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Martin Campbell
Mel Gibson
Ray Wintsone
Danny Huston
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Sadly, the film didn't quite live up to my epic standards, but that's not to say it's not an enjoyable flick. The problem lies in the fact that everyone involved is just too damn intelligent, and wouldn't settle for making the simple, cold-blooded revenge caper the formula called for: Tough guy's daughter gets killed, tough guy gets pissed, tough guy kills everyone- simple! As long as it's brutal and redemptive enough, that's all we require.
But instead of going on the bloodthirsty rampage we all know Mel has in him, we get a quiet, restrained man on a mission to solve a mystery involving a private weapons company that has a government contract. The problem is, you can figure out in the first 15 minutes that they're behind the whole thing, so really who cares what their trying to cover up? His daughter's dead. I want vengeance damnit. Campbell and Monahan sure tease us too; when the action does come, it's exhilarating and will elicit more than a few cheers. Gibson was made for this role, and his inevitable aging over the years actually serves him well here, stacking the odds against him even more.
The film is very low on style, as Campbell intently aims to let the performances and sharp dialogue take center stage, and there's nothing wrong with that. Needlessly complex story aside, Monahan's script is fantastic, laced with intelligent dialogue and a few unexpected action beats, even if the action is far too scarce. With the exception of a few young actors who take their performances way over the top, performances are top notch as well. Ray Winstone, as "the guy who stops you from connecting A to B", manages to be extremely badass here, despite never using anything other than his indoor voice. The man has talent in spades and was truly born to be a gangster. Danny Huston is similarly solid in his usual role of "Head of Evil Empire".
All in all, Edge of Darkness is by no means a perfect film, but hey, it's just damn good to see Mel back in action. Literally.
Mel's Back (4:00) - The cast and crew heap praise on Mel Gibson, and Mel himself shows up to drop one awesome line.
Making a Ghost Character Real (3:32) - To discuss what this special feature is would be a bit of a spoiler, so, I'll just say it's kinda "blah".
Scoring the Edge of Darkness (3:29) - Title pretty much says it all. The fact that 3-time Oscar winner Howard Shore is here to take us through it makes it a little more interesting.
Revisiting the Mini-series (2:32) - Discusses the BBC mini-series from the 80's, also directed by Campbell. The most interesting part is listening to him describe how awesome the BBC was in giving freedom to the production. Turns out it was for the best…I'm talkin' to you, H-wood!
Adapting the Mini-Series (3:32) - Discusses the tonal changes and challenges of modernizing the original story into the film.
Thomas Craven's War of Attrition (4:51) - Spends a few minutes discussing the story. Getting a little bored by this point.
Boston as a Character (2:51) - Cast and crew talk about shooting in Boston. You know what at this point, all these features are so generic, the titles are pretty much explaining all.
Director Profile: Martin Campbell (3:21) - You already know how this one will go. If you don't know who Martin is, he directed the two best Bond films of the modern era (Casino Royale, Goldeneye) and is working on Green Lantern at the moment, so he's A-OK in my book.
Edge of Your Seat (2:36) - They end things with the most cookie-cutter feature of all. Everyone sits around and talks about the story. Again.
The Blu-ray also comes with a DVD/Digital copy combo disc.


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Content Wrapper
Wrestling Grand Prix
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post #3
Thread Starter
Learning to break kayfabe
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 19
Points: 0
Re: Wrestling Grand Prix
Grand Prix Network
- A channel completely specified to WGPX competition, as well as providing information on what's happening in other wrestling promotions, albeit, ones not in direct competition with Grand Prix. Therefore, you will see no WWF on this station.
Grand Prix TV
- Originally slotted for Saturday nights, Grand Prix TV is the main broadcast of the company and airs Tuesday nights, live on the SPIKE channel at 9 PM, with a re-run airing at 12 PM on Grand Prix Network. The show is a two hour broadcast, first debuting in 1995, replacing WGPX's original show which was simply named "Wrestling Grand Prix" after the promotion itself.
- Introduced in 2005, Cyberstrike is a taped broadcast that airs weekly via the internet and can be streamed from either Netflix, Youtube or the company's website itself. This show lasts no longer than an hour and is usually reserved to give exposure to the company's younger, lesser known talent.
Green Prix
- Similar to UFC's 'Ultimate Fighter,' this show follows 12 wannabe Grand Prix wrestlers, with each man trying to oust the other upon the scrutinizing watch of such legendary figures as Dean Malenko and Steve Austin.
Millenium Battle
- This show takes place at the beginning of every year in January, and was first introduced in the year 2000. Every year since then, a battle royal is held to determine a wildcard position for the Grand Prix Glory Tournament.
Pride & Glory
- One of the newer events in comparison to the WGPX pay-per-view calendar, Pride & Glory is a show held in March of every year and centers around the Grand Prix Glory League Series. Originally, the series finale was held at the Second City Showdown. The four competitors at the top of the league standings face one another in the main event of this show in an elimination style match, with the winner being able to face a champion of his own choosing.
Grand Prix World Cup
- Held in May of every year since 2005. Traditionally, this card features participants from America facing off against wrestlers from around The World, though originally it was restricted between fighters from both America and Japan. The main event of this show is a five man tag team contest to determine which side will win the prestigious Grand Prix World Cup trophy.
Second City Showdown
- An annual show held in Chicago and it's surrounding metropolitan area since 1995, the Second City Showdown celebrates the city and it's rich, traditional history within the business. This event usually takes place in July of every year, but has also been held in May and June on some occassions.
Juniors Cup Grand Prix
- This event centers around the Juniors Cup Grand Prix Tournament and takes place in August of every year. The tournament itself usually takes up most of the card, but it is not uncommon for matches outside of the tournament to take place or even main event from time-to-time.
Fighting Spirit
- Named in the likeness of New Japan Pro Wrestling's event of the same namesake, this show was introduced in 2003 and has been a mainstay of the calendar ever since. The event takes place in October of every year and, in the past, was used to promote lesser known NJPW stars to the American crowds.
Grand Prix Climax
- Held in December of every year since 1993 in celebration of the company's success, this is the biggest show in the Wrestling Grand Prix calendar. The most important feuds of the year usually find themselves concluding at this very event.
WGPX World Heavyweight
- Established in 1988 when the company first came to fruition, the WGPX World Heavyweight Championship is the most presitigous belt in the company, formerly held by the likes of legendary figures such as Big Van Vader, Bill Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero, Ricky Steamboat and many others. Although the word Heavyweight is associated with the belt, the title no longer has a weight restriction but is purely limited to Grand Prix's top stars.
(Current Champion - Brock Lesnar)
WGPX World Middleweight
- The midcard title of the company, this belt is reserved for wrestlers weighing usually between 205-220 pounds, although it is not uncommon to see certain holders of the title weighing less than that. This championship is used as a stepping stone for future talent looking to access the top tier levels of the promotion. The belt was established in 1990, and has been held by figures such as Brian Pillman, Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels and many more.
(Current Champion - Cody Rhodes)
WGPX Pure
- A championship re-introduced by Bob Backlund in 2008, this title first came to be in 1994 and centers around submission style competitors, meaning that the belt can only change hands upon a submission or referee decision. Esteemed mat technicians such as Bryan Danielson, Kurt Angle and William Regal have all once held this title.
(Current Champion - Nigel McGuinness)
WGPX World Juniors
- Introduced at Grand Prix Climax 1993, this championship is reserved for competitors usually weighing below 205 pounds and is relevant to NJPW's Junior Heavyweight Title. The opening matches of most events usually center around the Juniors division, due to it's high-octane, fast paced style of combat. Wrestlers such as Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. have all called this belt their own at one time or another.
(Current Champion - Kenny Omega)
WGPX World Tag Team
- These titles are primarily reserved for the tag team division and were introduced in 1988 when the company first came to be. Legendary teams such as The British Bulldogs, The Midnight Rockers, Strike Force, The Unstoppables and Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team have all once held these prestigious plates of gold.
(Current Champions - World's Greatest Tag Team)
The Inoki Cup
- The most prestigious trophy in the company, the Inoki Cup was first introduced in 2000 as a means to honor the company's founder, Antonio Inoki. Unlike the other tournaments of the promotion, the Inoki Cup is a bi-annual affair. No title shots are earned by winning this trophy, although winning the Cup has garnered favor from bookers in the past. Sixteen competitors will ultimately compete for the honor of winning this trophy. The finale for the tournament is almost always held at Grand Prix's Millenium Battle event.
Grand Prix Glory League Series
- An annual series based on a league format, this championship is usually reserved for mid-to-upper card talent that are looking to make a name for themselves. The series begins at the dawn of the new year, before finally concluding at the WGPX Pride & Glory event, with the final four top ranked competitors facing off in an elimination match to determine the champion. The winner of this tournament earns a shot at any title of their choosing. Despite minor differences in execution, this series bares similarities to NJPW's G1 Climax.
Grand Prix World Cup
- While not a tournament, this is an annual match and event held since 2005. This match features five men facing off in a tag team match, pitting Team USA vs. The World. Originally, this began as a battle between Bob Backlund and Antonio Inoki for control over the company, with Inoki's interests being in taking the promotion to Japan. After Inoki sold the company in real life, Team Japan was disbanded in the annual event, with wrestlers from all over the world now facing off against the Americans. The winner of the five man tag team match ultimately wins the Grand Prix World Cup trophy.
Juniors Cup Grand Prix
- Stylized after the NJPW's J-Cup, the Juniors Cup Grand Prix is a very prestigious tournament held once every year in the month of August, featuring a total of eight juniors division competitors. The tournament was first established in 1993 after the introduction of the World Juniors Championship in order to determine a number one contender for the title. Since then, this same format has remained the same, with the winner of the Juniors Cup Grand Prix trophy facing the current champion at the Grand Prix Climax.
Tatsumi Tag Team Invitational
- This tournament was introduced in 1996 and is named in the likeness of former WGPX World Heavyweight Champion, Tatsumi "The Dragon" Fujinami. Unlike other tournaments within the company, a maximum of only four teams are allowed to compete, with each matchup being determined in a best of 3 series. Although it is an annual tournament, there is no set date for when the tournament begins or ends like other tournaments in the promotion, but is rather booked sporadically within the course of a couple months. The winning team earns a shot at the WGPX World Tag Team Titles.
The Caged Pyramid
- This is a rare type of match that involves a 30 x 30'' octagonal caged ring a top several ascending platforms. The shape of this structure has been stylized as a sized-down pyramid. There are no disqualifications or penalties associated with this match type, and a winner can only be declared by pinfall, submission, or exiting down the length of the pyramid to the floor. In the ten years of it's creation, only two Caged Pyramid Matches have ever taken place - Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz, and Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle.
Pure Wrestling
- This match is strictly reserved for those competing for the WGPX Pure Championship. Rules are as followed:
Each wrestler has three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls during the match. After a wrestler exhausts his rope breaks, submission and pin attempts under the ropes by the opponent are considered legal.
There are no closed-fist punches to the face allowed in a Pure match, only open-handed slaps or chops to the face are allowed. Punches to other parts of the body (save for low-blows) are permitted. The first use of a closed fist will get a warning, and the second will cause the wrestler to be penalized a rope break. If he is already out of rope breaks, he will be disqualified.
A wrestler is subject to a twenty count by the referee if the wrestler goes to the floor.
Scramble Cage
- This match is held inside a cage with wooden platforms in each of the corners for "high risk" moves. All men are allowed inside and outside of the cage. The match begins with two teams with another entering every two minutes. The match cannot be won until every team is in the match.
Malenko Match
- Another rare contest, this type of match was invented in the mid 90's by dominant former WGPX Pure and Middleweight duel-Champion, Dean Malenko, as an attempt to gain more heat. The story is that Malenko had paid off officials within the Pure Division to allow him to bend the rules of the Pure Wrestling Match, by allowing closed-fists punches and an extra rope break. After his retirement, this came to be called a 'Malenko Match' and is usually reserved to benefit kyoukan wrestlers with a kyoukan referee.
- A company based in Philadelphia that appeals to a smaller demographic of fans looking for a more comedic relief to the serious combat of WGPX. While they are not sports entertainment by any means, CHIKARA recognizes itself as a perfect blend of puroresu, lucha libre and American style. Both promotions maintain a working relationship and have shared workers on several occasions.
Combat Zone Wrestling
- Based in Philadelphia, they are the only advent of hardcore / ultraviolent wrestling in America. CZW appeals to a teenage-to-young adult audience looking for blood and chaos. The only promotion of it's kind, the company is perhaps one of the least profitable in the business today. Yet, since they arrived in 1999, CZW has still been able to retain a strong underground following that continues to grow.
New Japan Pro Wrestling
- Now operated by the company YUKE's, New Japan Pro Wrestling is the second largest promotion in the world, and remains not far behind WGPX. The promotion is famous for popularizing the style of Puroresu in it's native Japan, and was once the sister promotion of Wrestling Grand Prix, until founder Antonio Inoki broke away from both Grand Prix and the NJPW itself. While the two companies retain a healthy relationship, they no longer share workers or help promote the other promotion's events.
Ring of Honor
- Established in 2002, Ring of Honor was originally owned by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. In 2004, amidst a scandal within the promotion, the company was sold to Wrestling Grand Prix and it's shareholders. Since then, ROH has been used primarily as a developmental territory for the company and is centered around the Chicago metro area. Top performers in Grand Prix today such as Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Nigel McGuinness, Samoa Joe and many others once called ROH home.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Despite not being a wrestling promotion, the UFC does owe a bit of it's success to the groundwork that Wrestling Grand Prix laid in the early 90's for sportive combat. Subsequently, retired UFC fighters have gone on to have a marginal amount of success working for WGPX, most notably the likes of Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock, both being former WGPX World Heavyweight Champions. Today, UFC remains both highly profitable, as well as being a gateway for former fighters to expand their career within the reaches of Grand Prix.
World Wrestling Federation
- The WWF, operated by Vince McMahon, originally foreclosed in 1985 amidst the wake of a steroid scandal. Yet, after establishing a career in broadcasting, McMahon was able to secure funds to bring the company back in 1999. While it does not dominate the business as we see it today by any means, the WWF is easily the second biggest promotion in the United States and third largest in the world. It focuses on a genre known as "sports entertainment" which is more aimed at storytelling and theatrics rather than pure combat. The WWF targets a younger audience than Wrestling Grand Prix, and is lead today by newly established stars such as John Cena, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio Jr.
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When played to perfection, there's nothing quite like Syracuse's assertive, half-court 2-3 zone defense.
It's 40 minutes of trapping and shot-challenging, of closing off angles, of trusting teammates.
"We showed," senior guard Brendan Triche said, "that defense wins games."
Yes, the Orange D actually does.
With a 2nd suffocating performance at the East Regional, No. 4-seeded Syracuse Orange shut down No. 3 Marquette 55-39 to earn Coach Jim Boeheim his 4th trip to the Final 4 – and 1st since a freshman named Carmelo Anthony helped win the 2003 NCAA championship.
"An incredible, amazing defensive effort," Boeheim said.
Fittingly, a matchup between schools from the soon-to-break-apart, rough-and-tumble Big East became quite a struggle on the offensive end. Orange (30-9) was led by senior forward James Southerland's 16 points. Michael Carter-Williams, a 6-foot-6 guard who is out front in the zone, was named the regional's top player after accounting for 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals and just one turnover Saturday.
Marquette Golden Eagles (26-9) hadn't scored less than 47 points all season – and, indeed, put up 74 in a victory over Syracuse Orange on February 25. But this time, Marquette kept turning the ball over, seeing its shots blocked or just plain missing.
The Golden Eagles' 39 points were a record low for a team in an NCAA tournament regional last since the shot clock was introduced in 1986. Football odds
"They beat us from start point to finish. We collectively tried everything we knew to try," Golden Eagles coach Buzz Williams recounted. "It is the zone, and it's the players in the zone."
Much like what happened Thursday in the regional semifinals, when Syracuse knocked off top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers by limiting it to a season-low output, too.
"I don't think we've played as good defensively as these last 2 games," Triche declared. "We held some good teams down."
All told, Marquette made only 12 of 53 shots – 23 percent – and was 3 for 24 on 3-pointers. Vander Blue, who carried Marquette to the round of 8, was held to 14 points on 3-for-15 shooting.
"They cover ground really good. You need to get the ball in the middle, you've got to play inside out, you need to get to the free-throw line and wear them down with the 3-pointer when you can," Blue declared. "They're really good at what they do in that zone."
Consider these numbers through 4 games in the tournament: Syracuse is averaging 6.5 blocks and 10.8 steals, while forcing opponents into 29 percent shooting, including 15 percent on 3-pointers.
"We could not get one to drop in from up close," related Marquette's Jamil Wilson, who was 0 for 5 on 3-pointers, One for 9 overall. "We couldn't get one to drop in from outside."
Last season, Syracuse dropped a victory short of the final 4, losing to Ohio State Buckeyes in the round of 8.
"We needed to get over the hump," Southerland expounded. "That's what I said to the guys: We've still got two more to go."


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Roger Ebert: Why Netflix's Price Revamp Was the Right Move
Poor Reed Hastings. The Netflix chief executive had a service so widely used that it accounted for a huge slice of evening Internet traffic. His customers and profits were growing quarter after quarter. And then, as he was taking his victory lap, a piano fell on him from out of the sky. He announced unexpectedly that he was dividing DVDs-by-mail and Instant Streaming into separate services; that essentially doubled the price if you wanted them both. When customers screamed with outrage and his stock price fell, he issued an apology that confused them even more, and the stock moved still lower.
Yet Hastings's decision, I believe, was inevitable and realistic. Video streaming represents the future of Movies on Demand. It's instantaneous, the overhead is lower, and continuing to mail DVDs is a marketing and distribution approach as obsolete as book rental libraries, the tented circus—or snail mail.
Consider me a test case. I've been online since the heyday of MCI Mail. I remember finding a site that was "streaming" movies and found myself peering at a scratchy western in a window the size of a postage stamp, which always seemed to be paused for "recacheing."
Bandwidths and streaming got better. You could see how good the picture was. YouTube and Vimeo leaped in popularity. Web users now took quality streaming for granted. Howard regaled Robin every morning (on satellite radio) about the porn he'd watched last night.
Three years ago, I was persuaded by my friend Andy Ihnatko, the Mac guru, to purchase a Roku player, which would bring online movies to my big-screen TV. It could be hooked up in five minutes. With my good cable Internet connection, via Netflix and Amazon.com, I could stream movies that came through bright and clear, with quality rivaling HD. I could view a movie on impulse—right now, no delay—and pause it at will. I could move forward and backward. I could keep it hanging around forever. I was a happy camper.
Netflix was costing me about $9 a month. When the new price structure was announced, what did that mean for me? Since I now never ordered DVDs by mail, it meant a savings of about $1 a month.
Naturally, there were limitations. Most of the titles in the enormous Netflix library were not streaming. After meandering through films that were, however, I currently have 33 films in my queue. Since I have already seen thousands of films on the job, that says something good about their selection.
These days most DVD players and game consoles come with video streaming capacity already built in. New services such as fandor.com, MUBI, and Asiapacificfilms.com supply the demand for indie, foreign, and classic films.
Now that Hastings has split apart his DVDs-by-mail (now Quikster) from his streaming service (still called Netflix), he claims Netflix will greatly expand its offerings. I hope so. I hear grumblings that the service is tilting too far to the mainstream and not renewing its rights to some independent films. A mistake. Netflix users are more involved in all kinds of movies than most people. Streaming makes it easy for them to sample smaller films they've heard about, all at the same price. That film from Austin, South Korea, or Iran that you heard about somewhere is now opening soon on a TV set near you.
Netflix is woefully short on silent films and weak on foreign films. It offers all of three operas on film. It should work on those areas. Its website is a disaster. A more searchable front end would dramatize the depth of its selection. But it remains a service I treasure and use often.
I understand lots of people are upset that they can no longer get movies by both mail and streaming at one low price. There is no free lunch. Netflix has done what it had to do. Its announcement was clumsy and Hastings's "apology" not a model of tact, but his business decision was correct. Netflix is nearly 50 percent off its high. I think that's a Buy.


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Q&A: Gene Smith
DI men's basketball committee chair: Madness is under way
Gene Smith, the chair of the NCAA Division I men's basketball committee and director of athletic at Ohio State University, along with other members of the Division I basketball committee, are meeting in Indianapolis in advance of the selection meeting in March. The setup is as it will be next month when the actual process takes place and as it will be Thursday and Friday, when the NCAA conducts its annual mock selection exercise with selected members of the media and conferences officers. Smith took part in a conference call on Wednesday:
Gene Smith: I feel blessed and honored to have this opportunity to be the chair of Division I men's basketball committee. It's just a great pleasure to work with a great team of people of great integrity and the best of intentions to try and ensure that we have put together a great tournament and be true to the history that the tournament has created.
I've been blessed, also, to serve under four outstanding chairs as I look back at my tenure: Gary Walters, Tom O'Connor, Mike Slive and last year Dan Guerrero and everything that I was able to learn from them, I'm able to try to embody in my responsibility as we move forward. Feel fortunate that during my tenure, I had the opportunity to watch this tournament grow and enhance itself over time.
Think about moving to the raised floor and moving to the large venues, Detroit in 2009, Indianapolis in 2010 and now we are getting ready for Houston. The creation of the student sections in those venues, just totally improved the atmosphere and the surrounding of the games for the young men who are playing in the games.
And obviously the most recent enhancement with the Turner and CBS and what that will do, not just for our kids who play on the floor and great coaches and our students who attend those games as fans, but all of our fans around the world who now have the opportunity to watch all of the games.
It has just been a great experience for me and I'm cherishing that moment and I'm going to try to live up to the responsibility of being the chair and making sure we put together a great field and hopefully we have an exciting tournament that we all are used to.
|• "First Four" comprised of four first-round games to tip off the Road to Houston, to be broadcast nationally on Turner's truTV as part of the new NCAA-Turner/CBS broadcast agreement.
|• Two first-round games to feature showdowns between teams playing for two of the No. 16 seeds.
|• Two first-round games to feature the last four of the 37 at-large teams selected to the tournament.
|• First time in tournament history that the last at-large team will be revealed.
Q. Those of us who have done practice are struck by the weakness of the bottom of the at large pool and you've done preliminary research. What's your take on that? How strong is the at large field this year from what you've seen?
Gene Smith: Well, obviously we just really began discussing teams in detail with the committee, actually this morning, and began the vetting on the teams that each committee member monitors the league. So we just started vetting those teams.
We are excited about where we are. It seems that periodically in our history that we are here with this conversation, either earlier in the regular season or later in the regular season. But it eventually all shakes out. We feel very confident that we are going to be able to put together a great tournament that's going to be exciting.
You know, the regular season is forgotten in our minds and we know that's really where March Madness starts, and it's right now. These last six, seven, eight games in individual conferences that occur, different teams will differentiate themselves. We are very confident that when we come together in March, we'll be able to put together an exciting tournament.
2009, we were fortunate, we had four No. 1 seeds, that I think a lot of the people across the country probably resonated with and thought those were the right seeds and for the first time in our history, those four seeds went all the way through and were in the Final Four actually, 2008.
Last year, it was a lot more unpredictable and I think that's what this year represents. I think this year will be a lot more unpredictable and I think a lot of it has to do with we have some great coaches that have emerged out there and great role players that have emerged. I think it's going to be an exciting tournament when we get to the point where we are selecting teams.
Q. I'm just curious, your personal opinion, not with the way the committee looks at it, just you personally, when you evaluate a team, what do you feel is the most important criteria? Is it RPI? Is it strength of schedule? Is it road wins? Just you personally, when you look at a team, what's the most important thing to you?
Gene Smith: You know, I don't have one particular thing to be honest that I look at. I look at a lot of different things. I can't avoid down to one thing as I'm evaluating teams. I watch a lot of games on television, and sometimes I watch a whole game. Sometimes I watch half a game.
And obviously, I look at all of the data that exists out there, strength of schedule, road wins. It always comes back to something that we have always talked about: Who did you play, where did you play and how did you do. We really get to that discussion quite a bit.
So I can't tell you that there's one thing that I say is most important to me. Obviously when we get down to maybe those last teams that we are trying to get in and the teams really begin to start to look alike, going back to Bill's question earlier; those teams start to look alike. And Bob Golsby once said, previous chair, you can slip a piece of paper between teams. And then you can narrow it down a little bit and again that is dependent upon those individual teams.
So, I apologize, I can't tell you that I personally have one individual thing that I look at. I would share, I believe that's probably represented by all of the committee members in the room and that's the beauty of having the committee is we all have different views and evaluate criteria differently. You know, we have one guy that's a stat man and he beats us up on stats and that's really nice. I apologize; I just don't have one that I cling to.
Q. How do you balance geographic considerations where you maybe want to try to keep teams fairly close to home for the early round and the possibility that you could put the higher seeds at a disadvantage against the lower steeds, like if Colorado stayed makes it, would Denver be an option?
Gene Smith: First and foremost, we are putting together a national tournament, and that's our No. 1 priority, and we strive to make sure that we have reasonable competitive balance across that tournament.
Without a shadow of a doubt, we take geography into consideration. That's very important and we try to make sure our higher seeds are not put at a disadvantage relative to crowds. So I can't address a particular situation as you raised at this particular time, but we do everything that we can to protect the higher seeds if we can make that happen.
But we try to make sure that they play closer to home.
Q. Which takes precedence, is it protecting the higher seeds over geographic, if it's a situation like that, an either/or?
Gene Smith: It's an either/or. It really depends. I can't tell you that every case is the same.
Q. Could you share with us how many initial ballot locks you brought with you to Indianapolis?
Gene Smith: No, I can't. You're killing me.
Q. A ballpark?
Gene Smith: I can't do that (laughing).
Q. One thing I do want to ask is procedurally, basically you guys are charged with three big items here, selecting at large seed in the field and then placing teams in the bracket. Given your committee here, on a percentage basis, how does it break down? What's the greatest percentage of time spent? Is it in the selection of the at large?
Gene Smith: That's a good question, I would probably say, majority is in selection. We spend a great deal of time obviously talking about teams, and that takes the majority of the time.
And I'll just step you through it. As we come in on whatever day it is, Tuesday, and start on Wednesday, we focus that entire day on selection, Thursday selection. And then, you know, last year we started to play a little bit with seeding. Thursday night, I think it was, but we still focused on selection and then we move later Friday and Saturday in the seeding and so it's more, I would say selection is the most, seeding second and then bracket.
We all want to make sure that we allocate the maximum amount of time that we need to make sure we get the best 37. And then we move to seeding from there.
Q. I know the principles have not changed at all but can you talk about whether this is going to be a more difficult process or easier process because our taking four more teams? And secondly, what changes when you're looking for those last eight teams to go into the opening round games?
Gene Smith: Well, really, the principles and procedures are really going to basically stay the same, but some modifications, obviously, because we are adding three more teams.
But the process will be the same. We just don't know what teams are in and out until Conference tournaments are played on Saturday and Sunday.
So the selection part will be won't be that difficult for us and I apologize, what's your second question?
Q. Can you talk about trying to figure out the eight teams that will be playing in those opening round games?
Gene Smith: I think, obviously immersed throughout the process, once we select and begin to bracket, they just fall into place. It's not anything different than what we have done before. It will be the same and so we are planning the four at large so it won't be that much of a difference.
Q. When you do get to that part where you'll be taking the last four at large teams, is there any I know seeding takes precedence over everything else, but will there be is there any way of giving precedence to teams that will have to play an extra game, trying to get them to a Friday Sunday rather than a Thursday day Saturday, that sort of thing?
Gene Smith: We probably won't get into geographically close because we don't want to not respect our principles and procedures; so we don't do that. But we will take into consideration who plays on Thursday and when they will play next and then who plays on Wednesday and who they will play next and that type of thing.
We will be very mindful of the travel distances in that regard. But we will go through our principles and procedures all the way through, and who lands where, they land. And Wednesday's winner also go to the Friday site and we'll be able to work that part out.
Q. With this big of a change to the bracket, obviously, there's going to take probably some time for the fans to understand it. The bracket to this point has always been a symmetrical how do you think you need to go about educating the public in those first few days after the bracket comes out in terms of the first four and how it's going to feed into the other games and how that's going to work?
Gene Smith: We have not really talked about that and I'm going to leave that to our creative Branding and media people to figure that out. We obviously have already branded the experience in Dayton as the first four. We will rely on our network partners, Turner and CBS, and frankly you guys. As soon as the release is out, I'm certain many of you will probably focus on that a little bit. And the bracket, the blank bracket right now is available on NCAA.com, so you can go on there and see what the format looks like. But I'll leave that to the experts, get out of their way.
Q. How much do you try to get teams off of the same day, if they are hosting, which they are here at Arizona, does it matter if Arizona makes it and they had a plan the same day or are you trying to get a play on the Friday, Sunday, as opposed to the Thursday/Saturday?
Gene Smith: No, that's not an early consideration. That's a secondary consideration.
So we will pay attention to that, but it's not a major consideration for us, because we don't want to breach the integrity of our process. And obviously, if they are in; their opportunity and where they play. So we will be respectful of that.
Q. If they play well enough to deserve a geographical favor, if they would be going to Denver, which is the same how do you balance that? Do you give them what they deserve in that case or do you which it sounds like from what you're saying, or would you move them somewhere else to play on Friday?
Gene Smith: I think it depends. I think it depends on what's going on and I obviously can't talk about particular teams and can't speculate. But really, a lot that have depends on seeding and bracketing and we don't try and breach the integrity of the seeding and bracketing process.
Now, obviously, I think everyone knows that periodically, a team may move a line because of certain circumstances. We take things into consideration. But it's that particular case that's just too hard for me to really speculate on.
|• The 68-team bracket
Q. In general, would you say what seed or line level do you try really hard to get them as close to home as possible? Would it be in a 3, 4, 5 range
Gene Smith: Really doesn't matter. We protect the first four lines as best we can. We just would not move a team solely for that reason.
And I understand your question; I'm not trying to dodge it. But we just wouldn't do it just for that reason. There's a lot of other considerations around it, and I just can't speculate on what how we would address that situation.
Q. I was just asking, the first four lines you generally try to protect or does it go down to five?
Gene Smith: Definitely, definitely.
Q. Just curious how much of a factor where a team finishes within its conference standings is as far as when you go beyond the automatics with the at larges, how critical that is in determining which teams get those at large bids.
Gene Smith: We really don't look at conference standings. We look at individual teams, and we do evaluate the conference schedules and the strength of schedule and who what their process is in their conference, whether it's one plays or two plays, and we look at all that.
But we don't look at standings as much as how well they did to get their league record. So standings don't really come into the conversation.
We do look at league record. We look at non conference record. We look at conference record. We look at overall record and the strength of those. We look at the individual teams, obviously, in the league, and we'll sometimes look at scores, how close games were in the league.
So there's a lot of factors in there we look at, but it still comes down to, who did you play and where did you play and how did you do. A lot of times, when did you play them.
So every conference, as you all know, have scheduling philosophies that are different. So you can go across the country and because of the different configurations of conferences, some play Round Robins, some don't. We always have to pay attention to that.
Q. The regional in New Orleans had to be moved because of renovations to the Superdome. Does that give you any level of concern about the preparations for next year and were there any financial adjustments that had to be made for the bid on the smaller capacity for the regional?
Gene Smith: No. We have no concerns with that move. We know that the people in New Orleans really do a great job with hosting events and we are comfortable with the configuration and the configuration we know that will be set up this summer. So we don't have any real concerns. It was a decision we made a while ago and we worked closely with them. We have just a lot of confident in the host there, so we don't see any issues. I really can't speak to the financial part, I apologize.
Q. Regional is sort of the stepchild sometimes; one thing I was thinking about is the cutting down of the net at the end of the Regional, is that something the committee talks about, to keep on doing this or not?
Gene Smith: I don't know, do we do that now? Just drawing a blank. Just had a blank there for a minute.
Yeah, we'll keep cutting down the nets. And I don't know, that's the first time I've faced that question to be quite frank. I never thought of the regionals as being a stepchild, and I guess maybe that's my narrow little focus, I'm sorry.
I know our players across the country who play this game, every time I'm there, they are really excited to get to the regionals. I know a lot of institutions celebrate the fact that they got to the regionals; not that not just that they may have gotten through the regionals but those who have gotten to the regionals and didn't exit the regionals, they still buy rings and celebrate those moments.
It's the Sweet 16, they are all trade marked. It's the Elite 8. It's just an opportunity that I think everybody is excited about.
Q. There's conjecture about 11 Big East teams; do you guys consider at all how many teams from a conference? Is there too big a number?
Gene Smith: No, not really. We don't look at a conference. We don't concern ourselves that way. We move through teams and we have provisions in place in our procedures and principles that allow us to deal with those situations. So we look at them as individual, independent institutions and try to be fair to create a national tournament.
I know as you said, it's talked about every single year, and that's understandable. But in order for us to get to the best 37, we have to separate them from their conferences and go back to making sure that we look at those individual teams and respect them, regardless of league affiliation. And again, obviously, we have in place checks and balances that allow us to deal with those situations.
Q. How can a team overcome a less than stellar non conference record?
Gene Smith: You win. It goes back to who you played, and again, where you played and how you did and sometimes when you played. But at the end of the day, I think we all know winning is a very important criteria. Your road wins, your overall wins, and so you need to win.
Q. So you can overcome your non-conference schedule if you win in your conference, if you really come on strong at the end, can you do something like that?
Gene Smith: I can't speculate. There's a lot of moving parts around there but obviously if you win all of your games or wherever you play them, you have a pretty good chance of being in. In that situation, you're probably going to end up being an automatic qualifier and you're going to get in as an AQ. But trying to narrow down your scenario there, I would say if you win all your games, you've got a good chance you're in.
Q. Are the last 10 games weighted more in the evaluation process for the teams on the proverbial bubble?
Gene Smith: Awhile ago we did look at the last ten games as a criteria. We no longer look at that. Some committee members stay still look at that as a consideration, but it's really more your entire body of work. I know that I really look back to the first few games and where you played them and how you did and we all know that some teams have different issues that they go through the middle of the season or the end of the season. You take all of those things into consideration, but all of us try and look at the entire body of work.
Q. Given the distinction between the 34th at large team and the 33rd and 34th will be so large this year, one will be required to play an extra game and one won't, do you expect to give that line extra scrutiny? Will there be additional consideration or conversation about which team has to play the extra game and which team doesn't?
Gene Smith: I think, again, everyone feel please to go and look at our policies and procedures at NCAA.com. But we really go through our seed list. We scrub it thoroughly, always. I can't tell that we'll discuss those teams any differently than we discussed the other teams. We'll scrub them all hard and discuss them with the same level of intensity. The 35th team would not have been at a tournament last year, nor the 36th. We'll have the same level of conversation about them that we have about one, two, three and four; 37 of the same thing. I can't remember.
I can't say we'll treat them any different. They will all play at Dayton the first round and really as simple as that and just playing in the first round.
Q. How cognizant of are you turmoil or obstacles teams are having to overcome during the season if players walk away or injuries or dismissed; do they get credit for overcoming things like that or bottom line when you're looking at a team?
Gene Smith: We take all of that into consideration, how a team deals with adversity. And I would not necessarily say it's credit. We are just aware of what happens and each committee member takes it into account and weighs it with their own viewpoint.
But you know, we all look at if someone was hurt through X number of games or if a player was suspended or some tragedy happened, we always take that into consideration. Whether it's a credit or not depend on the individual committee member.
Q. When you add a new city to the mix like Tulsa, is there any more or less attention or consideration given to who plays in that field, for instance, because it's new, is there an assumption that it's going to sell big because of the newness and novelty, or is there an opposite type thing where the field selection is more cautious because it's not a proven market?
Gene Smith: We don't really take that into consideration. Obviously sometimes we get fortunate and a local team that is geographically close ends up there. But we really don't take that into consideration. When we select sites, we are very confident based upon the local organizing committee and based upon the demographics of that environment and the facilities there, that when we select them, they are going to be able to host and draw fans. We feel that way about all of our sites, and so we really don't feel like we have to do something extra. We really don't emphasize it beyond that.
Q. What is your level of optimism for the Tulsa regional right now?
Gene Smith: Oh, I'm optimistic. That's a great place, and the local organizing committee is a strong one. We feel real good about what they have done and how they have communicated. We just feel great. Obviously we have a colleague there in Bubba Cunningham, who is on point, and we trust him and know how hard he works. We are just excited about bringing a tournament to Tulsa.
Q. When it comes to picking your at large team what kind of value do you place on the bracket buster games? Is it any more important than just a game to you?
Gene Smith: No. They are just like every other game. But obviously we look at them all and pay attention to them all. They are exciting games. We know there is more intensity around them and really they are other games. So we all as you can pick out different games throughout the year that are part of tournaments or part of exempt events that were created where there is a great level of intensity and we all pay attention to them. They are non conference games that we are able to look at and they are another data point for us. But I can't say that we put a different emphasis on them.
Q. In other words, you would not call it like a play in game situation?
Gene Smith: No. The teams put a little emphasis on it, but we don't.
Q. One other thing that comes up sometimes, you hear analysts especially, maybe former coaches on television talk about the eyeball test. Is there any validity to that, whether a team deserves to be in a tournament or not?
Gene Smith: You know, we value input from a lot of sources and one of them is we do watch games. Some of us go to games. Some of us may put some emphasis on physicality of a particular team and of size and length of teams, and we are just fortunate that we have on our committee some people who are great coaches in Stan Morrison and Len Hickey, and they always remind of us of a subjective view of teams from a coach's perspective.
So you know, I don't say we use the eyeball test kind of like you're referring to it. I would say that we look at teams and we evaluate how good they are sometimes based upon how they play and who they play.
Q. What do you on the committee look for in tournament sites this year when you're considering them down the road and whether to come back?
Gene Smith: Well, we obviously look at how well they are operated. We get down to the detail level of how things flow, how the kid are hosted, which is the most important thing, and experiences that the institutions have; the experiences that the fans have. All of the different things that are important to any fan that comes there, the accessibility to the city and the hotel cooperation and how welcoming people are in the city, and all of the things that your local Chamber of Commerce would think is important. We look at all those. We want to make sure that all hosts put their best foot forward and want to make sure that it's a quality experience for our kids and fans.
Q. In the last few years as you know, there's been an explosion of sites and people who have done statistical analysis, how much does the committee look at that stuff? Is it something they look at more than they used to?
Gene Smith: You know, every committee member looks at different things. But for us, the most important votes are our own. We have a lot of data. We look at a lot of different ratings. But in this process, the discussion on teams and all of the information has proven to be the most valuable. And so for a long time now, committee votes are issues that really matter the most. And some of us look at different ratings and track them and some don't.
But we never really discuss them in the room.
Q. Can a conference RPI ranking detract from your wins?
Gene Smith: Not really, I don't think. Not sure what you mean there.
Q. In other words you have conference RPI rankings and as you're moving on down
Gene Smith: Oh, I've got you. We really don't take in the conference RPI as an issue. It's not even on our documentation and frankly if you ask me today, I would probably have to guess what they are across the country, based upon my subjective view, because I don't track that.
So we don't look at conference RPIs. And I really want to emphasize it, and I hope that some of you, if you have not been through the mock bracketing process that we have put on and go through the process, to try and get on the list to do it, that I'm sure David Worlock will talk about.
But we truly look at the individual teams. We look at who they have played, where they have played and how they did. We look at their win/loss record. We try to make sure that we respect the individuality of what that coach and those group of kids did.
So sure, there's a lot of data out there and rankings and things of that nature, but we really try and look at what these teams accomplished in the regular season. So there's always a lot of conversation about conference RPIs and that type of stuff but we look from the body of work from November when the season starts all the way through when it ends and from the very first game they say or wherever they play, neutral site, on the way home; we look at that and go through the whole season and evaluate those individual teams.
Q. Out in the west, fans all feel there's a bias against the west, but how would you assure fans out here that the conferences on the west and the teams in the west are getting sort of fair looks by the committee?
Gene Smith: You know I love the west. That's my quote.
Really, we are blessed. You know, this is a national tournament. I can't tell you how often we talk about making sure that we on the east coast or midwest pay attention and watch games out west. So I have watched a number of different games.
We have individual committee members who are assigned to monitor conferences. And so each conference on the west, as it is everywhere else, has someone that's assigned to watch that, that's a primary and we also have secondary with that person to watch those leagues and report to us what goes on in those leagues.
But we also have representation from the west. We have Stan Morrison, Scott Barnes and Doug Fullerton who really canvas the West. They come in here with their West Coast badges on.
But I have heard that in the years that I've been on the committee, and you know that's certainly not true. We pay attention to all of the teams across the country and I wish I could talk to you today about the teams we talked about out west. So as we know, there's good basketball across this country, and we pay attention everywhere.
Q. Would it be good for the tournament for a No. 1 team to lose a first round game at some point?
Gene Smith: It would have to be the second round, but I can't speculate on that. I'm really not a mocketeer. I'm not one of those guys that said, if this happens, that's great for our marketing campaign. So I really can't speculate on that.
Q. When you watch a tournament and there are upsets, how do you judge the work you've done? When you see upsets, do you ever think, we might have missed on that team, maybe they were not as strong as they thought or is it just part of the game?
Gene Smith: You know, that's part of the game and that's why we play them. To me that's the phenom of March Madness. You just think back to last year and the great games that we had last year. So I never look back and say, you know, we should have done this or should have done that.
I think when we go through the process, every time I've done this, I felt real good about it when we were done and look at the bracket and amazingly most people don't understand, we don't truly see the bracket until we are done on Friday and say, oh my God, what do we do.
But we really love just all of the exciting things that happen. So that's the unpredictable part of March Madness, why our fans love it so much I think.
Q. Do you think the televising of the games this year, making them all available to the public, will change the experience for the general public?
Gene Smith: Yeah, I think so. I think people now will be able to see all of the games they want to see. They will be able to see them to the end and without going crazy on channels. So I think people will be in their living rooms and control what they see and select and the establishments will be able to put the games up that people want to see while they are drinking their Diet Cokes. I think it's going to be a great thing having all of those platforms that people can see the games. I'm really excited about that.
Q. Buffalo has gotten an opportunity to host first and second rounds games. What's the likelihood of Buffalo hosting a regional one of those days?
Gene Smith: I can't speak to that. Great games in Buffalo and I see no reason why that can't happen. But I can't speculate on that. It would have to go through the bid process and compete and win it through the bid process.
We always have a bunch of cities that always bid, so I really can't speculate on that right now.
Q. Any concern the venue may be too small for a regional?
Gene Smith: No, I don't think so. We have always kept capacity as not a requirement. We are okay as the facility competing with the other facilities, so I don't see that as an issue.


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Posts Tagged 'smoking accessories'
Of all industries, ours understands the importance of being "green" more than most! Thankfully, more and more opportunities are arising for us to smoke and toke while remaining environmentally friendly. If it's from the earth, we should be able to enjoy it without hurting the earth. And we can!
Today we're featuring a water pipe from the hillsides of Maui, Hawaii. I think we all know that Hawaiians have mastered the art of relaxation, and Hawaii was named the happiest state in America this year. Maybe the Maui Wowie Bootube has something to do with that?
The Maui Wowie Bootube is a bamBOO tube – made of black bamboo harvested from largest certified organic black bamboo farm in the western hemisphere. Maui Wowie calls it a 100% sustainable "Living Glass" water pipe and the only fully sustainable organic water pipe on the market. Maui Wowie did their research to discover this variety of black bamboo is naturally resistant to mold, mildew, cracking and water damage, making it an ideal choice for smoking.
The "green" aspect of the Bootube doesn't end with the bamboo. Maui hand-harvested, organic beeswax seals the inside of the Bootube, and hempseed oil is used to finish the outside. You'll find no inorganic, toxic or GMO materials in the Bootube. The bowl is crafted with standard clear milled glass-on-glass, but this can be upgraded with your choice of ten different bowls and customized branding.
We at The Glass House join Maui Wowie in encouraging you to burn green! Interested in the Bootube? Stop by and see us!
Feel free to share the ways you've found to keep your smoking friendly to the environment on our Facebook page or in the comment section below!
Many of our featured products so far have been vaporizers of all kinds, including portable, tabletop, essential oil, raw plant, etc. Today we're moving on to water pipes – specifically, a brand called Scientific Inhalations (SI) located in Grass Valley (get it? get it?), California.
Water pipes are a great investment for those who enjoy prefer smoking to vaping and want something a little healthier, smoother and more potent than less filtered smoking methods. Water pipes also require less product than other traditional smoking methods, so if you smoke on the reg, you'll reap the benefits in your wallet as well!
SI pieces are individually hand blown in the United States by professional glass blowers using high quality German joints and Simex or Schott glass, making them both elegant and durable. Straight pipes are available, which come with a downstem, bowl and five different color options for the lip and base band. SI also offers custom pipes, which come with a downstem hand-crafted custom splash guard and bowl. No two of their custom pipes will be exactly the same.
While SI's custom and straight pipes are a great buy, McFinn's water pipe, especially McFinn's Triple-Filtered, is their real treasure. McFinn's Triple-Filtered is perfect for those looking for the healthiest possible smoke, as it utilizes a special filtering system with Virgin Coconut Carbon. Virgin Coconut Carbon is used for air purification and absorption of odorous or colored substances, so it removes many of the impurities from the smoking process to give you a smoother, cleaner hit. Smoke is also pulled through organic cotton during McFinn's filtration process, eliminating the synthetic chemicals present in conventional cotton.
McFinn's standard version comes with a splash guard, standard filter, downstem, bowl and tube of Activated Virgin Coconut Carbon. The Triple-Filtered also includes a tube Organic Cotton and pictures to assist with the removal of used carbon and cotton.
As always, we're here to help you find the pipe that works best for your needs. We love SI and we think you will too! Feel free to stop by either of our locations, visit our Facebook page or leave a comment in the section below!
We can't lie – at the Glass House, we have a soft spot for herbs. And concentrates. And oils of all kinds. But we don't discriminate! Nicotine lovers, The Glass House is a place for you too. We carry a variety of electronic cigarettes, including (but not limited to) Max Vapor products, the Ego-T, the E-Pine, the Blade, True Vapor products and Lush Vapor e-juices. If you already own an e-cigarette, we carry all replacement parts and all the e-juice you'll need. If you're just beginning your venture into the world of e-cigs, our starter packs are $35 and include a free 10ml liquid.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Why should you even consider an e-cigarette? Plenty of folks pick up e-cigs as a step to quitting cigarettes altogether or to simply enjoy a healthier smoke. Depending on the e-juice, e-cigarettes can provide the same amount of nicotine as a conventional cigarette – but they eliminate combustion. This in turn eliminates the toxins that can cause lung disease and cancer later in life.
The taste is another benefit of using an electronic cigarette. Instead of smoking tobacco, e-cigarette users vape a liquid solution usually made of propylene glycol (PG) and/or vegetable glycerin (VG) mixed with concentrated flavors (and nicotine). These flavors include regular tobacco and menthol, but many e-juice makers like Lush Vapor also offer flavors as creative and delicious as Jolly Rancher, Orange Julius and Mountain Dew. Whatever flavor you're after, you're likely to find it!
With the variety of e-cigarettes on the market, you should have no trouble selecting one that fits your style. Some are almost identical to an actual cigarette, others look ultra-modern (like the sleek chrome finish of the Blade) and still others resemble a ballpoint pen and come in every color imaginable.
One thing we do NOT recommend is trying to vape essential oils or concentrates through your e-cigarette – unless you really know what you're doing. Traditional vaporizers and even portable pen vaporizers are designed to provide enough heat to vape those materials, but e-cigarettes are not. Trust us on this one. We have plenty of vaporizers that vape essential oils, concentrates and raw plant beautifully, and we're happy to show them to you!
Come by the shop to get the full array of e-cigarettes, e-liquids and replacement parts available. And don't forget to let us know which products you prefer in the comment section below or on our Facebook page!
We've featured several pieces on the blog recently that are designed to vape just one thing – either essential oils or dry herbs. Today we'd like to tell you about the DaVinci Vaporizer, which can be used with essential oils, dry herbs or concentrates.
The DaVinci (yes, like Leonardo) is a portable vape about the size of a small cell phone that can be conveniently stored in a pocket or handbag. Although it may be compact, it certainly isn't delicate – apparently the makers drop tested it six times from ten feet and the vape was still in tact. This kind of strength is important for certain people, like those who drop their cell phones on the ground all the time…you know who you are.
For power, the DaVinci features rechargeable lithium ion batteries. Battery life lasts about an hour and a half, and recharging can take three to four, but thankfully you can still vape while it charges. It comes with the following pieces:
- 1 Vaporizer
- 1 Cleaning Brush
- 1 110v-240v Wall Charger
- 1 Flexi Straw
- Pack of 3 Large Replacement Screens and6 small replacement screens
- 2 Oil Cans
- Instructional Manual, Quickstart Guide and Vaporizer Temperature Guide
- 2 Year Manufacturer Warranty
Using the DaVinci couldn't be simpler. First, pack the vaporizer with herbs, or use the oil cans provided to pack it with oils or concentrates. The three buttons on the front turn the heater on or off and allow you to adjust the temperature based on what you're vaporizing. It only takes a minute or two to heat up and you're ready to vape away. Another nice bonus about the DaVinci is that it's self-contained. No travel or accessory bag is necessary because it has a built-in storage compartment for its pieces.
So, if you're looking for a convenient and compact vaporizer that will cover all your herb, oil and concentrate needs, the DaVinci just might be the one for you. Let us know your thoughts about the DaVinci or any of our other products by commenting below or visiting us on Facebook!
To follow up from our last post, hookahs are available here at The Glass House for rent or for purchase. Today, we want to discuss an accessory for the more health conscious hookah fans – the Xhale Steam Stones. Deemed "the next generation of hookah," Xhale Steam Stones are tobacco-free and make vaporizing possible through a hookah, giving their users the best of both worlds – the opportunity to enjoy a hookah with friends and avoid the carcinogens that come with tobacco smoke.
But how is that possible, you ask? When you're ready to enjoy your hookah, place the stones in your bowl and cover them with flavor syrup. The syrup comes in flavors similar to shisha – mint, guava, rose, cherry, bubble gum and a variety of mixes. Cover the bowl with foil as you would normally, and place your heated coals on top. After about two minutes, the intensity of the heat should subside and the stones should begin steaming. You're ready to enjoy!
While the Xhale Steam Stones contain no tobacco, they do provide 0.05% nicotine to give you that lovely buzz.
At The Glass House, it's not just our job to help you find the smoke that's best for you, it's our passion. So whether you crave smoke or an alternative, a portable piece or a desktop piece, glass or a vaporizer, come visit us in either one of our locations (Dallas and Lewisville) and talk through your options with us.
Have you used the Xhale Steam Stones? Help our readers out by telling us your experience in the comment section below or on our Facebook page!
We've featured a lot of vaporizers on the blog recently, but today we'd like to to switch gears and talk a little more about one of our glass options. An ancient Middle Eastern tradition, hookahs are gaining popularity here in the U.S as a social smoking choice, appearing as entertainment at parties and even as an alternative to going to the bar.
Hookahs are ornate water pipes designed for smoking shisha, a flavored tobacco mix with molasses and vegetable glycerol. Shisha comes in several different fruit and spice-based flavors, so it even appeals to folks who don't typically enjoy tobacco.
We have been discussing a lot of portable vaporizers on our blog recently, and today we'd like to feature another type of vaporizer. This is the Da Buddha™ Herbal Vaporizer-Electric Candle made by 7th Floor, which is a super awesome group of people located at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, CO (a state who knows a little bit about this industry). 7th Floor is fully dedicated to making their customers happy. They are, in fact, their own customer, using all of their own products and perfecting them as they go along. So you can be sure this is a product backed fully by them – and us.
Da Buddha "rivals all vaporizers on the market in terms of potency, flavor and value," claims 7th Floor on their website, and we urge you to do the field research yourself to see if what they say is true. We do have to agree that Da Buddha is "perfect Zen." The way it's put together with quality materials and through the daily and rigorous testing by the manufacturers, this vaporizer is truly a superior product.
Another thing about Da Buddha is that it is designed to save you money. Essentially by using it, you will vaporize 1/3 to 1/2 of what you currently smoke now. This is not bull, it's real. Combustion destroys around 50%-60% of the active ingredients. Because vaporizing does not do this, it's like having twice as much tobacco!
Call or visit us at The Glass House TX to get yours, or tell us about your experience with Da Buddha in the Comments section below.
Let's get something out of the way first. This little gadget, the Embur lighter, may seem quite pricey at $250 for one unit. There are plenty of average smokers out there who will have no interest in this product and that's fine. Most of our loyal customers, however, are more selective about their purchases. You know who you are – you stay on top of the current trends and may spend a few extra dollars on quality products that are designed to add overall value to your life. You adore Sheldon Black and other high end glass artists. You are excited to try out a seemingly "extravagant" item because you understand that the extra expense will be well worth it.
Now on to the Embur. It is a completely innovative product. It is superior from all butane/artificial flame lighters in both HEALTH and TASTE. It is completely portable, and can hold its charge for an entire day. How does it work? Charge it up and the wand heats rapidly through its custom designed ceramic heating element. It is a windproof and butane free source of ignition.
Stoner MacGyver from Denver Westword's MMJ blog recently reviewed the Embur and this is what he had to say: "It's like a mini Lightsaber with a 1,400 degree glowing orange tip to incinerate anything it touches, be it evil miniature droids or bowls of OG Kush."
He adds: "Because you're not sucking a flame down into the bowl and incinerating everything instantly, you get a much fuller flavor from a bowl of buds than you would with a lighter." (Source: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2013/01/stoner_macgyver_embur_cordless_flameless_lighter.php)
Call Brad @ The Glass House to find out more about the Embur, or order one for yourself. You discriminating smoker, you.
Once in awhile, a true miracle product comes along that actually makes you shake your head and say, "How did they do that?!" Grunge Off Super Soaker is one of these amazingly awesome must-haves. It seriously works. Watch the video below for a demonstration.
Grunge Off is a cleaning solution formulated exclusively for glass, more specifically – our beloved water pipes that have a habit of getting dirty and grungy way too quickly. Grunge Off is easy to use (no scrubbing necessary!), non-toxic, non-gritty, reusable, alcohol-free, biodegradable, recyclable, and earth-friendly. Oh, it deodorizes and sanitizes, too. Did we mention it is just plain awesome?
It seems like everything is getting smaller and more portable these days. Hey, we're all for the "less is more" philosophy here at The Glass House. To that end, for today's featured product, we present to you the "smoCan."
What exactly is it? It is a small waterproof and dishwasher-safe aluminum canister with different compartments for pipe storage, a mini-Bic lighter, a screen/particle chamber, and built-in grinder. It is modular and expandable, and comes in five different colors (see below).
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Why must air tanks be drained?
To drain moisture and oil out of the tank
What is a supply pressure gauge used for?
To tell you how much air is in the air tank.
All vehicles with air brakes must have a low air pressure warning signal.
What are spring brakes?
If the airbrakes leak down, springs press the brakes on to stop the vehicle.
Front wheel brakes are good under all conditions.
When you put your brakes on the air brake system works with an electric switch, by air pressure to turn on the brake lights.
What do air brakes use to make the brakes work?
Compressed air
Air brakes are really three different braking systems: service brake, parking brake and emergency brake.
The service brake applies and releases:
The brake when you use the brake pedal during normal driving.
The parking brake applies and releases:
The parking brakes when you use the parking brake control.
The emergency brake system:
Uses parts of the service and parking brake system to stop the vehicle in the event of a brake system failure.
The governor controls when the air compressor will pump into the air storage tanks.
The air storage tanks are used to hold compressed air.
When you put on the brakes by pushing down the brake pedal:
Air pressure is applied to the brake pads.
The S-cam forces the brake shoes away from one another and presses them against the inside of the brake drum. It is called the S-cam because:
It is shaped like the letter S.
What is a dual air brake system?
A two brake system, one operates the front brakes and one operates the back brakes.
What are the slack adjusters?
It is an adjusting nut on the backside of the brake drum used for adjusting the brakes.
How can you check the slack adjuster?
Park on level ground, turn off parking brakes, pull hard on each slack adjuster. It shouldn't move more than one inch.
How can you test the low pressure warning signal?
Shut off the engine with enough air pressure, turn on the electrical power and step on and off the brake pedal until the low air pressure warning signal comes on.
What can you check to see if the spring brakes come on automatically?
Step on and off the brake, with the engine off, the parking brake knob should pop out when air pressure falls between 20-40 psi.
What are the maximum leakage rates?
Less than two psi in one minute for single vehicles and less than three psi in one minute for combination vehicles.
Should you ever leave your vehicle unattended without applying parking brakes or chocking the wheels?
If you are away from your vehicle only a short time, you don't need to use the parking brake.
How often should you drain air tanks?
The use of brakes on a long steep downgrade is only a supplement to the braking effect of the engine.
What factors can cause brakes to fade or fail?
A. Not pressing the brake pedal hard enough.
B. Over heating, low air pressure, and not relying on the engine braking effect.
C. Not taking your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Why should you be in the proper gear before starting down a hill?
So you only have to apply the brake just hard enough to feel a definite slowdown.
If oil and water collect in the air tanks what can happen to the brakes?
The brakes could fail.
What is the purpose of an alcohol evaporator?
To reduce the risk of ice in the brake valves and other parts in cold weather.
What is another name for controlled braking?
Squeeze braking


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two-year fiction writing position: Southern Methodist Univ
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- SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY (Dallas, Texas)
Professor of Practice in English. Position No. 00052655.
Southern Methodist University seeks a fiction writer to fill a two-year Professor of Practice position in the English Department's undergraduate creative writing program, with a primary responsibility for teaching creative nonfiction. This position will begin in Fall 2013. Applicants must have a terminal degree in creative writing (M.F.A., Ph.D., or M.A.), teaching experience, and a record of publication.
The individual hired would be expected to teach three genre-specific courses each semester at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. Candidates with a proven track record of innovative pedagogy in creative writing and an enthusiasm for teaching are especially encouraged to apply.
Submit a letter of application, curriculum vita, 20-page writing sample, and contact information for three letters of recommendation to Prof. David Haynes, Department of English, Southern Methodist University, Box 750435, Dallas, TX 75275-0435. Screening of applicants begins on May 28 and will continue until the position is filled.
SMU will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. SMU's commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Hiring is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check.
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Tonya Lindsey, a former Saluda police chief and Polk County Sheriff's Office deputy, has stepped away from law enforcement to help others get healthy in a fun environment.
Age: 37
Residence: Zirconia
Occupation: Zumba fitness instructor
Tonya Sain Lindsey, a former Saluda police chief and Polk County Sheriff's Office deputy, has stepped away from law enforcement to help others get healthy in a fun environment. Now Lindsey wants to give back by holding a charity event Friday to raise money and collect toys for needy children in Henderson and Polk County.
Question: Why did you leave law enforcement for a career as a fitness instructor?
Answer: The opportunity arose for me to have a positive outcome with people and change their lives in a healthy way. I have had people who have taken my class who have come off insulin, off blood pressure medicine and stress medicines. I even had a woman who was not a candidate for a liver transplant start taking the class, and she was able to have the transplant and come back to class. It's a positive influence with no drama, and I get to spend more time with my family.
Q: What is Zumba?
A: Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends international music and contagious steps to form a fitness party that is addictive.
Q: How did you discover Zumba?
A: Two years ago, I started taking a class at the Tryon Health and Fitness Center. It was a class that doesn't look at age or gender and is designed for anyone. In March 2011, with my sister's influence, I decided to open my own facility. With my dance background, it was something fun. I fell in love with Zumba.
Q: How did you decide to host the charity event?
A: Having a "Party for a Cause" was something I wanted to do because I missed the involvement of helping families and children. I started the first toy collection in Saluda when I was the chief of police. This event, Party for a Cause, will be a three-hour Zumba benefit. We will collect monetary donations and new, wrapped toys for kids in Polk and Henderson counties. There will be eight instructors and for only a $10 donation or $10 toy, you can join the fun.
Q: What should people expect at a Zumba class?
A: Great times. You don't need previous dance experience. It's a lot of fun. Zumba dance fitness is for anyone and any fitness level.
Q: How has life changed since leaving law enforcement?
A: Life is stress- and drama-free, and I am living a positive, healthier life. It's about other people getting healthy, and I am really happy with what I am doing now.


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Ex-IMF Leader Strauss-Kahn Set to Be Freed
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former leader of the International Monetary Fund, was set to be released from Rikers Island Friday if the terms of an elaborate bail package that includes home detention and constant surveillance were met.
Strauss-Kahn, 62, was granted bail during a hearing in Manhattan on Thursday. According to the terms of the agreement, the French politician would have to live in a New York City apartment rented by his wife, be under video surveillance and have at least one armed bodyguard around him at all times, according to Judge Michael Obus.
Obus accepted this monitoring arrangement, which will be provided by a private security firm, in addition to $1 million cash bail and an electronic ankle bracelet Strauss-Kahn will wear. Those were already offered on Monday, when a Criminal Court judge denied bail to Strauss-Kahn.
The judge also asked that Strauss-Kahn post a $5 million bond and submit all travel documents.
William Taylor, Strauss-Kahn's attorney, characterized the conditions of the bail package as "the most restrictive possible," and said his client, rather than wanting to become a fugitive, "has only one interest and that is to clear his name."
Assistant District Attorney John McConnell reiterated the main argument he had made on Monday in opposing the bail: Strauss-Kahn was a flight risk who has "stature and resources to live a life of ease and comfort" beyond the jurisdiction of the court and the United States.
He also pointed that a grand jury had indicted Strauss-Kahn on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a maid in the Sofitel Hotel in New York. He is indicted on charges of criminal sexual act in the first degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, as well as on charges of attempted rape, sexual abuse in the first and third degree, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching.
Strauss-Kahn, thought to have been one of the strongest contenders for French presidency before the incident, came into the courtroom around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, looking calm, and smiling at his wife, Anne Sinclair, and daughter, Camille, a graduate student at Columbia University. Around 100 journalists, many from France, packed the 13th-floor courtroom.
Much of the discussion before the judge made a decision was focused on Strauss-Kahn's behavior on last Saturday after the alleged attack took place. McConnell described Strauss-Kahn's exit from the Sofitel Hotel as "unusually hasty." Taylor countered that his client merely rushed to a lunch with a family member close to the hotel. Afterward, he got on a flight for which he had purchased a ticket not in the last minute, but a few days earlier, because, as the head of the IMF, he had a meeting scheduled with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European officials.
On Wednesday, Strauss-Kahn resigned from his position at the IMF, which he held since 2007.
"I want to devote all my strength, all my time and all my energy to proving my innocence," he said in a statement released by the IMF.
Strauss-Kahn is scheduled to appear in court again on June 6.


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Men's Golf Inks Three in 2013 Signing Class
Nov. 26, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men's golf program added three golfers to its 2013 class, signing three Kentucky natives, including two St. Xavier High School products, head coach Brian Craig announced on Monday. Christopher Meuth (Henderson, Ky.), Cooper Musselman (Louisville, Ky.) and Stephen Stallings (Louisville, Ky.) all inked National Letters of Intent during the November signing period.
"I could not be more thrilled to have Cooper, Christopher and Stephen joining our Wildcat Golf family," Craig said. "This is what I call a major upside class. All three of these young men, while already very accomplished in tournament golf, are not even close to where they will ultimately be. Their skill sets, character and passion tell me that their best golf is clearly in front of them. I can't wait to coach them into that success."
Christopher Meuth
Meuth hails from Henderson, Ky., and he attends school at Evansville Memorial High School in nearby Evansville, Ind. In 2011, Meuth was the individual champion at the Plantation Big Blue Shootout, carding scores of 73 and 74 in the 36-hole tournament and placed third at the Puma Hoosier Junior Championship with rounds of 76 and 69. He set the Henderson Country Club course record in Sept. 2012 with an 8-under-par, 64, while also breaking the school record with a nine-hole round of 29 in the 2010 tryouts. The two-time Academic All-City selection holds a 3.9 GPA and ranks fifth in his class of 206 students.
"Christopher is going to surprise people in the collegiate golf world," Craig said. "He has battled some injuries over the past few years and is just now starting to scratch the surface of what he is capable of doing on the course. He is a big kid, hits it a long way and has an outstanding tee-to-green game. His focus this past summer has been on his wedges and putting and that hard work is paying great dividends. In my opinion, Christopher's best attribute is his determination. He has the ability to set his mind on a goal and stay singularly focused on that goal until he achieves it. He is also a phenomenal student who embodies the true definition of a student-athlete. I can't wait for Christopher to join our program next fall and start what will be a distinguished career as a Kentucky Wildcat."
Cooper Musselman
Musselman is a four-year letterwinner out of St. Xavier High School in Louisville, where his team has earned 25 titles including a state championship and two runner-up finishes. In high school, Musselman has garnered four individual titles, while setting the low round record of 63 at The Classic played at Kearney Hills Golf Links. Musselman has won over 20 junior golf tournaments and was a member of the USA Team compiling a record of 3-0-1 during the US Challenge Cup in Boston, Mass. Other accolades include the 2012 Marty Donlon award for the lowest stroke average at St. Xavier with a 71.5 average and the 2011 Brother Benjamin award for all-around excellence in athletics, academics and sportsmanship.
"In recruiting Cooper, two things really stood out at me," Craig said. "First, he can flat go low and is comfortable doing so in competition. He has proven this many times over the past couple of years, including the 28 that he recently shot on the front nine en route to a 63 this fall. Second, Cooper has great hands around the greens. Both of those qualities are very difficult to teach and will allow Cooper to shine in collegiate golf and help this team achieve our goals. What I appreciate most about Cooper is his character. He loves the team atmosphere and truly puts the team above himself. That is an outstanding trait that will make him an asset to our team right from the start. Cooper will be a tremendous addition to our team and I look forward to helping him accomplish great things during his Wildcat career."
Stephen Stallings
Stallings also attends St. Xavier High School where he was the 2011 individual high school Kentucky state champion. In 2012, he was named to the Kentucky All-State Team after three individual tournament wins, two runner-up finishes and claiming third at the Kentucky High School Championship. The four-year letterwinner posts a 72.15 scoring average and has recorded six top-15 finishes in American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and Professional Golf Association sponsored tournaments, including a fourth-place finish at the 2011 Natural Resource with a low round of 66. Stallings was a member of the 2011 AJGA Scholastic Honor Roll and the 2012 AJGA – United States Golf Association Presidents' Leadership Award Honorable Mention.
"Stephen has a game that is perfect for the collegiate arena and the challenging courses that we play," Craig said. "He has beautiful fundamentals and hits the ball with extraordinary power. What impresses me the most about his game is the way he drives the golf ball. Stephen drives the ball at the PGA Tour level and that is a great strength to have in this game. I also love his quiet and focused demeanor on the golf course. He has composure that is well beyond his years and that is no easy task in tournament golf. Stephen has also only been playing competitive golf for a few years and is no doubt a late bloomer. As he continues to get more tournament experience, the sky is the limit as to what he can accomplish. It will be my privilege to help Stephen and watch him grow into the player that I know he is capable of becoming as a member of our Wildcat Golf family."
The Wildcats wrapped up their fall season where they placed top-5 in all four of their tournaments, including two second-place finishes and an individual title by sophomore Will Bishop at the Querencia Cabo Collegiate. UK begins its spring season Feb. 18-19 at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate in Mobile, Ala.


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It takes years to build trust and only an instant to destroy it. When it comes to market forecasting, trust is essential. Can you trust Wall Street's 2012 forecasts?
What if You Trusted Wall Street's 2011 Forecast?
'Five Wall Street heavyweights say it's time for individual investors to shun the perceived safety of bonds and get over their fear of the U.S. stock market so they can take advantage of what they predict will be a third straight year of solid gains for stocks in 2011.'
Before you go out and buy stocks, beware that you just read the 2011 outlook printed on the front page of USA Today's December 17, 2010 edition. USA Today wasn't the only one distributing Wall Street's Kool Aid.
'Outlook 2011 - 10 strategists see the S&P 500 finishing next year at 1,373' - Barrons, December 18, 2010
'Long way from dog days: 2011 might see record Dow' - AP, December 17, 2011
'Greenspan says U.S. economy is gaining momentum, may expend 3.5% next year' - Bloomberg, December 17, 2010
2011 Casualty Report
Wall Street's bullish outlook paid off for the first 34 trading days of 2011, but starting in mid-February the major U.S. indexes a la Dow Jones (DJI: ^DJI - News), S&P 500 (SNP: ^GSPC - News) and Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC - News) suffered a series of set backs.
As the chart of the S&P 500 below shows, there was one major high and one major low along with a number of minor highs and lows within a general trading range.
What was Wall Street's advice right before the May high and the October low? Buckle up, enjoy the ride and get ready to make a brand new New Year's resolution.
Guilty on All Counts
The S&P 500 topped on May 2 at 1,370.58. Ironically that was the same day Osama Bin Laden's death hit the wire (so much for news driving the market). Here are some headlines found right before the May high:
'World revs up U.S. profits' - Wall Street Journal
'GE CEO Immelt says global economy is improving' - AP
'The S&P 500 breaks out' - Yahoo Breakout
'The Dow's going to 20,000' - Yahoo
'Sales Growth the big surprise on Wall Street' - AP
'Buffett says odds of another U.S. banking crisis low' - AP
Quite to the contrary, the May 1 ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter recommended to go short at 1,369 with a tight stop-loss. This trade was in line with the outlook provided in the April 3 ETF Profit Strategy update: 'In terms of resistance levels, the 1,369 - 1,382 range is a strong candidate for a reversal of potentially historic proportions.'
Over the next few weeks, the newsletter recommended to lock in profits a couple of times, but most importantly reaffirmed its recommendation to go short before the summer meltdown occurred.
The Perfect SeeSaw
From July 7 to October 4 the S&P lost 20%. On September 23, the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter foretold that: 'From its May high at 1,370 to its eventual low, the S&P will likely have lost about 300 points (22%). This kind of move validates a counter trend rally. The plan is to square short positions and buy long positions around 1,088. The rally, once underway, will probably re-inspire a certain degree of confidence into the market before it runs out of steam. The most likely target for this rally is S&P 1,266 - 1,282.'
By now you probably guessed that Wall Street's take on the market was different. Here's a brief sample of headlines:
'Think the economy is bad? You haven't seen anything' - CNBC, October 3
'S&P enters bear market territory' - Reuters, October 4
'S&P falls to the bears' - TheStreet, October 4
What effect did Wall Street's guidance and the media's cheerleading have? On October 2, two days before the onset of a massive 20%, 18 day trading rally, the Associated Press reported that: 'Wild market ride is driving people out of stocks.'
Thanks to the lethal Wall Street/media combo, many investors sold at the worst time, again.
Asset-Overreaching Incompetence
Wall Street had the same rotten timing when it came to gold (NYSEArca: GLD - News) and silver (NYSEArca: SLV - News).
Silver spiked to nearly $50 on April 28. On April 27, the Wall Street Journal reported that: 'Silver rush spreads to stock market. Investors have turned to precious metals amid worries about inflation and the weakness in the U.S dollar. The metals are increasingly considered attractive as a permanent store of value that doesn't diminish like paper currencies.'
The April 25 ETF Profit Strategy update pointed out silver's gap up open and warned that: 'The gap up open may have been an exhaustion gap and cautions that a historic reversal may have occurred.'
The Next Profit Opportunity
The October 4 low proved to be a great buying opportunity. Since the S&P reached my target range of 1,250 - 1,300 however, the performance has become stale. Via the November 30 ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter I assumed that: 'Based on seasonality and today's volume it appears that higher prices are likely. I would like to see a slow grind within the 1,226 - 1,xxx (reserved for subscribers) range. This would suggest a virtually untradeable December followed by another great opportunity.'
This 'great opportunity' is not here quite yet, but a quick glance at VIX shows that volatility creates a double bottom in December/January, which usually coincides with a January top of some sort for stocks.
The ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter identifies the up side target of this rally and the must hold support along with a concise, easy to understand short, mid and long-term forecast.
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