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Washington came out on top in the opener of the set, winning 2-1.
-Kyle Kendrick really struggled to throw strikes early, yet kept his team well within striking distance. His best inning was the fifth when he retired the Nationals on just seven pitches.
-Somehow, someway, Kendrick was able to finish seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits. KK struck out four and walked two. His final three innings were much better than the first four, which is what kept him in the game long enough. Overall, not a terrible effort overall.
-To end the game, the Phillies retired the final 17 Nationals that stepped to the plate after Ian Desmond's RBI single in the fourth and Danny Espinosa's walk right after.
-No surprise here, the Phillies offense could not completely figure out Gio Gonzalez. In the third, they had the bases loaded and got nothing out of it. In the sixth inning, they had runners at second and third with nobody out and again managed zero runs.
-They just cannot get runners home when they need to. Getting guys on base really isn't the issue, it's having them touch home once they're on. Talk about frustrating. In that sixth, Hunter Pence hit a rocket right at Rick Ankiel. Then, Carlos Ruiz smoked a ball right at Adam LaRoche. The Nats first baseman did this smart thing and easy gunned out Placido Polanco trying to score. John Mayberry flew out for the third out of the frame. Your 2012 Phillies, everyone.
-I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Phils also struggled with the Nats bullpen. Another squandered opportunity in the eighth inning may have been the most frustrating. With two on and one out, Hunter Pence (stop me if you've heard this) swung at a first pitch, popping up to third base. Carlos Ruiz then grounded out to end the threat.
-In the ninth, John Mayberry led off with a four pitch walk off a wild Henry Rodriguez. He then moved to second on a one-out wild pitch, and to third on a single by Mike Fontenot. Mayberry made a bit of a blunder by not scoring on a wild pitch, but would touch home after Rodriguez was sent to the showers. Sean Burnett came in and gave up a sac fly to Ty Wigginton. But, the Phillies could not get that tying run home as Hector Luna walked, leading to a lineout by Polanco to end the game.
-With runners in scoring position, the Phillies finished 1-for-10 and left a total of 10 men on base.
-In his first at-bat, Bryce Harper was met with a loud chorus of boos. After the fans settled, Harper went 2-for-4 with a couple of singles.
-Gio Gonzalez had a decent night, but that's mostly because the Phillies could not capitalize. He struck out nine in six inning, but did walk three while allowing three hits. However, it was a goose egg on the scoreboard where it matters most. The former Phillies farm hand lowered his ERA in the process to 1.98. Gonzalez also leads the majors in strikeouts, leaping over Justin Verlander, with 69.
-Raul Valdes pitched two great innings. Getting more from him and Diekman would be huge. They need reliable arms in the pen.
-The weather is supposed to be just as crappy tomorrow. It'll be another good pitching matchup regardless of the conditions. Jordan Zimmerman faces Roy Halladay. Expect few runs, again.
0 Comments
Yes, this team is leaving men on base and having trouble scoring again in the last three games but we expected that until Utley & Howard and now Thome and Nix come back from injuries! However, you failed to mention that replay showed that Harper was out after he over slid the bag on his stolen base and then later scored the 2nd run! This team is having trouble scoring runs, but it doesn't help when the umpires give teams extra runs especially with Gio on the mound!! MLB & the umpires union refuse to embrace technology, but that technology shows every day how bad these umpires really are!!
I agree, we're suffering the absence of Howard, Utley, Nix, and Thome. We've come pretty close to scoring but truly we're short of our all star hitters. And yes, those umpires are getting worse each year…
The beauty of baseball is there is always tomorrow.
And pretty soon Utley and Howard will be back.
The look out!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish I could share in your optimism about Howard & Utley, but there's no guarantees that they're going to pick up where they left off. We can't get a time table from the front office yet on when the rehab assignments are going to start. We're getting into a routine similar to where we were in the mid to late 90's after the 93 season. We got nothing in the minors that can help right the ship when we need it, and the league's figured out how to hit Doc, Cliff, and Blanton.
"the beauty of baseball is always tomorrow" IN ANOTHER CITY. Fact is the Philthies have succeeded by disappointing their fans (excepting the last five seasons — a mere blip in the cosmic fangraph). It now seems that Reuben, the subhuman, has FUBARed my team for the next karmic-go-round. Enjoy!
2nd & 3rd … no outs?!! We are doomed!! this pathetic bunch of mis-managed losers curdles my beer. What scumsacks!! Any average bunch of sparetired 50 yearolds could generate more runs than this overpaid lollygagging manurepile deemed the 2012 Phillies!!!
The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
I get that to older fans it was so bad for so long that your just happy for what we haf the last 5 years.
But it does not excuse this. This isnt the 80s or 90s. the Phillies have a 175 million dollar pay roll. Thats second in the majors.
Yea you old timers have seen alot. I remember the 10,000 loss thing and the deal they made of it.
Bottom line. With that payroll this line up and bench and bullpen should not look like this.
The way the contracts are structured for the phillies. This is the last year to even have a punchers chance. The future is not bright here.
So fire whomenver or trade for whoever to try to win it this year.
Magic eight ball says= not likely.
For long term chance to contend you will need a new GM ASAP.
Sorry thats 2 posts Chuck.
. someone should explain to freakin juan samuel what to do when a baqll is hit like the one pence hit! how many times this year allready has he not sent someone when they COULD score then got them thrown out at the plate a short time later. it's little things like that besides the lack of cluch hitting that makes me doubt if they'll win consistantly. we are a bad team now sorry to say. we're doing the dumb things other bad teams used to do when we played them!
now we do them regularly. as casey stengal once said " this is a team effort" even the coaching staff are acting stupid. the bright spot of the whole game for me was rollins not in the line up! i was hoping that the personal business was rollins mulling over asking to be traded because the phillies refuse to play like he does. wait! they are!
I think Polanco and Mayberry are directly to blame for not scoring from 3b when they had their chances… Mayberry would later score (font should've moved to 3rd on that same play) but if Mayberry and Font would've both advanced on the Wild pitch it might be a different outcome
First pitch to Wigginton, Mayberry on 3rd & Fontenot on 1st, was a wild pitch, with Fontenot advancing to 2nd, and Mayberry staying at 3rd. I'm not sure Font would have gone first to third there.
I only partly agree with AFW. Some of the points you made are understandable. One of the main reasons the Phils where bad for so long was the ownership was cheap back then. Here you have a case of injuries and under performing Stars, and sometimes questionable calls by Uncle C. You are correct with a payroll such as ours we shouldnt be like this. Keep in mind 35 Million of that is to two players how are both injured. Sometimes throwing money at the problem isnt always the solution. Utely's contract was a good one for what he was providing this team. No one in the world could of predicted back then he would be having these issues. Im not going to get into the Howards contract, its been beating to death, here and other blogs. As far as there been a future if the Phils are like the Yankees they can go out and get players. Whilst grooming a few of there own in the process. This is assuming said ownership doesnt decide to cut the budget. You are correct this is a team that is mainly built on win now. So there is a possibility that they may have off years, while they rebuild.
"Baserunning is elementary, Watson." -Sherlock Holmes. Of course, for the Phillies, Polanco, and Mayberry it is $&€king quantum physics. Grrrr!
Nothing much more to really say here. Just a piss-poor effort by the offense in so many ways. Gonzalez was completely beatable last night. I know it's still early but how long are we gonna keep saying that?? And waiting for Utley and Howard to return as though they will somehow walk on water like Jesus did is just plain naive on our part. I am hopeful because I'm a Phillies fan ….but that's about it right now.
I feel bad that Pat has to keep writing the same headline over and over again all year.
Piss poor effort? Maybe. How can you discern a piss poor effort from just bad offense. Pence was first pitch swinging last night with men on base and got his pitch. Never mind that it was the first time all night that he had seen that pitcher. He got his pitch and he popped it up. That pitch was a total cripple.
The Phillies have bad offensive players. What more to say? No power. No OBP. This is what you are gonna get against good pitching. Get used to it. Bad contracts hamstringing Phils, injuries, old guys. Yes. But here we are.
20 games against good teams. Show me you're good or show me you're bad so I know what to do with these players.
The Dipsy
Ok. Then it was a piss poor effort by a bad offense. Doesn't really matter….so many times in this particular game they looked like sh!t.
Baserunning mistakes killed us in this one. It feels like these type of games are happening very frequently… In the grand scheme of things, however, we're not always be unlucky and lose these 1-run games… at some point we'll win some and that should help with our overall record.
So what happens if we're 41-40 at the halfway mark and still in last place? Do you sell or buy?
Why would you sell if you were a .500 team at the halfway mark ??
Two teams make the Wild Card this year… I seriously think people forget that this team is missing Howard and Utley … and while they wont be the MVP-type players they've been in past years, their presence in the lineup will make the lineup more difficult as a whole
I still think this team is playoff bound, they have too much talent not to be
If you are .500 and 8 games out of the "knockout spot" at the halfway point, and Utley and Howard aren't back, then I think you gotta look at trading Hamels or Lee or Halladay, depending on who you wanna keep. Plus Polanco, Vic, and even Jimmy. Not to "rebuild", but to "retool" for next year. You would have to do it right. Which is another matter entirely.
The Dipsy
I think you have to well into double digits out of the "knockout spot" in order to think about selling.
Polanco needed to be on the bag in the sixth and tagged up when the ball was caught. Even if the ball was not caught he can still score. In the ninth Galvis should have kept the bat on his shoulder and taken a walk he is not a homerun hitter. This club seems to play scared nobody wants to hit when it counts. Mayberry looked scared on that wild pitch afraid to run. Where is all the sabermetric people that say rbis dont matter.
Of course we haven't forgotten about Utley and Howard. Someone reminds us about it every 5 minutes. Without continuing to speculate about either of them, they are not playing right now, so we're basing our season as it stands now without either of them. If you are basically a .500 team at the halfway mark, you've got to look to retool and make some changes. And that means no one on the current roster is off limits.
You're basing the season as it stands right now and people are calling for dramatic change…. The additions of our 3-4 hitters will be the best moves any team could make at the deadline
I'm really not counting on too much from Utley and Howard. BUT….having Howard in the place of Mayberry/Nix/Wiggy/Luna HAS to be an upgrade …even if Howard is not in great form. And Utley is an upgrade over Galvis (although Galvis has impressed!). I think you then have to use Galvis as your primary utility guy…getting him 3 starts or so per week as he can spell Jimmy, Chase and maybe Polly.
That's fine. But my point is that in another month or so, if the team is still plodding along and Utley and Howard are still "rehabbing," Amaro will have some tough decisions to make.
A big difference between me and a lot of the fans voicing their opinions is that I look at the players that are underperforming- and see that they SHOULD do better if their career numbers mean anything. Other fans look at the players that are underperforming- and go on daily rants about how they suck, how we should trade them, how they can't believe Charlie is playing them, etc. . .
The same fans that bash Jayson Werth for chasing money and "not showing loyalty" are the same fans showing zero loyalty to the guys on our team now… It's May 22nd, and despite many things, we're a .500 team…
Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are out… and we're still .500
Jimmy Rollins is underperforming… and we're still .500
Cliff Lee has ZERO wins… and we're still .500
Our bullpen has been horrible… and we're still .500
Kyle Kendrick is one of our 5 starters… and we're still .500
Shane Victorino (our 2011 MVP) is underperforming… and we're still .500
Don – Rollins is underperforming. Shane…a little. Chooch, Galvis, and Pierre are OVERperforming. I do NOT believe that Utley and Howard are going to make contributions this year. For those reasons, if we are 8ish games out of the knockout spot half way through, I would then choose to focus on the longer term health of the organization than to hope and pray that the team could make a miraculous recovery this year.
Hope is not a strategy.
The Dipsy
Mayberry not scoring on the wild pitch is not that big of a deal especially when his run does not really matter, and just an inning before a runner got thrown out because sometimes the ball bounces right back to the catcher comming off the bricks. It is not having Poly tag up when Ankel was obviously going to leave his feet on a wet field, then sending him on a line drive to first just to get him thrown out, if he was not running on contact he has to stay there, especially since the ball was almonst caught. And if he was going on contact and got thrown out by that much, he should not be running at all.
And one more thing about Geo, he was a little wild at times last night, he had some nasty stuff, early, and when he needed it. KK pitched well dispite not haveing the control he usually needs to stay in the game.
I know I am usually more optimistic than many of you on here, but I still think that this team especially if Howard and Utley come back after the All Star game can make a run, and all the teams in the East are really 500 teams, and they are going to be sorry if they do not put 8-10 games between them and the PHillies by the mid point, if they stay 4-5-6 games back they will hit a stride eventually.
Dipsy – You are right that Utley and Howard won't make great contributions BASED ON THEIR PAST SUCCESSES. But they WILL contribute just by being in the lineup and allowing everyone else to be in their natural spots in the lineup. They HAVE to be an upgrade over what we have now.
And I will continue to argue that the Phillies have to be in double digits (and I don't mean 10) out of the "knockout spot" in order fro the team to significantly sell and not continue competing for a playoff berth.
Alright. We can agree to disagree. I for one would not wanna see the Phils finish four games out of the knockout spot and then watch Cole walk off without getting anything for him. That would suck. And then oh how they will call for Ruben's head.
The Dipsy
You really think that trading Cole for three low level minor league players will save Amaro's reputation? How well did trading Cliff Lee for the Seattle Three work out?
They do get a first round pick for losing Cole as a free agent, so they will get something.
I said this before… if Cole Hamels isn't resigned I think Ruben Amaro should be fired. So trading him for some kind of bogus value like Dowder says shouldn't save his job anyway.
That's too firm a stance . . .
Would you give Hamels a 7-year, $175 M contract ?
I wouldn't…
I'd offer him 5 years, $130, with a 6th year option at $25 M or a $5 M buyout ……more than a fair deal, and likely not enough to keep him in red pinstripes if he's dead-set on a 7-year-deal…
If the Phillies make him a fair offer, and he gets offered a monster deal by someone else (Dodgers, Yankees, etc) … for all the bitching that people have done about Howard's 5-$125, I'm shocked to see people now so willing to break the bank for Hamels, a guy that plays in 35 of 162 games
Uh Jeff…..you wouldn't trade him for that. Deeeerrrrrrrrr. If you can't get some value in return…then keep him.
The Dipsy
Dipsy – You keep mentioning this "value" that you think they can get for Hamels. Past history tells us that it will most likely be one fairly good prospect and two marginal guys. Past history tells us that you won't get a true blue chip prospect for a two month rental. Do you actually think the fans will be happy getting that return for one of the best pitchers in the game who also happens to be a homegrown product?
You can look at the Sabathia deadline deal and two Lee deadline deals and see this for yourself. At the 2010 deadline, the Yankees and Rangers both desperately wanted Lee. It was the kind of bidding war you're projecting for Hamels this year. The return for Lee in a bidding war was Matthew Lawson, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Justin Smoak. Was that the value that you're looking for? A contending team is very unlikely to give you something of value from it's active roster for a rental.
So, we're back to what is your definition of "value" in this scenario? If it's not three middling prospects, what is it? It would really have to be a lot to negate the backlash that RAJ will get for trading Hamels.
I know people say it's only 40 or so games, but at some point you have to say it's not early anymore and come to reality on what kind of team we have. We like to think we have too much talent to play like this, but reality is what we've watched for almost 2 months. When the starting pitching clicks, the hitting doesn't. When the hitting clicks, the bullpen doesn't, etc. Last night it was offense and baserunning. We say that "we could have easily won that game" but we didn't. The truth is, this team finds more ways to lose than win. It sucks, but that's the team we have right now.
yep, that is the team we have right now… an underperforming, but still .500 club
with 1, 3, and 4 hitters that are underperforming
intended 3 and 4 hitters that haven't played a game yet
and an ACE with zero wins in 6 starts
The majority of this club is not playing up to a level that they've shown they can play at before (i'm not expecting Rollins to match .2007) so if the players snap out of their collective funks and we start playin g.600-ball instead of .500-ball …. with our rotation, we go right back to being one of the most dangerous teams in baseball. . .
The Phillies would have to be at least 10 games out of a playoff spot at the trade deadline for the team to become "sellers" and I just don't see that happening . . . . I think we will all agree that they've played just about as poorly as they can so far this year … and again, if our WORST is .500 … i still think we're going to be ok
You've gotta give this to Hunter Pence: when he came up in the sixth with men on second and third and no outs, he hit a screaming line drive to the outfield. Unfortunately, Ankiel made a nice catch of it, and Polanco's and Samuel's stupidity at third base made it useless. But Pence did his part of the job! At least this time.
I think a point most of you are missing is that this team right now with all the injuries and with Chase and Howard being out for longer than I think they anticipated you have three maybe four everyday major league players and four or five platoon bench players that start everyday for this team. and look at last night, you had guys taking pitches ane d walks. Then Glavis decides he has to get a hit and starts swinging up around his eyes., and some of the balls they hit were hard but at people and they had games that those balls went through. no team in the east is going to run away with the division. and the Phillies will not be out of it by enough to even thinking about trading people. And I never got why you can not just let a guy play out his contract and letting him go, since you at most going to get a few guys one of which may be a big league player in two three years. why not that you can sign someone as good. Plus I am not conviinced he is not going to resign just after the all star break
My stance on Ruben being fired if Cole isn't re-signed is really a statement that this should have been dealt with before now. I agree that 7/175 is too much. Maybe he would have signed for LESS than $100M for 5 years if this he would have been extended LAST season. Now it's probably too late and I WILL blame Ruben for not acting quicker. I wonder what prevented that from happening…we'll probably never really know for sure.
When Weaver got a 5 year, $85-90 contract with the Angels, I think we ALL figured that was about what Hamels would get . . . . but Hamels' agent said that that time – they weren't going off of the Weaver deal because that was a "hometown discount" in that Weaver is from there …….etc . . .
the Phillies have made no secret that they want to extend Hamels – and its becomming increasingly clear that Hamels and his agent are looking to break the bank and take the biggest offer they can … My stance is to give Hamels $1 M more per season than Cliff Lee … let him know you want to keep him in your plans, but you need to have the ability to add pieces around him… Hamels doesn't deserve to be the highest paid pitcher in baseball, despite what he and his agent are shotting for
I think the deal I mentioned might get it done.. is it worth $175 M instead of $135 M for him to start a new life in a new city, etc ..? I guess we'll see . . . . .
but the point is, that its not as easy as BLAME AMARO if Hamels doesn't sign an extension, it takes two sides to complete a deal
Well, Weaver's deal was too low for him and certainly for Hamels. I think that if they would have tried for something like 5/100-110…at that time…then maybe he would have signed. Who knows. I just think that they could/should have done more to extend a home-grown 27-28 year old lefty when maybe they could have done it easier than they can now. But, you're right…it does take 2 sides to do a deal.
I wouldn't mind giving Hamels a 3y/78m contract. That would be great! Amaro will not sign him unless ownership group lets him go over the cap. Which they could. He can't sign Cole, keep the other pitchers, go out and get his players for next year, and be competitive while staying under the cap. No way.
Look….you're the owners. You're effin rich. Why should they give a damn about a salary cap? In this city and at this time?
The Dipsy
No chance Hamels would sign a 3-year-deal leaving almost $100 M of guaranteed money on the table….
The reason Lee accepted our deal is because $120 M isn't far off from $140 M …his other highest offer, from NYY
The reason Werth left Philly is because $126 M… is a whole ton more than $48 M, the Phillies 3-year-offer
So if the Phillies make a competitive, fair offer, like they did with Lee, there is the chance that Hamels accepts it … if they trade him at the deadline (which they won't), he's gone for good and the chance to resign him is out the window
3/78 ??? Yeah….good joke.
That was sarcasm Don. It would be 1mill per year more than Lee though. 🙂
The Dipsy
the sarcasm went over my head, but I did notice the $26 M per year ….. I think that's about the only chance we have if we want to say we went beyond our 3-year-deal for pitchers to get Clifff …… we're willing to do that with you too, and make you the highest paid pitcher in Phillies history …….. a 5-year-deal also means that he's got a chance to sign another contract afterwards since he'll only be 33-34 ….
Let's see….. I wouldn't trade him at all though, because I don't think we'll get any AA or AAA stud for a Hamels rental …….and guys that are farther away than that aren't sure enough things to give up Hamels and give up any chance of keeping him
Guess we both were fooled by your sarcasm then, Dipsy. Whatever. So Don said something about 7/175. Would you do that deal??…to keep what is probably the best ….certainly one of the best….lefthander in the game in red pinstripes? It's a lot of money….and I would have to pause. But I would also consider it.
Why is a seven inning , two run effort from Kendrick "not a terrible effort overall?" Had Halladay or Lee pitched that well, I'm sure it would have been described in more glowing terms. It seems Kendrick can't get any praise on this site even when he does an excellent job.
I agree. This is almost as good as it gets with Kendrick, he did a good job of limiting damage, deserves way more praise than "not terrible".
Agreed. I thought so too but didn't comment on it since I thought I was the only one who noticed it. 7 IP, 2 ER… I'll take that from ANY pitcher, anytime, any day.
Chuck – While it would gall be to no end…while it would make me swear the whole time under my breathe….while it would make me beat my kids……I would have to bite the eff down hard and do it.
The Dipsy
Let me weigh in and make myself clear here. No, no, no, no, no, just plain no. Goodbye Cole, thanks for all the memories. I would never, ever give a pitcher more than three years, it's a 90% guaranteed losing bet. History tells us this. You might as well bet the horses.
If three years was good enough for possible future HOFer, Roy Freakin Halladay, it's good enough for Cole Hamels. Goodbye Cole, have fun in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, wherever. We still have 2 premier pitchers, it's time we spent the money where it is most needed, not pitching.
I'm sorry guys, but It just seems like common sense to me. How much could we do with our offense with 25m – replace two pieces with solid major leaguers. Hell, go after Josh Hamilton, as bad a risk as he is, it's better than 7 years on a lanky pitcher that missed starts JUST last season. Pitchers fall off cliffs, ask the GIants, they were wise to sign Timmy for only 2 years. They learned from the Zito mistake.
And just in case anyone is thinking about Matt Cain or CC Sabathia, remember these are big strong strapping men with no recent history of injuries. I think they even had to pull Cole from a game last season in Toronto didn't they? Then he missed a few starts. I'm sorry, we need position players. Just like Werth, it's time to say farewell and wish him the best.
I'd still rather have Hamels going forward than Halladay or Lee. The Phillies will have Halladay two more seasons at ages 36-37. They'll have Lee four more seasons at ages 34-37. Even with a seven year deal, Hamels will only be 35 in the last year of that contract. There's a pretty good chance that Hamels at ages 29-32 will outperform Halladay & Lee at ages 35+.
C.C. Sabathia has worked out OK, but I hear ya Lefty. Keep in mind that I would only sign him if we could go through the tax threshold. If we have to stay within it….no way in hell. The more "prudent' thing would be to NOT sign him. Just think what you could do with three more offensive players getting paid 8mill per season…that would be Cole's salary equal.
The Dipsy
As I said, 90%. So yes, some of them do work out. But you talk about hope being a bad strategy, well odds like that are a miserable strategy.
Ok,Lefty, so you're hell-bent against giving a pitcher more than 3 years yet what is Cliff Lee getting? To me, THAT was the mistake contract for a starting pitcher, not a potential 5-7 year deal for a much younger Cole Hamels. And, yes, I do have to bring up Matt Cain. If the Giants learned so well from the Zito deal, why on earth then would they sign Cain like they did? Forget how strapping he is….he could still get hurt. Normally, I agree with 99% of what you say but I have to disagree on this one. Sorry.
RE: Cole. We should be able to get him for 5 years with an easily vesting option for a 6th… At most, 6 guaranteed with a very tough vesting option for a 7th. Can't blame the Phillies if they actually offer that and not get him, despite him being my favorite Phillie.
Manny – He's getting 7. Maybe 8.
The Dipsy
I too hate long term deals for pitchers or any other position player. Its just stupid but that is what he will be asking for.
Chuck and everyone else, for the record, as much as I like Cliff Lee, I was not in favor of the deal. Go back to the thread here that night the announcement was leaked. I was one of a very few that were saying it doesn't make sense.
At most, 3 years for pitchers, maybe, with an option like Doc has. I love Cole, but that's all I'd offer. That's probably why no one has, or ever will hire me to be a GM right?
But this is a thread about a frustrating 2-1 loss, where we couldn't score a man from third on a fly ball, and we're talking about locking up a pitcher for close to the highest amount ever paid? How about spending the money more wisely is all I'm saying. I'm not asking anyone to agree, but just consider the following for a second;
Why does the club have to take all the injury risk? Why can't the player assume some? Offer him, I don't know 28-30 million per year if they want, the most per year that any pitcher has ever made. I'd do that, BUT only 3 years, period. And if he pitches well, he'll get another 3 years as the highest paid pitcher – whatever that is at the time. If he is smart and willing to assume some of the risk, that will add up to far more than 7 at 175. All I'm asking is that you think about it, you may find, or he may find, it's not such an unreasonable offer. 90 mil for three years while Justin Verlander gets 80m for 5? Just think about it. 7 for 175, that's crazy.


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Michael Pagelsdorf was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the 2011 traffic crash that caused the death of a 14-month-old infant, according to the Kauai prosecuting attorney.
The sentence was handed down on Jan. 30.
Pagelsdorf, 30 of Lihue, pleaded guilty to Negligent Homicide in the First Degree, a class B felony, and was ordered by Circuit Court Judge Kathleen N.A. Watanabe to immediately begin serving his sentence.
The state was represented by First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kevin K. Takata.
On Feb. 20, 2011, Pagelsdorf was driving eastbound on Kaumualii Highway in Lihue, in bumper-to-bumper afternoon traffic, with the infant in his lap. He looked down for a second and when he looked up, he was unable to stop his vehicle from crashing into the vehicle that was stopped in front of him. The airbag in Pagelsdorf's vehicle deployed, causing fatal injuries to the infant.
Pagelsdorf had methamphetamine and marijuana in his blood at the time of the crash and was driving on a suspended license.
"This was a terrible tragedy, and one that was completely avoidable," said Prosecuting Attorney Justin F. Kollar. "Mr. Pagelsdorf made the conscious decision to remove the infant from the child safety seat, and he will have to live with the consequences of that decision for the rest of his life. My hope is that others learn from this mistake and avoid repeating it."
Kauai Police Sgt. Jason Overmyer, of the department's Traffic Safety Section, reminded the public of the importance of properly securing children in child safety seats.
"Even in a slow-speed crash like this one, airbags deploy with tremendous speed and force and can cause serious, even fatal injuries," states Sgt. Overmyer. "We urge the public to follow the law and use the correct seats and seatbelts in the proper manner so that this never happens again in our community."

subset: commoncrawl


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Take a family city break at Lancaster London for just £279 per night.Available during the school holidays, this great price includes two Superior City View bedrooms (interconnecting on request), a feast packed full of treats, a Paddington Bear toy on arrival (per stay), continental breakfast for the whole family and bathrobes & slippers to fit all. Just let us know what sizes you need and you will find them in your room waiting for you. And just for our V.I.Ks (very important kids) we have a registration card with an extra special restaurant entitlement card, a postcard that can be sent to a friend, a frisbee to enjoy in the park opposite and an activity book with our very own Lancaster London pencils. Let us take care of you and your family over the holidays!To book please enter 1 adult and 1 child; our system will show 1 room, however we will ensure 2 rooms are reserved for you.
Available during school holidays, exclusions apply.


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Montpelier School Board to review kindergarten policy
MONTPELIER A long-held policy that denies kindergarten admission to children who have not reached age five by the cut-off date of September first will be reviewed by the Montpelier School Board following an impassioned plea from two Montpelier parents whose daughter will miss the deadline this year by 11 days.
After a lengthy discussion the board set aside its policy to outright deny request for admission waivers and granted onetime approval to having a member of the Montpelier kindergarten team meet with the 4-year- old to assess whether she is ready to start school. In a separate motion the board agreed to review the overall admissions policy with an eye toward seeing if it would benefit by creating a more flexible policy.
Board chairwoman Sue Aldrich, who has served on the board for 13 years, said in all her time on the board the school has never allowed an exception to the rule and she warned that to do so was dangerous.
I think for me it is a question of precedent setting, she said. We all deal with arbitrariness. Once we set a precedent we cant go back. Its a slippery slope.
Aldrich went on to say that, historically, parents had circumvented the policy by sending their child to private kindergarten if they were too young for admission to the Montpelier school. If the child successfully completed kindergarten elsewhere, they would automatically be admitted to first grade no matter the age.
Weve said no to people in the past. But people have gotten around it, she said.
Peter Mancauskas, father of the girl, said he was more concerned about having to move his daughter from school to school in order to effectively cheat the system, than he was having her attend the kindergarten in the first place.
Were not trying to accelerate her, he said. If the alternative is private kindergarten that will be three schools in three years.
Early on, there was some confusion between the parents who said their daughters nursery school instructor had told them she was ready for kindergarten, and the recommendation received by the school district from the kindergarten teacher who after discussing the child with the same nursery school teacher chose not to recommend that she be admitted.
Lisa Mahoney, the girls mother, said that no one at the kindergarten had directly spoken with their daughter, and that she deserved the opportunity to be evaluated on her own merits, and be seen as an individual.
Were here about our kid, she said. And were coming to you as parents with what we think is best for our child. Shes an individual and we should be looking at her as an individual. We feel strongly that it is the right decision for her.
Board member Ken Jones argued in favor of having the child meet with the kindergarten teacher in order to be properly evaluated for her readiness. But he cautioned that the teacher should not feel any pressure toward making a decision to grant a waiver for admission.
I am very struck that this one deserves this, he said. But there needs to be communication to the evaluating kindergarten teacher that they should not feel any pressure.
Jones said that evaluating teachers should be wowed by a student in order for them to grant a waiver for early attendance. Board Treasurer Lowell VanDerlip agreed it might be time to look at creating a more individually responsible policy.
When we have cases where the kids are a couple of weeks too young, we need to be able to be more responsive to the individual needs of the child, he said.
Superintendent Brian Ricca said Thursday that he has already met with the K-1 team and that they would be making arrangements for an evaluation. If the teacher is wowed by what they see, the board would re-evaluate and possibly grant a waiver.
As for the larger issue of addressing the policy as a whole, Ricca said it would require a long and considered approach involving teachers, educators, and community members. The overall question is a good one, he said. But we need to do a thorough analysis.
With only three board meetings to go before the end of the school year Ricca said that process wouldnt begin until the board resumed meeting next fall.
I live in Williston and it has the same cutoff date and I dont know if there is a good rationale for choosing it. I am really open to having this conversation and changing the policy if it makes sense, he said.MORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER A new report from a commission that studied the cost, availability and quality of... Full StoryVermont fish hatchery changes focus, looks inland
BETHEL, Vt. Full StoryHONOLULU (AP) A group of Hawaii musicians and a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant provided... Full Story
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MEND is set to kick off one pilot program at the YMCA of the Coastal Bend July 27. Each program will host 15-18 families, and the biweekly meetings will be held at the YMCA.
If you and your child are interested in registering for MEND, contact Marisa Ramon at the YMCA or Sarah Smith at Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Inc., Healthy Living & Advocacy Center, phone: 361-442-2224, ext. 21.


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An Oregon dog who used to be obese now has a new shot at life.
Obie, the formerly fat dachshund, came into the spotlight last year and has been on a weight-loss journey every since. He lost 40 pounds over the course of eight months, which has caused loose skin to hang off his body. Obie is now recovering after surgery at an Oregon veterinary clinic that removed 2 1/2 pounds of the loose skin, reports The Associated Press.
Nora Vanatta, Obie's owner, stated that he weighed 77 pounds at one point and was down to 37 before the surgery. He now weighs about 35 pounds.
Fans of the dog and the story have been tracking his progress via his Facebook page.
Obie was put on a diet after being rescued from his former owners and becoming the center of custody battle in 2012.


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Sandusky Heavy Duty NSF Certified Chrome 4-Shelf Wire Shelving - 74"H x 72"W x 18"D
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Today grab the foodie of the house a Wild Appetite Take N Make Gift Pack for only $20!
This pack comes in a natural carry box, and includes x3 Wild Appetite 150ml Sauces made in New Zealand.
Wild Appetite started on a family blueberry farm in Matakana in 1989, and has bloomed from there. Known for making exceptional sauces, dressings and marinades, Wild Appetite have won many awards worldwide over the years to gain high recognition as a quality brand to this day.
Smokey Barbecue Sauce - 2003 BRONZE Great Taste award UK
Adds a rich campfire flavour and smell to grilled meat. Also use as pizza base or marinade.
Ingredients: Sugar, Cider Vinegar, Tomato Purée, Molasses, Onion, Smoke Flavour (4%), Salt, Garlic, Spices (Celery Seeds), Citric acid. Free from artificial flavour, colour & preservative. GLUTEN FREE
Dark Ale Garlic Mustard
A smash of flavour, this sauce is great with cold meats.
Ingredients: Mustard (46%) [Water, Mustard Seeds, Vinegar, Salt, Preservative (E222)], Dark Ale Beer (18%), Vinegar, Water, Garlic (7%), Sugar, Salt, Spices, Stabiliser (xanthan gum). Contains Gluten, Sulphites, Alcohol. Free from artificial flavour & colour.
Mexican Chilli Salsa - 2011 GOLD Great Taste award UK
Hot and spicy, great tossed over pasta or used to dip hot chips.
Ingredients: Tomatoes (65%), Vinegar, Water, Onions (7%), Sugar, Herbs & Spices (Chilli 1.5%), Garlic, Canola Oil, Salt, Stabiliser (xanthan gum)
Free from artificial flavour & colour.
Lime and Dill Dressing
Perfect for salads and seafood. Creamy and fresh.
Ingredients: Water, Canola Oil, Sugar, Lime Juice (5%), Egg Yolk, Corn Starch, Salt, Food Acid (acetic), Vegetable Gum (xanthan), Spices (Dill GLUTEN FREE
Avocado and Garlic Dressing - 2003 BRONZE Great Taste award UK
Amazing in a potato salad, this dressing is smooth.
Ingredients: Water, Canola Oil, Avocado (10%), Garlic (6%), Sugar, Corn Starch, Food Acid (acetic), Salt, Spices, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Vegetable Gum (xanthan), Natural Colour (141). Contains Soy. Free from artificial flavour, colour & preservative.
Wasabi and Ginger Dressing - 2011 GOLD Great Taste award UK
Perfect for summer salads, refreshing and zinging.
Ingredients: Water, Canola Oil, Sugar, Maize Starch, Egg Yolk, Wasabi Powder (1.5%), Mustard, Salt, Food Acid (acetic), Ginger (0.5%), Natural Colour (141), Vegetable Gum (xanthan), Spice extract. Contains Egg. Free from artificial flavour.
Irish Cream and Chocolate Sauce
Perfect for dipping fresh fruit
Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Cocoa Powder and Cocoa Liquor (4%), Coffee Liqueur (4%), Modified Starch (E1442), Natural Flavour (milk), Salt, Preservative (E202), Food Acid (acetic). Contains Milk, Alcohol. Free from artificial colour and flavour.
Strawberry and Chocolate Sauce - 2011 GOLD Great Taste award UK
This sauce screams New Zealand Summer. Great on crepes.
Ingredients: Sugar, Strawberry Juice (26%), Corn Syrup, Water, Cocoa Powder and Cocoa Liquor (4%), Modified Starch (1442), Natural Flavours (milk), Salt, Preservative (202), Food Acid (260). Contains Milk. Free of artificial colour or flavour.
Hokey Pokey Chocolate Sauce - 2002 GOLD Great Taste award UK
A Kiwi favourite, this sauce is wonderfully sweet - reminds you of your childhood.
Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Powder and Cocoa Liquor (4%), Modified Starch (E1442), Flavour (milk), Salt, Preservative (E202), Food Acid (Acetic). Contains Milk. Free from artificial colour.
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RIM Blog Chatter: Prospects are Grim
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Prospects are grim for Research In Motion(RIMM) , according to participants in the The Street's live blog hosted during the handset maker's first-quarter earnings call on Thursday.
The substantial losses, cost cutting measures and postponed release of the BlackBerry 10 smartphone exacerbated already low expectations for the struggling company's future. Several participants speculated about potential buyers of RIM.
"RIM will not make it to Christmas as an independent company," wrote a blog participant called "RS," who believes an exit from hardware is necessary for RIM's survival. "There is absolutely no upside and no hope right now for the company in its present form. The software-only enterprise communications side will have a hard time if it gets split up in the next few months, but they'll still have a fighting chance."
RS considered Hewlett Packard(HP) a potential buyer of RIM's hardware business because "they do random, crazy, nonsensical things with acquisitions," he wrote. Another blog participant reminded RS of HP's "high debt and a disastrous PALM trade."
TheStreet Contributor Richard Saintvilus, who believes Microsoft or IBM(IBM) will take over RIM, wrote that the valuation as of yesterday "prices-in a collapse of devices sales that is far worse than our already pessimistic forecast."
"Plus, RIM still has 70 million users - an asset that I continue to think is worth more than its market cap," he added. "I say this because a company such as HTC is being valued at $260 per user, RIM is only being valued at $120."
The BlackBerry user base grew to approximately 77 million by the end of fiscal 2012, according to the company's annual report.
A number of contributors also placed value on RIM's patents and intellectual property. "If we're talking hardware IP
Others suggested that Apple(AAPL) , Dell(DELL) or Facebook(FB) buy RIM's intellectual property.
Although governments and businesses are the biggest users of BlackBerrys, the blog participants were overwhelmingly frustrated with the BlackBerry 10 delay. Many hoped RIM CEO Thorsten Heins would announce the Blackberry 10's early arrival on Thursday.
Shares of RIM plummeted 17.95% on Friday to $7.50.
--Written by Nathalie Pierrepont in New York.
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I started taking fenugreek on Monday (2 pills 3x a day) and Tuesday started spotting. Now for the past 2 days I've had moderate flow, like AF came back, which I totally wasn't expecting since I'm exclusively nursing. It's more depressing because I have yet to notice any sort of increase in my supply.
I've read that breakthrough bleeding can be a side effect - what exactly is breakthrough bleeding? Will I bleed the entire time I'm taking the fenugreek? Or is this AF? It wasn't accompanied by a drop in production, cramps, or anything else I would associate with getting AF while breastfeeding.
Has anyone else experienced bleeding with fenugreek?


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Case Logic
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Case Logic has quickly expanded to become a leader in the field of home and portable storage accessories for retail and wholesale. The most extensive selection of storage accessories in the industry, they have brought the same innovative designs and quality construction to our showcase. Providing everything from laptop sleeves and technology sets to automotive organizers, this selection includes the perfect products to suit any brand. After all, staying organized is essential to companies in every aspect of business, often leading to more productivity. Use Case Logic products to help keep your business and your employees organized in and out of the workplace. Choose items specially designed to keep items organized when traveling so your recipients do not even have to remove your computer when going through airport security checkpoints along with airline technology sets that come with volume adjusting ear buds and mini wireless mice.


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Egypt - Country number 14
Trip Start Feb 20, 2002
26Trip End Nov 18, 2002
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Logistics, the ultimate time killer, but sometimes a well needed break in a frantically busy traveling schedule. When I left Israel, back to the safety of Amman, Jordan, my to-do list had swollen to a plump stack of 13 chores. Iranian Visa, Syrian Visa, packages to send, things to buy, people to see, "should a holiday be this much work?" I thought, wiping the puddle of sweat that was building in the crease of my Chinese notebook while sitting in my lime green shoebox hotel room in downtown Amman looking over my map of the Middle East and plotting several routes zig zagging in a big loop across the page...
Being a notorious computer nerd, the first, and most enjoyable task on the list was email, contact with the outside world, and more importantly a quick check on the tense Israeli situation I'd just left behind
-- Those left behind...
My new friends were still in Jerusalem when I had left and I was nursing a violent itch for an update on the situation, knowing that retaliatory attacks for the killing of one of the Hamas leaders in Gaza by the Israeli military were on their way.
"Bomb explodes in busy University cafe, 7 dead."
The attacks had already begun...
"Suicide bomber explodes next to Falafel stand in central Jerusalem."
"Central Jerusalem? Uhh ohh.. that's where our guest house was. The vaguely detailed headline on the BBC web page reporting a suicide bombing in "Central" Jerusalem was worrying. Less that 24 hours before, we'd been sitting at a falafel stand in Central Jerusalem, enjoying a juicy falafel and debating whether it was wise to stay in Israel." Could it be the same Falafel stand?" I wondered.
It looked as though I'd left just in time. I scoured the Internet for more information on the attack but came up with nothing. I exhaled a deep sigh, took a sip of my steaming hot Turkish coffee and fired off emails to my friends still in Israel
-- Amman... again... and again... and again.
Seeing as I'd been in Amman 3 times before and for over 10 days in total, making Amman the one city I'd spent the most time in since I'd started my trip 6 months before, I knew quite a few locals. Coming back to Amman was like coming home. To break up the slowly thinning to-do list, I hung out with Hanni, the owner of the Farah Hotel, as he took me and some new friends from the hostel around to the very few discos and pubs in Amman, most of which wouldn't let a single guy, unaccompanied by a date, through the doors, a strange ritual that I still failed to understand.
On the 4th day in Amman (Where does time go?), all of the to-dos firmly crossed off of the checklist, I woke up early for a long journey south, to Egypt, the 14th country to visit on my 9 month journey.
It was time for another blurry, jet-set day of travel, 5 hours on the bus to South Jordan, 2 hours on a ferry, passed Saudi Arabia on the left, Israel on the right and straight to Egypt. Finally, a 2 hour taxi to the beachy town of Dahab.
-- "Dahab isn't Egypt"
Ok, maybe it was true, but I didn't know it at the time
I checked into a beach side room at the Penguin Hotel ( were I was assaulted by a fleet of carnivorous bed bugs on my first night ) and signed up quickly for a PADI Scuba Diving Certification course. I'd been meaning to get certified for open water diving for years but never had the required 4 days to spare. Now was the time, and Dahab was the place.
I stuffed the quizzes, reading material and forms into my daypack and flopped down in one of the colorful pillow strewn sitting areas by the beach. Quizzes? Reading? Exams? Thinking? What had I gotten myself into? After 5 minutes of flipping pages randomly and staring blankly at what seemed to be "work", I was beginning to wonder why I'd decided to submit myself to school-like conditions while on my holiday
After only 10 minutes of reading, I slammed the book shut, took a sip of my banana lassi and slumped sideways over a mound of pillows as a Japanese man strolled by. Our eyes locked in a do-I-know-you stare. After 30 seconds of staring, the look contorted to a I-think-I-know-you-but-who-the-hell-are-you stare.
"Do I know you?" I asked
"Yeah, I think so..."
We were both still at a loss.
"Japanese, right?"
He nodded with a typically humble Japanese flick of the head.
"Did you go to Israel?" I prodded, wondering if he was the Japanese guy I'd received all of my Israeli information from in Petra, weeks ago.
"For how long?"
"3 months" ... aha! It WAS him.
"Ha! We shared a dorm room in Petra, 2 weeks ago, remember?"
"Ohhh, yeah! That's right... How are you?"
By complete coincidence, he'd been at the same dive center and was cramming for the advanced diving course.
We caught up quickly and Q showed me around town. He'd been in Dahab for 2 weeks and knew the best places to eat, the cheapest places to stay, and all of the general backpacker tid-bits that get passed around over time.
Q broke the traditional mold of the stereotypical Japanese male. At 33, still traveling for an undefined amount of years. He could afford the extra lengthy stay in each country/city he'd visit. A luxury I wished I'd had.
The PADI course slowly progressed as we watched videos, wrote quizzes and did underwater "skills" with our instructor. I was doing the PADI with a Canadian fellow backpacker from Fort Eerie and an Australian girl
On the second day, as I sat back on my lump of pillows and listened to the mellow tunes at the penguin as another familiar face strolled into the compound. We locked eyes again as he strutted by. It took a while before the stare finally reached the damn-I-DO-know-you stage but finally he turned around and walked over to flop down next to me.
"Israel right?" I asked
"Oui, tu vien du Canada, non?"
"Bien Oui!"
It was Francois, a funny, carefree, fellow intrepid traveler from Belgium. We'd spent a few days together in Jerusalem before he left for Tel Aviv a week before and I'd stayed behind in Jerusalem.
Jay, the Canadian, Q, Francois and I spent our lazy time between dives establishing a wonderfully hedonistic ritual of eating, chatting and relaxing until the PADI was finally over
I passed the final exam with an easy 96% ( Not being cocky, the exam was easy enough for a drunken, high school drop-out with bad eye-sight to pass ) and prepared for our planned trek up to Mt. Sinai. Mt Sinai, were Moses was handed down the 10 commandments a few thousand of years ago, was a 2 hour hike. The usual trip was an 11pm ascent, a chilly 4 hour wait for the sun to rise at the top and a tired trek back down.
Jay, Francois and I climbed up, having just done our last dives to the top in the darkness on the night. The change of altitude from 18 meters underwater to several hundred meters above sea level was grueling, but worth it. We lugged up some beer and waited for the sunrise along with a hundred other eager travelers. When the sun finally rose, we drank our ceremonial pints and battled to stay awake, a battle which we lost for about a half hour before Jay shook us awake for the walk down.
Although the sunrise wasn't spectacular, the view and over-all experience was. When the sun slowly rose, the rocky landscape gracefully began to glow orange. When the sun finally began to splash it's warm blanket of heat over us, we headed back down.
The journey was over, it was time to sleep. I had switched from my heat-box claustrophobic room to an AC room the night before and was happy that I did. Reaching my bed, I collapsed and slept from noon to 6am the next day, nursing my puffy hands still swollen from the dramatic change of altitude the day before.
A quick 8 days had passed, I had reached my last day in Dahab. Well rested, I prepared to leave, off to Luxor in Southern Egypt. The pharoic valley of the kings.
-- Luxor - Tombs and Touts
The 17 hour, overnight, bus ride from Dahab to Luxor flew by. Partly because the bus was a cushy AC number and also because of the new friends I'd made on the ride. Paul, a stocky fellow Canadian with a clean shaven head on a 2 month trip in the middle east, Gerry and Kathy, Aussies who had been traveling the world for over a year on a post-engagement trip and 3 British girls on short trip to Egypt helped pass the time as we laughed at the horrible B movie featured along the way and fell into valium induced sleep.
When we reached Luxor in the early morning, we all agreed on a recommended hotel and headed off passed swarms of touts.
"Hello! Hello! Where you go?" The touts rushed in from all sides.
My well-rehearsed anti-tout gaze, mastered in India, was called back into action. I had heard of how bad the touts were in Egypt but until now, I hadn't seen any of the aggressiveness other backpackers had spoken of. After all, as everyone had preached to me since I had arrived in Egypt, "Dahab wasn't Egypt". Luxor was...
"Where you go? Which hotel! You come to my hotel, cheap!" they shouted as all 7 of us gathered our bags from the storage compartment of the bus.
"We have hotel." It was always best not to say too much. We pushed aside the increasingly aggressive touts and walked off. 4 of the 10 touts took chase following behind and taking turns barking at us.
"Which hotel you go?"
"We have hotel, hotel Nefertiti" we said in hopes of dislodging the touts from our personal space.
"Ahh yes, I know hotel. It's my father's, very good." The tout pulled out a card for the hotel and followed along behind.
"You know, he's going to follow us and take commission at the hotel, which means they'll jack up the price" Gerry whispered to me before stopping in his tracks.
"Ok, we know where the hotel is, please leave us alone." Gerry always took the first strike when in a dodgy situation and had a talent with haggling
"Is ok, my father, no problem, I show you."
"No, listen we know the place... it's right there" He pointed to the hotel's sign 50 meters down the road. "We can find it, ok?"
"Ok, ok... no problem.. " The tout wouldn't let up and was hovering ahead of us, walking backwards and touting fiercely.
Finally, Gerry stopped in his tracks and tapped the tout's arm who was slowly getting closer to us.
Gerry, still calm, turned to the tout as a last attempt to shove him off, "Listen, ok, we know were the place is, you can go now."
The tout snapped, revealing to me exactly what other's had warned me about. "Why you touch me? Fuck you! This is MY country. Fuck you! We don't want you at our hotel anymore, you leave NOW!" The tout was raging. We all knew that he had no association with the hotel and was just furious that we didn't let him follow us to collect a commission.
The tout, yelling and cussing, walked back to the pack of fellow aggressors, back at the bus station, still shouting and cussing at us... but finally, he was gone.
In all of my travel's I'd never seen such hostility from a tout before
Once settled into the hotel, we confirmed that, of course, the tout had no relation to the hotel and, as usual, the hotel was glad to not have to pay off a tout.
Although the hotel had a serious power problem, which meant no air conditioning for hours on end in a city which was known to reach 50 degrees at times, it did have some redeeming qualities, like a rooftop sitting area, which, when the power was actually on, was quite pleasant.
Luxor, a busy Egyptian city with enough Pharoic sights to make your head spin, was as Egyptian as they came, especially at night when all of the locals sat out in the countless coffee shops smoking Sheesha pipes and sipping Chai tea.
Luxor, as with almost all other Egyptian cities, was nestled on the Nile river, the lifeline of Egypt
To make short work of the East bank, we rushed off to see the temple of Luxor. A temple strewn with Hieroglyphs, mammoth statues of Pharoes and a Sphinx lined entrance which once led all the way north to the sacred temple of Karnak.
In the mid-day sun, the temple beamed bright white light as we hunted for shade, slithering up and down alleys, stuck to walls and caressing the small amounts of sunless shadowy bits of ground.
The sun proved to be a powerful opponent and chased us back to our hotel after a quick trample through the temple.
It was the first Egyptian site I'd seen, and did inspire some images of a powerful civilization dating back to 3000BC but, I knew that I would quickly be "templed-out", a term colloquially used to describe the state of mind induced by the overwhelming amount of temples in Egypt. Upper Egypt ( which was actually the south of Egypt, and not the north as one would assume due to fact that it was "up" the river Nile ) was speckled with enough Pharoic tombs and statues that, unless you possessed an obsession for Egyptian history, would quickly become overwhelming
Back at the hotel, we leaned over the balcony to supervise, or more appropriately, gripe, at the Egyptian electricians working up on the power lines, trying to fix our power outage.
The Egyptian man, high up on his ladder was sipping tea and bending raw wire around a pole. "Now that can't be safe... Look at this guy, he's even drinking tea!" We couldn't believe the near-death reparation work that was going on below. The tattered mess of wire they finally left behind on the mangled pole was testament to frequent outages.
When the sun finally began to set, the heat fading away and the city filling with a soothing glow, we headed to the Temple of Karnak for the sound and light show. I typically didn't waste time on cheesy shows contrived for tourists but walking through the massive temple, passed giant statues, as eerie music and colored lights bathed the statues with a mystical glow, I surprised myself. The temple seemed to come alive during the walk through and tiny goose bumps sprung up on my arms as if to say "see I told you this would be cool!"
The next day we attacked the west bank. Seeing as the tombs were endless, we had booked a tour and left early in the morning to soak in the tombs where Pharoes had been laid to rest.
The tombs were spectacular. Buried in deep caves, beautifully ornate with hieroglyphs and paintings, the tombs were intended to hide the Pharoes rather than put them on display as earlier Pharoes who'd opted for the more in-your-face-pyramid-style tomb
I was surprised by the large amounts of tourists in Egypt. The rest of my trip had seen very little and with the troubles in the middle east I was tempted to shout out "Hey! Everyone! Can I have your attention please. Uh Hummm... Don't you know that the middle east is in bad shape right now? You should be afraid!! Go home! It's not safe!" But... they knew the truth, beyond the headlines, the middle east, aside from certain hot spots, was safe. Seeing as how Egypt invested massive amounts of pounds on security, which could be seen just about everywhere in the country, safety in Egypt was really not a concern. The secret was out, although I did suspect that years back, before the area became as "unstable" as it was, massive hordes of tourists must have flocked in. The remaining trickle, which was still substantial, was a surprising large number.
The tombs were a pay-per-tomb deal, which meant, picking the best ones and passing on the rest, which we did, the best of which was the tomb of Nefertiti. A quick 10 minutes in the magnificently painted tomb, which as still in perfect condition, wet our appetite for more. 10 minutes was the maximum allowed time inside due to tourist's heat/breath/blah blah blah effect on the tomb
We ended the day by visiting yet more temples and colossal statues. Back at the hotel, the British girls sparked up their new Sheesha pipe and we all sat on the rooftop for a relaxing evening under the stars.
-- Aswan - Down the Nile, Egyptian style.
The next morning we left for Aswan, a town south of Luxor, on the Nile and known for it's Felucca rides. A felucca, essentially a sail boat used by ancient Egyptian was the perfect way to see the Nile river. When we arrived in Aswan, we met up with the girls, who had left the night before and arranged for a sunset Felucca and a day trip to Abu Simbel.
It was obvious why the feluccas where a big hit. The quiet, small, smooth running sail boats floated down the Nile passed us as the sun set. Calm, relaxed, and peaceful, the ride was enough to tempt Gerry, Kathy, Paul and I to book an over night trip up the Nile 2 days later after the girls had left
When we awoke at 4 the next morning, after another night of Sheesha smoking, with great difficulty we pulled ourselves out of bed and onto a tiny mini-bus to Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel, a famous Egyptian temple near the border of Sudan in southern Egypt was massive. Giant statues of Pharoes guarded the entrance and we walked passed in a flood of tourists. The spectacular temples were worth the early wake up call but the visit also marked the point where I was officially templed-out.
The 7 of us spent the afternoon at the hotel in our AC room, occasionally venturing out into the heat to pick up a batch of fresh Falafel ( deliciously addictive deep fried balls of chick peas in a plump salad filled pita ) and slept.
The group shrunk by 3 as the girls left for Cairo and we prepared for our 2 day Felucca trip.
The felucca was all that was expected. A calm glide up the Nile, sipping beer and listening to music to end with an overnight snooze on the east bank of the river.
-- Oasis Paradise
Having finished our jaunt in Upper Egypt, Gerry, Kathy, Paul and I embarked on a 26 hour mission north to Lower Egypt which consisted of 2 trains and one long bus ride. The ride was worth it. The lush Desert Oasis, Siwa, in the Western Sahara Desert was as quaint as could be in a land of busy, buzzing streets and shouting Egyptians.
The mud brick houses surrounding the central decaying village had a calm, lazy feeling to it. People seemed calmer, friendlier, less stressed. Donkeys wandered the streets and locals waved hello as we walked passed.
Paul, Gerry and Kathy booked an overnight trek into the desert but I chose to stay behind alone and soak in the cozy oasis village.
Once the heat passed and 3pm rolled around I rented a bicycle and rode off to the Temple of the Oracle where Alexander the great himself ventured to around 300 BC to seek confirmation from the resident Oracle that he in fact was the son of Zeus, and a God, before heading back east to command and conquer the Asian world
The temple, was mostly decayed but revealed just how large the oasis was. A giant pool of salty water surrounded by green, leafy date trees and donkeys could be seen from the top. Spotting a small road down below, I rode off in it's direction, getting lost and eventually finding my way to a much needed shady area. 3pm wasn't as cool as I thought it would be! Dripping with sweat, I retreated to the Internet cafe, the only one in Siwa, were I'd made friends with the owner and talked, sipped tea and met more locals than I had in all of my time in Egypt. Siwa was paradise, (although a very hot one) no wonder people ended up staying here for so long. Not that there were many tourists. It's distance from mainland Egypt kept the bulk of tour busses at bay.
When the sun finally began to set I climbed the hill in the center of the city which was speckled with ancient half decayed mud-brick houses for the sunset. Watching down on the slow moving city, from up there, the oasis could be seen for what it was, a small patch of green in a sea of Saharan sand. All around the oasis, the desert surrounded the village. Down below, muddy houses stacked atop each other, stretching out within the green oasis landscape which blossomed from the pure water of the well. Women, in traditional, fully veiled, head to toe garb walked by
The heat in Siwa was so intense that the CPUs in the computers had become too hot and we waited for hours before being able to connect, finally allowing me to check on my Iranian Visa. A visa which was proving to be quite elusive, and still, after 19 days, hadn't been processed.
-- To the Desert!
The 3 day desert tour of the Sahara which I had booked for that day quickly fell apart as other's began to change their minds about spending 3 hot days out in the desert. To keep things simple, I opted for a 2 day tour, sleeping under the stars in the sand dunes instead. The tour took us through the desert, through golden sweeping sand dunes and lush oasis'. It had been my 3rd desert tour since I started the trip. First in India, second in Wadi Rum, Jordan and now, the Sahara, in Egypt near the Libyan border.
"Hey!" Andrew shouted as he lugged his pack down the street to the Palms hotel
We caught up quickly and left for the tour, which he'd also booked.
Sitting in the back of the truck, as we zoomed over sand dunes, Andrew turned to me. "Luc.. what are you doing? Yer slacking! "
"What? What are you talking about?"
"TravelPod... common... no entry since Israel? You can't just leave us hanging, like that."
I'd converted Andrew into a "TravelPodling" when we were in Amman and he had been using the site since.
"Well, you know.. Ummmm... not much has happened in Egypt... Just tourist stuff really."
"Common man.
He was right, I was getting run down. I hadn't felt the urge to push the envelope in months, unlike when I still felt I had something to prove to myself. I had to do something... something to revitalize my travels.. but what? The ideas began to form but a I-couldn't-be-bothered attitude still permeated my system...
I'd think of something later...
The Sahara was quite different from the other deserts. Vast desert surrounding us and soft fine sand getting into every possible wrinkle, pocket and crease imaginable. We watched the sun set behind dunes from atop a massive peak of white sand where I sat back and thought to myself "Wow... I am in the Sahara Desert". After traveling for months, the numbness of new and exotic sights rarely inspired a thrill but I couldn't help feeling a sense of being somewhere special... unique .. and unforgettable.
Awaking from a hard night of sleep under the stars in the desert is always rough
One last day in Siwa then it was off to my last stop before meeting Linda in Istanbul, Cairo.
-- Cairo
I was done with Siwa, 5 days was enough, mostly because of the brutal desert sun. Another night of patchy sleep, this time, aboard a cramped bus from Siwa to Alexandria and finally, to Cairo. Even a healthy dose of Valium couldn't have helped me sleep through the loud Quranic verses pumping from the stereo that night.
I'd been warned of the busy chaos that awaited in Cairo, but as usual, low expectations helped ease the onslaught on a new city. As they did again in Cairo.
Cairo was a nocturnal city. Calm and trafficless during the day, leaving you with a false impression that the city was scarcely inhabited. At night, the city came alive, streets bulged, overflowing Arabs and manic traffic took over the wide avenues. Arriving at 7am into Cairo, the nearly deserted streets calmly guided me to my hotel, a cheap, grungy hotel, popular with the backpacking crowd for it's central location and roof top rooms. Unable to string together enough words to perform a respectable bargaining routine, I accepted the 5$ US rooftop, bright pink room which was no larger than my toilette back home and made a dash for the showers
I had 3 days in Cairo. 3 days in which I was determined to slowly absorb the city, not rushing through it like I had done in the early stages of my travels.
Those days were over with. Rushing from city to city, riding cement trucks and cargo busses on a whirlwind schedule. I adopted a much slower pace where a full day of nothingness was welcomed and now a customary retreat from hectic, breakneck travel. The heat may have had something to do with it too. After all, a blazing sun, pounding 50 degree's Celsius heat on a north American traveler was torture enough.
I decided a slow and interesting way to ease into Cairo was to visit the Egyptian Museum which was a cool 5 minutes walk from the Dahab.
-- "Where are they all coming from?"
"My god... where are they all coming from?" I thought as I locked my gaze down from the second floor of the museum onto countless groups of tourists accompanied by their guides yelling loudly over the other touts, each in a horrifically nerve twitching symphony of noise.
The museum was, by far, Egypt's largest collection of artifacts from pharoic history. 100,000 pieces of statues, mummies and gold, strewn seemingly haphazardly throughout the building was a complete overload.
I bumped my way through tour groups moving in a jerk like manner through the halls to find the two halls I had been told not to miss
With difficulty I slowly convinced myself to exit the sweat-drying and soul-soothing AC room to visit the mummies chamber.
Finally, after being through Egypt and seeing monument after monument built by Ramses-this and Tuttsy-that, I could see them in the flesh, laterally. The mummies lay there, some locked in a horrific expression, others seemed to sleep. The mummies where in pristine condition, considering their age of over 4000 years. The room was cramped and I popped over shoulders and nudged aside locals to gawk.
When I'd had enough I returned to the Dahab Hotel for downtime.
-- Guess who?
"Hey, there you are!" Gerry greeted, stepping over my ankle-high door frame, into my room
"Hey hey! How the hell are ya?" I sat up to shake his hand.
Gerry and Kathy had left Siwa early to head for Cairo and knew that I would be at the Dahab. They were staying there as well. After catching up on the 2 days since we'd last seen each other we shared a beer and walked out through Cairo to perhaps one of the best street-food sellers in town.
The streets were slowly beginning to swell with people as night approached.
We gorged ourselves on some fine middle eastern cuisine and headed back to the Dahab. Gerry and Kathy were leaving that night for Nairobi. We sat in the large roof-top communal area, had our last beer and smoked a sheesha while trading stories of travels throughout the world.
Gerry paused and sighed, "You know, I would be just as happy if this flight were taking me back home to Australia." he said before taking a long draw from our waist-high sheesha pipe and handing it to me.
I toked the pipe and sympathized, "Your burned out eh?"
The pipe was a pitiful excuse for a sheesha. The draw was week and I could only imagine how many holes it had in the tube
"Yeah, We..."
I dropped the long wooden-tipped pipe down on the table and sloshed back the rest of my crispy cold Sakara Beer "This pipe sucks..."
"Yeah... it does..."
"Sorry, you were saying?"
"Uhh,, oh yeah.. well... We've been gone for a long time." Gerry was shifting himself uncomfortably on his stool.
I shifted my eyes left to catch Kathy shaking her head side to side quietly. Gerry caught a glimpse of Kathy's silent differing opinion. She wasn't ready for home.
He chuckled, "Yeah she isn't ready to go home."
The topic made me think of how long-travel takes it's toll on us
I was drifting mentally between both extremes.
The sheesha was officially dead. A dark lump of charred Apple tobacco in the bowl confirmed it, it was time for them to go to the airport.
Once they left I almost immediately passed out, having only enough energy left to make it to my bed.
-- Pyramids
The next morning I had arranged for an 8am taxi to the Pyramids, my last sight seeing trip in Egypt. Unfortunately, 8am "Egyptian-time" was more like 8:30.
"40 pounds to the pyramids and back" the fat man downstairs barked.
I had no time to waste
"No .. that's bullshit. I arranged the taxi for 30 yesterday. Don't waste my time."
"Ok, ok... 30... but you need camel. Not allowed to walk around the pyramids, you must have a camel or a horse."
I'd heard these stories enough to know he was wasting my time and trying to up sell me.
"F*ck that... I can walk. I know. Do you want my business or not." I snapped curtly while eyeing left and right for passing taxis who would be more than happy to take me to the pyramids for 30 pounds.
"Ok, ok... you go, for 30."
Finally... "why does everything need to be this hard?" I thought realizing that my passed 3 weeks in Egypt had been painless due to the diluting effects of traveling as a group
As I walked towards the towering pyramids in front of me, not a tourist in sight, I knew I didn't have much time. The mere thought of visiting the last standing 7 wonders of the ancient world would have brought goose bumps to my skin but I mechanically toured the site without a drop of adrenaline.
Perhaps it was because of it's tourist edge. The site was fully set up as a tourist trap. Surrounded by shops, touts and vendors. In Asia, almost all of the sights were still active monasteries or sites of worship, in Egypt, everything was a show. "Pay your money and see the statues, ohh and don't forget to buy your this and that." More like a country-sized museum than a living, holy shrine throbbing with ancient history.
I sat in the shade for a short break from the heat and looked over at the pyramids. One thing struck me. Here I was, ooing and ahhing at all these fantastic ancient civilizations. But in reality, the most impressive of things were still just rocks, stones and primitive structures. Ok, so they were impressive. "Wow they built this back then?". I couldn't help thinking what would people think when they unearth my apartment 10,000 years from now, after we finally successfully obliterated our own civilization. Would they think "Wow, they had computers back then, wow... the internet, TV, microwaves, telephone." or perhaps more simply "Man this Luc guy had a dirty house, didn't they have brooms?"
Once finished with the Pyramids, dripping with sweat I headed back to the hotel to lounge and attempt sleep, a futile effort due to the frequent blasting of Quranic verses from the neighboring mosque which served as a wake up call every few hours.
I was clinically templed-out, oasised-out, done with the heat and overall, "Egypted-out". 2 more days until Turkey, and I was dying for a change.
-- Last Days
"Weather very good." The locals told me. It was hard to believe that the this brutally humid heat could be considered cool compared to the normal sauna-like climate in Cairo.
Hot weather had the effect of keeping me idle for most of my last days in Cairo. Seeing as I was leaving soon, with a flight to catch, the option of packing up and jetting off to a new city to beat the heat wasn't one I could take
Having idled away the last of my time in Cairo by taking care of logistics and finishing a brick sized book Gerry had given me before leaving, I reached my last afternoon in Egypt.
I attempted to retrieve my Iranian visa. I had applied for it over 20 days before. It still hadn't been processed. It was looking bleak. I found solace in the fact the Iran was currently suffering from flooding as most of Europe was. Perhaps it wasn't in the cards to visit the country.
My guide book, the infamous "Bible", warned not to think of modern Cairo as an ancient city, for a taste of the "real" Cairo, a visit to "Islamic Cairo" was a must.
When the sun dropped to a level which wasn't quite as hot, around 5pm, I ventured off to the old city.
This part of town was alive, split into two sections, the tourist bazaar and the local bazaar
The bazaar was just what I was looking for. No tourists, stalls overflowing with hacked up animal bits and local Egyptian sellers more than happy to see a tourist stray from the overcrowded tourist bazaar.
Everyone smiled as I passed and welcomed me to Egypt. I always felt uncomfortable walking around with my bulky SLR camera strapped around my neck but decided to try something different this time. I was no longer "Luc the tourist", but "Luc the local freelance Photographer". The ploy worked beyond my wildest dreams. When Egyptians would come to me offering help to find my way back to the tourist bazaar, I would reply, "No thank you, not tourist, photographer" with a big hearty smile and a quick shake of my SLR.
The result was a flurry of invitations for a quick photo. People ran from around corners and friends gathered as they all asked for their photo to be taken, and to my surprise, without asking for baksheesh! (A "tip").
The tiny streets in the market were covered just enough to let a soft warm trickle of afternoon light in
Each street had it's specialty. Spices, clothes, meat, fruits, electronics... and not a tourist in sight.
"Excuse me... are you lost?" Egyptians kept trying to help me back to the other side of the street, back to the bus loads of hundred of tourists and souvenir shops. "What are you looking for?" they would ask as I smiled happily and wiggled my camera, "No just walking, taking photos" some would even go out of their way to guide me to interesting photo spots. The experience, my last one in Egypt, was to be my most genuine one as I enjoyed a generous helping of Egyptian hospitality.
As I walked passed one shop selling rolls of brightly colored cloth, a man sitting along with 10 other Egyptians gestured that I sit with him. I sat and greeted them. My Arabic was shamefully weak given my near 2 months in the Middle East but was enough to carry on a basic conversation. One which my hosts where twitching with excitement at my attempt to speak their language. I sat and sipped chai with them as they puffed their water pipes and begged for me to take photos. Every 10 minutes someone would pass and join the group which grew to a ripe 20 men, all laughing and joking innocently with me, but mostly, at me
I snapped so many pictures what I had to lie and tell them that I only had "wahid" picture left. One. They all understood and beckoned the others to silence as they pleaded for a photo to be taken.
Having finished my chai, I shook hands in turn with the group and walked off once they had admittedly refused to accepted any money for the tea. I gratefully took their address and promised to send them the pictures.
I walked off back into the bazaar where dozens more people in turn asked to have their photos taken until I eventually did empty my stock-pile of film.
My treasure chest of film was overflowing and I wandered back to a tea shop, famous within Cairo. When I arrived, it was jammed with sheesha puffing locals.
"Wahid Sheesha, Turkish coffee, bi kem?". One Sheesha and a Turkish coffee, how much?.
I sat, sipped my small cup of coffee thick with grinds, the way a good Turkish coffee should be.
"Excuse me, what are you smoking?" the British couple next to me asked.
"It's a sheesha, would you like to try?"
"Sure, you from Cairo? You look, well you don't "look" but you look like you are a local
I was flattered by the comment. I thought that I was as bad as when I arrived but maybe some of the local customs and language was wearing off on me.
We talked for hours as I finished my pipe, and was off to find my way back to my hotel offering the overpriced taxis a ritual short burst of "Tsk tsk tsk" when they tried to charge me tourist prices for the ride. I finally haggled my way to a reasonable fare and retired for the night. Content with my final impression of Cairo and ready for my flight to Istanbul.


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|Participation fee
|Spend the time
|Primary school
|Secondary school
|Teaching materials
|Begin date
|End date
Required Gear:
Sample kits
Project MERCCURI! Microbes in Space!
|Uncover patterns of microbes on Earth and on the Space Station.
|Collect microbes from cell phones and shoes, play with data
Update: Microbes collected for this project, by citizen scientists, will blast off to the International Space Station on March 30!
Project MERCCURI: Space Station Microbiome and Microbes in Space
Project MERCCURI is a collaboration of UC Davis/microBEnet with the Science Cheerleaders, Space Florida, Nanoracks, NASA, and SciStarter.com. There are three components to the project:
1) Space Station Microbiome. Collecting microbial swab samples from the International Space Station (ISS) and examining the microbial communities therein (via 16S sequencing)
2) Swabbing Sports and Space Events. Collecting swab samples around the country at sporting and other public events from cell phones, shoes, and various surfaces (e.g. keyboards, screens, railings etc.) These will be used for comparison to the ISS samples and for a look at microbial biogeography across a national scale. In collaboration with Jack Gilbert at the Earth Microbiome Project and the Science Cheerleaders who will be organizing and leading the sampling events.
3) Microbial Playoffs. A microbial growth competition on the ISS. A subset of samples collected at public events will be cultured at UC Davis and the "best" microbe from each environment will be sent to the ISS for a "microbial playoffs" competition via Space X on March 16th! Watch the live launch of Space X on NASA TV: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv A duplicate of this experiment will be conducted on earth and the results compared.
As seen in Chapter 6 of Citizen Science by Caren Cooper.


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In January, members of staff travelled to Florence to hold a Regional Membership Meeting at the European University Institute. Anja Smit, Chair EMEA Regional Council led the meeting.
27 participants attended including representatives from the two largest Italian consortia—Trento who loaded their union catalogue into WorldCat last year and CIPE who are currently loading. With the majority of participants new to OCLC membership there was a lot of questions about OCLC and particularly the election process. It was apparent that there is a lot of interest in Italy, as for the first time there will be a candidate from Italy—Tommaso Giordano from the European University Institute.
Anja Smit gave a presentation on OCLC Governance and also talked about library cooperation in the Netherlands, raising the importance of why collaboration with OCLC is a key part of her library's strategy. Chris Négrel talked about OCLC products and services and Janet Lees gave a presentation about making the most out of OCLC membership.
The meeting is part of the EMEARC Executive Committee's Annual Plan and further meetings are planned in the UK, Central Europe and the Middle East before the end of the Financial Year.
To learn more about OCLC Membership >>


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By Kevin Wilson: Freedom Newspapers
There's a guy running for president, and he's facing all kinds of questions. One question spoke volumes, and it wasn't about terrorism, taxes or gasoline.
Instead, it was about milk, and how much stores charge for a gallon. His answer was $1.50. I won't name the candidate because I haven't seen answers from other candidates, but I can say he's out of touch and Americans might pay for that if he's elected.
Maybe the guy running for president should be Ted Kulongoski. The Oregon governor, incensed about the low benefits offered from food stamps, decided to live that way for a week. He and wife Mary spent a week in April living off $42 in groceries, the average benefit the two would receive in food stamps.
Media outlets picked up on Kulongoski's effort, and members of Congress were challenged to follow suit. Four did — Rep. Jan Schakowsky, R-Ill.; Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.; Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R, Mo. And Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio.
In media reports and in blog entries on foodstampchallenge.typepad.com, the representatives spoke of the meals they made, the catered Washington meals they declined and the harsh realities of $21 a week when other luxuries are unavailable as well.
"If you are constrained to where you can walk or take public transportation, then you can only shop at the places in your neighborhood, and you are forced to pay whatever they charge," Ryan wrote in his blog. "That is EXACTLY what I was doing. I had the option to head out to Costco or Shoppers and decided instead to replicate as close as possible the REAL experience of someone who can't afford a car and is constrained by public transportation."
Ryan used his $21 to purchase peanut butter, strawberry jam, cornmeal, cottage cheese, pasta, tomato sauce, whole wheat bread, a can of coffee, and a clove of garlic. He said the bread didn't make nearly as many sandwiches as he'd imagined, and fresh fruits and vegetables just weren't an option. Also, he lost his peanut butter and jelly to an airport screener on Day 5 — he was running late for a flight and accidentally put them in his carry-on.
During their time, many dispelled convenient criticisms. They heard food stamp recipients need to get a job (many have jobs) and food stamps are intended as a supplement (budgets are stretched thin when food stamp benefits and wages haven't changed in years, and the price of gasoline and other products has nearly doubled in that time).
All five talked about how relieved they were to return to normal eating habits, and many spoke of just how out of touch they were before they tried to live on $21 a week. Shakowsky quickly realized it would be hard to go without her Diet Pepsi and Starbucks coffee, for instance.
"Every day 35 million people in America struggle to put food on the table," wrote Shakowsky. "I am not one of them, not even close. But just this small effort to put myself in their shoes has made even more real to me the immorality of such a fact in the richest country in the world."
Shakowsky's comments tell me Illinois citizens will be better off for her experience, as will Oregon, Massachusetts, Missouri and Ohio for their elected official's experience. I applaud them for sacrificing to educate themselves about challenges they're elected to take on.
I only wish I could say that for more than 1 percent of U.S. governors and congressional members.


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Find Your Passion: Transformer of Characters First Changed Herself
By Dana Lewis
The Grinch isn't known for inspiration, but recreating and designing makeup to transform herself into the Grinch for a class project convinced Stesha Ross she had found her calling.
Ross, a junior from New Market, switched majors from broadcast journalism to theatre after her freshman year. Having seen several campus productions, Ross was sold on the theatre program.
"I started out wanting to act, just like everyone else," she says. "I took beginning acting classes, but it was my first makeup class where I fell in love with hair and makeup design."
Ross's teacher set the final class project as a challenge for students to transform themselves into anything or anyone – a challenge that Ross met head on and one that convinced her she was in the right place.
"After the project, I volunteered to help out wherever I could with productions," Ross says.
She was soon immersed behind-the-scenes of productions such as "The Odd Couple" and "Into The Woods." Ross says she is awed by the opportunities she has on campus, especially those that have led her from nomination to second place winner in the Region IV Kennedy Center American Theatre College Festival's Technical Design competition. A chandelier designed and constructed for "The Wild Party," set in the Roaring '20s, was recognized at the prestigious competition.
"It was a huge undertaking," the theatre major says.
Not only did Ross research and design a historically accurate chandelier, she learned to weld in the process. She built the chandelier herself, complete with wiring, for the set. To top it off, the director wanted a character to swing from the chandelier during the performance – which later turned into two characters – and so Ross's decorative chandelier was a sturdy, secure prop for the characters to safely hang from.
In addition to building specialty props, Ross has designed the makeup and hair for a number of productions, a process more detailed than what meets the eye.
"For one production, there were huge elaborate hairstyles that would take hours to style," Ross said. "In order to cut back on the call time for cast members, I instead chose to use and style wigs for the show."
Although Ross makes sure hairstyles are accurate to the show's time period and style, she relies on the help of modern technology to learn some styling techniques and some how-to tips that are hard to find elsewhere.
"I actually watched several videos on YouTube to learn how to style for a particularly challenging era," Ross said.
Ross is also conscientious of cast members when designing makeup for the shows. She creates "makeup maps" by taking black and white photographs, tracing over them with vellum, and then detailing on the tracing and in writing exactly how to recreate the makeup. Ross is usually there to assist before shows, but she always adds detailed directions "just in case."
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Dana Lewis will graduate in May 2010 from The University of Alabama with two bachelor's degrees in public relations and political science, and a minor in the Computer-Based Honors Program. A native of Huntsville, she plans to work and pursue a graduate degree in health communications.
This story is part of the Find Your Passion series. To learn more about how you can find your passion at The University of Alabama, please visit UA Undergraduate Admissions.


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Science and Technology Programs
Astrophysics Explorers
The Astrophysics Explorers program includes opportunities for innovative science and fill the scientific gaps between the larger missions. Small PI-led astrophysics missions are selected under the Explorer program, and are managed by the Astrophysics Division.
Astrophysics Research
Cosmic Origins
To observe the birth of the earliest galaxies, the formation of stars and their planetary systems in the Milky Way and other galaxies, and the origins of the elements necessary for life. Cosmic Origins tells the story of the processes that transpired from the Big Bang to the modern Universe. "How did we get here?"
The Discovery Program conducts focused investigations that complement NASA's larger Planetary Science goals by launching smaller missions using fewer resources and shorter development times.
Earth Systematic Missions
The Earth Systematic Missions (ESM) Program includes a broad range of multi-disciplinary science investigations aimed at developing a scientific understanding of the Earth system and its response to natural and human-induced forces. Understanding these forces will help in determining how to mitigate them, appropriately and where possible, to avoid climate changes.
Earth System Science Pathfinder
The Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program addresses unique, specific, highly-focused mission requirements in Earth science research.
Exoplanet Exploration
NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program represents a voyage of unprecedented scope and ambition, promising insight into humankind's most timeless question: Are we alone?
The mission of the Explorer program is to provide frequent flight opportunities for scientific investigations from space.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)/ Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) program is a key element in National Weather Service (NWS) operations.
Heliophysics Explorers
This program is managed by the Heliophysics Division and solicits missions for both Heliophysics and Astrophysics.


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What is your gut feeling going into this season?
My gut feeling is she will be a top15 driver at the end of the season. I believe she can accomplish that.
All things Danica
jamo14 wrote:I think Danica will set some realistic goals, but want more than that out of herself. She is a goal oriented person, and is always striving to learn all she can about everything in racing.
My gut feeling is she will be a top15 driver at the end of the season. I believe she can accomplish that.
osoblu wrote: Maybe she'll beat Jr for most popular driver.
newmanfan3914 wrote:Stewart Haas Racing Notes from the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour: #10-Danica Patrick will not be using #14-Tony Stewart's owners points to start the year. Stewart said, "I worked hard for my points" and believes Patrick will be fine. The #10 team finished the 2012 season 33rd in owners points but been told those owners points will be used for Tommy Baldwin's #7 team with driver Dave Blaney. Baldwin will use the #36 owners points for his 2nd team, car #36 [unknwon driver/plans]. So the #10 car goes into the season with no owners points and Partick will have to make the races via speed.
osoblu wrote:My thinking is finishing the year in the 20's. I think she'll have some terrific runs but some lackluster runs too. Maybe she'll beat Jr for most popular driver.
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I actually don't believe that D'Antoni's coaching in the last week made the players better. Just Lin's penetration worked wonders. He's also can make exciting momentum shifting plays which probably hypes up the team to better defense.
D'Antoni isn't getting the credit from me his time should be up shortly regardless.