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text: Divxturka.net is using Redbunker! Because Redbunker is better than Hotfile, Netload and Rapidshare ! Click here and buy REDBUNKER premium account! Plot: Michelle takes a job recommended by her counselor that lands her trapped in a mansion with three psychotic siblings hell bent on purging Michelle of her sins. Genre: Thriller IMDB Rating: 3.9/10 from 250 users Directed by: Britt Napier Starring: Kaylee DeFer, Elisabeth Röhm, Christian Campbell Release Name: Darkroom.2013.DVDRip.XviD-F0RFUN Size: 700 MB Video: AVi | 640x344 | 1081 kbps Audio: English | MP3 | 128 kbps Runtime: 1h 21mn Information: Code: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1876283/ Download: Code: Single Link No Extraction http://www.redbunker.net/r0ns46scntfx/Darkroom.2013.DVDRip.XviD-F0RFUN.avi.html IF YOU LIKE MY UPLOADS PLEASE GET A REDBUNKER PREMIUM ACCOUNT, Thank You All for your Support Screens: Enjoy!

subset: commoncrawl


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Moroccan newspaper Al Islah has published an article on the January 20 tragedy, SIA reports with refrence to AzerTac.
The author said on January 19-20, 1990, the soviet army and Armenian armed forces shot civilian residents in Baku. 147 people, including children were killed, hundreds wounded and arrested.
The day after the tragedy national leader Heydar Aliyev came to permanent representation of Azerbaijan in Moscow, and held a press conference overtly condemning the Soviet leadership`s actions against the Azerbaijani people. The national leader said Mikhail Gorbachov was a man behind the crime.
The author noted that after Heydar Aliyev`s return to power for the second time, a political assessment was given to the 20 tragedy, and that date was declared as the National Day of Mourning.
Touching upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the author mentioned international organizations have repeatedly criticised Armenian aggressive policy, and despite adoption of a number of resolutions Armenians still continue this policy.
The author stressed the international community, including Morocco condemn Armenia`s aggressive policy against Azerbaijan, adding Azerbaijan, in turn, highly appreciated the friendly ties with official Rabat.
The author underlined official Baku demands the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity and to respect relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.
The author said the commemorative events on the occasion of the January 20 tragedy are being held in not only Azerbaijan, but also in other foreign countries, adding hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis visit the Alley of Martyrs in that day.


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The ElitePad 1000 G2 from HP fully integrates into the operation of a company and the secure network. Data management and protection is an important feature of this tablet that comes with secure authentication to protect data. Unfortunately it won't win any awards for design. Storage on offer can support up to 128GB SD cards.
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Electronic Game Card, Inc. (EGMI.OB) Announces First Exclusive Representative Agreement to Sell Interactive Entertainment and Education QuizCards Into Leading Mass Market Retailers
Electronic Game Card, Inc. announced that it has signed an Exclusive Sales Representative Agreement with the FMM-The Moscoe Group to sell EGC Interactive Entertainment and Education "Know-it-All QuizCards(TM)" and "iQuizCards(TM)" branded cards. A 52-year business partner with leading mass market retail clients across America, the FMM-The Moscoe Group has a team of retail professionals who have decades of retail experience.
"This new sales relationship offers EGC access to some of the most formidable retail sales professionals with developed and efficient retailer buyer relationships in the world. Through FMM-The Moscoe Group's exemplary reputation with its partners, EGC has an immediate opportunity to gain access to high level national big brand distribution of our new interactive trivia based QuizCards into some of the best known retailers in the world. The six leading retailers included in this agreement are all household names across the US and Canada totaling approximately 19,000 retail store locations," commented Kevin Donovan, CEO of Electronic Game Card, Inc.â€
Mr. Donovan continued, "The relationship allows EGC to maintain low overhead while accessing a highly respected team of national sales and distribution experts. The knowledge and relationships gained through this agreement will help EGC to successfully launch the first, of many, new proprietary product lines that will continue to increase the reach, product diversity and revenue of the company."


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|Reviews for Raindrops
| Draco the Spirit Dragon chapter 1 . 3/25/2015
Aww, a very adorable fic!
| Pharyn Oblodra chapter 1 . 1/25/2013
It was magical. So far, I can not recover from the experience.
| Grey Wolf4 chapter 1 . 11/15/2012
This was a very good and beautifully told Shinji/Rei and things might have turned out better if something like this happened because no one (save maybe Yui) told Shinji the words 'I love you' given how your father abandons you and dumps you on some indifferent guardian well is it any surprise Shinji would turn out with low self esteem?
This was great!
| Archdruid-Sephiroth chapter 1 . 1/24/2012
I'll be the first to admit that I normally only look for stories marked with an "M" rating. I guess part of me just assumes that if the story isn't graphic or contain more adult content, it's not worth my time reading. I guess you can say I have a jaded view of stories in general.
I'm not telling you this to make you think I'm a baka hentai, or to make you think that I'm too mature for lower rated stories... or for that matter that I only like stories of graphic violence, gore, sex and bad language... I tell you this because when I say that your story actually brought tears to my eyes, I want you to understand the full implications of that.
At first I thought it was going to be another mushy, ho-hum romance story, but something about it just refused to let me go as I went along, almost as if a part of me wanted to see just how close to the naughty stuff a "T" rated story can get, and the other, actually more mature part of me, became interested to see how Rei came to terms with her feelings and how Shinji finally grew enough of a spine to move ahead.
Misato's reaction to seeing them at the end was what did it, I think... "We don't deserve them..." Jesus, I'm tearing up just trying to get though this review. The overwhelming feelings and emotions the characters experienced during the course of this story and my reactions to them made this the most entertaining thing I've read for a bit now.
I see the story was published back in 2008, sorry it took me four years to find it. If it makes any difference, you've opened my eyes to the possibilities other ratings other than M can give me. Thank you for that.
I didn't notice any spelling mistakes and the story flowed very well. You must have had plenty of practice with this and/or be a natural, and it shows. Some of the stuff I write even I feel comes off a bit choppy. So a smooth story like this is a rare treat.
If you still write, I hope to see more of your material. And hey, if you write on a different site, send me a link, I want more!
Well this is getting pretty lengthy so I'll just end with a big "thank you". Read ya later!
| Shiso no Kitsune chapter 1 . 2/28/2011
Wow, this was really goof. I was at first a bit dubious due to the Angst listing, but when I got into it I was glad I read it.
Reading this left me feeling all warm and fuzzy...Damn you.
| Rocky chapter 1 . 12/25/2009
Thank you for writing such a story. It's wonderful and touching.
| zack chapter 1 . 12/17/2009
this was one of the most romantic fics ive every read. of course you realize i need more. preferably like this one.
| Wingzero87 chapter 1 . 5/16/2009
Slow build up...
But very heart warming none the least
| angelicat123 chapter 1 . 10/25/2008
really really sweet, and really beautiful :).
you portrayed both characters really well - great writing!
| dante chapter 1 . 9/3/2008
quite a beautifull story even if it's angstfull
| AmbrosiusSchuyler chapter 1 . 8/12/2008
This was written beautifully (:
I really enjoyed the moments both Shinji and Rei shared, it really was heart warming to read. I hope you decid to write more of Rei and Shinji in the future.
Keep up the great work.
Amb ]
| Final Fight chapter 1 . 7/10/2008
How dare you write something excellent like this! Who do you think you are? Fanfiction is obviously supposed to suck - who are you to make something enjoyable and heartwarming (even if the ending was jusstt a bit too corny)? I am outraged! Outraged to find gambling here!
Now where are my winnings?
| Crouching Tiger Hidden Shizuru chapter 1 . 7/8/2008
I just read the Manga, Bitter Virgin, and it made me cry so bad, but this just cheered me right up.
This was exceptionally... well, not exceptionally, but very well written. It was a pleasure to read.
| clow-san chapter 1 . 6/30/2008
I have enjoyed every bit of this story. Please write another or something. Rei and Shinji needs more love!
pretty good!


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Chapter LXXVII
'What do you want from me?' She didn't really need to ask. He wanted what every other man wanted. She'd been so naïve to think anyone was any different.
'Oh, I'm going to use you for a purely political purpose, you have my word on that,' he said carelessly, but the glint in his eye said otherwise. 'Simply dwell on this - how well do you think your 'friends' love their Lady Beatrix? Enough to give up their chance of freedom?'
Beatrix went cold. Whatever she had expected, it hadn't been this. Fool! Of course that's what he wanted! She was a bargaining chip, nothing more. As she had been all her life.
'No. You can't do this!'
He looked mildly amused. 'Oh, I think you'll find I can. I have already dispatched an emissary to the rebels with my terms. They have until midnight to fully surrender and send me their leader to ensure their... obedience.'
Hathering. No! Ye gods, what would Aaron do to him?
'What if... What if I told you I was their leader?'
Aaron laughed this time. 'You, their leader? Don't be ridiculous! You must take me for a fool! Give me some credit. At least Hathering isn't stupid enough to follow a woman.'
Beatrix had to bite her lip to stop herself from murdering her cousin with her cup and saucer.
No,' Aaron continued. 'They've got a soft spot for you, and no mistake. I'm merely doing what any good general does - saving lives by taking the diplomatic option.'
'You're not a good general, and this certainly doesn't count as 'diplomatic',' Beatrix growled.
Aaron's eyes narrowed, and the temperature in the room went from chilly to freezing.
'What did you say?'
Beatrix kept her voice as level as she could, but inside she was screaming. 'You heard.'
Aaron stood up slowly, his beady eyes examining Beatrix minutely, lingering. She flushed.
Finally, he said: 'You're lucky you're so beautiful. Or I might kill you myself.'
She met his gaze steadily. 'I'd like to see you try.'


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Unverified Voracity Tents Fingers
Is there a space ray of some variety that explains this? Mark my words: sometime in the next couple years Jim Tressel will be revealed as a Bond villain whose nefarious plot was to create and deploy some sort of negative PR black hole in Ann Arbor.
Unlike all other Bond villains, his plan has been wildly successful. It took freshly minted Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon two days to land a tiny cameo on the Colbert Report in the midst of a segment on Domino's ballsy decision to admit that their core product is terrible:
Getting hired as Michigan AD opens the floodgates. By this time next week Brandon will see a real estate deal go sour, various critical members of the athletic department leave for Arkansas, and a pack of velociraptors with digital recorders tear his tasty flesh into long, delicious strips.
Mmmm. Athletic director velociraptor horror bacon.
At least Brandon is well versed in admitting that the core product is a shambolic mess and taking steps towards actual pizza, be it in food or bowl game varieties.
It begins. Black Heart Gold Pants promises "more on this later," which causes a slight tingle in my tingly bits. This is for real, people. It's for real.
Yes. This is happening.
Time to call Charles Atlas. Yesterday on the Sporting Blog I pointed out that the Big Ten's bowl performance was somewhere between good and outstanding, depending on whether you want to take peripherals like yards into account, and asked anyone else who writes about college football to notice. Whether they will is yet to be seen.
In the course of it I linked to Rutgers blog Bleed Scarlet's sarcastic reaction to the Big Ten expansion hoopla in an effort to prove just how much crap the Big Ten has been fielding since Ohio State faceplanted against Florida three years ago. When a team whose main accomplishment in the 141 years since it played in the first college football game has been not ceasing to exist is talking smack, you have an image problem that goes beyond rational discussion.
And indeed, Bleed Scarlet notes the post and responds with one of its own that ends like so:
Even if Michigan ever does improve to the point that Big Ten football isn't a national punchline, the conference as a whole can never fairly receive enough ridicule and disrespect.
What the hell? BS's main complaint appears to be that more people watch Big Ten football even if it's Illinois-Purdue (which was on ESPN) instead of USF-Pitt (which was exiled to Somalia), as if this was a choice ESPN had instead of a long-term contract the Big Ten earned by virtue of having teams people like to watch on television. I mean:
That's why it's so maddening that even today, Brian celebrates that the Big Ten is on equal financial footing with the SEC – how is that warranted at all on the merits?
What merits? The Big Ten earns a lot of money because they have a ton of alumni, a culture in which football is important, and a history of success that doesn't evaporate because the conference has struggled through some tough years. Nobody votes except with their dollars and eyes. This isn't a democracy. We're not having a recount. Whine about a lack of Big East respect all you want when it comes to automatic BCS bids—not that the Big Ten has ever spit out the dreck the Big East has with its automatic qualifier—but complaining that it's not fair when it comes to money makes you sound like a fake nihilist with a nine-toed woman.
The Big Ten's recent poor run in the bowls have to do with six letters: USC, which the Big Ten has had to play just about every year since the Trojans can't be bothered against one Pac-10 opponent per season, and BCS, which has dragged more Big Ten runners-up into the big time than any other conference and set up unfavorable matchups down the chain. A few years ago 9-3 Texas played a 6-6 Iowa outfit that had gone 2-6 in conference. Texas won by 3, and somehow the Big Ten's reputation took a hit.
A name to ignore. Probably. I don't think this qualifies as actual information about the mysterious assistant coach opening for reasons that will be bolded. It's an article about Marshall's open defensive coordinator spot:
Is it Chuck Heater?
The University of Florida defensive coach seems like a longshot. Yes, he is the father-in-law of new Marshall defensive line coach Rich Cronin, but this is business.
That's why Heater reportedly is interested in Michigan's vacant defensive coordinator job. ... and vice-versa. Besides that, there still are rumbles about the possibility of Heater staying with the Gators as co-defensive coordinator.
Michigan, obviously, does not have a vacant defensive coordinator job. And since Heater is the "assistant defensive coordinator" on a staff that just lost its defensive coordinator, chances are he's in line for a promotion at a school that isn't Marshall or a poor season or two away from a coaching change. Heater has no history with Rodriguez or Greg Robinson—he's bounced around a lot but never to a spot where either happened to be—and wouldn't be getting a promotion at Michigan. At best he could be the assistant defensive coordinator. The only way this happens is if Meyer brings in a new DC who sweeps out some or all of the existing folk in favor of his own guys.
Harumph. This was covered somewhat in the recruiting post yesterday but a follow-up from me: six players, all on offense, enrolled early but safety Marvin Robinson and quarterback Devin Gardner did not. That's unfortunate because if you asked me to pick the two guys I wanted in early most, I would have picked Robinson and Gardner. I'm still hoping that Gardner can find a way to redshirt this fall—this news definitely increases the chances of that—but if Forcier gets injured, having a slightly more experienced Gardner could be the difference between Rich Rodriguez taking root and getting swept out the door.
That's still less likely to have an impact than Robinson's absence. Robinson is either a safety or an OLB (or "spinner"; from now on I'm just calling the two non-spinners MLBs and the spinner and OLB) and would obviously have been in contention for a starting job somewhere if he enrolled.
Still, it is good to have both Stephen Hopkins and Austin White in early; with the seniors out the door and presumed starter Vincent Smith laid up with an ACL tear that may last into the fall, those two, Mike Shaw, Mike Cox, and Fitzgerald Toussaint will go to war to be 1B to Smith's probable 1A.
Boo, but in a yay way. Hockey picked up a big commit for 2012 in forward Cristoval "Boo" Nieves, who the Hockey News interviewed about a month ago. He was the top player at the USA Select 15s and, FWIW, a guy on Hockey's Future relays that one of the OHL draft scouting services ranks him in the top ten. Apparently he has no interest in that route. That can change, obviously. Please allow me to go weep about Jack Campbell over here.
Etc.: Jim Delany likes it, he really likes it. Billy Taylor on Brandon's hiring. UMHoops revisits the Big Ten freshman class.
Hello: Jordan Dumars
Hoopster Jordan Dumars, son of Pistons president (and former Piston) Joe Dumars, has enrolled at Michigan after transferring from South Florida. He is expected to join the Michigan basketball team as a preferred walkon. Since he's a transfer, we have a little bit of info on what he'll do at the collegiate level but not much.
The recruiting sites agree: Dumars was essentially a "meh" prospect coming out of high school. ESPN had this to say about him:
Dumars is a very accurate shooter that has very good range. He has the ability to stretch defenses as they have to account for Dumars perimeter shooting prowess whenever he steps on the court. He does not have elite athleticism or quickness, which regulates him to more of...
We can extrapolate where that sentence was going (and assume they meant "relegates," not "regulates"), and assume it will say something about how he's going to just hang out around the perimeter and shoot, rarely driving. Without elite quickness or athleticism, he also sounds like someone who will have trouble defending.
From his highlight video (see it below), he seems to have very good range, and a Stu Douglass-like courage to prove that range any time he gets the ball. He has a pretty quick release, and wasn't afraid to shoot with defenders closing in. Of course, in college those defenders will be much quicker and bigger.
Basically, he sounds like a good developmental project, as long as you don't have to spend a scholarship on him. It never hurts to have the son of an NBA legend on your team, either, especially when he's associated with the nearest NBA franchise.
Dumars is transferring from South Florida, and it appears as though the Bulls were the only school that offered him a scholarship. What a surprise that they landed him! Oddly, he committed as a junior, and it still never appears that he got more offers. Perhaps he would have become a bigger prospect without the early commitment? His South Florida bio says he chose USF over Duquesne, Michigan, and Dayton, but Michigan didn't offer him, so I question whether the other two options did.
Dumars has not been offered a scholarship by Michigan and will join the basketball team as a preferred walkon.
In his semester at South Florida, Dumars played in 6 of the Bulls' first 8 games (all Bulls wins), but sat out the last five. At least a couple of the more recent games were after he had decided to transfer, so that may be the reason he sat those out.
In his six games played, he got 27 minutes. He attempted eight shots, all of them threes, and made two. He also picked up five fouls (a lot for so little time played, since he never got more than two in a single game). The Game of his Brief Career came against Kent State. He played 13 minutes, going 2/4 from three-point land.
His South Florida bio also has some high school stats:
Country Day finished the year 24-2 and ranked No. 16 in the nation by USA Today... Ended regular season 19-1 and ranked No. 1 in Michigan ... Captain as a senior and averaged 10.2 points, 2.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game ... Third leading scorer on team and shot 36 percent from 3-point range and 96 percent from the free throw line.
As a junior, he averaged 14 points per game, and as a sophomore, he was the 6th man on Country Day's State Championship squad.
High school highlights from Jordan. I didn't listen to the whole song, but it's Lil' Wayne, so assume it's NSFW:
Since Dumars is transferring at the semester break, he will be in the same situation next year that Laval Lucas-Perry was last year. He will have to sit out the Winter '10 semester and the Fall '10 semester, but be eligible to play in January of 2011. At that time, he will be a redshirt freshman with 3.5 years to play.
At that time, he'll be a depth player, grabbing a couple minutes here and there to rest starters and maybe getting in at the end of blowouts. If he's able to progress as a player (and more importantly, as an athlete), he could become a member of the rotation down the road.
If Manny Harris leaves early for the NBA and Michigan doesn't land someone in the 2010 class, such as Trey Zeigler, to replace him, the situation changes a bit. The Wolverines would have to shuffle the rotation a bit, and fill a starting spot at the 3 guard, making more playing time a possibility for Jordan.
For the future, Country Day is a basketball powerhouse, producing some guys you may have heard of: Chris Webber and Shane Battier, among others. The Wolverines have targeted 2011 big Amir Williams out of DCDS, and having a former Yellow Jacket on the roster should help the team recruit DCDS. Also, having Joe Dumars hang around the program can't hurt.
Wednesday Recruitin'
- christian pace
- clarence murphy
- cullen christian
- demetrius hart
- devin gardner
- george farmer
- jason gibson
- jerald robinson
- jeremy jackson
- jibreel black
- johnathon hankins
- marquise lee
- marvin robinson
- ricardo miller
- sean parker
- stephen hopkins
- todd chandler
- tony drake
- tony grimes
- will hagerup
- 2010 recruiting
- 2011 recruiting
- austin white
Boards of note:
Trench Warfare
Lots of changes on the defensive tackle recruiting front in the past couple days.
First things first, MI DT Johnathon Hankins picked Ohio State yesterday over the Wolverines. Allow me to editorialize for a moment here: This blog has a tag called "basketball recruiting is dirty like dirt in a dirt sandwich," but if half of the rumors about the Southeastern coaching staff's handling of Hankins's recruitment are true, we may need to expand that tag to football as well. Genuinely Sarcastic provides some angry detail.
FL DT Todd Chandler seems to be looking primarily at Louisville as an option outside of USF (where he is committed). Michigan might become a stronger option if his teammate, FL OL Torrian Wilson, visits Ann Arbor, but this one appears to be on the back-burner for now. Chandler's top schools have gone from the likes of Miami, Michigan, and Florida to Memphis, Louisville, and FIU, so he may have some issues—grades?—that are causing bigger schools to back off.
Wilson, by the way, is down to USF, Michigan, and Tennessee. Michigan could really use another offensive lineman in the class.
Cincinnati high school sports reporter Mike Dyer reports that Michigan visited OH DT/DE Jibreel Black both in-home and in-school on Monday. Black, who has been committed to Cincinnati, but is reconsidering after the Brian Kelly departure, will also visit Michigan sometime this month, probably the weekend of the 22nd. According to Dyer's full article, the Wolverines have replaced Louisville on his list.
Michigan has a couple defensive ends and a couple three-tech defensive tackles so all they need is a nose; if they pick up Black it's because they really like him.
All-Star Updates
More on his actual game performance in a delayed Friday Night Lights post next week, but MI QB Devin Gardner participated in the Under Armour All-American Bowl on Saturday. He impressed in practice:
"(Devin Gardner) really impressed me a lot," [Scout Florida expert Geoff] Vogt added. "He was bigger than I expected him to be. His arm was everything that people made it out to be. He was accurate... He clearly, in my opinion, is the top quarterback on that team... He'd be the No. 1 quarterback in Florida straight out this year and that's really saying something. I think he has a really bright future at Michigan."
Of course, being the clear #1 QB on the team got him by far the fewest snaps out of the 3 QBs, with Nick Montana and Phillip Sims getting more (the order was determined randomly, FWIW). That Webb article also says that Michigan is pursuing Tennessee commit LB Michael Taylor. I've added him to the board. Taylor remains a soft commit to the Vols.
FL CB Tony Grimes participated in last weekend's Offense-Defense Bowl, and MGoReader J. Lichty reports that opposing offenses mostly stayed away from him. He played both corner and safety. MGoBlog's own TomVH talked to Grimes last week, and he reiterated what we've been hearing for some time on both Grimes and his teammate, FL DE Clarence Murphy:
TOM: Are you and Clarence still planning on going to the same school?
TONY: As far as this point, yes that's the plan.
TOM: Is Michigan still on top for you?
TONY: Yes.
The two still both favor Michigan, and plan to announce on Signing Day. Tony also said that he didn't know there was a dead period between college coaches and recruits, and was wondering why Michigan wasn't contacting him as much. Sounds like other schools haven't quite been following the rules. THE NCAA WILL BE ALL OVER THIS!
This upcoming weekend is a little more notable for Michigan fans: Commits WI P Will Hagerup and PA CB Cullen Christian will play in the US Army All-American Bowl, and CA S Sean Parker who is down to Michigan, Cal, and USC, will also participate.
Early Enrollment
The semester started today, so we should finally have a good idea of which 2010 Michigan commits were able to get in for the winter semester and spring practice.
MI QB Devin Gardner is still trying to enroll early, but Inkster's semester ends really late and there are some issues with getting him accelerated. Michigan should know by the end of the week whether he will or not. Stephen Hopkins, Jerald Robinson, Ricardo Miller, Christian Pace, Jeremy Jackson, and Austin White are all enrolling, though as of Wednesday morning Robinson and Miller did not have UMich directory entries. Marvin Robinson is also making an effort to enroll early:
Robinson, who took 3 classes over the summer in an attempt to graduate in December, said the holdup stems with 2 classes he took last semester.
"Most likely things are going to work out where I can go up there tomorrow," Robinson said.
Even if things don't, Robinson said he's firm in his commitment and will sign with Michigan in February.
I don't recall if the Athletic Department announced early-enrolling prospects last year until after Signing Day, but hopefully we'll have the final data by the end of this week.
Meanwhile, FL CB Adrian Witty was also supposed to be a midseason enroller after not qualifying for fall but is not in the Michigan directory. It's looking grimmer for Witty by the day; from the sounds of it he is qualified in the eyes of the NCAA; Michigan's admissions are the holdup. The most likely issue is a radically improved test score that got flagged.
Persistent rumors that TX RB/WR Tony Drake is so far from qualifying that he shouldn't even be considered part of the class any more get stronger by the day.
Maxpreps published its Junior All-American teams, with few prospect of interest for Michigan fans, outside of a couple pipe dreams. SoFlaFootball has also published its first 2011 top 75.
FL RB Demetrius Hart may not be the Michigan lock that we thought:
The 5-foot-8, 175-pounder has had the Wolverines out in front for some time and continues to do so, though he jokingly said that cold temperatures in the Orlando area recently may have him thinking a little.
So, yeah: That's not as negative as the headline "Florida Prospect Considers Local Programs" would make it seem. It would still be an upset for him to not land in Ann Arbor.
Michigan has offered a trio of prospects from Gardena Serra High School in California. WR George Farmer appears to be the headliner, holding offers from a who's-who of bigtime schools, including Florida and Oklahoma. DE Jason Gibson and S Marquise Lee have also received Michigan offers, along with scholarships from the likes of Miami (Yes That Miami), Oregon, and Washington.
Michigan commits Tony Drake and Austin White come in at #8 and #10, respectively on Sports Illustrated's top running backs of 2010.
Unverified Voracity Has A Running Mate
America number one. Weird experience last night: watched a sporting event and had the team I wanted to win the game actually, you know, win it. This was the Orange Bowl, where Iowa beat Georgia Tech to give the league four wins over top 15 opponents, two BCS wins, and a winning bowl record. This will reduce the number of offseason Clay Travis columns that erroneously cite the SEC's big pile of money—the Big Ten's pile is essentially equivalent—as the reason they're fielding teams full of Terminators against the rest of college football's Hello Kitty dolls. There are now 26 scheduled instead of 180.
So thanks for that, Iowa. I'm glad that when From The Rumble Seat asked me for my best Iowa-related smack talk I demurred because the only thing I hate about Iowa is the fact that they lose to Iowa State more than they should. I hate Iowa State with a passion unknown to man.
Also, Ricky Stanzi takes up the banner J Leman first gloriously thrust upon the shores of the blogosphere:
America. #1. Big Ten. Love it or leave it. Photoshop wizards: can a brother get a Leman/Stanzi 2012 poster around here?
So… you're wise. Michigan legend and extremely old guy Red Simmons turned 100 a couple days ago, which means he's seen a considerable amount of things in his day. I wonder if he feels like Windle Poons, who was a 133 year-old magician in a couple of Discworld novels*. Poons felt like he had been old for the vast majority of his life, and that seemed unfair. This random biographical tidbit, even moreso than competing against Jesse Owens or helping Joe Louis get in shape, best sums up just how long Simmons has been around:
When his grades slipped, Simmons was given a second chance after track coach Lloyd Olds and dean of men James "Bingo" Brown - who was also the state boxing commissioner - asked the university's president to give Simmons a second chance.
During the meeting, Bingo—the dean of men!—chewed on a stogie and crankily took a phone call about some Italian kid with a bruised brain. In keeping with the traditions of the time, Bingo—man dean!—suggested the kid be sold for his meat.
There are many opportunities to tap into his reservoirs of wisdom from AnnArbor.com and MVictors. Greg has plenty of video from his recent interview with Simmons:
There's also transcripts for the video-averse. Other Red, you are on notice:
On men's hockey Coach Red Berenson's recent birthday: Well, he's just 70 or so, what the hell is that? [laughs] I always say, 'Oh, to be 80 again!'
Braylongate II. So, yeah, Braylon Edwards did this on the Sunday Night Football introductions:
Everyone on the planet immediately interpreted this as a shot at Rich Rodriguez, including yrs truly. But Braylon says it isn't so:
"Last night during my pre-taped introduction, as a way of paying tribute to Coach Carr, I indentified myself as being from 'Lloyd Carr's University of Michigan,'" Edwards said. "I had no intention of showing any disrespect to Coach Rich Rodriguez.
"I love the University of Michigan and will always be loyal to its coaching staff past, present and future."
I believe him; when I had my usual segment on WTKA on Monday Ira Weintraub came in and mentioned that Stan Edwards had called the station up wishing to clarify that. A number of other players, including Tom Brady, have made comments far less ambiguous ("ugly") about the current state of the program and have not rushed to make sure people didn't misinterpret their comments.
Not that any of this matters at all. Rodriguez will either win or he won't. That's basically what Dhani Jones said on Jim Rome…
"Up to this point it really hasn't been that good of a job at all," Jones said. "But then you have to look at the perspective of how long it takes for a class to change over to be his class. There's a lot of different things, but as a Michigan man you expect things to be changed in an instant. Sometimes you have to have a little bit more patience.
"Two years, my patience is running a bit thin. So next year it's going to be really a qualifying or disqualifying year for his ability as a coach to get the program in the right direction. And I don't think many people will stand for it if he doesn't do a good job next year."
That's one version of everyone's take, isn't it? Everyone basically says real improvement, yardage parity-ish, and something like eight wins from a 13 game schedule, give or take one based on context. He'll either do that or he won't. The rest is noise.
I really, really don't care about whether Rich Rodriguez should be fired or not. Short of a bomb from the NCAA, he'll get a shot to turn things around. So all this stuff about factions and statements from former players and everyone's opinion on the program is the verbal equivalent of Badger Badger Badger. It's mildly diverting noise containing zero information that's turned annoying from overexposure.
A light at the end of the ridiculous tunnel. This has sat in a tab for almost a month now but no one else has taken up this incredibly critical issue so here goes: when Michigan switched over to Coke something horrible happened. All the fountains at Yost and Crisler were replaced by little refrigerators with 20-ounce bottles in them that sell for four dollars each*. The list of things that I would do before paying four dollars for a bottle of Diet Coke includes "cut off own toes" and "attempt to survive ten minutes in a cage with Brandon Graham."
I'll happily pay the same amount for a fountain drink, though. As a result I spend most of one intermission at Yost fighting through the crowds to the one place that will sell me one. This makes no sense but approximately 20% of the population is nodding fervently right now, which is distressing for the people who aren't reading this post and think they're having a stroke.
Anyway, the current regime might get thrust to one side in favor of a different corporation with an equally silly name:
…University of Michigan officials are selecting a concessionaire for that facility, plus Michigan Stadium, Crisler Arena and venues for baseball, softball, soccer and track.
Incumbent V/Gladieux Enterprises of Toledo, Ohio, is competing for a long-term contract against Aramark, Sodexo and Boston Culinary Group, which submitted a bid before it announced its merger with Centerplate in November. …
Michigan expects to select a food provider by February, Winters said.
I emailed Bruce Madej if this meant a return of fountain drinks—this is life and death, people—and his reply was vague and noncommittal. I thought I detected a playful wink-wink nudge-nudge we'll-get-it-fixed but that could be wishful thinking on The Issue of Our Time.
BONUS! The main section of that article is about Notre Dame's new hockey rink and how the design is modeled after Yost.
*(I think they've unplugged it now but for the first few games they did this literally feet from the regular old Yost vending machine that offered the same product for $1.50.)
Increase the pain. At The Sporting Blog I make a case that the NCAA should shoot down USC's proposed basketball sanctions in favor of a tourney ban starting two years from now, a removal of transfer penalties for current players, and long-term scholarship reductions. (Mea culpa: the post exaggerates how bad Michigan was in their tourney-ban year.) Delaying penalties like that would be less harsh on players who did nothing wrong and harsher on the adults that lost control of the program, and who doesn't like that idea?
Etc.: GS riffs on the house divided meme in the aftermath of Braylongate II. There is a book that actually offers up "Five Very Good Reasons To Punch A Dolphin In The Mouth" that I assume BOX will immediately buy many copies of. Crisler is going to get some boring-sounding but necessary renovations before a (currently hypothetical but probable) second round of stuff you can actually perceive.
David Brandon Press Conference Semi-Transcription
Tim sat in on the call this morning and scribbled a bunch of notes that I turned into something more readable; what follows is a paraphrase faithful on intent but probably somewhat heavy on sentences that start with "I". That is an artifact of our amateur process and not a reflection of megalomania.
Brandon right; some guy from Findlay winning a "gold Frannie" left.
Why leave Dominos?
I loved my job there, and the company is doing great. It takes a special opportunity to leave 11-year job. I would only leave for a couple jobs in the world, this is one of them. I love Michigan, loved it as student-athete and have been connected ever since. I was a member of regents for 8 years, which was a labor of love. I know the place
Athletics plays an important role in Michigan's profile. It creates excitement, loyalty, connection. I got an e-mail from someone in Istanbul today. Within an hour of release, people in Turkey are talking about the athletic director at Michigan.
How does your background as a CEO work for your new job?
I'm more than a pizza man, I'm a CEO. I've been in the business world 35 years, a university regent for eight years, and been in involved in other governing bodies. I've been a been a student-athlete, donor, and fundraiser at Michigan. I know the talents of athletic department from my connections. I haven't lived a career in athletics specifically, but I bring set of qualifications, interests, and experiences that will help him succeed. I 'm Fortunate to be the one chosen.
What did you learn from Bo?
My second degree from Michigan was from the Bo School of Leadership. One advantage of not playing is that you can observe and learn. Learned how to select talent from Bo. His assistants went on to be head coaches. He was surrounded with terrific people, recruited athletes on skills and ability, but also character and integrity. Bo taught how to set high expectations/goals. He taught preparation, competing at highest level, intensity. Those lessons translated to my career as a business leader and will come with me as athletic director.
Why are you forgoing public office? Is it on the backburner?
I'm the athletic director at the university of Michigan. I committed for a minimum of 5 years, and hope to get that extended. It's flattering that people think I can serve the public good. I care about positively impacting lives.
I can do that in public office, but I know I can do it as Michigan's athletic director as well. Athletics changed my life, and athletes at Michigan are experiencing that now. I have three Big Ten champioinship rings and wear them proudly. I appreciate people think I can do other things, but this is what I want to do.
What is your feeling on Rich Rodriguez's job security?
He's the coach at UM. He has an awesome responsibility, a proven track record. I have great respect for Rich. I hope to know him better and get a chance to work with him.
Can you comment on the NCAA investigation?
I can't comment on an ongoing investigation, and wouldn't if I could. I'll get briefings when the university knows more about it. Doesn't mind being put in the middle, he'll worry about doing the right thing, like Michigan always does. If we'd made mistakes, we'll correct them. We'll deal as we need to.
How is your relationship with Rich Rodriguez?
We've spent a little time together, had dinner a couple times. We're acquainted in social way. We've chatted briefly on sidelines and at one practice a couple years ago. Though we haven't had time together, I hope to get to know Rich better. He looks forward to turning the program around and being where we all want to be.
Do you have any plans for changes in the department?
I'll listen and learn first. I don't have a a prearranged agenda. I'll meet and assess the team and organizational design. Why are we doing things this way? I'll come in with a new set of eyes and without hard-fixed ideas. I can come in, ask questions, and challenge status quo, come up with some unique things.
Listen, learn, asses, then change things when we're prepared. Is the right talent in place in the right spots? We'll make goals at that time.
How are you relationships with the Regents?
Unique, because I served with some as a colleague. I worked with some for eight years. Mary Sue Coleman contacted them last night, and some got in touch with me after. I am most appreciative that I got the opportunity. I still know the ones I didn't serve with due to my role as a regent emeritus. I knows what their job is about because I've done it.
What are your plans for Crisler?
Big plans underway to put expansion and practice facilities in place. Long overdue. Other considerations underway for doing things in arena, updating and making more competitive. Team and fans deserve that consideration.
Do you have Don Canham's vision?
I was just 18 when i met him. He was bold, innovative, willing to take measured risks. I admired his skills, I'll emulate some. I'm not him or Bo, I'll do me. I'll work hard to achieve what I can as AD.
How is your relationship with Mary Sue Coleman?
She approached and gauged interest, I said yes. I was in pool of candidates, vetted carefully. I'm the one she selected and I'm appreciative of that.
[Now starts a series of questions about factions that
What's your take on factions in the athletic department? Will you seek to remove conflict?
Yes. I'm a team sport guy. Brought up that way, and believes in it. Factions are counterproductive. Needs to be fixed immediately, won't be tolerated.
How do you cure factions, reel in anti-Rodriguez guys?
I'm leaving a job in which I had to get 1200 franchisees on the same page, and accept the plans I initiated. If I can pull that off, I can pull together 275 [athletic department employees] using some of the same techniques. It takes vision. You need to surround yourself with people who share that and your values. You hold people accountable. Every business I've led has been #1 in its industry. I don't know any other way. I want the athletic department to be number 1 in the nation. Talent, accomplishment, all the ways success can be measured. You surround yourself with people who will bring work ethic to achieve that.
Will playing under Bo brings factions together?
I was proud to play for Bo, but my initial recruiting was under Bump, and I would have been proud to play for him. I was proud to have Mo as a position coach, would have been as a head coach. I would be proud under Carr, under Rodriguez. Anyone who wears that winged helmet, or runs through that tunnel, I support.
Are you a quintessential Michigan Man?
Not quintessential anything, but I understand what it means to be Michigan Man. I understand traditions and role in the community, and that will be an asset in the job.
How important is it coming back to M?
It's huge. It's huge.
What was the hiring timetable?
I was contacted several weeks ago by search firm hired by Coleman and asked whether he'd be interested in interviewing. I said yes and submitted a letter of interest. I made it very clear that the process had to remain confidential, as sitting CEO of a public company. I was interested in pursuing opportunity, but had to maintain interests in Dominos. The private process culminated in meeting with Coleman and the search committee for several hours. I told my story and explained why I was going to be the right choice for the job.
What will you do in terms of branding?
I understand brand management. Brands, promotion, and marketing has been my background. I understand innovation and how to build a brand, how to bring innovation and freshness to a brand. But being inconsistent with brand can undermine it.
[Editor's note: I choose to interpret this as a desire to put Special K, piped-in music droid, in a catapult calibrated to provide him a soft landing in a war-torn former Soviet republic.]
As a football observer what is your level of concern with the program?
I am as concerned as everybody. The program likes and needs to win. We sing about being champions, the leaders and best. We want that to be true. Nobody wants that more than Rodriguez.
What are the business ramifications? How does the departure impact Dominos?
I am proud of many things at Dominos, including succession planning. My role includes active involvement at the board level. My successor at Dominos has been there longer than me, has gone through every unit of the company, president for past 3 years, completes the loop and is prepared to succeed me seamlessly. Interest of shareholders will be protected. I'm an investor, will continue to serve on board of directors.
How can the athletic department affect the university?
There are so many components. It has a 90 million dollar budget. It has a huge impact on the Michigan brand. It's somewhat of a selling organization for the entire university. When we won the NC, admissions to school were up 22%. The athletic department propagates what the university is all about. The university competes at the highest level in all aspects.
Hello: New Athletic Director Dave Brandon
As suggested by this and every other site that ventured to offer an opinion about who Michigan's next athletic director would be, the new head man is current (and soon to be former) Domino's CEO Dave Brandon. Angelique Chengelis has the scoop:
Dave Brandon, the chairman and CEO of Domino's Pizza and a former Michigan football player and university Regent, has agreed to a five-year contract to become Michigan's new athletic director and is expected to be introduced to the department staff Tuesday morning, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.
Brandon, 57, has deep ties to the university and also to Michigan business and politics and has long been considered the front-runner to replace athletic director Bill Martin.
Ladies and gentlemen, the new guy:
It's late so no full analysis right now other than "nice hair." Between Brandon and Greg Robinson, we've got a regular Just For Men commercial going on over here. Daddy, you should really start dating again.
Something to address the foremost question in your mind—"what does this mean for Rich Rodriguez?"—is appropriate, however. When a couple of tipsters indicated that Brandon was a more likely candidate than I suggested in my first stab at the candidate list I related the tipster's take on Brandon's opinion of the head coach:
The tinfoil-hat wing of the internet that's suggested Brandon is a part of the shadowy anti-RR cabal hypothetically headed by Lloyd Carr could not be more wrong. Brandon was a key supporter of Rodriguez's candidacy. He and RR have dinner regularly. 3-9 engenders some frustration, but one of the items cited was Rodriguez getting "too friendly with the media".
This is not someone who has anything but the program's best interests in mind.
At the point I posted that no one else was suggesting that Brandon was a clear front-runner and most assumed, as I had, that Brandon's other desires would preclude a serious run at the job: the likelihood the above is quality information is very high. Brandon will give Rodriguez a fair shake at turning things around.
A quick take: Brandon is a default, safe choice. That probably sounds like damning with faint praise to an outsider, but Michigan fans will take the safe choice 100 times out of 100 at the moment. He was a regent. He's worked with Bill Martin and Mary Sue Coleman on the stadium renovations. He's a serious business-type person who should continue Bill Martin's legacy of financial stability, and he was a walk-on on the football team so he could better about the stadium atmosphere issues—in all revenue sports—I've expressed some discontent about.
There are some differences between running a major corporation and a major athletic department but there are just as many differences between running Oregon State or Arkansas and running Michigan; I'm perfectly content with the hire. This won't be another Goss. The only downside I can see is that Brandon's familiarity with the people in the department might make him loathe to clean out a bunch of people who have committed error after error—Marcus Witherspoon, practice log fiascoes, compliance issues, possibly Adrian Witty—in the last couple years.


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Where is Joe?
Still no answer. You stare as far into the darkness as your eyes permit, but he's definitely not there. To the left of the house you can barely make out a solid structure far in the distance, like a tool shed or something. There is certainly no person between it and yourself. The other side of the house is nothing but woods. There's no place for Joe to have momentarily wandered off... He's intentionally hiding from you.
You knew there was something weird about this. You're positive now that Joe knows the secret about Nicolas Dias, whatever it is. He had insisted not only on coming here, but on walking here. No doubt he needed the time to plan his escape, or his ambush, or whatever he's doing. You quickly think back through your conversation with Joe, and the moment you first mentioned Nicolas Dias. You have to assume now that everything he had said after that point could have been lies. Dias being dead, Joe knowing him from college, and all that about how no one knew he was into the occult. You can't trust anything anymore, except maybe Cal. But what does Cal really know about Dias anyway? Does he have any connection to this at all? Or are you both just meddling awkwardly in someone else's business? Completely at a loss, you decide to at least knock on the door and see if anyone is home.
Two firm knocks rip through the silence like thunder. You glance behind you, half expecting Joe to appear from around the corner of the house when he realizes you've knocked on the door. But the scene still looks the same: dark, empty, foreboding. It is painfully obvious that you should not be here, and yet you wait for an answer. No one is going to answer the door. You know it. Your hands find their way to the doorknob. You just want to find out if it's locked or not, and then you'll go home. You turn it slowly, quietly, as if trying not to disturb someone's sleep.
It is not locked. Whether this is what you hoped, or feared, you don't actually know. But it doesn't matter right now. You ease the door open and gradually take in the sight of the dark room. You get the impression that its inhabitants are in the process of moving out, or in. There is furniture, but it's not arranged properly. A large chair sits against a wall, facing the corner of the room rather than the center. A coffee table stands askew near the middle of the room, and a number of objects are piled in a small heap near the door.
And then you notice something else. There's a torn piece of paper right at your feet, where it could easily have been slipped underneath the door. You pick it up, and step back from the door. In the faint glow from the distant streetlights, you manage to read the scribbled note.
Mr. Dias--
I need your help. You know that we have to
do something. Please trust me. Tell Edward
what it's safe for him to know. I'm allowed
to talk to him, but I won't risk it again until
he understands. Destroy this note and
contact me ASAP.
--Cal B
Radovan, if you are reading--
I'm sorry


text:
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El vendedor de pasados (original 2004; edition 2009)
by Jose Eduardo Agualusa
Work details
The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (2004)
No current Talk conversations about this book.
This unusual book is narrated by a gecko who lives on the walls and ceilings of the home of Felix, an albino. Felix is in the business of providing new identities and backgrounds for people who have something to hide, or who otherwise wish to escape their past. The plot revolves around Jose, one of his customers, and Estella, a beautiful young woman with whom Felix begins a relationship, but who has had a troubled past. In the afterword, the author states that many of the gecko's memories are based on the life of Jorge Luis Borges. He describes the book as being about memory and its traps, and about the construction of our identities. I loved this thought, expressed by the gecko:
"Memory is a landscape watched from the window of a moving train...things happen before our very eyes, we know them to be real, but they're so far away we can't touch them. Some are so far, so very far away, and the train moving so fast, that we can't be sure any longer that they really did happen. Maybe we merely dreamed them?"
Having the narrator a little lizard was pretty clever - made an otherwise kind of confusing book enjoyable for me. I couldn't follow when folks were dreaming or making things up or what and probably wouldn't recommend it as a "must read" - I might have gotten more out of it had I been a member of a book group with other people to lend their opinions about what was actually going on in many chapters.
This is the story of Félix Ventura who sells memories and backgrounds to people who need a solid lineage to become fully realized in life, narrated by the gecko who makes its home in the shady cracks in the walls of Félix's house. Set in Luanda, Angola, right at the end of the civil war, the story is an interesting mix of politics and Borgesque fantasy, along with seriously original characters. It is a fairly thin book, consisting of a series of short vignettes, but its sum total is an engaging discourse on the nature of truth and lies and how a modified identity and memory could change the course of one's life. The narrator, Eulálio the gecko, is a sardonic observer of Félix's life, but his dreams are wistful views into his alternate, pre-gecko existence, which makes for one of the most interesting narrators I've read in a long while. Don't come looking for a chameleon to play a huge part - it's metaphorical - and the original title, O Vendedor de Passados, means "The Seller of Pasts" rather than having to do with anything lacertilian. Also, if you know your Jorge Luis Borges, you'll notice that the gecko and he has quite a lot in common...
i very much enjoyed this book. the translation was also excellent - i'm a sucker for beautifu and evocativel language and this delivered in spades. I adored the structure and characters, too. Just an all around excellent book.
Despite or maybe because of the poorly translated title, The Book of Chameleons took me by surprise in the absolute best of ways. Entitled O Vendedor de Passados in Portuguese, a more accurate translation might be something like "Merchant of the Past." In fact there are no literal chameleons in the book, although there are some characters whose identities shift and mutate. That includes the narrator who is a gecko except for when appearing from time to time as a man in the simultaneous dreams he has with his friend, the albino vendor of the original work's title. The other major characters include a pair of photographers, one who captures war and the other who captures light. These characters come together in ways unexpected, even unto themselves.
The edition I read contains an interview with the author that I read after finishing the story. I find it very revealing:
First, when asked about what influenced Agualusa as he wrote this book, he replies that "The book is a tribute to Borges. It's a game that I hope Borges would have appreciated. At the same time, it's also a settling up of accounts. I love Borges as a writer, but think that as a man there was always something about him that was closed and obtuse, reactionary even, and he not infrequently expressed opinions that were misogynistic or racist. His relations with women were very complicated; it is believed that he died a virgin. Now in my book Borges is reincarnated in Luanda [Angola] in the body of a gecko. The gecko's memories correspond to fragments of Borges's real life story. Somehow I wanted to give Borges a second chance; in my book he makes the most of his opportunities."
I have not been successful in reading Borges, although I'm willing to give him a try again one day. I don't believe that my failure to know much about Borges hindered my experience of the book, but I think fans of Borges will probably find it does enhance their enjoyment.
Agualusa is also asked the setting of the tale. He explains: "The action takes place at a particularly interesting moment in Angola's history. The country is at peace, at the end of 25 years of civil war, and breathing relatively freely, though it's still too early to talk about democracy; the last elections were held in 1992. In spite of corruption, nepotism, and poor management, the generosity of the soil means the economy is growing. Every other month they announce the discovery of new oil reserves. Before long Angola will overtake Nigeria as the main supplier of black gold south of the Sahara. The same people who built up the Marxist system following independence are now with great enthusiasm defending the market economy. Huge fortunes are quickly made. It is possible to become rich honestly, too. Angolans originally from rural areas - politicians and military men, people with new money - are fighting to be accepted by the arrogant, Portuguese-speaking urban aristocracy. They often have real need of a new past as they seek their place in the future, and in the context of Angola there are plenty of people who can pay - and are prepared to pay - to get one."
That accounting validates the feeling I had as I read that this is a decidedly African work. I made the mistake of initially trying to describe the book to a friend as "magic realism" but that was before I had begun to really grasp what I was reading and that, in fact, it transcends several genres. The Book of Chameleons has lots to say about the nature of memory and identity, and Agualusa's writing is light, effortless, and dreamy. It's ethereal and philosophical, and I loved it. I've never read anything quite like it. The only thing that comes to mind, and I'm not even sure why because it is such a different work is Rikki Durcornet's Entering Fire, which I read a long, long time ago, but I seem to recall it left me with similar feeling that I had entered literary waters that I had never before swum. I am quite impressed.
References to this work on external resources.
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"Felix Ventura trades in an unusual commodity; he is a dealer in memories, clandestinely selling new pasts to people whose futures are secure and who lack only a good lineage to complete their lives. In this completely original murder mystery, where people are not who they seem and the briefest of connections leads to the forging of entirely new histories, a bookish albino, a beautiful woman, a mysterious foreigner, and a witty talking lizard come together to discover the truth of their lives. Set in Angola, Agualusa's tale darts from tormented past to dream-filled present with a lightness that belies the savage history of a country in which many have something to forget-and to hide." "A brilliant American debut by one of the most lauded writers in the Portuguese-speaking world, this is a beautifully written and always surprising tale of race, truth, and the transformative power of creativity."--BOOK JACKET.… (more)
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We have to feel sorry for our Japanese readers today, as a crime against motorcycling has occurred in the Japanese motorcycle market. The bike of 2012, and arguably one of the more beautiful designs to come out of Bologna (don't worry 916 fans, we still like the Tamburini classic more), it turns out that the Ducati 1199 Panigale was a touch too loud for the Japanese market, and modifications had to be made before it is released to the island nation next month. Some extra baffle, maybe some tuning to the ECU, and no big deal right? Well…no, not quite.
You know what they say about first-generation Italian motorcycles…Yes folks, the superbike of 2012, the Ducati 1199 Panigale, is having its first technical recall. Ducati North America is recalling 375 units of the Panigale because of an incorrect screw was used to attach the rear swingarm to the rear suspension linkage. The faulty screw could cause the swingarm to detach from the linkage, which would in-turn could cause a catastrophic suspension collapse.
What happens when you release the most anticipated, and we'd argue the most important, superbike in the company's history? Well you have a record month of sales, of course. It should be unsurprising then that Ducati North America posted a 49% sales growth last month, making May 2012 the company's best month ever sales-wise. Ducati North America pushed 1,782 units in May, for a total of 4,844 units sold in January thru May (up 19% over 2011, and 98% over 2010).
We have shown
pornography CAD renders of the Ducati 1199 Panigale sans fairings before, and immediately heard office doors around the nation close shut while trousers were ruined. Showing off its frameless chassis design, the Ducati 1199 Panigale is perhaps one of the most intriguing motorcycles to see without its bodywork.
Perhaps losing some the elegance of previous Ducati models when naked, there is very little free room between the Panigale's 1437mm (56.6in) wheelbase. With the Tetris-style fitting of pieces together into the Panigale's monocoque frame, there can be little speculation as to why the 1199 features such a large and comprehensive fairing.
That being said, when the Ducati 1199 Panigale is in the buff, it makes for some good art. But just remember: every time you masturbate, God kills a kitten. Please remember the kittens as you click through to the full-size photos after the jump.
Ducati has been hogging the news the past few weeks, thanks in large part to the debut of the most important motorcycle the Italian motorcycle manufacturer has ever released. With Ducati up for sale and being valued at €1 billion, the Ducati 1199 Panigale sets the record straight that Bologna has not strayed from its sport bike and racing heritage with the release of bikes like the Hypermotard, Multistrada 1200, and Diavel. With Ducati hosting the Panigale's international press launch in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit (click here to let Ducati know that you wish A&R had been invited to this launch), the initial reports from the assembled press is that all the concerns about Ducati, its frameless chassis design, and its future can be laid to rest.
With a hybrid chain/gear-driven camshaft, titanium valves, a wet slipper clutch, a ride-by-wire throttle, rider-selectable "riding mode" system, and 15,000 mile major service intervals, the Superquadro v-twin motor alone is a major step for Ducati with its Superbike engine design. And, if you add in the first full-LED headlight on a produciton motorcycle, the first electronically-adjustable suspension on a sport bike, the first motorcycle engine braking control system, as well as the first GPS-assisted data acquisition system for a production motorcycle, the total package of the 1199 redefines the word "superbike" and takes the next logical technological step forward in this market segment…and we've got over 160 images of the Ducati 1199 Panigale waiting for you after the jump.
We seem to be on a kick lately with 3D renders of the underpinning parts of the Ducati 1199 Panigale. While we've already seen the Panigale's "frameless" chassis detailed in computer renders, today we have a video Ducati's Superquadro motor. Starting from an exploded point-of-view, the 195hp / 98 lbs•ft of torque v-twin motor re-assembles itself, showing how the most powerful engine from Ducati comes together for its final form.
With a hybrid chain/gear-driven camshaft, titanium valves, a wet slipper clutch, ride-by-wire throttle actuation, rider-selectable "riding mode" system, and 15,000 mile major service intervals, the Superquadro is a major step for Ducati with its Superbike motor design. Add in the first full-LED headlight on a produciton motorcycle, the first electronically-adjustable suspension on a sport bike, the first motorcycle engine braking control system, as well as the first GPS-assisted data acquisition system for a production motorcycle, and ABS brakes as a standard equipment, and you've got one potent two-wheeled machine.
Well, 2011 as a year is finally over, and for the motorcycling community it was quite a year. As we begin 2012, we here at Asphalt & Rubber are of course not immune to the desire to summarize and highlight the passing of 2011. So we accordingly assembled 11 of the most important events that shaped motorcycling this past year and changed the way the sport, the industry, and the community will grow in the years to come.
Picking only eleven moments in a single year is no easy feat, though some of the events in our selection are obvious choices because of their magnitude. However, some of the less obvious picks (and we are sure there will be suggestions for alternatives in the comments), stem from the theory that 2011 saw moments whose importance has yet to be fully appreciated at this point in time. Enjoy and a Happy New Year to our loyal A&R readers.
The 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale represents a huge step in motorcycle design, mostly due to its frameless chassis or monocoque design. Using the engine as an integral component to the Panigale's chassis, Ducati's hallmark achievement was building an integrated headstock/airbox off the front cylinder. With the seat and subframe built off the rear cylinder, and the swingarm bolting directly to the motor, the Ducati 1199 Panigale was able to not only shed 22 lbs of its predecessor's design, but also continues the Italian company's new design trend of having components that take on multiple functional roles.
Being sure to keep the fairings on the Ducati 1199 Panigale fastened at all times, we have very little insight as to what Ducati's new chassis looks like underneath its clothing, and after hounding Bologna for the past few weeks over the issue, these four renders of the Panigale's frame are the best we can muster for our readers. The black background makes the black frame components hard to see, but the CAD drawings do provide at least some insight as to how the 1199 comes together. If the Panigale goes as well on the track as it does on the spec sheet, you very well could be looking at the future of production motorcycle chassis design.
The Ducati 1199 Panigale is surely going to be the bike of 2012. Not because the flagship Ducati packs a 195hp Superquadro motor into a wet 414 lbs bulk (thought that certainly helps in the sport bike genre), but because the Panigale brings so many revolutionary technical and design aspects to the business of production motorcycles. Electronically adjustable suspension, LED headlights, GPS assisted DDA+ data acquisition, traction control, ABS, engine braking control…the Ducati 1199 Panigle's feature-set is like reading the wish list of any superbike enthusiast. However what makes the 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale truly special is its revolutionary monocoque frame.
The gamble has bit the Italian company in the ass in MotoGP, but on the production-side of the equation, the Ducati 1199 Panigale could very well prove the gamble was worth taking. We here at Asphalt & Rubber have been reserving our judgment on Ducati's new frame design until we can get the Panigale in our hands and on a track, but when that day finally comes, we really hope what we get to swing a leg over is a Ducati 1199 Panigale in Superstock trim with Ducati Performance pieces.
If you're a track day enthusiast with some Italian leanings, you may not want to click past this point — at the very least, take precautions by hiding your wallet. With all the two-wheeld porno after the jump, get ready to be uncomfortable while sitting down. And just remember, "baseball, baseball, baseball."
I often get lambasted in the comments section for being pro-Ducati here on Asphalt & Rubber, and that's fine by me, because I am. It's hard not to like a company that has basically defined the modern aesthetic for motorcycles, or a company that continues to grow despite being in the worst recession since The Great Depression. It's also not hard to love a company that continues to release, year-after-year, new compelling motorcycles, as is the case today with the 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale.
Teased ad nauseam, the Ducati 1199 Panigale shouldn't disappoint the discerning sport bike rider with a strong appetite for Italian food, as the latest v-twin from Bologna sets many firsts for the superbike market segment. As we predicted last year, the Ducati 1199 Panigale drops 20lbs off the Superbike 1198's design (22 lbs actually), while making an extra 20hp over its predecessor. Not only is the 1199 Panigale the lightest production superbike on the market, with its 361 lbs dry weight (414 lbs wet), it's also one of the most powerful with its 195hp peak power figure, courtesy of the Superquadro motor.
Other firsts include a revolutionary monocoque frame, the first full-LED headlight on a motorcycle (another story we broke), the first electronically adjusted suspension on a sport bike, the first engine braking control system, as well as the first GPS-assisted data acquisition system for a production motorcycle (the DDA+ package is an optional equipment item for the Panigale). While traction control comes standard, ABS brakes will also be an optional item for the Ducati 1199 Panigale.
Available in April 2012, as we expected the new Ducati 1199 Panigale has gotten a price increase over the Superbike 1198. Accordingly the base model will cost $17,995, the "S" will cost $22,995, and "S" Tricolore will hit the wallet at $27,995 MSRP.


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RecycleBank, eBay Reward Consumers for Recycling, Reusing Products
RecycleBank, the country's recycling rewards and loyalty program, is reportedly partnering with eBay, an online marketplace, to reward consumers for recycling and reusing products. Today's more environmentally-conscious consumers now have an innovative loyalty program that rewards them for being green. Read More
eBay and RecycleBank hook up to reward re-users
eBay, the giant online garage sale facilitator, and RecycleBank, the company that figured out how to get Americans recycling by offering them consumer rewards, have announced a partnership in which each company will offer incentives to the other companies clients. Read More
RecycleBank and eBay Use Carrot Instead of Stick to Encourage Recycling
In most cases, we use threats to force people to recycle--witness San Francisco's controversial new mandatory composting law that slaps a fine on anyone who fails to comply. But what if it was possible to get people to recycle by offering incentives instead? It is--and RecycleBank has been doing it for 18 months by offering residents of participating cities points that can be redeemed at stores--all for recycling regular trash. Read More
RecycleBank Continues to Grow its Business
Recycling rewards company lands deal with eBay, lines up first city in Alabama for program. Read More
Hollywood, Fla., Implements RecycleBank Program
Hollywood, Fla., has begun using the RecycleBank program. Earlier this month, approximately 32,000 city households received 95-gallon recycling carts for the program. Read More
RecycleBank, Phoenix expand program to incentivize recycling
The city of Phoenix and RecycleBank have expanded a program offering incentives to people who recycle, bringing the total to more than 100,000 city customers. Read More
Kraft Sheds 150M Pounds of Packaging
Kraft Foods has achieved its goal of reducing 150 million pounds of material from its supply chain two years ahead of schedule. Read More
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Neil Young
Neil Young awakens his old rebel spirit in the multimedia extravaganza Greendale.
Thu Mar 18 2004
Photo: Chris Buck
By 58, most rockers are opening mail from the AARP, and even the most famous keep their legend alive by touring behind their greatest hits. Not Neil Young. The grizzly Canadian native is four decades into a solo career that swings from acoustic crooner to fiery garage rocker. Yet it's his apparent willingness to sabotage his reputation—by releasing albums devoted to rockabilly, the vocoder and feedback; and filming arty movies with Devo and Dennis Hopper—that makes Young so vital.
Young's most ambitious project to date may be his latest: Greendale, a multimedia rock opera about environmental activism in a troubled modern-day town. Following a period of traditionalism that culminated in a reunion with—horror of all babyboom horrors!—Crosby, Stills and Nash, Young's lively song cycle has spawned a website, a film and an elaborate stage production, all linked together like some hazy Lego sculpture. The movie, directed by the singer under the alias Bernard Shakey, draws its sound entirely from the album, with actors lip-synching dialogue sung by Young over the characteristically raw guitars of Crazy Horse. Meanwhile, the stage show features the band playing alongside a live cast. This week, as the movie opens in theaters, Young brings the Greendale extravaganza to Radio City Music Hall; the rock & roll lumberjack talked to TONY about his loopy new endeavor via phone from California.
It seems like every Hollywood actor wants to record an album and every singer wants to film a movie. What gives?
I don't know! Somebody like Billy Bob Thornton is a great actor and he's having fun playing music, so I say go for it. You never know what's gonna happen—Clay Aiken could become president of the United States! But if all I did was make music, I think I'd become tired of it. Greendale is a combination of everything I've been doing over the years in music and film. With the election coming, it's a good year for it to be out there. And I'm really enthused by the reaction we've gotten.
Why do you think you're getting a better reception for Greendale than for the odd albums you recorded in the 1980s?
That was a very different time. I've been around since the '60s, so the '80s was the first instance where I was considered totally uncool. I'd been around so long that I was a has-been. But styles and trends always turn over. You just ride those periods out and follow the muse.
Your return-to-roots album, Harvest Moon, was released the same year Clinton was elected—whereas the controversial Hawks and Doves came out in 1980. Why do your more adventurous projects coincide with conservative flare-ups in American politics?
It's just a reaction to things that are happening in the news. Life has a lot of cycles. In many ways, we're in a negative swing right now, although there are also a lot of positives out there. It depends on how you look at it. If you're a gung-ho conservative Republican, then this is a wonderful time to be alive.
Well, Hawks and Doves is generally referred to as a pro-Reagan record. Was that intended?
If you listen to that record forgetting that it's Neil Young, you get an attitude from it. You've got to disassociate it from me and look at it like it was a book. I'm not scared to put myself in a position where people might misinterpret what I believe, because I personally believe in a lot of things that may surprise people.
Like what?
When you see all these political leaders come and go through a lifetime, you see that every one of them, in one way or another, is a complete asshole and is also a completely brilliant, soulful person. If you focus on the soulful side, then everybody assumes you completely support everything the person does. But it doesn't work that way. People are deeper than that.
Greendale dwells a lot on the political awakening of its youngest character, Sun Green. Do you see this as a window of time for a younger generation's activism?
It's never been so fertile. There hasn't been an administration that was a catalyst for change and rebellion like this one—at least not since Nixon. In the '60s there was the peace movement, and I think in this decade we may see the birth of a larger green movement.
But these days, young people are bombarded with figures whose message mostly has to do with making money.
Well, we had the Monkees in the '60s, and the '60s still worked. If people are disillusioned and are going to accept everything the way it is, then they're losers.
There's a rumor that high-school theater is one of the main inspirations behind your Greendale stage show.
Oh, yeah! See, the high-school play is a form. In my eyes, high-school plays are like moving cartoons. They're mechanical. You know that all the sets are cardboard or plywood with something painted on 'em. There's a style there, and that's the style of Greendale. I don't want to waste my time trying to be perfect. The whole idea of the show is that it's just hanging together by a thread.
There are also elements of more standard musicals. When you visit New York do you take in a Broadway show? Did you see Cats?
Yeah, I've seen Cats. I've seen a lot of those Broadway musicals. Some of them are mostly pizzazz, but some of them are really saying something, like the way a Shakespeare play would speak to the times when it was being performed on the street. Obviously, it's a great art form. It could even be a possibility for me someday—we'll have to wait and see.