshops to current or up-and-coming autobody enthusiasts. It's what he hopes is his longest and most impactful legacy.
November 10, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
A freak accident changed the life of a materials science professor at Texas Tech University. Not only does he appreciate the second chance at living, he also discovered a talent for giving discarded metal objects a second chance at living through metal sculpture.
Cutting and Weld Prep | Articles
October 22, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Aquasol's Fiback line of fiberglass backing tape, now available in high- and low-amperage options, gives welders a simple, safe, and reliable way to protect the back side of their weldments, even those that have a complex shape.
July 28, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
A maritime welding program, jointly created by Vigor Industrial and South Seattle College, is part of a greater initiative in Washington state-to return idled workers to gainful employment. The class doesn't just help the underemployed, it also helps feed the resurging shipbuilding industry in the greater Seattle area.
July 9, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
A hard-nosed welding instructor at a medium-security prison in rural North Carolina gives his students discipline, confidence, a foot in the door to a trade, and the possibility for a new life upon release.
May 26, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
After trying her hand at various traditionally female-oriented careers, an Alabama woman, on a mission to provide the best life for herself and her newborn son, found courage to ask a shipyard for a job. That courage ultimately sparked a chain of events that led her to a fulfilling career.
May 19, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Ten years ago, three women enrolled in an art and sculpture welding class. Little did they know it would be the start of a beautiful friendship.
May 5, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Craft beer is all the rage these days, and Crawford Co., Rock Island, Ill., has thrown its hat into the ring. After working closely with a local brewer who contracted the fabricator to build larger-capacity equipment, the two partnered to form a no-nonsense brewing division within the company to address the needs of the booming craft beer industry.
March 20, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Ever wonder about the backstories behind the people with the funny screen names on welding message boards? This is the story of a tool and die welder who discovered a talent for drawing with a TIG torch.
February 3, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Las Vegas metal artist creates abstract contemporary pieces that make viewers think and let him sleep.
January 23, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
According to the "State of Workplace Productivity Report" released by Cornerstone OnDemand, a cloud-based talent management software company, the millennial generation, or those born between the years 1980 and 2000, is struggling with technology and information overload. The report, which...
January 17, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Small angle grinders are incredibly flexible tools; however, even they have their limitations, like accessing confined spaces. A power tool manufacturer with U.S. headquarters in West Chester, Pa., developed a small angle grinder with a reduced profile that reaches into tight spaces not normally accessible with standard angle grinders.
January 13, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Scott Behr, founder and fabricator at Total Metal Resource Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., usually gets a pretty enthusiastic response when he tells people what he does for a living. With the upstart of his Metal Shop Fantasy Camp, he can now share tiny parts of his job with people who might otherwise never get an opportunity to try their hand at metalworking.
January 2, 2014 | By Amanda Carlson
Schweissen & Schneiden, Europe's premier and most comprehensive welding and cutting tradeshow, had plenty of technology and innovation. Twelve exhibition halls housed more than 1,000 exhibiting companies from more than 40 countries. Roughly 55,000 attendees from 130 countries made their way through the aisles during the six-day event, where they were able to view the latest advances in welding and cutting technology, hand tools, safety gear, consumables, and other equipment.


text:
Plug Wires, Distributor Cap and Rotor Taylor Wires
Taylor Cable Products is an OEM and Performance company that was built on its founding heritage supported by a tradition of legendary quality. Known as an innovative company since 1923, Taylor Cable has been setting the pace for EIGHT DECADES with quality products such as Performance Ignition Plug Wires, Wiring Harnesses, and other quality High Performance Ignition and Electrical Components and Accessories for your Mustang or Lightning. Shop Taylor products today at LatemodelRestoration.com and get your vehicle running smoothly again!


text:
That plane ride was the official end to this season.
Marbs isn't the type to keep his mouth shut, so it should be really interesting to hear what he says once the Knicks fire him/waive him/trade him, or whatever they plan to do.
Will we finally hear about the dirt he said he has on Thomas?
Jeffries Curry Zach James need to get banned as well


text:
Sigh no more; Mumford & Sons are coming back to Columbus. Or perhaps just switch from anxious sighs to one of those windswept romantic sighs usually followed by fainting into someone's arms.
Last time the anthemic U.K. folkies stopped through in May 2010, they played the Wexner Center's Black Box on Mershon Stage, a relatively cozy setup that holds 550 people.
Selling out that space like Mumford did would be an impressive feat for most bands, but that figure looks cute compared with the numbers Mumford is pushing now. Presale tickets for Tuesday's show in LC Pavilion's 5,500-capacity outdoor amphitheater — 10 times the size of their last concert here — sold faster than any show in the LC's 11-year history.
"If we would have opened all 5,500 out, we could have sold the Mumford out on the presale," said Scott Steinecker, president of PromoWest Productions, which manages the LC along with Newport Music Hall, The Basement and A&R Music Bar plus Pittsburgh's Stage AE.
Had the general ticket sale gone ahead as usual, Steinecker said the show easily would have sold out within the first hour. In three decades of Columbus concert promotion, Steinecker has only seen three shows sell out faster: Skid Row at the Newport, Coldplay at LC's indoor stage and R.E.M. at Polaris Amphitheater.
Instead of settling for a record-setting sellout, after the successful presale PromoWest decided to expand to the LC's "festival setting," a 10,000-capacity temporary venue in the parking lot behind the amphitheater. They've tried the festival setting on four previous occasions: Warped Tour, a 311 concert, a QFM96 Wing Zing and a Supermoto Motorcycle Race.
Steinecker said the space features a stage, VIP risers, concession stands, bathrooms and everything else necessary for a show.
"The stage will be about the same size," Steinecker said. "You have your mosh pit area where people crowd into just like at the LC."
Tickets aren't the only things going fast, and not just in Columbus. Mumford's debut album "Sigh No More" remains at No. 13 on the iTunes album chart almost three years after its release; their follow-up, "Babel," is 12th on the Amazon bestsellers list, and it doesn't even come out until Sept. 25.
"As soon as we got ["Sigh No More"] in on vinyl, it's never stopped selling," said Brett Ruland, who owns Downtown record shop Spoonful Records. "So many different kinds of people like Mumford & Sons."
Why such fervor for these earnest Englishmen? Perhaps because the band compiles so many popular factors among twentysomethings — the humongous scope of Arcade Fire, the woodsy harmonies of Fleet Foxes, the heart-on-sleeve troubadour tricks of Damien Rice, the sepiatone historical fiction of Neutral Milk Hotel — all of it scrubbed and shined for mass consumption.
Vaguely Christian lyrics like "You were made to meet your maker" might pull the youth group crowd. They've got dorky beardo heartthrob appeal, too. In the case of the LC show, having a killer opener like Dawes doesn't hurt either.
Whatever the attraction, a legion of fans will be lining up Tuesday, ready to scream and squeal and sigh for Marcus Mumford and his not-really-sons.


text:
We like winners. We build monuments to them, name three-day weekends after their triumphs, and carve their faces into mountainsides. It's the successful that we bother to remember, passing their stories through generations, ensuring that winning is the closest anyone will ever get to immortality. But every once in a while, someone suffers such an unparalleled failure that we have no choice but to look up and take notice.
Kim Carson/Digital Vision/Getty
Some inadequacies know no limits. I'm talking, of course, about the woman trying to look fashionable on a Segway.
These failures are so profound, they warrant admiration for their staggering inability to marry ambition with skill. Yes, we love the people who shoot for the stars and succeed, but we feel a much more painful type of love for the people who shoot for the stars and fall over mid-launch before careening into a dumpster. The following four failures in particular are so wildly disappointing that someone, somewhere said, "We have to commemorate this, the future needs to know it happened." And now, thanks to those people, we have ...
4 The Museum of Bad Art
It's tough to qualify any piece of art as a failure because its enjoyment is so subjective. It takes a truly special painting to make everyone unanimously agree that their eyes might be allergic to whatever is on the canvas. This is exactly the type of botched self-expression that adorns the walls of the MOBA in Massachusetts. They have very strict standards for what they will include in their collection, only acquiring pieces that fit the motto, "Art too bad to be ignored." They refuse all intentional schlock or art from children, instead focusing on the pieces from adult artists that display earnest and intense emotion that is irrefutably mishandled from start to finish. The prize pieces of their museum include:
"Lucy in the Sky With Flowers"
"Gilded Nude"
"See Battle"
For anyone who's ever painted even an accent wall or a fence, you already know that painting isn't something you can do in a few minutes and forget about. The artists behind each of these started a project of artistic expression, felt it getting away from them, then continued painting anyway. Maybe even for days. Most mystifying of all, at some point they decided the piece was finished. They put down the paintbrush and showed other people the final product, on purpose. The museum as a whole is a reminder to ambitious creators everywhere that sometimes relentless enthusiasm and determination isn't enough. Sometimes things just suck.
It also doesn't hurt that the founders probably have the best comedic sensibilities of any museum curators in the world. When one of their paintings was stolen, the museum offered a reward to anyone with information regarding its whereabouts. The reward was $6.50. They also installed a fake camera in the museum after the theft with a sign stating, "Warning: This gallery is protected by a fake security camera." I encourage everyone to visit one of the three branches of their museum, or at least check out their website gallery to get an idea of just how extraordinarily an artist can fail in every direction.
3 The Zinedine Zidane Head-Butt Statue
Even if you despise European football to the point where you're outraged that I have the audacity to call it "football" when the sport already has the perfectly descriptive American name of "boring," you can't help but know who Zinedine Zidane is. During the 2006 World Cup Final, he was the sensational French midfielder who chose to use his final moments on the field before retirement trying to punch a face-sized hole through the solar plexus of Italian defender Marco Materazzi.
Now, for all of you clawing at your own eyes because you can't understand why I'm still talking so much about boring, you need some context to fully appreciate just how extraordinary that breakdown in self-control really was. Its only equivalent in American football, where players frequently head-butt their own teammates when they're happy, would be that scene from The Last Boy Scout where the wide receiver shoots all the defenders and then kills himself.
It was the worst possible way Zidane could have ended his career, and on the biggest stage possible. France went on to lose the World Cup while he was pouting in the locker room, which only extended the shame from a single man to all of France. And now that spectacular, embarrassing failure is immortalized in a 16-foot bronze statue in the middle of Paris.
Mehdi Fedouach / AFP / Getty
Hopefully it's less likely to fall down, unprovoked, than the actual Zidane.
An ordinary person might ask why France would choose to commemorate such a disgraceful moment in their country's history. The short answer is that artist Adel Abdessemed created it specifically to question why we only honor victories with statues, thus calling into question the function and purpose of monuments in general and our relationship to them. The long answer is that, in the same way some Indian tribes have no word for "god" because it is a concept infused in everything around them, so too do Parisians lack the words for "pretentious artistic bullshit." Still, I like to think that the statue is a reminder to everyone in the city of how quickly and irreparably things can go wrong, even for the greatest among them. That's the kind of failure that's big enough to bring people closer together. It's the kind of failure we all want to remember.


text:
- Description
- Reviews
- Q and A
- Related Products
- Washable and durable Endurahide cover
- Includes 10 top loading sheet protectors and 10 white page inserts (20 sides)
- E-Z load screwpost binding allows pages to lie flat and accepts unlimited 8-1/2x11 White Refill Pages or Black Refill Pages
- Overall album dimensions: 9-7/8"x11-1/2"
- Archival and photo safe - acid, lignin and PVC-free
See also:
Write a review
Pastel Memory Books
Nov 14, 2010 | By Marilyn Coolen
Thank you very much for having these books for me to buy. I really like your products. The memory books were just what I need for my projects that I am doing. Also I was not able to find any in the stores around where I live. They arrived quickly which was also very nice. I will definitely be shopping with you again. Once again I thank you. Sincerely, Marilyn Coolen
Was this review helpful?
Durable and Fun!
May 20, 2010 | By Jamie Wright
These colors and durability of the scrapbooks are great!
Was this review helpful?
Customers Also Bought
MBI 4000-46N 4x6 3-Ring Pocket Photo AlbumPrice
Pioneer STC 4x6 Photo Album Refill PagesPrice $2.95


text:
Ohio following a prudent course
The question of just how much power the states should have over their own futures is being played out in legislatures across the nation.
The issue is just what to do about the federally proposed expansion of Medicaid.
In Ohio's case, that means nearly $14 million could be coming from the federal government to provide coverage for more than 300,000 Ohioans. Under Obamacare, Medicaid would be expanded to 138 percent of the federal poverty income guideline, but the Supreme Court gave states the right to choose participation in the expansion.
The expansion of the program is not without merit when it comes to taking care of the health of individuals who are unable to pay for their own care, but it also calls to mind the specter of an all-providing government that is unable to pay its own bills.
The latter view has rightly won in Ohio.
It is easy to say "yes" to a pot of federal gold being dangled in front of a cash-strapped state government, but it is more prudent to ask just what the offer means in terms of viability – of the program and of the nation.
State Rep. Ron Maag, a Republican from Lebanon, put it best during a discussion with the Ohio Hospital Association recently when he referred to the financial crises in Greece and Cyprus, where the governments that had provided all kinds of benefits to their citizens are now facing hard times and cutting back, amid an angered populace.
Maag said while he doesn't know where the tipping point is in the United States, he thinks the nation is getting close.
Gov. John Kasich had wanted the Medicaid expansion and the administration continues to talk with the Obama administration about possible flexibility for states. Kasich wants to see if the state can obtain a waiver and allow people who earn from 100 percent to 138 percent of the federal poverty level to instead buy insurance from the insurance exchanges that are formed under the Obamacare law.
That is a prudent course of action, and certainly one that took more courage for the state than simply accepting the addicting allure of federal money from a deficit-mad national government.


text:
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Davis, CPM, is a renowned expert on women's issues. She has been a midwife, women's health care specialist, educator and consultant since 1977. She is internationally active in women's rights and lectures widely on midwifery, sexuality and women's spirituality. She served as regional representative to the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) for five years and as president of the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC). She is co-founder of the National Midwifery Institute, Inc., a three-year, MEAC-accredited, apprenticeship-based midwifery program leading to licensure in California. She holds a degree in Holistic Maternity Care from Antioch University and is certified by the North American Registry of Midwives. She is the author of the classic Heart and Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, in addition to several other books. Elizabeth lives in Sebastopol, California, and is the mother of three children. [ PHOTO BY JENNIFER ROSENBERG ]


text:
"Thank you for being out there. You are a source of joy, help, and hope for me."
~ Anna-Karin, Sweden
0 results
Subscribe to Catholic Answers Magazine
"No one in his right mind gives up piety for impiety."
~ Justin Martyr, apologist, Saint; in answer to the Prefect Rusticus who had demanded sacrifice to the Roman gods; from the trial transcript by Tatian (A.D. 165).


text:
"Thank you for Catholic Answers. I enjoy hearing Patrick and his guests each weekday evening, and I have grown so much in my faith in the last 7-8 years. Thank you for speaking the truth."
"In and throughout all things, I determined to follow Saint Thomas, as he followed the Fathers."


text:
Safeguarding public health and saving lives
The Division of Public Health Infrastructure, Laboratories and Emergency Preparedness (PHILEP) provides strategic and operational leadership to coordinate New Jersey's local public health agencies, laboratory services and emergency preparedness and response.
The Division oversees the Office of Emergency Preparedness, Office of Emergency Medical Services, Office of Local Public Health and the Public Health and Environmental Laboratories.
PHILEP programs also interact with other government agencies on federal, state, county and local levels in all preparedness activities as well as partnerships with private and non-for-profit sector organizations.
The Office of EMS
The Office of Local Public Health
Emergency Preparedness
The Public Health and Environmental Laboratories
PHILEP has developed a strategic plan that details the many activities that this division will undertake in preparing and responding to public health emergencies. This plan will be the guiding document for the Department's Master Plan for Preparedness – which will outline specific responsibilities and activities that will be undertaken before, during and after emergencies.
Are You Prepared?
Get an Emergency Kit
Make an Emergency Plan
Stay Informed
Get Involved
For more information (link to Emergency Preparedness Page)
department: njdoh
home | index
by topic | programs/services
statewide:njhome | services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey, 1996-


text:
12 dreamy pictures of Ireland
With its remote beauty, rugged landscapes and windswept coastlines, Ireland is a photographer's dream. Here, Philip Joyce shares some of his best pictures of…23 Aug 2016 • Philip Joyce insert_drive_file Article
Set amidst verdant countryside on the south side of the River Blackwater is the sleepy town of LISMORE, once a major religious centre. St Carthagh founded a thriving monastery here in 636 that became a great centre of learning and retained both religious and political importance for several centuries, despite periodic raids by the Vikings and later the Anglo-Normans. On the site of its medieval cathedral, wrecked by Edmund Fitzgibbon around 1600, stands the Church of Ireland St Carthagh's Cathedral, constructed some thirty years later. Much of its appearance derives from remodelling in the early 1800s, including the addition of its tower and spire, and it remains a charming building, set in a tree-lined cobblestone courtyard. Just inside the front door is a lovely stained-glass window by the Pre-Raphaelite Edward Burne-Jones, depicting two virtues: Justice and Humility. A Romanesque arch in the nave might possibly date from the original cathedral and leads to the imposing McGrath tomb which features carvings of the twelve Apostles, the Crucifixion and the martyr St Catherine. Stones set into the back wall, including a particularly stalwart bishop, date from the ninth to eleventh centuries.
Despite the cathedral's attractions, it is the extravagant and graceful Lismore Castle, its fairytale turrets magnificently set above the River Blackwater, that overshadows the town. The Irish home of the Dukes of Devonshire was designed by Joseph Paxton (also responsible for the Crystal Palace for London's Great Exhibition of 1851) in the mid-nineteenth century, taking as his starting point the remains of a castle built by Prince John in 1185. Though the bulk of the castle cannot be visited, its extensive gardens present numerous exterior views from different aspects. The gardens consist of woodlands and a host of magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons in season, as well as a yew-tree walk where Edmund Spenser is believed to have written The Faerie Queen. Modern sculptures dot the gardens, and the formerly derelict west wing of the castle has recently been transformed into a gallery that hosts some interesting exhibitions of contemporary art.
Travel offers; book through Rough Guides
The latest articles, galleries, quizzes and videos.
With its remote beauty, rugged landscapes and windswept coastlines, Ireland is a photographer's dream. Here, Philip Joyce shares some of his best pictures of…23 Aug 2016 • Philip Joyce insert_drive_file Article
London, Edinburgh, Cardiff… These are the usual suspects when visitors are thinking about UK city breaks. But there are actually 66 other cities to be explore…15 Aug 2016 • Greg Dickinson insert_drive_file Article
There is something about a road trip that creates an endless state of heightened excitement. It comes with a heart-in-mouth, funfair-like thrill. And no matter …21 Jun 2016 • Mike MacEacheran insert_drive_file Article


text:
Leo de Budt, who signed his work Buth, studied art at the St.-Lucas Institute in Ghent. He worked for the newspaper Vooruit from 1936, where he continued the work of his teacher Frits van den Berghe in 1939. He also came up with his own comics, such as 'Mijnheer Dinges' (Vooruit, 1941).
During World War II, De Budt worked for the pro-German press, including Volk en Staat, De Nationaalsocialist, De Blauwvoet, De SS-man, De Vlaamsche Post, Stemmen uit Duitsland and Balming. For Volk en Staat and the weekly Balming, De Budt filled the children's sections 'Voor Ons Jonge Volkje' and 'Voor Onze Jongeren' together with Blanca Gijselen. His contributions varied from innocent children's comics to anti-Semitic cartoons and propaganda. Comics include the daily children's strip 'De Wereldreis van Flip en Flop' in Volk en Staat (1941) and 'Gawain de Dappere' in Balming (1943).
Flip en Flop (Volk en Staat, 1941)
De Budt was condemned to a lifelong publication ban after the War in 1947, but this was withdrawn in 1951. However, De Budt continued to work, this time using the pseudonym Buth. He made the comic 'De Blauwe Wolk: De Wereldramp van 6491' in Taptoe in 1946, as well as the cover of the 1946 'Ivanov's Almanak'.
In February of that same year, he also introduced his best-known character 'Thomas Pips' in Het Volk. It started out as a stop-comic, but longer stories, written by John Flanders and Lod Lavki, appeared from August 1947. Starting in June 1951, this detective comic appeared on the center pages of comic magazine 't Kapoentje, where it stayed until 1985. 'Thomas Pips' is however best known for his annual adventures during the Tour de France, that Buth made between 1947 and 1982. Buth is well-known for his Tour de France gags and cartoons, and generations of Belgians have grown up searching for the hidden mouse in these drawings.
Buth had a large production. After the War, he became a versatile artist for Zonneland, where he illustrated stories like 'Op Zoek naar de Zonne-Eilanden' with a script by John Flanders, as well as 'Het Leven van Jezus', 'De Moeraskerels', 'De Zwijgende Parelvissers' 'Vacantie aan de Grens', and 'Het Gezin van Marc Trenters'. In addition, he drew 'De Avonturen van Joke en Maaike' in Tam-Tam (1948) and a fantastic version of the Flemish folktale 'Tijl Uilenspiegel' for 't Kapoentje in 1950.
Het leven van Jezus (Zonneland, 8 January 1961)
In De Post, he illustrated several comic biographies and a comic adaptation of 'De Leeuw van Vlaanderen' in 1955-56. Other adaptations include 'De Baron van Münchhausen' and 'Reinaert de Vos', which he made for De Post under the pseudonym Tijl in 1953-54. Between 1953 and 1956 he was present in Handel en Ambacht, the magazine for local tradespeople in Ghent, with the character of 'Stanneke'. For several years, Leo de Budt was the oldest Flemish comic artist alive, until he passed away in October 2010.
Vader Kapoen (Kapoentjesalbum 1971)
Over his 45 year long career, Buth produced thousands of drawings, cartoons and comics. His production was immense and to keep his up he often resulted to drawing his inspiration from other artists and series, such as Chic Young's 'Blondie' (note the resemblance between Dagwood and Thomas Pips), Bob de Moor's adaptation of 'De Leeuw van Vlaanderen' and certain scripts from series like 'Les 3 As' (Mittéï & Vasseur) and 'Gil Jourdan' (Tillieux). The educational series 'Vader Kapoen vertelt', that he made for 't Kapoentje between 1969 and 1982, calls to mind the tales of Oncle Paul from Spirou magazine. However, Leo de Budt still counts as one of the key artists in Flemish comics history.


text: Ireland has some of the most paranormal activity anywhere in the world. fintan posted:9/27/2013 8:41:21 PM I am a producer of a new Paranormal TV Show called https://www.facebook.com/UltimateHauntedIreland We have just finished shooting our first episode in Co. Laois. Please feel free to visit our face book link above. This will keep you up dated. Your comments will be most welcome. Thank you. Fintan CullenJaxerback posted:9/27/2013 8:44:10 PM Looking forward to it Fintan. gary107 posted:9/28/2013 12:52:53 PM fanciful name, but we all know the Irish do not tan well. When the fog lifts they are smart to fly away.Jaxerback posted:9/28/2013 2:30:34 PM In Reply To:gary107 posted:9/28/2013 12:52:53 PM fanciful name, but we all know the Irish do not tan well. When the fog lifts they are smart to fly away.??????gary107 posted:9/28/2013 2:41:16 PM in the end of the story of Fintan the Wise he changes back into a hawk and flies off, Irish myth.Jaxerback posted:9/28/2013 2:50:33 PM http://www.shee-eire.com/Magic%26Mythology/Kings&Queens/Fintan-First-Wave/Page1.htmgary107 posted:9/29/2013 3:13:58 AM Bochra means "the sea" Fintan mac Bochra could mean he came from or by way of the sea. Please log in or become a member to add a post.


text:
Palm Beach Money
Tag: CalCPA
Kids and summer jobs: IRS lessons for a lifetime
- 6:54 pm Tuesday, June 25th, 2013 by Dian Vujovich
It's summer and what better time to send your kid to work. Yes, work. Really.
Whether kids come from Palm Beach affluent households or a home where food stamps provide the meals, the sooner a young person learns about the reality of work, the better. And, summer is a great time to get acquainted with that concept. Provided, of course, little Annie can find a job. But that's a blog for another day. Today, this one is all about work.
I frequently get emails from the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) (www.CalCPA.org). The most recent one included steps to [More]


text:
Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability
AUNE Environmental Studies
"Is it enough for a scientist simply to publish a paper? Isn't it a responsibility of scientists, if you believe that you have found something that can affect the environment, isn't it your responsibility to actually do something about it, enough so that action actually takes place?"
~ Nobel laureate chemist Mario Molina
(as quoted in Blockstein, 2002)
Pursue a Professional Path of Purpose
Choice of venue matters and so do your passions and professional path. Whether you want to effect change at the community, state, national, or international level, we'll support you at whatever scale you want to make a difference.
Master the Knowledge, Strategies, and Tools to Lead Effective Change
Create a video documentary on communities affected by contaminated drinking water. Develop carbon-reduction programs for businesses. Challenge gold mining operations on sacred tribal lands. Advocate for pro-environmental corporate shareholder proposals. Or communicate science to inform land and water protection policies. We'll support you in whatever means you choose to do your advocacy work.
Learn more!
Choose a Professional Science Master's Option
Advocacy students who want to build a stronger grounding in science can choose to earn a Professional Science Master's Certificate in addition to their M.S. in Environmental Studies.
Build Your Résumé and Network Through Practical Experiences
Integrate what you learn via graduate courses through field internships and capstone projects that provide you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge, demonstrate your abilities, and build your professional network before you graduate.
Program Delivery
- 42 credits
- Fall & Spring Entry
- Classes 2 days a week plus an internship
- 5 semesters to complete
Antioch University New England is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
"We need to get our act together as a society….I was so pleased to see things here [at Antioch] like a program in Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability. [Together] we need to build a common progressive coalition that unites progressives across all stripes."
Gus Speth, co-founder Natural Resources Defense Council, founder World Resources Institute, Professor of Law at Vermont Law School
Track 1: Students who choose Track 1 register for 4 courses in both their first Fall and first Spring semesters. This track provides students with an opportunity to schedule the entire Summer and/or Spring II semesters off campus. *This is the preferred sequence for those intending to do a Master's Thesis or Master's Project. Track 2: Students who choose Track 2 register for a maximum of 3 courses per semester. This Track provides students with a more evenly paced sequence of coursework throughout their program. REQUIREMENTS: 42 CREDITS Select any 3 out of 4 Core courses Core (C), 9 credits; Concentration (T), 6 credits; Methods: courses selected by student, 18 credits; Internship, 6 credits; Capstone Project, 3 credits
Track 1
Track 2
|Fall I (12 credits)
Earth Systems and Climate Change (C)(3)
Community Ecology of the New England Landscape (C)(3)
Advocacy: The Essentials (T)(3)
|Fall I (9 credits)
Earth Systems and Climate Change (C)(3)
Community Ecology of the New England Landscape (C)(3)
Advocacy: The Essentials (T)(3)
|Spring I (12 credits)
Political Economy of Sustainability (C)(3)
Advocacy: Applied (T)(3)
Methods (3)
Methods (3)
|Spring I (9 credits)
Political Economy of Sustainability (C)(3)
Advocacy: Applied (T)(3)
Methods (3)
|Summer (3 credits)
Internship I (3)
|Summer (6 credits)
Internship I (3)
Methods (3)
|Fall II (9 credits)
Leadership for Change (3)
Methods (3)
Methods (3)
|Fall II (9 credits)
Leadership for Change (3)
Methods (3)
Methods (3)
|Spring II (6 credits)
Capstone Project (3)
Internship II (3)
|Spring II (9 credits)
Capstone Project (3)
Methods (3)
Internship II (3)
Sample Method courses include:
- Building Sustainable Organizations (BSO)
- Citizen Participation and Sustainable Communities
- Civic Ecology Practices and Community Resilience
- Climate Change: Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation
- Coastal Geoecology of New England (Fall 2011 field study trip)
- Community & School-based Sustainable Food Systems
- Conservation Biology
- Conservation Psychology Theory & Practice
- Cuba: Sustainability and the New Food System (Fall 2012 registration; January 2013 field study trip)
- Ecology and Management of Adirondack Mountains (Fall 2012 field study trip)
- Diversity, Justice and Inclusion
- Ecosystems of Mount Desert Island (Spring 2012 field study trip)
- Energy and Materials Sustainability
- Environmental Law
- Environmental Assessment Techniques
- Financial Administration
- Foundations of Environmental Education
- Geographic Information System (GIS)
- Integrated Conservation of Tropical Ecosystems: Costa Rica (Spring 2012, March field study trip)
- Land Use and Community Planning
- Making Sense of Place
- Natural Resource Inventory
- New England Flora
- Non Profit Organizations & Social Entrepreneurship
- Ornithology
- Principles of Sustainability
- Program Evaluation for Environmental and Conservation Educators
- Proposal Writing and Project Management
- Qualitative and Quantitative Research Design Techniques
- Research Seminar
- Science and Environmental Communications
- Social Entreprenuership
- Social Justice and Cultural Competency
- Soil Ecology
- Soils Mapping and Interpretation
- Vertebrate Ecology: Mammalogy
- Wetlands Ecology
- Wildlife & Forest Management
Paid Professional Development and Educational Opportunities
Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience
U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus Fellowship
Translating Research to Inform Policy Initiative
Over the last five decades, there has been exponential growth in the number of social movement organizations, a significant growth in memberships and budgets, and a corresponding growth in the number of paid advocacy positions available.
Eight Areas Where You Can Do Good Work
- Professional public interest advocacy organizations usually work on a single issue or set of issues through research and education, lobbying, litigation, inter-group coalition building, and high-level negotiations with decision-makers.
- Grassroots organizations mobilize specific communities and constituencies to take collective action through community organizing, popular education, community development, alternative institutions, and direct action campaigns.
- Labor unions and professional associations represent and mobilize their members on political, economic, and social issues of interest to members and the public.
- Progressive electoral public policy groups such as third parties, major party caucuses, non-partisan groups, and Political Action Committees.
- Social action training and political education groups work with other advocacy organizations and activists to build up their personal and organizational capacities as advocates and organizers.
- Research and data management organizations help meet the information needs of social movement organizations, often in direct collaboration and sometimes even with the full participation of community and public interest groups.
- Progressive media and cultural groups produce documentaries, radio shows, books and periodicals, web-pages for activists and the public; offer public relations assistance to activist groups seeking to influence the mass media; and create art, music, and theater that inspire activists and the public.
- Progressive, social change philanthropy groups including individual foundations and coordinating groups like National Network of Grantmakers and the Donor Organizers Network.
Are you looking for an alternative to buying books online from corporate giants like Amazon.com?
On this page, you can order books about activism (and anything else) through Powell's Books, a progressive, family-owned, and unionized book seller. To sweeten the deal, we've arranged that 7.5% of the purchase price will be donated to the Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability Scholarship Fundat no extra cost to you. Please check out the categories below or use the search feature in the Powell's icon below. Students are free to use this site, but may not use this link to Powell's to buy course textbooks.


text:
This course offers intermediate and advanced Flash designers a step-by-step guide for creating full-featured facial rigs in Flash Professional.
All Courses
- Web (8)
- 3D + Animation (3)
- Animation (2)
- Projects (2)
- Advertising (1)
- Business (1)
- Character Animation (1)
- Developer (1)
- Interaction Design (1)
- Marketing (1)
- Online Marketing (1)
- Programming Languages (1)
- Rigging (1)
- Video (1)
- Web Video (1)
- Adobe (12)
- Flash Professional
- ActionScript (2)
- Illustrator (2)
Skill level
- Beginner (5)
- Intermediate (7)
- Appropriate for all (993)
More options
Shows Flash designers how to incorporate ActionScript code into projects and create interactive presentations and applications.
The basic building blocks a designer, even one who's never touched Flash, needs to create animation projects or build a web presence.
Introduces a variety of real-world issues animators commonly encounter and practical solutions to them in Flash.
Explains how to build eye-catching banner ads in Flash that achieve design goals and satisfy the requirements of search engines and the sites where the ads will display.
Helps designers build their power user skills with an array of timesaving tips, tricks, and techniques that work in multiple versions of Flash Professional.
Demonstrates key changes in the CS5.5 release of Adobe's interactive design and animation software.
Build a custom video player and publish video online, without the use of custom ActionScript code.
Turn static graphics into rich, animated objects in Flash Professional CS5.
How to use Flash Professional CS5's Code Snippets panel and file templates to get started with ActionScript 3.
Make a dynamic web site in Flash Professional CS5 complete with a gallery and contact form that includes smooth transitions, audio, video and much more.
Explains the fundamentals of Flash CS5, the industry standard for creating animations and interactive applications for the web, desktop, and mobile devices.
"Your training goes way more in-depth than most classes at my school, and you can pause and rewind it if you don't follow it the first time." —Jared L.
more from our members »


text:
In 1941, after training as a German spy in occupied France, Chapman was parachuted into Britain with a revolver, a wireless, and a cyanide pill, with orders from the Abwehr to blow up an airplane factory. Instead, he contacted MI5, the British Secret Service. For the next four years, Chapman worked as a double agent, a lone British spy at the heart of the German Secret Service who at one time volunteered to assassinate Hitler for his countrymen.
Crisscrossing Europe under different names, all the while weaving plans, spreading disinformation, and, miraculously, keeping his stories straight under intense interrogation, he even managed to gain some profit and seduce beautiful women along the way.
The Nazis feted Chapman as a hero and awarded him the Iron Cross. In Britain, he was pardoned for his crimes, becoming the only wartime agent to be thus rewarded. Both countries provided for the mother of his child and his mistress.
Sixty years after the end of the war, and 10 years after Chapman's death, MI5 has now declassified all of Chapman's files, releasing more than 1,800 pages of top secret material and allowing the full story of Agent Zigzag to be told for the first time.
A gripping story of loyalty, love, and treachery, Agent Zigzag offers a unique glimpse into the psychology of espionage, with its thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.
©2007 Ben MacIntyre; (P)2007 Books on Tape
"[An] intriguing and balanced biography." (Publishers Weekly)
"Intrigue and True"
I found this book as I so loved John Lee's reading. Lee, does a superb job. His tone is rich, full of a multitude of vocal inflections that carries the imagination deeply into this historical adventure. And like a great actor - he never shines so brightly on the material that his 'acting' takes precedence over the reading.
This is a true story about a very large character. Everything in this account comes full circle - and in a very poignant way. Without giving anything away I am going to mention one person. Cary Grant. You will not believe how he fits into this well told story.
real name:scott stambler
"What a great character"
Eddie Chapman is a real live spy in this amazing non-fiction story that "reads" like a novel. He is a larger than life gentleman criminal who discovers that he is a loyal British subject who was born to be a double agent. Wonderfully narrated by John Lee (one of the best in my opinion), Eddie cons the Germans who are only too happy to send him back to England to spy for them and he then wastes no time convincing the Brits that he can be an effective double. You can't make this stuff up but the amazing thing is that its all true, and the contributions Eddie Chapman made to the allied war effort are extraordinary. We root for Eddie the whole time and he clearly has nine lives. This is great movie material--I just hope Tom Cruise doesn't get the role.
"A great audiobook"
"Agent Zigag" is a riveting and informative audiobook; I looked forward to my long commute, just so I could listen to the story.
The author spins a delightful narrative, recounting numerous real life exploits of a WWII spy. The story contains a wonderful balance of history, intrigue, romance and action. But overall it is a story of personalities, moralities and human frailties that makes the listener wonder: how he would react under similar circumstances?
A full 5-star performance.
"The Real Thing"
This being a true story of Nazi Espionage, it intrigued me because of my interest in WWII, Holocaust, and Nazi Germany. What I got was a huge glimpse of what International spying is about and especially interesting when it takes place during a war and a double agent to boot! Over half way through I thought about the James Bond stories, but this was even more astonishing in many ways. I found it simply amazing that someone could pull off being a spy, let alone a double spy -- what he had to remember and never be tripped up. It takes a unique personality. I kept thinking throughout the book, I can't believe I'm reading a spy story. In fact, there was a mention of Ian Fleming towards the end of the book -- I think he wrote or directed one of the movies related to Zig Zag's life. I recommend.
"Outstanding Thriller"
As if writing a great work of fiction, Ben MacIntyre pens a riveting thriller around the real-life adventures of British double agent Eddie Chapman during World War II. From the first page to the last, through the double crosses and the love affairs, John Lee's narration pulls you into the story and grips you to the last word.
"Great listen"
Great reader and very well written. Seems fictional but it's true....and well constructed...sociopath as hero...An amazing story about a con man who is better than an insurance salesman and an architect combined.
"Intriguing Book"
When I always want to research a topic afterward, I know I just listened/read a good book.
If you keep reminding yourself this was a true story, it will continue to amaze you.
The narrator does a good job and the story is definitely worth the listen!
Just when you think you've heard everything there is to hear about WWII, along comes a book like Zigzag. Entertaining, substantive, great narrator -- would have loved to meet Eddie Chapman.
Captivating. Leaves you admiring the boldness and the cunning of an unsung WW2 hero. Rumour is a movie is coming 2014.
British radio producer; storyteller, folk historian and book addict. I rely on audio books to help me fit in extra reading.
"The Tale of A Wide Boy Turned Good."
I know that many people adore John Lee. But it has taken me years to get used to his rather stilted narrative. Oh! I stick with him, because based on (presumably listener?) "fandom"; most of my favourite authours ; or at least their agents; choose John Lee to narrate.
Actually, he is getting better, less stilted and clipped. And in the narration of this book he does a mostly excellent job. My only concern was when he couldn't seem to find an accent for Eddie. Our hero seemed to dive between lowland Scotland and somewhere in Wiltshire.
Still, not every listener will be sniffy about regional dialect. And Lee's performances are solid.
The story is fantastic!
I've met a few Eddie Chapman's in my time (Eddie sans the spy work that is). Wide boys who have a wild life, and seized every opportunity they could during and after the war to "better" themselves; but were ultimately true to their nearest and country.
The book fairly gallops along, without any of the expected "norms". Here you will find decent Germans; and unpleasant Brits. You will be unsure of Eddie and what he was up to; see-sawing between liking him, and wondering if he's about to pull a fast one.
The hidden stories of WW2 are incredible. And this one; quite; quite amazing.
My only gripe....occurred early in the book. I could not figure out whether it was a mistake made by an authour too young to know; or a slip of the tongue; or a slip up in editing.
Someone in Jersey complains that
"He used enough tea bags to brew tea for {lots of people} ...."
I well remember my Auntie Gladys; recalling with hilarity; how when her sister Joan was visiting America in the late 1940's; she sent her sister a box of tea bags.
Gladys had her children sitting in the kitchen carefully slicing open each bag, to empty the contents into her tea caddy.
"What a waste of time tea bags are!!" She said "It took HOURS to unpick them all!!"
I didn't see my first tea bag (in rural Kent {England}) until somewhere in the mid 1960's. We were highly suspicious of them! So the idea of someone in Jersey having tea bags...or a good English boy knowing what on earth they were; in 1940; is highly suspect.
Apart from that (Just call me nit-pickety) this book is brilliant! Absolutely bloody brilliant!
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
The power struggle over who will appoint the town bookkeeper moved into a new phase on April 11, when the board rejected the idea of changing the position from that of a bookkeeper to that of a comptroller.
At the town meeting, town attorney Jeffrey Clemente told the board that such a change would take a lot of power away from the board. He said, "If a comptroller was appointed, the comptroller would solely have the powers of auditing, allowing or rejecting all accounts, charges, claims, demands against the towns or improvement districts, and he or she would be the only one examining, auditing or certifying accounts."
"And the statute clearly says," he continued, "that the powers that the board loses shall devolve to the comptroller and the comptroller shall be the town board during the continuance of such office." He recommended against going forward with the comptroller option and the board agreed.
The bookkeeping position has been the cause of considerable conflict at board meetings since supervisor Peg Harrison moved to cut the bookkeeper's hours last fall, and make the position part-time, thereby saving the town the cost of employment benefits. However, many residents turned out in support of the bookkeeper, Karen Valenti, and the matter quickly became politically charged.
The board voted to eliminate the position in January, with Harrison taking over the related duties. But the accounting firm that audits the town's book said it is a "conflict" to have the supervisor fill the roll of bookkeeper.
In the past, the bookkeeper has been appointed with a vote of the board. But Clemente has informed the board that under state law, the supervisor has the sole authority to appoint the position. The position itself, however, must be created by the board. So before Harrison can appoint a new bookkeeper, the board must re-create the position, which so far the board has been unwilling to do.
At the meeting, lawmaker Carol Wingert asked if it would be possible to change the town law to allow the board to appoint the bookkeeper. Clemente said that it would be, but that would require not only a new local law with a public hearing, but also a town-wide referendum, which would be time consuming.
During a discussion of the matter, Wingert and Harrison traded criticisms, with Wingert accusing Harrison of manipulating the votes required to reduce the bookkeeper's hours and ultimately eliminate the position.
Harrison countered that Valenti had never cooperated with her, and that she needed someone in that role who would work with her.
Harrison's relationship with Wingert and others in town government has been strained since she unexpectedly beat former supervisor Ben Johnson in the election in November 2009.
Now, while everyone agrees that there is a conflict regarding the town bookkeeping, the board took no action to solve it at the meeting.


text:
To retaliate or not to retaliate?
It is no question that Andrew McCutchen is the best player on the Pirate's roster. He is a five tool player that also possess the leadership that this team crucially needs.
He led off Saturday's game against the Dodgers putting the first run on the board, a solo shot in the first inning.
The blast was his 4th of the year and the homerun that brought him the most attention since last year's 3-homer night at PNC Park.
As McCutchen was rounding second base he looked to give a little fist pump. There was no doubt he was excited as he is a fiery player who tends to show his emotions, a good thing in my opinion.
The Didgers did not think so. And neither did Pirates color analist Bob Walk. Walk, a former pitcher, said he was and would have been upset with McCutchen's actions when he was a MLB starting pitcher and as a player today.
In the fifth inning Dodger's relief pitcher, veteran Ramon Ortiz sent messages to Cutch. Not a message. Messages.
Two pitches brushed the back of McCutchen. Back to back pitches, no way they could have "gotten away" from Ortiz. The two pitches come after a pair of Bucco batters were plunked earlier in the game as well. After the at-bat McCutchen was visibly upset as he walked to the dugout jawing at the field and what looked like other teammates.
Pirates starting pitcher Zach Duke had an oppotunity to settle the score against Ortiz and the
Dodgers. He went back on the hill and went back to work as usual. Even when Ortiz stepped to the plate, such a rare occurance for a relief pitcher, Duke did not come inside.
Now I am torn. Part of me thinks Duke and manager John Russell took the high road. They looked at this objectively and knew that throwing at Ortiz or any Dodger would be disrespectful and even childish.
However, if I was McCutchen I would feel betrayed. I would expect my teammates and my manager to stand up for me. He goes up there night in and night out and busts his butt for the team to apparently not be as appreciated or valued.
After the game when asked about the scenrio Duke said he "dropped the ball" in regards to not protecting McCutchen. Post-Gazette reporter Dejan Kovacevic reported that the mood was very somber and angry after this 5-1 loss to LA.
Outfielder Ryan Church seemed offended regarding the issue saying "It stinks. You don't throw at somebody's head." Referring to McCutchen's noggin.
Now when Duke was pulled from the game in favor of reliever Jack Taschner, he came in with a bang. The first batter he faced was Andre Eithier. The first pitch he threw sailed behind Eitheir. The dust settled there for the night.
The Pirates are now 10-15. They return home to face the Cubs. And I must go back to my finals studying.
photo credits: mizuno.com, AP-dodgers.scout.com
6 Comments
I see this a lot with good young hitters, especially. Teams probably pick on them because they believe those guys to be more mentally fragile than veterns. Adam Lind and Aaron Hill saw their fare share of balls thrown at them last year. I bet McCutchen gets thrown at 'up and in' a lot more this season. He is that good of a young hitter.
P.S. love the poetic stylings in the previous post!
I was at the game and noticed those close pitches. I also noticed players getting hit by pitches. Everyone tells me I am naive and that those things happen.
On the bright side, I was able to get McCutcheon's autograph for you. I told him about you and that you were an avid fan. He smiled at that.
Sometimes in the heat of the moment the young and budding stars forget some of the "Unwritten Rules" and it will cost them either during their next at bat…or in the near future.
It is not a thing done on purpose, but it still get the wrath of the Baseball Gods, and the opposing pitcher. It is not a usual disrespect for the game or the other team, but a burst of emotion that usually condemns a guy for a fist pump or an overemotional twirl of the bat after a long drive over the wall.
As long as McCutchen sees the erros of his momentary forgetfulness, the action will pass and he will again get to the business of winning games for the Buccos.
Rays Renegade
Duke should have taken care of business. The beauty of this game is how players back each other up and govern themselves. Duke let his guy down.
Fist pumping while rounding bases in the midlle of a game is a little showboat(ee), Victorino got into trouble for it in the post season, McCutchen doesn't want to be branded with the same brush Reyes was early on as an arrogant big headed jerk, I think McCutchen has more class and talent than that, but the Pirates pitchers should have sent a warning, maybe not to Ortiz but to someone else….
Phillies Outside
As long as it's not top of the shoulders and up…That's Baseball and I have no problem with players doing what players do. Head-hunting is out and out wrong! I believe in a players code but it seems like I'm talking about a different era now-a-days.


text:
Valentine's Day is right around the corner and there's nothing more meaningful than a homemade gift. Bet you never thought of it, but guys like scented candles just as much as we do (and usually their apartments need them more than ours). So, consider this the gift for your bestie, brother, coworker – and even your main squeeze.
What you'll need:
• 10 unscented tea lights (or beeswax)
• Old pot
• Stove top
• Tweezers
• One 6-inch candle wick (available at craft store, or make your own)
• Pencil
• Small glass or tin jar
• Tongs
• Essential oils of your choice (my favorite combination is vanilla and jasmine)
• Scissors
How to do it:
1. Place about 10 tea lights in the bottom of an old pot.
2. Turn the stove burner on low heat and keep an eye on the candles as they melt.
3. When the wax has melted, remove each wick with a pair of tweezers and discard.
4. Tie the fresh wick around a pencil and balance it over the opening of your jar so the wick hangs straight down.
5. Using the tongs, remove each tea light from the pot and carefully pour the melted wax into your jar, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top.
6. Mix in 20 – 40 drops of the essential oils of your choice.
7. Allow to set and cool.
8. Trim your wick to 1/8 inch and enjoy!
By Grace Romanowsky of Valenki By ACE, Staff Writer
How did your road test fare? Share in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.
Not a Member and like The (Style) Guide? You'll love Rue La La. Join now.


text:
May 3, 2012 —
SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — It's May at last, the month that is second to none for its density of events and intensity of sports action. Across the spectrum of baseball, softball, boys tennis, boys and girls golf and track and field, teams try to marshal wins that will lead to sectional berths. Here's a thumbnail sketch of current contenders.
Sullivan West's softball team is in first place in Division IV with a 3-0-league record, having swept O'Neill, Liberty and Burke in the first of two encounters this spring. That first-half success already guarantees a playoff berth. The boys golf team is also in first place at 4-0, as it pursues an unprecedented ninth consecutive Division IV title. If it wishes to be in the running for a sectional berth, the Sullivan West baseball team will have to build on its two win against four losses. The Bulldogs beat Chester 8-7 for their second win. The Sullivan West girls golf team is in second place in Division IV .
Tri-Valley's boys and girls track teams are unbeaten in their division. This past week, they easily rolled by Sullivan West. The girls team also bested all schools at this week's Monticello Games to capture first place, just a week after topping 26 schools at the Tri-Valley Invitational. The T-V girls are the defending Section 9 Class C champs. Dominque Darby was named the Monticello Games' Outstanding Female Field Athlete. She won the shot put and the discus and took second in the hammer throw. The boys were Section 9 runners' up in 2011. The Bears' baseball team is 8-2 and in second place behind unbeaten Chester in Division V. T-V has already clinched a berth in sectionals. Last year, they lost a heartbreaker to S.S. Seward in the title game. The Bears opened a three-game series with Fallsburg this week. Bear's senior Joe Mickelson pitched a perfect game using just 66 pitches in a 13-0 win over the Comets. It was just the 12th perfect game in NYSPHSAA history. Tri-Valley's Bo Murphy pitched a perfect game in 2008. Tri-Valley's boys golf team's only league loss was to Sullivan West. Eldred is in the same position. The three teams tied for the Division IV title last spring.
Monticello's boys track team faces league quests in Port Jervis and Liberty this week in search of its third consecutive Division III title. They took third place overall at the Monticello Games. Tino Taylor was named as one of two male outstanding track athletes for his wins in the 200 and 400. The Monties girls track team is also unbeaten in Division III. The baseball team is currently 2-1 in Division III.


text:
Joseph E. Birkett
Class Year:1977
Outstanding Alumni Award Winner 2002
Joseph Birkett was sworn in as DuPage County state's attorney in 1996, and has been re-elected to two consecutive four-year terms. Throughout his career, he has assisted with training junior prosecutors and has received numerous awards and commendations for his public service. He received his law degree from the John Marshall Law School in 1981 and was admitted to the Illinois Bar later that same year. He became an assistant states attorney in DuPage County in 1981. In 1985, he was promoted to chief of the Major Crimes Unit and the next year was named deputy chief of the Criminal Division. He served from 1991-96 as the Chief of the Criminal Division. He is a member of several professional organizations and is also an adjunct faculty member at National Louis University in Wheaton, Ill.


text:
Yeah, boyz!
What a fun game today! Our boys beat the Phils hard core 8-3. Yes, that Ryan Howard is a dangerous opponent, but one man does not a team make. The Mets are the perfect example of that!
And…did you happen to catch me at the Emmys? With my date Wentworth Miller? No? I'll just share the pic, then. (What? I've never heard of this "photoshop" you speak of!)
6 Comments
Nice try Z…Cliff will not approve, and might ask to be traded to the Mariners. But you should have Wentworth talk to Lastings about his hair…. someday the bat is going to get caught or better yet a high fast ball "cutter" will get tangled with "Laster" and he will be a disaster at home plate.
Kimo..The slowest right fielder in the History of High School Baseball
Can't wait for Cliff to come back! I would, indeed, dress up in a gown for him. Or, you know, shove my face on someone else's body in a gown. Just sayin'.
If he returns at a home game, and if we've got tix to that game, you better believe I'm making my first sign. And it will be GORGEOUS.
Not a bad photoshop job lol. Had me doing a double-take when I first opened up the page!
All things considered, I think I've seen enough of Ryan Howard to last me the rest of the season.
~Eddie @ Willie Ball
I live in aizona and green is my favorite player so now i watch him as a met.
Kaylee, another reason for you to love the Mets! Yeah, Green's been great for the team so far–fitting in swell and RBI-ing his heart out!
'swell' lol very nice
i like that ol' school word; it's rare when anyone uses it


text:
BSC Alerts
News & Events
Board of Governors
August 18, 2011
Members Present: Ms. Gloria Stephens, Mr. Norris Kantor, Mr. Roger Topping, Ms. Anne Taylor, Mr. James Palmer, III (via conference call), Mr. Richard Bezjak, Dr. Sarita Rhonemus, Dr. Norman Mirsky, Mr. Aaron Saunders (via conference call), Mr. Larry Ratliff, Mr. Robert Perkinson, Jr.
Member Absent: Mr. Jerome Powell, II
Guests/Staff: Dr. Albert Walker, Mr. Jim Nelson, Dr. Tom Blevins, Dr. Lewis Jones, Ms. Shelia Johnson, Dr. Tracey Anderson, Dr. Sapphire Cureg, Ms. Karen Harvey, Ms. Christina Brogdon, Mr. Terry Brown, Ms. Anita Barilla, Mr. Tom Harrison
Welcome, Vice Chair's Remarks, and Call to Order – Vice Chair Larry Ratliff
With Chairman James Palmer attending the meeting by conference phone, Vice Chair Mr. Larry Ratliff called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. in the Othello Harris-Jefferson Private Dining Room and announced there will be a brief executive session at the end of the meeting with no action required.
Mr. Ratliff commented on the improvements going on across campus and the tour board members took of Mahood Hall prior to the meeting and the exciting technology that will be available to the students.
Introduction of the new Provost/VP Academic Affairs – Dr. Lewis Jones
Dr. Walker introduced Dr. Lewis Jones as the new Provost/VP Academic Affairs and discussed his credentials and experience from previous positions. The group welcomed Dr. Jones to the campus.
BOG Training – Dr. Albert Walker
Dr. Walker briefly discussed the state law requiring board members to attend training in order to remain on the Board. The group was reminded that three (3) hours of training credit must be obtained within the first six (6) months, and six (6) credit hours must be obtained within two (2) years. The group was reminded that some training is available online and some training is available by conference call. Dr. Walker minded the group that cars from the motor pool will be made available for BOG members to attend training sessions.
Swearing in of New Board Members
Ms. Barilla, Notary Public, swore in Dr. Norman Mirsky (faculty representative) and Dr. Sarita Rhonemus (classified representative) as new members of the Board of Governors.
Approval of the Consent Agenda – Vice Chair Larry Ratliff
Mr. Ratliff asked for a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. A motion was made (NKantor/RTopping) to approve the Consent Agenda. Dr. Mirsky asked that the minutes reflect the approval of the Revised Strategic Plan in the Consent Agenda. A motion was made (RPerkinson/RBezjak) to approve the Strategic Plan as presented in the Consent Agenda. Motion carried. Motion carried to approve the Consent Agenda.
The Consent Agenda contained the following items:
- President's Report
- Enrollment Report as of August 18, 2011
o BSC Homecoming Schedule
o Tuition Waiver Annual Report
- Financial Report
o Capital Projects Report and Resolution to Approve
- Cabinet Reports
o Media Relations Report
o HR Hiring Activity for July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011
o Institutional Advancement & Planning Report
o Institutional Research and Effectiveness – information on HLC Accreditation visit
o Revised Strategic Plan 2008-2013
Upon Mr. Kantor's request the enrollment figures were discussed with an estimate of 2,400 students expected to be enrolled for the fall semester. International student enrollment is up from last year, but a final number has not been determined. Dr. Jones discussed increased enrollment for the Beckley campus for the fall semester.
Ms. Johnson discussed the Capital Projects List and the reasons why the projects are placed in the order presented. Discussion followed.
Mr. Kantor reviewed various points from the Strategic Plan and stated that every effort should be made to partner with Southern WV Community and Technical College. Dr. Walker discussed the two agreements with SWVCTC (Criminal Justice and Education) already in progress. Discussion followed of various aspects of the Strategic Plan with Dr. Anderson answering member's questions.
Ms. Johnson and Dr. Tom Blevins discussed the technology of Mahood Hall and the opportunities for the students and the community to receive courses or hold meetings via technology. Discussion followed.
Update on the HLC Re-affirmation of Accreditation – Dr. Tracey Anderson
Dr. Anderson made a Power Point presentation on the process the institution has gone through for the accreditation Self -Study. She reviewed information that may be requested during the HLC Re-accreditation team visit and answered questions from the group. She announced the HLC team will be having a lunch meeting with the BOG on Monday, September 12, 2011 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the BSC Private Dining Room.
Executive Session
Vice Chair Larry Ratliff informed the group that an executive session is necessary and asked for a motion. A motion was made (NKantor/RTopping) to go into executive session. Motion carried.
Mr. Ratliff called the meeting back into regular session and turned the floor over to Dr. Walker. Dr. Walker announced that at the end of September he will be resigning as President of Bluefield State to take a president's position in Missouri. Mr. Kantor stated that special meetings will be necessary to appoint an interim president and then to hire a full-time president.
Next Meeting Date – October 20, 2011
With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,


text:
For 364 days out of the year, anyone in Waynesville ŌĆö and greater Haywood County for that matter ŌĆö would not notice the attire.
But, today isnŌĆÖt one of those days.
Today, the Pisgah Black Bears of Canton are facing off against the Tuscola Mountaineers of Waynesville. In what has become one of the greatest high school football rivalries in the country, tensions are high as the impending matchup later that evening looms over the county.
A 2008 Pisgah graduate, Brookshire has been going to the games with her grandfather, David Marler, a 1971 Pisgah graduate, since she was a little girl. Behind the counter, her mother, Tina Rollins, a 1984 Pisgah graduate also dressed in red and white, had to wait on Charles Starnes earlier, the former longtime principal at Tuscola.
ŌĆ£He said, ŌĆśYouŌĆÖre not waiting on me with that shirt on, do you have another server back there?ŌĆÖŌĆØ Rollins smiled. ŌĆ£Working in Waynesville and being from Canton is pretty tough, especially if youŌĆÖre egging it on.ŌĆØ
Sitting a few stools down at the counter is Marler. HeŌĆÖs finishing up his breakfast and ready to head into the day, but not before giving his 2 cents on the ŌĆ£big game.ŌĆØ
ŌĆ£Oh lord, if you want to talk some football, this game is bigger than a lot of college games,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£Whoever wins get bragging rights in the county. ItŌĆÖs the whole nine yards ŌĆö big crowds, big players and big excitement.ŌĆØ
Eve of battle
The day before the game, both teams are putting the finishing touches on their battle plans. Each school has won their share of the rivalry (as of 2012, Tuscola is in the lead 26-22-1). In 2012, Tuscola won 24-21 in overtime, and it also won the year before, 28-27. This time around, the squads are equally tough, with both poised to make a run for the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference championship, and perhaps even a state playoff berth. Coming into the WNCAC 3A/2A matchup, PisgahŌĆÖs record was 5-2, 2-1 (conference/season), with Tuscola 6-1, 3-0.
And as the Thursday dismissal bell rings at Pisgah, Coach Brett Chappell walked outside and gazed down on the streams of students, teachers and parents exiting the property. A first-year coach at the school, heŌĆÖs known about the rivalry for years.
ŌĆ£IŌĆÖve lived around Western North Carolina all of my life, and this game has always been a topic of conversation,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£IŌĆÖve coached big games before, but none like this one. I wonŌĆÖt truly know the feeling of this game until I step out onto that field tomorrow night.ŌĆØ
When he was a teenager, Chappell was a running back and linebacker at Rosman High School in nearby Transylvania County. HeŌĆÖs very astute about final preparations and what it takes to be prepared for the ŌĆ£Friday Night Lights.ŌĆØ
ŌĆ£I told my boys you only get one chance at this game,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£WeŌĆÖve had some injuries this season, and they know to take care of themselves, especially during this week.ŌĆØ
Heading west on U.S. 23, past the enormous smokestacks of the Evergreen Packaging in Canton, one soon finds themselves at the practice field for Tuscola. The field sits on a rise with a view to the west, as a fading sun drifted behind the majestic Balsams. Tuscola Coach Brandon Allen stepped onto the field and looked around at his players warming up for practice.
ŌĆ£The hayŌĆÖs in the barn, and these boys are ready to play,ŌĆØ Allen said. ŌĆ£This rivalry is a big as itŌĆÖs ever been. Tomorrow will be an extremely mental and physical game. As always, IŌĆÖve told my team to stay focused, and theyŌĆÖre fired up.ŌĆØ
Allen is no stranger to the rivalry. A 1994 graduate of Pisgah, he was a wide receiver and defensive back for the team. Playing in three Pisgah/Tuscola matches, heŌĆÖs well aware of what the game means to each team.
ŌĆ£Ever since I was a little boy, I wanted to play in this game, and I think itŌĆÖs a dream for every boy growing up in Haywood County,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£ItŌĆÖs something you look forward to your whole childhood. I know what it felt like as a player ŌĆö the goosebumps, the adrenaline. I know that look in their eyes and how much this game means to them.ŌĆØ
Where it all began
Though the Pisgah/Tuscola rivalry officially began on Sept. 23, 1966 (Pisgah won 26-12), these two towns have been at each other on and off the gridiron for several decades prior. Before Canton Township High School became Pisgah and Waynesville Township High School became Tuscola, the communities, even those many years ago, had a deep, competitive hatred of the other.
Some think it relates to the factory town nature of Canton and the tourist ambiance of Waynesville, while others point to the mere fact you had two prime football programs only eight miles apart, with many family trees overlapping in the recruiting process.
ŌĆ£This rivalry will live on way past when weŌĆÖre all gone,ŌĆØ said Gavin Brown, mayor of Waynesville. ŌĆ£When youŌĆÖre sitting there watching the game, you obviously have loyalties, but it also reminds you of how important this game is to the communities.ŌĆØ
Graduating from Waynesville Township in 1965, Brown was part of the last class before the Tuscola merger. He was a member of the ŌĆ£Meat Squad,ŌĆØ a group of players used to play against the starting football team in practice. According to him, when it came to women back then, a Waynesville boy never looked for a date in Canton, and vice versa, for fear of retaliation.
ŌĆ£I did ask out this one girl from Canton,ŌĆØ he laughed. ŌĆ£A few boys from there found out about it and came to my window one night. Needless to say, I was advised to not come back over there and see her.ŌĆØ
A 1969 graduate of Pisgah, Canton Mayor Mike Ray has looked forward to the rivalry game every year.
ŌĆ£Each side wants to win, but after all the excitement, after itŌĆÖs all over, everyone comes back together,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£ItŌĆÖs a special day and night. Everyone is on edge until the kickoff. People not from this area donŌĆÖt even realize how many folks come out for this game.ŌĆØ
As the heated contest has evolved, so has the national acclaim and attention. At any given rivalry game, attendance can hover anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 spectators in the stands. In a recent USA TODAY voting poll, the game was ranked the #1 rivalry in the state of North Carolina, and one of the most highly anticipated matchups in the United States.
ŌĆ£I donŌĆÖt care if we win by one point or 100 points, we just want to win,ŌĆØ said Dale McDonald, principal at Tuscola. ŌĆ£For three hours, once a year, the communities go to battle on a Friday night. After itŌĆÖs over, we shake hands, go to movies together Saturday and church with one another on Sunday.ŌĆØ
And yet, it doesnŌĆÖt matter if you are undefeated or lose every match before the ŌĆ£big game.ŌĆØ The true litmus test of a successful season in Haywood County comes down to the victor in this rivalry. You donŌĆÖt want to be a player on the losing end, because youŌĆÖll be seeing your opponent around town for the rest of your life, always knowing they won the one game that should have been yours.
ŌĆ£You really do throw the records out the window at this game in anticipation that this just might be the game for us,ŌĆØ said Greg Bailey, principal at Pisgah. ŌĆ£But, each year, when the first game of the season rolls around, you want to build a winning record heading towards this game. ItŌĆÖs nice to have one in the oven, something great to display before we meet.ŌĆØ
Even legendary southern rockers The Charlie Daniels Band have a part in this storied game. Following the Canton floods of 2004 that devastated the town, and destroyed the football field, the community rebuilt itself. The field was eventually repaired to perfection, and to celebrate its grand reopening the band was brought in for the 2006 match (Pisgah won 56-10) to play the post-game show.
But, before Daniels could take the stage, and the players take their positions, a mysterious helicopter landed on the field to the roar of the enormous crowd. The Pisgah mascot, a large black bear, exited the aircraft with the game ball. The beast ran around the field, taunting the opponent with Heisman Trophy poses, ultimately handing the pigskin over to the officials to start the game.
Inside that black bear suit was Mark Sheppard, a 1985 Pisgah graduate and the current support services director for the Haywood County Schools System. At that time, he was the assistant principal at Pisgah.
ŌĆ£We needed a big entry for the ball for this game,ŌĆØ Sheppard said. ŌĆ£The doors were so small and the suit was so big, we had to sit in the helicopter and practice going in and out of it to make sure the mascotŌĆÖs head didnŌĆÖt fall off.ŌĆØ
For Sheppard, the rivalry is more about tradition, where generations of families are vested into the game, and the pride of being from each of the respective towns.
ŌĆ£You have second, third and fourth generation folks interested in it,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£This kidŌĆÖs dad and granddad played in the game, and they want to someday, too. Everything is so transient these days and a lot of communities donŌĆÖt have that anymore.ŌĆØ
Game Day
ItŌĆÖs Friday evening, and like a cavalry charging across the Great Plains, thousands of vehicles descend on C.E. Weatherby Stadium in Waynesville for the 50th county gridiron fight. Car horns, raucous screaming and loud diesel truck engines blasting through downtown soon shatter the tranquility. A caravan of Tuscola teenagers ride along the idle streets in the back of large pickups. TheyŌĆÖre adorned in bright orange hunting vests and camouflage gear. Tied to the trailer-hitch of the last truck is a small teddy bear dragging down the street en route to the stadium.
Upon entering the stadium, the air is electric. Family members, some Pisgah alumnus, others Tuscola, separate to their cheering side of the stadium. If youŌĆÖre not wearing black and red, youŌĆÖre wearing yellow and black.
On the Tuscola side, the large group of teenagers in bright orange hunting vests and camouflage gear stand proudly, shouting at the top of their lungs, ŌĆ£I believe, I believe, I believe that we will win.ŌĆØ Leading the cheers is Tuscola senior Chase Carpenter.
ŌĆ£WeŌĆÖre excited about the game today, weŌĆÖre here to support our team and make a lot of noise,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£This is the craziest thing youŌĆÖll ever go to, it gets pretty rough.ŌĆØ
So, why is it great to be a Mountaineer?
ŌĆ£Because we hunt bears, and itŌĆÖs bear season right now,ŌĆØ he confidently stated.
Across the field, amid a sea of black and red, Pisgah senior Emily Rhea is cheering as loud as she can, all in an effort to provoke those around her to join in and get rowdy.
ŌĆ£This game is indescribable,ŌĆØ she said.
So, why is it great to be a Black Bear?
ŌĆ£Because weŌĆÖre better than Tuscola and because a black bear can take down a mountaineer,ŌĆØ she enthusiastically shouted.
Surrounding the field are rows and rows of families and old-timers, ready for the night to begin. On the Tuscola side, Waynesville resident Cecil Hightower has ŌĆ£only missed seven rivalry games in the last 32 years.ŌĆØ
ŌĆ£I just love football, plain and simple,ŌĆØ he said.
A few feet away, Nece Hedges, a 2005 Tuscola graduate, is waiting in line at the concession stand. Attending the game for several years now, the rivalry means the world to her.
ŌĆ£ItŌĆÖs in my blood,ŌĆØ she said. ŌĆ£IŌĆÖd rather be the hunter than the prey.ŌĆØ
Awaiting the kickoff, Chris Jones, a 1990 Pisgah graduate, is all smiles.
ŌĆ£ItŌĆÖs intense, when they kick that ball, itŌĆÖs ŌĆśHere we goŌĆÖ for 48 minutes,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£I just hope the referees donŌĆÖt mess it up.ŌĆØ
Way up in the announcerŌĆÖs booth, Don Frady has been calling the games in these parts for decades. HeŌĆÖs a 1956 Canton Township graduate but now runs the stadium microphone for Tuscola.
ŌĆ£Oh, this is the game of all games,ŌĆØ he said. ŌĆ£ItŌĆÖll be interesting to see who will be the county winner this year.ŌĆØ
Let THE GAME begin
The ball is in the air, and Tuscola has it. Quarterback Woody Cornwell hands it off to Bryce Myers, who dodges the defense and runs 96 yards for a touchdown. Tuscola is up 7-0, but the tide would quickly turn.
Pisgah quarterback McKinley Brown immediately answered back with a rebuttal touchdown. Now 7-7, Pisgah then kicks a field goal ŌĆö 10-7 Pisgah. Supportive mothers and restless fathers stand in the bleachers. Little brothers and adolescent cousins ran the length of the sidelines, dreaming of the day they would fill the athletic shoes of those who came before them.
At halftime, Pisgah is still up 10-7. Hopes were high for a heated race to the finish. But, that wouldnŌĆÖt be the case as the third quarter unfolded. Amid a handful of fumbles by Tuscola and interceptions by Pisgah, and a vicious defense holding back Tuscola, the Black Bears found themselves with a 24-7 lead in the final minutes of the games. Looks of shock and dismay were on every face sporting yellow and black, while those in black and red had endless grins across their lips. Add in another Pisgah field goal and the final nail had been hammered into the coffin for Tuscola.
The clock ticked down to 00:00, with many Tuscola fans already warming up their car engines in the parking lot. The Pisgah crowds remained in the stands, each ready to claim a win that was rightfully theirs, for this year at least. While troves of vehicles did a victory run back down U.S. 23 to Canton, an eerie silence fell upon Waynesville.
For Coach Chappell, it was a honeymoon triumph heŌĆÖll never forget. For Coach Allen, itŌĆÖll be another day at the office tomorrow as he prepares for next year. And as Haywood County citizens laid their collective heads down that night ŌĆö some in frustration, some in pure ecstasy ŌĆö theyŌĆÖll all wake up, foes yesterday, friends once again today.