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Vt health exchange coughs to lifeBy Neal P. Goswami
VERMONT PRESS BUREAU | October 02,2013Toby Talbot / AP Photo
Workers at the Vermont Health Connect call center in Burlington talk to customers Tuesday. It was the official startup date for Vermont Health Connect.MONTPELIER State officials are hailing Tuesdays launch of an online health insurance marketplace as a success, but opponents were quick to denounce the new system as the online portal immediately experienced technical issues.
Tuesday marked the debut of Vermont Health Connect, the states version of the online health insurance exchanges required under the federal Affordable Care Act, widely referred to as Obamacare.
Starting Jan. 1, individuals and small businesses with fewer than 50 employees in Vermont will be required to buy health insurance on the exchange. It is expected to serve about 100,000 people.
The marketplace allows consumers to compare plans and prices offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Care and then enroll. It also allows consumers to see if they are eligible for state subsidies and federal tax credits to help cover the cost of insurance.
But the much-touted launch was far from smooth. The website was slow to load or failed to load for many people. Officials said heavy traffic on the site was to blame.
As of 4 p.m. about 8,500 unique visitors had been to the site. About 600 people had contacted a call center that also launched Tuesday, according to Emily Yahr, a Vermont Health Connect spokeswoman.
Technical issues were expected as the state implements the sweeping change in health care, officials said.
We certainly know that its an issue. Were aware of it and were working on it, and well have it resolved as soon as we can, said Robin Lunge, the Shumlin administrations director of health care reform.
We certainly anticipated that there would be some bumps in the road, she said, so we were not surprised that there were some challenges.
A technical team was working Tuesday to address issues with the site and improve its performance, she said.
My understanding is that theres a process that IT goes through when theyre looking at website slowness, Lunge said. They have been working through their step-by-step process to eliminate issues. Theyve eliminated a number of issues, so theyre narrowing it down.
Susan Klein, executive director of the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce and one of 250 exchange navigators who will help Vermonters understand and use the new system, said her attempts to access the site Tuesday morning were unsuccessful. The site loaded in the afternoon, but she said she was still unable to register.
My first task was to try to register myself as a navigator. I was not able to get that far, she said.
The site seemed to be overloaded, Klein said.
I think theres quite a traffic jam. Everybody is trying to get through the same door at the same time, she said.
Still, Vermonters have plenty of time to access the exchange and choose a health care plan that suits them during the open enrollment period, Klein said. Most Vermonters are not yet inclined to do so anyway, she said.
I think people are not quite in a panic to get enrolled at this point, Klein said.
Vermont is one of 14 states that designed its own online marketplace. Most states opted to let the federal government build and implement theirs. Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin was quick to embrace federal health care reform and the $172 million in funding provided by the Obama administration to create the exchange.
Mark Larson. commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health Access, touted the benefits the exchange will provide Vermonters.
I am proud of our staff for their hard work to date, and I am confident that commitment will continue as Vermonters access the marketplace to make smart health coverage decisions over the course of the six month open-enrollment period, Larson said in a statement.
Today marks a crucial first step in Vermonts move to provide quality coverage, help small businesses and Vermonters afford insurance, and control the staggering increases in health care costs, he added.
States across the country also experienced technical glitches as their sites launched. Even the federal site, for the 36 states using the exchange set up by the federal government, was similarly hampered. President Barack Obama said during remarks Tuesday afternoon in the Rose Garden that more than 1 million people had visited the site by 7 a.m.
Despite the problems with Vermonts exchange site, Lunge called Tuesdays launch successful.
We think that today is an important milestone and is a success, she said.
More than 330 Vermonters registered Tuesday, according to Lunge. Others were simply reviewing their options, she said. The system is expected to allow consumers to begin paying for insurance plans Nov. 1.
We definitely have had folks create accounts. We know folks have been spending time on the website shopping and looking for plans as well, she said.
But opponents of health care reform seized on the glitches as a sign that Obamas signature achievement was failing.
Darcie Johnston, whose advocacy group Vermonters for Health Care Freedom has been declaring for some time that the exchange would not be ready for launch, said Shumlin and other officials have not been up front with Vermonters about the exchanges limitations.
Gov. Shumlin should tell the truth and tell the truth fast, Johnston said.
The systems failures Tuesday raise significant questions about whether the exchange will be able to begin offering coverage as planned in January, she said.
I dont see the success, or anywhere close to it, or the confidence in the system, that is going to allow people to have coverage come Jan. 1, Johnston said.
At some point people have to pay for health care. The governor has now said Nov. 1. OK, theyll do what they do between now and Nov. 1 and well see if they can pay. My bet is they cant.
email@example.com IN Vermont NewsMONTPELIER Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. Full StoryVermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell plans to join the U.S. Full StoryMONTPELIER Gov. Full Story
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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.
1) If a build month ends on a Wednesday ( let's say April 30th, 1969 for this example ), that would be a 04E build date. The following month starts on the next day, Thursday in this example. Would Thursday & Friday count as 05A? What if there was only one day ( Friday ) left in the week that starts the new month? Does Friday count as 05A?Steve
OK, now I'm lost here I have a 06B car which would to me would say the car was built the second week of june correct? the second week of june in 1967 starts on sunday the 11 and goes to saturday the 17 my SMO on the car is the 12th which is a MONDAY so explain it to me please thanks phil
Yes Gary,But with 912 cars finished per day, how far can it possibly be off?Steve

subset: commoncrawl


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Insight Home | Previous Article | Next Article
Issue 3, 2012
Technology Update: Virtual Prototyping Goes Mainstream
Recent developments make virtual prototyping even easier to use for both software and model developers. Nithya Ruff, director, virtual prototyping solutions, Synopsys, explains how virtual prototyping is helping a growing number of developer teams get to market faster with higher-quality software solutions.
Developing complex embedded systems is an increasingly expensive business. According to the research firm IBS, System-on-Chip (SoC) development costs soared from $20 million at 90nm to nearly $100 million at 32nm, and software development is the fastest-growing component of that cost. Typically, 56% of embedded projects are late, with developers spending almost a quarter of the schedule in test and debug¹. Furthermore, software debugging in projects is a critical issue facing many developers and ranks as the most important element of a project's success (Figure 1, UBM 2012 Market Study).
Figure 1: Results from UBM's 2012 Embedded Market Study
On the other hand, those companies able to enter the market earlier with higher production volumes stand to gain substantially. Accelerating software development by seven months over a two-and-a-half year development cycle can yield an additional $50 million in revenue over the production life cycle (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Speeding software development yields substantial revenues
It's not surprising then that a growing number of software teams are embracing techniques and processes that can help them accelerate development cycles and create higher-quality code. They are then able to continue to use these techniques when alternatives, like boards, are available giving developers an edge with respect to better product development.
While virtual prototyping solutions have been on the market for several years, the increase in software complexity and the explosion of development costs are driving demand by mainstream users.
What Are Virtual Prototypes?Virtual prototypes are fast, fully functional software models of systems under development. Because virtual prototypes execute unmodified production code, engineers can develop software without having to wait for hardware (chips or development boards) to become available. This can give the software team a 9-12 month advantage over traditional approaches to developing embedded systems and make it easier to deploy the system when hardware does become available. Once hardware becomes available, virtual prototypes can be used to debug hard to find problems and provide more system level visibility into the development process.
Virtual prototypes accelerate software debug by providing a platform-level view of the software behavior in conjunction with the hardware. This view enables developers to identify the root cause of a defect in a matter of hours, rather than days or weeks. A developer can set and reset hardware register values, stop and start debugging cycles, or zoom in on a particular problematic area, all without any intrusive changes to the software.
Because they bridge hardware and software, virtual prototypes enable teams to communicate more effectively. Users can identify and correct potential specification or interpretation errors and use software-driven scenarios throughout the hardware to validate the system.
Virtual prototypes also boost quality by increasing test coverage. Developers can do more corner testing, gain a better understanding of the potential root causes of problems, and test both the software and hardware by creating and automating scenario-based testing.
Easy to Use, Easy to AdoptDespite the increasing uptake of virtual prototyping, some developers still hold the view that virtual prototyping is difficult to use and deploy in their flows. However, the industry has been working hard to overcome the adoption barriers that used to exist.
The availability of fast and accurate transaction-level models is critical for successful virtual prototyping. Many processor vendors now release virtual models to coincide with the availability of their latest cores. Synopsys' own DesignWare® IP library includes complete interface IP solutions consisting of controllers, PHY and verification IP for widely used protocols, analog IP, embedded memories, logic libraries and processor cores and subsystems.
Another important resource that has been put in place is the industry-wide transaction-level model listing site called TLMCentral. TLMCentral is an industry-wide web portal for transaction-level models, providing access to upwards of 970 models from across the industry. It offers model developers, architects and software engineers a way to collaborate on models, modeling methodologies and virtual prototype promotion. TLMCentral provides a centralized infrastructure for news, forums and blogs relevant to the system-level and software development communities.
Finally, Synopsys has taken virtual prototypes to an off-the-shelf reference development kit for software developers through the introduction of its Virtualizer Development Kit, or VDK. This puts the tools and reference virtual prototype of a well-known SoC in the hands of the software developer to test drive, extend or customize. This concept of a ready to use reference VDK provides the convenience of a known design fully populated to use as a starting point and allows the user to focus on key changes needed for their development project.
These resources give developers a head start on modeling, enabling them to populate much of their design using pre-existing models without having to create them from scratch.
Improved Tools and FlowsIn addition to a wider availability of models, more mature tools and developer environments are making it easier for experts and novices alike to become productive with virtual prototyping.
The latest release of Virtualizer™, Synopsys' tool set for creating virtual prototypes, features a number of enhancements that focus on improving productivity and ease of use. For example, a new graphical simulation profiler makes it easier for simulation teams to find and address simulation bottlenecks.
The new model-authoring interface simplifies and automates model creation with new features, such as automatic design rule checking and design-sensitive help, improving productivity for both virtual prototyping experts as well as those less experienced.
Virtualizer also enables users to import existing IP specifications in popular formats, such as IP-XACT, Excel, and Word, further accelerating model development by automatically generating SystemC models and TLM-2.0 bus interfaces.
Tighter Integration with Software ToolsVirtualizer Development Kits (VDKs) behave just like a real device enabling full control of multicore platforms and are the key to early device availability, enhanced debugging and ease of deployment.
Combined with popular debuggers and installers, VDKs enable efficient debug and analysis. Virtualizer provides out-of-the-box support for the latest APIs in popular software debuggers such as Lauterbach's TRACE32 System and ARM's Development Studio 5 (DS-5), which enables software teams to use VDKs to create a powerful, integrated environment for non-intrusive multicore software debug.
This integration enables engineers to start software development early in the design cycle on virtual prototypes without having to switch to other debug tools as they transition to real hardware.
Figure 3: VDK creation and use flow
User HighlightsDesigners and developers are now using virtual prototypes for a broad range of development tasks. These include software integration, driver development, software porting, OS bring-up, software testing, hardware verification, SoC integration and complete system validation and testing.
While semiconductor companies have been the earliest adopters of virtual prototyping, mainstream use has given rise to adoption across OEM and chipset developers within mobile, consumer, automotive and customers developing industrial applications.
"Using Virtualizer, we can abstract the full SoC design into a virtual prototype in a very short period of time to facilitate early software development and hardware/software integration," said Satoshi Aoki of the Embedded Platform Development Department at Ricoh Company, Ltd. "We believe Virtualizer is a must-have tool for SoC development."
SummaryVirtual prototyping has reached a level of maturity where its tangible benefits and low risk of adoption are driving its use by mainstream engineers.
The overriding benefit for software developers is that they no longer have to wait for hardware to become available before beginning to develop software. This enables them to start coding approximately 9-12 months earlier than would be otherwise possible with traditional approaches to embedded system design.
Synopsys provides a comprehensive solution for virtual prototyping, incorporating models, tools, services and VDKs. By integrating virtual prototyping with leading software debuggers, software developers benefit from being able to work within a familiar environment for developing code and non-intrusive debug. Out-of-the-box availability of VDKs for leading processors, along with the largest portfolio of transaction-level models and reference designs, now enables developers to get started right away without having to spend months creating models.
Synopsys has constructed Virtualizer to provide a common modeling environment, methodology and the ability to share models between an architecture environment (Platform Architect-MCO) and Virtualizer (modeling teams). This way there is a common methodology that can be used for multiple purposes.
Synopsys virtual prototyping solutions are in active use by hardware and software teams across the world, with local support from Synopsys application consultants.
About the AuthorNithya A. Ruff is currently the Director of Product Marketing at Synopsys responsible for Virtual Prototyping Solutions. In this role, she is responsible for strategy, direction, business models, product management and product marketing for this product line. She brings expertise in embedded software and Linux to this position from her role as Sr. Director, Product Marketing at Wind River a leading mobile and embedded software company. She has been in the open source and systems software and security space for the last 15 years at companies like Silicon Graphics, Tripwire and Cranite Systems where she guided the use of open source in security applications. She has also served as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at start-ups like Cranite System, IP Unity and Sychron and as head of product management for large companies like Avaya and SGI. Nithya has an MBA from the University of Rochester, NY, and an MS in Computer Science from North Dakota State University. .
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Liberty and Current Issues
To begin my exploration of freedom last June, I attended a seminar in Boston hosted by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) on the topic of Freedom, Tolerance, and Civil Society. Being a sucker for symmetry, I decided to end my year of travel by attending another IHS seminar, this time in Washington D.C. on the topic of Liberty and Current Issues. The IHS seminars are intense exercises in academic stamina. Discussions of liberty as it pertained to issues ranging from school choice to healthcare to foreign policy occurred for a week for more than 12 hours a day. I felt a little out of place at this seminar, as it was geared to students with public policy interest and background, and while I have an interest, I felt woefully uninformed about so many important issues. I did learn a lot about the different arguments surrounding various views on public policy issues. The IHS is a decidedly libertarian organization, so I took all the information in through the lens that this was just one interpretation of what changes should be made to public policy. However, you can't beat a seminar where the housing, food, books, lectures, and stimulating conversations are all for free. For more information on what the IHS is and how to apply for seminars, scholarships, fellowships, and internships, go to www.theihs.org.
There is too much that occurred at my week in D.C. to go into great detail all the information given through lectures and various conversations, but there is one quote from a speaker during the week that really stuck with me and which I found pertinent to my interest in exploring freedom at home and abroad. The speaker was Tyler Cowen, an economics professor at George Mason University whose research is primarily on the economics of culture. Dr. Cowen was brave enough to sign up for an open Q&A session where the audience was allowed to ask him questions on any topics without his prior knowledge of the questions. I don't remember exactly what question he was asked, but his response to one of the questions was that "The greatest threat to liberty today is public opinion." He left it at that without expanding upon what he meant, but I think that it's a quote that's worth exploring and thinking about as well, as its implications for our society. For me, this is another warning against the idea of the "tyranny of the majority," which basically means that a society needs to have checks and balances in it to protect minority opinions. It also means that we need to take the time to think through our own beliefs and figure out our own opinions, instead of going along with "public opinion." For example, with public opinion polls, say that in a poll most Americans are content with some aspect of society, yet you don't know much about the issue at hand or possibly have different beliefs. I think too many people are content with thinking everything is okay if public opinion is in favor of something. If everyone adopts this view, though, then we lose dissenting opinions and the knowledge of an issue that they bring with them. Our society is at risk if people stop thinking for themselves. When this happens, it is easier for one side of issues to gain power, and often the side in power is not interested in maximizing our liberties. Another speaker during the week, a constitutional lawyer, told us that one change he would like to see guaranteed in the constitution is the presupposition of liberty in cases in which the constitution or law is unclear. The rulings should be made in such a way that the liberty of the individual is held supreme (unless it interferes with the liberty of another, which is always the sticky part of this interpretation, where do we draw the line?).
My week of thinking about liberty and current issues had me thinking about everything I learned during my time abroad, although I still haven't hammered down exactly what freedom means to me because freedom to me does not mean one thing: it means everything. I am still grappling with the ideas of equality, moral obligations, democracy, and many more factors. I'm a huge believer in individual freedoms and liberties, but my time abroad made me think that we have moral obligations as members of a global community to help those at home and abroad who were dealt a worse hand than us in the game of life. How far should the ideas of equality go? If all men (and women) were created equal, why are some starving while most of us are wasting? Is democracy the best form of government? Would it not be better to have any government? I tend to believe in many libertarian ideals, but I can't help but thinking that the free-market cannot solve all of our problems. We have a better chance in the western world for those ideas to work, but what about the rest of the world? What about the one billion people in the world who are in extreme poverty? What are we doing for them? What should we do for them? Is it the obligations of governments or private individuals or some combination of the two to fix these problems?
I don't have the answers for any of these questions, and it wasn't the intention of my time abroad to come up with an answer for what freedom means. If anything, exploring what freedom means only made me think of more questions. If there's one thing that I've learned from reading about, talking about, and exploring these ideas of freedom is that I know very little about what there is to know about everything really. For me, learning is a bit like drinking out of the ocean…it only makes you thirsty for more. I hope that my blog has educated you about current issues around the idea of freedom and made you think about what freedom means to you and possibly has inspired you to learn more about the world around you. Just because I'm back on US soil doesn't mean that I am going to stop thinking about and learning about freedom and the various aspects of freedom there are. If anything, I'm more inspired and am already starting to plan the next great adventure.


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At least six Americans and six Afghan citizens were killed after a convoy carrying two American soldiers and four contractors was targeted by a suicide bomber. NBC's Atia Abawi reports.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Six Americans were among at least 15 people killed when a suicide bomber targeted a convoy carrying foreign troops in Kabul on Thursday, NATO sources and local officials said.
The American victims included two soldiers and four civilian contractors, the NATO source added.
Two children were among the Afghan victims, Afghan officials said.
About 40 people were injured in the powerful blast, which took place at around 8 a.m. local time (11.30 p.m. ET Wednesday).
Kabul police spokesman Hashmatullah Stanikzai said the attacker detonated a Toyota Corolla.
"It was a powerful explosion and some of the dead civilians were badly burned and cannot be recognized," Kane Backlash, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Health Ministry, told Reuters.
Hizb-i-Islami, an insurgent group which is allied with the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack. In September, the group said it had launched an attack near Kabul's airport that police said killed 12 people.
Afghan officials said nine Afghan civilians were killed, including two children.
"Some of the dead civilians were badly burnt and cannot be recognized," Kaneshka Baktash, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, told Reuters.
Helicopters buzzed over Kabul's diplomatic area after the attack and sirens whined.
President Hamid Karzai strongly condemned the "cowardly" attack. "Terrorists and enemies of Afghanistan's peace brutally targeted a residential area," Karzai said in a statement.
Related: 12 killed, vehicles torn apart in Kabul suicide attack
Reuters contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 6:49 AM EDT


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We messed up again by not keeping Jason Kidd in our franchise.
He makes a better leader than Mike Woodson...most overrated coach in Knicks history.
Boy oh boy, did we FF-up big-time in trying to get the future top-tier NBA FA PG wanting to sign with the Knicks ..
it's not happening after Carmelo Anthony career interaction with Miller, Iverson, Billups, Lin, Felton, and finally HOF Jason Kidd.
Rumors .. has it Jason Kidd left Cuban's Mavs to sign a 3 yr contract with the Knicks to tutor a young raw Jeremy Lin skills into a veteran leadership PG to add to Kidd's future HC resume .. its just rumors made from Owner Cuban's explosion comments on Kidd's departure from the Mavs last offseason.
We messed up again by not keeping Jason Kidd in our franchise.
He makes a better leader than Mike Woodson...most overrated coach in Knicks history.
It appears that the Clippers will not be able to get Garnett. It also appears that they have locked up Chris Paul. How about Tyson Chandler (salary for next year $14.1M), for D. Jordan and Eric Bledsoe (combined salary for next year about $13.6M). The Clippers could use a defensive presence. Bledsoe is going to be a star. D. Jordan is not bad.
If the Knicks could make this happen it would be score......I just do not see it happening........I think you can get more for bledsoe and Jordan then Tyson.....Not a knock on Tyson I just think Bledsoe plus Jordan is a better deal.....
Clippers could do Bledsoe/Jordan for Danny Granger........This gives clippers their 3rd star and Pacers get a PG in Bledsoe and Jordan as a 6th/7th mand and trade trip if it does not gel for the next year.
There are many moves this team could be making this off-season including retaining via multiple team trades players ie:
Thomas Robinson
Malcolm Lee
Tyreke Evans
are the top 3 that this team should be targeting...
Other notables would be:
Patrick Mills
Luke Ridnour
Deandre Jordan
Eric Bledsoe
Can we get younger, while having accrued trade stock with the players we acquire this off-season... Anything is possible but the main focus is the Championship... So can we build out or team with moving certain players -- the answer is Yes!!! Good Coaching and complimentary players can help us take the next step... Having Chandler helped this organization turn it around but if we can bolster our entire team by moving him it has to be considered...
By chance if Stat doesn't complete yet another season, he has to have it in his mind to retire... Or at worst the team will do everything to try and buy him out after this season... That will open the door for one big splash or a continued movement of growing this roster... As of right now their concern is how to take this nucleus around Melo and make it better...
Not really into Robinson, even tho his athleticism impresses... If Melo stays at the 4, I don't see the reason to bring him in... Yes he has good size but not for the center position... He is way to big for the 3, so unless he is coming in as the 6th man it would be a waste of a move... Of course, if Melo moves back to the 3 then going after Robinson would be ideal, specially his game is rebounding first, something we lack as a team...
Evans is slasher, driving wing player that has very good ball skills and has good IQ... Might be troublesome, but new scenery might be good for him... If Sacramento is truly done with him, then rather letting him walk they would want to get something in return... Might not be glamorous -- Novak, Camby & OKC 2nd Rounder, but it gives them something to work with... Camby would be more of a mentor to Cousins, and Novak is that pure shooter they don't have... Every team can always use another draft selection, basically a freebie...
All what ifs... If we are to get younger while improving our team... The Rockets are trying to make a play for Howard and are likely to field offers for Robinson, and Kings done with Evans... If trading is the key to acquire these players, then why not... Will any or all of these players improve our current roster... Can we get Lee, for the trade exception on Brewer, depends on or if all parties are willing...
If Grunny does trade T.C., and is willing to part with Novak & Camby to acquire these players then who knows... I'm not saying the Knicks will do this, just saying its a possibility...
Lee is a defensive player, but he's horrible at everything else. He's barely half the player Ronnie Brewer is and Ronnie lost his playing time on this team. Everything Lee does, Shumpert does 10X better.
Lee averages
9 ppg
4 rpg
3 asp
on 39% FG
on 29% 3PT
on 70% FT
He's better than James White, I give you that. He's still young, only 22. Has time to grow and improve his game. But he isn't a guy who we should make a priority. He's a summer league invite at best.
Thomas Robinson's strength is rebounding and wacky defense. He hacks a lot. Offensively, he's a mess. Shoots 43% on 3 turnovers per 36 minutes, he's also foul prone. I would say to bring him over, but Knicks normally stink at developing big men not named David Lee.
I don't think Evans or Cousins would make the Knicks a better team, just a more talented roster.
It'll be the Steve Francis/Crawford/Marbury/Randolph/Curry saga again.
It's not a good blend of players.
Evans and Cousins are ball dominant players who don't play well with off the ball.
Melo is a league leading scoring and we need to surround him with guys who can score big time off the ball. Marc Gasol would be ideal.
Evans can work if he comes here looking to penetrate and pass which he's very strong at when he chooses to. The problem with Evans is that his jumper is broken and it cancels out his game.
Cousins is too turnover prone, shoots 45% from the FG which is bad for a center, he doesn't play defense and isn't the best teammate in the league.
Knicks only have a 3-4 year window in winning a championship. We need bigger moves than Evans/Cousins....two guys who don't even know what it takes to win in the NBA and have been playing lottery style of basketball all their careers.
I think Knicks need to find some steals in the draft and hope they break out. (Danny Granger, David West type picks)


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Giorgio Tavecchio has made one more field goal than Mason Crosby during the kickers' two head-to-head battles so far in training camp, but the Green Bay Packers incumbent has the edge in one important area over his challenger.
Coach Mike McCarthy knows actually Crosby's first name.
Discussing Thursday's competition – in which Crosby made all five of his field-goal attempts while Tavecchio doinked a 51-yarder off the upright – McCarthy praised both kickers as being "a lot better" than they were in the first practice of training camp on July 26, when Crosby went 4-for-6 and Tavecchio was 5-for-6.
"I thought, obviously Mason kicked with excellent accuracy but (also) the height of the football is where it needs to be," McCarthy said. "I thought Sergio made his kicks, but he doesn't have quite the lift that Mason has."
"Did he call him that?" Crosby replied with a smile when told of McCarthy's slip of the tongue.
"It wouldn't be the first time someone has mispronounced or misspoken my name," Tavecchio said. "I've (also been called) Giovanni. But at least they're nice Italian names."
The Packers signed Tavecchio, who spent training camp with the San Francisco 49ers last summer but lost out to veteran David Akers, to provide direct competition for Crosby after he made just 21 of 33 field-goal attempts in regular-season play last year for a league-worst 63.6 percent conversion rate. So far, Crosby believes the head-to-head competition has benefitted him.
"It's good to go back and forth and see that, and it's really helped me in a sense focus in on what I need to do and how I need to perform," Crosby said. "If anything, that's definitely a positive. I think the competition is always a positive. It's pushing me to do my best every day, every time I go out, and there's nothing but positive things that can come from that."
Crosby hasn't faced direct competition since 2007, when he was a rookie sixth-round pick and he beat out incumbent Dave Rayner to win the job.
That year, Crosby and Rayner went kick-for-kick in practice but also in the annual Family Night Scrimmage, which provided even more of a pressure-packed environment than practices had. That night inside Lambeau Field, Crosby hit 9 of 11 field goal attempts, including a pair of 52-yarders, while Rayner went 8-for-11, missing both of his 52-yarders.
This Saturday night, Tavecchio and Crosby will do the same.
"It's going to be a good battle," McCarthy said. "We're going to feature those guys on (Saturday) night like we did years ago with Mason and Dave. It'll be a similar format."
Family Night also will mark the first time Crosby and Tavecchio will have kicked inside the stadium in camp.
"It's always good to get back in (the stadium)," Crosby said. "That helps us to kind of get a warmup to what it's going to be like during games, what it's going to be like in preseason and going into the regular season. We're so lucky to have Family Night and that practice setting to be able to go out and kick in front of 70,000 people. I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to getting out there and hitting (kicks) with the new (south) end zone completely finished. I'm definitely excited about it."
When Crosby and Tavecchio first squared off on the opening day of camp, Crosby made kicks from 33, 36 and 44 yards before missing from 50 and 53 yards away. He then kicked the 53-yarder again and made it. Tavecchio, meanwhile, hit from 33, 36, 44 and 50 before missing from 53. He then made the 53-yarder on his second try.
After those misses, Crosby went back and broke down tape of the kicks, then tried to apply what he saw to a kicking session on Tuesday that the specialists had at one end of the field while the rest of the team was in normal practice mode. Crosby said he then carried over what he did on Tuesday into Thursday, when Crosby made 33-, 37-, 43-, 47- and 51-yarders.
"Obviously I wasn't happy with how overall I hit the ball (the first time). My first three were really good, and the last one was solid, but those two long ones I wasn't happy with those," Crosby said. "I feel really good about where I'm at right now. Felt really good about the set today for sure."
Tavecchio was good from 33, 37, 43 and 47 yards out on Thursday, then his 51-yarder hit the upright. Special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum let Tavecchio have another chance, and he made it.
"There was a little bit of (defensive) pressure (on the miss), but he should have made the kick," Slocum said. "I didn't want him to end on that, so we kicked another one."
Crosby and Tavecchio have obvious differences that go beyond the fact that Crosby is right-footed and Tavecchio is left-footed. Crosby is bigger (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) than Tavecchio (generously listed at 5-10 and 182) and Crosby is a two-step kicker while Tavecchio takes a three-step approach. It also appeared that Crosby did get better lift on his kicks, but Slocum said the difference in that area is negligible.
Like Crosby, Slocum believes Tavecchio's mere presence has helped the incumbent with his focus, which may have been an issue when he went into a funk last year.
"When you have competition in your face at a position, it probably allows for you to have heightened awareness of the situation you're in," Slocum said.
While the current tote board – Crosby 9 of 11, Tavecchio 10 of 12 – may be even, there will be more kicking sessions and the score could swing one way or the other. For Crosby, the alternating kick-for-kick delivers a pressure and competitive environment that he believes will continue to keep him dialed in.
"Obviously I went through it six years ago when I was rookie, and I think it is an interesting kind of dynamic," Crosby said. "I just try to take a step back and focus on my next rep and then move on to that. It is interesting in that sense and we as kickers we don't get that on the field. In games you don't get to line up next to a guy and have a kick off. So it's a little a different and it's motivating and I'm enjoying the competition, I'm enjoying being able to get out every day and get better and get some good balls."


text:
Charlie X (episode)
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(written from a Production point of view)
|"Charlie X"
|TOS, Episode 1x07
Production number: 6149-08
First aired: 15 September 1966
Remastered version aired: 14 July 2007
|8th of 80 produced in TOS
|2nd of 80 released in TOS
|38th of 80 released in TOS Remastered
|2nd of 728 released in all
| Teleplay By
D.C. Fontana
Story By
Gene Roddenberry
Directed By
Lawrence Dobkin
|1533.6 (2266)
The Enterprise takes seventeen-year-old Charles Evans aboard for transport after he spent fourteen years alone on a deserted planet, but he's unable to reintegrate with his fellow Humans.
Summary Edit
The USS Enterprise makes a rendezvous with the Antares, a small cargo ship. While investigating the planet Thasus, the Antares discovered an adolescent boy named Charles Evans, the sole survivor of a ship crash who has lived on his own since age three. Evans transfers to the Enterprise, which is going to Colony 5, where Evans' only relatives live.
Captain Ramart and his navigator, Tom Nellis, are eager to be on their way, even refusing Kirk's offer of Saurian brandy. But they are also effusive in their praise of Charlie. This is the first of many mysteries surrounding Charlie.
Act OneEdit
Charlie attempts to learn and integrate, demonstrating the effect of his years away from all Human contact. At the same time, strange incidents occur in his vicinity. Charlie is also struggling mightily with adolescence and with his first crush, on the beautiful Yeoman Janice Rand. In the briefing lounge, where Uhura is singing "Oh, On the Starship Enterprise" to a rapt Rand, Rand ignores Charlie's card tricks; he secretly silences Uhura, so that he can have Rand's undivided attention.
At extreme range, Captain Ramart attempts to contact the Enterprise, but before he can say more than "I've got to warn...", his ship is destroyed. Charlie advises Kirk that "It wasn't very well constructed" – a strange comment, since it comes before Spock actually confirms the Antares' destruction.
Act TwoEdit
Kirk and Spock are pondering the destruction of the Antares during a game of chess when Charlie walks in and asks to play. Kirk turns the game over to Charlie where Spock easily beats him in 2 moves. When Charlie gets angry, Spock leaves and then Charlie uses his powers to melt the chess pieces. Afterwards Rand introduces Charlie to Yeoman Tina Lawton, who is near Charlie's age group. Charlie ignores Lawton hurting her feelings in which Rand tells Charlie that he was rude to her. Charlie then makes his feelings known to Rand that he wants her and only her which makes the Yeoman very uneasy. Rand goes to the bridge and wants Kirk to have a talk with Charlie before she hurts his feelings. Kirk takes pity on Charlie and attempts to befriend him, taking him to the physical training room for some light sparring. Initially refusing to participate, Charlie falls awkwardly and prompts laughter from Sam, one of Kirk's sparring partners. Humiliated and angry, Charlie makes Sam "go away", revealing his powers.
Act ThreeEdit
Kirk speculates that Charlie might be a Thasian, but McCoy's medical analysis results make this an unlikely possibility.
Confronted, Charlie admits to destroying the Antares by making a warped baffle plate in its energy pile "go away". He defends his action by claiming that the ship would have blown up anyway, and that the crew weren't nice to him.
Charlie, his powers now common knowledge, takes over control of the Enterprise. He wants to go to Colony 5; Kirk knows that the mayhem he'd create in that unstructured setting would be far worse than what he's done so far. Charlie then starts his reign of terror. Passing Yeoman Lawton in the corridor, he turns her into an iguana. He enters Rand's quarters with a pink rose (because he found out that pink is the yeoman's favorite color). When Rand tells Charlie to go away, he moves closer toward her.
Act FourEdit
Kirk and Spock rush to Rand's quarters and try to stop Charlie, but the teenager throws them against the wall breaking Spock's legs in the process. A shocked Rand slaps Charlie in which he responds by making her disappear. Charlie then releases both Kirk and Spock after he realizes that he needs Kirk's help to run the Enterprise. Spock tries to rig a force field up to hold Charlie, but all he does is make the whole brig disappear. Charlie then goes on a rampage: he turns a young crewmember into an old lady and removes a young woman's face.
Determined to stop Charlie before he can reach Colony 5, Kirk attempts to overload his abilities, ordering more and more of the ship's systems to be activated. In the midst of this struggle, a ship from Thasus appears. It is at this point that Charlie begs to stay with the Enterprise crew. The Thasians restore the Enterprise back to normal and return Rand on the bridge. The Thasian explains to the bridge crew that they granted Charlie immense powers so he could live—powers that they cannot, or will not, remove. Certain it would be impossible for Charlie to live a normal life with his own people, and despite Charlie's own pleas to stay with the crew, the Thasians remove him to their vessel and depart.
Log Entries Edit
- "Captain's log, stardate 1533.6. Now maneuvering to come alongside cargo vessel Antares. Its captain and first officer are beaming over to us with an unusual passenger."
- "Captain's log, stardate 1533.7. We have taken aboard an unusual passenger for transport to Colony Alpha V. Charles Evans, the sole survivor of a transport crash fourteen years ago. The child, alone from age 3, has not only survived, but has grown to intelligent, healthy adolescence."
- "Captain's log, stardate 1535.8. UESPA headquarters notified of the mysterious loss of science probe vessel Antares."
Memorable Quotes Edit
"Is that a girl?"
"That's a girl."
- - Charlie and Kirk, on Rand
"There's no right way to hit a woman."
- - Kirk to Charlie, on slapping Rand's bottom
"If I had the whole universe, I'd give it to you. When I see you, I feel like I'm hungry all over. Hungry. Do you know how that feels?"
- - Charlie, to Rand
"There are a million things in this universe you can have and there are a million things you can't have!"
- - Kirk, to Charlie
"Sir, I put meatloaf in the ovens. There's turkeys in there now. Real turkeys."
- - Enterprise chef, to Kirk
"He's a boy in a man's body, trying to be an adult with the adolescence in him getting in the way."
- - Kirk, on Charlie
"There's a – Tiger, tiger, burning bright in the forest of the night."
- - Spock under Charlie's control, reciting William Blake's "The Tiger"
"I'm trying to – Saturn rings around my head, down a road that's Martian red."
- - Spock, still under Charlie's control
"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary."
"Very nice, Mister Ears."
- - Spock and Charlie, as Spock recites Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
"Growing up isn't so much. I'm not a man, and I can do anything! You can't."
- - Charlie to Kirk, after Rand vanishes
"I can make you all go away...anytime I want to!"
- - Charlie to the bridge crew
"I want to stay!"
- - Charlie's last words
Background Information Edit
Story and Production Edit
- Gene Roddenberry had written a one-sentence synopsis of this episode on the first page of his original series outline for Star Trek under the title "The Day Charlie Became God." The page is reproduced in the Herbert F. Solow - Robert H. Justman volume Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. Writer Dorothy Fontana also confirmed that the episode was based on that story idea. Fontana developed the story and wrote the teleplay, but Roddenberry received story credit. [1]
- "Charlie X" was adapted for a novelization by James Blish. It was published in the first Bantam Books Star Trek novelization collection in 1967 under the original script name, "Charlie's Law." (This name is a pun on Charles' Law, a law of physics dealing with how changes in temperature affect the volume of a gas.)
- The opening credits of this episode are the same as those used in "The Man Trap", which included a "Created by Gene Roddenberry" credit. The credits at the close of the episode only list Roddenberry as Producer. Also, the credits for William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are missing the "starring" and "also starring" designations. This episode followed "The Man Trap" in airdate order. The main titles were standardized for syndication, however the DVD prints restore the titles to their original configuration.
- During the first-season episodes, cinematographer Jerry Finnerman was encouraged to maximize placement of colored background lighting to add exotic warmth to the gray walls of the Enterprise set. This was a major promotional point for NBC, as Star Trek was a selling point for color televisions. As pressure to complete episodes grew, this touch gradually faded from the series. NBC was owned at the time by RCA, a major manufacturer of color television sets. (Inside Star Trek)
- This is the only episode shot after the pilots to have no exterior views of the Enterprise using the updated "series" model. All of the shots are footage from "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before".
- This episode was directed by Lawrence Dobkin, who later guest-starred as Ambassador Kell in TNG: "The Mind's Eye".
- DS9 writer/producer Ira Steven Behr says that this is the episode that "won him over". (AOL chat, 1997)
- This was one of only three episodes of the first season that didn't show Vina in the last closing still. The other two episodes were "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" and "Dagger of the Mind".
Performers Edit
- James Doohan (Scotty) and George Takei (Sulu) do not appear in this episode, although two words of Takei's dialog from "The Man Trap" are dubbed in when Kirk calls the bridge from the gymnasium.
- The Galley chef was voiced by Gene Roddenberry, in his only acting role in Star Trek.
- In her autobiography, Grace Lee Whitney mentions that Robert Walker (a method actor) completely avoided the cast on the set, trying to stay alone and "in character". "He explained to us when he arrived to the set that he wanted to remain alien and apart from us - and it worked. You can see it in his performance, a subtle yet persistent air of estrangement from the Enterprise crew, and indeed from the rest of humanity. His careful effort to stay in character added a convincing dimension to his performance." Furthermore, she adds, "It's impossible to imagine anyone else in the role - he captured the perfect balance, projecting vulnerability, innocence and horrfying menace all the same time. A lesser actor could not have handled the range and depth of the character." (The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy, pp. 98-99)
- Fontana also praised Walker's performance, "[He] was excellent as Charlie. And he was quite a young man, he was in his twenties, but playing a teenager, he looked young enough to pull it off." [2]
- Allan Asherman, in The Star Trek Compendium, also mentions that Walker "turns in a powerful and fascinating performance". (p. 39)
- Although it may not canonically represent the creative staff's intentions, the novelization by James Blish in Star Trek 1 identifies the unnamed crewman named Sam (that Charlie "disposes" of) as Sam Ellis, an officer on McCoy's medical staff. The episode novelization made it clear that he, along with all of the officers who were disfigured by Charlie, were "restored" along with Rand when the Thasians intervened. However, the USS Antares could not be saved because, as the Thasian explained, it was destroyed "in this frame" whereas the zapped Enterprise personnel were "kept intact in the next frame."
Sets Edit
- This is the first of six original series episodes that takes place entirely aboard the Enterprise. The others are "The Changeling", "Journey to Babel", "Elaan of Troyius", "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" and "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield". "The Doomsday Machine", "The Ultimate Computer", "The Immunity Syndrome", and "The Tholian Web" were also filmed using only the Enterprise sets, including that of the shuttlecraft interior, but some of the action in these episodes took place on other Constitution-class starships. By any reasonable definition, each of these entries qualifies as a bottle show.
- The grates in the floors of the corridors disappeared in later episodes. In one scene, Charlie takes great delight in watching a technician lower some tubing into one of these floor grates.
- In the scene in Rand's quarters, when Charlie flings Kirk and Spock against the wall, the wall has a hole punched in it. On an earlier take, Leonard Nimoy had struck the wall too forcefully. This alternate take can be seen at the end of the episode's preview.
- This is the first time we see the brig in the series, although the electrically charged "bars" that emerge from either side of the doorway will be removed and replaced with lights hereafter. During season two, it was given a permanent location in the hallway leading to the engineering set (which is near this set across the hallway). This same spot is used as the guest quarters in "The Conscience of the King", and as part of Engineering in "The Alternative Factor". Finally it becomes the medical lab in "Operation -- Annihilate!".
- When Kirk and Charlie have their final confrontation, the camera moves to a rare floor-level view of the bridge. This close-up shows that the set is carpeted. This was probably done as a noise-absorber, given the propensity of the set to pick up noises like plumbing and squeaking floors. The material itself is Ozite, a portion of which was sold at the Profiles in History Star Trek auction In June 2002.
- The ship's gymnasium makes its first and only apperance in the series. It was originally intended to be seen in more episodes, as some of the shots showing acrobatics and gymnastics there were filmed as intended stock footage for reuse later. The gymnasium was a redress of the engineering set. The room where the gymnasts are tumbling is the redecorated briefing room.
- The bench on which Sam was sitting when he was zapped would later turn up in other episodes. In "Court Martial", it held the wrench that Ben Finney would snatch in his attempt to club Kirk. In "This Side of Paradise", it was topped off by the metal tray that Spock grabs during his fight with Kirk in the transporter room.
Props and Special Effects Edit
- Publicity stills of Grace Lee Whitney were used on the playing cards Charlie modifies. (The Star Trek Compendium, p. 39)
- After Charlie transforms Tina Lawton into an iguana, the noise the reptile makes was that of the sound made by Sylvia and Korob when they returned to their true forms at the end of "Catspaw".
- Spock's scanners in this episode make the same sound the Metron transmission does in "Arena".
- Like Trelane, Apollo and the Gorgan, Charlie makes his exit with fading repetition of his final words.
- The music accompanying Charlie's disappearance at the end of this episode, highlighted by a mournful bassoon dirge, would be re-used effectively in "Space Seed" as the landing party beams onto the Botany Bay; in "Patterns of Force" for the death of John Gill; in "The Tholian Web" as Chekov witnesses the dead engineering crew on the Defiant; as Kirk wanders the empty corridors of the faux-Enterprise early in "The Mark of Gideon"; and in "The Ultimate Computer" during Daystrom's final conversation with his M-5 computer.
- Charlie and the crew of the Antares are wearing old turtleneck uniforms left over from the two pilots. Also, when Charlie is causing panic on the corridors, crewmen can be seen wearing the new series shirts with old, pilot version trousers and boots. (The Star Trek Compendium, p. 39)
- For most of the episode, Charlie wears a gold wraparound jacket, which appears to be an unused, early version of Kirk's green tunic made for "The Enemy Within". It is apparently too big for him. (The Star Trek Compendium, p. 39)
- When he enters the turbo elevator with Charlie en route to the bridge to hear the Antares' distress message, Kirk is wearing a standard gold uniform top. But when he arrives on the bridge, he is wearing his green wraparound variant.
- After this episode William Shatner only wore tights once more, in "Errand of Mercy". He later poked fun at his costume in this episode when clips of it were shown as part of the History Channel show, How William Shatner Changed the World.
Continuity Edit
- According to Kirk's line "On Earth today it's Thanksgiving", the beginning of this episode takes place on 22 November 2266 (assuming American Thanksgiving is meant).
- Still not firmly set in his characterization in this early episode, Spock shows both irritation and amusement as Uhura makes fun of him. It seems that he has learned how to express irritation ("Ah yes, one of your Earth emotions") fairly quickly since the events of "Where No Man Has Gone Before".
- The United Earth Space Probe Agency is referenced for the first time in this episode, with the acronym "UESPA". It would be mentioned again in episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday". Years later, Star Trek: Enterprise would reference UESPA in several episodes, including "Demons".
- The line "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary" spoken by Spock while under Charlie's influence is the first line of the poem "The Raven", by Edgar Allan Poe. Spock is also forced to quote some lines from "The Tyger" by William Blake when he shouts that there is a "Tyger, Tyger burning bright, in the forests of the night". [3]
- The song that Uhura sings to Spock and then Charlie may have been taken from an old Scottish folk song penned by Robert Burns called "Charlie, He's My Darling". The chorus in that song is almost identical to what Uhura sings. [4]
- In the captain's log in the episode teaser, Kirk describes the Antares as a cargo vessel. However, when Captain Ramart declines Kirk's offer to supplies, Kirk refers to the Antares as a transport ship: "This must be a space first. A transport ship that doesn't need anything." Later, in his log at the beginning of act 2, immediately following its destruction, Kirk describes the Antares as a "science probe vessel" and later, in a conversation with Spock over chess, as a "survey ship."
Script Vs. Screen Edit
- The first-draft script featured Uhura as a trained mimic, who amused crewmembers by parodying her fellow officers in the recreation room. It was later turned into her performing a song, to fit Nichelle Nichols' musical talents. (The Star Trek Compendium, p. 38)
- The second draft of this episode's script was completed 27 June 1966, with the final draft coming in on 5 July. The episode itself was filmed in mid-July.
- In the final draft, the card trick Charlie plays with Janice, which reveals her photograph on the cards, is not specified. The script simply states that Charlie performs a variety of card tricks which amaze Janice and the onlookers.[5]
- The script calls for the Antares to be seen, dwarfed by the Enterprise. [6]
- A strange bit of dialog present in the teleplay was cut from the episode: when discussing the possible existence of Thasians, and Kirk's possible father-figure behavior to Charlie, Spock satirically asks McCoy, "Shall I schedule you to give him voodoo and superstition lessons, Doctor?" McCoy replies, "You can if he provides his own chicken's teeth and penguin feathers.", and Spock tells him, "I'll see to it, Doctor." [7]
- Writer Dorothy Fontana recalled that the filmed episode was basically the same as her screenplay, "There were a few line changes, not much. The images of how Charlie affected people, you know, no face so a woman couldn't talk, things like that, those were all there. (...) I noticed there really wasn't that much that was changed, it was pretty much the way I wrote it. [8]
Production Timeline Edit
- "Charlie Is God" by Gene Roddenberry: 28 August 1964
- Story outline by Gene Roddenberry: 18 April 1966
- Story outline by Gene Roddenberry: 23 April 1966
- Treatment by D.C. Fontana: 27 April 1966
- Treatment by D.C. Fontana: 9 May 1966
- Second draft teleplay by D.C. Fontana: 27 June 1966
- Final draft: 5 July 1966
- Filmed: 11 July 1966 – 19 July 1966
- Score recording: 29 August 1966
- Original airdate: 15 September 1966
- Repeated: 1 June 1967
- First UK airdate: 13 September 1969
Remastered Information Edit
The remastered version of "Charlie X" aired in many North American markets during the weekend of 14 July 2007. The episode included new effects shots of the Thasian ship, replacing the blob-like object seen on screen with a torpedo-shaped vessel. Most notably, the remastered episode opens with a shot featuring the Antares, a new design based upon the robot grain ships seen in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles".
Video and DVD Releases Edit
- Original US Betamax/VHS release: 28 February 1985.
- Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 5, catalogue number VHR 2250, release date unknown.
- US VHS release: 15 April 1994.
- UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.3, 8 July 1996.
- Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 4, 19 October 1999.
- As part of the TOS Season 1 DVD collection.
- As part of the TOS Season 1 HD DVD collection.
- As part of the TOS Season 1 Blu-ray collection.
Links and References Edit
Starring Edit
Also Starring Edit
Guest Star Edit
Featuring Edit
- DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy
- Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Rand
- Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
- Charles J. Stewart as Captain Ramart
- Dallas Mitchell as Nellis
- Don Eitner as the Navigator
- Patricia McNulty as Tina Lawton
- John Bellah as Crewman I
- Garland Thompson as Crewman II
- And:
Uncredited Co-Stars Edit
- William Blackburn as Hadley
- Frank da Vinci as Brent and Vinci
- Bobby Herron as Sam
- John Lindesmith as the helmsman
- Eddie Paskey as Leslie
- Gene Roddenberry as the voicefile info of the galley chef
- George Takei as Sulu (voice only; recycled audio)
- Ron Veto as Harrison
- Laura Wood as an Prematurely aged crew woman
- Unknown actor as Bobby
Stunt Double Edit
- Loren Janes as Kirk's stunt double
- William Blackburn as the stand-in for DeForest Kelley
- Frank da Vinci as the stand-in for Leonard Nimoy
- Jeannie Malone as the stand-in for Grace Lee Whitney
- Eddie Paskey as the stand-in for William Shatner
References Edit
2249; 2252; Antares; Antares-type; astronaut; atmospheric system; baffle plate; biology; Blake, William; "Bones"; chess master; Colony Alpha V (Colony V, Earth Colony V); dossier; earring; Earth; Earth history; Earthling; electronic clipboard; energy pile; entertainment tapes; food concentrate; fruit; governor; gymnasium; iguana; judo; logic; Martian; mathematics; meat loaf; memory banks; micro-tape; navigation console; non-corporeal species; "Oh, On the Starship Enterprise"; oven; Poe, Edgar Allen; poetry; probe scanner; puberty; quadrant; Raven, The; record tapes; Satan; Saturn; Saurian brandy; science-probe vessel; ship's stores; shoulder roll; subspace transmitter; survey ship; Thanksgiving; Thasian; Thasian ship; Thasus; three-dimensional checkers; three-dimensional chess; transmutation; transport ship; turkey; Tyger, The; United Earth Space Probe Agency; UESPA Headquarters; vegetable; Vulcan lute
External link Edit
- Charlie X at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
| Previous episode produced:
"The Naked Time"
| Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 1
| Next episode produced:
"Balance of Terror"
| Previous episode aired:
"The Man Trap"
| Next episode aired:
"Where No Man Has Gone Before"
| Previous remastered episode aired:
"Return to Tomorrow"
|TOS Remastered
| Next remastered episode aired:
"The Squire of Gothos"
de:Der Fall Charly es:Charlie X fr:Charlie X it:Il naufrago delle stelle (episodio) ja:TOS:セイサス星から来た少年 nl:Charlie X pl:Charlie X sv:Charlie X ru:Чарли Икс (эпизод)


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As we've learned before in our previous monofilament wig post, wigs made with a monofilament cap construction are super natural looking wigs. The monofilament wig hand-knotting process is long and tedious, but the result is incredibly natural! Since each strand of hair is manually hand-knotted into the monofilament material this allows the hair to lie and flow naturally. There's much to learn about monofilament wigs, so let's chat about the different types of monofilament wigs!
Hand-Tied Monofilament Wigs
Monofilament Wig: Top
The first we'll talk about are monofilament tops (also known as mono tops). A monofilament top covers the entire top part of the wig. This is where you would naturally part your hair. Also, these wigs have open-wefted sides and back, which are machine made. The mono top is a mesh-like material with individual strands of either synthetic or human hair hand-knotted into it. In terms of flexibility, these are the kinds of wigs you would get the most out of.
Monofilament Wig: Part
A monofilament part is a part line located at a fixed location on the wig. The designated section features a thin strip of monofilament. So, you can purchase a wig with a left, right or center monofilament part. A mono part has a more affordable cost compared to a monofilament top wig. The part, however, cannot be changed – so choose wisely!
Monofilament Wig: Crown
As the name suggests the monofilament is placed at the crown of the wig. This construction is more commonly found in bob wig styles. The benefits of having a mono crown wig are that it distributes the hair evenly and naturally at the root. Also it gives the look of natural hair growth at the crown of the hair, which makes your bob wig much more believable.
FAQ Monofilament Wig
Are monofilament wigs durable?
Yes, they are but remember the monofilament material is delicate so it should be treated carefully. Do not pull harshly on the hair because this could loosen up the hand-knotted strands of hair.
Can I wash my monofilament wig the same as my other wigs?
Yes, you may wash your monofilament wig but do not add conditioner at the root. The conditioner will loosen up the hand-knotted strands of hair.
If I color my human hair wig, will it stain the monofilament?
Because the monofilament material is sheer and thin it will add a hint of color but will not stain the monofilament wig completely. The monofilament top, part or crown will still have a realistic look.
Want the look of a monofilament wig for less? A Skin Part wig gives you a natural looking part without the high cost. However, these wigs are not to be confused with hand-tied monofilament wigs because the part is machine-made. The appearance of skin is simulated with a polyurethane section in which a machine inserts the fiber to create the look of a scalp. Although less common, skin part wigs are an affordable substitute to a monofilament wig.


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As a child, we discover that we can experience "love" not only for the objects in themselves, but for what they represent. A classic example is the box, a container with a red ribbon that undoubtedly contains the so desired teddy bear or the toy car of your dreams.
From an early age, the package becomes a synonym for gift. As you progress with age, the size of the packet decreases but its importance increases, not only for the value of its contents but also for the values that this paper cube brings with it: distinction, style, class, elegance, just because the package is a natural extension of the content.
And so the bag, the ultimate accessory for every woman, is the "package of our life". This accessory reflects who we are from two different points of view: on the one hand, the choice of the bag affects the way we want to be seen on that particular day.
So never carry a bag that doesn't live up to you, or even worse, that does not fit the mood of the day: a black bag with studs when we feel rockers, a bow shaped one in a pale pink color for bon-ton days, a male one for more intellectual days.
On the other hand, the bag is the most customizable accessory because we can hide a part of our world inside (big or small, depending on the size of the bag): there are those among us who are content with keys, wallet and cell phone and those who, like me, can't do without bringing sunglasses, the makeup bag and the omnipresent camera.
The feeling of always being able to carry on our shoulder an important part of our house is nice and gives us security, especially if that part of our lives is enclosed in a well designed and well finished bag, so beautiful that it's almost a shame to use it .


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How do we continue to make giant leaps in medicine? What new treatment or approach will allow us to make the greatest gains for patients, in the most effective and efficient ways possible? Where will the next breakthrough come from? These are questions that academics, clinicians, hospital CEOs and medical school deans are constantly asking as we seek to meet the challenges of modern healthcare.
People and technology have a clear role in the answer, but there is another critical factor that is often overlooked: space, and the spontaneity and ideas generated when scientists and clinicians have the ability to work side-by-side.
A great example of this came up during a recent panel discussion at our SINAInnovations conference. Eric M. Genden, MD, and Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Oncology, discussed his experience on a recent case in which a patient had distant metastatic disease that he and his team could not get to surgically. While working on the case, he happened to bump into Ross Cagan, PhD and Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Through their conversation, Dr. Cagan suggested getting a biopsy of the tumor, sequencing it, dropping it into fruit flies, and crossing it with 150 different types of chemotherapeutic agents to see what kills the tumor. Over their chance meeting and a cup of coffee, they mapped out a targeted solution to treat the patient.


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Seven is the lucky number all around this week, as Pharrell Williams celebrates his seventh consecutive week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and all of the top seven positions remained locked in position this week. Watch the video for Williams' big hit single below and then let's reset our decades and travel way back in time to see the songs that were the biggest in the land this week in 2000, 1990, 1980 and 1970.
No. 1 hit April 14, 2014 »Read Full Blog Post
On Tap Today: Milwaukee Day, Morgan Freeman and the Brewers
Hey, it's Milwaukee Day. And on this fine 4/14, local band Decibully reunites.
Time flies when you're watching movies. Marcus Theatres celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Shawshank Redemption" with showings beginning today. »Read Full Blog Post


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Interview from the Press Box; Amateur Scouting
Continuing the tales of my baseball journey, Tuesday night was packed with even more adventures. The offensively slumping PawSox were finishing a series against the Durham Bulls (the AAA team for the Rays, as Michael told me). Mr. Steve Hyder was kind enough to meet with me that night, but this time, it wasn't in an office.
8 Comments
Great interview Elizabeth! And it was great that you were able to talk to scouts and your "projects"!
Great interviews! I'm jealous! I wish could go to Vegas and see some future Jays and maybe Cirque de Soleil while I'm at it.
A lot of talent in Pawtucket, but there always is. Buchholz certainly has the tools! Look at his numbers this year 5-0 1.90 ERA! There are a lot of teams that would probably put him #3 in their rotation right now. It will be interesting to see what the Red Sox do with him this season. I think that he is over his first-year jitters too.
Very well done Elizabeth! It's soo cool that you got to talk to the scouts. You should feel very accomplished🙂
Dusty Brown and Varitek. Hmm . . . . . interesting. I never really though Brown was that good. Great interview also.
I'm telling you, Elizabeth, you are destined for big things in the sports journalism world. We can all see it in your posts. Great job!
when i saw scouts at a Pirate game they were real hot heads and could care less to talk to a fan like me. glad you got to talk to some fun and cordial guys
nice interviews and a lot of insight. sounded very awesome to get to do all of that, I would love to have that opportunity myself
keep up the good work
I love the name Pawtacket! They sure come out with cool names in the minor league


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Where to even begin... my 10 month old son (ds#2) is highly allergic to many foods, restricting my diet tremendously. I too have many food allergies which further limits what i can eat. as a result, i made the decision that i would stick it out with nursing until he's a yr, eventhough i nursed my ds#1 til 19 mo. it has been an extremely frustrating and difficult road and eventhough i know it would be better if i could continue nursing for longer, it's just too much already. im not getting into all the allergies now bc thats not my main concern, but feel free to ask.
my son has been eating pureed foods, fruits and veggies, and has been really getting into table food lately, inlcluding chicken, i havent tried beef yet. i really want to wean him by a yr bc im getting frustrated often, am only enjoying it some of the time, and am unhappy a lot of the time. i also miss having a variety of food to eat!
ds used to be a decent sleeper but started waking frequently at abt 7 mo, beginning to teeth no doubt. he has become a frequent night nurser which only adds to the equation. he hardly lets my husband comfort him in middle of the night, meaning i have to nurse him back to sleep almost every time he wakes up, which can happen as often as 30 min to an hour. he does sleep in his own room, but by 11-12pm/am i usually take him into bed with us because im too tired to sit in the rocking chair with him until he falls asleep, and stays asleep! the problem is, when he is in my bed, pretty much nursing allllllllllllllll night, i dont sleep.
my solution was that since i wanna work on weaning, lets start with night time since its the hardest and takes the longest. so i thought id choose a block of time, between 11pm and 4-5 am where i would not nurse him. he could nurse as much as he wanted til 11, and then not until 5-6 hours later, he nurses a lot during the day and eats, so i figured he wouldnt be hungry. the first 2 nights were terrible, but my dh and i were up with him, hugging, cuddling, kissing, and giving him all the love we could. the third night he slept in my bed for that whole chunk of time, but then after that it was hit or miss. after two weeks of this experiment, i gave up because he was not getting used to it and my hubby and i were getting sooooo tired from being up for hours with him crying. now that ive gone back to nursing whenever, i still dont sleep because when he nurses all night im constantly aware that he's there and never enter deep stage sleep.
my questions are:
1. was that just a terrible idea to start working on night weaning? i so badly want to be done by a year that i feel pressure from myself to really get the ball going. if it were up to him he wouldnt stop any time soon, but im falling apart without sleep and ill need to do it eventually, so why not now?
2. ive read and used elizabeth pantly's ncss techniques, but at this point im just too tired to implement strategies. how can i keep my ds from waking every hour every night, and replace his need to nurse to sleep with something else?
3. how should i approach daytime nursing sessions,which are basically every 3 hours.
4. how do other entirely exhausted moms feel abt night nursing and weaning? am i the only one who doesnt feel some amt of sleep is being achieved by nursing in bed?
aside from being tired and frustrated, my ds is also bruising my nips a lot due to teething and that only makes me more resentful and only makes me want to wean soon more than ever! im commited to a yr, but really a yr, i dont want him to be 15-16 mo old and im still nursing. he is so allergic than any slight trace of allergens in my milk makes him sooooooooooooooooooooo refluxy and vomity, as well as causes his skin to be covered in eczema. so there's no cheating possible.
supermom2008, mom to 2 beautiful boys, my oldest just turned 3 yesterday (10/15/08) and my baby, bore 12/15/10.
currently off dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, corn, chickpeas, sesame, avocado, potato, oats, barley (really all gluten), buckwheat, brown rice, broccoli, sunflower seeds (ie sunbutter), and many of the gluten free flours including potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, sorghum flour, arrow root (only can have very small quantities)


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Sunday, November 20, 2011
Christmas Quilt Top For Tess
13 comments:
- Needled Mom said...
It turned out so nicely.
- November 20, 2011 at 3:42 PM
- Julierose said...
I love those cheery Christmas fabrics--beautiful. I once (and never again!!) made a king-size quilt that was totally reversible--in other words--what WAS I thinking!!I ended up tying it ( and tying and tying ad nauseum)...at any rate--super work how are the angels coming? Julierose
- November 20, 2011 at 3:47 PM
- Terri said...
The epitome of little girl Christmas... excitement and all colorful! Love it.
- November 20, 2011 at 3:49 PM
- Cool Cats and Quilts said...
Very nice, Riel, this is one of my favorite patterns. The other thing I noticed, no orange!!! Your children do not know how lucky they are to have so many lovely quilts.
- November 20, 2011 at 4:14 PM
- Sandra said...
Do you have extra hours in the day down there in Quispamsis? I don't know where you find the time to do so much.....
- November 20, 2011 at 6:43 PM
- Sarah said...
This is really lovely Riel - and huge! Love how bright and cheerful it is :-)
- November 20, 2011 at 7:29 PM
- Shelley said...
ooooohhh, so pretty :)
- November 21, 2011 at 7:58 AM
- Ginette said...
Looks beautiful! What a lucky little girl!
- November 21, 2011 at 9:51 AM
- Suzanne said...
It's lovely. I also really appreciate that you send your quilts out for quilting. With Christmas so close, it's good to spread the jobs around.
- November 21, 2011 at 10:25 AM
- Rene' said...
Riel, this is a perfect Christmas quilt for a young girl! So bright and cheery!
- November 21, 2011 at 1:38 PM
- Kim said...
Sweet! I hope she loves it forever and gives it to her own little girl someday.
Happy Sewing
- November 21, 2011 at 11:20 PM
- Brenda said...
Very Nice!!!! I love happy quilts!!
- November 22, 2011 at 9:43 PM
- Vesuviusmama said...
Your kids are so lucky! My oldest son is shivering under a cribsized quilt that I made him years ago, waiting for me to finish another quilt for him. My goal was Christmas this year, but I haven't worked on it in ages. I need to get cracking!
- November 23, 2011 at 9:51 AM


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The next 150 yearsOctober 21,2013
As Goddard College celebrates the 150th anniversary of its incorporation this month, the future of the small school in Plainfield remains uncertain.
For sure, the schools faculty, staff, management and board of trustees should be proud of the milestones that have been accomplished along the way. And certainly this weekends festivities paid tribute to many incredible people, as well as the ripple effect many of those people have gone on to have elsewhere in the world.
But with the imminent departure of Barbara Vacarr later this year, the school is once again in that all-too-familiar pattern of conducting a search for a new leader. In the last 25 years, the school has had 15 presidents. The median tenure for a president has been three years, and an average of 3.2 years. That does not suggest a problem; it suggests dysfunction.
One has to wonder why the school continues to chew up the visionaries whose intentions, for the most part, have been to make the college sustainable first and excellent second. Are the internal politics of the school so polemic and territorial that there is no room for change or compromise? Presidents leave frustrated and often demoralized.
Vacarr, who has served the last three years, has been widely criticized on campus for her tough stands aimed at bringing up-to-date processes and methods into a system that proudly and openly rejects such edicts. Yet, she has stated time and again that Goddard must adapt in order to compete in the cutthroat world of higher education. She built a management team all women and even recruited board members she hoped would help to bust the schools stigma, shut down the old conversations, and build new partnerships.
But the challenge proved to be even more pronounced.
After an extensive analysis, Vacarr asked her board of trustees to allow her to take steps to move the school forward, broadening the outreach and opportunities, even at the risk of operating at a deficit that has come to be known as $1.5 million. Staff and faculty bristled, and the change of direction fueled fears over job security and other cost-cutting. Unions formed and remain in negotiation over their role in the schools future. In turn, Vacarr has been characterized as a bully and out of touch.
We would say that is the price of leadership.
The greatest education for everyone at Goddard is the one to come in the next year or so. The school must take even bolder steps to ensure their future. The board of trustees has difficult decisions ahead, even some that could once again chart Goddards course in yet another direction. They need to choose the next leader wisely. They need to put their full-throated support behind the plan. And they need to push hard to put in place the guarantees that Goddard will be around for years to come.
Vacarr has been vocal in her concern that the future is blurry, yet she seems confident that with the Goddard community, and the broader community of central Vermont, all pulling in the same direction, the school will grow. Otherwise, Vacarr, her management team, Goddards leaders and the board, have good reason to be uneasy.
It seems ironic a place that prides itself in throwing structure and rules to the wind would need to be reminded that it needs to do so and now if it ever wants to celebrate another anniversary.MORE IN LettersA sixth-offense DUI gets plead down to a misdemeanor. A breathalyzer is refused. Full StoryBurr Morses recollection (Whats good for the goose, Nov. Full StoryMSNBC news analyst Rachel Maddows report on the election of Republican Rutherford B. Full Story
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July 25, 2013 - 8:41am
POPLARVILLE - The Pearl River Community College cheerleading squad brought home five top five team awards and a first place award in two-person stunt competition from the Universal Cheerleading Association camp at the University of Alabama.
Pearl River Community College cheerleaders won numerous awards recently in the open co-ed division of the University of Alabama UCA cheerleading camp. They are, front row from left, Brooke Wactor of Carriere, Haylee Bounds and Chasity Ashe, both of Picayune; Brice Smith of Poplarville, Melissa Dragon of Picayune, Chantel Garcia of Carriere, Hannah Nix of Poplarville and Makayla Cooper of Columbia; back row, Collin Parker of Summit, Jace Gibson and Corey Willis, both of Carriere, Colt Turnage of Sandy Hook, mascot Luke Owens of Bogalusa, La.; Chris Prince of Hancock, Josh Carlan of Picayune, Shane Gordon of McNeill and Jodi Smith of Picayune.
July 25, 2013 - 1:50pm


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As the club has started announcing players that have re-signed for next season I'll keep this topic up to date with comings and goings as soon as they are officially announced by the club.
Paul, please can you do the honours and pin the topic, thanks.
1. Richie Hawkyard
2. Andy Ballard (Released)
3. Martin Ainscough
4. Sam Reay (Long Term Injury)
5. Kev Penny
6. Chaz I'Anson
7. Ian Watson
8. David Mills
9. Mark Smith
10. Neil Holland
11. Chris Clarke
12. Darren Hawkyard
13. Josh Barlow
14. Liam Hulme
15. Kash Watkins (Released)
16. Dan Birkett (Released)
17. Ryan Shaw (On loan at London Broncos)
18. Jack Morrison (Injured)
19. James Mendieka
20. Danny Bridge
21. Glenn Riley
22. Gene Ormsby
23. Jordan Burke
29. Samir Tahraoui
30. James Brown
31. Jack Cooper
32. Matt Sarsfield
33. Craig Harvey
Mark Thomas
Rhys Williams
Gavin Bennion
James Laithwaite
Tyrone McCarthy
Edited by Bryce, 27 June 2013 - 11:29 AM.


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Dutch pension funds grapple with permanent revolution
The Netherlands' giant pension funds, already among the largest pools of investment capital in Europe, look set to get even bigger.
Dutch regulators, commentators and the funds themselves all agree that the number of pension funds in the country – which has already fallen from over 1,000 in 1992 to 382 today – is set to contract further. According to an estimate from the Dutch central bank, DNB, which regulates the funds, the number could drop below 300 within a few years.
DNB has written to 60 small and medium funds, it said last month, urging them to consider their "long-term viability". The regulator added that it "may ask more funds to examine the sustainability of their business models" this year, and "take appropriate measures".
The UK has about twice as much money saved up in its workplace pension funds – €1.9 trillion, compared with the Dutch €950 billion – but spread out over tens of thousands of individual funds.
The prospect of further consolidation among Dutch pension funds could lead to job cuts among actuaries, investment consultants and administrators. But it could also prefigure a tougher stance on fees and costs, with big funds able to gang up on asset managers and pressure them for the best deal.
Late last month, the €115 million pension fund for Dutch Space, an aerospace company involved in making the European Space Agency's Vega rockets, became the latest to follow the trend. It announced it would merge into the larger Pensioenfonds Metalektro, or PME, an industry-wide pension fund for the metalworking and engineering industries, which has €34 billion under management.
Koos Haakma, transition manager at PME, said consolidation among funds was "already going pretty fast, and it will go faster". He said many international companies with a Dutch subsidiary had opted out of running a separate fund in the Netherlands, and instead were merging into an industry scheme such as his own. In recent years, German electronics group Siemens and the industrial conglomerate Stork have both merged their Dutch funds into PME.
According to Jacqueline Lommen, director of European pensions at Dutch asset manager Robeco, pension funds have come under significant cost and regulatory pressure in recent years.
She said: "The regulatory burden has grown over time. It's difficult to handle all the requirements nowadays, it's difficult to find trustees who are willing to serve on pension fund boards, and the execution and administrative costs are also higher for smaller schemes."
This has become particularly acute as cheaper alternatives to the traditional pension arrangement have been developed, she said, such as a new kind of "lean" defined contribution provider known as the PPI, introduced in 2011.
And in June this year, the government is to propose a further option for consolidation – a new institution known as an algemeen pensioenfond or APF, which allows two or more schemes with different employers, terms and conditions, and funding levels to be merged into a single pension institution, but with their assets and liabilities ring-fenced.
One of the commonly cited benefits of mergers is economies of scale on fees and costs – and if that sounds ominous to fund managers, it probably should. Also last month, Peter Borgdorff, chairman of the country's second-largest fund, healthcare workers' scheme Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn, or PFZW, caused a minor stir when he set out an ambition to insert new "malus", or clawback, clauses into fund managers' contracts, so schemes could get refunds on fees in the case of significant underperformance.
Jan Willem van Oostveen, investment policy manager at PFZW, said the idea was still in its "exploration phase". He said: "PFZW wants to start a debate about this principle with the investment industry." The country's biggest fund, the €309 billion civil service workers' fund ABP, has also said it wants to work with PFZW on this idea.
Consolidation is almost certain to lead to job cuts in other areas, as investment consultants and actuaries will have fewer clients. Theo Kocken, chief executive of Dutch consultancy Cardano, said he "would not be surprised" if a quarter of jobs in the industry disappeared over the next decade.
Evert van Ling, head of the Dutch office at pensions consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock, agreed this was a challenge: "There is pressure in the market on actuarial firms. For every consultancy it's necessary to think about the future, to look at your own client base and ask, what are the chances these schemes will merge?"
The scheme mergers are taking place against a wider backdrop of change, as the nature of pensions themselves also shifts. Like the UK, the Netherlands is moving from a system of defined benefits, where pensions are guaranteed, to a system of defined contributions, where they depend on market returns.
But unlike the UK, where companies unilaterally shut DB schemes and opened DC plans for new joiners, in the Netherlands, the existing pension funds are being changed, slowly and not without considerable controversy, from DB to DC.
Pension reforms
Initially, the Dutch government proposed giving pension funds two options to reform themselves; first, to offer a non-inflation linked "nominal" pension as a firm guarantee, or second, to offer a "real" or inflation-linked pension as a non-guaranteed ambition. PFZW came out strongly in favour of the latter, only to find the government then retreated.
Niels Kortleve, innovation manager at PGGM Investments, the asset manager for the PFZW scheme, said: "The ministry of social affairs has proposed a 'middle of the road' approach, which is closer to the nominal position. It's not as 'hard' a nominal contract as previously proposed, as some solvency rules have been relaxed slightly."
Nevertheless, the option of more radical DC reform is not entirely off the table, he said. With support from the ministry, the pensions industry has set up a working group to examine the question.
Robeco's van Lommen is a member of the group. She said: "We are looking into a so-called collectieve premieovereenkomst. This is a true DC scheme from a legal perspective, which uses DC individual accounts and is IFRS proof [meaning employers carry no pension liability on their balance sheets].
However, in the payout phase there will be collective risk sharing of financial and biometric risks – a bit like a variable annuity.
"In order to make this feasible, we need a legislative change, a bit similar to the one that has been implemented in the UK: if macro longevity increases, benefits are allowed to be lowered."
This article originally appeared in the print edition of Financial News dated May 5, 2014


text: ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPDATE PITTSBURGH, PA (February 24, 2011) –Two directors were reappointed for five year terms and two new directors are first-time appointees to the Allegheny County Airport Authority. Richard Shaw and Rich Stanizzo were reappointed to another term on the board through 2015. New board members are Cynthia D. Shapira, an independent management consultant, and Rep. Matthew Smith, PA House of Representatives. "We are proud to welcome Ms. Shapira and Rep. Smith to the Airport Authority Board. We are honored to have the continued service of Mr. Shaw and Mr. Stanizzo. They have contributed a great deal of their time and expertise to the improvement and advancement of the ACAA," Said Glenn R. Mahone, Chairman, Allegheny County Airport Authority. Ms. Shapira, of Fox Chapel, is a consultant to non-profit organizations and a community leader. She has conducted seminars on strategic planning and board governance for non-profit boards through Duquesne University's Non-Profit Leadership Institute. Ms. Shapira's community leadership roles include co-chairing the Pittsburgh Promise Campaign and the Jewish Community Foundation. Ms. Shapira is Honorary Co-Chair, along with Bayer Corp. CEO Greg Babe, of Allegheny 365, an initiative to ensure access to individuals of varying abilities in Allegheny County. She also chairs the PA Center for Women in Politics advisory committee at Chatham University. Ms. Shapira serves on numerous regional and national boards which impact arts, education and human services. Ms. Shapira has a master's degree in public administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude in political science from Wellesley College. Rep. Matthew Smith (D-42, Allegheny) was elected to the PA House of Representatives in November 2006 and sworn in January 2007. Rep. Smith currently serves on the House Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Appropriations, Finance and Insurance Committees. He is the co-chair of the House Life Sciences Caucus. Prior to being elected, Rep. Smith served as an attorney in Pittsburgh focusing on business and employment law. He is also a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). He has a great deal of community service and political science experience, volunteering for numerous local, state and national campaigns and serving on the transition team for Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. Most recently, Smith was honored by Pittsburgh Magazine and the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) as a 2010 Pittsburgh '40 Under 40' award winner. He has a bachelor's degree in history from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and a JD in law from Duquesne University. He lives in Mt Lebanon with his wife Eileen and their daughters Delaney and Emerson.


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2008: Rest In Peace (Part II)
Man, I gotta tell you. For as good as 2008 was at times, overall it was a brutal trip for those of us hailing from mitten shaped states. The Wolverines missed out on a bowl berth for the first time in 3 decades (that's a score and a half for those keeping score at home), the Lions accomplished perfection as only Matt Millen could define it and the Tigers, after starting off the season as almost everyone's pick to win the World Series, somehow found a way to not only lose continuously but also trade for Kyle Farnsworth. Seriously guys, Farnsworth?
But now is the time of year when we get a chance to refocus on the good things and be grateful for what we have. And honestly, we have a lot to be thankful for here at RSBS. First off, it's great to be part of a community that appreciates baseball and politics the same way that Jeff and I do. And it's also great to work on this project with one of my best friends who also happens to be a cunning linguist and master baseball intellect.
Granted, we don't always agree and it's sad that Jeff holds so much hope for the city of St. Louis (even if it doesn't always seem that way) but, despite our differences (especially when it comes to Erin Andrews), I still have nothing but respect for Mr. Lung and his bitterness when it comes to the things bringing down our nation (mainly Sarah Palin and the Chicago Cubs, if his posts are any indication).
However, for the purposes of this end of the year reminiscing, th rules are that we are limited to choosing three of the other person's posts that really do it for us (in that Sarah Palin firing an automatic weapon sort of way). So, without any further ado, here we go.
Honorable Mention:
Yankees Broaden Scouting Map — December 14, 2008
Sometimes short entries can say it all and that's definitely the case with this one. Nothing else distills the essence of RSBS like scouting the Iraqi shoe-thrower.
1st Runner Up:
(Don't) Try This at Home — October 15, 2008
Since both baseball and politics often lead people to drink, it's only fitting that a blog purporting to cover both subjects should provide a guide. In the pantheon of drinking games, this one ranks right up there.
Runner Up:
Freakazoids and Oddities — December 5, 2008
I don't know if Jeff just ran out of ideas and started looking at search results or what lead to this post but the fact that "Wemen hitting mens balls" is one of the most popular strings leading people to RSBS is certainly change we can believe in.
And finally, the Winner:
Time for a Major League Intervention — August 19, 2008
I still remember sitting down and reading this entry for the first time and thinking it was one of the most brilliant, insightful and intense pieces I had ever read. They can't all be like this but I do think this piece is one of the main reasons why our readers keep coming back.
So, that's it for me and that's it for 2008. Pitchers and catchers report in just a little while and you can be sure that we're still going to be here doing what we do.
8 Comments
Good work guys. Been a good read since I came aboard and I look forward to more of the same in '09. I also give you much props for adding cunning linguist into any post. Mucho gusto! Cheers to '09.
Again – brilliant gentleman! Thanks for giving us something to laugh each day. Since I am a little late coming to this party I enjoyed reading some your best of the year! Here's the 2009 – may all our teams do well and may we all have plenty to write about. Happy New Years guys!
I must say that I've enjoyed reading your blog very much. I'm a Tigers fan myself (Sorry, Jeff. lol). I've been trying to get a blog going, but I'm not nearly as eloquent or diligent as you guys. I've read your posts every day, even through this off season! Thanks for being there with insightful and often hilarious comments on baseball, politics, and life in general. Happy New Year!
You guys make a great team – sort of a Stewart/Colbert, perhaps? Here's hoping you'll bring us more insight and levity in the new year. Best to you both.
Thank you all for your kind, kind words! Tom, how about "colorado cunning linguist"? Even better, eh?
Julia — You're awesome. I love how you and Jane are so cool together despite the fact your teams and contemporaries hate each other.
Katie — Thanks for the accolades and for dropping off your URL. We'll definitely check you out. Al needs some sort of support anyway.
Jane — You're a paragon of kindness/intellect/fandom — a must read, must keep-up with icon whom we're all trying to emulate. Keep comin' back😉
Happy New Year, All.
Great blog guys! Thanks to the links to some of the best ones that I missed since I joined in October. Can't wait to be reading next year!
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Dear Editor,
I am writing on behalf of my family and friends to send a personal "thank you" to Anonymous. Over the past three weeks or so, we have been following the local alleged rape case. Sadly, we have been shocked as more and more information is being revealed. In the end, however, we realize that decisions will be left to our court system and we pray that there will be "justice for all."
For anyone that feels that the beloved Big Red football team, their coach, or any individuals were attacked by Anonymous, keep in mind there is only one victim here. Although, her voice was silenced by her alleged attackers, Anonymous stepped up and spoke for her. As time passed, thousands of others followed suit. Most of these people I am sure she doesn't even know. They simply want justice.
Let this incident be a wake up call for all. Years from now, it won't matter if we had a local state championship football team; but, it will matter that our youth stepped up and did what was right when given the chance.
My hope is to someday read a letter to the editor from Jane Doe letting the people of this area know that she has done great things with her life, in spite of this dreadful nightmare.
In closing, none of us are anonymous, we are all well-known to a higher power that will hand down final judgment to each and every one of us.
Concerned citizen and mother of two daughters
Lisa Brown