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Remembering Randy Rhoads on His 56th Birthday
Guitarist Randy Rhoads would be 56-years-old today (Dec. 6), had a tragic airplane accident not cut short the life of a man Ozzy Osbourne called a "saint" and an "angel.' Despite only giving fans less than ten years worth of music with Quiet Riot and then with Osbourne, Rhoads' impact will never slip quietly out of fan's memories.
As they've done every year, fans will gather at Rhoads' grave in San Bernardino, Calif. today. "We will never forget him," Osbourne said of his friend. "His musical legacy lives on in the minds and music of his many fans." Osbourne spoke about his guitarist to Guitar Player five months after the March, 1982 accident that killed Rhoads, shut down their tour and changed Ozzy's life forever.
"I don't think people have ever fully realized what a talent that guy was – not only in rock and roll, but in every other field, you know. He was not only a great rock and roll player, but in the classics he was phenomenal, and in every other field he was phenomenal."
Rhoads was raised by a single mother who got him involved in music early. By the time he was a teenager he was forming bands with his brother and their friends. It was clear that his classical guitar training set him apart from other young guitar heroes of his day. He formed Quiet Riot in 1972 and left in 1979 to join Osbourne for his new solo venture. Even more than his talent, it was Rhoads' smile and innocence that endeared the guitarist to the former Black Sabbath frontman.
Together the two made sure they didn't follow traditional heavy metal chord structures and key signatures. "I don't know about keys because I don't read music and I don't really understand it – I just get up there and scream around and jump around, you know?" Osbourne said in 1982. "So we made a rule that every number that we recorded on an album was never played in the same key. It's a different key in every number. We had a great rapport together. We loved each other very dearly. I swear to God, the tragedy of my life is the day he died."
Fans of Osbourne's came to see the new lead guitarist as much as the controversial lead singer. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello tells Rolling Stone he practiced eight hours a day because of Rhoads. Osbourne called him the most dedicated musician he'd ever met, as Rhoads would spend his days and nights off practicing instead of joining the band in their brand of debauchery.
Rhoads was ranked No. 36 on Rolling Stone's recent list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. At the time of his death he was digging deeper into jazz and classical music, using both to innovate the heavy-metal guitar sound. Unlike many other dead guitar legends, there is little doubt that time would have only magnified how influential Rhoads was. The world was just learning of his talent when he was killed in March of 1982.
Ozzy Osbourne Remembers Working with Randy Rhoads
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It's believed that shifting winds may have broken up the ice that confined the killer whales, who survived by taking turns coming up for air in a hole the size of a pickup truck. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.
Eleven killer whales that were "locked in" by ice in a Canadian bay, with only a small area of open water for them to surface, are now apparently free, possibly due to a change in current that helped break open a path to the sea, the mayor of a nearby village said Thursday.
Two scouts sent to check on the killer whales around 8 a.m. local time found a passage of water had been created in Hudson Bay all of the way to the open sea – nearly 25 miles away -- and the ice hole that the marine mammals had been trapped in was empty, said Petah Inukpuk, mayor of Inukjuak, a remote Inuit village home to 1,800, in Quebec.
"They are free. They are no longer here. When there is a new moon, the water current is activated. It could have helped … completely trap them, but in this case it caused an open passage out to the open water," he told NBC News, adding that they probably were freed overnight. "It was mother nature that helped them. ... They are no longer icelocked."
A hunter had found the killer whales, also known as orcas, on Tuesday morning in the bay in northeastern Canada about one mile from shore. Two of the orcas appeared to be adults; the remaining nine were smaller in size, said Inukpuk, 61. Other reports said there were 12 orcas in the pod.
Canada's fisheries and oceans department said it received confirmation from the community "that winds and tides shifted overnight, opening the ice that had trapped the whales." Two of its scientists were en route to Inukjuak to collect scientific information and work with the community.
A video taken by villager Clement Rousseau on Tuesday revealed a tough situation facing the killer whales: the water opening appeared to be just large enough for a few of them to surface at a time.
"They are in a confined area," Inukpuk told NBC News on Wednesday, noting then that there was "no more open water."
"From time to time, they are in a panic state and other times they are gone for a long period of time, probably looking for another open water (space) which they are unable to find," Inukpuk said. "They keep going back to the same spot."
The villagers held a meeting Wednesday night and crafted a plan similar to a rescue performed in 1988 of two California gray whales that got stuck in ice in Alaska. In Operation Breakthrough, which made international headlines and inspired the 2012 film "Big Miracle," Eskimo whalers cut more than a half mile of holes for the whales to travel through on their way to open sea. Two Soviet icebreakers helped by crushing a critical thick wall of ice that blocked their path and freed the animals after 20 days, according to a story on the rescue by the Los Angeles Times.
Twenty of the Inukjuak villagers were tasked with doing much the same: they were going to remove the broken ice around the area and use chainsaws to enlargen the hole, which was getting increasingly smaller. A neighboring Inuit village had also offered a large chainsaw capable of cutting the ice. The villagers even got offers of help from far afield, including Germany and England.
"We were prepared to endure it, make their breathing hole bigger and create another breathing hole nearby. Enlarge it, going step by step," he said. "We were prepared to do that method because the closest icebreaker was ten days away … without assistance they would not have made it."
Clement Rousseau
Killer whales that were trapped in the ice near Inukjuak, photographed on Jan. 8, 2013.
A Canadian fisheries official told CBC.ca that some icebreakers were being used in the Saint Lawrence River, where three commercial ships got stuck this week.
Geoff Carroll, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game who helped release the two California gray whales, said Operation Breakthrough showed the power of the simpler methods.
"Our experience up here was that it seemed like the local knowledge and the low-tech approaches to working with the whales were the ones that worked best," Carroll said. "It seemed like there were lots of high-tech efforts made to get those whales out and they kind of failed one after the other. What really worked was when we got local guys with chainsaws cutting one hole after another and we could kind of walk the whales out that way."
There have been reports of other whales getting caught in ice, but it was an anomaly for killer whales -- technically in the oceanic dolphin family -- which tend to hunt around the ice, said Deborah Giles, a graduate student researcher at the University of California, Davis, who has studied killer whales for eight years.
Giles recalled that one pod of orcas died in 2005 when they were trapped in thick ice, and Paul Wade, a research fisheries biologist at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, noted there have been some other similar cases, too.
Wade said he watched videos of the pod near Inukjuak online and thought some were engaging in normal behavior -- such as "spyhopping," when adult males shoot straight up out of the water -- while others appeared agitated. He said it looked like the pod included two adult males, several juveniles and female adults or younger adult males. The group was most likely related, said Giles.
Photoblog: Images of whales that were stuck in ice
Killer whales are highly social and typically travel in pods numbering from two to 15, though there can be larger groups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are most numerous in colder waters, such as Antarctica, Alaska and Norway, although they can also be found in temperate and tropical waters. Different groupings have distinctive whistles and pulsed calls that are thought to be used by them to communicate.
Inukpuk said killer whales were not spotted in the area every summer, but every second or third one. However, this was the first time that they were "locked in," he said.
"Why these whales hung around so long is a mystery," Wade said. But he added: "Even the types of whales that live in the ice a lot or much closer to the ice more frequently than killer whales -- they make mistakes as well."
The winter was unusual this year in that the bay did not freeze up as it normally does at the end of November or beginning of December. There was open water after Christmas but earlier this week it got "really cold," leaving just an area of water the size of a swimming pool open that was getting smaller, Inukpuk said.
"People here were very much ready to help and it is surprising because the killer whales are (our) competitors for the same species," such as seals, he said. "We were ready to give aid to make sure that they survived until help could come."
He said they were "very pleased" with the outcome and he had a wish for the pod, too: "I hope they find a good meal and they have a hearty feast because they are probably pretty hungry."
Eleven killer whales were trapped for days under thick arctic ice in a remote corner of Quebec, taking turns to breathe through a tiny hole.
More world stories from NBC News:
- 150 years old and still running late: London Tube reaches landmark
- Family escapes 'tornadoes of fire' by clinging to jetty for 3 hours
- Video: How happy is the only country to track happiness?

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Like many people from my generation, I was raised by the streets: Sesame Street, Street Sharks, Street Fighter. I've spent so many years obsessively watching those shows, and hundreds of others like them, that television is now the first thing that comes to mind when I think back to my childhood ... which is why I can never, EVER learn how my favorite TV series were made. Whenever I do, I discover that the same shows that brought me so much joy when I was a kid have brought nothing but pain and misery to the people making them, like how ...
4 Star Trek: The Next Generation Was Terrorized by a Dying Despot and Body Odor
Paramount Pictures
In 1987, Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted on television with all the enthusiasm of a death row inmate heading toward his execution by lethal enema. Back then, no one really thought that this follow-up to the adventures of Kirk and Spock would be a success. Not the studio, not even Patrick Stewart, who took the role of Captain Picard because, according to his agent, the series was bound to fail miserably, so he was essentially signing up for a free American holiday and a chance to work on his tan.
Paramount Pictures
A chance he hasn't taken to this day.
The only person who really believed in the show was Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, and when I say "believed," I mean "believed" with a capital BELI for "Beyond Excessive and a Little Insane." As executive producer, Roddenberry told the writers that, in his vision of the new Trek verse, interpersonal conflicts no longer existed.
Everyone on the show was supposed to act and feel like this great big family full of love, sunshine, and Tribble farts, even if that made it impossible to write drama. Ironically, the writers who had a problem with this were promptly told to live long and prosper in another job, while those who stayed had to sit around and discuss Roddenberry's ideas about sex in space, so who was the real winner here?
Pocket Books
The staff's therapists?
Can you tell that Roddenberry might have been a little high at the time? Because he probably was. He was probably also dying.
While working on TNG, Roddenberry was reportedly suffering from brain disorders, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression, which ultimately culminated in a stroke in 1989 and his death in 1991. It's easy to see how his condition could have influenced his fanatical behavior while developing the series. For a man in rapidly declining health, it's not unusual to cling to an idea of a utopian future without lust, greed, or conflict after realizing he probably won't live long enough to see it happen for real. Still, by the end of the third season, Roddenberry's tyrannical grip on the scripts had purportedly caused 24 writers to quit the show out of frustration. Or maybe it had something to do with the unbearable stench caused by the new TNG uniforms, which apparently smelled worse than the inside of Shatner's girdle.
Paramount Pictures
Everyone in this picture might as well be wearing a tiny red shirt on their nose.
It turns out that spandex is like the memory foam of smells, retaining the whiff of every drop of boob, armpit, and ball sweat you ooze into it. This slowly turned the TNG uniforms into skintight torture devices that steamed the actors in their own disgusting aromas throughout the day.
Also? They were apparently very painful. According to the show's costume designer, "Tight spandex fabric also gave the cast members recurrent back problems" until the costumes were thankfully replaced with wool alternatives around Season 3. However, that still leaves nearly 50 episodes of The Next Generation where the main cast was constantly in a state of nauseating olfactory agony.
Paramount Pictures
Best Star Trek series ever.
3 The Power Rangers Crew Was Full of Raging Homophobes
Saban Entertainment
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was one of the first non-cartoons I really got into, mainly because it still felt like a cartoon, you know? Every character was a color-coded cliche, the fight scenes were more like grunting ballet, and it was all just so silly and campy and stupidly enjoyable, but only as long as your name wasn't David Yost.
Saban Entertainment
"Well, fuck."
David Yost played Billy Cranston (the original Blue Ranger) throughout MMPR, their first movie, and later Power Rangers Zeo, before his character finally moved to another planet to boink some aliens. We were of course sorry to see him go, but on the whole, it felt like a deserving end for a character who's taught kids everywhere that even nerds can kick some impressive amounts of ass. Except the show's producers, writers, and directors felt that Yost didn't deserve to play a badass space ninja in the first place. Not because he was nerdy, but because (and I'm paraphrasing here) they felt that a person can't be a superhero while constantly craving so much dick.
Saban Entertainment
"Anyway, here's your battle phallic symbol."
Yost didn't come out as gay until after he left the show, but there has been talk about his sexual orientation pretty much since he first joined the cast in 1993. So naturally, not wanting to accidentally treat a gay guy like a human being, a lot of the crew decided to just play it safe and be complete jerks to Yost whenever they had the chance.
According to the actor, he had been called a "faggot" on numerous occasions while filming the show, and even had to deal with the producers calling in his co-stars and questioning them about his sexuality. You'd think that that could have been summed up by a quick "I heard the dude likes dudes," but maybe they wanted details or something? Pictures? Videos? I don't know how horrible people think.
It eventually got so bad that one day Yost decided he'd had enough and simply walked off set during lunch, never to return. Some may call it unprofessional. Yost called it trying to avoid suicide due to all the anger and emotional abuse. That sadly didn't help much, because he then spent two years trying to "pray the gay away" before finally suffering a nervous breakdown.
Saban Entertainment
Silly fight scene break! No tears, dammit!
But as heinous as I find these accusations, I think that it's ultimately a good idea to have a conversation about whether gay people (even if their characters are never portrayed as such) can play superheroes. Therefore, I propose that we take every awkward, geeky, and dorky kid who has ever felt inspired by Yost's Blue Ranger, put them in the same room with the allegedly homophobic producers of Power Rangers, then lock the doors and ignore the screams for the next 20 minutes.


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Fenway Park – Part 3 of 3 (A Moment to Remember – 7/5/09)
For the second day in a row, we woke up and had breakfast and played some baseball in Copley Square. On this day, however, we just played catch and did some base running (on four drains in front of the Church in the square).
Soon, it was time to head to Fenway Park for our final game of the weekend roadtrip. We were hoping for a Mariners sweep. But it wasn't in the cards.
I'm going to break with my usual protocol and skip to the fourth inning. I'll go back and cover the game from the beginning, but I don't want to bury the most important part of this unfortunate Mariners loss in the middle of the entry.
You might have noticed by now that I am a big Mariners fan. And, by definition, that means I am a huge Ken Griffey, Jr. fan. Ken Griffey, Jr. means everything to Mariners fans (at least to real Mariners fans). I was 13 when Griff broke into the Mariners back in 1989.
The Mariners were a fairly unimportant team until 1989. Well, they were important to me and about 10,000 other people in the state of Washington. But they were sort of a minor league Major League team to everyone else. They had zero winning seasons in their history. There were constant rumors and threats that the team would move — most notably to Tampa, Florida. The Kingdome — as beautiful and perfect as it was — was largely empty. (By the way, that wasn't sarcasm, the Kingdome was, indeed, beautiful and perfect).
And then, in April 1989, things changed. KEN GRIFFEY, JR. ARRIVED! All of a sudden, one of the most celebrated young ball players in baseball was a Seattle Mariner. People started to pay some attention to our club. People started showing up at the Kingdome.
In 1991, we had a WINNING SEASON!
In 1995, we WON THE WEST! We made the PLAYOFFS!! We were two games from the World Series.
The Mariners were no longer going to move away! Instead, they built Safeco Field. It was a golden era in Mariners baseball.
Long story short: Ken Griffey, Jr. changed baseball in Seattle, he saved baseball in Seattle, he IS baseball in Seattle.
Therefore, when my son was born in 2006 and we started going to baseball games together, I had a goal: Take Tim to see Griffey.
We have had incredibly bad luck in this respect. Prior to this weekend, we had gone to see him play more than 10 times, and Griff played in only three of those games. In those games, he has had gone hitless (but with a bunch of walks).
So we turn to this game. Shortly before game time, they announced the starting line-up. I was more saddened to learn that Mike Sweeney would be DH'ing and Griffey would have the day off.
I started thinking worst case scenario. This is very possibly our final Mariners game of the season. They don't come back to the Northeast this season. In 30 years, would Tim have to tell his son, "Yeah, your grandpa took me to see the great Ken Griffey, Jr. when I was a boy. But I never saw him get a hit." I hated the thought. But there was nothing I could do about it. The Mariners were facing a lefty, Jon Lester, and Mike Sweeney had to get his work in to stay sharp.
Then in the fourth inning (with no disrepect to Sweeney), something wonderful happened:
I was totally unprepared. (That notice was actually posted in the 5th or 6th inning).
Tim was sitting on my shoulders. We were at a food stand behind the grandstand behind the seats by the 1B dugout. I had just ordered a sausage with onions and peppers (for me), a hot dog (for Tim), a diet coke, and a bag of peanuts. There was no counter at the cash registered so I had to hold everything in one hand while finding my money and paying the cashier with the other hand (while still balancing Tim on my shoulders with no hands).
In the midst of all of this, I hear the following over the stadium P.A. system:
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, JUNIOR!"
Instantly, my thought was, "The Red Sox don't have a Junior! AHHHHH!!!"
I jammed my wallet and change into my pocket, gathered up everything as best as I could and ran toward the field as fast as I could.
This picture shows our starting point and our route to the field:
When we ran into the back of the grandstand, I believe we were in Section 13 or 14.
I yelled up to Tim, "I THINK GRIFF IS UP!"
Right as we got in view of the field, we saw Lester start his wind up and deliver a pitch to Griffey. What happened next was possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen at a major league stadium: Griff drilled the pitch off of the Green Monster!
According to my DVR, it looked something like this:
I think that to everyone else in the stadium, it was just a random lead off hit in the top of the fourth inning. But to me, it was possibly the greatest baseball moment ever. For the first time in over ten years, I witnessed Ken Griffey, Jr. — my boyhood hero and favorite baseball player of all-time — get a hit for my Seattle Mariners and I witnessed it with my son sitting on my shoulders sharing the moment with me. And the fact that he hit the ball off the Green Monster, the most famous outfield wall in baseball, made it even more exciting.
This simple hit is easily the highlight of my season so far, and I plan to think and talk about it with Tim for years and years to come. I hope Tim and I get another chance to see Griffey play — this season and next. But, if that is not possible, this hit will keep me satisfied.
(By way of background and to clarify, *I* have seen Griffey get tons of hits, hit numerous homeruns, multiple grand slams, makes dozens of circus catches (including the one when he broke his arm in half) — but I'd never shared any of those moments with Tim. That's what made this hit so special).
By the time I could get to a spot where I could put our food down and get to my camera, Franklin Gutierrez had advanced Griff to second with a single. Here is Griff leading off of second:
Griff would have two more plate appearances on the day, both walks. He went 1-1 on the day. Amazingly, I got zero pictures of Griff at the plate during this game.
Okay, now lets back track to the beginning of the game.
We entered the stadium again through the CF gate on Lansdowne Street. It was a 1:35 start, but the teams still took BP. We arrived as the first group of Mariners were hitting, including Griffey and Ichiro.
We started out in the CF bleachers. Griffey was blasting bombs into the RF bleachers. I wanted to go over there, but there is no way I am going to try to catch a HR ball with Tim on my shoulders. Shortly after we arrived, Griff hit a ground rule double to straight away CF that bounced up into the stands and directly into my Dad's glove.
My Dad has had great luck with Griffey this year. In addition to this BP ground rule double, on the first day of spring training, my Dad got Griff's second BP homerun in his second tour of duty with the Mariners.
I decided to go up onto the Green Monster and see if Tim and I could get into the seating area. There is a staircase in the CF concourse that takes you up to the Green Monster. You can walk out to the edge of the seating area, but they won't let you out into the seats without a Monster ticket. So Tim and I just stood around up there for a few minutes taking in the view before heading back down to the field level seats.
I had a thought in the back of my head that it would be neat to get a ball thrown up to us on the Green Monster. Tim and I stood in the closest spot to the seats that you can get to without a Monster ticket:
We stood in the spot under the red arrow where the guy in the red shirt is standing. I noticed Jason Vargas and Jason Phillips standing together below in LCF. (In the picture to the right, that is Jason Phillips after the two Jasons split up).
After a few minutes, someone hit a ball to Vargas. I yelled down from the Mondster, "Hey, Vargas!!!!" He heard me! He looked up! He turned around and he fired the ball to me. Unfortunately, it was too low and it clanked off a light and some bricks just below us — out of reach.
Jason Phillips stood and watched Vargas's failed attempt. And just then, someone hit him a ball. "Hey, Jason!" Phillips looked back up at me. He turned around and he fired the ball to me. A perfect strike. It would have hit me directly in the chest. It was a very impressive throw, and much appreciated.
"Thanks, Jason!"
Here is a picture that illustrates the flight of the ball:
At the time Phillips threw the ball, he was even a little bit — maybe 10-15 feet — closer toward LF. He didn't lob the ball up to me. He fired it on a line, just like the arrow in this picture. As I said, a very impressive throw.
Tim and I then went down to the CF bleachers and met up with my mom who was standing right where my Dad caught Griff's ground rule double about 10 minutes earlier.
Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard were standing below us. Felix runs all over the place trying to make high light reel catches during BP. At one point, he caught one near us. He looked up and made I contact with me (and Tim). There was a lady from Seattle shouting at him standing directly next to me to my left. Felix fired the ball up to us. He threw it to our right side so the shouting lady wouldn't interfere. I could have caught it without moving at all — I just had to reach across my body and back hand it. However, as I started to go for the backhand, I realize there was a 8'ish year old boy wearning a Red Sox jersey and a glove standing next to me. If I didn't catch the ball, he'd get it. I decided to let me have it since we already had the ball from Jason Phillips and we got Felix's warm up ball the day before.
Soon thereafter, someone hit a ball into the OF corner by the end of the Red Sox bullpen. Here was the scene:
We were standing in the red circle. Erik Bedard was standing at the red "X". There was a rope running along the warning track. (I think it was to keep people involved in the pre-game ceremonies off of the grass). The rope went down the warning track and around a big door in the outfield wall. The ball went in the corner behind the rope as shown above.
Bedard turned around and walked over and grabbed the ball. A whole bunch of people including a bunch of 10'ish year old kids, were standing by the bullpen directly above the ball. I figured Bedard would grab it and flip it up to them. While those people all yelled at Bedard for the ball, Erik picked it up and looked at them. He then walked as slowly as humanly possible back over to the yellow "X" in the picture above. Then he looked up and made eye contact with me (and Tim), and fired the ball to us. I had the feeling that Bedard had watched Felix throw us the ball when I let the kid catch it and he was trying to finish what Felix had started. The yelling lady was still next to me. Like Felix, Bedard threw the ball to my right so she wouldn't get it.
Next, it was time to walk around. We checked out the RF corner and the Pesky Pole:
As RF corners go, this is one of the most interesting in baseball. Not very "corner-ish." More like a RF curve.
We walked up through the old wooden grandstand seats:
We headed out to Yawkey Way and watched Tom Caron from NESN interview comedian Mike O'Malley:
Sean Casey was walking around the NESN set. I walked over to get a picture of him (or possibly with him), but he vanished into thin air.
It was getting close to game time, so we walked back into the stadium and went through the busy concourse behind home plate:
When we were down here, we got Tim a chocolate ice cream helmet and headed toward our seats in the grandstand behind home plate:
The seats were great. Here was our view:
The red arrow points to where Tim and I were standing when Griffey hit his single off of the Green Monster.
We watched te pre-game festivities such as the reading of the Fenway Park Code of Conduct…
…the carrying of the pink backpack to the Mariners bullpen by Christ Jakubauskas…
…the third ceremonial first pitch by Marky Mark Wahlberg (and his re-do third ceremonial first pitch due to his first third ceremonial first pitch sailing high over the catcher to the backstop):
Finally, it was game time. As always, future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki led off for the Mariners:
I like this picture for two reasons — (i) the ball is captured right above the plate (but low, it was called a ball) and (ii) Dustin Pedroia is, for some reason, floating in the air at second base (click on the picture to see it larger, Pedroia is totally off of the ground).
I got some more Red Sox pictures:
I wanted to get a shot of Big Papi clapping his hands before stepping into the box but I missed it. He hit the next pitch into the RF bleachers, the second Red Sox home run in the first inning.
By the time Griff was up for a second time, we were touring around in the grandstand out beyond the Pesky Pole. He walked. Here he is leading off first base:
We went out to the concourse in the RF corner and took this picture showing the Red Sox World Series and other banners:
FYI, see the guy wearing the red shirt above the blue 1967 banner in the middle of the picture? He is standing in the walkway behind the grandstand seats where Tim and I spent a lot of time over the course of the weekend.
The red arrow in that last picture is pointing to this:
I'm guessing this guy is called the "Green Monster." We saw the real one of this guy running around on the field before each game, but we never saw him in the crowd. This was the best we could do with respect to getting a mascot picture.
See the red arrow in that last picture? It is pointing to a staircase that leads to the "Players Club." I'm not sure what the Players Club is all about. It looked like it was for special events or people with special tickets. But we headed in to check it out and no one seemed to mind. Here is what it looked like:
…more players club…
…and we found something cool in the Players Club:
(From Left: 2004 World Series Trophy, Todd & Tim, 2007 World Series Trophy)
We walked out of the players club just in time to see this…
Through the break in the grandstand and bleachers, that is Jacoby Ellsbury hitting a home run to bring the score to 4-3 Mariners.
We met up with my folks and watched the game on a TV while we ate some food at the tables in the RF corner. From our table, you could see the Players Club above the food stands:
While we sat here, the Mariners brought in Miguel Batista. It was not Miguel's day. He gave up a bunch of runs and the Mariners eventually lost the game 8-4.
Tim and I watched the last inning from our familiar RF corner by the Mariners bullpen. We were hoping Griff would get one more at bat, but it wasn't in the cards. We settled for one more picture with the field before heading out:
This game, we switched things up and exited the stadium from the RF exit so I could get a picture of this:
When my Dad was a kid, there was no baseball team in the state of Washington. Ted Williams was his baseball hero. This is what the plaque below Ted says:
Ted Williams
Boston Red Sox
The greatest hitter who ever lived, an American patriot, and a pioneer in the development of the Jimmy Fund. Ted Williams will forever be one of the great heroes in the history of baseball, Boston and America. He amassed 521 home runs despite sacrificing five years in his prime to serve his country during World War II and the Korean War. He was a relentless champion of children, such as this child to whom he is offering his cap, in their battle against cancer, and helped make the Jimmy Fund at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute the world renowned center of research and care that it is today.
The memory of Ted Williams will forever be a point of pride for the Boston Red Sox, the people of Boston, New England, and the United States of America.
We took one more picture outside:
With that, we started our walk back to the hotel…
…so we could start our drive back home.
For so many reasons, it was such an awesome weekend shared with Tim and my folks.
Season Fan Stats:
18 Games (plus one 5+ hour rain out with no game)
7 Stadiums (Safeco Field, Camden Yards, Citizens Bank Park, Citi Field, Nationals Park, Yankee Stadium, and Fenway Park)
13 Teams (Mariners, A's, Rangers, Rays, Orioles, Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Mets, Nationals, Braves and Padres, Dodgers — and sort of the Giants)
14 Ice Cream Helmets (Mariners (4), Phillies (3), Mets, Nationals (2), Red Sox (3) and Yankees)
17 Baseballs (12 Mariners, 2 Rangers, 1 Phillies, 1 Red Sox, 1 Umpire)
4 Divisions Closed Out (So far in Tim's Life — AL West, AL East, NL West, NL East)
3 Autographs (King Felix Hernandez, Jason Phillips, Ryan Perry)
2 Player/G.M. Photographs (King Felix Hernandez, Jack Zduriencik, Ryan Perry)
5 Mascot Pictures (Mariners Moose (2), Orioles Bird (2), 3 Presidents (Nats), Screech (Nats) — Honorable Mention: The Green Monster statue bench)
10 Comments
Awesome pictures of your trip. I went to Fenway when I was very young too, I think age 6. They didn't have the 'Monster Seats' back then. It must have been really cool to get a glimpse from those seats.
Griffey has come full circle and I'm glad he is back with the M's. He looks at home in his Mariners uniform. Kinda what Roy Halladay looks like in a Jays uniform to me.
Amazing pictures. You do a better job than anybody of putting our own butts in the seats. When do you find time to actually watch the game!? Ha! I hope you had some wetnaps available for Tim. He looked a little coated with that ice cream. Best way to eat it!
Your M's are one resilient bunch. Forget injuries, forget messed up rotations and strange closer choices, you guys are staying in it. A playoff run in Seattle would be quite the story in baseball this year. I hope your guys keep it up!
You sir know how to blog a story. Excellent entry, excellent pictures. I look forward to your entries…D
Aloha –
Great stories in wrapping up your trip – Good perspective about Junior. His perfect swing only looks right in a Mariner's uniform. Hopefully he can stay healthy and he will want to continue on.
Love how Tim got you to wear the beads again. Great pictures with the world championship trophies – Maybe one day the Mariners will have one for you and Tim to get a picture with – Teemo
You could do those pictures just as a photo blog by themselves and it would be a 5-star blog.
Mixed with the words it just pops as a posting like that popcorn in the concession stand.
I remember the day we were going for the sale of the Mariners. Vince Namoli felt he had the bid, the price and the moxy to get the team moved to Florida.
But to the credit of the local community and the state Legislature to get the needed funds to even attempt to construct the finest stadium in the country ( in my opinion) Safeco Field.
To stand on that leftfield porch and gaze over Puget Sound along Alaskan Way down to the towering Space Needle nearthe Queen Anne neighborhood, you see an amazing city that deserve baseball.
Awesome post, makes me hungry for more.
Rays Renegade
Great pictures. Fenway is definitely a great time whenever you go. The stadium is a beauty and the atmosphere is great. It's a true baseball place.
Thanks. Yep, the Monster Seats haven't been there very long. This was my first time seeing them. They're pretty cool, but EXPENSIVE! I hope you can keep Roy up in Toronoto. Unfortunately, from the ALL-STAR interviews, it doesn't sound too promising.
"do a better job than anybody of putting our own butts in the seats." Dang, thanks, man!
Thanks. I'll keep 'em coming in the second half.
Thanks, man. We can only wait, pray and hope the M's do get a trophy. I'd love a picture with a M's World Series trophy!
Thx. Glad you enjoyed the picts. Agreed re your Fenway comments.
Mr. Griffey hit me with a foul ball during that at bat in the fourth inning. I was sitting along the first base line with my dad. It to this day remains my most prized possession.
Awesome! Enjoy that one!


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Dordt College News
Schouten To Join Dordt Volleyball
February 22, 2013
(Friday, February 21; Sioux Center, Iowa) Jill Schouten, a senior at Unity Christian High School (Iowa), has announced her intention to attend Dordt College and join the Defender volleyball program.
Schouten has been the setter for Unity the last two seasons and helped them to a no. 5 state ranking this past season and a War Eagle Conference championship. Schouten averaged 8.46 assists and 1.80 digs per set as a senior and 7.29 assists and 1.93 digs as a junior. She earned all-conference first-team honors in both 2011 and 2012 and was a second-team all-Northwest Iowa pick both years.
"Jill is a wonderful addition to our volleyball program as she has led her Unity Christian high school team for several years in the setting role," said Dordt College coach Chad Hanson. "Under Coach Janna Van Donge, Jill's court leadership and competitiveness have continued to flourish. She has a visible bond with her teammates on the court which is exactly what I want in a setter."
Jill is the daughter of Mike and Pearl Schouten of Sioux Center, Iowa. She plans to study education at Dordt College.
Media Access: Download Word Version | High Resolution Image: 1


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FFRF contests bishops' electioneering
In letters to the Internal Revenue Service, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has reported possible illegal political campaign intervention by Catholic bishops in Green Bay and Madison, Wis.
In a Nov. 1 letter to the IRS office in Dallas which oversees "exempt organizations classification," FFRF Senior Staff Attorney told the IRS that Diocese of Green Bay Bishop David L. Ricken wrote an article Oct. 24 titled "An Important Moment" to be inserted in all parish bulletins.
Ricken begins, "It is almost time to vote and to make our choices for president and other political offices..." Ricken lists a "set of non-negotiables" for parishioners "to keep in mind as you approach the voting booth to complete your ballot." These issues include "abortion" and "homosexual 'marriage'."
He further states, "These are areas that are 'intrinsically evil' and cannot be supported by anyone who is a believer in God...A well-informed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program that contradicts fundamental contents of faith and morals."
His letter, which was printed on the diocese letterhead, continues, "But what does this have to do with the election? Some candidates and one party have even chosen some of these as their party's or their personal political platform," and to vote for such a candidate or party "means that you could be morally 'complicit' with these choices which are intrinsically evil. This could put your own soul in jeopardy."
Ricken also warns his diocese to "keep in mind" the "aggressive moves by the government to impose the HHS mandate, especially the move to redefine religion so that religion is confined more and more to the four walls of the Church..."
IRS regulations specify that 501(c)(3) organizations, which include churches and other religious organizations, are prohibited from "[participating in or intervening in]...any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."
The issues identified by the bishop in the Oct. 24 article as "intrinsically evil" are generally what distinguish Republican and Democratic social platforms. In Wisconsin, these issues differentiate candidates for federal and state offices, i.e., one candidate for U.S. Senate was anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage, and the other candidate was a lesbian who supports marriage equality and abortion rights.
Ricken's article, published and distributed just two weeks before Election Day, is clearly urging people not to vote for the "one party" that embraces these "evil" positions.
Likewise, a warning that the current HHS mandate is a "dangerous precedent" is a clear reference to the policy of the incumbent candidate for president, Barack Obama. He distinctly refers to the imminent presidential election. Though he does not explicitly state, "Vote for Romney" or any other specific candidate, it is clear to the reader that Ricken is urging members of his diocese to vote against Democratic candidates.
Markert's Nov. 6 letter to the Dallas IRS makes similar points about an article Nov. 1 by Madison Bishop Robert Morlino. Titled "Official guidelines for forming a Catholic conscience in the Diocese of Madison," it was published in the diocesan newspaper.
FFRF urges the IRS to investigate circumstances that led to the churchmen's efforts to influence political races.
Freethought Radio - November 3, 2012 Broadcast
What are the benefits & how do I set up my membership profile online?
Registering to create your own online profile has many other benefits for you and for FFRF. Features include:
• CONTACT INFO & PASSWORD. Manage your contact information (for example, updating your postal address, phone numbers and email addresses) and change your password whenever you wish.
• RENEWAL. Check when your renewal is due and your current level of membership support.
• FFRF FORUM. By creating a Membership Profile, you will have immediate access to the new members-only online Forum. (The old forum will be made read-only: existing forum users can see content but not post new content. You can re-use your forum name if you wish, but being registered on the old ffrf-forum.org does not mean you have a membership profile on the new FFRF.org website. A membership profile is required to use the new forum on FFRF.org)
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• EMAIL SERVICES. Selecting or unselecting FFRF email services, such as FFRF news releases, action alerts, blogs, and Freethought of the Day.
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• AVAILABLE TO MEDIA? You can sign up as a media contact for FFRF in your area. (This is helpful to FFRF, which receives frequent requests by media to speak to local members.)
Three Easy Steps for Creating your Online Membership Profile
- Go to https://ffrf.org/component/rsform/form/7-new-user-registration
- Complete the form, including your first name, a username (this will also be your forum username) and a valid email address, preferably the one that you used when you joined. (You can change this later, if you wish.)
- Click Submit.
Any time you want to access your account, simply click on "My Membership" at the top right of any page on the FFRF website.
Of course, an Online Membership Profile isn't necessary if you prefer to do business with FFRF by mail only. We'll be happy to help you, no matter how you wish to connect with us.
Thank you from the Staff at FFRF!
Freedom From Religion Foundation
PO Box 750
Madison WI 53701
School board prayer out, silence in
Another Pennsylvania school board has decided to drop prayer at board meetings after getting a letter from FFRF. That means FFRF is batting 5 for 5 in recent challenges to prayers by Keystone State school boards.
Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote Aug. 17 on behalf of a local complainant to Glenn Yoder, president of the Eastern Lancaster County Board of School Directors in New Holland.
FFRF is a national state/church watchdog with over 18,500 members, including over 600 in Pennsylvania.
Markert noted that state and federal court have repeatedly ruled that prayers by public school boards are unconstitutional, inappropriate and divisive and cited the relevant cases. (The Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia also wrote the board to complain about its invocations.)
On the weekend of Oct. 20, Superintendent Robert Hollister left a phone message at FFRF's office that said the board would no longer be opening meetings with prayer.
According to unofficial minutes from the Sept. 17 board meeting, meetings will instead open with a moment of silence. The minutes contend there's value in "thoughtful reflection," i.e., prayer, but add "the board doesn't not wish to expose our taxpayers to threat of litigation that these outside groups have implied will occur, because our tax dollars are best spent supporting the education of our children."
The Greencastle-Antrim, Grove City, Octorara Area School Board in Atglen and Big Spring school boards also voted recently to stop praying before meetings after getting FFRF letters.
Billy Graham ministry crosses line with 'coded' ads
The Freedom From Religion Foundation condemns as "blatant politicking" full-page ads by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which make clear whom Graham wants voters to choose for president and U.S. Senate. The ministry ran ads in Sunday's New York Times and in the Wisconsin State Journal two Sundays in a row, as well as in USA Today on Oct. 19, in the Wall Street Journal on Oct. 18, and in "more than a dozen national and battleground state newspapers before Nov. 6," according to Huffington Post.
Billy Graham met with Mitt Romney in his North Carolina home on Oct. 11, where the evangelist tacitly endorsed Romney for president. According to Huffington Post, "Although the Romney campaign stopped short of calling it an endorsement, Graham made it clear at the meeting's conclusion that Romney had his support. After leading a prayer for the Republican nominee, Graham told Romney, 'I'll do all I can to help you. And you can quote me on that.' "
Two days after the meeting, the ministry announced its "vote biblical principles" campaign.
On Sunday, Oct. 21, a full-page ad ran in the Wisconsin State Journal. Graham's face dominated half of the ad, which reproduced his signature. The text attributed to Graham read:
"On November 6, the day before my 94th birthday, our nation will hold one of the most critical elections in my lifetime. We are at a crossroads and there are profound moral issues at stake. I strongly urge you to vote for candidates who support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and woman, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms. The Bible speaks clearly on these crucial issues. Please join me in praying for America, that we will turn our hearts back toward God."
The ad is clearly marked "Paid advertisement by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association," a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. Tax exempt organizations are forbidden by the IRS to engage in partisan politicking, which includes actions making clear whom tax-exempt entities want people to vote for or against.
"It was not necessary for Billy Graham to name names. One presidential candidate has come out in favor of marriage equality for gays and is pro-choice. The other rejects gay marriage and is antiabortion. Ditto for Wisconsin's heated U.S. Senate race, between one candidate who is antiabortion and anti-gay marriage, and the other candidate who is a lesbian who supports marriage equality and abortion rights," noted Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF Co-President.
"This is dirty pool," she added, because taxpayers are subsidizing these ads by virtue of the fact that donations to the Graham ministry are tax-deductible, making it an "unfair political battle."
A similar full-page ad ran again in yesterday's State Journal, as well as the New York Times. The ad featured a photo of the evangelist's face taking up two-thirds of the page, and this statement by him:
"The legacy we leave behind for our children, grandchildren, and this great nation is crucial. As I approach my 94th birthday, I realize this election could be my last. I believe it is vitally important that we cast our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support the nation of Israel. I urge you to vote for those who protect the sanctity of life and support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman. Vote for biblical values this November 6, and pray with me that America will remain one nation under God."
Tax-exempt organizations may engage in voter registration drives. These ads by the Graham ministry, which reported $122 million in net assets for the year 2011, go far beyond that, FFRF contends.
The "coded" message continues at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website, where a majority of banner ads and highlighted links on the homepage work together to send an endorsement message for Romney. These include:
1. A banner ad saying "Vote Biblical Values on November 6. Important Message from Billy Graham" (with his photo) taking readers to copies of the ads the ministry is running around the country.
2. A banner ad saying "Billy Graham Welcomes Mitt Romney," featuring a photo of Romney and Graham, linking to more photos and a press release saying: "It was a privilege to pray with Gov. Romney—for his family and our country." The press release features the same language as the current ads, urging readers "to vote for candidates who will support the biblical definition of marriage, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms."
3. A banner ad saying "Can an Evangelical Vote for a Mormon? Franklin Graham Provides an Answer," linking to a statement by the junior Graham dated Oct. 22, 2012, which concludes: "So, can a Christian vote for a Mormon? The answer is yes."
"These coded messages overall create a clear message of endorsement of a presidential candidate, even picturing Romney with the head of the ministry," said Gaylor.
After Billy Graham's Oct. 21 meeting with Romney, references to Mormonism as a "cult" were "scrubbed" from the ministry's website, according to Religion News Service.
FFRF received many complaints from its North Carolina members and members of the public after Graham was featured in ministry ads supporting the North Carolina referendum to ban gay marriage, which passed this summer. FFRF found no evidence that the ministry had registered with state election officials in North Carolina.
"The Billy Graham Evangelical Association is abusing its tax-exempt status," said Gaylor. FFRF will pursue complaints with appropriate agencies. Read letter to Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.
Freethought Radio - October 27, 2012 Broadcast
Freethought Radio - October 20, 2012 Broadcast
FFRF 'penalizes' Haralson school team chaplain (Feb. 28, 2012)
The Haralson County (Tallapoosa, Ga.) football team will no longer call upon a "team chaplain" to provide religious support, thanks to the Freedom From Religion Foundation Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt. Schmitt wrote Haralson County School District Superintendent Brett Stanton on Sept. 19, 2011.
"A public high school football team should not employ a chaplain, seek out a spiritual leader for the team, or agree to have a volunteer team chaplain." Prior to FFRF's intervention, a local pastor issued sectarian prayers over the loudspeaker before home football games. Schmitt pointed out that it is illegal for a public school to organize, sponsor or lead prayers before public high school athletic events. Appointing a team chaplain was in direct violation of the Constitution.
The school district's legal counsel sent a letter of reply on Feb. 28: "We are confident that any of the situations that gave rise to your concern have been addressed and will not give rise to any concerns during next year's football season or otherwise."
FFRF ends proselytizing by police chief (March 5, 2012)
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has stopped a City of Portage (Wis.) Police Chief from using his public position as a religious soap box.
The Police Chief used his employee email to distribute religious materials to his employees. He also sent employees bible verses, bibles and other devotional material. One such article was titled "Strength for Service to God and Country." And another "The Connection between Spirituality and Policing." In a Jan. 9 letter to the city administrator, FFRF Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt wrote: "It is grossly inappropriate for any government employee, especially the Chief of Police, to distribute religious messages to government employees."
Adding to the Chief's repertoire of egregious state/church abuses was the posting of religious messages in the Police Department lobby and his attendance at a bible study while on duty. He also opened a mandatory employee meeting with a Christian prayer. Under his direction employee "swearing in" ceremonies often included mention of "Jesus." The Chief also maintained an employee prayer board for weekly prayer requests and religious articles.
Schmitt noted that "as the face of local police enforcement, the Chief of Police is charged with great responsibility and has been given significant trust by Portage's citizens, including those citizens and employees who may not share his religious viewpoints."
A city attorney replied to FFRF's letter of complaint on March 5 stating that the Police Chief was "instructed to cease from religious displays or conduct that promotes or has the appearance of promoting sectarian beliefs while performing his duties as the Chief of Police."
FFRF drives home secular message on Pennsylvania buses (March 5, 2012)
The County of Lackawanna Transportation System (COLTS) in Scranton, Pa., will no longer display "God Bless America" on its buses, thanks to the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
FFRF Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt sent a Feb. 10 letter of complaint to Executive Director Robert Fiume. "It is inappropriate for COLTS buses to display 'God Bless America' messages on its buses because it conveys government support for belief in a god," wrote Schmitt. The COLTS buses included the overtly sectarian message via an electronic ticker. The transportation system used federal, state and county resources to share their message with passerby and was directly responsible for the 'God Bless America' sign placement.
Fiume confirmed on March 5 that the bus company had "updated its PR software to reflect only secular messages."


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USS Zhukov
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|USS Zhukov
|United Federation of Planets
|Active (2368)
The USS Zhukov (NCC-26136) was a Federation Ambassador-class heavy cruiser that was in service with Starfleet in the mid-24th century. Zhukov was under the command of Captain Gleason.
Reginald Barclay served on the Zhukov prior to his transfer to the USS Enterprise-D in 2366. (TNG: "Hollow Pursuits")
In early 2367, the Zhukov conducted a cultural observation mission on Alpha Laputa IV. (TNG: "Brothers")
Later that year, the Zhukov rendezvoused with the Enterprise-D in order to transfer Federation ambassador T'Pel to the ship. (TNG: "Data's Day")
In 2368, the Zhukov transferred several science teams to the Enterprise-D in preparation for its mission to the Phoenix Cluster. (TNG: "The Game")
|Ambassador-class starships
|USS Enterprise-C • USS Excalibur • USS Horatio • USS Yamaguchi • USS Zhukov
Background InformationEdit
The Zhukov was seen only in "Data's Day." In that appearance, the registry on the hull was given as NCC-62136 and its name was misspelled as "Zuhkov." These markings were not visible on screen and were later determined to be production flubs.
A corrected registry of NCC-26136 appeared in an okudagram displayed in the observation lounge starting around TNG Season 4. This information appeared on the starship mission status screen.
According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia, "the Zhukov was named for Soviet Marshal Grigori [sic] Konstantinovich Zhukov (1896-1974)."
- According to the Star Trek: Stargazer novel Enigma, the commanding officer of the Zhukov in the year 2333 is Captain Reynolds.
- The Star Trek: The Lost Era novel Deny Thy Father states Captain D'Emilio served as commanding officer during the 2350s and that Erik Pressman served previously on the ship under D'Emilio's command.
- In the Pocket TNG novel Reunion, the Zhukov is William T. Riker's first assignment on graduation from Starfleet Academy.
- Similarly, the video game Star Trek: Starship Creator establishes the Zhukov as Reginald Barclay's first assignment.
- The Star Trek roleplaying game Starships states the Zhukov discovered the twin parallax stars of Ullais between 2362 and 2374.
- In The Captain's Table novel Dujonian's Hoard, the Zhukov visits Madigoor IV in 2374 in order to attend a conference there.
- In the video game Star Trek: Bridge Commander, set in 2378, the Zhukov is assigned to Starbase 12 as a support ship. It escorts the USS Sovereign back to Starbase 12 after the latter suffered a breakdown of its warp systems. It can be later chosen to assist the player in a tactical attack at the Alioth system. It's commanded by the Andorian captain, Milus Verata.
External linksEdit
- USS Zhukov (NCC-26136) at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- USS Zhukov at StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek website
bg:USS Жуков cs:USS Zhukov de:USS Zhukov es:USS Zhukov fr:USS Zhukov (NCC-26136) ja:USSズーコフ nl:USS Zhukov


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The Colgate Raiders, located in Hamilton, New York, and currently sitting at 7-4 on the season, are another Division I men's team outfitted this season in custom Maverik gear.
The Raiders—competing in the Patriot League and coached by Mike Murphy—have custom Maverik Rome NXT gloves this season, featuring the team's maroon, silver and white colorway and the 'Gate logo on the cuff. The custom Maverik H2 handle features a silver finish with "Raiders" printed right on the handle.
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EMBO Young Scientists' Forum
The EMBO Young Scientists' Forum aims to bring together young European researchers in order to motivate and inspire students for the life sciences.
The meeting, which is held annually, takes place each year in one of the countries participating in the EMBO Installation Grants and is organized by local Installation Grantees. It provides the opportunity to European PhD students, postdocs and junior investigators to interact with some of Europe's most promising young scientists, members of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme.
Students and postdocs have the possibility to present their work as short talks and as posters. Poster sessions and a social event provide a friendly environment for informal discussions of the policies and practices for doing world-class science.
The next meeting will take place in 2016 in Portugal.
Previous meetings:
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2016
|1 - 2 September 2016
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2015
|2 - 3 Jul 2015
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2014
|29 - 30 May 2014
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2013
|15 - 16 Jul 2013
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2012
|14 - 16 Jun 2012
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2011
|30 Jun - 1 Jul 2011
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2010
|8 - 10 Jun 2010
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2009
|15 - 17 Jun 2009
|EMBO Young Scientists' Forum 2008
|20 - 22 Feb 2008
Find an Installation Grantee
Access the Installation Grantee database.
Installation Grants
EMBO Installation Grants aim to strengthen science in participating Member States* by encouraging talented young researchers to establish independent laboratories in these countries at the early stages of their career. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Portugal and Turkey are participating in the 2016 call.
Institutions and successful job candidates apply together to gain funding beyond normal start-up packages. The commitment and support of the receiving institute during and beyond the tenure of the grant is regarded as essential. This is meant to ensure continued support of the academic career of the recipient.
Successful applicants receive an annual support of 50,000 euro for three to five years and benefits similar to those of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. Installation Grantees are integrated into the EMBO Young Investigator network to benefit from the offered support.
The scheme is funded primarily by the EMBC Member States who elect to participate in the programme. It is administered by the EMBO Young Investigator Programme.
Search the Installation Grants database for the 71 grants, which have been funded since 2006.
* Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Portugal and Turkey; Croatia is not participating in the 2016 call. Researchers going to EMBC Member States that are not listed here can contact their delegates.
Apply for an Installation Grant
Applicants must:
- have an excellent publication record
- be negotiating a full-time position at an institute/university in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Portugal or Turkey by the date of application, or have established a laboratory in one of these countries in the last two years (counted from 1 Jan in year of application).
- have, in the four years prior to application, spent at least two consecutive years outside the country in which they are applying to establish their laboratory.
Further restrictions:
- applicants who have not yet started their new position, must take-up the position and start the grant by 31 December in the year following application. For successful applicants who have already established their laboratories the grant start date is 1 January in the year following application.
Deadline 15 April each year.
The 2017 deadline is at 14:00 CEST on 15 April.
Application process:
Applications are accepted via an online system. There is an online form for both the scientist and receiving institute. Please refer to our application guidelines (PDF) before starting your application.
The online system asks the scientist to provide:
- CV data and summary of planned research
- Details of the person who will complete the receiving institute form on behalf of the host institute*
- Details for three referees*
- A completed "IG scientist application form" (doc)
- Please refer to the application guidelines (PDF) when completing this form.
- Details of any other funding sources available to the applicant.
* Important note: The details of the referees and host institute should be submitted as soon as possible. You can continue to update your online form until the deadline. Reference letters and information about the host institute are automatically requested by the online system. They are only accepted via the online system and must be submitted by the deadline.
The receiving institute contact will be sent a link and password by email to access and complete the receiving institute form online. They will also be emailed a "Receiving Institute Confirmation Form" (doc) which must be signed by the head of the institute and posted in original to the address on the form.
The receiving institute will be asked to describe:
- the institute's infrastructure
- available equipment
- relevant colleagues (i.e. show that the scientists at the institute work in areas that are relevant to the applicant's research)
- the duties of the applicant (note that the applicant is expected to have limited teaching and administrative duties)
- details of the offer that is being made to the applicant. The offer should go beyond a position and laboratory space.
Selection of EMBO Installation Grantees is made by the EMBO Young Investigator Committee. The number of grants to be awarded is decided by the the Strategic Installation Grant Board, which is made up of representatives from participating EMBC Members States.
Selection process:
- Initial screening to ensure eligibility requirements are met.
- Pre-screening of applications: approximately 50% are selected for interview with an EMBO Member who is an expert in their research area.
- The pre-screen focuses primarily on the track record of the candidate and offer by the host institute.
The aspects considered in particular by the EMBO Young Investigator Committee when ranking applicants are:
Track record
- Are the publications to date an indication that this is an outstanding scientist?
- Please note that EMBO is a signatory of DORA and does not use journal-based metrics such as impact factor for evaluation.
- Has the applicant shown a willingness to change research area/direction of research, which is an indication of an ability to tackle new and important problems?
- Is the proposed research interesting and realistic?
Group and Research environment
- Is the research environment conducive to competitive research?
- Are the number of laboratory members and the available funds sufficient to undertake the described research?
Offer by the host institute
- Does the host institute provide a good environment for the applicant, i.e. sufficient lab space, basic lab equipment, access to central facilities, availability of funding for students/technicians/post docs, colleagues relevant to the applicant's area of research etc.
- What are the teaching requirements and other responsibilities of the applicant? Is the time that can be dedicated to research sufficient?
- An offer that is not considered adequate for the project presented by the applicant will receive low scores and as a result, may not be funded.
- Is the candidate intellectually and financially independent?
The EMBO Installation Grant is a financial award of 50,000 euros per year for three to five years from the host EMBC Member State. The extension for the fourth and fifth years will be granted subject to a positive review in the third year. All current grantees can also apply for small grants of up to 10,000 euros per year from funds provided by EMBO Council.
EMBO Installation Grantees are fully integrated into the EMBO Young Investigator Programme and benefit from the extensive networking opportunities and practical support this programme offers.
Installation Grantees are encouraged to interact with each other, EMBO Young Investigators, EMBL group leaders and the growing network of former programme members.
Funded activities include:
- Joint group meetings
- Collaboration visits
- Travel costs to give a seminar at another programme members' institute
- Lab member research visits
- Access to EMBL Core Facilities
- The annual EMBO Young Investigator meeting
- Special interest groups organizing sectoral meetings on a number of topics
- Grants for attending or organizing conferences
- Training in basic management skills through EMBO Laboratory Management Courses
- An annual campaign highlighting vacancies in programme members' laboratories
- Annual course for PhD students from programme members' laboratories
- Mentorship by an EMBO Member
- an on-line training course on responsible conduct of research, which was co-developed by the EMBO Science Policy Programme.
Detailed information about benefits are listed in the Young Investigator Programme guide (pdf).
Visit, parcel or courier address
Meyerhofstrasse 1,
69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Postal address
Postfach 1022.40,
69012 Heidelberg, Germany


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Killington draft budget starts at 1 cent tax increaseBy Cristina Kumka
STAFF WRITER | November 21,2012KILLINGTON — The first draft of the town budget is $87,639 more than last year's budget and includes a 1 cent tax rate hike, after the town plan to cover more than $780,000 in Tropical Storm Irene expenses.
The proposed spending plan of $3,846,128 — up 2.3 percent compared to last year's budget of $3,758,489 — was put on the table of the three-man Select Board Tuesday of last week.
In the coming weeks, the Board will hear the budget reports of each municipal department in an attempt to preserve the proposals or trim them.
Town Manager Seth Webb prepared the first draft with broad goals from the Select Board, and in an email last week said the proposed budget addressed all the town's debt obligations, while helping the "employees we have" — with an average 2 percent cost of living salary increase.
That's offset, according to Webb's plan, by having fewer full-time staff in 2013, less overhead and reduced health care costs to the town.
The largest percentage cuts are to the town's Economic Development and Tourism Department — $54,500 is being saved by not employing a full-time director to replace former EDT Director Suzie Dundas, $24,120 is being saved on special events in the summer and fall and $43,072 is being saved on marketing, according to the draft plan.
According to Webb, he thinks the Board can further reduce the budget to keep municipal taxes level.
"I want to work with the board over the next couple of months to finalize this proposal for Town Meeting — and fund our priorities without raising taxes," Webb wrote in an email.
At the meeting last week, Webb said he would additionally take on the responsibility of running the EDT department.
He also proposed outsourcing town bookkeeping while billing the town golf course operation for accounting services.
The draft plan includes more money for police cruisers and more capital improvement money for the volunteer fire department.
Selectman Jim Haff suggested the Board look into contracting with the fire department so there would be more oversight of where the budgeted money is going and questioned salary increases for employees when, he said, many residents haven't gotten 2 percent raises this year.
The next budget meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
rutlandherald.comMORE 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
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"I've been listening to the Catholic Answers Live podcast for about a year now. Today I heard Patrick Coffin say you were reaching all nations, and I felt I had to confirm it! I love your show and I learn every day. Thank you very much!"
~ Sylvia, São Paulo, Brazil
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"Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are travelling, and when we are at rest."
~ St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his "Catecheses" (xiii, 36), on the sign of the cross, a practice familiar to Christians in the second century and which had passed into a gesture of benediction by the fourth century, as many quotations from the Fathers show


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Norma Lauder Scholarship Fund
The Class of 2012 established a scholarship fund as its class gift. Named the Norma Lauder Scholarship Fund, its purpose is to provide financial support to future MS Tax students so that they, too, can pursue an MST. The scholarship is designed so that each graduating class will select a recipient(s) from the incoming student body. The long-term goal is to build the fund to an endowment level so that it will support two annual scholarships on an ongoing basis.
So that we can reach the goal of building and sustaining an endowment fund that will ensure the opportunity for qualified candidates to reap the benefits of an ILLINOIS MST, we hope that you will join other MS Tax Program Alumni, Faculty, Board of Advisors and Friends in making a tax-deductible contribution to the fund. Providing this extra financial support to high caliber incoming students will strengthen the tax profession by enabling them to have the opportunity of becoming more complete tax professionals.
You can make your donation either online or by mail, as outlined below. On behalf of the Illinois MS Tax Program and alums – Thank you!
Please indicate the donation amount and which fund(s) you would like your donation directed to. After confirming the amount, you will be directed to the University of Illinois Foundation's secure Online Giving site for your personal and credit card information.
Thank you for your donation!


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Job Overview
Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are not readily available in the military, but crucial to support military operations. The Army integrates the talents and skills of its military and civilian members to form a Total Army.
About the Position:
Click here for more information on Pathways program participants.
Position(s) will be filled under the Department of the Army Pathways Intern Program.
The Department of the Army Pathways Internship Program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with opportunities to work in the Department of Army and explore Federal careers while still in school and while getting paid for the work performed.
The Department of the Army Pathways Interns may be converted to a permanent position within 120 days of successful completion of the program.
To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Interns must:
- Be a U.S. Citizen
- Complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program
- Complete their degree or certificate requirements
- Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted
- Meet agency-specific requirements as specified in the Participant's Agreement, and;
- Perform their job successfully as documented through performance evaluations and/or completion of an Individual Development Plan (IDP)
To learn more about the Pathways Internship Program, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/program/interns/.LOCATION:
Pierre, SD (Oahe Project Office)
INITIAL CUT-OFF DATE IS: 14-MAY-2013 (After the initial cut-off date, referrals will be issued on an "as needed" basis.)
Who May Apply: Department of the Army Internship Program Eligibles in the Local Commuting Area. Local Commuting Area is defined as the surrounding localities in which it can be reasonably expected to travel back and forth daily.
Department of the Army Internship Program Eligibles
Positions are open to:
- Current students in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate.
Performs routine maintenance and janitorial work required, such as painting, scrubbing, sweeping, debris removal, litter pickup, pulls weeds and other tasks. On occasion, cuts or trims grass using waling mower or hand clippers of light or moderate weight. Digs ditches and trenches, fills and levels holes, cleans and stores hand tools. Washes, cleans and polishes automotive equipment such as automobiles, pickup trucks, etc. Uses a variety of common hand tools in performing simple maintenance or repair jobs.
Travel Required
- Not Required


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Jail for West Rutland robberNovember 29,2012A St. Albans man convicted of robbing a pharmacy in West Rutland was sentenced to 40 months behind bars this week.
Christopher J. McCarthy, 43, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of obstructing commerce by robbery.
On Monday, Judge Christina Reiss sentenced McCarthy to more than three years in jail followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay $405 in restitution to Rite Aid.
McCarthy was arrested on Feb. 11 hours after he approached a clerk at the pharmacy and handed her a note that demanded prescription painkiller drugs and the promise that if the demands were met no one will get hurt.
In an interview with police, McCarthy said he was addicted to the drugs and robbed the pharmacy out of desperation.
McCarthy was originally charged in a Vermont court, but the state dismissed its charge against him in April to allow the federal charge to be brought.MORE IN This Just InPolice: Chase
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Operation Christmas Child exports love
Each year, families, churches and groups of all kinds gather toys, gloves, socks, art supplies and many other gifts to begin packing shoe boxes for their long trip to children in other countries.
The gifts, part of Operation Christmas Child, signal to many the beginning of the Christmas season.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of the international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse, has collected more than 94 million shoe box gifts and hand-delivered them to children in more than 130 countries. Some of these youngsters are survivors of natural disasters, war, famine and poverty. The hope is that they know they are loved and not forgotten.
Locally, the gifts are collected at local businesses such as Big Lots of Elkins, and are trucked out to a Operation Christmas Child Processing Center, located in Boone, N.C.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, a group of volunteers from the First United Methodist Church in Elkins made a trip to the processing center to inspect and pack the gift-filled shoe boxes into shipping cartons for their long journey to Africa. They were joined by hundreds of other volunteers age 13 to 90, travelings from several states to be part of the world's largest Christmas children's project.
While the volunteers were there, approximately 100,000 shoe box gifts were processed at the center. Members of the group included Ryan Urban, Sam Urban, Ann Urban, Carolyn Shepler, Mark Phipps, Russell Linger, Betty Linger, Dan Williams, Karen Quasny and Bob Cowgill.
Members of the group said they were blessed to be a part of a group with such a wide variety of young and old.
They were especially impressed by the youth, who worked with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm.There were jobs for everyone, packaging candy and hygiene items, folding T-shirts, inspecting the contents of the boxes and packing the shoe boxes into shipping cartons. There was even a "shoebox hospital" to fix damaged shoe boxes and torn wrapping.
While at the processing center, the group visited with Franklin Graham and his wife, Jane who took the time to visit all the work stations to meet the volunteers and thank them for coming. Graham is the son of evangelist Billy Graham and is president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse.
Operation Christmas Child celebrated 20 years of ministry this year. Since 1993 the program has delivered more than 103 million shoe box gifts to children in crisis situations all over the world.


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Did you know?
In the morning, lemurs warm themselves in the sun while sitting in tranquil yoga positions.
A ring-tailed lemur at Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary casts a calculating sidelong glance at one of the vervet monkeys and starts rubbing his wrists up and down his long, barred, floating tail.
Stink fight time.
The vervet knows something is up, but stink fighting for status is a foreign concept for these African primates. He gives the lemur a last baffled look before leaping up to rejoin his mates in the high yellowwood trees.
For the most part, though, the 15-odd species that share this virgin Tsitsikamma forest along the Garden Route live happily ignoring one another.
Conservationist Tony Blignaut started Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary near Plettenberg Bay in 1998, and it has quickly become one of the best Garden Route attractions.
This is the first place in the world where different species of monkeys, all born in captivity, can roam free in a massive forest sanctuary.
Many of them had never even seen trees before when they first arrived, and are sometimes nervous and unskilled. "I remember the time we released the first squirrel monkeys from their cage, and a little later, it was like raining monkeys, plop, plop, out the trees. But they learned fast," grins Tony.
Many monkeys are former pets, others come from zoos where they've outbred the available space. Some of the zoo-bred lemurs took months before they'd climb higher than 2m, the height of their previous enclosure. Now you'd swear they had always been wild.
The newly arrived captive-bred monkeys learn which forest berries and leaves are good to eat from the resident troop of wild, indigenous vervet monkeys.
To see these cheerful creatures at treetop level, take a walk along Monkeyland's suspension bridge, the longest in Africa. You'll also probably see Atlas the gibbon whoop to his mate, and hear the black-and-white ruffed lemurs fill the forest with their wild chanting.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary
Tel: +27 (0)44 534 8906
Cell: +27 (0)82 979 5683
Email: email@example.com
How to get here
Monkeyland is situated about 20km from Plettenberg Bay, close to a tiny settlement called The Crags. It's off the N2 national road, and is very well signposted.
Around the area
The adjoining Birds of Eden aviary is a memorable experience. This is the largest free-fllight aviary in the world, with 280 species of birds to see in your own time.
Get around
The guided walks are highly recommended.
What will it cost
Entrance is free to Monkeyland itself, and you're welcome to eat in the restaurant or just sit on the deck where you'll see and hear monkeys. But a one-hour guided walk will cost R150 per adult and R75 per child (aged 3 to 12). If you'd like to see the adjoining Birds of Eden park, there's a discounted combined fee of approximately R240 for adults and R120 for children.
Length of stay
Set aside at least three or four hours if you'd like to see Monkeyland and Birds of Eden. Spend around an hour or two at Monkeyland to really appreciate the experience.
Where to stay
There's plenty of accommodation on the Garden Route. Monkeyland is also close to the beautiful seaside town of Nature's Valley where you will find SANParks accommodation and camping facilities next to the Groot River.
What to eat
There's a fantastic farmstall called Nature's Way on the road down towards Nature's Valley where you can enjoy tea and scones.
What's happening
Monkeyland and Birds of Eden are wheelchair friendly.


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She is the daughter of Jeb and Lee Ann Bauer and the granddaughter of Betty Bauer, all of Refugio.
The Dean's List honors outstanding academic achievement by full-time undergraduate students who achieve at least a 3.5 GPA out of a possible 4.0 during a regular semester.
Bauer earned a 4.0 while taking 16 hours during this past semester.


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Erik Kehoe was a budding Amateur star in the late 1970s. The baby-faced kid from Granada Hills, California, was the talk of the motocross industry. He owned the 80cc class when it was considered the hotbed of the sport, and his reign extended as far as Ponca City. Yamaha was quick to notice Kehoe's talent, and soon the soft-spoken son of a machinist was on the road to a factory ride.
Unfortunately, Kehoe's professional racing career didn't start off well. In 1981, shortly after Erik turned Pro, his ankle got sucked into his swingarm. The broken ankle ended his career with Team Yamaha, and no other factory sponsorships were forthcoming. After two years on a privateer Honda (the second year he finished second overall in the 125 Nationals), Kehoe was rewarded with an offer from Suzuki. He repaid their generosity with two wins and a second-place finish overall in the 125 Nationals. In fact, Erik won 125 Nationals for four straight years, beginning in 1985. He had the speed to win but never captured the coveted title.
Kehoe's career ended just the way it began?with an injury. In 1994, while riding for Honda of Troy, Erik endoed off a jump at Mt. Morris and broke his back. After the injury, he was forced to realize he could no longer continue with the racing grind. Fortunately, a good friend helped Kehoe transition into life as a team manager, first at Honda of Troy and eventually at factory Honda, where he worked until the end of 2012. He spent the last few years before his retirment from the business end of motocross as the Team Honda manager.
MXA watched Erik Kehoe grow up, following him to the far corners of the earth, and documenting his races for the magazine. Feeling nostalgic, we wanted to sit down with Erik, get out the scrapbook, and discuss some of his fondest racing memories.
"This photo was taken in my garage in Granada Hills. That's my father on the right, and we're working on my Yamaha YZ80. I was about 14 years old at the time. My dad taught me how to work on bikes. He worked for an aircraft company, and he would make modifications to parts that were failing. I actually had a C.C. Specialty grinding kit, and I was doing some of the porting on my YZ80. It was a very interesting time, because I was learning about motorcycles.
"I actually started working on the neighborhood kids' mopeds. I would raise the exhaust a couple of millimeters to give the mopeds more top-end power. Once word spread, I soon had a line of guys wanting me to port their moped engines [laughter]."
"I won all three classes at Ponca City in 1979. I raced the 80cc stock and modified classes, as well as the 105cc class. At the time, it was a big deal to win all of those classes at Ponca. Loretta Lynn's hadn't been started yet, so Ponca and World Mini were the biggest amateur races of the year. I was a Yamaha-backed rider, and Ed Scheidler gave me support.
"Believe it or not, my dad dislocated his shoulder the same day this photo was taken. A rider in my class blew off the side of the track and hit my dad. When I came around the track by the mechanic's area and saw him sprawled out on the ground with the medical crew all around him, I was leading the race. I didn't know what was going on. Imagine riding by as your father is down on the ground. It was very strange, but being a kid, I couldn't help but laugh. Fortunately, he was okay."
"In 1980, I rode a YZ80 for the first half of the year, and then I went to the Houston Astrodome for an Amateur Supercross and rode the 125 Intermediate class. I also raced an Amateur National at Millville that year. In 1981, I moved up to the Pro class and rode for Factory Yamaha.
"Unfortunately, I broke my ankle really badly at Arroyo Cycle Park, which is now Glen Helen. I got my ankle stuck in the swingarm after I dragged my foot back and it got sucked up. The medics had to take the bike apart to free my leg. I ended up losing my factory ride, but Yamaha gave me a support ride in 1982.
"This photo is from 1982, because I'm on the production bike and not on the factory Yamaha. I finished eighth overall in the 125 Nationals. I had some good races, even though it was a privateer effort against full-factory bikes. My results helped me land a good deal with Honda for the following year."
"I had a Honda support ride in 1983 and '84. It looks like I'm battling with Troy Blake at Saddleback in this photo from 1983. The Honda CR125 was a very interesting bike; I thought it was very good. In 1984, I rode for Honda again as a support rider. I led some Nationals and ran up front on production equipment. This was before the production rule. The factory bikes were all pretty gnarly, but I managed to do well and get attention. At the end of 1984, Suzuki contacted me, and then I signed a deal with them for 1985."
"This is a classic photo. I believe this is from Hangtown in 1986. That's George Holland behind me. We were archrivals, and we always seemed to end up around the same spot on the track. He ended up riding for factory Suzuki, and we became teammates. We formed a friendship during the week when we were testing. He was a really good guy. Of course when it came time for the weekend, we became enemies [laughter].
"I have a funny story about George. Before I knew him, I raced Indian Dunes on Friday nights. I would win the 80 Expert class every week. One night, I remember getting the holeshot and leading. All of a sudden, I heard this Honda XR75 four-stroke on my butt the whole race. I won, but as I pulled off the track, I looked to see who the kid was. He had the name Holland on the back of his jersey. That was the first time I had ever seen George Holland. He was riding this fire-breathing XR75, and he stuck with me."
"Look at that bike! Mitch Payton was making exhaust pipes for Suzuki from time to time. The factory had a pipe that everyone called the ?Guppy pipe.' We would test with Mitch quite a bit, and the whole year he was trying to make a pipe that was better than the Guppy pipe. He never could, and it ate him up. Still, to this day, Mitch bugs me about it. He can't let it go! He still thinks that he had the Guppy pipe beat and that I just didn't want to pick his exhaust.
"Note the conventional forks. I still believe that conventional forks work great outdoors. I liked the forks on my Suzuki. Bob Hannah was on the team at the time, and we tested the upside-down forks. They were stiff and precise for Supercross, but they had a harsh feeling for outdoor riding. The conventional forks had really good traction. I liked those forks."
"I always liked to race at Mammoth Mountain [where this photo was taken]. It was great for training, and I had a lot of local friends that would go there and race. Mammoth was an off-weekend on the National schedule, and I'd race in order to stay sharp.
"The 1989 RM125 worked pretty well, but it also had flaws. One of the biggest challenges for me with that bike was getting good starts. I don't know if it was a horsepower issue or what, but I could never get a start on that bike when the area in front of the gate was disced deep. I still finished ninth overall in the 125 Nationals. I finished inside the top-10 overall point standings from 1982 through 1989."
"This is a shot of me from Washougal. What's interesting is that my bike had On The Line graphics. I can remember the guy from On The Line Racing. He was connected with Honda a bit. He had a race team for a season or two, and I'm on his bike.
"At the time, I consulted with Mitch Payton quite a bit. Hondas seemed to be the most reliable and best-performing bikes. I was still supporting my racing career mostly by myself, and the bikes were reliable. Mitch started his Peak Honda team in 1991. He had a lot of Honda equipment, and he had good engine packages that I could use."
"I still vividly remember that race. It was at Gainesville, Florida, in 1993. Jeremy McGrath was just starting to dominate. He won the Supercross title in his rookie 250 season, and we had an epic battle in the second moto at Gainesville. I was riding for Honda of Troy on a CR250. We were running first and second the entire race, and we must have passed one another four times. It came down to the last corner of the last lap. I protected the inside line, but it was slower. Jeremy swept around the outside and kept his speed up. I started grabbing gears out of the corner and I never shut off. I hit the finish-line jump wide open and went 30 feet farther than anyone else had jumped the whole day. I landed in the braking bumps and blew my front wheel out. I didn't care, because I won! It was one of my last really good memories from the Nationals.
"I always had a lot of fun racing with Jeremy. You could trust him, and his line selection was clean. He never tried to take me out."
"I bounced back and forth between the 125 and 250 classes quite a few times. When I first started racing Supercross, there wasn't a 125 class. I went from riding 80s in 1980 to a 250 in Supercross in 1981. It was a huge step. Now that I look back on that time, I wish I had remained an Amateur for another season so that I could have gotten stronger. I got hurt right away when I turned Pro, but at the time I thought that I could conquer the world.
"I dabbled in the 250 class throughout my career. I had some top-five finishes, and I won a few events in Europe, but I never won a 250 Supercross in the U.S. I was always more mentally and physically fit for the Nationals, because it was what I preferred."
"I broke my back at the Mt. Morris National in 1994. I crashed in the first practice session over a jump. There was a big uphill leading to a jump before the finish line. I was cruising around the track, and maybe my bike was running too rich, but I came around to hit the jump and the engine sputtered. I thought I had enough speed, but I went into an endo and landed short. I flipped over the bars and landed on my back.
"I laid in a hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, for about a week. The doctors went back and forth about whether I should have surgery. While in the hospital, I spoke to Phil Alderton, the owner of Honda of Troy, on the phone and told him that I had to get out of the hospital. Phil was known for extravagant spending sometimes, and he chartered an air ambulance for me from Morgantown to Los Angeles. I think it set him back about $40,000, but he understood my plight. It was very cool of Phil to do that."
"At that point, I realized that I was done racing professionally. Phil Alderton was a really good friend of mine. He offered me the position of managing and learning the business side of the sport. The partnership seemed natural. I had already been doing some managing for a while when I had support rides, so the transition was fairly smooth. I learned how to put all the pieces together with the Honda of Troy race team."
"I still ride. I have a 14-year-old son who loves to ride and race motocross. We try to keep it fun. The Day in the Dirt is a great event, and we try to do it as often as we can. I had to have my hip replaced about three years ago. I missed out on some riding, but I'm feeling good again. I still have fun riding, and that's what matters."