text:
The BJP has had the strangest approach to this election, considering that before Mayawati in 2007, it was the last party to win a full majority in 1991. They look like cutting their losses rather than winning. So no leader has been projected in a state where they have produced two chief ministers. Uma Bhartis import from Madhya Pradesh is as much to avoid having to name a local leader, and thereby splitting the party, as to keep her off Shivraj Singh Chouhans back in their home state. Narendra Modi is unwilling to expose himself to even campaign in an unwinnable state. It is cute now how many BJP leaders you run into on campaign trail who tell you, we gave in too early, we misread the mood, only if we had come to UP with greater optimism, etc, etc. The partys minimalistic agenda is to finish ahead of the Congress. For that, it counts on its loyal, upper-caste voters and workers. The Congress, it says, has neither.
Arun Jaitley joins us over dinner in Kanpur and speaks his usual mix of candour and optimism. His theory: this was building into a development-oriented campaign like Bihar, until the Congresss promise of reservations for backward Muslims reversed it, and sent every voting group back where it had remained: in the trenches. The impression you get speaking with BJP leaders is, if that works for them, not to win it power but just to stay ahead of the Congress, it seems fine to their leadership. It has no further ambition. Only a nutcase would call Uma Bharti a leader of Uttar Pradesh. Kalraj Mishra and Balramji Tandon are both confined to Lucknow. And in whose name is a party, with a star cast of national leaders, seeking votes Through the state, but more notably in its urban strongholds, you see the familiar smiling face of Atal Bihari Vajpayee asking you to vote BJP. It says something for a party, which ruled this state with a clear majority banishing the Congress, that the only leader its current leadership feels secure enough to flaunt is the one unfortunately so sick he hasnt been seen in public for nearly seven years.
The drive into Kanpur from Unnao and then to the BJP stronghold of Kalyanpur tells you more about the rot in UP than any gram darshan. If Lucknow is Indias most improved city, Kanpur is its most rotten. The foul air you breathe, the refugee-camp roads you drive on, the lawless skyline from your 16th floor hotel room, a postprandial walk dodging paan-spit, excreta, vomit, bandicoots and mosquitoes through what is supposedly the more prosperous commercial areaall tell you a story of corruption, filth, dysfunctional governance and urban decay.
If anybody has to fix UP, she can start from here. Why give Bundelkhand a bad name You would wonder how come a truly violent insurgency has not sprung out of this city yet. What else can you expect in a city so full of young men and women with nowhere to go for a little break, a bit of fun and romance, a breath of fresh air So filthy is it that if a Bollywood romance was shot here, it would have to be called KSKT, a catchy acronym for Koode-dan (garbage dump) se Koode-dan tak.
At Kalyanpur, the stage is set for Rajnath Singhs rally but so few people turn up that he explains it away bravely by saying this is just a corner meeting and his daytime rallies are somewhat bigger. We reach it much before Rajnath does and, as usual, the crowd-warmers are at work, telling stories, rousing emotion, but there really are too few people and too many insects. Then a cow strays into the sterile clearing between the stage and the audience. Arre bhagao isse, goes the cryand then everybody freezes. Who indeed would dare to shoo away a cow, a persistent one at that, at a BJP rally
Rajnath Singh agrees to meet us before addressing the sparse crowd, probably hoping for the small ground to fill up a bit more. He is more interested in finishing ahead of the Congress than winning power in the state he once ran as chief minister. Wouldnt it have been fair and better if he was projected as his partys nominee for chief minister Realities change with time, he says.
One thing you would say about
Rajnath is that he is not as natural a
political liar as politicians usually are. For example:
Question: Can the BJP really win a majority this time
Rajnath: Why not (with a hint of smirk)
Question: Can Uma Bharti ever be the chief minister of UP
Rajnath: Why not (with more than a hint of smirk)
Question: Why is Modi not campaigning here
Rajnath: Because he is busy in Gujarat. (this time with a proper smirk)
There are such internal rivalries and distrust within the top leadership of the BJP today that to compare it to MS Dhonis team in Australia would be kind. But, for whatever it may be worth in seats, its traditional votebank is intact. It may even be coming out in numbers because nothing motivates BJP voters more than a head-to-head with the Congress, even if for minor placings.
The BJPs complacence vis-a-vis the Congress may well turn out to be misplaced. But it is mostly inspired by its rivals organisational inadequacies. And, ironically, a good example of that comes from a rare Congress stronghold outside of the Amethi-Rae Bareli enclave, the constituency of Rampur Khas in Pratapgarh district that local luminary Pramod Tiwari has won eight times already, and is tipped to win again. The obvious question: if he is such a stalwart, and an articulate, smart Brahmin, why has he not emerged as at least a state-level leader, a new-edition N.D. Tiwari Answers come from his supporters. Tiwariji, you are told, has relationships in all parties, everybody loves him, so nobody wants him defeated. But Tiwari is not to Rampur Khas what Chandra Shekhar was to Balliaso adored that friend and foe conspired to ensure he was always elected. The secret of this Tiwarijis success is explained proudly by one of his workers in Rampur Baoli (the village of 10,000 boasts an old baoli or traditional stepped water tank, now in disrepair). Our friend, lets call him Mr Dwivedi, in shades, tight jeans, chest jutting straight into your face, paan, motorcycle, an MA in political science and lucrative river-sand contracts under his belt, is a character straight out of a Vishal Bhardwaj movie and shoots pictures of us with his phone-camera even as we ask him questions. Of course, he never takes the shades off. Nobody can defeat Tiwariji, he says, because he not only does so much for this constituency, but his management is also very good. What does management mean It is cutting deals with rivals so he ensures weak Congress candidates against them in neighbouring constituencies while they repay him in his. But, hang on, isnt that match-fixing Arre kya baat karte hain aap Jo jeeta wahi Sikandar. This is the Congress partys big problem. It has no organisation, and where it has a local leader, he only bats for himself. There is, therefore, no party.
What the party has, on the other hand, is a genuine national leader and star campaigner. There are three things on which there is unanimity across all party lines: that Rahul Gandhi is a good, sincere man; that he has worked very hard in UP; and that his speaking skills have improved greatly. In fact, in the current campaign, he is the best speaker, with the only possible exception of Sushma Swaraj. And that is saying something. We find him at Bhoginipur, in Kanpur Dehat, addressing a rally of the size we havent seen anybody except Mayawati attract. He has passion, facts, lines and skill. He delivers a punch periodically, and then pauses for it to sink in, in the manner of a seasoned campaigner, a far cry from the waffling diffidence we had seen in Moradabad in 2007. As a public speaker and campaigner, Rahul Gandhi has arrived. He speaks without notes, keeps eye contact with his audience and even if sometimes his passion (and maybe some excess from speech-writers with convented Hindi) results in mixed metaphors (woh kehte hain kisano ko bijli muft denge, kahan se aayegi bijli Taare toot ke zameen par gir jaayenge kya), his Hindi diction is flawless. He is attracting younger audiences, they go back home talking about him too. Then why are his partys prospects not looking much better Could there be an issue with his message
The problem with Rahul is, he convinces you of what is wrong, but provides no solutions. In a persuasive Kolaveri turn, he lists everybody responsible for UPs woes, but does not tell you how he would fix these. You can ask people to throw out the BSP, SP and BJP but why not tell them what is your plan for them, who is the leader you have chosen to implement it He has the advantage of freshness, passion, a young mind, even younger looks, an old legacy and hard work. But should he be banking entirely on anti-incumbency to deliver the state to him
Nobody raises this question more tellingly than Nazir Ahmed, owner of a tiny tea-shack on the highway in Orai. Woh (Rahul) marz to batate hain, par marz ki dawa nahin (he diagnoses the disease, but does not tell us the treatment). And then, even though this is far from the genteel old state capital, he concludes with a flourish laced with devastating Lucknawi subtlety: Aur phir woh yeh bhi nahin batate ki khud kis marz ki dawa hain (and then he doesnt even tell us which disease is he going to cure us of). People of UP know what their problems are and, mostly, also who is responsible. What they expect from a Rahul Gandhi is ideas and solutions.
Sometimes you also get the impression Rahul is trying too hard. Mocking the BJPs promise of turning Bundelkhand into Israel (by bringing in drip irrigation), he asks his audience if they want Israel here or Bundelkhand. He repeats that line thrice, but the nuance does not register, not even on the large numbers of Muslims who look as baffled as the rest. Why should he target Israel when his country has such an important strategic and commercial relationship with it And what is his solution for Bundelkhand, or for the rest of UP More money for NREGA The new Right to Food law Probably an aspirational population would like to hear from him something more imaginative than the promise of three full meals a day.
Here is what I would have liked to hear from him if I was a voter in UP: the promise of doubling IITs and IIMs, a thousand new Navodaya schools all over the country, a fifth of them in UP, a new international airport, highways, medical and nursing colleges, 24-hour power in five years and, of course, NREGA and the food bill. In short, a promise of inundating the state with tools of empowerment, dignity, better quality of life. Just the things his father used to talk about, to fire our imagination when we were young. Or, okay, younger.
Today, why is the SP talking of computers, and BSP of expressways and airports, and the Congress of merely NREGA and Right to Food But why would, or should, he listen to me I am not even a voter in UP. And politicians make their living, and fame, not by listening to journalists, but by proving them wrong.


text:
It was great to meet Larry and Laura at CES. Lovely folks. It was kind of a "pinch me" moment as I sat in the Stereophile suite blogging while JA and LA chatted it up. Its fun to now be a small part of the Stereophile legacy.
Old Times, Good TImes
CES is where you can see the new but it is also where you can catch up with old acquaintances. Caught here in the CES Press Room in Jon Iverson's photo, I'm standing on the left with my partner in Stereophile Inc. for 12 years, Larry Archibald, who is both enjoying his retirement from the high-end audio industry and missing it, and Larry's wife, Laura Chancellor. It was on the 700-mile drive back to Santa Fe, New Mexico, from the CES in January 1986 that Larry, Laura, and I mapped out the future of Stereophile.

subset: commoncrawl


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Was this past weekend a keeper or what? I spent all day Saturday cleaning up yards—my mother's, the church yard and ours. It was perfect sweatshirt weather. My grandmother has a saying, "I can go until I drop, I just drop a lot faster than I used to." I understand that sentiment, and Sunday my muscles were screaming my age at me.
While cleaning up the church I realized something amazing. Over the last five years, many people have donated hostas to our landscaping project. As I was cleaning up the grounds I found it odd that some of the hostas were completely gone—frosted into fall death, yet some were healthy and happy.
As I looked at them I realized that the dead ones were all the same type, just as the healthy ones were another type. It got me to thinking again about not only zones, but also varieties of plants and how even if they are related they may not have the same temperature tolerances.
Some plants while in the same family have very different needs and tolerances. Sharon Bruce told me she has a hosta that is very sun tolerant. To a hosta lover this is an oddity, as they most generally love the shade.
After she told me this I spoke with a nursery person at Rhodes nursery in Toledo. The owner is one of the top hosta breeders in our area and a huge contributing member to the Toledo Botanical Gardens hosta club. I was told that there are hundreds of types of hostas with more coming every year. There is a hosta for any area of your property.
My favorite hosta is Mouse Ears, a miniature hosta with little leaves that are shaped like mouse ears. There is also another miniature named Dragon Tails and the leaves look like yellow dragon tails. A person could go hog wild with these plants and to be honest, what plant is easier to care for?
I have written before that my love of gardening comes from my mother-in-law and my husband. This is mostly true, except that as a child I spent a lot of time with one of my grandmothers and she was a huge gardener who was originally from the south. Not only did she have a green thumb she had great recipes.
I loved fresh snapped beans with ham or bacon and red beans and ham, but my very favorite was pickled corn. Sound disgusting? Some people think so, but it is actually very yummy and I am a fussy eater. It is just raw sweet corn on the cob packed in a crock of salt brine. You eat it just like regular sweet corn off the cob.
My daughter has a very green thumb. I told her to plant marigolds around her garden and the rabbits and coons will leave it alone. She planted marigold seeds and the plants were the size of a bushel basket. She just has the touch.
My mother-in-law, Betty Erbskorn, is the same way. She planted petunias one year, and what should have been an annual is a perennial—they come up on their own year after year. It is the same with snap dragons, she has them everywhere. There is even one growing out of the bricks in the side of her porch. It's the strangest thing to see, and so far the frost has not effected it. I guess it's protected by the all-powerful green thumb!


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The curious case of Rene Bourque continues.
A world-beater one night, and looking beat the next, the Calgary Flames winger showed once again Tuesday night what he looks like when hes on his game.
Forget the points. A goal and a pair of assists in a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning were just a bonus that came along with the gritty effort the 28-year-old put forward.
He battered opposing defencemen on the forecheck, forced forwards to turn the puck over in the neutral and defensive zones, and went to the net with authority.
All great stuff, which again has fans and his coaches scratching their heads a little as they ask, Why doesnt he look like that every night?
Had he been hurt over the previous dozen contests, when he posted a pedestrian three goals and five points while disconcertingly looking less than aggressive while doing so?
Nothing major. Just everyday wear and tear, Bourque answered Tuesday after an off-ice workout before heading to southern California for a two-game road swing. Everybody goes through it at some points. Im still definitely well enough to play.
He certainly came to play Tuesday.
Despite the dry spells and up-and-down attention to detail, Bourque sits third in team scoring with 22 points and is tied with Jarome Iginla for the most goals with a dozen of them in 26 games.
Makes you wonder how impressive his numbers might be if he could just keep that switch in the on position for most games.
When Borkie plays hardnosed like that, hes one of the best grinding, offensive forwards in the league, said road roommate and linemate Curtis Glencross, who plays a similar style and says it can be an easy thing to get away from because of the nature of the work.
It is a lot of work. Youve got to be committed to it. When any of us get off that part, thats when our games start to dive a little bit.
You might not have it there every night, but youve still got to try to find a way to make it happen.
Bourque is still trying to find his way to the upper echelon of players around the league.
Obviously you want to be good every night, but in reality, its not going to be there for you where youre scoring every night and producing, Bourque said. But if Im not scoring, hopefully Im playing well and playing physical. Playing well in my own end and killing penalties.
There have been games when his name hasnt been on the scoresheet but hes put forth a strong effort, but most of the time, when hes playing to the best of his abilities, hes going to earn a point or two.
We need that from Borkie every night, said head coach Brent Sutter. We cant accept less, and neither should he.
Sutter mentions Brendan Shanahan when pointing out the potential Bourque has. What makes guys like that special, though, is an inner drive.
Coaches can show a player on video what they look like when theyre at their best, they can talk over issues with a player, and try and motivate them with other methods.
You know what? At some point, its got to come from within, said Sutter. I think the world of Borkie as a person and a player ... thats what were working on with him.
Its internally with him, and probably mostly mental. Were trying to work with him on that.
Its not like they need to work on other things. Bourque is armed with speed, hockey smarts, a strong shot, and size. Everything you could ask for in the sport.
Its up to him to take the next step and play the way he did Tuesday night on a consistent basis.
When hes doing that, players take notice inside your dressing room, Sutter said. They follow his lead.
That kind of leadership would cement his status as a top player.
- - -
Rene rollercoaster
The ups and downs of Bourques season
Games 1-2: no points, minus-1 in two games
Games 3-6: seven points (6 goals, 1 assist, three game-winners), plus-3 in four games
Games 7-11: three points (1 goal, 2 assists), minus-4 in five games
Games 12-13: four points (1 goal, 3 assists), plus-1 in two games
Games 14-25: five points (3 goals, 2 assists), minus-6 in 12 games
Game 26: three points (1 goal, 2 assists), plus-1 in one game


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Flipping the Big SwitchBy CIOinsight | Posted 01-10-2008
In his new book, The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, From Edison to Google, author Nicholas Carr suggests that the corporate IT organization as we know it is unlikely to survive.
This isn't the first time Carr has written about IT's potential demise. And when the controversial Carr talks, people listen. And talk back.
In our December issue, we printed an excerpt of The Big Switch. Reader comments poured in. But this time, unlike past occasions, Carr has as many supporters as critics. "Will our IT organizations change in the future?" asks David Bash, director of IT for Nebraska Furniture Mart, reflecting Carr's premise. "Only an idiot would say no."
In The Big Switch, Carr writes of IT departments: "They can be expected to pursue a hybrid approach for many years, supplying some hardware and software requirements themselves and purchasing others over the grid. One of the key challenges for IT departments lies in making the right decisions about what to hold onto and what to let go."
Dan Rainey, CIO for the city of Ann Arbor, Mich., says his department is at that stage. His five-year business plan has the IT staff moving to consulting roles and managing vendors and business processes. At the same time, more of their services are coming from Carr's so-called cloud of services, data and devices. "Ultimately, we will be the integrators of services and data and our value proposition will be our full understanding of the busi nesses we are in," he says. "I hate to admit it, but this time Mr. Carr is right."
Still, some take issue with Carr's predictions.
Mike Block, an assistant vice president and IT officer with Equitable Bank in sub urban Milwaukee, acknowledges that IT departments' mission will evolve as tools change. But it's not as clear-cut as Carr makes it seem. "Until the computeror the network, for that matterbecomes as easy to operate as, say, a television, I don't think IT departments have much to get concerned about," he says.
Block says running a large enterprise over the Web is difficult today and may be impossible in the future. Instead, he says, companies need to enforce discipline in solving tasks: Employees need to use common tools in their efforts to be intelligible across the enterprise. Leaving workers to choose their tools to accomplish tasks can lead to inefficiency and chaos.
Chris Johnson, an application development manager with State Street Bank, the Boston financial services company, says Carr's claim that new applications will be a mix of universally available utilities oversimplifies the issue. Customers demand appli cations requiring a complexity that can't be found in the broadly available utilities to which Carr alludes. "As long as custom ers demand cutting-edge solutions that provide an advantage over the competition," Johnson says, "the role of the IT department will never go away."
And Lee Koenig, a project leader with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, says Carr overstates the impact of Web-based utilities. If he were a CIO, Koenig says, he would be left restless at night by the prospect of his company "brought to its knees" by interrupted Internet access.
CIOs won't be too quick to send their business into the cloud, Koenig says, adding: "Considering things like disas ter recovery, security, app customization, etc., it is more likely that the Internet infrastructure will buckle long before businesses will buy into the concept of moving their computing requirements and [even less likely] data out into 'the cloud' in numbers big enough to affect IT jobs."


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Wednesday night, U.S. Senate candidates Rick Lazio and Hillary Clinton bared their teeth at each other in Buffalo, N.Y., bickering and occasionally answering questions from the local press and local voters. Throughout the assaults, both candidates remained grimly composed. There was an abundance of contemptuous laughter the kind of snicker you force out when you're trying to show an audience that your opponent is lying.
They got down to business right from the starting bell. Lazio attacked Clinton on her lack of a record. Clinton assailed Lazio's role as Deoyt Whip under Newt Gingrich. Lazio shot back with a doozy: "You, of all people, Mrs. Clinton, should not bring up guilt by association." You almost expected the audience to hiss.
But they didn't (it was a very well behaved group), and the debate went on. And although the proceedings were short on substance and long on vitriolic style, each candidate managed to chalk up a few points here and there.
For instance, Clinton couldn't quite muster the conviction required for a convincing response to the voucher questions (she's against them, but she and the President sent Chelsea to an exclusive private school); Lazio didn't have a cogent explanation for his vote against the Patient's Bill of Rights. Occasionally, during a defensive response, the Representative appeared petulant: "I am a doer!" he cried, in defense of his record. "I did get the job done!"
And if he wanted to abandon the high road altogether tonight, he got the job done there, too. Lazio really hammered home the Bill-Hillary link; it's hard to say whether his efforts, combined with those of host Tim Russert, pushed the boundaries of good taste. The most squirm-worthy moment came when Russert played a clip of Clinton's infamous 1998 "right-wing conspiracy" interview on the "Today" show, showing the First Lady in full denial over her husband's adultery. Back onstage, Russert pressed Clinton over the circumstances: Why did she lie? "I didn't know," she said, in a voice much lower than usual. "I didn't mean to mislead anyone."
With just 10 minutes remaining, Lazio pulled a thin sheaf of papers out of his jacket and waved it around. "This is a soft-money ban," he crowed. "If my opponent will agree to sign it, we'll have it in writing." Clinton asked Lazio if he'd agree to get signatures from his various political associates, who, she insinuated, have found a way to pay for campaign ads without counting them as contributions. Lazio replied he'd do whatever it took to get the deal done. Russert took up the cause, asking Lazio for specifics. Nothing got signed, but Lazio got his point across, even abandoning his podium to approach Clinton with his papers.
In the end, it looked like a draw, albeit a bloody one. Even as the credits rolled and the candidates headed off to their corners they probably needed a nice stiff drink there was some lingering tension over Lazio's forceful proffer of the soft-money ban, and even the unflappable Russert looked slightly befuddled.
One round down. Two to go.


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Louis Walsh's X Factor future in doubt as show ratings plummet after nine years
X FACTOR judge Louis Walsh says his future is up in the air because doesn't yet know if he will be spared the cull in a major revamp of the ailing show.
The curtain came down on the ninth series of the show last night with James Arthur (24) being crowned the winner – but producers are facing a crisis after viewers tuned out in their millions.
The X Factor has a one-year contract left with ITV, amid rumours that Simon Cowell will come back to Britain to rescue its popularity.
But it is unclear whether Louis is part of his plans.
Walsh, the longest-surviving judge on the programme, completed his ninth year at the weekend, but said he "hasn't a clue" if he'll make it 10 out of 10.
"I don't know what's going to happen next year. I would love another year, it would be my tenth year and I would be the only surviving judge but you never know what Simon is thinking. Nobody is safe," he said.
The grand finale of the show took place in front of a live audience of 10,000 people in the Manchester Arena last night after producers moved it from its London base.
Louis said the atmosphere for the climax of the programme was amazing and insisted the show was holding its own in the ratings battles.
"It was a brilliant final and I'm very proud of the show," he continued.
"We are pulling in 20 million viewers every weekend. We had amazing people on the final show like One Direction, Emeli Sande and Rihanna and we are the number one show in television.
"Everyone wants to beat us and that's the nature of the business but we can still hold our own."
He also paid tribute to winner James, who was mentored by Nicole Scherzinger – and said it proves that the show is continuing to find massive stars.
"James is an amazing talent and it shows that we are still discovering amazing talent. He's going to have a brilliant career and could easily sell records in America," he explained.
And the music mogul also has high hopes for his boy band.
"I think Union J will be the new One Direction and Ella will easily get a deal as well, so we have had a great year," he added.
He's now looking forward to taking some well-needed time off after the gruelling show schedule. Louis will fly off to Miami after spending Christmas at home with his family in Mayo, before heading off to his bolt-hole in Florida for a sun holiday.
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TELOS: The Fantastic World of Eugene Tssui
May 31 only
Kyung Lee | USA | 2014 | 55 min
San Francisco Premiere
TELOS chronicles the unorthodox life of Emeryville-based architect Eugene Tssui in this directorial debut from Bay Area filmmaker Kyung Lee. Tssui is an eccentric visionary and a maverick architect, who questions traditional building standards and puts nature and the environment at the forefront of his designs. If you have seen the unconventional home he built for his parents in Berkeley, California, you will understand the challenge he faces to receive mainstream approval. Lee composes a portrait of Tssui as a "Renaissance man": an athlete, designer, and singular visual artist, as well as architect. Showing his influences from his childhood to his formal education (including three expulsions from architecture school) and his relationship with his mentor the "organic" architect Bruce Goff. Rejected by the status quo and embattled to defend his futuristic, yet naturalistic visions, Tssui finds unexpected allies in the small mountain town in Mount Shasta where he hopes to build his architectural fantasia.
Discussion with: Kyung Lee, director; Eugene Tssui, architect
TELOS: The Fantastic World of Eugene Tssui: Upcoming Showtimes


text: My love for Morrissey is as strong as ever. Morrissey fans are a very interesting and devoted bunch. Our devotion to Morrissey is strong and never ending. Ask any Morrissey fan and they will try and explain it. But it really is hard to understand unless you are yourself a devoted Morrissey fan. From the first moment I heard him for the first time I was a huge fan. One of my friends in high school made me a tape of Morrissey's first album. From that moment on I fell in love with the man and his music. Some of us may have lost a little interest in his music over the last decade. But we never lost interest in Morrissey. The love and excitement surrounding just the mention of his name was as strong as ever. However, the insterest in his albums was not the same. But Morrissey put out an amazing album a couple of years ago. "You Are the Quarry" came out in 2004. I think he probably surprised some people with this album. He had finally made an album as exciting as those early albums. I think that a lot of fans still loved him because of their memories of his early solo albums and those of The Smiths. Those albums created a lasting bond between album and fan. They sort of became our best friend and were always there for us. Morrissey was great to listen to by yourself in your room. But also to sing along to with your best friend driving around in your car. It was exciting to also have a new album to be excited about. The first single was "Irish Blood, English Heart." I think I listened to it just as much as "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Sing Your Life" from the first two albums. Instead of buying every British magazine with articles about Morrissey, I was searching the fansites and blogs and reading interviews online. Instead of staying up late to try and catch videos on MTV, I was watching his videos on YouTube. I was a bit older and the media had changed a bit. But Morrissey was in my life just as he was in 1988.


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John F Kennedy Konrad Adenauer 1963 Silver Germany
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Made me laugh - it's a take on the cliche that I haven't seen before.
Made me laugh - it's a take on the cliche that I haven't seen before.
I love it.
Awe, its cute, i love it
good idea...made my day!
Vvvvvery cool. With all the over excessive imagery being thrown at us daily it's great to see that something so simplistic can pack a big punch. Great work and good luck!
Once it gets printed I am ordering the first one!
I'm really excited about this design. It speaks on many levels, all of which appeal to me. $$$5!
that movie Robots had that lol. i was wonderin when someone was going to make a shirt about it. awesome. i like it.
funny and simple. i like it.
Not sure wether its a rip off or just luck but I've seen this before in Computer Arts somewhere.
this is my favorite sxsw one
good job $5
Ok... I know there was an entry that looked like this a little bit ago....Like right on the nose like this. I know its not your fault, I just kinda feel bad when duplicates happen unknowingly. But I like the idea when you do it too lol.
they should definately make out.
i laughed. hah, i love it. it's so cute.
o how true it is!
I adore it, even if it does evoke dirty things in my mind. That's probably my fault though, as my mind is often in the gutter~
Regardless, $5!
hahaa, me and my boyfriend had costumes like that for halloween before. rock on.
hahahahah i love!!!
I would definately wear this, I love the design.
My only comment would be to print it on a darker shirt, like charcoal or heather grey.
no one seems to listen to me on this...but please PLEASE smaller and higher.
hahaha SOOO SEXY!! LOL
i like this
Really nice! Is it just me, or are the peoples' "heads" about to touch the neck of the shirt? It looks about 2 inches away from the neck of the shirt. I have to say the opposite of Dicentra; maybe a bit lower, but not more then an inch.
Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention; 5$. xD
i know a lot of people that would love that shirt...good job. $5
Haha this made me laugh
This was done before. not burning its just been done, with a more clever take on it.
Give it a 3 for design
I really like this one. I like the placement exactly where it is. Original. I really like the blue and grey one.


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Five people have been taken to the hospital with varying degrees of burns, smoke inhalation and other injuries after a noontime house fire on Thanksgiving in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn.
One of the victims was an infant about six to eight months old who went into cardiac arrest, authorities said.
Police now say the fire was started by a cigarette left on a mattress in the apartment.
About 10 fire units and 50 firefighters responded to the fire at 615 President St., a three-story brownstone, according to deputy assistant chief Joe Woznica. They were able to knock out the fire on the top floor within five minutes, but all five occupants of the apartment had injuries.
Two adult twin sisters lived in the apartment with their boyfriends, along with one of the women's infant child, according to neighbors and officials.
One of the men escaped the apartment on his own, smashing through a streetside window, and jumping onto a lower-floor awning, then to the ground to get out of the apartment.
He was bleeding with cuts from the broken window, said neighbors.
"The window was busted," said neighbor Elaine Evelyn. "He looked like he was going to throw himself out the window."
"Eventually he climbed over to the awning, and he sat there screaming, 'The baby, the baby, help, help,'" said Evelyn. "And when I looked, I saw smoke -- clear white smoke coming out of the window he came out of."
Responding firefighters found the other victims in the front room of the top floor. The infant and the other man who lived there were in cardiac arrest, Woznica said.
They were able to be revived on the scene, but were taken to Methodist Hospital in critical condition.
Two others were taken to Cornell with severe burns. One other victim was taken to Kings County Hospital with burns and smoke inhalation.
The roof was left charred and ripped out after the blaze was extinguished.


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Looking for ideas for activities and things to do for a romantic getaway or family vacation to Asheville and the mountains of North Carolina? Here's our bucket list of 25 favorites, according to our 5.5 million website visits in 2016! Whether it's a romantic escape like a honeymoon, wedding or anniversary, or an vacation with friends and family, check these out. (Photo above is Crabtree Falls.)
Update: Lonely Planet (the largest guidebook publisher in the world) named Asheville as the Number One Destination in the USA for 2017. According to their survey, "2017 sees one of the USA's most eclectic and innovative small cities step firmly into the national spotlight. Asheville welcomes everyone with open arms and has been quietly emerging as a haven for creative spirits for decades." They noted our 200 artists in the River Arts District, our huge number of local craft beers, impressive chefs, the French Broad River and the Blue Ridge Mountains. We've been telling folks this for 14 years!
Asheville Bucket List 2017
Looking for many more ideas for your trip? See our Top 300 Things to Do in Asheville and the mountains.


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QUESTION: I have a Goebel figurine featuring a baby boy standing over a turtle. The trademark on the bottom, identical to the logo used on Hummel figurines, indicates the piece was made between 1972 and 1979. The bottom also has the initials "da." All efforts to find out more about this piece have failed. Can you be of any help?
– KS, via e-mail
ANSWER: Franz Detleff Goebel, a porcelain merchant, and his son William founded Goebel in 1871. The firm, located in Oeslau (later renamed Rödental), Germany, initially made slate pencils and children's marbles. Franz and William asked the Duke of Coburg for permission to build a porcelain factory. Fearing a fire, the Duke said no. Franz and William persisted and prevailed. Goebel produced its first porcelain pieces in 1879.
Goebel specialized in producing dinnerware and figurines. When the Depression struck, the firm expanded its product line to include ashtrays, bookends, candleholders and lamps. In March 1935 Goebel launched its line of M.I. Hummel figurines.
Although Hummel figurines were only one of many Goebel product lines, they are the focus of almost all research efforts. Finding information about Chariot Byj's "Red Heads," "Co-Boy" figurines, Blumenkinder, Friar Tuck and other Goebel lines made during the 1970s is difficult.
Since no pictures accompanied your e-mail, I cannot provide further help. You might have one of Chariot Byj's "Red Heads" (there are more than 100 child figures in the series) or "Blondes" (16 figures in the series). The Blumenkinder series depicts boys and/or girls experiencing common events.
Send a picture of your figurine to the Goebel Porzellanmuseum (Coburger Strasse 7, Rödental Germany) and ask them to provide the history of your piece. If this fails, then consider a trip to Rödental to do your own research.
QUESTION: I recently purchased a handled, small, silver-plated bowl on a pedestal base. I would not have given it much thought, but the "R.M.S. SAXONIA" engraved on its side attracted my interest. Are items from 1940s/1950s ocean liners collectible?
– IA, Toronto, Canada, via e-mail
ANSWER: On February 17, 1954, Cunard Lines launched the 21,637 gross-ton RMS Saxonia, one of the last ships built for the transatlantic passenger trade. Lady Winston Churchill christened the ship. This was the second ship in the Cunard fleet that utilized this name; the first RMS Saxonia was built in 1905 and retired in 1925.
In 1962 the RMS Saxonia was refitted and renamed the RMS Carmania. The liner traveled the Caribbean and Mediterranean in the winter and spent the balance of the year on the Rotterdam-Southampton-Canada runs. Due to changes in U.S. fire regulations for passenger ships, the RMS Carmania had to cancel a 1968 trip from Port Everglades. Renovations were made, and the ship left Port Everglades in January 1969 only to run aground on a sandbank off San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. Three months later it collided with the Frunze, a Russian vessel.
Black Sea Shipping, a Russian company, bought the ship in August 1973 and renamed it Leonid Sobinov. It ended its service in October 1995 registered to Valletta of Malta.
Ocean liner passengers frequently borrowed or liberated (polite terms for lifted or stole) table accessories such as creamers, napkin holders, sugars, salt and pepper shakers, or similar smalls. Perhaps this is why transoceanic companies preferred silver plate rather than sterling as the metal of choice for tableware accessories.
Secondary market value rests primarily on the reputation of the ship. Whatever knowledge I may have had about the RMS Saxonia was lost until my Google search. The value of your silver-plated bowl is between $20 and $25, perhaps a little more to a collector of Cunard liner items.
Ocean liner memorabilia was a hot collectible in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The market has cooled considerably, caused in part by the end of the golden age of transoceanic liner travel. Few are willing to invest seven days in an Atlantic crossing that can now be done in seven to nine hours in the air.
TRIVIA QUESTION: What does RMS stand for when used in a ship's title?
QUESTION: I have copies of the first four issues of "EROS" magazine. The issues have a hard rather than soft cover. Do they have any value?
– DF, Fargo, ND
ANSWER: Ralph Ginzberg edited "EROS," a quarterly hard cover magazine devoted to eroticism. Volume One, Number One was issued on Valentine's Day 1962. Only four issues of the magazine were published. "EROS" is tame by today's sexual standards. However, it created a major controversy at the time.
"EROS," named for the Greek god of love and desire, was part of the 1960s sexual revolution. Contributors included Albert Ellis, Nat Hentoff, and Arthur Herzog. Topics covered a wide variety of sexual issues in areas such as art, history, literature and politics. Herb Lubalin, a leading typrographer/art director of the era, created the layouts. Ginsburg pushed the envelope of propriety by publishing Ralph M. Hattersley, Jr.'s interracial love photo essay as well as Bert Stern's portfolio of a nude Marilyn Monroe.
Ginzberg's three million direct-mail circulars promoting the magazine caused a bigger stir than the magazine. The Postmaster General received more than 25,000 letters of complaint. Ginzberg was charged with "sending obscene matter through the mails" in violation of the 1873 Comstock Act. In December 1963, Ginzberg was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. Appeals delayed his incarceration for 10 years. He began serving his five-year sentence at the Lewisburg (Pa.) Penitentiary on Feb. 17, 1972. He was paroled eight months later.
Sets of the four "EROS" issues are very common. It is not the type of publication that subscribers tended to discard once they finished reading it. Number 1, 2, and 4 list for around $30 per volume. Number 3, the issue containing the Marilyn Monroe photographs, books for around $90. Full sets sell at a reduced rate as opposed to a premium. Asking prices range from $90 to $120. They are a tough sell. Every collector who wants a set has one. New collectors wait to buy until they find a set at a bargain price. As time passes, "EROS" will become but a footnote in the history of the 1960s-1970s sexual revolution and Ralph Ginzberg largely forgotten.
QUESTION: My father died and left me a collection of a dozen Frederic Remington bronze statues, one of which has a label reading "Frederic Remington / Coming Thru the Rye." He acquired them over the years at auctions and local art galleries. Do they have any value?
– AR, Buffalo, NY
ANSWER: Let's start with basics. The chances of your father's Frederic Remington sculptures being period pieces are somewhere between slim and none. They are reproductions. Assuming this, the only questions remaining are (1) the quality of the reproductions and (2) their resale value.
Reproductions of Remington sculptures have existed for decades. They were a popular "salted" auction item in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most were made by a reproduction bronze casting manufacturer located near Chattanooga, Tenn. "Salted" is a term used when an auctioneer adds newly purchased reproductions (exact copies), copycats (stylistic reproductions) and fakes (items deliberately meant to deceive) to an estate auction hoping buyers will assume that the new items are part of the estate and, hence, older than they really are.
Several contemporary bronze manufacturers offer reproduction copies of Remington's "Coming Thru the Rye," as well as several dozen of his other sculptures. Bronze Works sells a 29-inch-by-28-inch version for $1,899 or a "museum quality" version for $3,299. F & R Bronze lists a 29-inch-by-30-inch version for $2,737, but discounts it at $2.295. Bronze Direct offers a 30-inch-by-30-inch version for $2,500.
The issue is not what these reproductions sell for new, but what they achieve in the secondary market. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when I encountered a Craigslist listing by a Houston seller asking $3,750 for a "collector edition," #44 of #100, of "Coming Thru the Rye." You never know; there are plenty of fools out there.
When reproduction Remington statues appear on the secondary market, anything over a dime on the initial purchase dollar makes the seller a winner. The quality of these Remington reproductions is poor to fair at best. Their only value is decorative. They are not—repeat NOT—works of art, no matter what the certificate of authenticity that accompanies many of them states.
The good news is that these statues do sell at 10 to 15 cents on the dollar on eBay. At the moment, the collection of Remington reproductions in your basement is worthless, until you decide to sell. Whatever you get when you sell them is more money than you have now. My advice is to send them to a reputable auctioneer or list them on eBay and to let them ride.
Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out his Web site.
You can listen and participate in Harry's antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show "Whatcha Got?" on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.
"Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property" (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry's latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry's Web site: http://www.harryrinker.com.
Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 22 Stillwater Circle, Brookfield, CT 06804. You can e-mail your questions to firstname.lastname@example.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.
Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2010
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Latest Activity: Played Boxhead: 2Play Rooms (Mar 7, 2015 9:18pm)
Points needed for next level: 88 Level
Im 100059348382 years old, i live in mars in a tropical island full of space monkeys. I love to cake swim on cake toppings and go sailing in the sink. I glitter at the sight of poo, and my donkey buys some land. I mean.. its like a hippie sunbathing with a cow. And no… im not crazy. This bio was written by my 15 year old self.
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Application Center Feature Set
Microsoft Application Center 2000 (Application Center) provides a number of features designed to simplify cluster management.
Cluster Services
An Application Center cluster is a set of servers that serve the same content to clients (for example, Web pages and COM+ components). Application Center simplifies the creation and management of clusters through the use of wizards and a Microsoft Management Console (MMC)–based user interface.
Application Center supports the following cluster types:
General (Web-tier) Cluster
A general cluster is any standard cluster that uses a group of servers to process client requests. These clusters can include:
Web servers
Database servers
E-mail servers
Staging/deployment servers
COM+ load-balanced routing servers
Stand-alone servers (clusters with one member only)
COM+ Application Cluster
A COM+ application cluster handles processing of COM+ components exclusively. When Web servers or clusters instantiate objects for COM+ components, the method calls to instantiate the objects can be load balanced across multiple cluster members within a COM+ cluster.
For clusters that handle both COM+ activations and Web sites, use the general cluster type.
COM+ Routing Cluster
A COM+ routing cluster uses Component Load Balancing (CLB) to route requests for COM+ components from a general cluster to a COM+ application cluster.
Note Most of the time, COM+ routing clusters are not needed. Web clusters can communicate to back-end COM+ clusters over load-balanced DCOM without an intervening COM+ routing cluster. This works because each general cluster member acts as its own router for determining which remote COM+ server should receive remote COM+ component activation.
COM+ routing clusters are useful when COM+ load balancing is required from one general cluster across multiple COM+ application clusters. This is because this release of Application Center CLB is limited to a single list of remote servers for every routing server (that is, every member in a general cluster). This means that if you require load-balanced COM+ activations from one general cluster across multiple COM+ clusters, a COM+ routing cluster is required for load balancing the second and subsequent COM+ clusters.
A COM+ routing cluster typically comprises two members that are using Network Load Balancing (NLB) to ensure availability of the COM+ router.
Load Balancing
Load balancing is used to distribute workload among cluster members. Application Center supports three types of load balancing:
NLB is the IP load-balancing technology that is provided as part of Microsoft Windows® 2000 Advanced Server and Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. It is also shipped with Application Center to allow Windows 2000 Server to support NLB while running Application Center. With NLB, incoming TCP traffic, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) traffic, and Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) traffic requests are distributed among cluster members.
COM+ allows developers to write software components in a variety of languages. Because the location of COM+ components is transparent, they can run in a distributed environment. Using CLB, Application Center takes advantage of this to provide load-balanced activation of COM+ components across a cluster. CLB ships as part of Application Center.
Other Load-Balancing Devices
Application Center is compatible with other load-balancing devices and they can be used together with the deployment and monitoring capabilities provided by Application Center. However, in this version, Application Center does not actively manage these devices. The Microsoft Application Center Resource Kit includes software that allows limited integration of other load-balancing devices. This software allows you to set members offline and online from both the Application Center snap-in and the command line. You can also use a Windows Management Interface (WMI) provider (included in the Resource Kit) for the device to monitor the state of cluster members.
Synchronization and Deployment
Application Center manages cluster synchronization and deployment. Application Center uses a single application image to represent all of the required content for a solution (for example, a Web site). The application image can include Web sites, Web pages, COM+ applications, system settings, and any other content that must be installed on each cluster member.
Deployment is the process of copying an initial application image from one cluster to another. Typically, deployment occurs from a staging, or a prepatory, cluster to a production cluster that holds the live content. During deployment, the application image is copied to the cluster controller of the recipient cluster.
A cluster controller maintains the latest, most accurate content for a cluster. The controller is responsible for synchronizing its content to all of the cluster members. If the content on the controller changes, perhaps as a result of an incoming deployment, changes are synchronized automatically to each cluster member. You can also perform synchronization manually.
Note Application Center is not intended for use as a deployment tool for operating systems, system components (such as Service Packs [SPs]), or computer programs, such as Microsoft Word.
To maximize availability, you must understand events and performance metrics of a cluster. For example, a certain event might represent impending failure, or a CPU utilization metric creeping upwards of 90 percent can indicate that you need to add an additional server to the cluster. Application Center provides a rich set of monitoring features that allow you to detect, analyze, and fix performance and availability problems.
Events and performance metrics are stored on each member. Performance metrics can be aggregated across a cluster and viewed in real-time or over long periods, enabling you to spot immediate problems or chart long-running trends. Application Center also rolls up events from multiple members into a single view, which expedites processing and filtering events for the system administrator.
The Microsoft Health Monitor 2.1 functionality that is built into Application Center allows you to set thresholds on a wide variety of system and application information, such as Windows Event Logs, HTTP calls, Windows service failures, any WMI event or instance, and when thresholds are exceeded. You can use this functionality to send automated e-mail notification or run command-line scripts.
The primary administrative interface for Application Center is the MMC, which is a Windows 2000 tool that is used to create, save, and open collections of administrative tools, called consoles.
Through MMC, you can administer an Application Center cluster locally or through a secure remote connection. Additionally, limited administration can be performed remotely via the Web-based management interface (the Web-based Administrative client).
Whichever user interface is used, Application Center provides a view of the cluster and its members. With both the Application Center MMC snap-in and Web-based Administrative client, you can administer more than one cluster at the same time.
Application Center also includes a command-line tool, which you can use to automate administration and management of Application Center.
Did you find this information useful? Please send your suggestions and comments about the documentation to


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The Boston Archdiocese asked a judge on Monday to dismiss all priest sexual abuse lawsuits against on First Amendment grounds, saying the motion could speed settlements with clergy sex abuse victims.
Archdiocese officials also have selected church property that could be sold to settle abuse claims judgments.
The motion filed Monday argued that the Constitution's guarantee of freedom of religion precludes state action in the abuse scandal.
Bishop Richard G. Lennon, apostolic administrator of the archdiocese, had said the motion was intended to satisfy insurance companies' requirements that the church do everything it can in its own defense before they would contribute to the settlement of claims.
"Failure to do this could very well result in the insurance companies walking away from us, saying that we have not exercised all of our avenues of defense," Lennon had said Sunday.
If the motion is upheld by Superior Court Judge Constance Sweeney, more than 400 claims that could cost the church millions of dollars would be thrown out. Sweeney set Monday as the deadline for filing the motion.
Meanwhile, Lennon said he was hopeful the church could settle the lawsuits by selling some of its real estate holdings and by using insurance money.
Lennon said he has selected church properties for sale, and has directed church officials to put them on the market as soon as possible. However he has not said which properties will be sold.
A law firm advising the archdiocese has concluded that the church has at least $90 million available for a settlement, most of it through coverage provided by insurance companies.
Lawyers for victims said the legal motion to get the suits rejected was expected and that they expect it will be rejected.
Lennon, in his first news conference last week, said he backs efforts to settle lawsuits accusing church leaders of turning a blind eye to claims that priests molested children.
Still, Lennon would not rule out sending the archdiocese into bankruptcy as the church struggles to find a way to resolve the lawsuits. Before his resignation Dec. 13, Cardinal Bernard F. Law also considered the option.
The Boston Archdiocese isn't the only one struggling with the financial implications of the scandal. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced over the weekend that it has scrapped plans for an $18 million Catholic Heritage Center, citing the abuse crisis, a shaky economy and competition from Sept. 11 charities.
"It would have been insensitive and inappropriate to ask Catholics to contribute to something that is a tribute to the Catholic faith at a time when trust in the church has been shaken," archdiocese spokeswoman Catherine Rossi said.
The project, in the works for nearly two years, would have been the largest archdiocesan museum of its kind. Private donors had pledged more than $6.4 million.


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County Commission Begins Budget Process
Karen Shade - April 26, 2016 5:55 pm
Saline County Commissioners studied budgetary matters while several department directors prepared for potential bad weather.
Road Issues
County Counselor Mike Montoya briefed Commissioners on a conversation Montoya had with a representative of Union Pacific railroads. UP owns the railroad crossing on East Country Club Drive, near Scoular elevator. The work completed last year has a "one year guarantee". Beyond that, Montoya said UP was committed to "maintaining it as it needs to be maintained". Montoya said UP does not currently plan to make a permanent fix. A UP employee is supposed to check this crossing weekly.
At Open Forum, a concerned citizen spoke about problematic road conditions at Water Well Road and Lightville Road. Another discussion focused on the adequacy of ditches.
Road and Bridge Director Gary Nash spoke to Commissioners about the process to be used in sending out requests for bids on repairing/replacing segments of the electrical section, the exhaust system, and both the "overhead" and "man" doors at the R&B shop. At least 190 individuals have registered as "contractors" in Saline County but significantly fewer have the bonding and licensing required by the County. Last week, Commissioners learned that no bids had been submitted to do the desired work. As a result, the County is proceeding with plans to bid specific projects and perhaps act as its own "general contractor".
2017 Budget
Commissioners continued work on the 2017 budget. Previously, they set the baseline for the 2017 budget to parallel what was budgeted for 2016. Today, they heard "appeals" for additional money.
- The County Attorney requested an additional $30,000 for appellate work.
- Legal Services asked for additional copiers and interpreter hours.
- The Sheriff's Office requested an additional $37,533 for staff overtime, as well as $138,966 for inmate medical expenses, $344,000 for contract housing (of inmates outside of the county) and additional monies for the contracted food service.
- Community Corrections asked for $9,200 to cover the cost of attorneys at Drug Court.
- Road and Bridge requested funds for additional gravel.
Commissioners also considered requests for the following Capital Improvement Plans:
- The County Attorney requested additional office space, on the third floor.
- The Courts requested an additional courtroom.
- The County Clerk is looking to replace voting machines acquired in 2002. Don Merriman said he has looked at different systems and he would be glad to schedule a study session for the Commissioners and public to learn more.
- Road and Bridge Shop improvements. For a couple of years, the Commission specifically banked money for a new shop and deferred some road projects; given the condition of the roads and perhaps the impending improvements to the shop, some questioned whether the County would need to continue to divert $800,000/year to this fund.
- GIS asked for both a plotter and pictometry (aerial imaging).
Jail Challenges
Undersheriff Roger Soldan and Lieutenant Sean Kochanowski updated the Commissioners on two recent plumbing issues in the jail. Problems with a sewer line under the "booking area" will likely cost $15,000; this is separate from another request in the 2017 budget to replace a different section of the sewer line "in the old jail". Additionally, leaking water has forced the jail to house eight inmates outside of the county, bringing the current number of inmates housed outside of the county to 99. On average, 152-165 inmates are housed on-site.
Commissioners also heard a request to convert $8,000 appropriated in the 2016 budget for a commercial mixer at the jail to additional tasers; last year, the Commission declined to budget for a $20,500 mixer. Commissioner Monte Shadwick said he would help jail staff locate a mixer for $8,000.
In a related matter, County Administrator Rita Deister is negotiating with the City on what the City pays to house its inmates in the County's jail. In 2013, it cost $43.50/day to house an inmate, while in 2015, the cost was $48.30/day.
Marquette Recreation District Proposed
Scott Johnson and Ron Larson spoke to Commissioners on behalf of using "home rule" to allow multiple counties to declare the boundaries of a fire district to also serve dual purpose for a recreation district in the Marquette area. Part of this proposed district is in Saline County. Lyons did something similar in the 70s. Both are circulating petitions in favor of this project.
A recreation district could be created along school district boundaries, but Larson and Johnson said that this would not give taxpayers as much control of decisions to increase the mil levy. The project would have to be approved by the McPherson County Commission in order to proceed.
- Presented two $1,000 renewable scholarships to Westley Jennings and Kyle Suhr from the Oliver Haag Scholarship fund.
- Proclaimed May as Older Americans Month.
- Re-appointed Leslie Berndt and Tom Rickstrew to serve three-year terms on the Planning Commission.
- Re-appointed Janice Morris, Kirk Cusick, Tom Rickstrew and Kevin Watts to serve three-year terms on the Board of Zoning.
- Approved the bid to replace a bridge on Water Well Road, 0.4 miles west of Powers Road by King Construction, for $596,374.
- Approved the bid of $1,756,809 from APAC to do hot-mix patching, leveling, surface coverage, and profile milling for specific, designated projects.
- Realized a savings of approximately $20/unit by going out to bid for 16 Desktop PC replacements, beyond the State's contract price.
- Signed an amendment to the FY15 Juvenile Justice Block Grant.
Commissioners will meet Wednesday, April 27 at 8:30 to continue work on the budget.
Commissioner Dave Smith was absent.
Thanks for the reporting Karen.


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Lost all my notes from our trip and now it is too late to re-construct it day-by-day. However I DO have some great photos, which I have collated and labelled.
I will also post an album of the places we stayed, with web links and a short summary/ assessment for each.
A footnote on flights: We travelled via KLM from Montreal to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Lyon --- a great, simple regional airport. Our return to A'dam was via Marseilles, another small, unhurried (as in: "virtually empty at midday") regional airport. No additional cost for the "open jaws" routing.
After years of flying Air France, we are finding more and more things we prefer about KLM. We found there was more legroom in economy on KLM and the cabin staff seemed friendlier. (Hope that does not change with the AF/ KLM takeover) I am not a CDG-basher but Schiphol seems much less stressful.
I'll post this now -- I prefer to keep my posts short -- but will be back with more photos and info soon.
Recent ActivityView all Europe activity »
- 1 Leaving Paris. Just a little sad.
- 2 Help With Itinerary By Train: London, Paris, Nice, Florence
- 3 Tips for first trip to UK
- 4 land vs river cruise
- 5 Portugal
- 6 Planning to visit Italy in first 2 weeks of Jan
- 7 Where to stay in Naples?
- 8 Rome, Tuscany & Umbria
- 9 Pubs showing NFL football in London?
- 10 FCO hotel for late arrival?
- 11 Lisbon neighborhoods
- 12 Restaurant suggestion Bamberg
- 13 Browsing Barcelona
- 14 Spain December/ January 2018/19
- 15 Malaga Christmas lights
- 16 Sampling Some of Sicily and Bits of Italy Beyond
- 17 Croatia in mid/late October
- 18 Looking for Good Eating in Valencia
- 19 ROMA Pass inclusions. - 3 days in Rome
- 20 Help with Venice Trip?
- 21 Dubrovnik
- 22 What happened to Sundriedtopepo
- 23 The Little Cyclades, Santorini, Vienna
- 24 [Crete] Trapped in Skouloufia? Please help!
- 25 Norte Dame light show!
Tedgale Photos and Trip info: Rhone delta, Aix en Provence, Uzes in Oct. 09
Lost all my notes from our trip and now it is too late to re-construct it day-by-day. However I DO have some great photos, which I have collated and labelled.
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thanks Ted. Having visited all the places you photographed, brought back many happy memories for me,
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How nice to take a virtual trip to the south of France. Thank you.
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Thanks cigale. These locations were pretty much all repeats for us.
I just can't find a nicer southern town than Uzes. It is close enough to other great places (Nimes, Pont du Gard, Arles, Avignon, Villeneuve les Avignon, Les Stes Marie de la Mer, Aigues Mortes, Alpilles, Les Baux) that it makes a good base for a week.
In Uzes, we tended to eat in, alone or with friends. I kept meaning to try new restaurants but we enjoyed shopping and cooking too much.
We did go once or twice to the Pizza du Duche. To call this a pizza restaurant is seriously to understate its charms and the excellence of the cooking.
I like the meal-sized salade de gesier to start -- loads of duck gizzard + slivesr of magret, lardons, frisee salad, egg, onion, with a zesty vinaigrette. Followed by a thin-crust pizza that we would generally split.
If we were to dine out more seriously, it would be a toss up between the restaurant "Parenthese" (at the Hostellerie Provencale) and "Les 80 Jours" (slightly more casual, less classic). Or Bistrot de Grezac or Zanelli.
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Hello, Nikki!
Here is an album of the places we stayed on this trip:
Addresses for these three places, which I promise to describe and assess, are:
Cluny apartment:
Uzes 3 bedroom house:
Aix en Provence B&B:
Now, the first place shown here is NOT in the south. It is in Cluny, Burgundy, where we spent the first 4 days of our trip. Sorry.
The place is amazing, though, so those looking for southern accommodation should just waste a couple of minutes savouring it.
The second and third places shown are in the south: A one-week rental in Uzes, about 30 Miles W of Avignon, and then we spent the last 3 nights at a lovely B&B on the outskirts of Aix en Provence.
SIDEBAR NOTE: If anyone is interested: the place in marvellous Cluny, La Maison Tupinier, is a one-bedroom apartment in a C. 17 hotel particulier. The home was the subject of a 10 page spread in Cote Sud some time ago and you can see why....
Though the apartment was fully equipped with a kitchen, the price included a breakfast served by the owner in his over-the-top dining room.
BTW: It's right in the centre of this historic small town. A great base for touring the Maconnais and Beaujolais vineyards + those further North, toward Beaune.
OK I'm done with Burgundy and will get back to reporting on the places we stayed in the south.
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Great photos, Ted! I want to go back to the south of France.
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Hi, moolyn. BTW: We got a great deal on the Uzes house, a place where we have stayed before. We paid ...ummm, 450 E for the week in early October.
I hesitate even to mention this, as others will want to book it.
We parked for free a couple of blocks away. A few signs of wear and tear since we last rented ..but overall, it was a very comfortable house in a great location just outside the central medieval "ring" of Uzes.
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Here is my tripadvisor report on the Pavillon de Beauregard, just on the outskirts of Aix en Provence:
"Panoramic views + great pool + spotless room + warm, thoughtful hosts"
The Pavillon has gradually been brought back from years of neglect by Jerome Voeux and his mother, a gifted artist whose paintings are reminiscent of Miro and Matisse.
They are the kindest and most civilized of hosts -- even allowing me to use their personal computer for my daily e-mail fix.
This 12 acre estate on the edge of Aix has terrific views from its excellent pool. The poolside has an outdoor kitchen where we cooked and ate dinner on two evenings, rather than face the descent to Aix and its problematic traffic and parking.
Restoration of the remainder of the grounds is ...a work in progress. (The path to the pool looks a bit rough -- but who cares?)
Our room, La Pastorale, was immaculate, beautifully furnished and well equipped with rain-forest shower, a mini-fridge stocked with free soft-drinks, local candies, thick towels...
Breakfasts, served in the family salon, were generous and served with great style -- a different china service and colour scheme each day!
As Monsieur Voeux said, "Faites comme chez vous est la devise de la maison" -- "Make yourself at home is the motto of this house".
If Aix attracts you but you do not want to be in the centre, this is the place to stay.
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Tedgale, merci buttercups for your pics and reminiscences of Provence. Loved your living quarters. Looks as if you had great weather. Many more happy travels....
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tedgale - Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos. Your occasional use of shade in some of the photos is quite special. It sounds like you had a wonderful time away. Besides the wind, it looks like you had wonderful weather.
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Tedgale: You are the STAR of finding the most interesting and intriguingly beautiful places to stay!!
I love Uzes, where I stayed in 1979 at a small hotel, former chateau of Marie d'Agoult, who was the lover of some famous writer, name escapes me, slightly out of town. Does it ring a bell? The food was superb!
Then stayed near Uzes with friends twenty years later, and loved going to this perfect French town!
On the same trip we went to Aigues Mortes and Les Saintes Meres - so your photos really brought it all back. Lovely pics.
more, please, you are truly a great help in planning and reminiscing.
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taconic: The hotel is still there and still going strong. It is called the Hotel Chateau d'Arpaillargues. It is quite expensive and has a noted restaurant.
I've visited the (tiny) village -- in fact, we once stayed about 2 km away, in an even smaller village called Aureilhac, at a great B&B called Mas de Luna.
Marie comtesse d'Agoult was the lover of Liszt and had 3 children by him. She wrote under the name Daniel Stern.
By the way, speaking of places to stay:
Our rental was pretty ideal for 2 but would be fine for up to 6 people. The top floor master bedroom is spacious, airy and very atmospheric. It has its own bath and an extra room where we did ironing and kept luggage.
The kitchen is large and workable and has a washroom off it with tiny washing machine.
On the second floor are two bedrooms that we did not use. You must walk through one to get to the stairs to the Master bedroom. The bathroom on this level is large.
Unfortunately, the renovation of this house used very banal tiles and fixtures in the baths and kitchen -- think "low-end Home Depot". The fault is merely aesthetic; the plumbing is fine.
I did sometimes think "If only...". The house is in other ways a little gem. The mainfloor living room is quite charming, with UK satellite TV.
People who don't want to rent a whole house and stay a whole week could look at other nearby options. Maison de la Bourgade offers fancy rooms on a B&B basis but also has self-catering studios in an adjacent building that are rented at the incredible rate of 350 E/ week.
I have not visited the rooms at the Hostellerie Provencale but I would certainly check out that option, just on the basis of their fine restaurant.
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I wanted to add in another Uzes B&B in the vicinity of our rented house. It is one where we previously stayed, called Au Quinze:
I would double check against tripadvisor if considering this place. The building is fantastic and the owners very pleasant. Yet I know they were finding the business a bit more work than they cared for. The owner told us how she longed to stop and rest up a bit and thought of buying a small place elsewhere in town.
Perhaps in consequence, the garden and pool were looking a bit neglected when we were there. Still "un bel adresse", however.
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Hey tedgale, We'll be in Lyon in March so I will enjoy your report. Bookmarking for a fun read!
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Are you staying in Lyon or venturing outside the metropolitan area?
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I am going to start -- but will not finish on this post -- my Top Ten (in no particular order) from this portion of our trip:
1. Les Saintes Marie de la Mer: I disliked the honky-tonk Camargue seaside town the first time we visited, off season. Now I have a very different take. Leave the town and its seaside promenade and head E from town. On the edge of town is a carpark mostly used by RV drivers (AKA caravanners). We paid the 3E parking fee and were able to drive about 2 km to where the road peters out. The we walked on a 500m wide beach that seemed to stretch into infinity. Behind some dunes are brackish ponds with pink flamingoes. The beach had few people that Sunday. Riders on horseback shared the beach with sailboarders, aged naturists and kite enthusiasts. For someone who grew up 800 miles from the sea, this was pretty special.
2. Aigues Mortes: A medieval town, once a major port of the Camargue, it was founded on the orders of King Louis/ St. Louis as the staging point for Crusades against the infidel. The glorious town walls are intact.
This is a centre of bull-running or more correctly tauromachie, (wh no longer involves fighting and killing the bulls). It has also had a gimcrack carnival each time we visited. The contrast of medieval stones and amusement park rides was, shall we say, piquant. So is the fact you cannot park your car on the streets some days, when bulls are being run.
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Ted...I always enjoy your reports, they are always full of great nuggets of information...now off to check out the pictures!
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staying overnight in Aigues Mortes is one of my fondest memories, being serenaded at dinner by wannabee gypsy Kings.
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tedgale: thanks for reminding me of the Chateau d'Arpaillargues! We had such a grand time there with our English friends, who DROVE us from England down to southern France. the food was just lovely - I STILL have the menus! No wonder my DH thinks I should clean out my travel files!
It was a treasured time.
I urge all Fodorites to travel as much as they can. It is the way to learn about the world, and about yourself.
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On this trip, Menton will be base 1 for 5 nights and Lyon base 2 for 5 nights. Instead of hurrying back home, we'll stop in London for 3 nights at the end of the trip.
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ps-Beautiful pictures!
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What great pictures, Ted. Love seeing this through your camera.
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I aspire to be living your life someday, Ted. Thanks for sharing.
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3. St Victor la Coste: I knew nothing of this village except for having bookmarked a "lead" for a house rental. We found the house was already booked when I inquired -- but the town sounded so interesting that I wanted to see it.
One day we set off, via tiny twisty backroads that led us through a desert of garrigue (scrub) and pitted limestone, to St Victor, NE of Uzes near Tavel.
The town, which is hidden in low hills, is quite typical of the area -- pretty but unremarkable. The great draw is the magnificently situated ruined castle, far far above the village. The paths were not difficult but when I reached the summit, the mistral nearly blew me off the hillside. Doorways and windows act as funnels, so the force of the wind changes markedly as you walk around. My T-shirt was around my chin at one point. I suddenly thought "This is REALLY stupid of me. I should not be here alone." But the views and the atmosphere of the place compensated for any risk and discomfort.
St Victor is somewhat isolated in barren surroundings but within 10 miles there are lots of pretty towns, some of which have fine views east to the Mt Ventoux -- clearly visible on that day.
4. A day trip to N Vaucluse and the Dentelles de Montmirail: This is NE of Uzes and N of the more frequented parts of Vaucluse (the Luberon Valley -- Peter Mayle/ Year in Provence country). Great wine country -- the familiar names are Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Baumes de Venise, Cairanne. Chateauneuf du Pape is nearby. The hill-towns (Gigondas, Seguret) are pretty-pretty; the settlements on the plain are more work-a-day commercial centres. It is not unusual to have to slow down for farm machinery, esp those rolling hoppers of grapes. In Autumn, the smell of fermentation hangs heavy in the air, especially in the vicinity of the local Cave Cooperative.
Last year we stayed for a week in nearby Seguret and feasted at the Table du Comtat, whose dining room looks West, across a fertile plain to the Cevennes and South toward the limestone lacework of the Dentelles de Montmirail.
As I enjoy heights (but not X-treme sports) the Dentelles have been a fascination of mine. They are quite walkable for the reasonably fit and well-shod.
I'm unclear whether the name really comes from "dentelle" (lace) or whether this is a diminutive of "dents" (teeth). Either would be a fair descriptor. The long line of jagged spikes rises straight up out of a wooded hillside and runs for several miles. I have climbed them once but on this very very windy day, good sense prevailed and we merely appreciated their grandeur from below.
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I was looking for some shots of pretty, chic St Siffret, just outside Uzes. I found this rapportage on a restaurant that has always intrigued me but where I have never dined, L'authentic. Housed in a former school, it stands in the centre of St Siffret. Here is the local-news feature on the restaurant, when it first got into the Guide Michelin. Even if you don't speak French, check out the pictures of the food:
5. Okay -- with that introduction -- my number 5 on my Top Ten list is the villages around Uzes:
St Siffret, whose charms are extolled above
Le Pont St Julien: A staggeringly beautiful bridge crosses a huge chasm. Often there is only a trickle of water bathing the scrubbed flats of river-stone below. But in the autumn some years ago, this chasm housed a wild torrent that rose to the height of the bridge. Uprooted trees served as battering rams and smashed the upper parts of the bridge. In true French style, the bridge has been restored in luminous golden stone, just as it was. Outside the town, the road climbs sinuously amid limestone hills -- breathtaking.
Collias: To approach Collias from the SW, you pass through an inferno of garrigue and overhanging limestone cliffs -- then swoop down to a narrow early 19th C suspension bridge. Lots of kayakers here ...and assorted holiday-town riffraff.
Castille: Not a town, just a crossroads. The half-completed Chateau was the fantasy of the late 18th C Baron de Rohan, who wanted to build something like the Piazza and colonnade of St Peter's in Rome, here in the Gardois countryside.
Half the pillars of the colonnade are fallen; the work was never completed.
Around 1950, the property (some of whose floors were mere dirt) was purchased by Douglas Cooper, sinister one-eyed ex-Aussie British art collector. It held his peerless collection of Picassos, Braques, Miros, etc. Picasso visited often.
Badly beaten by a rough trick he picked up near Nimes, Cooper was later victimized by burglars (an inside job, apparently) who got away with many of his treasures. Read all about it in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, by his patrician and censorious ex-lover John Richardson.
Aureilhac and Arpaillargues: discussed above. Tiny and atmospheric. Beautiful too are the long, long plane-tree avenues that line the roads around these villages. Only a few are double avenues -- as elsewhere in France, one side of the avenue has generally been axed, when the road was widened.
Montaren: If you are looking for an "Hypermarche" (big-box food store) you will likely be directed to Montaren. Beyond the store (which is great, BTW) is a charming village in the familiar golden stone. A glitzy renovation is being performed on the local chateau -- the locals contend it is being made way too flashy. The rest of the village is sleepy but full of nice architectural elements.
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6. Cassis and the Route des Cretes: We descended from Aix to the vicinity of Cassis in about 30 minutes on the motorway. The scenery is splendid as you slice through the mountains.
It was Sunday when we visited Cassis and we were prepared for weekend crowds on this brilliantly sunny day. Crowds there were, so finding parking was a ghastly, gruelling experience. Eventually we found a spot in a residential area high above the harbour.
Cassis is not architecturally amazing -- it is a wealthy, clean, "tasteful" community, mostly of lowrise modern buildings. But the crescent of the harbour, with an ancient fort or chateau standing guard above, is a lively scene. The harbour front is wall to wall restaurants and bars. We wandered at length and compared the charms of each; finally we settled for a small crepe place called Huit et Demi. Brilliant choice! We each started with a huge and generous salad, to be followed by buckwheat crepes -- mine was a medley of seafood.
After lunch, drowsy from the sun and wine, we headed by a corniche road to the "Cretes" -- the wild rocky hillsides, jutting headlands and deep ravines east of the town, in the direction of Toulon. This is one of my favourite spots in all France. You can park all along the route and wander over to a cliff-edge that drops a sheer 400 - 500 feet to the sea.
In the distance, you can see the calanques -- limestone fingers that define a series of fjords. They are arrayed one headland behind another (I imagine you can see to Marseilles on a clear day). The effect is very like a Japanese woodcut, with the headlands growing steadily paler and mistier toward the horizon.
There are crowds but they are not obnoxious; I think everyone is rather struck dumb by the majesty of the place.
There are climbers, though -- it was quite weird to see 2 middle aged guys, one poised 20 feet above the other on the sheer golden cliff-face, no rope, millimetres away from oblivion. They were resting, I guess -- just holding onto their handholds and chatting back and forth. Lots of shots of this site on my FB album above.
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I liked Cassis better than St Tropez.
In Cassis I tasted my first sea urchin out of its thorny
"shell?" I love driving on the Corniche and i like your description of the calanques.
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As they say in Provencal:
"Qu'a vist Paris, et noun Cassis, n'a ren vist"
"Whoever has seen Paris but not Cassis has seen nothing"
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7. A day trip to the Drome: In a minute, I will outline an attractive itinerary in the southern Drome but first I will explain our association with the region.
We have often stayed in this region -- first at a now-closed B&B, Les Hautes Tours near Marsanne, later at at a fine B&B, La Roche Colombe, about 20 miles E of Montelimar.
The appeal: great visual beauty -- rich agricultural plains backed by mountains; almost no tourists in evidence; good provencal food and local wines; smooth, open roads, unclogged by cars (though with the occasional lumbering farm vehicle); the brightest sun and the clearest air in the south.
The owners of La Roche Colombe have become friends. They recently converted all their space to spacious, well furnished rental gites, so they do not need to do breakfasts and dinners. The view alone is a reason (and it's certainly not the only reason) for staying there. Check out the website, if you ever think of staying in this area. Here is the link:
On my birthday, I decided I wanted to have lunch at a restaurant near La Roche Colombe. We drove from Uzes for the day. Did not warn our friends in advance (we had seen them in Uzes 2 days before). Turned out they were not at home. Not a problem though, as we had lots to see and do in the region.
On our way up: We got off the motorway around Bollene and made our way by small roads thereafter: passing by Allan (with its huge ruined chateau above the village) and La Begude de Mazenc (nearby is a wonderfully chic "perched village", Chateauneuf de Mazenc.
The area where La Roche Colombe is located is a broad, verdant plain, totally flat, at the distant edges of which dramatic mountains spring up (to the S, E and N).
To visit:
Marsanne, Cleon d'Andran (I just love the name), Pont de Barret
Saou, huddled between two pillars of rock -- you imagine this provencal Scylla and Charybis will spring together, to crush whatever passes between them.
Bourdeaux, whose humdrum village centre sits beneath an ancient hillside community that is slowly being restored into drop-dead smart houses for rich expats (I assume). The local name for a hill town, I learned, is "viale", which this definitely is.
A few miles on you can take a twisty side road up to Comps, where there is a perfect Romanesque church (several photos in my album) unlocked and accessible to visitors. You may be studied by a herd of cows in the adjacent field -- or be tracked, as we were, by 2 rather scary dogs from the same farm. The view of smooth green hills goes for miles ...and you are alone, quite alone (except for the cows etc)
You descend toward Dieulefit and, nearby, Le Poet-Laval, one of the most picturesque of local hill villages. This was a former centre of the Knights Templar (hence the name of the celebrated hotel and restaurant, Les Hospitaliers). The village, surmounted by a stone tower, has its share of picturesque ruined buildings -- though these are so well preserved, signposted and landscaped as to be more like follies on a gentleman's estate.
There are lots more places to see in the vicinity, so this is just a tiny sampler.
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We love Les Hospitaliers with a great view and a superb truffle salad (my first)
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You describe things with intensity and precision, tedgale; your reports are always a pleasure to read.
We did get as far north as Dieulefit on a day trip from Nyons, but we hardly did it justice.
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Here is a link to a Facebook album from 2008, showing Poet Laval, Nyons and La Roche Colombe. (Hope this link still works -- with older Facebook albums, people have sometimes reported they get a message "This link has expired")
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Meandering through the French countryside is a fantasy I nurtured for the twenty or so years that I couldn't travel much, and reading about it is a great pleasure now, even though I have had the opportunity to do some of it myself in recent years.
Thank you.
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Link worked for me. More, please!
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Worked for me, too. We also climbed up to that frothy chapel at the top of old Nyons.
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Nice photos, tedgale, and of course I am partial to anything about Le Poët-Laval.
What was the difficult and dangerous road?
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The tricky road is north of Ales, which is north of Uzes. You wind through river valleys, which means a lot of changes of altitude and a generally snake-y course. I've done worse. However you do need to keep your wits about you -- especially when the other vehicles are huge trucks carrying a bunch of 40 foot logs.
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Tedgale: Le Poet-Laval looks a bit like La Couvertoirade to me. Have you been there? It is in the Aveyron, just southwest of the Cevenne National Park. We went many years ago with friends who lived in Logrian-Florian, and it was an uninhabited village, restored, but empty, or almost so, a walled village, as I recall. Hauntingly beautiful.
Your photos were marvelous.
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Thank you. La Couvertoirade is a name on a map to me, never yet visited.
I like the idea of visiting some of the emptier parts of France -- but we usually go in the off-season and those remoter parts can be bleak if the weather does not cooperate....
What season were you there?
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I think it must have been in early June, and it was good weather while we were there. We stayed with our friends and then drove up thru the Cevennes and the Dordogne and on to Paris. A lovely trip and very few tourists. nice part of France to be sure.
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what a fantastic thread with lots of great information. Thank you for sharing Ted!
Bookmarking for my trip planning...
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Since that trip, we have stayed again in Uzes, in an impossibly hip and lavish house owned by a couple from Toronto. Got it on vrbo. If anyone is interested, I can retrieve the listing number.
Another point RE the Drome: Dear friends Bob and Celia have sold La Roche Colombe and have downsized. They recently completed the reno of a smaller but equally fab house near Puy St Martin in the Drome - which has a spanking new rental apartment. The soul of kindness and hospitality, they can be reached at [email protected]
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loved Uzes, the guy who runs a pottery shop on the Place des Herbs loves jazz so had a great conversation, Loved the Café Greaux (Sp?)The truffle shop owner directed me there.
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text:
Tigers roar: RB Cam Washington's 244 yards boost Corsicana to state semis
Corsicana seals victory with second-half scores
FORNEY — Cameron Washington carried 40 times for 244 yards and three touchdowns as Corsicana broke open a close game with three second-half scores en route to a 42-21 win over Kilgore in the Class 4A Division II Region II final at City Bank Stadium.
Corsicana (13-1) advances to play the winner of Saturday afternoon's game between Aledo (11-2) and Stephenville (11-2).
Kilgore (9-5) tied the score at 21 with 9:17 left in the third quarter on L.D. Anthony's 20-yard touchdown run, his third of the game. That capped a quick five-play drive on the opening Kilgore possession of the second half.
But Corsicana regained the lead for good on DeVontay Bell's 6-yard touchdown pass to Jack Saipongi with 19 seconds to play in the third quarter. It was the only pass Bell threw in the second half, after going 5-for-8 with two interceptions before the break.
Three plays after Bell's touchdown pass, Tevin McDonald stepped in front of a Riley Toler pass and returned it 43 yards to the Kilgore 1, setting up a touchdown plunge by Washington.
Corsicana then iced the game with a 12-play, 63-yard march that took more than six minutes off the clock and ended with Washington's third and final touchdown from the 1.
Corsicana led 21-14 at the half on the strength of 133 yards rushing and a touchdown from Washington and two rushing scores by Bell.
Washington scored on a 3-yard run as time ran out in the first half, capping an 11-play, 60-yard drive after Anthony's 2-yard scoring run on fourth-and-goal had pulled Kilgore within 15-14 at 2:58.
The lead could easily have been more.
Ahead 15-7, Corsicana was stopped by interceptions on consecutive drives starting inside Kilgore territory.
J.D. Jones picked off Bell at the 4 to thwart the first drive, which started at the Kilgore 2 after Corsicana's Breyon Hill recovered a fumble at the Kilgore 29.
The next drive started at the Kilgore 37 after a short punt, but Benny Colbert stopped that one with an interception and a 16-yard return to the 35.
This time, Kilgore responded with a 12-play, 65-yard drive that took nearly six minutes and ended with Anthony's second rushing touchdown.
Kilgore appeared to be stopped short when Dominic Kelly dropped Dondra Halton for a 2-yard loss on third-and-goal and Shelton Tolliver tackled Anthony for a loss on a fourth-down fake field goal try.
But Corsicana was offside on the play and Anthony made good on his second fourth-down try.
Halton, who led Kilgore in rushing with 61 yards on 12 first-half carries, left the field limping after Kelly's goal-line stop. Halton did not return to the game, spending the second half on the sidelines with ice on his right knee and ankle.


text:
The Karate Kid Double Play (Blu-ray + DVD) (2010)
Release Date: 22 November 2010 | Certificate: Parental Guidance
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Sorry, this product is currently unavailable.
Remake of the 1984 film starring Ralph Macchio. Jaden Smith stars this time round as 12-year-old Dre Parker, who moves from his childhood home in Detroit to Beijing, China with his single mother Sherry (Taraji P. Henson). There he falls victim to the class bully at his new school, Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), after falling for his pretty classmate Mei Ying (Wenwen Han). Friendless and alienated in a strange new culture, Dre finds an unlikely ally in maintenance man and martial arts master Mr Han (Jackie Chan), who instructs Dre in the principles of Kung Fu, giving him the skills and confidence he needs to take on the bullies who are making his life a misery.
Release Date: 22 November 2010
Certificate: PG - Parental Guidance
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Karate Kid Double Play
Excellent service, quick delivery and brilliant Film. Packaging was very neat and protective to stop any damages.
Catalogue No: SBR68309