text:
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Musburger Bumps Bestwick From "NASCAR Countdown"
ESPN has announced that Brent Musburger will be hosting the NASCAR Countdown Busch Series pre-race show from Loudon, NH. This marks Musburger's return to the Busch Series after an absence which saw him host the Indy 500 telecast, among other duties.
With only weeks to go before ESPN opens its coverage of the NEXTEL Cup Series races, including the "Chase for the Cup," viewers once again will have a new face hosting the pre-race show. Chris Fowler, Erik Kuselias, Allen Bestwick, Mike Massaro, and Suzy Kolber have all taken their turn at bat for the network.
The fact that Musburger is hosting this show gets the attention of NASCAR fans when the rest of the ESPN press release is read. While it says that Dale Jarrett will join Dr. Jerry Punch and Andy Petree in the booth, it also lets another bomb drop.
Allen Bestwick will be a reporter on pit road for this race...once again. After a week that saw Bestwick in Milwaukee for ESPN hosting not only NASCAR Countdown, but actually calling the play-by-play for the Busch Series race...the network sends him back to pit road to tell us "four tires and fuel."
To add insult to injury, alongside Bestwick on pit road in New Hampshire will be Mike Massaro, ESPN's most veteran NASCAR reporter who hosted a great edition of NASCAR Countdown several weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway. Many thought Massaro was auditioning for a position on NASCAR Now, ESPN2's studio show which has been struggling since Daytona in February.
The line-up on ESPN's website lists Allen Bestwick as a co-host for NASCAR Now, but he has never been "invited back" since his first two appearances. Massaro has never been allowed to host this program, and ESPN on Tuesday brought in general assignment reporter Matt Winer to host for the first time. All of which brings us back to NASCAR Countdown.
This is the only pre-race show for the Busch Series. ESPN has slapped this Series around without mercy this season when it comes to the pre-race opportunities for promotion of the drivers, the sponsors, and the series itself.
The Daly Planet has several articles about the times that the entire NASCAR Countdown show talked only about the NEXTEL Cup race the next day. It was clear everyone on the announcing team was auditioning for the ABC Sports opportunities to cover the Cup Series. Meanwhile, there sat the Busch Series field on the line with absolutely no one interested. And ESPN wonders why the ratings are down?
Now, NASCAR's "number two" series is eighteen races into their season and ESPN is changing hosts for NASCAR Countdown like musical chairs. The Daly Planet gave ESPN credit for putting Bestwick and Massaro in the anchor chair, but what results did that get NASCAR fans? The return of Brent Musburger? The promise of Suzy Kolber in the future?
This is NASCAR racing, and the competitors in the Busch Series have been hammering on each other since February. While ESPN's team in the announce booth has been full of positive surprises, the pre-race show has been a mess. These thirty minutes are crucial to the promotion of these teams and sponsors. This is their Hollywood Hotel.
The on-going battle between "NASCAR people" and "ESPN people" has been fascinating to watch this entire year on both NASCAR Countdown and NASCAR Now. It has been tough for ESPN to let "outsiders" host "their" shows, despite the fact that the "insiders" often have little or no knowledge of the sport at all. Its a culture clash of epidemic proportions, and its about to come to a head.
On May 20th of this year, The Daly Planet ran a column entitled "ESPN and NASCAR on a collision course." We talked about the fact that ESPN's race coverage has been solid from the word "go." Away from the track, however, things are much different.
At Daytona, fans were presented with Brent Musburger, Chris Fowler, and Brad Daugherty for the first NASCAR Countdown show. As we wrote at that time, "Fowler couldn't stop grinning, Daugherty couldn't stop talking, and Musburger wore a funny hat." The results were not pretty.
Now, after spinning the wheel of hosts once again, ESPN goes back to an "insider" like Musburger when fans have just had two strong performances from their favorite "outsiders." Either Allen Bestwick or Mike Massaro deserved the chance to host this show because of their hard work this season and knowledge of the sport. Apparently, Bestwick and Massaro lacked the mandatory funny hats. Who knew?
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below, or email firstname.lastname@example.com if you wish not to be published. All email is held in confidence. Thanks again for taking the time to stop by.
41 comments:
- sal said...
w and the pre race shows have been unmitigated disasters this year. It amazes me that ESPN is willing to parade it's incompetence so publicly. Showing race fans that they hold Nascar in such contempt isn't going to help their ratngs at all. I anticipate their coverage of the season ending craoshoot will be exactly what they and Nascar deserve.
- June 27, 2007 at 7:05 AM
- GinaV24 said...
I actually called and talked to someone at NASCAR's PR dept in Daytona Beach and told them how disappointed I have been in the TV coverage by both TNT & ESPN. TNT is just a joke and ESPN isn't impressing me either. Thank goodness for Speed's Raceday program.
- June 27, 2007 at 8:06 AM
- Anonymous said...
Thanks for the warning, JD
No need for this fading fan to watch
- June 27, 2007 at 8:44 AM
- Don Howland said...
Musberger is an idiot!!!!!!! What were they thinking bringing this moron into Nascar???? I turn his stupid broadcasting off no matter what sport he is opening his pie hole on. He has to be the worst of the worst. One more reason to cut the grass
- June 27, 2007 at 9:30 AM
- Steve Thornton said...
Don you are absolutely right. Videotape the race and fast forward through it until something interesting happens. Musberger needs to go back to basketball which he knows a little about. Erik Kuselias looks like a drag queen wearing pink lipstick whenever he is on. If ESPN wants to get announcers and analysts bring us Allen Bestwick, Jerry Punch, and Ned Jarret. These guys all know what they are talking about and can provide the fans with something interesting, not just sponsor pitches and general stupidity.
- June 27, 2007 at 9:45 AM
- SonicAD said...
Just a quick correction, Bestwick hosted 2 episodes of NASCAR Now so far, he hosted again the Wednesday after he first hosted.
- June 27, 2007 at 9:59 AM
- Anonymous said...
Thank goodness for MRN and internet. Guess we go back to the old days, where you listen and visulize.
TNT is just a joke! I think Sunday's race at Infineon was the worst broadcasting of a sport I've ever witnessed. And to think, I actually wasted my time to watch the whole race and then not even know the finishing order.
- June 27, 2007 at 10:01 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
sonicad, thanks for the correction.
- June 27, 2007 at 10:33 AM
- Anonymous said...
The only good thing about TNT is it makes a great example of bad broadcasting.
The ratings are down for 2007 but ESPN found a good thing about it. They're getting younger viewers. That makes me wonder how they can see this as good. To me, it says that the old fans are using their remotes to watch something else. That matched with the empty grandstands at the track isn't a good thing. I don't care how much "spin" you put on it.
- June 27, 2007 at 10:34 AM
- Jason said...
This is just the most recent battle in EPSNs war against quality broadcasting.
- June 27, 2007 at 11:16 AM
- Vince said...
Hey John,
One quick question. Do you know if anyone from ESPN reads your blog on a daily basis. Just curious if they are even aware of what is said on here.
- June 27, 2007 at 11:33 AM
- Anonymous said...
I totally agree with you Don. Whoever is in charge of race commentation has completely lost their minds. I guess when viewer loss hits bottom they won't know what hit them. Allen is the best! And TNT just doesn't know how to handle race coverage at all.
- June 27, 2007 at 11:37 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
I receive email from staff members at ESPN and the other networks every day complaining about exactly the same issues that Daly Planet readers are bothered by. Unfortunately, because these are big corporations, change comes slowly and often only happens when there is no other option. I think we saw that with AB doing the pre-race show and calling the race last week in Milwaukee. TV industry folks read your comments every day, and they do make a difference. Keep at it.
- June 27, 2007 at 11:46 AM
- Marylee said...
I've been a big Busch series fan in the past, but now can barely stand to watch it. The "commentary" is poor, and the camera work not much better. For the Milwaukee race, they didn't seem to know how to compensate for evening, so the track shots were much too dark, although "studio" shots were fine. Not only do they need people like Alan Bestwick in the booth, they need new technicians in the truck.
- June 27, 2007 at 12:27 PM
- Anonymous said...
John, why is it ESPN, TNT, FOX, NBC, etc., etc. seem to think that every week is SuperRace week like the SuperBowl?. Do they think that we are a bunch of morons and need to see and/or hear all the events from the last race week and with all the hoopla? And now MUSBURGER? ...geezzz..why won't they just come on the air 10 mins. before the command to start the engines and have a post race show where we can at least see who finished other than 1st or 2nd?..Just a thought for the network people to read.
- June 27, 2007 at 1:31 PM
- Anonymous said...
Change at the networks is like trying to stop a super tanker at sea. It takes a long time to get any results.
- June 27, 2007 at 1:33 PM
- Space Blues said...
I think Bestwick is criminally underrated as a commentator for NASCAR races. The fact that Bill Weber and Wally Dallenbach have the main jobs on TNT is case in point that these networks are complete idiots when it comes to this stuff. Nothing against Kyle Petty, but I hope he retires sooner than later and hits the TNT booth on a permanent basis. He saved those guys the last couple of races.
- June 27, 2007 at 1:54 PM
- Anonymous said...
Musberger actually admitted on the air earlir this season that he didn't know much about stock car racing.
So, it stands to reason tha ESPN would replace Bestwick, who does know the subject, with Musberger. After all, their goal is to do as poor a job as possible, right? (That's all I can surmise after watching their efforts this year.)
- June 27, 2007 at 1:54 PM
- Anonymous said...
Musburger couldn't call a two car funeral procession. The only good thing about him is that you can play drinking games to his use of cliche'. He has screwed up broadcasts of the Cotton Bowl, the Indy 500, and the NFL just to name a few. Bestwick does a good job. You have Rusty Wallace and soon Dale Jarrett available for these broadcasts. Bring back Ned Jarrett or Buddy Baker, who on their worst days are still better than Musburger on his best day.
- June 27, 2007 at 2:09 PM
- Anonymous said...
ESPN SUCKS!!! I could do a better daily NASCAR show from by back yard, I live in Tennessee!!!
What are the idiots at ESPN thinking?
- June 27, 2007 at 2:25 PM
- Anonymous said...
"talked to someone at NASCAR's PR dept in Daytona Beach"
- June 27, 2007 at 2:26 PM
- Anonymous said...
what ever happened to former ESPN commentator Bob Jenkins. he was great!
- June 27, 2007 at 2:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
Good to know that the folks at ESPN are reading The Daly Planet and comments.
Change comes "slowly" ? Come on, they need continuity and stability along with NASCAR talent. They are failing miserably and seem to know it.
Calls to NASCAR PR is a waste, keep letting ESPN know.
- June 27, 2007 at 4:10 PM
- Joe from Philly said...
Yesterday I said TNT's post race movies are great for Speed TV's ratings. Now I must say that ESPN is fixin to be a boon to DirecTV's viewership.
Maybe these terrible broadcasts are all just a NASCAR ploy to make Pay Per View easier to sell! Break out those Black Helicopters!
- June 27, 2007 at 4:21 PM
- Anonymous said...
to the guy who called NASCAR PR.
EXACTLY what was their response or was it a voice mail? I have come to realize that email is often deleted and never read.
As far as Mouseburger?&^%$#@!*&!
I can NOT think of a ladylike way to put my frustration into words.
JUST when we think ESPN MIGHT be getting a clue, they do something STUPIDER and STUPIDER.
Whoever said it will be like old times with MRN and having them paint the visuals for us, THAT MUST BE WHAT NASCAR WANTS.
I am not PAYING for the nascar.com crap just to have their site crash or freeze up during the race. BESIDES, with the plethora of COMMERCIALS we are held hostage to..the LEAST we can do is SEE the race and how about the FINISH and a post game wrap up.
Thank GOD for SPEEED.
And to quote this poster
" Space Blues said...
I think Bestwick is criminally underrated as a commentator for NASCAR races. The fact that Bill Weber and Wally Dallenbach have the main jobs on TNT is case in point that these networks are complete idiots when it comes to this stuff. Nothing against Kyle Petty, but I hope he retires sooner than later and hits the TNT booth on a permanent basis. He saved those guys the last couple of races.
June 27, 2007 12:54 PM "
For the love of God and COMMON SENSE (course we live in times of the death of common sense!) HOW DOES WEBER KEEP HIS TV JOB.
Please, I am begging somebody, how can somebody SO ANNOYING KEEP such a high profile job in NASCAR.
ANY PERSON IN POWER reading these gripes must be laughing their way to the bank as ALL they care about are the lucrative TV contracts.
They do NOT care about the basic.
Letting us HEAR THE CARS (and not that FULL THROTTLE VOMIT)
And dare I say it, A WIDE ANGLE LENS and the finish.
There, I feel better.
Thanks JD.
I wish I could slam the door on my way out of here but I know it would be lost on NASCAR.
- June 27, 2007 at 4:34 PM
- Simon Tunstall said...
ESPN needs to review some tape from SpeedTV's "Totally NASCAR", hosted by Steve Byrnes, to see how to do a daily NASCAR-themed news program. This was THE show to watch from 2001 until Byrnes left the show in 2003.
Why Allen Bestwick (the voice of NASCAR) and Mike Massaro are underutilized is beyond me.
ESPN did have a good show in rpm2night with John Kernan.
We can all see that Erik Kuselias doesn't really want to cover NASCAR, so let someone like Bestwick, who was unceremoniously dumped from SpeedTV's "This Week in NASCAR", host the show with true integrity and enthusiasm.
- June 27, 2007 at 5:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one! I don't enjoy spending three hours watching a race (with subpar commentators) to not see the finishing order...how could they miss something so basic???? And I agree with most that Bestwick is the guy! Weber is so OVER dramatic and we aren't idiots!!!! Dump Weber & Musburger. I'm relatively new to Nascar (5 years or so) even to me, the coverage is lousy......
- June 27, 2007 at 5:21 PM
- arbs_garage said...
Well I'm in the minority. I cannot stand Alan Bestwick, his whole schtick is like figernails on a chalkboard to me, And no I'm not a bandwagon fan of NASCAR, I've been watching NASCAR for 24 years now and I dont think there has been one person whom I've had this reaction to other than Bestwick. Now I don't disagree w/ your point about replacing almost all of ESPN's broadcast team ...but for NASCAR Now please give me Massaro or Marty Smith or even better bring back John Kernan.
- June 27, 2007 at 5:23 PM
- Richard in NC said...
Having Bent Musberger involved with NASCAR broadcasts in any way proves again that ESPN takes real fans for granted and has NO respect at all for NASCAR and its fans. The only solution I see is to keep e-mailing John and contacting NASCAR- AND ESPN'S firing Erik K., Bent Musberger, and George Bodenheimer.
- June 27, 2007 at 6:34 PM
- Anonymous said...
I was listening to your appearance on Sirius again and I have to say, Moody really needs to have you on for an hour show--preferably in studio. I'd love to hear more in-depth discussion, and even caller participation.
These ESPN and TNT issues are a BIG deal. The networks are simply not taking the sport seriously, and it's like a slap in the face for the fans. Kuselias, Musberger, Kolber...What the hell?? If I were a NASCAR official, I'd be pretty P.O.'d about what we're saying DAILY here on your site. When is NASCAR going to drop the hammer??
- June 27, 2007 at 6:35 PM
- Anonymous said...
I have despised Musburger since I first saw him doing football when I was a child. I vote with my remote and anything Musburger is involved with I won't listen to. Tune in the radio broadcast, pull up the leaderboard on the laptop and mute the tv and let her rip. Call or email ABC Sports and firmly mock and belittle the specific executives who make these decisions (ask for them by name and request their email addresses first) to everyone who will listen. Just before they hang up on you, ask to be transferred to another extension and repeat the spiel ad infinitum.
Then call or email NASCAR and tell anyone who will listen that ESPN plans to derail NASCAR in retalition for shunning them several years ago. Offer to make an optometrist's appointment while you're communicating with NASCAR's people so we can understand why they can't see these events in th offing.
- June 27, 2007 at 6:42 PM
- Anonymous said...
Have you ever tried to find out what it is about Allen Bestwick? In my opinion he is one of the best but he keeps being pulled from good spots and continuosly moved around. Has he really pissed someone at Speed or ESPN off in the past.
- June 27, 2007 at 7:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
Best I can tell, ESPN is trying to attract new fans. They don't care if we don't like their show. Also, they are afraid to put someone that understands NASCAR in the booth - afraid they will talk over the heads of the new fans that they are trying to claim.
- June 27, 2007 at 8:04 PM
- Anonymous said...
To reply to that last comment about new fans--the thing is, I am a new fan. I've only been following NASCAR for 2-3 seasons. But I can tell when an announcer knows about as much about the sport as I do. I tune in to hear the experts and expert opinion. Anyone can sit up there and read off headlines and stories from Yahoo or Jayski. If they think this is attractive to new fans, they should think again.
This is just so frustrating. NASCAR, where are you? New fan here. Are you sure these are the folks you want to represent your sport??
- June 27, 2007 at 9:29 PM
- Steve in Indiana said...
I heard you speaking on this topic on Moody's radio show today while driving home and about drove off the road. I seriously question if Brent could pick a young Busch Series driver like Brad Coleman or Steve Wallace out of a police lineup, and yet is is going to be the one "informing" us.
- June 27, 2007 at 9:37 PM
- Pam J said...
I cannot believe ESPN still doesn't get it or doesn't care. Nascar Now needs more Alan Bestwick and more Marty Smith and other guys who KNOW Nascar. And they need to send the stick and ball sport dudes back to their respective sports. It's not like there aren't enough ESPN channels and shows covering the other sports to go around. Why can't we have Nascar people doing our Nascar shows and broadcasts.
If ESPN's goal is to further ruin the sport of Nascar they are succeeding.
- June 27, 2007 at 9:48 PM
- Anonymous said...
This just proofs what a college prof once told me.
"You can be the best at one thing, with total knowledge of thet one thing. But to make a lot of money, it is best to a little about many things."
Does that describe Bret Mushmouth and most ESPN's crew?
- June 27, 2007 at 10:05 PM
- dave said...
Brent Musburger?
Please stop the insanity. Have the ball sport guys COMPLETELY lost their minds? Do that have NO pride? Will someone - anyone - at ESPN ever step up and point out that the Emperor has no clothes?
Hello ??? Is ANYONE in a Senior Management position in Bristol watching? ( I hope not, because that would only indicate that they don't care ).
I'm begging you....make it stop!
- June 27, 2007 at 11:45 PM
- Anonymous said...
Has any single TV viewer ever said, "Oh boy! Musberger is calling the race/game this weekend!" I bet not. How does the guy stay on the air when I have never seen or heard a single positive comment on his abilities. For the love of Red Farmer's ghost, please stop torturing the fans with these moronic broadcast picks.
Props to Kyle Petty, Wally Dallenbach, DJ, and Andy Petree. I think they each do a good job. Allen Bestwick is the cream of the crop. And I'd love to see Eli Gold back on the air.
- June 28, 2007 at 12:45 AM
- Anonymous said...
i have a confession...2 years ago i was one of those guys who mocked NASCAR as just a bunch of guys going round and round in circles. i didn't understand the races, the strategy, the setups or anything else that makes NASCAR exciting.
boy, was i ever wrong. today i am an avid NASCAR fan. and from a still "rookie" fan...ESPN and TNT are doing nothing to attract new fans. they need people with the knowledge of bestwick, jarrett, wallace, petree, and petty to highlight what makes NASCAR interesting. i love to hear about how cars are "set-up" or how a driver approaches different types of tracks. i also love the features on the history of NASCAR. the features on BP, david pearson, and junior johnson have been fascinating to me.
SPEED does a terrific job of this. there's enough there to educate rookies and keep those who have followed for years entertained.
why NASCAR would allow networks to butcher the coverage with people who have a clear disdain for their sport and a complete ignorance of its history and competition is beyond me.
make the ESPN "outsiders" part of the ESPN "family". take any of the football, baseball, or basketball commentators on ESPN. they were once upon a time "outsiders" at ESPN, but because of their expertise as former players and coaches were brought into the ESPN family and now are regular panelists. DO THE SAME FOR NASCAR!! utilize people who have a history in the sport and people will respond. who better to set the story than people who have been there and done that.
keep up the work on the blog John. hopefully with time, things will change.
- June 28, 2007 at 1:04 PM
- Caleb said...
ESPN is getting out of the business of simply doing excellent broadcasting of sporting contests. They would rather do feel good shows like Inside the Lines and to run Sportscenter features on touchy feely "off field" features. Then, of course, there is the ESPN practice "annointing" certain athletes as the greatest thing since sliced bread, like Mike Vick that has won nothing or Barry Bonds who has to wear body armour at the plate and order more steroids. And we certainly do not need all the argument/panel shows.
On the NASCAR team I would take Bestwick or Massaro on the daily shows. I love Jerry Punch. The expert analysts in the booth are fine. Get rid of Musburger, and Kusaris,(sp) find some women pit "reporters" who know something about NASCAR,preferably like Wendy Venterini.(sp) ESPN is more interested in being politically correct, touchy feely, not reporting sports.
- June 28, 2007 at 8:27 PM


text:
Keyboard instruments > Piano solo
Franz Liszt
Rigoletto - Concert Paraphrase
Introduction: Ullrich Scheideler
62.00 €
Facsimile of the autograph, hardcover
Pages: 19 (XI, 8), Size 36,1 x 30,0 cm
Order no. HN 3219 · ISMN 979-0-2018-3219-7
Level of difficulty (Piano): difficult (Level 9)
Franz Liszt not only wrote a series of opera paraphrases during his virtuoso years, but also composed some in his Weimar years from 1848 onwards. He did not, however, write them for himself but for the pianist friend (who was also his son-in-law) Hans von Bülow. Amongst these works, the paraphrase on Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto", which was published in 1860, occupies a special place on account of its incredible virtuosity and at the same time its filigree texture. On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth, G. Henle Publishers is presenting a facsimile of the autograph of this work, with an extensive commentary, as well as an Urtext edition (HN 978). Since this is a working manuscript, the facsimile also offers fascinating insights into Liszt's manner of working.
Un document magnifiquement imprimé et relié, enrichi de précieux commentaires en allemand et en anglais.
[Pianiste, 2011]
Dass Henle das Wiedergeben von Originalhandschriften zu seinem Angebot zählt, lässt sich besonders bei der "Rigoletto Konzertparaphrase" als wahrer Glücksgriff bezeichnen, da es Liszts Handschrift in keiner Weise an Lesbarkeit mangelt.
[Piano News, 2011]
The levels of difficulty of the
piano music published by G. Henle Publishers
The levels of difficulty of the piano music published by G. Henle Publishers
|Bach, Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, nos. 4 and 5
|Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier I, no. 1 Prelude C major
|Beethoven, Piano Sonatas op. 49,1 and 2
|Grieg, Lyric Pieces op. 12, no. 4
|Schumann, Fantasy Pieces op. 12, no. 1
|Chopin, Nocturnes op. 27, nos. 1 and 2
|Beethoven, Piano Sonata op. 10, no. 3
|Beethoven, Piano Sonata op. 81a
|Schumann, Toccata op. 7
Guide to the levels of difficulty
"I don't know what 'difficult' means. Either you can play or you can't" – this was the rather terse comment by the great violinist Nathan Milstein, on being asked about the unbelievable difficulty of Niccolo Paganini's Caprice no. 1.
The relativity of the evaluation of difficulty in music immediately becomes clear. Yet I gladly take up this great challenge, presented to me by G. Henle Publishers. For I am aware of how useful a guide like this can be, both from my own experience as well as that of many colleagues. In particular so as to be able to identify "appropriate" works. For example for music teachers, who teach at very different levels, from beginners to those preparing for music conservatories, but also for all those interested amateurs for whom this guide is intended.
After careful deliberation I have settled on nine levels of difficulty, which I have divided into three groups: 1–3 (easy), 4–6 (medium), 7–9 (difficult). A number of parameters have been considered when assessing the level of difficulty. I have not just looked at the number of fast or slow notes to be played, or the chord sequences; of central importance are also the complexity of the piece's composition, its rhythmic complexities, the difficulty of reading the text for the first time, and last but not least, how easy or difficult it is to understand its musical structure. I have defined "piece" as being the musical unit of a sonata, or a single piece in a cycle, which is why Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" Part I comprises a total of 48 levels of difficulty (each prelude and fugue is considered separately), Schumann's Sonata in f sharp minor op.11 only has a single number. My assessment is measured by the ability to prepare a piece for performance.
While assessing the pieces, it became clear that the medium level of difficulty (4–6) is the trickiest. Now and again this means that a piece is judged as a "3/4", even if it only deserved a "3" as far as piano technique is concerned. An example of such a "borderline" case (easy/medium) is Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood" op. 15 Von fremden Ländern und Menschen or at the other end "6/7" part of Bach's "English Suites". And of course within a main category there are also "from-to" evaluations (e.g. 7/8).
Any evaluation of art or music will always be subjective, even if the aim was to be objective. Despite the fact that I have endeavoured to be as careful as possible, I am all too aware that the results of my work can be called into question, and am therefore grateful for any suggestions you might have.
Prof. Rolf Koenen © 2010

subset: commoncrawl


text:
some photos what I took February 20, 2012Posted by nicholas gill in iphone, photography.
Following on from the Just Ask Gill side project, I've been bumbling about with pictures this time instead of questions. And I've curated some photos what I took on my iPhone. Some are untouched, some are touched with various apps on the phone including Hipstamatic, Instagram and Photoshop Express. Hopefully some you may like. If not, don't be too harsh a critic. I'm not a photographer, just amusing myself.
I have another couple of projects mulling over in my addled mind. Most of which involve words this time. More when the time is right.


text:
This is the reason I stay behind the camera.
"Huh? Oh, you're taking the picture now?" Here we have the "Duh Look" perfected.
You cut those bangs yourself? I am totally impressed. I think they look great. No, seriously.
Your hair looks cool!:)
What do your kids say about it?
o.k. you're definitely exaggerating, no matter what you say about the lighting or the camera. and in the first picture, i thought that was your sexy model look! =) hehe!!!!
My "sexy model look"? ROFL!!! Oh man, that made me nearly fall off the couch laughing. Hee hee hee
And I'm not exaggerating. You just can't tell in the pictures. Honest!
The bangs are fine.. just weatherblown, which is an in look (it is still, isn't it? Please tell me it is!). And I can see why it's a bit stark for you, but it isn't as bad as you're fearing. Have you tried washing it? Repeatedly? With cheap shampoo guaranteed to strip your hair of anything?
And I would *never* have even thought anything odd about your forehead and I don't see it even when looking at an older pic of you. Go have a glass of wine ;)
Was that a tatto of butterfly? Or was that a necklace?
I think your hair looks very nice. I am very impressed with your bangs!
Honestly, I think you look awesome!!! and I am a hairstylist!!! do you need a job??? and one more thing you will love......I swear you have lost weight!!! you are just TOO hard on yourself.
It's just a necklace. I have a couple tattoos, but that's not one of them.
And yeah, I've lost a few more pounds. I still have a long way to go, but thank you a billion times for noticing!
Your hair looks good!!! I love the bangs! Would you like to share with the rest of us your secret to losing weight? I am in a biggest loser contest with friends and need all the help I can get.
I think your hair is SASSY!!!! You look GREAT! I am so not kidding...nuh uh!
yeah, the necklace impersonating a tattoo on your deep-chest-area added to your sexy model look.
i think you look great.
and if you have a caveman forehead, then mine is from whatever era was supposed to be before caveman, and i'm not willing to go there, so your forehead is wonderful!
Sassy, huh? LOL! You have to say that. You're my friend. (And I have a crazy hair blackmail picture of you!)
Ok I am sick.. your right.. but not for the reason you think! You are soo pretty!! and you have six kids.. and I have six kids.. and i am one pound away from being the neanderthal cavemom. NOT good..
I think it looks cute. Maybe you're just not used to it...but I am partial to red heads since I am one and I have 2 redhead children
The last time I cut my own bangs, my BFF met me the next day in a restaurant and couldn't stop staring at me. Her 15-year kept giggling and finally asked, "Did you do that on purpose?"
Anything short of that reaction and you've done an acceptable job in my book. I wound up with bangs that were less than an inch short to fix the mess I had made of my front curtains.
We live in the great Pacific Northwest... so we are pretty much immune to shock at any hair coloring adventures. Personally, I think it looks rather trendy - with some nice little highlights. At least you've got hair to worry about! :)
Looks great. I have that weird sense my forehead is hugely huge as well. I hope I'm as mistaken as you are.
I actually feel your pain with the orangeness of it all. My hair tends to do the same thing and after letting my best friend (the you know what) dye my beautiful naturally dark brown loooong hair- it went orange. I could not handle it, got it cut to my shoulders and dyed it a few more times to go dark again. A lot of people told me they liked it but I know it's just my dislike for orangey tones.
BUT as for the first pic you posted I was like 'Wow' I think you look great and first thing I thought also was that you've lost weight. So hang in there. I used one color under black and it did the trick and took out the orange. You could also try the shampoos made for dark hair to see if it helps lessen the blow some! lol. Good luck.
I was thinking highlights too. Any weight loss tips you can share would be greatly appreciated--as long as it's not "Chase 6 kids around all day"--I'm doing the 3 kid program and since lost brain cells don't weigh much, the progress is slow.
Hey Dawn,
Wow, you look fabulous! I've been lost in the Facebook world and have not visited your blog in awhile. In all honesty, (and no one has paid me to say this..) You truly look gorgeous. You got the sultry look down. he he. You do look like you have lost weight and I like the bangs. It gives you a fresh look!! Take Michelle's advice and try washing many times with a cheap shampoo. You will have really clean hair!
~Lisa K, Dallas, Texas
I think you look kinda sexy! The color (from what I can see) is not that bad (I'm a hairdresser) kinda looks like hi-lites and your bangs look good too. They don't have to be cut perfect, the uneven, edgy thing is in!
WOW,Your husband is a very lucky man...You're one HOT MAMA. Actually I didn't think that first photo was you,thought it was an Actress doing a seduction pose.
You are seriously being way too hard on yourself, Dawn. *hug* You look beautiful as always and the bangs are awesome! :D I really like the orange look and it goes well with the brown, too. I say give it a chance to grow out a bit or something. I know it will grow on you. :)
The weight loss does show and your hair looks great. Actually, my immediate reaction to the first picture was that you looked sophisticated.
There is one thing I noticed that might help. Your decolletage (sp?) area seems to be a darker shade than your face. It may have been the light. If that's the case, disregard. The dark lipstick emphasized this. If you use foundation, try a darker shade to even things out. Also, try to get some sleep (O-kay, that's two things). Your under eye area needs the rest. :)
Really, you look great!
Wow...that first pic didnt even look like you, I thought maybe you put a model on there. All your different topics in blogging and no talk of you losing weight? What are you doing? Share your good news with us and what is working for you. If I know you, you'll put it in a funny, exciting way!! Love your blog.
I don't cut bangs, not even my kids'. I can't even cut paper straight.
And as for the color, just stay in low-lighted places....caves, bars, or else swipe some of the light bulbs when entering establishments....hahaha...
I think the bangs look sultry.
Hang in there!
I think you look great!
Dawn, you look awesome! Stop beating yourself up, okay????
Donna in PA :)
Love, love, love the bangs! And you love fantastic! I think the color came out really cute!
Those bangs look great on you Dawn. Awesome job!
Hey! Be nice to yourself this time! You don't look like a "mommy", you look like a grown up girl...er woman. Seriously, I like it and in my personal, not professional at anything opinion, it looks better now than before. You look like you could be an executive.
they look like orange streaks :o)
I think you did a great job! If it makes ya feel any better, my regular hair stylist won't let me face the mirror anymore while she cuts/colors my hair because I have a do-it-myself tendency that rears it's ugly head (hardy har har) whenever I'm frustrated after salon hours. She thinks if she doesn't let me see what she's doing, I won't try to replicate. Poor, misled girl!
after 33 years I let my bangs grow out, and decided that everyone was wrong, now Im afaird to recut them. (wrong as in they would look bettre long)
IF bangs make you happy so be it. I personally think, bangs make you look younger!
Hey Dawn,
I've had a little too much wine tonight with some friends. Therefore, I don't know if I'm repeating some comments or mispelling words. Anyhow, your hour looks great. I color my own hair, too because of money. I used to spend tons on it. I've been trying to save my hair from falling out so I've actually followed the instructions and died my "roots" the longest and then the rest just 5 min. Well because of that my usually red hair all over has been an interesting shade of who knows what on the roots. The gray doesn't cover the same as the brown. You need longer than 25 minutes. Gray just isnt' the same. That's my two cents on the color it yourself to save money routine. Hope it comes through the wine talk.
Okay, so I'm sober enough to know that your "hour" looks great. My husband and I laughed.
OK, I am not just saying this because you totally plugged my blood drive and are one of my best bloggin' buds, but when I saw your sexy ear-bud wearing new-bang haircut pic, I was like, WOW! Dawn looks GOOOOOOOD! And the color looks nice and warm, for this time of year. I think it's divine!
I've not commented here before, but I really want you to know that I really like your bangs. They make you look younger! I also like your hair color, but I'm partial to redheads. ( My daughter has red hair.) I think we're close to the same age, I only have two kids, and I wish I looked half as good as you do!!
Wow, you look great! Amazingly great. As for the orange, how about some toner? That will tone down the brassiness. I have (okay,had) brown hair so dark it look(ed) black, years ago my daughter talked me into bleaching it (I was depressed). I ended up with elbow length three tone hair, from hooker orange to margarine yellow, it was awful,but the toner got rid of the worst of it. Eventually, I had to cut it short and redye it dark, because of the stripy thing. I kept my hair french braided until I cut it, so it wouldn't be so obvious. Man I looked bad.
You, however, look beautiful.
I think you actually look quite sexy in the first picture. The bangs LOOK AMAZING. And the color is not as bad as you think. I like red hair, so I think it actually looks good. Give it some days for the color to soften and for you to get used to such a drastic change and I bet you find you enjoy being a redhead! I love the new look!
Dawn, Stop your killing me with laughter, oh and in the first pic you did kinda have "bed room" eyes!
You look great, as always. I do have a random question, though. Why are you and your kids continually wearing short-sleeved shirts in pictures from the dead of winter? I thought it was strange that Lexi had on a summer nightgown in the picture you posted from Christmas morning (but my younger son refused to wear summer pajamas until August one year, even with the sweating all night long, so I don't argue anymore), but now you have on a t-shirt in January. Do you have really cheap oil out there in the midwest, or are you all just so used to the frigid cold that you can go without layers indoors? I'm on the East Coast, and we have a mere 5 inches of snow and ice on the ground at the moment, so maybe I'm just wimpy, but we have to leave our house at 67 degrees to be able to afford to heat it all winter, so if you have a secret, please let me know!
Oh please Dawn! You do NOT have a Neanderthal forehead! I personally have a "fivehead" instead of a forehead and trust me, yours is nothing like it!
Lighting in pictures can sometimes be deceiving, but from the pictures, it looks pretty good!
Just wanna say I love reading your blog!! And I think your hair looks great! It has an autumn-y look to it! Very cute on you! :)
I just got to say...LOVE THE BANGS! And from the pics, I don't think the color is bad, either. You look GREAT Dawn!
Honestly I really like your hair, I am amazed you cut your bangs yourself, they look great. Maybe it isn't real orangey on film, but by pictures I think its a reddish blondeish look, very cute!
It doesn't look bad at all! We are our own worst critics!! And I think the bangs are just fine. Take it easy on yourself! You're beautiful!!
You look GREAT! I love the bangs (on which you did a fantastic job)! I'm as serious as a stroke - we live in an age where anything goes - so just go out there like it's exactly the color you meant for it to be. And if anybody says anything negative - your response is, "Orange you glad I didn't do purple?!" %)
I have a friend whose natural color is the color you got and she's frustrated because now that she has gray to cover it turns out too brown, so it's obviously a personal thing and nothing that would upset anyone else. No wonder men have a hard time dealing with us. Like they could care about the color as long as they still have hair.
I cut my hair myself and I have to give you props for a job well done. The bangs are perfect. Just long enough to get in the eyes in a sexy way and angled well to compliment your skinny face. They make you look young, too. I guess I haven't seen a picture of you in a while because when I saw this, at first, I didn't realize it was you.
You have beautiful skin and GORGEOUS eyes. Hints of orange and red go great with your skin tone and eyes. Have fun with it! I think it looks great! Stop being so hard on yourself and let the confidence of God's creation (YOU!) make you enjoy your own beauty.
You may hate it, but I think it looks great. It just looks like you have lowlights and highlights.
I like the way your hair looks in the picture.
I do have a SSO question, if it's not too late.
I was at a mom's group where someone shared a story about a mother who spent an hour a day praying for her children. Her children knew to not interrupt her during her prayer time. The group's reaction to the story was mixed. Some felt, this showed her devotion to God and her children: what a wonderful expression of love, and what a great example she was setting by showing her children the importance of prayer. Others felt that she should get off her knees and tend to her children. God hears prayers while we change diapers and hold screaming babies just as well as when we sit in silence.
I'm curious to know your take on it?
OMG! You took at least five years off with those bangs. I am LOVING them. I too have a large forehead (not that I agree with your assessment of your forehead) and would love to be able to have bangs that looked that good. As for the color, either you are MAJORLY over reacting, or your camera isn't showing us what you see. I think it looks great. What does Joe say?
Dawn I think your hair looks fantasic. If the picture doesn't do the colour justice fair enough but from where i'm sitting it's awesome and the bangs look great. I also noticed you have lost weight and you look so much younger in that "Duh look" Well done hottie mum!!
Tracey, Australia
I agree. This is definately your sexy model look. That was my first thought when I saw the picture. And I LIKE it, really!!
I think your hair looks great. It doesn't look orange. It looks like a beautiful brunette color with highlights!
I just want you to know that I pay somebody TONS of money every month to make the streaks in my hair look pretty close to that color! I think it looks great!
Doesn't red hair give you permission to be fiesty and occasionally psycho? You go nuts and people will just whisper to each other "oh, she's a red head".
Dawn, I think it looks great, but if you hate it, you should by L'Oreal Preference for Brunettes - it's specially made to remove orange and brassy tones. Oh, and you definitely look like you lost weight - you look fantastic!
I think your hair looks great!
I think it looks great! Like you got highlights!
Your hair looks lovely. I like the bangs. I've always wished that I could carry off some sort of reddish hair color, but it looks ghastly with my skin coloring.
I think it looks good but, I would really like to know what the deal is with boxed color turning hair orange. I have the same problem. And, even though it has happened before, I have colored my hair with box color five or more times, always thinking, "Maybe THIS time my hair won't turn orange". But, it always does and it never flatters me. If anyone knows why this happens, please fill me in.
I think I know the answer (although your hair looks MUCH better than mine!). My cosmetology-school friend calls it "hot roots". Apparently the heat from your scalp causes the chemicals in the hair dye to activate earlier and more strongly than on the rest of your hair. So....hot roots! Same thing happened to me - my usual lovely brown took effect everywhere except for the orange roots. She said next time for you to leave the roots until last - the exact opposite of what the instructions say to do!
Dawn you look great, but if you really want to get rid of the red for your pictures you could buy a darker shade of temporary hair color that washes out. You could also buy a darker shade of semi-permanent hair color that has no ammonia. It can't lighten your hair--therefore less damage and less chance of messing up the color--and it is suppose to only last a few weeks. Whatever you do, buy haircolor that has the word ash in the name. Ash will help neutralize the red. Good luck!
My hair does the same thing. I finally tried using medium browns, and people told me I looked younger. No really!
Your problem reminds me of a time my sister's hair came out looking like that. She went around complaining about how bad her hair looked, and my mom kept telling her it looked fine. Then, my mom had her cataract removed. One of the first things she said was, "ooh, I see what you mean about your hair. You better get that fixed.". Priceless!
I think your hair looks FABULOUS! I am guessing that the color will tone down in a week or two. I know it looks different irl vs. pictures but it looks great here!


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Emerald Ball Dancesport Championships
May 1 - 6, 2018 at LAX Hilton Hotel - Los Angeles, CA
- Organizer(s)
- Wayne & Donna Eng
- Website
- http://www.emeraldball.com/
- Phone
- (702) 480-4429
- Fax
- (702) 256-4227
- email@example.com
- Event Location
- LAX Hilton Hotel - Los Angeles, CA
- Mailing
- 9081 West Sahara Avenue, Suite 190
Las Vegas, NV 89135
About the Organizers
In 1989, Wayne and Donna Eng purchased the Emerald Ball Championships from Ken and Sheila Sloan. They had been promoting it for 25 years prior to that. It is said to be one of the oldest ballroom competitions in U.S. history, originating in San Francisco. Then, Wayne approached Terry Leone to become a partner. Terry, who had worked directly under Arthur Murray, was the owner of the Arthur Murray studio in Beverly Hills. Leone, who passed on in 1994, was featured on the Merv Griffin Show at least 50 times to promote Arthur Murray studios and was co-host for a couple years for the PBS popular show, Championship Ballroom Dancing produced by Aida Moreno, filmed at the Ohio Star Ball.
In 1994, Wayne and Donna became the sole organizers and owners of the Emerald Ball and have made the competition one of America's premier events.
The Engs have also ran a successful dance studio for over 15 years, are the organizers of the San Diego Dancesport Championships and hold an annual dance camp in Las Vegas, Nevada with over 700 participants. This camp sells out annually.
Wayne Eng is currenly the Vice President and Competition Director of the American Ballroom Company, which sponsors the United States Dancesport Championships.
About the Event
If you are a serious pro-am, amateur, or professional competitor Wayne and Donna Eng's Emerald Ball is a 'must do' competition. One of the three largest competitions in America – this event attracts the best of the best from the U.S. and abroad. The dance standard is high and so is the prize money.
Just starting out? The Emerald Ball is also a great competition to get your feet wet with the newcomer events. Get inspired and get a goal, watching some of the top competitors in the world.


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My musings on life. My interests are varied, and my struggles are not unique, but this is my story. These are the changes made to improve my life. My diagnosis does not define me, my choices do. I am working to live a healthy happy life with PCOS. These are the changes I am making, the struggles I am facing, and just my daily life learning to live in a whole new way. I hope to encourage others to make small changes that will lead to great results.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Jenna Demi
Posted by Dawn Black at 12:28 PM
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On the heels of discussing trademark genericide through the Anything is Popsicle prism yesterday, let us turn our attention back to Velcro, who is at it again, this time making a genericide sequel. The sequel is called "Thank You for Your Feedback — Don't Say Velcro." Like any sequel I've ever seen, I'm not feeling Velcro's second… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Napoleon Dynamite
Supreme Court Upholds Nike's Promise to "Break the Wrist, and Walk Away"By Steve Baird on Posted in Articles, Infringement, Law Suits, Trademarks
Not every day does the United States Supreme Court weigh in on a topic impacting the trademark world, but it did so yesterday in Already, LLC v. Nike, Inc., a case illustrating what can happen when a trademark plaintiff wants to pull the plug and end the lawsuit it started in a walkaway (or as martial arts instructor… Continue Reading
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Steve BairdJust so you know, I'm all about brands and the law, both professionally and personally. I regularly annoy family and friends in retail stores by focusing on product labels—not to buy the product, but to read the fine print and ask, "Who owns these brands" and "Did they really register those marks?" More...
Jessica Gutierrez AlmI wasn't planning to be a lawyer. At least that was my thinking as I began law school. This degree was going to give me a leg up in my efforts to enter the business world. Lawyers live in the grey — where there's never a right answer, only possibilities — and the favorite lawyer answer for any seemingly yes-or-no question: "it depends." More...
Tiffany BlofieldAlthough my initial career path was to be one of the Supremes (not the musically talented ones with platform shoes and sequins, but rather, the nine wearing sensible shoes and pressed black robes in DC), I will likely stay in Minnesota as I have never lived anywhere else. More...
Tucker ChambersI've always been fascinated by brands, logos, slogans, and other creative works. I remember in my first year of middle school, asking my parents for the Adidas "three stripe" shoes to match my friends at school. More...
Martha Engel
I've always been passionate about smartly designed, cleverly branded, and well-crafted products – from cars to craft beer to fashion to gadgets. More...
Kyle Kroll
For me, creativity has always been a way of standing out from the crowd, doing the unexpected, and adding passion to my work. More...
Brent LorentzAlthough I wish I could say my path to the law was the result of a lifelong dream or calling, it was more the result mere curiosity and an affinity for leather-bound books. More...
Timothy SitzmannI have always considered myself to be a creative person. Full disclosure: I'm not claiming that I've created anything good, merely that I have created things that exist.More...
Brad WalzMy law career started on the ice…as a defensive hockey player (we're not talking professionally…and if I were, I probably wouldn't have gotten into law). More...
Draeke WesemanPeople often ask me why my name is spelled the way it is. When I was born, my mother added an extra "e" in the middle to distinguish it from being confused with the word "drake," meaning "male duck." More...
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|The Black Ivy, reblogged from Street Etiquette
I want some of everything that's happening in this photograph.
Inside the mind of a kind of quirky, pretty stubborn, way too opinionated, twenty-something, heteroflexible Black female newly employed up-and-moved-to-DC Princeton GRADUATE who's just trying to sort out her life. An uninhibited celebration of all that is me, this blog is an exercise in self-discovery and live-with-your-heart-wide-open-ness. Though I make respect a habit, I will not always be politically correct, and I believe in the power of making audiences uncomfortable to inspire change.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
I can haz hipster? Puh-leeeeeaaassseee?
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New Pa. law makes leaving animals in cold felony
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Monday, October 17, 2011
Happy 31st Birthday to Me!
My birthday party night fell on Memphis' Gay Pride Day, and since I was a parade float judge this year, I decided to keep the gay theme going all night. That's why my birthday outfit is screaming rainbows! And check out these bad-ass fairy wings. They were a gift from my friend Autumn:
A few weeks ago, my daddy ordered me a selection of vegan cheeses to serve at the party. There's Cheezly Edam and Blue Cheese, Sheese Medium Cheddar and Mexican Style spread, We Can't Say It's Cheese Spread in Hickory Cheddar and Mexi-Cheddar, Teese Mozzarella, and Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese in Aged Cashew & Brazil Nut:
I also made a few vegan cheeses at home. Here's most of the food spread and some of the wines:
I used the Teese Mozzarella to make Caprese Salad Stacks — tomato drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vingear, Teese, and a fresh basil leaf:
I used some Daiya Cheddar Shreds and salsa to make little Quesadilla Bites. These disappeared pretty quickly:
And I made this yummy Sundried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Pub Cheese from Scissors & Spice! It was excellent spread on crackers!
I also made the famous Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese from Vegetarian Times. I've made this before, and it's so tasty. Sadly, there were no leftovers of this:
I sliced up some Sheese and Cheezly for folks to try with crackers. I'd never had Cheezly before, and it was delicious! Thankfully, the blue cheese flavor didn't have any weird blue moldy stuff. That always kept me away from blue cheese in my dairy days. (Speaking of mold, that little white bit on a slice of the Sheese in the middle is some Cheezly Blue Cheese that rubbed off from the knife ... not mold).
And I cubed some Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack. I know FYH is pretty easy to come by, but it really is tasty stuff. I rarely buy it anymore now that Daiya is sold in Memphis, but these cubes reminded me that FYH is still delicious!
I placed the We Can't Say It's Not Cheese Spreads and the Sheese Mexican Style spread out with crackers for spreadin':
But we all know that vegan wine and cheese alone does not a birthday party make. There must be cake!!! Luckily, I happen to be friends with Memphis' best vegan baker, Stephanie Roy (a.k.a. Poopie Bitch on the PPK). She made me, not one, but TWO vegan birthday cakes! This one was Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. Eating this was JUST LIKE eating a Reese's peanut butter cup ... but better:
And then there was this Orange Creamsicle Cake. The sophiscated gold and silver frosting is very vegan-wine-and-cheese-party, no?
But Steph promised there was more to this giant cake than fancy gold frosting. Everyone gathered around for the big reveal as Stephanie cut the cake:
Surprise!!!!!!! It's a GAY CAKE!
Pretty awesome, huh? I still have cake leftover, and every time I look at the rainbow colors, I get all giddy inside.
50 comments:
- MAHEALANI said...
Happy Birthday!!!!! What an amazing cheese spread and that rainbow cake looks amazing!
- October 18, 2011 at 12:10 AM
- Alpha Blonde said...
Annnddd Now I'm starving!! Happy Birthday! Omg how awesome is the gay interior? She did such a good job! That pepper crusted cashew goat cheese will be made very very soon...
- October 18, 2011 at 12:27 AM
- Kittee Bee Berns said...
happy birthday, bianca! looks like you had a great day. those cakes! the cheezes (your dad sound amazing!) and the costume. birthdays are so much better with wigs!
- October 18, 2011 at 12:57 AM
- Angela @ Vegangela.com said...
Happy Birthday! My goodness, I'd love to be at a party with that much vegan cheese. Only I would be super anti-social, ignoring everyone and just hoarding all the cheese to myself!
LOVE your birthday cake. Those rainbow layers are amazing!
- October 18, 2011 at 2:13 AM
- Stacy said...
Those cheese spreads look awesome. I gotta admit, though--I don't usually think of some of those products as holding up to uncooked/on-their-lonesome consumption. Cheezly must be tastier than I thought!
- October 18, 2011 at 5:15 AM
- Glauce said...
Happy Birthday! And OMG look at that gay cake (L) Everything looks delicious, but the cake looks like heaven.
- October 18, 2011 at 5:38 AM
- Brian Woz said...
Happy Birthday! With two cakes like that, I'm sure it was a good one.
- October 18, 2011 at 6:26 AM
- VeganLisa said...
Wow, what a spread! Happy Birthday Bianca. The 16th is my birthday too. Libras rock!
- October 18, 2011 at 6:36 AM
- JohnP said...
OMG the cake!
- October 18, 2011 at 7:07 AM
- Lauren said...
That food spread looks amazing and I can't believe the cake!! That's so cool.
- October 18, 2011 at 7:23 AM
- vegan.in.brighton said...
What a brilliant birthday party! I love wine & cheese nights & that gay cake looks brilliant!
- October 18, 2011 at 7:39 AM
- Sophia said...
Happy Birthday!!!
What an awesome spread! And a such a neat idea for a fun Birthday party, you know how to celebrate in style!
What pretty cake, so colorful :)
- October 18, 2011 at 7:53 AM
- VeggieLow said...
wow - that cake is amazing!
- October 18, 2011 at 7:57 AM
- Allyson said...
everything looks amazing, but that cake is perhaps the best thing i have ever seen.
happy bday! <3
- October 18, 2011 at 8:12 AM
- jessy said...
happy birthday, Bianca!!!! as they say, "get outta town!" with your sweet rainbows and winged outfit - and Steph's rainbow cake (and the pb one, too)! there's so much awesomeness in this post.... i love, love, love that your birthday fell on Memphis' Gay Pride Day and i love everything about your celebration of awesomenesses! kick ass with the wine 'n cheeze party. you and me both on FYH be'n yummers. while i do love Daiya, we still stick with FYH for our pizzas. might i say, that's gotta be the best spread i've seen, my friend. MEGAyay!
- October 18, 2011 at 8:31 AM
- Tami said...
You knpw how to have a party! So awesome! Love the costume, love your dad, love your food.... and those cakes! Poopie is the best!
- October 18, 2011 at 8:59 AM
- coldandsleepy said...
Happy big gay birthday! Your party looks amazing/totally delicious, from the first couple of vegan cheeses right down to the classy rainbow cake.
- October 18, 2011 at 9:05 AM
- The Health Sleuth said...
that rainbow cake rocks! all the food...wow!
Happy 31st my southern sista!
- October 18, 2011 at 9:05 AM
- Allysia said...
Bianca, your outfit is so badass. Just like that cake. I love the idea of a vegan wine and cheese party - it looks like a great time was had by all! Happy 31st!
- October 18, 2011 at 9:49 AM
- Lauren (PB&G) said...
Haha! I LOVE it! I wish I could have joined in the celebration! Happy Birthday!!
- October 18, 2011 at 10:01 AM
- JL goes Vegan said...
Happy birthday, girlfriend! 31 looks great on you!
- October 18, 2011 at 10:32 AM
- Amber Shea @Almost Vegan said...
Happy b-day again! Your outfit makes you look like a wicked Rainbow Bright, love it. The cheese spread looks good, but THAT RAINBOW CAKE! Omg!
- October 18, 2011 at 10:48 AM
- ProudFlower Productions said...
Happy Birthday! Your spread looks so yummy and that rainbow cake looks amazing! I was telling my Wife just the other day that I wanted one. Thanks for giving me a visual to show her :-D
- October 18, 2011 at 11:39 AM
- Amey said...
OH MY GOD - That cake is amazing!!! Happy Birthday Gay Fairy Bianca!
- October 18, 2011 at 11:54 AM
- VeganLinda said...
What an incredibly awesome birthday celebration! Love the rainbow cake!!!
- October 18, 2011 at 12:46 PM
- Shannon said...
Happy Birthday! Your party looked fab!
- October 18, 2011 at 1:48 PM
- Jacinta said...
OMG this all looks AMAZING, happy birthday :) Love your vitality.
- October 18, 2011 at 2:09 PM
- POPshop & Spazz Records said...
What a great party!! Happy Birthday!!
- October 18, 2011 at 2:13 PM
- Kelly said...
Happy birthday! You throw the best parties! :)
- October 18, 2011 at 3:02 PM
- Erin said...
Happy Birthday! I love vegan cheese parties. And the rainbow cake is AMAZING!
- October 18, 2011 at 3:14 PM
- Scissors and Spice said...
Happy birthday Bianca! So happy I was sorta at your party! (And your bday is a day after my hub's! Libras rule!) Your gay cake is AWESOME! Glad you had a great day!
- October 18, 2011 at 3:14 PM
- jess said...
Happy Birthday, Bianca!!!! I think that you are incredible, that this post and entire spread is incredible, and that yes, those wings are AMAZING. <3
- October 18, 2011 at 4:07 PM
I love your gay birthday cakes!! And you!! Happy birthday!
- October 18, 2011 at 4:36 PM
- Vegyogini said...
Happy birthday, Rainbow Brite Bianca! What a fabulous way to celebrate!
- October 18, 2011 at 5:29 PM
- KTBuns said...
WOW!! What an amazing party! Happy Birthday!!!!! Wish I could've seen that gay cake in person... incredible.
Glad you had a kickass time!
- October 18, 2011 at 5:31 PM
- KellyC said...
Happy Birthday! I love, love, LOVE the big gay cake. How amazing is that...and that you didn't know until you cut into it makes it even better! It's like a present you get to unwrap
- October 18, 2011 at 5:45 PM
- foodfeud said...
What a badass rainbow birthday cake!! Sounds like the party was a blast. I made that pub cheese too - I like it! I don't have the $$ to spend on so many different types of vegan cheese but I enjoy making my own. Although I'd like to sample some storebought kinds too. I hear the Dr. Cow is amazing. Happy Birthday!
- October 18, 2011 at 8:05 PM
- Sarah said...
Happy Birthday!
I totally want a cheese party and a rainbow cake! Awesome.
- October 18, 2011 at 8:18 PM
- Sheridan said...
HAPPY BIRFDAY!!! Your party was totally awesome! I wish I could eat that cake and all of those delicious cheeses all over again! haha! Love you! You are so ahead of me... I haven't even loaded my pics onto my laptop yet!
- October 18, 2011 at 9:16 PM
- Susan said...
Happy birthday! That is an awesome cake.
- October 19, 2011 at 2:14 AM
- tamara said...
hoooollllyy shit. amazing theme, SO MUCH CHEEZE, and those cakes look amazing. i'm drooling. i'm totally with you on FYH - I don't really buy it anymore but I still really like it. It's usually on sale at WFM here in ATL, so I'll have to pick some up next time I'm there.
- October 19, 2011 at 8:50 AM
- tamara said...
i forgot to say happy birthday!! Happy happy birthday!!!!!!!!!
- October 19, 2011 at 8:50 AM
Happy birthday! Holy crap is that one awesome party. Stephanie is amazing, your outfit is amazing, and vegan wine and cheese? Amazing.
- October 19, 2011 at 12:33 PM
- Michelle said...
Happy late Birthday! Looks like you had a GREAT one! :o)
- October 19, 2011 at 1:03 PM
- Annie said...
Happy Birthday! That sounds like the most amazing birthday ever! XO
- October 19, 2011 at 7:15 PM
Happy belated birthday! The spread looks amazing, your dad is a gem and that gay cake is amazing!!!!
- October 20, 2011 at 5:27 PM
- Velovegan said...
Ya know, Bianca, sometimes I actually don't visit your blog for a while on purpose because every time I do visit it it makes me SO DAMN HUNGRY!!!!!!! :-p
glad you had a lovely birthday!! xxx
- October 21, 2011 at 7:58 AM
- Eric said...
Happy birthday! jealous of that spread and that cake~!!!
- October 21, 2011 at 8:28 AM
- tender b. said...
What an amazing spread (both the foods and the wings). Happy birthday. Awesome looking cake!
- October 23, 2011 at 7:02 PM
- truth_inBeauty said...
Oh wow - that's AWESOME!
I have to say, the rainbow cake makes me the happiest to look at...lol
But there's something about all that "cheeze!"
Happy Belated Birthday! Yum!
- October 24, 2011 at 8:14 PM


text:
Leave me alone, though.
I mostly hang out with the under seven year old set.
And when I say this phrase, I just fit right in. It's all about the peer pressure people.
So, back to the girls rule, boys drool statement.
I, Jenny Matlock, have single-handedly proven that girls CAN lose more weight then boys.
OK, it happened last night.
And it only happened once.
And it will probably never, ever happen again...
And, no, I actually didn't put melted butter on his food when he wasn't looking.
But I am all about celebrating milestones!
And I really don't care about the end zone touchdown dance rule being unsportsmanlike! And taunting.
Oh, yea, I'm gonna taunt.
And I'm gonna be unsportmanlike.
And Mr. Jenny? ....nya nya nya nya nya!
So in honor of losing weight what is more appropriate then doing a giveaway for a cupcake?!?
Hmmm.... I wonder if this philosophy is part of why I need to go to WW's in the first place.
But never mind that...
This is what is important.
This is a zero calorie, zero point (and I suspect zero flavor) cupcake in your choice of scrumptious flavors... This is only one of the many choices you can select from at Catherine Holman's Etsy store.
Just click here to see all the amazingly beautiful and calorie free prints Catherine offers.
And since I'm so ridiculously proud of myself for beating Mr. Jenny this is one of those multiple entry giveways.
And here's how it goes:
Winner will be announced on Saturday, May 8 before 8 am MST.
You can earn three chances for this giveway:
1. Be or become a follower of my blog (chance 1)
2. Visit Catherines store and tell me which cupcake you would select (chance 2)
3. Link the giveaway on your blog (chance 3)
If you do a separate entry for each Mr. Random Org can find your extra entries more easily!
Now, if you'll excuse me I need to run to the health food store and get another big tub of that weight gain powder.
I can't help it. I'm just really doing an endzone dance over this whole girls ruling thing!


text:
Monday, August 22, 2011
Post-Race TV Wrap: Sprint Cup Series From MIS on ESPN
Rain was a worry, but luckily the weather stayed good and the ESPN coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from MIS went off without a hitch.
Nicole Briscoe hosted the coverage from the Infield Pit Studio. Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty were the analysts who joined her. ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard stopped by after giving the command to start engines. The college football talk was interrupted by racing.
Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree handled the race from the TV booth. This was an MIS script that all three of them knew very well. Bestwick did his best to concentrate on keeping viewers up to date on who was where and why.
Jarrett and Petree were again saddled with a fuel mileage and track position event without major incidents except for engine woes. Both of them understood the issues and talked clearly about what teams could make what decisions to keep themselves in contention. You just had the feeling for them it was a long day.
Speaking of long days, the ESPN pit road reporters were struggling for some reason. It's a big track and there were several caution periods that made for group stops, but it was still a rough race. The booth dominated the commentary and there were almost no crew chief interviews, unlike the last race.
Tim Brewer has now been upstaged in the pre-race show by ESPN's own Sports Science features that have now been adapted to NASCAR. This really steals Brewer's thunder and makes his subsequent reports seem rather basic.
ESPN made good pictures and sound. The director crept back toward his tendency to frame camera shots tight and lose the larger perspective. On a big track like MIS, that was tough. ESPN has a good split-screen effect, but it was rarely used for green flag racing.
In the end, NASCAR may have been guilty of providing some early cautions for minor debris and was rewarded with a late caution that bunched the field for the finish. It was a storyline that TV viewers had seen before.
Once again, ESPN framed the finish so the lead lap cars could be seen crossing the line as the graphics revealed the finishing order. It wasn't perfect, but at least the cars could be seen. Kind of a fitting way to end a rather mediocre telecast.
This post will serve to host your comments on the ESPN coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from MIS. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below.
37 comments:
- Buschseries61 said...
Mediocre. This was genuinely a forgetable race. Still, ESPN is starting to lose it's Indy polish. The shots are tighter, the pit reporters are losing visibility, the debris no longer matters.
Tim Brewer an invisible man today, as there was just no need for the tech center. But Nicole Briscoe was bold today. She is doing a fine job as the anchor of the infield studio.
- August 21, 2011 at 4:22 PM
- Buschseries61 said...
Sorry, typo: "Brewer WAS an invisible..."
- August 21, 2011 at 4:25 PM
- KoHoSo said...
As a current resident of Fontana, I know all too painfully well how racing goes on this style of track. ESPN did not often have a lot to work with as far as on-track excitement goes until the inevitable late cautions. However, the director could have done much better with the tools at his disposal to make this dog of a race a little more bearable to watch. Instead, what we saw in pictures was often the same old same old. As I said in my one live blog comment, only Bestwick's addition to the announcing crew and the overall improvement in the performance of the whole booth made this day tolerable.
- August 21, 2011 at 4:27 PM
- w17scott said...
Mr Editor -
First time all season I've listened to the ESPN broadcast ...AB did his best with commentary for a tough race to call; DJ and AP contributed well ...shots were ok, but MIS lends itself to aerial shots, but rarely seen ...finish line coverage again improved ...using a clown car as pace care kinda appropo for MIS ...Nicole raised her game, but Rusty and Brad proved their uselessness as analysts ...like the idea of Brad doing pre-race walk/interviews on pit road ...serial shots during post-race just doesn't get it or justify expense.
- August 21, 2011 at 4:29 PM
- sbaker17 said...
Please replay the last few minutes of the wrap up show and pay particular attention to what R. Wallace had to say.
Complete blather.
- August 21, 2011 at 4:33 PM
- OSBORNK said...
To me, Nicole was a bright spot in an otherwise drab and forgettable broadcast. The Brad and Rusty show was its usual disaster but the rest of the broadcast team seemed to have an off day. They all seemed to be mailing it in.
- August 21, 2011 at 4:34 PM
- RWar24 said...
What is with the obsession with the pace car? No it was a Camaro, or Mustang, Corvette, or Camry. It was a prototype model using the Chevy Volt technology. I don't think it had any relevance to the race. What would've been nice if ESPN would've found out what happened to Kenseth on the last last restart. Restarted 4th and finish 10th. Bad reporting as usual.
- August 21, 2011 at 4:39 PM
- GinaV24 said...
mediocre sums it up for me, too. ESPN actually showed us the cars crossing the finish line but the rest of the time used tight shots on a huge track. Yeah we know they get spread out and yes IMO nascar manipulated the cautions to try and keep it somewhat interesting. thunderstorm meant I was in the house so I watched most of the race while doing housework.
Although I am not a Kenseth fan, it would have been good to know what happened to him on the restart.
Also I give credit to Tony for an honest comment about his spot in the chase and I'm not being sarcastic at all. That's another problem with the chase. When it was just race darn it, you had comers and goers all through the top 10, now the top 12 is locked and that's dumb.
- August 21, 2011 at 4:46 PM
- larry said...
They never did tell us who punted Ambrose on that pit stop.
I intentionally ignore sponsors on the cars, so when they only show a sponsor I don't know the car/driver/number. I think the sponsor was a sausage or something.
- August 21, 2011 at 5:33 PM
- Anonymous said...
I think ESPN has made racing unwatchable.
The NNS race in Montreal is a good example of too many graphics and too much talking. The split screens, graphic boxes and the stupid tickers at the top and bottom of the screen make it virtually impossible to even see the cars. Whoever thought up the bubbles with arrows pointing to the car should be flogged(Thanks Fox! NOT)
Please do away with the pit reporter. The commentary from the pits is useless and unneeded. Just show the pit stop and let the guys in the booth comment instead.
Take a cue from the BBC coverage of F1. They assume you have a brain and keep the graphics to a minimum.
- August 21, 2011 at 6:06 PM
- Sophia said...
Apparently the TEMPORARY GOOD camera work for BSPN is gone. I watched more OFF than on but what I saw & read about was disappointing from a camera standpoint..back to same old same old.
Good truck work, we hardly knew ye.
- August 21, 2011 at 6:55 PM
- saltsburgtrojanfan said...
After teasing us with 3 fine telecasts we get tight shots and the clueless twins. Jamie Little needs to go she does not ask a good question to the drivers. Send Jamie and Rusty to a Dale Carnegie course.
Allen did his best like he always does. The shots have to be widened as far as it can be. Wide shots shows us the race.
I'm not gonna watch for a while I enjoyed these last two races but I knew it was a bait and switch.
- August 21, 2011 at 7:02 PM
- MortonGroveDon said...
I can only echo what others have said so far. Too many tight shots; as though they are trying to hide empty seats. Tim Brewer has become persona non gratis, and Rusty and Brad, as a long time Rusty fan, Im dissapointed in how badly he has done since leaving the car. His shameless denial of his son's ability to keep other teams bodymen employed is a letdown. I will commend the AB,DJ,andAP for doing the best they can. All of you that were so glad ESPN was taking oer, still feel that way?
- August 21, 2011 at 7:09 PM
- Roland said...
Ho hum race, Ho hum broadcast. Brewer was useless. All I heard from Rusty and Brad was mindless drivel. Nicole would be shining if she had real analysts in the studio with her. Pit work was shotty. The reporters need to start thinking about what their saying before they say it.
Booth was off. They didnt do a good job of keeping the tempo up. They were just as bored as we were. DJ came out of the box like he was on 5 Hour Energy. He was shouting and talking really fast and talking all the time. But by the end he was calm and Andy was doing the talking.
Lack of split screen is astounding. How many times have I said split screen replays for green flag racing? Yet they still wont listen. They were all over the place at the end covering battles everywhere but no split screen. Really hard to follow.
Felt like the ESPN of old. Pretty bad weekend for ESPN. But this is the last split weekend between Cup and "The NNS Series" as Larry Mac says. No ESPN for me next week, Ill be at the track. Looking forward to Wednesday night though. An ESPN free week, whats any better than that?
- August 21, 2011 at 7:22 PM
- Karen said...
Larry, Kevin Harvick w/sponsor Jimmy Johns punted Ambrose. Jimmy Johns is a major sponsor for him NW, I believe.
- August 21, 2011 at 7:28 PM
- Fed UP said...
Michigan is a very boring race to watch, has been since I've started watching racing. However, I give credit for ESPN working with what they have. If there's no excitement out there, you can't show it.
Im still enjoying the chemistry between the onair talent, and all in all, they did a pretty good job.
- August 21, 2011 at 7:33 PM
- Anonymous said...
#48 punted Ambrose in the pits. They showed the replay from his roof cam.
- August 21, 2011 at 7:43 PM
- Sally said...
I give Nicole Brisco high marks for keepin a tight reain on the babble and cheerleading from Rusty and Brad. She even inperrupted the football talk to get back to the race...and I'm a huge U of M fan! AB and the booth did pretty well, but it's hard to get much excitement going at a track like MIS where cars spread all over the track 2 laps after a restart. Unfortunately, the truck gave us way too many tight shots, and spent a lot of camera time on the leader running all by his lonesome. That really isn't an attention getter, guys. But, it's Michigan, and that's how it goes.
- August 21, 2011 at 8:26 PM
- GinaV24 said...
I guess Johnson didn't want Ambrose to win 2 races in a weekend. Why would ESPN show that? After all in about 3 weeks, they will be falling all over themselves with adoration for the 48 again. blech!
I'm hoping this year that the script has an unexpectedly unhappy ending for chad and his boy.
- August 21, 2011 at 8:33 PM
- NorCalFan said...
With the cars strung out around the track within a few laps after every restart, why did't ESPN do just one "through the field" so each car could get some air time? All that was talked about were the top 12 cars in points and a couple of "on the bubble" cars. Heck the only comprehensive pit reporting was done on the Hendrick cars early on in the race and Jamie Little couldn't even get that right and reported on Biffle's car all the while the camera is focused on J. Gordon's car. On the only "up to speed" segment, the pit reporters covered just the cars running from 1st to 9th position. It seems to be a hit or miss proposition when it comes to using pit reporters. I don't understand the logic behind it (and maybe there isn't any).
Minor issue. Whoever the ESPN person was who was monitoring radio scanner traffic failed to tell Dale Jarrett that Matt Kenseth's team told Matt to back up to Jeff Gordon so the 24 car could get some trash off the grill. That tidbit of info would have prevented Jarrett from bumbling around for words to explain what we were seeing on the track which was not the norm for two cars that are not teammates.
And it was Harvick who punted Ambrose in his pit stall right before the green-white-checker finish.
And yes, at the very end of the broadcast I heard Rusty say "our Carl Edwards is looking very, very strong". Doesn't that statement reek of nepotism? Are ESPN's ethical standards so low that management chooses to overlook the fact that on-air personalities not only own teams and have family members drive the cars but they can also voice their favoritism towards a particular driver. IMO, ESPN has no credibility whatsoever reporting on the sport of NASCAR.
On a positive note, thank goodness for Alan Bestwick in the booth.
P.S. In the 2-hour replay of the 3-1/2 hour Nationwide Montreal race last night, although a good 30laps in the middle of the race was cut out of the broadcast due to time constraints, ESPN did manage to squeeze in Tim Brewer's segment. That only reaffirms where live racing fits into ESPN's priorities in a Nascar broadcast.
- August 22, 2011 at 4:49 AM
- Palmetto said...
Nicole did a good job of pointedly reminding the studio crew was a race in progress, and that they weren't there to discuss the college ball pre-season. FYI, when a non-racing celebrity is in the studio or booth, you ask him what he thinks of the race; you don't switch over to his or her sport. I'm looking at you, Brad.
- August 22, 2011 at 6:58 AM
- sue said...
I thought espn did a good job telecasting what is/was usually a very uneventful race. Long stretches of green. Thought the camera angles on pit road were really good and caught the action.
Next comes Bristol. How many times will people complain in this blog about commercials? Just giving you the heads up.
- August 22, 2011 at 10:02 AM
- Palmetto said...
Anonymous @ 7:43 and Gina, it was Harvick who spun Ambrose. The in-car camera clearly showed the 'Jimmy John's' logo of the #29 car. You may have seen the 'JJ' logo and mistaken it for Jimmie Johnson's initials.
- August 22, 2011 at 10:09 AM
- Palmetto said...
NorCalFan, if Jamie is reporting on one car and the directors choose to show another, that's not her fault.
- August 22, 2011 at 10:11 AM
- JM said...
Yikes, you're all right, it was the 29 that punted Ambrose in the pit wall. My bad, thanks for the correction
- August 22, 2011 at 11:30 AM
- Anonymous said...
MortonGroveDon, since you asked, yes I'm still glad ESPN has taken over. I'm far less annoyed with them than FOX. Doesn't mean they're perfect, far from it, but what these networks are dealing with is applying lipstick to a pig. The racing is boring til the last 20 laps. Action on restarts but then the field strings out and drivers start conserving fuel. Pretty hard to make that compelling. But they could get rid of Rusty, Brad and Brewer to at least rid the annoyance factor.
- August 22, 2011 at 11:53 AM
- Jayhawk said...
One issue I have with ESPN is that they squash the picture vertically to accommodate the graphics at the top of the screen, distorting the shapes of the cars. It makes the picture look really ugly. It's exacerbated by the graphics being bigger than needed with lap counter stacked on top of the positions strip, and even worse yet by the two logos, which are strictly advertising and not information, being taller than the lap and leader information. It's just really sloppy technology.
- August 22, 2011 at 12:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
How many times are they going to have Brewer explain the old turn fan off and watch paper fall of the front grill trick? Man I think we have seen this like 3 or 4 times this season....geesh let Brewer go home and watch the race on TV..same for Rusty and Brad...I do not even watch the pre-race anymore...it just pisses me off
- August 22, 2011 at 12:21 PM
- Sunny Jim said...
Cut the cable a few weeks back, and went to TrackPass. I got to watch I pretty decent race. When it was boring up front, I moved back in the field and saw good battles for position. Radio broadcast was pretty decent too. Sounds like I'm not missing much on the "4-letter."
- August 22, 2011 at 1:54 PM
- OSBORNK said...
They ran the ticker at the top all day yesterday but they didn't show the interval. The interval should be shown at all times when the ticker is on the screen. Since they don't show many of the cars, it would give us some perspective as to where the cars are in relation to the leader.
- August 22, 2011 at 2:00 PM
- James said...
The less is better, seems to have made no impact on ESPN. MIS is known to be a strung out boring race track, difficult to keep viewers focused. ESPN reverted back to its poor choice of pictures and left the on air talent with little to keep the fans attention. We are starting to see the 2011 Chase propaganda, after years of hearing about the constant hammering from the fans about the "playoffs", another decision ESPN continues to make. NASCAR is allowing the networks to run free as to how they broadcast its product. The stands are empty and the ratings have got to be lower than expected, the sales of merchandise continues to be less than projected and when the NFL starts it will only get worse. The change of AB in the booth was a great step but in view of this weeks telecast, it appears to be a bandaid on a severed limb. The choice of retired former NASCAR notables, with little or no talent for television, bringing their own adgendas and conflicts continue to infect the weekly series. Where ESPN had an opportunity to turn the tide with this seasons series, it appears it has decided to use the same old tired approach that lazy production and poor pictures work great if the on air talent is cute. The fact that when new faces like Mr Craven and AB are introduced to the public, the old faces look lame and can not keep pace with the on track action if it is not scripted. All in all, the mess from Saturday continued on Sunday.
- August 22, 2011 at 2:06 PM
- mrclause said...
At least we weren't forced to hear any Waltrip drivel. Brad and Rusty do not belong, period. Somebody please tell Little and Welch to find ways to ask their questions in a shorter more concise manner. They take forever to ask simple questions.
- August 22, 2011 at 2:22 PM
- GinaV24 said...
Palmetto, thanks for the correction. I think I read it was JJ in a comment and assumed the worst. Why? because I don't like Johnson! LOL
Ugh, I missed Rusty's comment about cuzzin carl. I guess they are going to be kissin cuzzins. conflict of interest, but hey it's racing - who cares? Obviously not the broadcast partners.
- August 22, 2011 at 4:13 PM
- Anonymous said...
Gina doesn't like Kyle Busch either! Lol!
- August 22, 2011 at 6:52 PM
- NorCalFan said...
Alan Bestwick stated the pit reporters were going to report on the Hendrick cars which at the time were were running in 2nd (Martin), 5th (Gordon), 7th (JJ)and 12th (Jr). Dr. Punch reported on Martin, Jamie reported on Biffle(instead of Gordon), Dr. Punch reported on JJ, and Dave Burns reported on Jr. I certainly don't know who was at fault but the goof didn't make Jamie appear to be on top of her game.
- August 23, 2011 at 3:50 AM
- RWar24 said...
The debacle of reporting on the Hendrick cars, then Jaime Little reporting on Biffle made Jaime look really bad in my opinion. Maybe she was told something different by the producer in her ear but when she made it point to announce "it's Greg Biffle I'm talking about". It made her come across as snobbish, and insubordinate to the message that was trying to be conveyed. It had the attitude of "I'm going to report on who I want to report on and you're not telling me any different" Unprofessional.
- August 23, 2011 at 8:26 PM
- Eric B said...
anyone notice the *NEW* Miss Sprint Cup Jaclyn Roney?
- August 24, 2011 at 9:34 AM


text:
Wanda Worthington koerner says December 15, 2010 at 4:48 pm (Edit)
My ggf was David Greenwood Worthington born 1821 in Mississippi . He showed up in Washington County,Florida about 1845 on the first Florida voters list and lived there till his death in 1893 .
He married and raised a large family before his death. I have not found any parents for him, I did find one brother Martin M. Worthington born in 1819 also in Mississippi.
If anyone has any information on this line please help.


text:
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text:
Sarah Palin Meets Paul Revere
He who warned, uh, the…the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh, by ringin' those bells and um by makin' sure that as he's ridin' his horse through town to send those warnin' shots and bells that uh we were gonna be secure and we were gonna be free…and we were gonna be armed.Needless to say, Revere didn't ride to warn the British. He rode to warn provincial militia officers and the Continental Congress delegates Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were on the march.
One could make the argument that Revere's actions led to a massive popular response that served as a warning to British officials about the people's determination to protect their traditional liberties—I'm just not convinced that Palin could make that argument, at least without coaching.
Furthermore, her comment about "takin' away our arms" connotes that the royal forces were after personal weapons like muskets and pistols. The goal of the British march was artillery which the Massachusetts Provincial Congress had collected using diverted taxes for a military force independent of the royal government. That's an important distinction, I think.
It sounds like Palin got an accurate description of Revere, the Lexington alarm, and his adolescent bell-ringing at Old North Church during her travels, but that history got garbled in her attempt to spin it into modern right-wing talking points ("Put the government on warning!" "We need our arms!"). The result was her typical stew of folksy phrases without logical or grammatical connections.
However, some of the websites critiquing Palin's remark made historical errors of their own. Mediaite said of Revere:
He had to be quiet to not let the British know that he knew (sorry, but no bells either) they were coming– to seize weapons stores, actually…And McGinniss elaborated on that:
the whole point of Revere's ride from Boston to Lexington (his destination was Concord, but he didn't make it) was that it was secret. Because the Middlesex County countryside was rife with British supporters, Revere virtually whispered his warnings that the King's forces were crossing the Charles River on the night of April 18-19, 1775 to launch an attack upon the American rebels.There weren't many "British supporters," or Crown supporters to be scrupulous, in Middlesex County by April 1775. The most prominent had been chased into Boston, or cowed into silence. Revere had to leave Boston secretly, but once he was outside town his only worry was being stopped by British army officers sent to patrol the roads ahead of the march. They nearly caught him in Charlestown, and did catch him in Lincoln.
One person even had to ask Revere to keep it down: Sgt. William Munroe, guarding the parsonage in Lexington. According to his recall in 1825:
About midnight, Col. Paul Revere rode up and requested admittance. I told him the family had just retired, and had requested, that they might not be disturbed by any noise about the house. "Noise!" said he, "you'll have noise enough before long. The regulars are coming out.""Warnin' shots and bells" were definitely part of the Massachusetts militia alarm, though not from Revere himself. People in rural towns used church bells and alarm guns to summon their neighbors; many British officers described hearing those signals during the march west. Lt. Edward Thoroton Gould even testified that he heard cannon.
(Caricature above courtesy of The New Yorker.)


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