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Lavar Johnson: From Life-Threatening Shooting To Strikeforce Main Event
The last time Lavar Johnson had an important fight, it was the one for his life.
Right now, Johnson is in the midst of final preparations for his Strikeforce Challengers main event against fellow heavy-hitter Lolohea Mahe. But just last summer, during Fourth of July weekend, the Strikeforce heavyweight was attending a party that was part Independence Day celebration, part family reunion. There were over 50 visitors still present just after midnight as Johnson began the process of saying his good-byes when Bennie Elwood West, a 19-year-old who was wanted for rape, allegedly opened fire on the partygoers.
As the bullets sprayed the area of the home on First and T Street in Bakersfield, Calif., everyone scrambled for cover. The burly 6-foot-2, 260-pound Johnson began to do the same, but soon noticed a little girl nearby frozen in fear. He pulled her down to shield her. It was moments later when he realized he'd been shot three times.
After the gunfire ceased, Johnson's first concerns weren't for himself. Not far away, he could hear his uncle saying that his son -- Lavar's cousin -- was dead. Thirty-seven-year-old Anthony Mack Johnson died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds, and three other family members lay wounded in a shooting that police attributed to West and two other teenagers, Laquiria Foreman and Darryl Stewart.
Even after knowing he was shot, that was the first time fear kicked in for Johnson, who initially didn't think he was badly injured.
I knew if I could make it through the night, I was alive and I was going to wake up and be alright.
-- Lavar Johnson
"My first reaction was to get up and go to the car go to the hospital," Johnson said. "But my stomach felt real nasty and I couldn't move, so I laid there and waited for help. I didn't know how serious it was until I was in the ambulance. That's when I asked the EMTs, 'Will I be ok?' And he said, 'I don't know. It's pretty bad.'"
The bullets ripped through his abdomen, hip and forearm.
At the very beginning, when he was first brought into the emergency room, his life hung in the balance. The bullet that hit him in his abdomen caused the most serious injuries. It punctured his intestine, colon, stomach and forced the removal of his appendix.
"I stayed awake the whole time until they put me to sleep," he said. "I knew if I could make it through the night, I was alive and I was going to wake up and be alright."
As that critical time passed, it became clear that Johnson was going to survive. But now another concern was entering his mind, one that wasn't so prevalent during the early moments when survival was the most immediate thought: there was the possibility that his MMA career could be over.
Just two months earlier in May, Johnson had made his Strikeforce debut, and done so memorably, knocking out Carl Seumanutafa in just 18 seconds. The end was startling in its swiftness; Seumanutafa had shot in for a takedown, Johnson side-stepped him, pushed Seumanutafa's head downward and landed a thunderous right uppercut that connected on the chin. Seumanutafa fell face forward, unconcious.
Johnson had been scheduled for a follow-up fight on a Strikeforce card in August, but by the time that date rolled around, Johnson had just been discharged from the hospital. All told, because of the massive internal injuries, Johnson spent an entire month in the hospital and lost nearly 50 pounds.
At that point, fighting still wasn't the primary thing on his mind.
"I was just worried about my health," he said. "Not so much the fighting, but as the days went by, I started feeling alright. I got cleared by the doctor and he told me to pace myself. They didn't want me to get a hernia or anything like that. It was all about healing up."
When he left the hospital, he still had an open wound on his stomach that needed frequent cleaning, his internal organs were still healing, and the scar tissue in his stomach made it impossible to stand up completely straight.
Because of those issues, his physical rehabilitation was nothing more strenous than walking. For five months, he did no hard training, prohibited from taking blows to the stomach. As soon as the wound closed, however, he was back in the gym.
Incredibly, Johnson holds no anger towards his assailants for what they did to him, though he acknowledges they have to face the penalty if convicted of killing his cousin. Police have never released a possible motive.
"For me, I could forgive them for what they did," said Johnson, who is 13-3 in his pro career. "I'm healed up, so no harm, no foul. I'm still here with my kids (Donovan, 8 and Bishop, 5). I lost some money and got a nasty scar. It was stressful for everyone but I'm OK. I'm alive and able to continue on. But they took someone's life. His family has no husband or dad, so the penalty has to be pretty severe for that."
Johnson says the tragic incident gave him time to consider some of his own decisions, and that as a result, he's taking his fighting career more seriously. He cut down on his drinking and is training with American Kickboxing Academy, alongside heavyweights like UFC star Cain Velasquez and fellow Strikeforce fighter Daniel Cormier. He says he hasn't lost any speed or power.
"Nothing's changed," he said. "I'm still an exciting fighter. I do what I do. I haven't lost a step. Hopefully, I'll come out and get another first-round knockout."
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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- File this one under missed opportunities.
The Sharks lost the chance to improve their odds for home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs Wednesday night, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Phoenix Coyotes hours after the Los Angeles Kings were defeated in Detroit.
"Yeah, it's too bad," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. "We all saw they lost, too."
The Sharks were without stellar goalie Antti Niemi in net for the first time in 25 games, as coach Todd McLellan opted to give backup Thomas Greiss his first action since March 6 to better prepare him for the playoffs.
"I don't think Nemo needs the rest. Thomas needs the work," McLellan said before the game. "If something -- knock on wood -- happens to Nemo, we're going to kick ourselves in the butt for not having played Thomas."
Greiss wasn't the problem Wednesday night. In fact, McLellan saw his play as a bright spot.
"I thought he was exceptionally sharp. The first two chances they had were them staring him down, and he made very good saves," the coach said. "The loss is one thing, and that's disappointing, but the fact Thomas went in and played very well is a rewarding thing for our club."
The big problem was a sluggish first period that saw Phoenix build a 2-0 lead on goals by defensemen Michael Stone and Keith Yandle. Brent Burns scored San Jose's only goal early in the second period.
The decision to start Greiss left McLellan open to second-guessing, as the Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues are all competing for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Greiss, who made 30 saves in defeat, said he felt pretty good about his performance, shaking off a little rust and finding the right "level of aggressiveness while staying calm at the same time."
His first save came on a breakaway by Lauri Korpikoski, but Greiss played down the specific threat -- "You save the first, it doesn't matter if it's a muffin from the blue line or a breakaway."
The game winner by Yandle was a power-play shot from the blue line that deflected off defenseman Brad Stuart's stick. The original shot was headed to the far post, Greiss said, but ended up going five-hole.
While San Jose went with Greiss, the Coyotes had Sharks nemesis Mike Smith in net. Smith, who made 33 saves for the victory, had shut out San Jose in four of the past six games he faced them.
After the Sharks clinched their playoff spot 24 hours earlier, McLellan indicated he didn't want to see the team's sense of relief become a "sense of relaxation," but that appeared to be what happened in a listless first period.
"Probably," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "Just the intensity, the effort. We were too loose in the first. But I liked the effort we came back with in the second and third."
San Jose ends the regular season Saturday night against the Kings in Los Angeles, and a victory will put the Sharks ahead of the defending Stanley Cup champions. But if the Blues win the two remaining games on their schedule, they will vault past both California teams and end up as the fourth seed.
Saturday's game
Sharks (25-15-7) at Los Angeles (26-16-5), 7:30 p.m., CSNCA

subset: commoncrawl


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Postwar Period
Canadian Discharge Depot
The Film
Running Time
03 min 15 s
Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau
This footage, which could have been filmed in France or England, features the massive demobilization that followed the Armistice in November 1918. The first scene is at a discharge depot as wounded men board a military ambulance and other men wave them off. This is followed by a scene of men at another location loading kit bags into a truck. A third segment documents men boarding a ship, and the final sequence, shot from a ship's deck, shows a long line of military personnel, including army nurses, coming aboard.
Demobilization involved the repatriation of over 250,000 Canadians, a daunting task at the best of times. Several factors further complicated the effort.
First, there were differing views on how the Corps should be transported back to Canada. Gen. Currie favoured returning troops by unit, but despite its practical appeal, this approach clashed with the principle of "first over, first back" — the idea that volunteers who had entered the war early should return before recent conscripts. Currie's approach prevailed. In keeping units together, the authorities hoped that middle-class officers would keep the working class "rankers" in check. In the days following the Armistice, there were fears that the one-for-all-and-all-for-one spirit of the Corps would revert to divisive class consciousness among the troops.
Secondly, the shortage of shipping slowed down the process. Not only were ships in short supply, but many were ill equipped for the task. The poor conditions suffered by returning Canadians on the S.S. Northland caused a scandal, and the resulting commission of inquiry called for basic minimum standards on all troopships. This was laudable, but created more delays. Furthermore, the railway links from Halifax and St. John, the only ice-free ports, were not up to the task of moving the enormous numbers of returning troops.
Meanwhile in Britain, fuel shortages and labour unrest slowed down traffic in the ports, making an unusually cold winter even worse. Battle-weary Canadians awaited repatriation at camps where sagging discipline and impatience took their toll. Anger came to a head in March 1919, when reports that the conscript-heavy 3rd Division was boarding ships at Liverpool sparked riots at the Canadian camp at Kinmel Park. Five men were killed and 25 wounded, sparking sensationalistic reports in British newspapers. Although similar disciplinary problems had occurred among British troops, some of the English press published accounts of "crazed Canadians," linking the unrest to the new spectre of Bolshevism.
The incident soured relations between Canada and Britain for a period, but ultimately helped speed up repatriation. In March 1919, over 40,000 Canadians left for home, up significantly from 15,243 the previous month. By April 1, a total of 110, 384, along with 17,000 dependents, had been repatriated. A dockers' strike in April created delays, but by August there were only about 13,000 Canadians left in England.
The task of supervising Canadian demobilization fell to Sir Albert Edward Kemp. A successful Toronto manufacturer, Kemp had been appointed chairman of the War Purchasing Commission in 1915 and later replaced Sam Hughes as Minister of Militia. In 1917 he was sent to England as Minister of Overseas Military Forces and was part of the Imperial War Cabinet. Fairly or not, it was Kemp and his staff who would shoulder much of the blame for the S.S. Northland scandal and other demobilization problems, although under the circumstances, it is generally agreed that they did a good job.
Pieces of History
Dissolving Canada's Great War Army
Morton Desmond
Professor of History at McGill University
Canada was a country with everything to learn about waging war or about winding down a war machine. Its military pension rules dated from 1885 and really from the War of 1812. In the 1917 election, politicians promised soldiers "full re-establishment." What did they mean? How could a deeply divided and virtually bankrupt Canada support war widows and orphans or 70,000 veterans permanently disabled in mind or body? How could the economy re-absorb half a million impatient young men, unskilled in any but the crafts of war? Could any government resist the demands of organized veterans and their allies for a share of the benefits stay-at-home civilians had too obviously enjoyed in wartime?
Normally, Canadians took their lead from Britain but there veterans had traditionally been abandoned to private patriotic charities and begging on street corners. In the United States politically inspired generosity—the so-called "Pension Evil"—had created the huge Grand Army of the Lobby and pension costs that served to endorse big business's campaigns for high tariffs. For once, Canadians looked to France where huge casualties, a shrinking population and meagre public finances justified a huge retraining program for disabled soldiers.
Canada's Military Hospitals Commission (MHC) was launched in 1915 to handle the returning flow of sick and wounded soldiers. "There must be a minimum of sentiment and a maximum of hard business sense concerning the future of the returned soldier," insisted its secretary, Ernest Scammell. His plan called for a Canadian version of the French program. By 1918, the MHC job-training program ranged from handicrafts supervised by female ward aides to sustain the work ethic through the long months of convalescence to recruiting former travelling salesmen as employment agents for ex-soldier patients.
Scammell's principles applied equally to a new Board of Pension Commissioners (BPC), created in 1916. Its three commissioners ignored both politics and sentimentality and they counted on retraining to lighten Canada's postwar pension burden.
Pensions would be based on objective assessments of disability, based on a soldier's medical documents, not on personal or family appeals. Thanks to allowances for wives and children, Canada's full military pensions were the most generous in the world by 1919, but only the completely disabled (five per cent of the total) could claim them.
Whatever the long-term physical or psychological impact of the war, most Canadian soldiers were as fit. Most found their own way back to family farms, pre-war trades and businesses. Traditionally, veterans of Canada's war had been settled on free or cheap land. The new veterans regarded land as almost an entitlement and the government answered their expectations with a Soldier Settlement Act (SSA). In fact, Canada had long since disposed of arable public land. Beneficiaries of the SSA had to prove that they could succeed as farmers, borrow money to buy land, livestock and equipment and benefit only from heavily subsidised interest rates. With expectations inflated by old memories, soldier settlers began with a sense of grievance. They had also begun farming in an era of ecological disaster and a series of depressions starting in 1921.
"The returned soldier," declared Montreal multi-millionaire Lord Atholstan, "must not be allowed to consider himself an unlimited creditor of the State, to be supported in idleness." A series of veterans' organizations, headed by the Great War Veterans' Association (GWVA), formed at Winnipeg in 1917, appeared bent on challenging Atholstan's pronouncement. In fact, GWVA leaders were soon outflanked when the war ended in 1918. Able-bodied veterans came home in 1919 to find Canada in the grip of unprecedented inflation and their families living in poverty next to well-paid neighbours. Inspired by a public meeting in Calgary, they made a demand for a bonus (ranging from $2,000 for men who had served in France to $1,000 who had stayed in Canada) to make up the difference. Sympathizers, including the 1919 Liberal leadership convention, quickly joined the chorus. In Ottawa, Sir Robert Borden's Union government recognized that a $2 billion hand-out would almost double a swollen national debt and would only feed the veterans' appetite for more. GWVA leaders discreetly agreed but their organization split as dissident Tories and an American-born demagogue named Harry Flan promoted a dissident Grand Army of United Veterans (GAUV).
Unlike the U.S. Congress, Parliament defeated the bonus demand in November 1919, leaving Canada's First World War veterans with a durable sense of grievance and much-shrunken political influence. A weakened GWVA leadership focussed on benefits for disabled comrades and for widows and children. It even won a Royal Commission to investigate its grievances, headed by a former wartime battalion commander and future defence minister, J.L. Ralston. His recommendations allowed the BPC's arbitrary rulings to be challenged before a Pension Tribunal. Claimants could even obtain free legal advice. In practice, the Tribunal changed few rulings, and its wisdom was subject to a Pension Appeal Court. The real effect was to create a huge backlog of cases and claimants at both levels of appeal.
During the 1920s, regular debates on soldier's civil re-establishment took on a pattern. A House of Commons committee would hear the grievances; late in the session some would be incorporated in legislation; as the session was winding up, the Senate would veto any changes its wealthy members disapproved. Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King occasionally expostulated and even threatened abolition, but the ritual persisted until the eve of the 1930 election when many old grievances were remedied and a new War Veterans' Allowance of $24 a month was approved for so-called "Burned-Out cases," veterans who claimed to be prematurely aged by their service and who initially were mostly the so-called "thirty-niners," volunteers who had enlisted though over the maximum age of 40.
In the 1930s, the costs of demobilization gradually began to decline. A majority of Canada's soldier settlers were swept off the land by drought and debt. Dependent pensions had begun to decline in the 1920s as war widows re-married or died and their children reached the maximum age for support (15 for boys, 16 for girls). Now disabled pensions began to fade as well. In 1925, exhausted and broke after its long struggle for pensioners, the GWVA was supplanted by a Canada Legion, inspired by Field Marshal Earl Haig's directive to former CEF officers to play a role in a veterans' movement hitherto dominated by men from the ranks. By the 1930s, with the Depression choking public generosity, the Legion tired of the pension struggle and, like aging veterans, gave new priority to commemoration. A Canadian Corps Association organized the major event for veterans, the Vimy Pilgrimage of 1937, when Canada's Vimy Memorial was finally unveiled by Edward VIII, one of the only public acts of his short reign. A little over two years later, Canada was preparing for a new war and a second demobilization.
Selected Bibliography
Morton, Desmond. Fight or Pay: Soldiers' Families in the Great War. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2004.
---. "'Kicking and Complaining': Demobilization Riots in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1918-19." Canadian Historical Review 61, 3 (September 1980): 334-360.
Morton, Desmond and Glenn Wright. Winning the Second Battle: Canadian Veterans and the Return to Civilian Life, 1915-1930. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1987.
Other Materials
The original estimate that at least eighteen months would be required to bring back all overseas troops proved excessive. Two-thirds of the overseas force reached home within five months, and before a year had passed repatriation was virtually completed. On November 13 1918 the British Ministry of Shipping advised the Canadian Government that ships would be available to move 50,000 troops each month; and in spite of strikes which cancelled individual sailings, shipping was never a real problem. But during the winter of 1918-1919 Canadian railways could handle less than 25,000 troops in a month; and even when disembarkation could take place at the St. Lawrence ports, with a resulting shorter rail haul, the capacity of the vessels available considerably exceeded that of the troop trains. Wisely the Militia Department called for expert assistance from the Minister of Railways and the presidents of the three major railway systems. High officials of the companies formed a railway demobilization committee which was able to increase the monthly carrying capacity to a total of 45,000 troops.
Each soldier had the right to choose his destination in Canada. In order that each might be demobilized at a point near this destination, twenty-two Dispersal Areas were set up in Canada by subdividing the existing eleven Military Districts. At the concentration camps established in the United Kingdom troops from the continent, as well as those already in England, were regrouped and distributed among twenty-two wings, each matched to a Dispersal Area in Canada. From these camps units of the Canadian Corps entrained direct for the port of embarkation, but for troops outside the Corps a large staging camp was organized at Kinmel Park, thirty miles from Liverpool. Only the 3rd Division (which headed the Corps move) and Corps Troops were not regrouped, but returned to Canada in the units in which they had fought.
At the concentration camps the soldier completed his documentation and received his final medical and dental clearances. His kit deficiencies were replaced, his pay account adjusted, and he filed his application for his War Service Gratuity. He was then granted demobilization leave of from eight days to two weeks. On his return he received his Last Pay Certificate and was posted to an embarkation company to await sailing. In all, the average soldier spent about a month in England. There were some cases when for compassionate reasons individuals returned home in advance of normal sailings. Unfortunately, though these were few, they were a cause of dissatisfaction to soldiers who did not understand the circumstances involved. Furthermore, for considerations of economy and to keep ships filled, certain untrained drafts were sent back to Canada soon after their arrival in the United Kingdom.
These modifications to the policy of "first over, first back", aggravated by disappointment brought about by the cancellation of individual sailings, were at the root of some of the rioting which occurred at several Canadian camps. Men were being brought home as fast as the available ships and trains could move them, but not as rapidly nor in the order in which some desired to come. There was resentment over the fact that the 3rd Division - which included many Military Service Act men with comparatively little service - was given precedence over the other divisions. Unfortunately not enough effort appears to have been given to explain the reasons for the delays, unavoidable as they were. In all, between November 1918 and June 1919, there were thirteen instances of riots or disturbances involving Canadian troops in England.
The most serious of these occurred at Kinmel Park on March 4 and 5 1919, when dissatisfaction over delays in sailing precipitated rioting by upwards of 800 soldiers which resulted in five men being killed and 23 wounded. Seventy-eight men were arrested, of whom 25 were convicted of mutiny and given sentences varying from 90 days' detention to ten years' penal servitude. At Witley, on the night of 14-15 June, a small group of dissidents started trouble by trying to free some soldiers arrested for persisting in playing Crown and Anchor in defiance of previous regulations curbing widespread gambling in the camp. The disturbance spread to canteens and the civilian area. On the following night the Garrison Theatre was burned and nearly all the civilian shops in the area were destroyed. Similarly at Epsom on June 17, the indiscipline of a small minority was to blame when a civilian police station was stormed, one policeman was killed and seven others injured.
On June 20 1919, Lieut.-General Sir R. E. W. Turner, V.C., Chief of the General Staff, O.M.F.C., published a Special Order of the Day warning all troops of their individual responsibility to quell such disturbances. He made clear in no uncertain terms that the incidents that had occurred were acts of mutiny, and that to remain a passive spectator in such a situation was to side with the mutineers. The order appeared to have a good effect upon the troops; at any rate, there were no further disturbances. The outbreaks had been regrettable, particularly as there seems little doubt that the unrest which produced them might have been considerably lessened had more publicity been given to explaining the reasons for having to modify the plans for demobilization.
Despite attempts by the Canadian Government to discourage the discharge of soldiers in the United Kingdom, 15,182 men signed away their right to free transportation home and remained in England. This total, added to 7136 who had already been discharged there before the Armistice, meant that in all some 22,000 Canadian soldiers entered civil life in the United Kingdom.
In Canada demobilization proceeded smoothly and expeditiously. On the arrival of a troopship at a port of disembarkation, the Clearing Services welcomed the soldiers and their dependents - an estimated 54,000 relatives accompanied the returning troops – and arranged for their transportation inland to the Dispersal Areas. Immigration officers worked closely with the military authorities, so that an average train, carrying about five hundred troops, could be loaded in thirty minutes. Spirits were high as the trains rolled rapidly westward; those with only one night on board found in the excitement of nearing home little time for sleep. The heart warming reception given by cheering crowds as the train drew into its destination was repeated in cities all across Canada. In many cases the returning unit would form up outside the railway station for its last march - a proud parade through thronged streets to the place of dismissal. Then came the last order by the Commanding Officer. The men turned right and broke off - and another unit of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force passed into history.
The final stages of demobilization were quickly effected. The soldier turned in his arms and equipment (retaining his clothing and steel helmet), had his medical history sheet signed, and received his war badge, his cheque and his discharge certificate. The careful documentation carried out in England and on the ships now paid off, as men passed through the dispersal station at the rate of about six every minute. Every soldier who had been overseas for six months and every one who had served in Canada for a full year received a gratuity based on his length of service and the rate of pay of his rank. (For overseas service, single privates received payments which varied from $420 - for three years' service or more - to $210 for service of less than a year.)
Those veterans who wanted to establish themselves on the land were assisted with long-term loans; in this way the Soldier Settlement Board withdrew more than 30,000 soldiers from the general labour market and directed them into agriculture. For the disabled, there were pensions and medical treatment and opportunities for vocational training. Up to the end of 1919, a total of 91,521 pensions had been granted, amounting to some $22,500,000 annually. At the same time 8000 soldiers were receiving medical treatment, while more than 23,000 were enrolled for vocational training.50 In such manner did a grateful country attempt in some measure to repay its debt to those who had served and survived.
Adapted and used with permission from Nicholson, G. W. L., Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919. Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1964, p.503-506.
Teaching Materials
The Battles: In Flanders Fields
Films : Canadians on the Western Front 2, Dressing Station, Prisoners and Wounded Coming in, Setember Offensive 2 & 3, Canadian Discharge Depot
Background Notes for the Teacher
The ferocity of the fighting across the fields of Europe left hundreds of thousands of soldiers with terrible wounds. They carried small bottles of iodine in their supply kit to treat their own wounds on the battlefield. At night, teams of stretcher-bearing soldiers risked their lives to retrieve the seriously wounded from the wartorn rubble of no man's land. Dressing stations were operated by field doctors and nurses. They were the first line of care just behind the trenches. Soldiers with severe wounds would be transported to hospitals hastily set up in tents or abandoned buildings.
John McCrae, who wrote "In Flanders Fields" in May of 1915, served as Canadian medical officer. He witnessed the horrors of war first-hand.
Introducing the Subject
Briefly discuss how we modern-day Canadians deal with medical concerns (visits to a doctor's office, walk-in clinics, emergency rooms, etc).
On the fields of battle during the First World War, how were the injured soldiers cared for?
During the war (1914-1918), many of the wounded were treated at dressing stations located just behind firing lines. Severe casualties were sent to makeshift hospitals for further diagnosis and treatment.
Teaching and Learning
View the film footage that depicts the transportation and evacuation of wounded from the battlefields.
Watch the NFB film John McCrae's War:In Flanders Fields.
Discuss the role of medical personnel in the war.
Applying the Knowledge
Students will rehearse and present a tableaux dramatization of "In Flanders Fields" (see Appendix).
Teacher Reflections
Did the discussion show that students recognized the difficulties of caring for the wounded during WWI?
Did students create the appropriate dramatic scenes?
Did the tableaux capture a sombre mood?
Tableaux Dramatization
In this teaching and learning strategy, students create a series of scenes that retell a particular story or event. For example, if students were to imagine a tableaux that told the story of the Dirty Thirties, they might develop scenes like this:
Scene 1: Two characters – a husband and wife – the wife has her hands to her face, expressing despair. The husband stares forlornly at his field while leaning on an imaginary shovel.
Scene 2: Three characters – children – struggle, arms tensed, heads tucked into their shoulder or chest, seeming to grip a rope tied from the back door of their "house" to the barn so that they don't lose their way in the dust storm.
Other scenes would be created to retell the whole story. The key point to remember is that when students step into a scene, they are frozen in place! There is no movement, no dialogue, no acting. In essence, they are a snapshot in time. A portrait!
Once all poses have been established, students write a short narrative to accompany each tableau. Using Scene 1 from above as an example, the narrative might be, "Three years now without rain. My fields just blow away in the wind. I don't know how we'll survive."
When all scenes have accompanying narrative, these are the steps to put it all together.
1. The group presenting the tableaux stand in a loose line.
2. A leader steps forward, says the title of the piece, then steps back into line.
3. The students in Scene 1 move forward and step into their scene. They remain frozen in place for about 10 to 15 seconds, long enough for the audience to capture the essence of the scene.
4. At this point, one student "thaws" and steps out of the scene. Everyone else in the scene remains frozen in place. He/She moves forward, stops at centre stage and delivers the narrative. The character speaks in the first person.
5. The character finishes, then steps back into the scene.
6. The group holds the frozen image for another 7 to 10 seconds to give the audience the chance to connect the narrative with the scene.
7. Students relax and slowly move out of the scene and back into their line.
8. After a brief pause of 5 to 10 seconds, students move into Scene 2.
The entire story is retold in this manner!
Teacher Tips
This activity works best with groups of 5 to 7 students.
Not every student needs to be in every scene.
Props are not necessary.
Students need time to practise. They need to think about how to develop a frozen image that clearly depicts, for example, someone shovelling. The challenge is how to do that without movement and without a shovel!
Facial expressions are crucial to help deliver the message.
Students sometime have difficulty keeping a straight face during a tableaux dramatization. Tell them to focus on a particular spot rather than looking at another student to reduce the onset of "the giggles."
The following is a ready-made script to present the John McCrae poem, "In Flanders Fields." This is a slight variation to the typical approach to tableaux. In this performance, the poem will be read to accompany the dramatic interpretation.
The poem is broken down into seven parts. A student (or group of students) will be responsible for reading the poem. This person will be located either stage right or stage left. The students presenting the tableaux will be situated at centre stage. After the first part of the poem is read, the students creating the first scene will step forward. Once they are finished and have stepped back into line, the second part of the poem is delivered. The entire performance will be delivered in this way.
The words in quotations are the narratives students will deliver to help interpret each scene for the audience.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place;
Scene #1 – Men enlisting in the army
"When the war began in August of 1914, no one knew that millions of us would die. We thought that the fighting would be over by Christmas."
And in the sky the larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amidst the guns below.
Scene #2 – In the trenches
"I'll never forget the trenches. The damp and the cold and the rain. "Standing to"meant ready to fight. Sleeping when we could in bunks that we'd dug out of the walls."
We are the Dead. Short days ago we lived,
Felt dawn, saw sunset glow.
Scene #3 – Standing in line
"When we weren't fighting, we'd spend our days waiting. Waiting for our mail from back home, for food and water, to see the doctor, or waiting for dark so we could crawl out onto the battlefield and drag back our dead and wounded."
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Scene #4 – Digging graves
"Fighting went on around the clock. Soldiers were dying all around us. It seemed like we'd been digging graves forever."
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands
We throw the torch; be yours to hold it high.
Scene #5 – Doctors and nurses treating patients
"We treated hundreds of patients every day. With shells exploding all around us. It was nearly impossible to do our job."
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep.
Scene #6 – Friendship
"The friends I made in the war were friends for a lifetime. Those that I lost in battle were like brothers to me."
Though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
Scene #7 – Act of Remembrance
"These poppies grew everywhere! We used to pick them and wear them on our helmets. Nowadays, they help people remember…. Something that we will never, ever forget ."


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A new Calf Note (#173) has been posted at Calf Notes.com.
In previous Calf Notes (#170, #172), Dr. Jim Quigley proposed the idea that subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is prevalent in young calves during the rumen development process and this phenomenon reduces fiber digestion, increases risk of diarrhea, and possibly, contributes to increased risk of health problems. He also suggested that physical form of the diet and choice of ingredients in starters and exclusion of forage might contribute to SARA.
The new Calf Note looks in depth at research to determine effects of form of ration (pelleted vs. mash) and amount of fiber (low, high) on rumen development and incidence of rumen acidosis.
"Producers can improve the digestive efficiency of calves fed highly fermentable starters by ensuring regular consumption throughout the day (i.e., make sure feed is always available), providing an adequate supply of free water, sufficient bunk space (if calves are housed in groups), and ensuring that calves have sufficient passive immunity to avoid disease and get off to a good start," Quigley says.
For more information, read Calf Note #173 "Effects of rumen acidosis on digestion in calves."
A future Calf Note will evaluate the role of feed additives to minimize the effects of SARA in calves.


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Meet, Date, and Relate From a Place of Shared Values and Faith
Is there one trick to meeting the right person? Of course not. ChristianMingle may seem to work magic when it comes to matching up Christian singles, but there are no "tricks." Getting real is the key. If you put yourself out there and stay open-minded, we virtually guarantee you'll find someone who's great for you!
Like any good recipe, there are certain ingredients that work best together. The same is true for a satisfying relationship.
Your Profile
Meet… You! – Your profile is informative for others to read, but equally informative to you when you're writing it! By considering what's important in your world, you might just discover a new-found love for your work, your family and your hobbies. You get to reflect on your life, which will give you a strong sense of your goals and what you want from a relationship.
Get an Outside Look – Members often tell us that they get friends and family members to help write their profile. Those people can tell you what they love about you, so you're reminded of your stellar qualities. But use your own voice. Don't enlist your journalist brother or publicist best friend to write for you (though they can certainly proofread).
Take a Beat – The faster you complete your profile in its entirety, the quicker you'll start getting responses from local Christian singles. However, don't be hasty. Be as thorough as possible and really give your answers consideration. Want more details about completing your profile? Check out our tips at How to Perfect Your ChristianMingle Profile to get started.
A Means to an End – As you pick and choose your dates online, it's important to recognize what type of people you're drawn to. Are they passive or aggressive people? Outdoorsy or intellectual? Online dating is an opportunity to meet and greet all types of Christian singles. Remember, there is an end goal and that's to meet someone with whom you can share your life.
A Matter of Faith
ChristianMingle wants you to meet someone who shares your place on "the faith spectrum" because compatible matches are most likely to last the longest. We know everyone has a different approach to religion, customs and traditions. If your approach and lifestyle doesn't click with a particular member's, then save judgment and simply move on to another who may be better suited to you.
Bring Back Manners
What ever happened to good old-fashioned etiquette? Politeness goes a long way, especially when it comes to online dating. It's always a nice rule to treat others the way you want to be treated.
Important Extras
A Sense of Humor – Levity goes a long way when you're communicating via ChristianMingle messages and chat (IM). Use light humor to engage someone who interests you and to make him/her feel comfortable. Remember, online dating should be fun!
Patience – It's a virtue! Relationships take time. If you plan on spending years together, then what's a few weeks to let an online connection unfold? Allow any new significant other to take his/her time. Pull back on any pressure. And let go of expectations.
Empathy – After you've been communicating for a while, your match might share something of depth, including his/her life challenges. That's okay. Everyone goes through tough times and his/her story is a way to gauge your care. Try not to freak out or shy away from information that could ultimately bring you closer.


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Cruz's five-hit night sparks Orioles to twin-bill split
Slugger triple shy of cycle; offense, 'pen pick up scuffling Jimenez
BOSTON -- The Orioles couldn't reward Miguel Gonzalez's eight dominant innings Saturday afternoon. But the offense made up for it several hours later.
The O's used a four-run sixth to turn the tables on Boston, overcoming a 3 2/3-inning outing from the erratic Ubaldo Jimenez with solid relief pitching and a career night from Nelson Cruz, who went 5-for-5 and fell a triple short of the cycle. The result, a 7-4 win that gave them a doubleheader split with the Red Sox -- coupled with the Blue Jays' loss to the A's -- has the Orioles (47-40) alone atop the American League East.
It's something they've been doing, really for three years," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of his club shaking off a 3-2 walk-off loss in the afternoon contest. "They don't get bogged down in, 'This means that this should happen' or 'that should happen.' They hold themselves to high standards and know they've got another challenge tomorrow. ... You have to earn everything up here. That's why there are no Cinderellas in baseball. We play too many games and the schedule is crazy at times. It takes a lot of discipline on and off the field to do this."
Cruz, like so many other games this season, paced the offense as he continues to state his case to be in American League MVP consideration. The veteran set a career high with the five hits, including his 27th homer of the year, a solo shot in the fifth inning that matched his season total from 2013 and tied him for the Major League lead with Jose Abreu of the White Sox.
He also tried for his first triple since 2011, but was called out trying to stretch the eighth-inning double to end his cycle bid.
"As soon as I saw it went over [right fielder Daniel Nava's] head, I was like, 'I got to take a shot, see what happens,'" Cruz said. "I think my angle from first, it was bad. So I had to go a long ways to second."
Down one, the Orioles chased John Lackey and took the lead in a pivotal sixth in which they sent nine batters to the plate. Jonathan Schoop's one-out single got things started and Lackey, who struck out 11, exited after issuing a walk to leadoff man Nick Markakis.
Red-hot Steve Pearce singled in a run off reliever Burke Badenhop and Adam Jones sent a ball into right field, with the Orioles plating another run as the ball got by Nava. Cruz hit a sharp single to third to force Boston manager John Farrell to call on his third arm in Tommy Layne. Baltimore added another insurance run on J.J. Hardy's fielder's choice to increase the lead to three.
"[It was] huge," Cruz said of the Orioles' ability to bounce back in Game 2 despite Jimenez's outing. "After the first game, we got a few hits together and our whole lineup did pretty good, so it was nice to see."
The O's bullpen, which picked up 5 1/3 innings, didn't allow a run, with Brad Brach, Tommy Hunter, Brian Matusz and Darren O'Day holding Boston to one hit with two strikeouts. Zach Britton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.
That stout pitching and barrage of runs helped cover for Jimenez, who showed how good he can be with eight scoreless innings Monday night. But with the season more than half-over, the Orioles have already witnessed a lot more of the other Jimenez, the one who struggles with command and results in short starts, the latest of which was on full display again Saturday night.
"Not very good," Showalter said of Jimenez's outing, in which he tied a season high with six walks. "He was fortunate to give up the few runs that he did. I think that's because he was wildly effective. It's just inconsistent. It's tough to hit him because you go up there trying to be selective and he throws three pitches on the black. And then he gets out of sync again. It's frustrating because the stuff is there. We were fortunate that we stayed engaged in the game with that many walks."
Jimenez, who walked five in the first three innings, watched a leadoff walk in the fourth score on Stephen Drew's homer to tie the game. He allowed a pair of singles after that and was fortunate in that the O's were able to nab Mookie Betts trying to advance to second for the second out. But Brock Holt doubled to drive in a fourth run, extending Boston's lead to two, and Jimenez exited his 80-pitch performance after Nava's single.
"I didn't get comfortable with my mechanics," said Jimenez, who saw his career ERA in eight starts against Boston creep up to 9.37. "I didn't find a good release point. Basically it was my mechanics."
Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @britt_ghiroli. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Dr. Lisa Ferguson, with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) spoke at the 2013 World Pork Expo during a panel discussion on porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.
Panel members spoke to a full room, as many producers have questions about the disease. In this video, Dr. Ferguson provides her perspective and discusses the agency's role in working with the industry and finding answers.


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For those who have not read the biography of Ajaan Mun, I highly suggest you do. Here is a link to the book online. A wonderful book written by Ajaan Maha Bua, one of Ajaan Mun's disciple, about the life of this wandering ascetic. His search for awakening and the experiences he had leading up to the ultimate goal.
The Biography of the Venerable Acariya Mun


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The long anticipated sequel to our Mill family Baking Book, the Bob's Red Mill Cookbook has finally hit store shelves. We've slaved over recipes and proofreading for the last two years and are happy to be releasing a new book filled with recipes geared toward whole grain cooking. Recipes were gathered from our recipe files, from chefs who have taught at our cooking school, and some were developed right here by our culinary specialists Chelsea Lincoln and Lori Sobelson just for this book.
I love baking, but what makes me truly enthusiastic about getting into my kitchen (and cleaning the mess that's left from my last project) is cooking with whole grains. I've been excited for this book since I first looked at the recipe list and have already tried a few at home. Each has been spectacular. I am confident that this book will be a great addition to any cook's collection.
Something that I really like about this book is the eclectic collection of different recipes from around the world; recipes such as Gazpacho Bulgur Salad and African Peanut Stew. It also contains many recipes that have been customer favorites for years, such as Scottish Oatcakes and Quinoa-stuffed Collard Wraps. Each recipe is designated whether it is gluten free, vegetarian or vegan.
To celebrate our book's release, I'm going to give away three signed copies of this book. To enter for your chance to win an autographed copy, leave a comment below and tell me what cookbook you couldn't live without. I will select winners randomly from all who comment. Contest ends this Monday, November 2nd at 5 pm PST.
If you're not a lucky winner, watch for our book to be on special later in November through the holidays. Books can be purchased on our website or at your local book retailer. We'll be sharing recipes from this book later in the month.


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"You'll bust your A goal by 10 minutes. The Colonel has spoken". This was a comment made by our own Colonel Cupcake on my last post ... where I listed out my goals for my first triathlon.
Well .... I hate to spoil the ending all ready, but the Colonel was correct. He was WAY correct.
(and in case you missed that post, my A goal was 2:45)
The morning started with a 5:30am wakeup. Race started at 7:30 (my swim wave was 7:43). I wanted to get there EARLY. I had no idea what setting up would entail or how long it would take. Plus, the transition area was first come, first serve ... so the early birds got the good spots. To my surprise, DD1 woke up at the butt crack of dawn and wanted to come with me to help me set up (instead of riding out with the hubs and DD2 later). We were out the door around 6:10 and at the race around 6:30.
First we hit the transition area with all of my tri goodies and got set up. Yeeeeaaahhh ... this took all of about 5 minutes. Much quicker than I thought ... plus, I had good help:
Once I was set up, I headed to grab my packet and get marked up. This took another whopping 5 minutes. So by about 6:45, I was all ready for my race .... that didn't start for almost another hour. Hey ... nothing better to get rid of nervous energy than standing around waiting, right?!?
Some other friends were doing the race as well, so there was a lot of chit chatting before hand. And then a pre race pic ....
Paul (middle) is a recent 70.3 finisher and will soon begin training for IM Louisville. And Melinda (far right) has done one sprint and one sprint relay. I was the only newby. I also had a few other friends, including 2 more 70.3 finishers (one also training for IM Louisville) there to cheer us on. Talk about making a girl nervous!! But I was OH SO THANKFUL for the support! Hubs and both kiddos were there too ... so I wanted to do well (although I'm sure the 7 month old could'nt have cared less ... as long as she got her nap in!)
More chit chat, more nervousness, more waiting around ... and finally it was time to head inside to the pool and get this party started.
500 meter Pool Swim
The pool was an Olympic size 50m length. We essentially stood in line and took turns starting every 15 seconds (assigned start times were based SOLELY on when you registered). The swim began to the far right of the pool, then you moved a lane over with every lap, until you reached the far left. Cap on, brand new goggles ... I was ready.
Yeah ... did you catch that "brand new goggles" thing. And how it goes against that whole "nothing new on race day" thing. Dammit ... I knew better. But mine were old and scratched up and I figured, you know, they're just goggles. (seriously ... someone slap me upside the head for this one)
My turn came and I got in the pool, ready to go, then got the official word to get moving. I put my head in the water, pushed off the wall ..... ANNNNNDDDD, the left side of my goggles filled with water. Son of a .
So the swim essentially went like this ... swim 50m with left eye closed, move over one lane at wall, empty water out of goggles, start swimming again hoping goggles are magically fixed this lap, swim 50m with left eye closed, hope contact doesn't float out of eyeball ... and repeat. 10 times. I was distracted enough by the damn goggles that I don't think I was paying much attention to my stroke ... but I was continuing to move forward, so I guess I was doing something right. And I still felt fairly strong ... even with one less eye.
Lap one (I'm probably thinking "oh " at this point):
Swim done ... ready to throw those stupid goggles in the trash, and hoping I still have TWO contacts (which, thankfully, I did):
Official 500m swim time = 11:51. I was hoping to be about a minute faster than that ... but it is what it is.
Once out of the pool, I headed out the door and off to T1. I dried my feet, put on shoes, put GU in shorts pocket, threw on jacket (it was a bit chilly that morning to be riding all around dripping wet), then sunglasses and helmet. No idea how long it took, because for some reason the stupid timing for this race doesn't measure transition times. It gets added on to the actual activity ... which is just dumb. But I digress ....
Here I am heading out of T1, ready to take on part 2:
21.7 mile Bike
I mentioned this in my "tri goals" bloop ... but the bike is my weakest link of the three. I really had no idea what to expect. I had done the distance, but never really had an opportunity to see what kind of speed I was capable of. And, as far as "speed" is concerned, I knew I didn't have a whole lot compared to even half-way decent cyclists. I just planned to do what I could do while still trying to conserve something for the run ... hoping that I could make up some time there.
The course was relatively flat, with a few small rolling hills and one HUGE hill ... which we rode down (WEEEEEE) about 1 mile in, but rode up (YIKES) about 20.5 miles in. It was an out and back course that took us through a 2 lane road out into the farmland. It was actually a very nice bike course.
I was getting passed left and right on the bike ... which I expected. I did manage to pass a small handful of people; every one of them riding either a hybrid or a mountain bike. Whatever, it counts.
Bike seemed to fly by really quickly ... but my, um, hind parts were done with being on the seat. It's not so much a chafing issue as it is an issue with having no junk in my trunk. It was bone on seat soreness ... which annoys me pretty much with every ride. I guess I'll get used to that the more I train on the bike.
The other issue I had on the bike was that my nose kept running and running and running. I don't know if it was from the whole "blow out your nose in the water" swim thing, or what ... but I blew more snot rockets on that ride than I ever care to admit. One didn't go so well ... which is fun to try to clean up with the sleeve material of a windbreaking jacket at 17mph. I'm pretty sure I just smeared it all over my face. Oh well.
I felt like I was holding a pretty good speed (for me anyway), as I was typically seeing 15 or 16-something on the speedometer. Then I hit that freaking hill, which I climbed at about a 7mph hour pace. Dang, that hill was rough.
Here I am coming back into the transition area, unclipped and ready to hop off and prepare for the run.
(something I learned at this point .... trying to quickly walk in biking shoes after riding for 90 minutes strongly resembles trying to quickly walk after about 6 or so beers)
Official 21.7 mile bike time = 1:30:30
This is where that whole "not timing transitions" thing is REALLY annoying, because my transition times got added here. My speedometer actually said 1:24:40 .. which is about 15.5mph average. For a not-so-comforable on the bike rookie ... I'll take that.
In T2 I switched shoes again, removed the jacket (which I probably really didn't need on the bike afterall), switched the helmet for a hat (yay ... I remembered to take off my helmet!! ), and grabbed the watch and the water ... then I was headed out for the run.
4.8mi Run
The website called this a 5 mile run ... but the course map listed it as 4.8 ... and my Garmin showed it at 4.6. So ... who the heck knows.
The run was also an out and back on a narrow, paved trail through some trees and neighborhoods. It was a nice course also.
Funny thing about running after biking ... the legs are tired, yet they're used to moving at a quicker speed from pedalling. So right off the bat I took off too quickly. About 1/4 mile into the run, I looked down and was going a 7:52 pace! Um ... no. So I slowed it down and tried to find something that I could maintain a little better. I was surprised when my comfortable post-biking pace was still sub-9mm ... so I held that, just to see if I could.
The first mile my legs were a little off, but I settled in pretty well. This is where I got my bike redemption, because this time I was the one passing people. I think I counted 8 people ... although I really wasn't keeping track. Ok ... yes I was. And it was definitely 8 people. And 0 people that passed me. So, yay for that.
Although I felt good ... the miles still seemed like they were taking forever, and I was becoming increasingly ready to be done. That ... and I was hungry ... and since my life pretty much revolves around waiting for my next meal, that was probably REALLY the reason why I was running faster than I thought I would.
When I was nearing the finish, I could hear all the cheers and couldn't wait to turn the corner and see my awesome friends and family waiting for me. Seriously, I have some pretty rockin' people in my life.
I turned the corner and headed off the trail and into the grass towards the finish. Then, all of a sudden, DD1 comes flying out of nowhere and starts running next to me. So I grab her hand, and we head into the finish. There is not much in life cooler than having a kid run you into the finish line. Not much at all.
Official "4.8mi" run time = 40:32
Like I said, Garmin timed me at 4.6mi ... an 8:49 pace. Although the 8:27 pace that they had me listed for sounds much more awesome. But, yeah ... that didn't really happen. But I am more than happy with my 8:49!
Official race time = 2:22:54!
A whopping 22+ minutes faster than my A goal! So, there you go, Colonel Cupcake. You have spoken, indeed!
You might also notice that 4th place age group thing. So ... YAY!!!
(do we have to mention that there were only 10 in my age group? NO? Ok then )
Overall I was pretty thrilled with my first time performance. If (ok ... more like WHEN) I do this again, (aside from NOT using new goggles) I know I need to focus more on the bike training. I could definitely use some improvement there. I think a nicer bike could help also ... one that's a step or so above my Rhonda (current bike), who is very much a beginner style. You know ... maybe one just like this:
Ok, ok ... yes ... she's mine already. I bought her this weekend. Her name is Lexi and I love her.
I guess I better sign up for some more races, huh?!?!
There you go, Loopsters. That's Triathlon #1 in the books. That's also the 2nd goal (out of 4) for 2013 that I've met. The next goal is a marathon PR ... so talk to me next Monday to find out if I'm able meet that one also!
As always, Happy Running!


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Jerry Jones Plays Redskins Fan Last NightPosted by on December 4, 2012 – 2:21 pm
Cue up "Why Can't We Be Friends?" and buckle up, because things are getting weird in the NFC East.
After a 38-33 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys woke up Monday morning as strange bedfellows with the Washington Redskins ahead of their Monday Night matchup with the division-leading New York Giants.
While a Redskins win would keep the Cowboys tied for second place in the NFC East, a Giants' win would extend their division lead to two games with four games to go. As heinous as it may sound to cheer on your arch-rival, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones swallowed his pride and cheered on your Washington Redskins (via Kareem Copeland, NFL):
"We couldn't believe Redskins was coming out of (our) mouths," Jones said during a KRLD interview reported by ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins.
The ironic part is that 24 hours before, Redskins Nation was solidly united behind the Eagles, who had a chance to knock off the Cowboys in an upset win on the road. No hard feeling from Jones, however, who gave a tip of the cap to the Redskins for keeping his team only one game out of first place.
"That was a big win for them and us."
Especially for the Redskins.
With a win, the Redskins maintain their hunt for the playoffs and gain more control over their postseason destiny. Playoff scenarios are premature after 12 games, but here is a basic outline: if the Redskins run the table, they will possess a 5-1 division record, the first tie-breaker for playoff consideration. With a 10-6 record, they need a Giants loss to win the division crown, or follow several scenarios to one of the wild cards.
All of these scenarios involve the Redskins beating the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField in Week 17, which will make Jones cringe when he thinks back on cheering for the Redskins last night. As a self-respecting, die-hard Redskins fan, could you ever cheer for the Dallas Cowboys? Why or why not?
Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
6 Responses
to "Jerry Jones Plays Redskins Fan Last Night"
By Bradley on Dec 4, 2012 | Reply
It's obvious that, with the right players and innovative coaches, aspects of the college game CAN be played at the professional level with success. It was fun watching the NYG defensive ends get fooled by RGIII. Kuddos to the entire Redskin staff and players.
A Steeler Fan
By Gary Bradley Hodges on Dec 4, 2012 | Reply
Hail No! We have a minimum of two Superbowl equivalent games each year, against Dallas. The cowgirls are our arch enemies! They only received the chance to become a NFL team because our fight song was held captive! When the Redskins aren't playing the cowgirls I am an ABC fan (Anyone But Cowgirls)! Jerry Jones finally accepts the fact that his team is inferior. What size hat do you wear Jerry? I'll personally deliver it to you and we can start painting arrows through those stars in that stadium of yours ;0)
By Jacob Small on Dec 4, 2012 | Reply
no i could never cheer for the cowboys even if that meant that we were out of the race for playoffs. Its just not in my blood or nature.
By oldestRedskinfan on Dec 5, 2012 | Reply
I agree with Jabob Small: I rout for two teams, the RedSkins, and anyone playing the cowboys!!!!!!
By hambrew on Dec 5, 2012 | Reply
This is a loaded question. If, for some reason, a Cowboys win would launch the Redskins into the playoffs, then I would hope that the Cowboys win. I wouldn't watch the game or cheer for them, but my hate for the Cowboys takes a back seat to my dedication to the 'Skins.
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- Dec 4, 2012: Giants at Redskins Post Game Thread - Page 17 - The Warpath


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Available for Public Comment: Proposed Consolidated Plan One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015
On Tuesday, April 29, 2014, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider the Proposed Consolidated Plan One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015. The Consolidated Community Funding Advisory Committee (CCFAC), the citizen advisory group that oversees the preparation of the Proposed One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015, has released the Proposed Plan for public comment. The FY 2015 Action Plan covers the fifth year of the County's Five-Year Consolidated Plan for Fiscal Years 2011-2015. The Proposed One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015 identifies the proposed use of funds for four federal programs with an estimated amount of $6.9 million: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG - $4,750,027), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME - $1,417,514), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG - $322,031), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA - $438,386). The funding levels used for CDBG, HOME, and ESG are based on funding levels of FY 2014 until formal notification from HUD of actual grant levels. Funding for the HOPWA program is estimated at the FY 2013 expenditure level. It is estimated that there will be approximately $400,000 in CDBG program income and HOME program income of $40,000.
The Proposed One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015 also includes the first year of the two-year funding cycle for the Consolidated Community Funding Pool (CCFP) for FY 2015-2016. It identifies funding (an estimated $11.6 million in federal, state, and local funds, which includes $1.8 million of CDBG funds) to be made available to nonprofit organizations for community-based programs that are recommended for awards. The awards are based on the recommendations from the Selection Advisory Committee appointed to review the proposals received through the competitive CCFP solicitation process for FY 2015-2016. However, final awards for FY 2015 are subject to appropriations by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, to be decided through the County budget approval process in April 2014.
In addition, the Proposed Consolidated Plan One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015 identifies: (1) various public and private resources available for housing and community development activities; (2) the goals and objectives for the Five-Year Consolidated Plan; and (3) the FY 2015-2016 CCFP funding priorities.
Citizens are invited to express their views on housing, community development, fair housing, homelessness and community service needs in Fairfax County, as well as comment on Fairfax County's community development performance. The public is encouraged to provide information concerning changes in housing and community service trends since the last Board public hearing on the Consolidated Plan in March 2013.
Copies of the Proposed Consolidated Plan One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015 are available for review online, at the Citizen Information Desk located on the lobby level of the Fairfax County Government Center, and at the information desk of all branches of the Fairfax County Public Library system. Copies may be obtained at the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development, 3700 Pender Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. All of the above mentioned locations are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Citizens wishing to comment on the Proposed Consolidated Plan One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015 may do so by writing to the attention of David Jones, Senior Program Manager, at the Department of Housing and Community Development, 3700 Pender Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, or by email at email@example.com. The deadline for receipt of written comments on the Proposed One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015 will be 4 p.m. on Monday, March 31, 2014. For additional information on the Proposed Consolidated Plan One-Year Action Plan for FY 2015, contact the Department of Housing and Community Development at 703-246-5170, TTY: 703-385-3578. EHO/EEO
Fairfax County is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all county programs, services and activities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. To request special accommodations, call 703-246-5101 or TTY 703-385-3578. Please allow 48 hours in advance in order to make the necessary arrangements.


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Comparative Effectiveness Research Study of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The specific aim of this study is to prospectively compare outcomes (functional, quality of life, risk-adjusted clinical event) of medical management, surgical or endovascular (angioplasty or stent placement) interventions for the treatment of claudication caused by peripheral arterial disease. This study will test two major hypotheses;
Hypothesis 1: At 12-months, surgical interventions are associated with greater improvements in function, claudication symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than endovascular procedures or medical management.
Hypothesis 2: At 12-months, surgical and endovascular interventions are associated with greater improvements in function, claudication symptoms, and HRQoL than medical management.
|Peripheral Arterial Disease Claudication
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Comparative Effectiveness Research Study of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
- The primary outcome is the change in score on the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) from the baseline assessment to the 12-month assessment. [ Time Frame: 12-Months Post-Index Date ]The primary outcome of the study, and the outcome on which the study is powered, is the change in score on the WIQ from the baseline assessment to the 12-month assessment. There are three subscales within the WIQ; summary scores will be calculated separately for each - the walk distance, walk speed, stair climb.
|Study Start Date:
|July 2011
|Study Completion Date:
|August 2015
|Primary Completion Date:
|September 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Surgical Bypass
use of synthetic or endogenous (vein) or composite graft to treat lesions in the superficial femoral, common femoral, or popliteal artery
Endovascular Therapy
angioplasty and/or stent to treat lesions in the superficial femoral or popliteal artery
Medical Management
Documentation of the following in the medical record:
i. Walking/physical therapy to improve endurance was recommended; ii. For tobacco users, tobacco cessation was recommended; iii. Prescribing pentoxifylline (Trental) or cilostazol (pletal) iv. Ongoing care by physician for treatment of claudication
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|21 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of claudication
Be undergoing one of three treatments for claudication:
- Surgical bypass (use of synthetic or endogenous (vein) or composite graft to treat lesions in the superficial femoral, common femoral or popliteal artery)
- Endovascular therapy (angioplasty and/or stent to treat lesions in the superficial femoral, common femoral or popliteal artery)
- Medical management (i.e. smoking cessation, walking therapy, long-term monitoring by physician)
Exclusion Criteria:
- those with documented acute ischemia, rest pain or ulceration
- those with claudication determined to be of aortic or iliac origin
- those with claudication that is not caused by atherosclerotic disease
- those without access to a telephone or Internet and are unwilling to participate in surveys by mail at home (assess in patient screen)
- those who otherwise refuse to participate (assessed in patient screen)
- those who have a diagnosis of dementia confirmed in their medical record
- those who are not English speaking
- children and young adults up to and including age 20-years
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01378260
|United States, Washington
|Lake Washington Vascular
|Bellevue, Washington, United States, 98004
|PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center
|Bellingham, Washington, United States, 98225
|Providence Everett
|Everett, Washington, United States, 98201
|St. Francis Hospital
|Federal Way, Washington, United States, 98003
|Good Samaritan Hospital
|Puyallup, Washington, United States, 98372
|Harborview Medical Center
|Seattle, Washington, United States, 98104
|Northwest Hospital and Medical Center
|Seattle, Washington, United States, 98133
|University of Washington
|Seattle, Washington, United States, 98195
|Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
|Spokane, Washington, United States, 99204
|St. Joseph Medical Center
|Tacoma, Washington, United States, 98405
|Tacoma General Hospital
|Tacoma, Washington, United States, 98405
|PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center - Thoracic & Vascular Surgery
|Vancouver, Washington, United States, 98664
|Principal Investigator:
|David R Flum, MD
|University of Washington
|Responsible Party:
|David Flum, Professor, University of Washington
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01378260 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|June 13, 2011
|Last Updated:
|May 16, 2017
Keywords provided by David Flum, University of Washington:
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Comparative Effectiveness Research
PAD Study
Intermittent claudication
leg pain
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Peripheral Vascular Diseases
Arterial Occlusive Diseases
Vascular Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
How about some Ozarks folk songs on a brisk winter afternoon?
Judy Domeny Bowen is back with us for a free concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, in the Library Center auditorium to perform a mix of songs from the past. Calling on her Ozarks farm roots, Judy will perform little-heard storytelling ballads and well-known folk songs from the Ozarks.
Her concert is sponsored by the Friends of the Library, and is one of the many public programs funded with proceeds from the Friends book sales. (The spring sale is April 24-29.)
_ _ _
The Library will again join other agencies beginning this month to provide sites for free Tax Counseling for the Elderly and free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.
You can find a full schedule of sessions at http://thelibrary.org/taxes, under No. 9, "Where can I obtain help in preparing my taxes?" The site also lists documents and identification required for the tax help. That site also lists where you can get tax forms.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly provides free tax preparation assistance by IRS-trained volunteers through the Southwest Missouri Office on Aging. They prepare federal and state tax returns and Missouri property tax credit forms.
The Willard Branch Library is the only library site among the community groups providing Tax Counseling for the Elderly. Sessions are 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, from Feb. 8-April 11. For information call 862-0762.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance provides tax preparation help for federal tax returns and Earned Income Credit, Missouri Property Tax Credit and other tax forms. Missouri State and Drury university students working with the ATLS coalition provide assistance with Missouri tax returns if the federal return is being prepared. Priority is given to older adults and low-to-moderate income families and individuals.
Library sites for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance are:
A complete list is at http://thelibrary.org/taxes.
Find this article at


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HQ Product Specialist (Scandinavian)
About Tesla
Palo Alto, California-based Tesla Motors designs and manufactures Electrical Vehicles and EV powertrain components. Tesla's goal is to produce a full range of electric cars from sports cars to mass-market vehicles and we are determined to decrease the cost of electric vehicles. We have designed, produced and delivered Tesla Roadsters to customers in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Model S, the world's first premium electric sedan is now being rolled out world-wide.
The Role
The primary focus of the Product Specialist team is responding to customer inquiries about the purchase of new vehicles in a timely and accurate manner. The HQ Product Specialist team will focus on Vehicle Configurations and will be working with existing Reservation holders to convert their reservation in to a production order. The HQ Product Specialist is responsible for these customer service activities in order to deliver top quality customer service and customer satisfaction.
Tesla Motors is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, colour, age, sex, ancestry, marital status, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, present or past history of mental disability, genetic information or any other classification protected by state or federal law. A EU passport or work permit is required for this position.
|Amsterdam, MO
United States
|Web Site:
|1050 Bing Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
United States
|Cleantech / Energy


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TROWBRIDGE middleweight Nick Blackwell will fight for the IBO Inter-Continental title in Bath next month, it was announced today.
The two-time British title challenger will face off against an opponent, who is expected to be confirmed later this week, on Saturday, April 5 at the city's Forum venue.
'Bang Bang' Blackwell, the former English champion, controversially lost out to European champion Max Bursak in the Ukraine in September while challenging for the WBA Continental crown.
But the former WBC youth silver champion remains one of the top British prospects in the division, a fact underlined by him also being made mandatory challenger for the British title held by Billy Joe Saunders, who narrowly defeated Blackwell in December 2012.
His Contender Gym trainer Mark Kent said: "Last week we had the word that Nick was ranked high enough to challenge for an Inter-Continental.
"We've taken it because we want to take him forward. In the meantime, Nick has been made mandatory (challenger) for the British and Commonwealth (titles) against Billy Joe Saunders again.
"Whether that will come off in the future is another thing. Nick is mandatory challenger so they can't get away from that, so they'll have to come back with a very good deal for us, or Billy Joe will have to fight Nick again, which I don't think he wants to do.
"It would be a nice fight to have but Nick has stepped in and taken hard fights when he hasn't had to, so he'll take a look at what comes in.''
Blackwell's is one of four major fights on the Bath bill which will also see Bristol's Danny Butler making a second defence of the English middleweight belt formerly held by Blackwell, against Martin Concepcion, who Blackwell has previously beaten.
Malmesbury's Joe Hughes, a stablemate of Butler's with trainer/manager Andy O'Kane, will also contest the International Masters light welterweight crown – his first title fight - against Michael Mooney, of Birmingham.
Norton St Philip's Mike Rose will also be in title action in an International bronze masters title in the light-middleweight division.
The bill is a collaboration between the Contender Gym in Trowbridge and Paddy Johns Gym in Bristol and O'Kane said: "This is the first collaboration between the gyms which isn't a common thing in professional boxing because as you can imagine it's quite a competitive market.
"We want to co-operate in a way that projects the boxers in the best possible way and gets the West Country recognised again. The feedback we had from the Board of Control was that they were thrilled about it.
Kent added: "Nick fought here (Bath) when he won the English title at the University.
"This place (the Forum) came up and we came and had a look and though it looked perfect. It seemed to have sparked up a great amount of interest which is good.
"The main aim is to get these guys out and about fighting in the area more often.
"The South West is starting to come together quite strongly with professional boxing now and it's about time something was put in place more so the lads were seen a lot more.''
Bradford on Avon welterweight Gareth Heard and Melksham's Luke Martin are also set to feature in Bath.
For ticket details see http://bathforum.ticketline.co.uk or call 01225 765712.


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Step By Step
The shark years ('68-'82) typified for many the finest in styling of all Corvettes. When hearing the word Corvette, swoopy lines and Coke-bottle shapes instantly come to mind. For many owners of shark-bodied Corvettes, another thing that comes to mind is heat. This is one of the most common complaints we hear about these cars. Although the air-conditioning system worked well for the technology of the day, dated technology, coupled with parts deteriorated with age, can make a shark's air conditioning seem almost non-existent. Seems that everyone, including us, is trying to find a way to bring their shark's climate-control system up to today's standards--but a workable, installable kit has eluded us all. Until now! There is an alternative to driving your shark only in the cooler spring and fall seasons.
You may have heard that before, maybe even from us, but Chris Petris of the Corvette Clinic told us that he's developed a system that will keep you cool in your Corvette for years to come. He has systems designed for '68-'73, '74-'77, and '78-'82 Corvettes. He also informed us that it takes more than simply installing a retrofit A/C kit with a different compressor to really make these systems cool like they should.
We'll be taking a two-part look at this topic, and what Chris does to drop the cockpit temperature of a shark Corvette.
These are some things to look for BEFORE you even start installing the first new part on your sharks air conditioning. In the next installment well be looking at the actual installation of the system, and well also show you some little tricks to ensure that your A/C system works as well as it possibly can. Maybe, just maybe, it will work better than GM ever intended it to. If you take the time to address these concerns and remedy any problems you find, youll be pleasantly surprised at how cool you can be in your shark.


text: Newtown adds school safety to legislative agenda By The Associated Press February 10, 2013 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Dozens of West Virginia public schools have armed law enforcement officers, but the December massacre of 20 first-graders and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school has officials talking about expanding their presence.Thirty-two of West Virginia's 55 counties have prevention resource officers at 64 middle and high schools through a U.S. Justice Department program, according to state Department of Education figures. These officers spend at least 35 hours each week at their school, and provide training as well, department spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro said.State Schools Superintendent Jim Phares has also informally approached the state National Guard for help assessing schools for safety flaws and threat training for staff."This whole thing is emerging quickly,'' Phares told last week's Legislative Lookahead audience.Phares said officials continue to weigh whether to require armed staff statewide."I think we really have to take a look at what message we send if we start arming, putting armed guards and armed teachers in there,'' Phares said. "The first message that I don't want to send is that violence is winning.''West Virginia now trains school staff to lock down a building and shelter students as securely as possible in response to a threat, Phares said. Phares, a former county superintendent, noted that the threat response policy has evolved as new tragedies test them. He cited how law enforcement followed existing policy when they secured the outside grounds and awaited tactical units at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., in April 1999. Two students, meanwhile, killed 12 classmates and a teacher while wounding 26 people."We're going to have to, after this most recent [violence], continue to evaluate that,'' Phares said Thursday of state policy. Over the past few years, the West Virginia School Building Authority has given county school systems $30 million to improve safety equipment at schools, including with electronic locks and security cameras. The goal is keeping out intruders. The funding requires every school system to have a detailed crisis response plan in place by August.The Legislature begins its 60-day session Wednesday. House Speaker Rick Thompson believes safety issues could join other topics arising from the in-depth study of the state's education system. The Wayne County Democrat may assign it to the special committee he's formed to handle the recent public schools audit and resulting proposals."They're meeting with a lot of the same groups that we'll need to talk to [about safety],'' Thompson said. "I think it's very important. We're going to explore that as we move through the session.''Phares and other Thursday panelists who addressed education issues also focused on mental health care resources, both for schools and for their communities. David Haney, a vice president at the West Virginia Education Association, said the school system should have a counselor for every 250 students but instead has one for every 400 students. In some places, it's one for every 750 students."Counselors are overburdened with paperwork and career guidance and test coordinating and class scheduling,'' said Haney, whose group represents teachers and administrators. "If we want to help some of these children that may have some of these mental issues, we need to have counselors.''Veteran educator Terry Wallace, now at West Liberty University, cited his time as an administrator in violent public schools in neighboring Pennsylvania. His suggestions included ensuring teachers and principals connect with the children in their schools."If I have reason to believe, as an administrator, that something is amiss with a student, I need to follow up on it, and you can do that only if you know the kids,'' said Wallace, with the public college's Institute for Innovation in Education. The Legislature has studied student and community mental health issues during its monthly interim meetings, though not in response in Newtown. The Joint Judiciary Committee will review a pilot project that's monitored child mental health during its Monday interim meeting. The Joint Committee on Health will hear from West Virginia University educators on child behavioral health needs on Tuesday. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 New leaders begin to emerge for Marshall football 2 Derek Redd: Marshall thinks outside the cable box for broadcasts 3 Philanthropist Betty Schoenbaum of Shoney's fortune turns 100 4 Former State Police captain now chief in Winfield 5 Preston County delegate Tony Lewis dies Milan Puskar's grave vandalized Previous Story Putnam plant helps Toyota retake top automaker spot Next Story


text:
In one preliminary study, doctors wanted to test the effect of creatine on brain function. They gave 121 young women, both vegetarian and omnivorous, 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day or a placebo.
After five days, compared to placebo, vegetarians who had taken creatine saw memory scores improve by 40 percent, and both vegetarians and omnivores in the creatine group had more consistent responses to a task requiring rapid choices.


text:
Dear Members,
Abhidhamma Study: Eighteen Elements(dhaatu)
[Presented by Dr.Tep Sastri @ SD/JTN/Mult]
Often I wonder what 'dhaatu' actually means. The English renditions of dhaatu have been :
element, principle, and property. But, the meanings of these three words are very different! Let me show you.
A fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity; a member of a set;
an environment naturally suited to or associated with an individual; an environment naturally
suited to or associated with an individual; a distinct group within a larger community.
[Synonyms for element are: component, constituent, factor, ingredient.]
A basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning
or conduct; a basic truth or law or assumption; a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon
or the function of a complex system; (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons
(especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature).
Something owned; a piece of real estate; something tangible or intangible to which its owner
has legal title; possessions considered as a group; the right of ownership; title; a special capability
or power; a virtue; a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished; any movable
articles or objects used on the set of a play or movie.
So, now you see my point -it is really confusing, isn't it?
Let's turn to CMA VII, Compendium of Categories, #37: the Eighteen Elements.
"The eighteen elements are : (1) the eye element(cakkhu-dhaatu), (2) the ear element(sota-),
(3) the nose element(ghaana-dhaatu), (4) the tongue element(jivhaa-dhaatu),
(5) the body element(kaaya-dhaatu), (6) the visible form element(ruupa-dhaatu),
(7) the sound element(sadda-dhaatu), (8) the smell element(gandha-dhaatu),
(9) the taste element(rasa-dhaatu, (10) the tangible element(pho.t.thabbba-dhaatu),
(11) the eye-consciousness element(cakkhuvi~n~naa.na-dhaatu), (12) the ear-consciousness element
(sotavi~n~naa.na-dhaatu), (13) the nose-consciousness element(ghaanavi~n~naa.na-dhaatu),
(14) the tongue-consciousness element(jivhaavi~n~naa.na-dhaatu), (15) the body-consciousness element
(kaayavi~n~naa.na-dhaatu), (16) the mind element(mano-dhaatu), (17) the mental-object element
(dhamma-dhaatu), (18) the mind-consciousness element(manovi~n~naa.na-dhaatu).
Love Buddha's dhamma,


text:
Weathervane Playhouse's 79th season continues with "Race," a provocative tale of sex, guilt and bold accusations, directed by Jennifer Kay Jeter.
Presented live on stage through Feb. 16, the production of Race will also include "talk-back" sessions with the play's director and its four actors immediately following all three Sunday matinees.
In "Race," racial and ethical lines are crossed and re-crossed. Two lawyers find themselves defending a wealthy white businessman accused with raping a black woman. When a new legal assistant gets involved in the case, the opinions that boil beneath suddenly explode to the surface.
Due to its adult themes and strong language, Race is not recommended for children.
Performance days and times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $21 each; $19 tickets for seniors are available for Thursday and Sunday performances. Tickets for children (ages 17 or younger) and college students are $5 each at all performances. Additional discounts for groups of 10 or larger are also available.
The Weathervane Playhouse box office is open Mondays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and is also open beginning one hour before each performance. For tickets, visit or call the Weathervane Box Office at 330-836-2626 during Box Office hours or connect online to www.weathervaneplayhouse.com.


text:
When we watch football we often want players who can do everything. "They earn enough, why can't they do what he can?" is often something we hear, and share the belief about. Well the Ecuadorian Serie A created arguably one of the most consistent and all round players playing today in Antonio Valencia, of Manchester United. Valencia started at Club Deportivo "El Nacional and moved around before finally heading to England to make a name for himself at Wigan Atheltic and Manchester United. Valencia's Manchester United and Ecuador jersey became a hot item once he started to make a name for himself as Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement. Manta have a great youth system and the next star to come from the Ecuadorian Serie A may be from their roster.
Showing 1–12 of 35 results


text:
Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
allsport1313 wrote:Hello all,
Looking for some recommendations for a disc to fill the void between my putters and my Buzzz. I guess I'll try to explain what I am looking for, and if anyone has any advice that would be awesome. Btw, this gap in my bag is most apparent in the 100-150 foot range.
I love the flight of my Challengers. They are nice and slow, and just kind of float until they run out of gas and stick right where they hit the ground. However, I've tried and tried and just can't stand how uncomfortable it is to throw a precision shot with a putter rim. Maybe it's my hands being the size of a ten year old girl's, but it feels terrible.
I love the Buzzz but for me it's too fast for this particular range. I've gotten used to powering it down but if I want to make a run at the basket 125' out the Buzzz likes to glide or skip way beyond the basket. So usually, I'm forced to layup short and let it dance around until it stops near the basket. I use it because its super comfortable compared to a putter, power or fork grip no prob.
So basically, does anyone have any recommendations for a disc that is slow and sticky like a putter but with a design that's beefier and easier to grip? Thanks in advance for anyone that responds!
JR wrote:At that range it is definitely putter territory. Disc wise also the Spike could work but the Wedge is the thinnest disc also with a very short wing. Wedge fades harder than the other thin discs. Form wise do you jump putt? You can't always jump putt and 125' is a tall order for consistency and there a mid could be better than a putter. A 125' jump putt isn't by any means impossible. I've thrown just over 200' with a 150 mid but struggle with any sort of consistency beyond 135'.
allsport1313 wrote:...I don't love throwing my putter.
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text:
Wilson likes how his stuff feels in intrasquad game
TEMPE, Ariz. -- There's very little you can tell from an intrasquad game that's played in a controlled environment, where innings finish when you want them to, hitters come to the plate as often as necessary and games end when the pitchers get their work in.
But in some ways, Tuesday presented Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson with his first real challenge of the spring.
Wilson, who struck out seven batters while giving up a couple of tough-luck runs in a four-inning stint at Tempe Diablo Stadium's main field, reached the 60-pitch range on what was an off-day for most of his teammates.
And for starting pitchers, simply getting to that point -- when the command starts to falter and adjustments must be made -- is significant.
"That's the fun part," Wilson said. "You can roll out of bed and throw 30 to 40 pitches if you're a starting pitcher. It's not that hard. But once you get to 60, 70, 80, 100, 120, that's when you have to start making adjustments throughout the game. And as your body gets a little tired or your stuff degrades and it's not as sharp, then other pitches might actually get better -- like the changeup might get better, the curveball might get better -- just with repetition and feel."
Wilson, throwing to Hank Conger, was facing mostly Angels Minor Leaguers, but manager Mike Scioscia said his stuff was "as good as it ever was" and he "could've probably gone two more innings maintaining his stuff," though recovery factors in at that point.
Coming off offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his left elbow, Wilson has allowed three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of Cactus League play this year. Since his next turn fell on an off-day, the Angels scheduled the intrasquad game so Wilson and Garrett Richards could stay on schedule.
Wilson liked the controlled environment because it allowed him to work on other elements of his game -- like the pickoff to second, or the slide step with a runner on first -- in a game setting.
Mostly, he liked how his stuff felt throughout.
"I felt like I used all my pitches today -- fastball, curveball, changeup, slider, cutter -- and they were all strikes," Wilson said. "I had some sharp stuff on my glove side, which I got some strikeouts with, and I felt good about that. Hank and I work really well together, so it's always fun to throw to him. I feel like if I shake a pitch, he knows really what to go for."
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Dean's Update, August 16, 2013
Recapping Five Years as CBA Dean
Five years ago seems like a different world.
Then, the CBA received over $2.0 million more in state funding than we do now, and we had a healthy balance from the prior year. We were preparing for re-accreditation under the new AACSB standards, and while some of our AQ/PQ faculty ratios were a challenge and our assessment of student learning was just beginning, we received full reaccreditation that year. Our one-year AMBA and Saturday FEMBA were small programs that provided a supplement to state funds, and we had about 225 students in our stateside evening MBA program.
Much has happened—good and not good—over the last five years.
Not good: CSU state allocation has been cut by over 30%, and we all endured a year of two-days-per-month furloughs. There were no spring admissions in three of the last five years, hurting both undergraduate and graduate enrollments. The budget and enrollment declines have led to cut backs in the number of lecturers and graduate assistants as well as to reductions in travel funds. We closed the Singapore program as result of an AACSB reaccreditation recommendation. The MBA fee started in 2009 and provided funds for faculty Assigned Time in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, but unfortunately now these funds are buffering us against budget cuts.
On the positive side, the university Highly Valued Degree Initiative and state-mandated Transfer Model Curriculum caused us to streamline curricula and expand advising activities. Under the CBA Center for Student Success, proactive advising improves graduation rate and reduces the graduation rate gap for underrepresented minority students. Outreach efforts increase undergraduate enrollment. Thanks to federal stimulus and university Student Excellence Funds, we remodeled the Advising Center and strengthened our advising staff. In total, these are exciting, positive changes that promote student success and enhance greatly our advising effectiveness.
There are other bright spots for the CBA. Prop 30's passage was significant because $250 million in state cuts to the CSU were avoided, stabilizing our budget for the coming year—but at the low point of state funding! Declines in Evening MBA enrollments seem to be reversing, and AMBA has had two 30+ student classes in a row, which will provide a much needed supplement to state funding. SCPD and Ukleja Center advisory boards strategically examined these centers to improve and strengthen their activities and programs. Advisory boards for HRM, OSCM, and SMIF are similarly engaged and energetic. Faculty research productivity is solid and ongoing.
Fundraising hit a high note with over $6.0 million raised last year and momentum seems to be building. CBA Alumni & Friends network, initiated in 2010, has over 2,000 members who want help the CBA be the best it can be. Two Active Learning Classrooms will come on line in fall 2013. The CBA is in an excellent position for reaccreditation in 2014.
CBA faculty deserves immense credit for the current state of the college. Coping with heavy teaching loads, continuous research requirements, and significant service activities, CBA faculty has been efficient, effective, and productive. Faculty engagement is impressive, as the following milestones indicate: new minors in Finance and International Business, proposals for three new MS programs (Accountancy, Global Supply Chain Management, and Information Systems), and a Distance Learning Task Force report to frame conversation on this dimension.
While there has been much pain in our journey over the last five years, there is much pride in how the CBA has coped with challenges and continued to move forward. I thank everyone in the CBA family for their efforts for our collective good.
In This Issue
- Recapping Five Years as CBA Dean
- MBA Students Present Bouton Creek Bike Path Proposal at State-Wide Sustainability Conference
- Master of Science Proposals under Review at Chancellor's Office; Acting Directors Named
- Enrollment Update and Center for Student Success News
- Molina Healthcare Internship Program
- Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership