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Whitewashed? UVA investigating bribery allegations
Did a local painting contractor bribe a UVA official in order to win business? Two documents that were part of an unrelated federal trial have touched off a wave of allegations at the University of Virginia, which is investigating the matter.
The scandal revolves around John Sandalis, former owner of Dalis Painting, who was convicted of tax evasion in 2000 and sentenced to 26 months in prison for failing to report income in 1994 and 1995 totaling almost $393,000. (His wife, Michelle, was sentenced to 12 months, and their appeal was denied in 2002.)
Buried among the evidence at their trial were documents suggesting that UVA contracts manager L.T. "Spike" Weeks had been the beneficiary of Sandalis' largesse– and still kept his job.
The alleged scandal was first aired in January by the Cavalier Daily. In April, the student paper issued a blistering editorial calling for the heads of managers in the UVA Facilities Management department who took a "lax attitude" toward alleged corruption. The April 24 editorial, entitled "Facilities mis-management," also blasted the department for allowing "the atmosphere of favoritism."
Evidence in the IRS case includes a July 30, 1992, receipt for a TV for "S. Weeks," purchased with a check from Dalis Painting, as well as a $300 money order made out to Weeks from Sandalis on December 21, 1992.
The Hook was unable to contact Sandalis, who is supposed to go to prison in December, according to the U.S. District Court clerk's office, and Weeks referred an inquiry to university spokesperson Carol Wood.
However, documents from the IRS prosecution of Sandalis provide additional information. After his conviction, Sandalis appealed for a new trial, claiming juror bias because one of the jurors was a UVA employee who worked at the UVA Miller Center's Faulkner House while it was being painted by Dalis Painting. Sandalis claimed the juror, Elizabeth Braswell, had complained about his company's work.
Sandalis called in several of his employees to testify in a hearing requesting a new trial as well as UVA employee Weeks, who, according to court records, testified that Braswell was a "chronic complainer."
At the hearing, Weeks was asked if he had any personal financial dealings with Sandalis. Weeks replied that he hadn't.
"The Court is now aware of significant evidence that Mr. Weeks had had personal financial dealings with the defendant John Sandalis," writes Justice Department prosecutor John Hinton in an October 11, 2001, brief opposing the motion for a new trial.
In May 1997, Sandalis told IRS Special Agent John Pierce that the Western Union money order for $300 was to pay off a wager between Weeks and Imad Saleh, a Dalis employee, and that Weeks had a bet going with another Dalis employee, according to the brief.
"It should go without saying that a public contract officer should not accept personal benefits such as a $300 gambling payoff from a private contractor whose work he oversees," writes Hinton. "Such conduct is unseemly at best. It undercuts any suggestion Mr. Weeks is neutral."
Sandalis hired hotshot attorney Peter White, who regularly appears as a legal analyst on NBC, CNN, and CBS, from the prestigious Richmond law firm Hunton & Williams, to handle his appeal. White fired back with a brief claiming the government was attempting to "dirty up" witnesses.
White refutes the prosecution's claim that "S. Weeks" picked up the TV in 1992, saying that John Sandalis didn't move to Charlottesville until 1994. However, in another interview documented in the case file, Sandalis says he's done business with UVA since 1990.
Contract managers are supposed to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. According to the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and Their Vendors, buyers employed by the state are forbidden from accepting cash or gifts with more than nominal value. The Code of Virginia deems violations a Class 1 misdemeanor and provides that upon conviction the procurement official "shall forfeit his employment."
Ed Kirby wouldn't object to that.
Kirby, owner of Rainbow Painting, says he's been shut out of UVA jobs because of the alleged climate of cronyism.
He's filed complaints of unfair treatment and favoritism, and claims he was fired from a job at Maury Hall last year because of the allegedly cozy relationship between Weeks and Sandalis. He accuses university employees of changing logs documenting his work and blaming him for a fire. After he lost the job, Dalis Painting came in and finished the work, according to Kirby, whose research may have touched off the current investigation.
In a November 15, 2002, letter to Eric Denby, director of procurement services, Kirby complains that Weeks and another purchasing employee "were out to get me because I was messing up their 'honey hole'...," Kirby demanded $200,000 for breach of contract and slander.
Kirby also accuses UVA of using a vendor who'd been convicted of income tax evasion Sandalis– and of using contractors who didn't have certificates for lead and asbestos removal.
Denby responds in a December 3, 2002, letter: "I have thoroughly reviewed the contents of [your] letter and have concluded that your allegations are mistaken, without basis, or false."
In January, the Cavalier Daily quoted Denby as saying he had not investigated the matter and had no previous knowledge of it. Denby referred The Hook to UVA spokesperson Wood.
An unnamed source told the Cavalier Daily that the university investigated alleged improprieties by Sandalis involving facilities management staff sometime between 1995 and 1997, and that the Sandalis tax evasion investigation started with a contractor complaint.
Purchasing ethics stress avoiding the appearance of impropriety, says Annette Kirk at the National Association of Educational Buyers, and chief UVA facilities officer Robert Dillman told the Cavalier Daily in January that procurement officials cannot have a relationship with contractors outside of work.
Besides the gambling charges, Weeks allegedly was spotted socializing with Sandalis at Awful Arthur's. "I saw Spike he looks like ZZ Top with that long hair and beard with my own eyes," says Kirby.
Sandalis confirmed that he occasionally socialized with Weeks at Awful Arthur's in a May 1, 1997, IRS memo. He said Weeks had been in his home on one occasion when Sandalis was doing renovations, and once to leave a key.
Sandalis also told IRS agents and prosecutors that he "never sought to influence anyone at UVA," pointing out that bids were approved by a "six-member university board."
Caught in the crossfire over the controversy about the Sandalis-Weeks relationship are the new owners of Dalis Painting. John Flevarakis and his brother bought the company in August 2002. "I was blindsided," says Flevarakis' wife, Julie, who moved here in March to help run the company.
She says they were unaware of Sandalis' conviction for income tax evasion, and since they have invested "everything we have" in the company, she 's worried about being unfairly smeared with Sandalis' alleged misdeeds. "We are not connected with the former owner," she declares. "We're running the business legally."
John Flevarakis ran his family's successful contracting business in northern Virginia for 10 years, and he says that paying bribes is not the way he does business.
And he questions how Sandalis could have influenced buyers at UVA because different buyers handle different projects. "That's ridiculous," he says. "There's no way you could give money to one buyer."
He also points out that the paperwork he receives for UVA is pretty explicit about not buying gifts or doing favors for buyers. "You can't even buy them lunch or anything," he says.
Wood says Weeks still holds his job and that the internal investigation by university auditor Barbara Deily is ongoing. Kirby complains that Deily has never contacted him, even though he's filed many complaints and sent information to her.
"I kind of feel like a rape victim," Kirby says.
"Our thinking is we need to let the investigation come to full closure and let them work," says Wood.
Flevarakis used to answer the phone with "Dalis Painting. This is John." Now he adds "Flevarakis" to distance his company from John Sandalis.


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subset: commoncrawl


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HAMPTON — President Barack Obama is being asked to make Fort Monroe a national monument under the Antiquities Act after the Army vacates in September, a much faster process than establishing a national park.
But little is known about a process that has been available to presidents since 1906.
"It requires an executive order from the president. It isn't often used," said Hampton Mayor Molly Joseph Ward, who said the process is relatively unknown.
Ward, who heads a Fort Monroe Authority committee that is making the legislation case for a national park, said she'd be "delighted" if Obama stepped in. However, she said the longer term drive for a full national park would likely continue. Both routes are being explored in tandem.
Ward said there are a number of national monuments that later became national parks, such as Bryce Canyon in Utah.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation describes the Antiquities Act as a "critically important tool for the preservation of our public lands."
The body also answers some questions about National Monuments.
Who was the first president to make a proclamation setting up a national monument?
Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to use the Antiquities Act, designating 18 monuments in nine states.
How many national monuments have been created by presidents?
Between 1906 and the start of 2009, 15 presidents took advantage of the act to create 121 national monuments. The only presidents not to create any monuments were Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Have national monuments later become national parks?
Yes. Nearly a quarter of monuments now in the National Park system were initially designated under the Antiquities Act, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
What's the advantage over a national park?
Primarily time. A presidential proclamation has immediate effect, whereas it could take years for Congress to set up a national park at Fort Monroe.
Are there any restrictions?
The designation can only be used on federally owned or controlled lands. Private and state lands may be located within the boundary of the national monument, but the designation only applies for federal lands. Much of Fort Monroe will revert to the commonwealth of Virginia in September, but three areas do not automatically revert away from federal ownership.
What about size?
The president designates the size of the national monument. They have ranged in size from one acre to millions of acres, the National Trust for Historic Preservation says.
Which agencies run National Monuments?
The president can make the decision and more than one may be involved. Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument in Arizona is co-managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
What about existing rights?
A presidential proclamation does not affect the state's jurisdiction with respect to fish and wildlife management or existing rights such as oil or gas leases.
What are some famous national monuments?
Devil's Tower, Wyoming; Petrified Forest, Arizona; Bryce Canyon, Utah; Casa Grande ruins, Arizona; Fort Pulaski, Georgia; Giant Sequoia, California; U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef.
See the Hampton Matters blog at dailypress.com/hamptonmatters
Want to know more?
For more information about national monuments in the United States and its territories, go to the website of the Bureau of Land Management at http://www.blm.gov or the National Park Service at http://www.nps.gov and search for National Monuments. You can search by region or state.
HAMPTON — President Barack Obama is being asked to make Fort Monroe a national monument under the Antiquities Act after the Army vacates in September, a much faster process than establishing a national park.


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Two men were recently arrested and charged with rape, according to arrest warrants.
In 2006, Jacques Maurice Woods, 31, of 128 Webb Road in Shelby, was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor and kidnapping against a minor, according to the N.C. Department of Correction. The charges were consolidated during judgment and Woods was sentenced to almost five years in prison, according to his criminal record.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 10 years.
Two weeks ago, Woods was arrested again and charged with statutory rape/sex offense with someone at least six years younger than him, indecent liberties and failing to register as a criminal sex offender, according to the sheriff's office.
Woods' arrest warrant states he "did engage in a sexual act with (the victim), a person of the age of 15 years."
He also "did commit and attempt to commit a lewd and lascivious act upon the body of (the victim) who was under the age of 16 at the time," according to the warrant.
Woods is being held at the Cleveland County Detention Center with a $110,000 bond.
Francisco Jose Perez Santiago, 20, of 710 Groves St. in Kings Mountain, was arrested by Kings Mountain Police on Saturday and charged with first-degree rape and indecent liberties with a child, according to the arrest warrant.
The warrant stated that the victim was under the age of 13 at the time of the assault.
Santiago is being held at the Detention Center with a $50,000 bond, according to the sheriff's office.
Reach reporter Rebecca Clark at 704-669-3344 or firstname.lastname@example.com or follow on Twitter @TheStarRebecca.


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Earlier this summer, while browsing the web, I stumbled upon a new theatre company, Living Room Playmakers. Intrigued by the company's work and their choice of venues in particular, I wanted to know more. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with two of the individuals behind Living Room Playmakers, Chad Eschman and Erin Austin. Read on to learn more about the company's history, what's coming up in the 2013-2014 season, and much more…
Andrew DeCanniere (AD): How did Living Room Playmakers come about? I thought that you could perhaps provide a little bit of background to start with.
Chad Eschman (CE): Most of us met at Northwestern [University] when we were students there, as graduate writers. We decided that we really wanted to go out and start working in Chicago, and rather than wait around for opportunities to come to us, we decided to just start making our own. We had a great group of really talented people, so we thought we should give it a shot.
Erin Austin (EA): We're all playwrights and we met in the program. Chad and Jennifer [Rumberger] and I were in the same year. We really wanted to work together and to work with other people who not only wrote what we thought were fun things, but were also people we like to be in a room with. People who were generous with their time, with their creativity and things like that. That's sort of how the group of us have gotten together. We're a playwrights collective.
AD: Is there anything in particular that you – either you two personally or as a group -- are drawn to? Any particular kind of work?
CE: I started living in this really crazy old house in Rogers Park with a bunch of people, and it's huge. Erin and Jennifer came up to me and suggested we do plays in that house. That's sort of become how we approach all of our projects now. We find a space we really like that's not a theatre, and we start writing things specifically for the location. That's kind of been forming the way we go about making theatre in this particular company, which I think is really different from what we've seen in a lot of other places, and it's been really fun. It allows us to go into new space, new neighborhoods, and do some sort of unconventional things and meet new people. It also allows us to have parties after every show, which is really fun.
EA: The whole community experience and social interaction is really important to us. Not only do we want to do plays, but we want to bring people into environments that they wouldn't think of as a theatre, see something theatrical, and then talk about it afterwards. You meet new people and discuss what you saw, so it's not just going to see a play, it's like a whole evening or a whole day.
AD: I think that's so fascinating. I've never come across a theatre company where the play was specifically designed in this way, for a specific venue.
EA: We're always looking for new and different kinds of venues. As playwrights it's very fun for us, and challenging for us to write plays in different spaces. We have some upcoming projects, but then in the future we're really interested in doing plays in empty storefronts or gallery spaces. We also talked about some church basements or some recreation centers. All of those plays would be written for that space.
CE: It's been fun because we have so many writers involved. There's typically anywhere from three to seven people writing, who all have very different voices and styles, but because we're building it all around one particular location, it has really influenced the mood. I mean, when we did our first set of plays in this old mansion, they were very spooky and strange. It was in the wintertime. Then our second set of shows was at this loft where bands often play, so there was much more of a party atmosphere, and very different and fun and higher energy. That's been the unifying thing that can bring all of these different playwrights' voices together, which is really cool.
AD: I know that there haven't been too many thus far, but of the venues that you've used for your performances so far, do you have a favorite?
CE: We liked them both a lot, but, like I said, they're very different. They were both very different shows. The first one people stayed after and listened to music and drank wine. Then, at the second, we had a dance party with a bartender and everything. They were both very fun in very different ways, and I think they actually brought different audiences, actually, which was also very cool. There were totally different sections of Chicago coming in to see plays.
EA: Yeah, because the second space is a DIY space that mostly has musicians who come to see things there. So, all of those musicians still came and they were like 'Whoa! I haven't seen a play in forever.' So we had that kind of vibe. Then, for the first show that we did at Chad's place, a lot of artists were there, there was a Rogers Park sort of feel, so it was really different. We're currently working on a third project, which I don't know if we want to talk about, but we're hoping to get a whole different thing going on.
AD: That sort of touches on my next question, but now I don't know whether that's something you want to discuss. What can audiences look forward to in the upcoming season?
EA: Oh, we're really excited about it. We'd love to share. The first two that we did, we started out with the plays, and with this one we're really excited about focusing on the community aspect and the social aspect. We're going to approach this more as a house party, with plays that will take place in a bedroom upstairs at this house in Lincoln Square. There'll be very short plays that take place, one after the other – seven short plays – in a bedroom.
CE: The idea is that people can come, they can socialize, and then a couple of times throughout the night they'll have the opportunity to go up and watch the shows, then come back down to the party after that.
AD: Sounds like an interesting concept to me. When is this going to be?
CE: In mid-December. We're in the early stages of planning it right now.
AD: Who are your influences and what is it that draws you to their work? What makes their work compelling to you? What do you like about them?
CE: That's a good question and a complicated one, because we have so many different writers who I think would all answer this question completely differently, in terms of who we look up to and follow. For us it's less about connecting on our literary influences or our academic influences. It's more about the sort of approach we want to take of building the work ourselves, and being able to present it to a community that doesn't typically go to the theatre and being able to have a really strong hand in making the work happen, which we don't often get to do as playwrights. We get to play different roles and we also get to work together, collaboratively with other playwrights, which also is not something that happens often.
AD: Is there anything else that either of you are working on?
CE: All of us also have other projects we're working on all of the time, which is also fun. We're all pursuing our own tracks as playwrights, and submitting to all the festivals and whatnot, but this is our chance to come together and do something that's fun and more low-key and where we can work with our friends.
EA: The thing about playwriting is that it can be very isolating. You're sitting at your computer, and you're writing your 18th draft or something. We're all very social people who like each other. This gives us the opportunity to go away and we do our own things – we teach playwriting classes, we have workshops going on, productions – but then we get to come back together and work in a really collaborative and positive community.
CE: I think that it's a great way for us to influence one another as contemporaries. Because I know that the things I write with Living Room Playmakers are somewhat different from the stuff I write on my own, and I like that. It pushes me in new directions.
AD: How did you all get your start in the theatre?
CE: It's something I've done my whole life. In terms of this company, we all sort of met through our graduate program and through the city, because we're from all different places. A lot of us used to be actors and have done a lot of directing and other things, and we bring that to the table as well, but this is kind of a new venture.
EA: Yeah, we have some people with an improv background. There are some people who are more strictly writers. Because we sort of all are doing it ourselves, we're bringing in all these different elements, it's been great for us. We have a woman who does sound design, so she brings that element in. While we like to call ourselves playwrights, we also like to do these other things. Chad acted in our last production. Jennifer acted in our first production. So there are lots of different starts.
CE: It kind of makes it exciting, because we don't all have the exact same background. I think it gives us a lot of strength.
AD: I'd think it would definitely be a plus, having all of these people coming from all of these varied backgrounds. You're bringing in people with different experiences, different types of knowledge. I'm sure it makes it that much better.
EA: And from different parts of the country. We all came to Chicago for grad school. I'm from Florida, Chad is from California. We have someone from Iowa, someone from Colorado, from New York. All over the place.
CE: I think there's a certain open-mindedness that comes to the table. If we were all people who'd been working in Chicago for 20 years, or working in New York for 20 years, I think we might go about this differently. Having this group from so many places, it's such a fresh start. I think we're more open to new ideas and ways of approaching the way we create.
AD: Any more specifics on what the second season holds?
EA: Well, we're in the writing phase of it right now for the Bedroom Plays. We all write on our own and then we're going to come in together and share our pieces, but I imagine they're all going to be quite wacky and maybe a little sexy. I think it's going to be fun to see how they all pair together.
CE: It's really fun when you do shows in such a different location than the last, because it really does affect the overall tone. And I think you [Erin] are right, because that's exactly what this one is going to be. Wacky and sexy, who doesn't like that? Then, for the rest, we'll see. We have a list of places we're thinking about and talking to, and we're open to looking into new venues and possibilities. It's basically any place we feel like would be exciting for us to write something in or about that has a community attached to it. We just hope we're able to draw in audiences who can feel welcome and comfortable with what we're doing and to have fun, and who are going to want to stick around and dance with us afterwards and have some good conversations about creating new work. That's the most exciting thing for us right now.
EA: As long as we keep making theatre together that's fun and accessible for our audiences, and people go home and say 'I had the best time,' as opposed to 'I saw the best play,' that's what we're really looking for, and we're loving what we're doing right now. It's been great.
CE: That's a good point. It's about the experience, the whole evening.
For more information regarding Living Room Playmakers, log onto the Living Room Playmakers website, follow them on Twitter or friend them on Facebook.
Photos: Courtesy of Living Room Playmakers


text: C.T. Phipps #1 Posted December 11, 2010 The Targs are a beautiful beautiful unearthy sort of royalty. So like the designers for the elves of Middle Earth, the HBO series has a big job ahead of them making them real yet unearthly. The white hair has to be so distinctive that you can't mistake it for normal hair after all, yet can't look like something from an anime.How do you think it's come out? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: Scientists may have solved the formation of one of the more curious features on Mars; the formation of its polar ice spirals. First spotted by NASAs Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1972, these strange swirling patterns etched in the polar ice caps have remained a mystery. For example, the ice formation actually tends to form against and creep into the prevailing winds. Now Jack Holt and Isaac Smith at the University of Texas have used the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters (MRO) Shallow Subsurface Radar to shed new light on the mystery. MROs radar can penetrate layers of ice that have accumulated over the millennia. During the Viking missions, researcher Alan Howard of the University of Virginia first proposed a mechanism for how these spirals could form via wind sweeping downslope and picking up water vapor and ice crystals and subsequently depositing them on the leeward or sun shadowed side on the opposite side of a trough. This process would be self replenishing as the spiral crept forward, much like glacial movement on Earth. This Sun-wind mechanism never gained wide spread acceptance, however, until close scrutiny by the MRO. The Coriolis force generated by the rotation of Mars adds the final touch, creating the final spiral structure. So why dont we see similar structures in the polar regions of Earth? In the Arctic and Antarctic, more complex forces come into play; here, local topography overpowers the Coriolis force (remember, Mars, while having a day similar in length to the Earth, is much tinier) and shapes the force of the wind. The findings may also explain a prominent feature in the Martian northern polar cap; the Chasma Boreale, a long gash burrowed deep into the ice. It appears as if this canyon is related to a single ice melt event from 5 to 10 million years ago, and prevailing winds have not allowed for deposition of ice ever since. MRO has even discovered a second unknown chasm as well. The history of the formation of the polar caps all tie in to the Martian climate puzzle; a picture of the tiny worlds climate history is rapidly evolving into a unique story, one that parallels our own but diverges from it as well. What new mysteries does the Martian landscape hold?


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On the same day Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon said he would retire after the season, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen met with team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf on Monday, and he said he left the meeting with "nothing."
Guillen's contract is set to expire after the 2012 season. About a month ago he said he wouldn't return for the final year of his contract unless he gets an extension.
"We talked about different things, my future here, how we're going to do it and what we think about the ballclub, what we want, and I left the meeting with nothing," Guillen said before Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. "We have to wait.
That's nice. Ozzie is under contract for 1 more year. No need for an extension.


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The Inseparable Connection
The head of the Inquisition court of Spanish priests was about to sign another execution order against a Jew who had been caught by Torquemadas agents practicing his religion by praying in tallit and tefillin.
This time, however, his hand was unable to move. He tried again and again to pen the death sentence but to no avail. The shock of this paralysis sent his mind racing back to his childhood and he recalled being kidnapped by agents of the church from his Jewish home and being raised in a monastery to become a priest. His superior intelligence was quickly recognized and he was promoted from post to post until he became the chief judge of an ecclesiastical court trying Jews who refused to accept the dictates of the church. He had been separated so long from his family that he hardly remembered them. But now it occurred to him that the Jew whose death sentence he found so difficult to sign might he his own father.
He quickly summoned the condemned prisoner to his chambers and asked him if he had a son who was kidnapped by church agents as a child. When the answer was affirmative, he broke into tears and embraced the man in chains, crying "Father, Father!"
Not only did he acquit the man he discovered as his father, but he soon found a way to abandon the church and return to his Jewish roots.


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Paul's Prayer for Harmony
Paul's prayer for unity in the church based upon the truth of God's Word and for the glory of Christ should be on our lips as well. How often do you pray for the peace and purity of the church ...Read More
The Sober Judgement of the Members
Ultimately speaking, God does not need us for His plan to succeed. However, He has deemed it wise to use us—to use His church—to accomplish His purposes in the world. The Lord has ordered things so that all of His ...Read More
Civil Disobedience
Christians must always bend over backward to be models of good citizenship. Thus, we are to obey the law, pray for our leaders, and seek the common good of society. When the demands of God's kingdom directly contradict the demands ...Read More
An Instrument of Evil
The only being to whom we owe unquestioning allegiance is God Himself, and confusing the roles of church and state can result in the church supporting and following the state in places where it should not. However, that does not ...Read More
The Sword and the Keys
Based on the distinct vocations of the church and the state, the principle of the separation of church and state, rightly administered, is biblical. Unfortunately, the separation of church and state in our day is often distorted into the separation ...Read More
God's Word to His Covenant People
God's Word is delivered to all of the members of the visible covenant community. But the members of the invisible covenant community show themselves to be His elect people by taking the warnings about staying in faith seriously, repenting, and ...Read More
God holds accountable all of the teachers in His church, whether they lead the two-year-old Sunday school class or teach a graduate-level seminary course. Thus, all Christian teachers must study diligently and work hard to present their subjects clearly and ...Read More
Jesus tells us very clearly that those who want to be great in the kingdom of God must serve others (Matt. 23:11). None of us should ever think that we are too good or hold too high of a position ...Read More
We are to take the words and example of our elders seriously because they prepare us for the judgment seat of Christ. They preach the gospel, administer the sacraments, and discipline us so that we might be converted, brought back ...Read More
The prophets and apostles have given us a sure foundation—the inerrant and infallible Scriptures. We do not expect God to give us new revelation today but only to lead the church into a deeper understanding of the truth He has ...Read More


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Human hunter-gatherer group structure is unique among primates, according to new research by anthropologists who studied data from 5,000 individuals in 32 present-day foraging societies.
One of the most complex human mysteries involves how and why we became an outlier species in terms of biological success.
Research findings published in the March 11 edition of the journal Science by an international team of noted anthropologists who study hunter-gatherer societies, are informing the issue by suggesting that human ancestral social structure may be the root of cumulative culture and cooperation and, ultimately, human uniqueness, according to SMU anthropologist Thomas N. Headland and his co-authors on the study.
"We are not saying here that present-day hunter-gatherer societies are fossilized remnants from the stone age," said Headland, an adjunct professor in SMU's Department of Anthropology. "We are suggesting, however, that 20th-century foraging societies may give us a keyhole glimpse into how our ancient ancestors may have lived in prehistory, and how they even thrived under a foraging lifestyle."
Humans have lived as hunter-gatherers for 95 percent of the species' history, so current foraging societies provide the best window for viewing human social evolution, according to the authors. Given that, the researchers focused on co-residence patterns among thousands of individuals from present-day foraging societies around the globe. Those societies include the Gunwinggu, Labrador Inuit, Mbuti, Apache, Aka, Ache, Agta and Vedda.
"We are also suggesting," Headland said, "that the unique style of co-residence we find in so many hunter-gatherer societies today may provide clues into some aspects of early human cultural evolution – certain adaptive behaviors that helped Homo sapiens to be so biologically successful because of a unique group structure that emphasized cooperation among band groups."
Lead authors on the study were Kim Hill, Arizona State University, and Robert Walker, University of Missouri. Other researchers included: Miran Bozicevic, James Eder and Ana Magdalena Hurtado, Arizona State; Barry Hewlett, Hawassa University, Ethiopia, and Washington State University; Frank Marlowe, Durham University, U.K.; Polly Wiessner, University of Utah; and Brian Wood, Stanford University.
Their findings showed that across all groups, adult brothers and sisters frequently live together, making it common for male in-laws to co-reside. They also found that it was equally common for males or females to move from or remain with family units. This is in contrast to other primate species, where either males or females move to another group at puberty.
A major point in the study is that foraging bands contain several individuals completely unconnected by kinship or marriage ties, yet include males with a vested interest in the offspring of daughters, sisters and wives. This organization mitigates the group hostility frequently seen in other apes and also promotes interaction among residential groups, thereby leading to the development of a large social network.
"The increase in human network size over other primates may explain why humans evolved an emphasis on social learning that results in cultural transmission," said Hill. "Likewise, the unique composition of human ancestral groups promotes cooperation among large groups of non-kin, something extremely rare in nature."
The group's findings appear in the paper "Co-Residence Patterns in Hunter-Gatherer Societies Show Unique Human Social Structure." It is the first published analyses of adult co-residence patterns in hunter-gatherer societies based on census data rather than post-marital residence typologies, Hill noted. – Arizona State University


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Fernando Mendilaharzu - Operational Coordinator Dakar 2015
Can you tell us about your role and mission in the Dakar Rally 2015?
I am the Project Manager. This means I have to take care of the preparation during the year and execution of what was planned during the race.
What is the main challenge for you in this 2015 edition?
To keep and improve what was done in the previous editions. Competitors are willing to be surprised every year. What you improve one year it is taken for granted in the following year.
How does Sodexo cope with the environmental challenge?
Our commitment is to reduce waste, specially disposable tableware. This year for example we will start using metal silverware during lunch, that can be washed and used again, as we do during dinners. We have to change our logistic in order to be able to wash them on site.
What do you think will be different in this new edition?
Staying so many days in Iquique due to the rest days will be challenging because it is the first time we will be having two rest days. Normally during the rest days we have to work very much harder because we have everybody for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The only ones that do not rest are we!
How would you describe the atmosphere within the Sodexo teams during the rally?
Every member of the team is united to face this big challenge. Service and team spirit is the basis to succeed. And this is shown every minute, every day.
How do you improve the physical environment of the Rally participants?
We have made evolve the service line and the general layout by introducing new rest areas, taking care of the competitors' new needs. In such a big event, organization is job number one to have a quick and smooth service.


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The summer that Scott Dobson was 13 and getting underfoot on his family's 140-acre farm near Smiths Falls, his father sent him out to help work on the fence. An older neighbour had been hired to fix up the cedar rail fencing.
"I didn't really have an option," Dobson recalls, but he made the best of it. He enjoyed working outside, and developed an appreciation for the ingenuity of the Lanark County pioneers who figured out how to construct fences sturdy enough to stop the cattle from wandering and that lasted more than a century.
After working on oil rigs and in factories, Dobson returned to the Ottawa Valley and the skill he learned that summer. Returning to the Smiths Falls area, Dobson also discovered he was one of the few who knew how to fix the old fences.
Cedar split-rail fences from the 19th century are so prevalent that for years many Eastern Ontario residents hardly noticed them, let alone realized the work it must have taken the early settlers to chop the trees, split the wood and devise a fence that would stand in little soil and be adaptable to hills.
"This is one of the areas that created this style of fence," says Dobson, who's now 38, "because there's so much rock. They had to figure out how to fence without having to dig."
Eastern white cedar, common in the area, made a great fence-building material because the wood was strong, insect- and rot-resistant and able to withstand the elements. Different styles of fencing were developed for sheep, cows and other livestock. Early on, the term patent rail fences became popular because farmers were always trying to get a patent on their designs.
Dobson discovered that modern property owners wanted the original fences rebuilt, while others wanted a section of the old-style fence because it suited the landscape, or went with a heritage home. He's been able to make a living as a split-rail fence builder, one of only a handful in the county. Homeowners in the city also hire him to bring some natural whimsy to their backyards.
"A lot of my work now is going in and doing small accent jobs, in the corner of a lot, to bring the country back to the city. Definitely in a garden, the grey of the wood, lends itself beautifully," Dobson says.
The biggest challenge is to find the wood. Dobson has a stockpile of old cedar, but he's always on the lookout for more; new cedar just doesn't have the same weathered look. When he sees a fallen-down, neglected fence, he's not shy about knocking on the door and offering to buy the rails. "Don't ever cut them up for kindling," he says. "That drives me nuts. It's definitely getting harder to find."
Sometimes Dobson will notice a burl, knot or other interesting feature in a piece of wood. He puts those pieces aside for more artistic projects, such as accent fences, sentinels, arbors or other decorative pieces. Whether he's hiking in the bush or out fishing, he keeps his eyes peeled.
"I'm a voracious collector," he says. "I've got fossils and bones and antlers and driftwood and rocks and everything else."I can't say that the pieces talked to me, but I saw that there was something neat and beautiful about them. I had this pile and one day, I just said I'm going to start building a couple of pieces. I never know what I'm going to build, then a piece comes out and two days later, somebody buys it."
Dobson has been a regular at the annual Art in the Garden exhibit at Kiwi Gardens near Perth. The juried show, which took place last month, brings together artisans who create fine art, furniture and accessories for the garden. It's an opportunity for Dobson to rub shoulders with trained artists, and see his creations of sticks and stones next to elaborate stone carvings and metal sculptures.
Kiwi Gardens owner Paul Loiselle says Dobson's work challenges one's notion of who's an artist and what is art. Dobson, who didn't go to art school, feels his art pieces are an extension of his fence-building work.
"To me, the natural beauty is already there," he says." I didn't make the knotholes or grow the wood that certain way or make the fossils. I picked it up and arranged it to show it in its light. I just saw the beauty and wanted to see it on display."


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UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE ICE ARENAS ARE CLOSED UNTIL FUTHER NOTICE Official Statement
The University of Delaware Ice Arenas offer something for everyone who enjoys the sport of ice skating.
UD's High Performance Figure Skating Center is home to some of the top figure skaters in the world. Olympians who have previously called the UD home include Tara Lipinski, Kimmie Meissner, Johnny Weir, Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn, Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh, Oksana Grischuk and Evgeny Platov and Angelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsiannikov. Our coaching staff includes many world and Olympic coaches and former Olympians. During the competitive season, you can see top skaters in performance at National and World Send-Off shows, highlighting our skaters who have qualified for the National Championships and International competition.
The UD Ice Arenas also are home to many club sports that compete at the national level. Both the men's and women's ice hockey clubs, as well as the nationally ranked synchronized skating team and intercollegiate figure skating club team, practice and compete at the University of Delaware. The women's ice hockey team qualified for the national championship tournament in 2008 and 2010, and the men's team made the American Collegiate Hockey Association final four in 2003, 2007 and 2008 and was national runner up in 2001.
In addition to the excellence on the ice, the Ice Arenas offer a wide range of skating and hockey programs to fit every level of skating ability. The Learn to Skate Program follows the curriculum guidelines established by U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program. The U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills program was created to be the best beginning ice-skating program in the world. Whether a skater hopes to achieve Olympic dreams or enjoy the recreational benefits of skating, the Blue Hens Basic Skating Program at UD is a great place to start! Lessons are available year round, and are categorized into sections: Fall I, Fall II, Winter I, Winter II, Spring and Summer. Class size is limited to a maximum of 15 students, however we keep classes smaller for all Snowplow Sam levels. All classes are held in the Fred Rust Ice Arena.
For hockey enthusiasts, the University of Delaware Ice Arenas offers a full range of hockey programs. The program begins at the instructional level, designed to teach and strengthen basic skating and hockey skills. The Learn to Play Hockey Program prepares the player for the program's next level: Cross-Ice Hockey and In-House Hockey Leagues, which further develops players' skills, while emphasizing team and game experience. Cross-Ice Hockey is specifically designed to provide fast results in the most enjoyable environment available: Skaters play the game along one-third of the width of the rink rather than the full length. This reduced playing area increases the players' need to move faster and gain better control of the puck, and the players receive more touches of the puck than in a full-ice game. Teams consist of roughly eight players and participate in a 3-on-3 game lasting one hour.
For the advanced player, the Junior Blue Hen travel teams and the Snipers limited travel teams provide high intensity practices and games to train serious hockey players who intend to play competitively.
And, for the casual skater, the Ice Arenas offer public sessions on weekends throughout the year, with special Family Fun weekends in January and February.
In addition, the Ice Arenas are a great facility to host a corporate party or school fundraising program and are also available for rental groups.
Regardless of your skating ability or ice skating interest, the University of Delaware Ice Arenas has something for you. Continue to check back to this Web site for details on the great events we host each year. Become a fan of the University of Delaware Ice Arenas on Facebook for the latest information.


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1970 Pontiac Firebird Esprit - Scare Tactic
This All-Pontiac Road Racer Runs Bottom 9s At Nearly A Buck-Fifty. Did We Mention It's Street-Legal?
If there is such a thing as a true multitalented hot rod, then maybe it belongs to Brett Evans. His Pontiac has been to the Hot Rod Pump Gas Drags, the World Street Challenge, runs True Street at the NMCA/NMRA Superbowl in Joliet, does the Run Through the Hills at Pigeon Forge, and long-legs out in nowhere, Nevada, at the Silver State Challenge. As you can see, the car hooks in a straight line and conquers bends in the road with the same grit and integrity.
His 1970 Esprit (actually an ersatz Trans Am) was built to do all of these competitions and do them well. It runs low, low 9s at nearly a buck-fifty, and although there is no other instrumented data to present, we're confident that it's prime meat for all those games, designed to run hard and run responsibly. It's not like Brett's never fooled with the combination, either. He's always looking for a better way to build the things that matter.
The most attractive aspect of this F-body is its all-Pontiac driveline. More expensive to build than the all-too-common Chevy big-block, it certainly maintains brand loyalty and could be considered a rarity in these times. Brett went through a couple of Mazda pickups, a '90 notchback Mustang, a '65 Mustang fastback, and a '73 Camaro before glomming the Esprit. He learned from the experiences.
The Mustang was such a basket case that he was bound to correct its complete lack of structural integrity. It taught Brett that it's better to begin with a solid core than have to rebuild the entire car. He found this example local, more or less, and it already had acquired the T/A fenders and rear spoiler. Nearly two years ago, he paid $8,500 for it and drove his Pontiac home.
Now you don't do something crazy like put an 850hp motor in a stock chassis and expect it to do anything but kill you. You gotta add tendon and sinew to the 'rails, and you need some deep rims and humungous sticky rubber all the way around. Figure that the tires give the F-body more than half of its handling power because for all its roadworthiness and the dynamite hiding in the chassis, Brett has made only basic changes to it.
Since the T/A eats up SCCA events as part of its diet, a rollcage (also certified to NHRA 8.50) was required. Jim Hallowell Custom Fabrication did it with the specified DOM mild .125-inch wall tubing. While he was welding, Hallowell added a chrome-moly 2x3 crossmember, and front and rear driveshaft safety loops. Brett fitted the original clip with Global West upper and lower tubular control arms, QA1 adjustable coilover shock absorbers (450 lb/in), and an Addco 1.25-inch-diameter antisway bar. The spindles and steering assembly are stock. Before turning to the rear of the car, he installed Baer 13-inch discs.
The rolling stock gets a little confusing because Bret has more than one setup, depending on the chore at hand. The street/road race package is comprised of 18x9.5 CCW forged rims with 275/35ZR18 Toyo RA1s (25.6 inches tall) at the front, and 18x12 CCW wheels with whopping 335/30ZR18 RA1s (25.9 inches tall) at the rear. The Poncho's drag race suit includes 15x7 Billet Specialties hoops with the appropriate M/T ET fronts backed by Billet Specialties 15x12s carrying 325/50 M/T ET Street Radials
History has proven that the rear of the vehicle doesn't need much improvement, either. Brett made and fabbed a 1.25-inch chrome-moly Watt's link outfitted with spherical rod ends to center the fabbed 9-inch housing (58 inches flange to flange), and he hung the member with unlikely (we thought they were only for straight-line performance) CalTracs split leaf springs. He got the springs well inside the framerails with Afco front mounts and Afco slider mounts at the rear. "They have multiple functions," said Brett. "They help the car with solid mounting that won't flex, keep the spring from rolling, and afford a convenient way of mounting the leaves rather than running offset hangers." These changes have made a rear antisway bar superfluous.
He wanted a hefty positive wheel offset to go with those steamroller rear tires, too, so this meant bigger, eager wheeltubs. He split the wells and added a 4-inch section to the middle to expand the caverns and accommodate the bulk. As a precaution, he screwed mastodon 5/8-inch studs in the axle flanges. To fit the wheels to them, he had to countersink the holes 1 3/4 inches to accept the Howe Stock-car-style double-acorn nuts. The way the CalTracs tailor the car's reaction, the 4,100-pounder peels off 60-foot times in the low 1.30s.
The Glasstek hood (supported by Ring Brothers billet hinges) and shaker scoop top the bumptious, juice-snorting 541-inch engine. Just getting that arrangement mounted and functioning was an epic. "With the Dominator and the Victor Jr., I wanted the shaker to look right. I was going to bend a piece of aluminum or sheetmetal and use it as a base for the carburetor, but in order to drop it down far enough, it was going to be in the way of the fogger lines, and it was going to be a bizarre bend, not just a 90-degree, but a gradual slope. I could see myself doing a half dozen of these before I got it right. Then, I thought if I had something that would slide in and out once I had the scoop where I wanted it in reference to the fogger lines, and how far the scoop was sticking out of the hood, I could just drill through the solid stock and the tube, and put a pin in it.
"When I'm at the track, I pull four pins, and do a quick jet change. I welded four aluminum tubes to some 1/16-inch sheet, then I epoxied it to the fiberglass scoop. To attach these to the motor, I used a piece of 1/4-inch plate with aluminum tubing to attach to the valve cover bolts. I'm sure there are a thousand better ways to do this, but it functions." Brett supported the power delivery with a March serpentine accessory drive, a Canton Accusump 3-quart oiling system (protects against dry starts and keeps oil pressure constant during high lateral-g movement), Howe double-pass aluminum radiator, Earl's braided lines, and a KRC NASCAR-style power steering pump.
The original scheme included a 14.2:1 compression ratio, but that wouldn't work with the Pump Gas Drags rules. "I was going to experiment with water injection to shunt detonation, but then thought it would be easier to swap out the pistons for a 10.5:1 ratio, so I don't know how much power it makes on a dynamometer, but with the lower compression ratio, it runs 9.50s on pump gas and has been as quick as 9.11 at 149 with a pump/race-gas recipe."
But for the Kirkey seats, Simpson harnesses, and opening up the dash to accommodate the Auto Meter Monster tach, speedometer, and ancillaries, the Esprit is basically stock inside. Hytech in Columbia, Missouri, did up the rear seats to match the sparse Kirkey coverings, and Brett finished off the rest of the dusky interior. He left the exterior work and paint to "Bull" at Creative Customs in St. Louis. Bull blew on the DuPont white, and complemented the whale with a Year One '70 T/A sticker kit as well as the appropriate trim.
A true triple-threat (street, road race, and drag race) machine, the Pontiac employs the Gear Vendors over/under at the dragstrip, as well as a muscle relaxant on the open road. "My shift pattern is Low gear to Second gear, then to Second Overdrive, and finally to Third. I enable the GV by stepping on the headlight dimmer switch."
As easy as stepping on a cockroach.
|Brett Evans Glen Carbon, IL
|Vehicle weight w/driver: 4,100 pounds
|Pontiac displacing 541 cubic inches
|(4.375 bore x 4.500 stroke)
|2007 cast-iron IA II AllPontiac.com
|Compression ratio:
|Canton 6-quart road race pan, Wix filter
|Rotating assembly:
|4.50-inch stroke
|AllPontiac.com 4340 crank,
|6.70-inch GRP aluminum rods,
|Ross pistons, Total Seal ring packs
|Cylinder heads:
|Butler Performance/Edelbrock
|Wide Ports, CNC-machined,
|370-cfm intake port,
|268-cfm exhaust port at .700-inch lift
|COMP solid roller
|(270 degrees at .050; .735-inch lift)
|2.19/1.77-inch Ferrea
|stainless steel valves,
|Butler Performance pushrods,
|COMP valvesprings, titanium retainers
|Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake,
|Holley HP 1250 carburetor
|Power adder:
|NOS Fogger Pro Race,
|Big-Shot plate
|MSD Pro-Billet distributor,
|digital programmable 7AL box,
|34 degrees timing
|Hooker Super Comp headers,
|2-inch primary pipes,
|3.5-inch collectors,
|3.5-inch full-length exhaust pipes,
|Spin Tech mufflers
|Built by:
|Butler Performance, Leoma, TN
|Turbo 400, reverse shift pattern
|manual valvebody,
|TCI 10-inch torque converter,
|3,400-rpm stall speed,
|Coan custom-built 3-inch
|chrome-moly steel,
|4340 1350-series yokes,
|Gear Vendors under/overdrive
|Rear axle:
|sheetmetal 9-inch housing,
|58 inches flange to flange,
|Moser center section,
|Detroit Locker limited-slip differential,
|3.50:1 ring-and-pinion, 35-spline axles,
|5/8-inch wheel studs
|Front suspension:
|QA1 coilover 450-lb/in springs
|and adjustable shock absorbers,
|stock spindles, Global West tubular
|upper and lower control arms,
|Addco 1 1/4-inch antisway bar
|Rear suspension:
|CalTracs bars
|and split monoleaf springs,
|Afco front mounts and rear slider mounts,
|custom-built Watt's link, QA1 shock absorbers
|Baer 13-inch disc, front;
|12-inch disc, rear
|Complete Custom Wheels (CCW),
|18x9.5, front; 18x12, rear
|Toyo RA1 275/35ZR18, front;
|335/30ZR18, rear


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Find Your Perfect Cover! Get 20% Off + Free Shipping! CODE: FRESH20 Details
Important Delivery Information
Due to current COVID-19 virus situation customers living in regions severely impacted by the coronavirus may experience delays in deliveries. UPS is continuing to deliver packages. Countries which have declared a state of public health emergency may see potential delays in services. Customers can visit www.ups.com to check the status of the shipments. This does not affect production. Stay safe and take care of your loved ones!
Cover for KARLSTAD Armchair narrow
Rimini Saddle Brown Microfiber designed by CoverCouch
About the product
Cover for IKEA KARLSTAD armchair - Rimini Saddle Brown. Neutrals (black, grey, white, and brown) are basic to the decorator's tool kit. All-neutral schemes fall in and out of fashion, but their virtue lies in their flexibility: add color to liven things up; subtract it to calm things down. Comfortable brown is the Feng Shui color of Earth. Brown shades are the Chinese symbol of reliability, usability and consistency. Dark brown is not good for wall painting, but it is perfect for furniture, curtains or carpets, especially to Feng Shui the bedroom or living room interiors, creating comfortable, warm and cozy decor.
Please note this custom cover is tailored by CoverCouch to fit the IKEA KARLSTAD armchair model. Armchair is not included and is available at IKEA.
Please note this custom cover is tailored by CoverCouch to fit the IKEA KARLSTAD armchair model. Armchair is not included and is available at IKEA.
Fabric key facts
- 40% Polyester, 31% Acrylic, 29% Polyamide
- Microfiber
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- CoverCouch
About the fabric
Rimini is a 40% Polyester, 31% Acrylic, 29% Polyamide fabric. Rimini is microfiber. Microfiber fabric is lightweight, durable, and somewhat water repellent. Rimini is soft to the touch and is easy to clean. Designed to resist stains and soiling. Amazingly easy to care for. In most cases, a little soap and water are all that's required to restore the fabric to its original state. They are machine washable and dryable. Rimini fabric keep up with the thrills and spills of youreveryday life. Its initial repellency causes liquids to bead up on the surface of the fabric, making cleaning easy – blotting with a cloth is usually all that is needed, even with difficult stains like coffee and wine. Rimini fabric proof that environmentally-responsible products can stand at the forefront of performance fabric design. Rimini fabric is completely free of PCPs and CFCs, and are Oeko-Tex certified, making them some of the most enviromentally-friendly fabrics on the market.
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Fabric details
|40% Polyester, 31% Acrylic, 29% Polyamide
|Width, cm
|Weight, g/m2
|295 +- 10
|Colour fastness to light
|Colour fastness to rubbing
|Wet min.3/4 - Dry min.4 (ISO105-X12)
|Abrasion resistance
|>25000 cycles (Martindale EN ISO 12947)
|Tear Strength
|Tensile Strength
|Production / Supplier
Care instructions
Liquid Stains: Blot the liquid stain gently with a high-absorbent material. Pat dry the area gently with a dry material to remove the remaining humidity (cotton cloth, paper towel, etc.). If the stain from the spill remains, remove the stain with a soapy cloth without diffusing the stain. After each rubbing motion, refresh the clean soapy cloth in order to prevent soiling. Solid Particles: Remove the excess soiling with ultimate care without diffusing. Remove the solid particle from the fabric surface with the help of a soft spatula. To remove dust, use a vacuum cleaner or a soft brush. The remaining stains should be removed by rubbing with a soapy cloth in circular motion. Ball-point pen and similar difficult stains: Dampen a clean cotton cloth in a white soap solution. Rub the stain off gently. Clean the surface with the damp cloth and leave the fabric for drying. Alcohol derives, Petroleum and alkali based solvents should not be used for cleaning. After all cleaning processes, the drying should be done with a low temperature blow dryer in large circular motion or the fabric should be left for natural drying. After drying, mis-oriented and damaged piles should be fixed with a soft brush.
Machine wash at 40°C. Don't use chlorine bleach. Tumble dry at low temperature. Cool iron. Keep away from direct sun.
Machine wash at 40°C. Don't use chlorine bleach. Tumble dry at low temperature. Cool iron. Keep away from direct sun.
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text:
Tuesday, October 6
Harding Park Is Primed for Presidents Cup
Harding Park in black and white, and some of the lucky hackers
who get to play it.
WELCOMING GOLFERS SINCE 1925, Harding Park Golf Course, site of this week's Presidents Cup, is a dandy municipal track. This week, with the American and International teams in town, the course will measure 7,137 yards and play to a par of 71. That doesn't sound long—in fact, it's rather puny by today's tour standards—but remember: everything plays longer in damp, cool, hilly San Francisco.
I've never stepped foot on Harding Park, although I did visit the nearby Olympic Club last summer on a quick trip to the Bay Area. I'd love to, though. Harding Park is on a rolling peninsula, surrounded by Lake Merced. It's gorgeous. A gem.
As you would expect, the golf course is in prime condition for the Presidents Cup, despite a major greens mishap that occurred two and a half months ago. Nine of Harding Park's greens were damaged by fertilizer burn due to operator error. Temporary greens were used until repairs could be completed.
"It has been blown out of proportion a little," said course superintendent Wayne Kappelman.
"It was repaired within a week. All 18 greens are in great shape and the whole course is where it should be."
The greens are bentgrass Poa annua and are supposed to be rolling at 11 1/2 half on the Stimpmeter when the matches get underway.
In today's press conference, Fred Couples said the greens were good. And then he said this: "I've played two rounds, and if I can make putts, any of those other 24 other guys can surely make them."
Maybe so. But they might be harder to make on Sunday.
Harding Park Notes
• Named after President Warren G. Harding
• Designed by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting. Design fee: $300
• Began hosting national tournaments in 1937
• Boyhood home course of NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller and former CBS golf analyst Ken Venturi
• Hosted a World Golf Championship event in 2005 won by Tiger Woods
−The Armchair Golfer
(Brought to you by YourGolfTravel.com and the ARMCHAIR GOLF STORE.)
Sources: GCSAA.org, Harding Park, ASAP Sports
1 comment:
- Steve Morrison said...
It is really too bad the Presidents Cup is played so late in the season. By now, my attention has started to turn to football and basketball. Yet, I feel compelled to catch a little of the presidents cup when I can since the best players are playing. That is the best time to watch.
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text: This framed tile measures 6 x 6 x 0.5 inches (approximately 15.2 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm) with a tile that measures 4.25 by 4.25 inches (approxmateily 10.8 by 10.8 cm). Set off our decorative ceramic tile in its own stylish Cherrywood frame the perfect way to complete a decorative gift or keepsake. Rounded edges and quality construction make this Framed Tile the ultimate wall accent.


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Those who drove down Empire Street at twilight over the weekend probably noticed something that didn't quite fit in among the homes and evergreen trees.
It was a stable, strewn with straw and illuminated by floodlights, containing life-size characters from the traditional Christian yuletide story. Unlike most nativity sets, however, the characters there moved.
As it has for 25 years, the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints set up a live nativity - complete with animals - to recreate what they believe is the true significance of the holiday.
"We think it is a valuable community service, and a chance to show our children what Christmas is all about," said Dave Mortensen, a longtime church leader.
The star of the show - no offense to the Christ child - is probably Mortensen's donkey, named Ears for obvious reasons.
Mortensen said his son-in-law adopted Ears (on his behalf) as a wee, three-month-old foal eight years ago, after she was born on public rangeland in Arizona. She has since shaken off any wild roots to become an integral and beloved member of the nativity troupe.
"She gets real social with the kids. She's always well-behaved," Mortensen said. "In fact, she doesn't like going home. She resists going into the trailer. It's amazing how even the animals get into the spirit a little bit."
Based on the average domesticated donkey lifespan of 35 years - up to 50 years for the resilient and well-fed - Ears could feature in many a nativity to come.
Other families from the church, mostly of ranching stock with kids in 4H, supply the shepherds' flocks. Sheep are ideal actors, Mortensen said, because they are docile and protected from the cold by thick wool coats. Mostly, they are content to munch on any grass poking through the snow.
Calves are generally avoided, he added, because they "need to be bottle-fed and don't sit still."
Camels, the presumed loyal steeds of the Eastern wise men - or magi - have yet to appear, although Mortensen said they once substituted a shaggy llama who added some Andean flair to the proceedings.
By and large, the animals cooperate.
"In 25 years we've only had one runaway - a sheep - and (the escape) didn't last long," Mortensen recalled.
As for the human actors, they come dressed to impress in ancient Middle East regalia. The more elaborate costumes were fashioned by seamstress and former church member Linda Proctor, who has since moved to Utah. Her wardrobe creations add an element of authenticity to the set. They are also nice and toasty, for Proctor sewed them with enough room to wear heavy clothing underneath.
"Before (Linda), people brought bathrobes and towels from home. We tried to raise the bar a little bit," said Colleen Honaker. "They're great and holding up okay."
Church members volunteer for 30- or 60-minute shifts, organized by ward, the LDS equivalent to a Catholic parish.
While Mortensen said having a live infant portray Jesus would not be sacrilegious - on the contrary, "it would be an honor" - cold temperatures normally preclude it.
Honaker remembered a real baby being used one year, "but it was six months old, sitting up bright and cheerful, not lying down and crying like a newborn."
With no vacancies at the Bethlehem inn, the biblical Mary and Joseph famously resorted to more rustic digs. The current LDS nativity stable is no lap of luxury, but by all accounts has set a new standard for quality.
The previous stable disappeared under mysterious circumstances about five years ago. Then-teenager Kaden Walker responded by building a new and improved version, with walls of salvaged barn wood, as part of an Eagle Scout project. It endures today.
"It should last at least 20 years," he said.
The nativity tradition has stayed alive, according to Bishop Russell Decker, because of the camaraderie it creates between members, and the spiritual resonance it brings the wider community.
"Some people slow down to watch while driving past in their cars. Other spectators will stop to take a closer look," he said. "People in town appreciate it as an opportunity to remember the real meaning of Christmas and not just the commercialization it has turned into."
Mortensen didn't recall any instances of people complaining about the display.
"We don't impose on other peoples' beliefs. This is just a demonstration of our faith. We try not to make it a controversial issue. We do it on church property so it isn't offensive to anyone."
The whole operation tends to come together without too many hiccups. Because of its longevity and because everybody pitches in, organizing the nativity has become almost second nature.
"It generally falls into place pretty easily," Mortensen said.


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|Land Matters Discussion Area Discussion Relating to Your Land/Legislative Issues
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Sled Springs OHV status
I was reading past forums about interest in the sled springs ohv system. Right now the hells canyon preservation council is planning on taking the USFS to court over the decision made by district ranger Ken Gebhart. HCPC's reasoning is that the forest service did not take in all considerations when doing there environmental analysis. In other words they just don't want us in the woods at all. I am the President of the Wallowa Valley Trail Riders Association, so if anyone has any questions regarding this issue please let me know. Most of all we need to unite as off-road users and get all of the support we can. Thank you.
Hopefully this will be another case of the courts saying they waited too long to go after a decision, as it was done quite awhile ago.
Our next John Day/Snake RAC meeting is scheduled for Nov. 30th in Pendleton. Public comment is usually at 1PM. We are chartered to work with USFS as well as BLM. As OHV rep on the Rac, feel free to contact me if I can be of any help. Once a decision is made the RAC is usually out of it, especially once it heads to court. One of your county commissioners is on the RAC as well, filing the commercial timber position.
As an aside, one of their people was at out last meeting, hoping for more closures in Malheur N.F. TMP. All they are going to do is get rid of cross country, but we will lose the ML1 stuff we have now since most of those have been closed since the 90's.
1981 Cherokee W/T, 360, T-18, Warn 8274 in custom bumper/deer strainer (tested and approved)
1988 Cherokee 4 door, 3" Rancho lift, custom sliders/steps, custom roof rack, custom camo paint, custom camo headliner, custom bumpers and Warn 9500 HS, 31-10.50's
Only 31's, but can drag self with either rig
BLM John Day/Snake RAC-OHV/Recreation Representative
Wolfpack 4x4's - Region 5 - "Cave Lupum"
Pres.- Outcast Land Use Review Team
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Why responsive web design matters
Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2012 (video)
Michael Sliwinski | I'm Passionate about Productivity, Business and Life
Posted on Saturday, June 30, 2012 (video)
founder of Nozbe
Michael is an Internet entrepreneur who is running Nozbe, editing the Productive! Magazine, showing off his tips and tricks in Productive! Show, blogging on this blog and writing books, articles for various magazines, speaking at conferences or advising other startups. He's constantly building new, exciting and often secret things. He's a product guy. Learn more about Michael


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Ian Martin floats the idea of a floating airport
MONDAY. My old friend Loaf, the mayor of London, has refloated the idea of an 'international mudhub' in the middle of the Thames Estuary.
That's all very well but as conceptual director for the project, Muggins here has to work out the logistics. You can float the idea of a floating airport but at some point you have to work out how to float the airport itself. Apart from floating a #floattheairport hashtag.
It is not, as some have blithely suggested, just a matter of tethering a shitload of pontoons or industrial lilos or whatever to the riverbed, then waiting for the world's long-haul traffic to arrive. That's ridiculous. This is about civic ambition on a national scale. My new masterplan envisions a floating airport tethered to the ENTIRE COAST OF BRITAIN. Like a giant M25 for aeroplanes.
People will say it is mad, of course. They're playing right into our hands. Because suddenly an airport that only stretches from the Isle of Grain to the Isle of Wight seems a lot less ridiculous. And after that, one that merely fits the Thames Estuary like a contraceptive diaphragm will seem just right.
TUESDAY. Dear Chinese media: my Blingnang skyscraper does NOT 'look like big pants'. It looks like a pair of skinny-fit jeans. I would never design a building to look like underwear, apart from 'The Loungerie', my Leeds nightclub that looks like a stuffed bra and knickers. But in my defence that was for a bet.
WEDNESDAY. Sketch out proposals to double the size of Moscow. Putin's queuing up to 'lead the cranes' dressed as a topless construction worker.
THURSDAY. To Westminster for the mournful departure of the Hon. Aeneas Upmother-Brown.
He steps down today as culture minister with special responsibility for architecture, bed and breakfast hotels, hospitality boxes at major sporting destinations, online ticketing systems and humane circuses. Over the past two years, despite this broad portfolio, Upmother-Brown has been a powerful presence in the world of epic space, in no small part due to the personal swarm of bees that accompanies him everywhere.
They're here tonight, at this low-key drinks party on the newly-refurbished Aviva Members' Terrace, in slow orbit around his head like little stripey, crestfallen moons. Occasionally he despatches them with a murmur to 'mingle' among us but to be honest their heart isn't in it. Perhaps they will miss the ministerial perks - the official saloon car, the early morning hivemind sessions, the abundance of flowers everywhere - more than their master will.
It's no secret that his departure was a little fraught. The Cabinet reshuffle was an excuse to move the prestigious bed and breakfast hotels sector to Business. Upmother-Brown felt slighted and bees are notoriously sensitive to mood swings. There were apparently ugly scenes in a Downing Street stairwell, with one junior civil servant 'stung into inaction' in several places.
What's also becoming painfully clear is that there's no love lost between the outgoing minister and his successor, Gavin 'Gavvers' Quinly-Spread, a smooth Tory bombshell lionised on Twitter as the Fashionable Face of Capitalism. 'Oh don't misunderstand us,' says Upmother-Brown, his winged shroud of bee-blur suddenly rising in tone to a minor third. 'I have always found Mr Quinly-Spread to be a most clubbable fellow [buzz]. Yes, a most clubbable fellow [BUZZ] indeed…'
FRIDAY. Back to the Members' Terrace for a swish cocktail party. A big banner welcomes Mr G Q-Spread to the ministry. His amended portfolio now includes architecture, destination branding, spiritual renewal, fun run licensing, Bestival, television baking programme development, cultural equity management and 'popster economics'.
It's a much younger crowd than last night, hairier and thinner. In a breezy address, GQ signals a style change. 'For too long, our listing process has been a bee-driven lottery…' An obvious dig at his predecessor, who would commission balsa wood models of buildings nominated for preservation. If bees were happy to inhabit it: listed. That's why Milton Keynes shopping centre ('communal and busy') got the nod.
'So from now on listing will be sorted by my mate, bloody good bloke and former business partner Johnny. Johnny?' Johnny responds with a casual wave to the crowd. Then he 'gunfingers' the minister, making a little 'chk' sound.
SATURDAY. Five-a-zeitgeist theoretical football. Incrementalism 1, Gurgling Metastasism 10.
SUNDAY. Float idea of self in recliner.
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T.B.Mother of child with Mitochnondrial Disease
"...I want to thank you for being the amazing people that you are. No one ever chooses this path, but when you are fortunate enough to meet therapists who are highly skilled, highly knowledgeable and possess the compassion that all of you do, it makes this road quite a bit smoother...We are forever indebted to you."
S.D.Mother of child with autism
"[Joseph] was non-verbal and almost entirely caved-in by ordinary stimuli when he began his program...Now, Joseph accompanies us everywhere and he is curious and exploring all the while. Since his defensiveness towards the environment has decreased so much, he now runs, cavorts, touches, smells, tastes and simply experiences instead of cowering in my arms...Not a day goes by, no matter where we are or what we are doing, where he does not do something new or something better than he did before. He is no longer arrested in his learning process..."
D.A.Mother of child with PDD-NOS
"Our son Jack first went to Project CHILLD at the age of 4. He was diagnosed at 3 ½ with PDD NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified)... As we sit here just one year from his diagnosis the changes in our son are amazing...Jack has no echolalia, answers immediately when asked a question, comprehends more than before, is potty trained, has an opinion...asks questions and tells me "I love you too Mommy"."
S.K.Mother of child with autism
"Sam is doing so well! His suppression anxiety has greatly diminished...He is sleeping very well – through the night. Even shampooing Sam's hair has become a non-issue. Sam loves Project CHILLD and has so greatly benefitted from his services here"


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Sound Off for Oct. 3
I am calling to talk about the print in the new format of The Register Citizen. It is way too small. I wear glasses and I am having a hard time reading it. I think elderly people are going to give up your newspaper if you keep the print this small. Why not instead of five columns, make it four columns, make the print a little bit larger so people can enjoy reading the paper. I think after my subscription runs out that will be it for me.
I am calling to say that your new format for The Register Citizen is terrible. The print is wrong. You can't find anything anymore. I guess I will start reading the Republican American now on. You shot yourself in the foot on this one. The paper is terrible.
In regards to the format on The Register Citizen, something is drastically wrong with this paper. You got to really work at it to read it. I get tired just trying to find stuff in it. I think whoever designed this layout should either go back to the drawing board and try again or get rid of this person and send them back to where he came from.
I just want to say, i am a subscriber to The Register Citizen. It looks like there is a lot of nice articles and new editors writing the paper. The problem is I am middle age, I do not wear glasses, but I can't see your print because it is so small. It takes me 10 minutes to look at one little sentence. You have to do something about the print because that is not good. You are going to lose customers rather then gain them if your readers can't read your paper.
On this new format in the paper. I think it stinks. You have the print so small you have to squint to read it. We elderly people have trouble reading it in the first place. You should make the letter bigger. It's bad enough you shrunk the paper. Make the print bigger so we don't have to squint. Think of us elderly people.
I agree with the comments I have read in Sound Off regarding the size of the font in The Register Citizen. it is too small. Reading The Register Citizen is no longer relaxing or enjoyable. I compared the font to The Hartford Courant the font is larger in that paper and it is easier to read in general. After decades of getting The Register Citizen I may have to cancel.
With all due respect, the picture of the president should be on the front page. Put the animal on the back page.
Yeah, I am an independent voter, I neither for Democrats or Republicans. I am kind of sick of Democrats saying it's Bush's fault, who I didn't even vote for. But the last two years that Bush was in office, Democrats controlled both sides of Congress. So maybe if Bush was stupid, the Democrats are partly to blame. They voted for everything he wanted.
What are the mayor, the Warner Theatre and the development committee thinking, using the Warner as Torrington's centerpiece. We are, rather we were, members supporting the Warner, but no longer. We recently attended a show there, and were stunned by what transpired. Alcohol consumed in great quantities inside the theater itself, not just the lobby. Alas, beer bottle waving patrons standing, obscuring the stage. Asked to sit so all could see, profanities spewed forth, and a shove, now an altercation. Is the theater a mosh pit? With the balcony being the only safe harbor?
I have never had a phone call from the Democrats seeking my vote prior to this election. Could it be a sign of desperation that Chris Murphy's got his campaign volunteers calling registered Republicans?
I am calling mainly to give you my opinion of your very small print in your paper. What is going on with the print? I can hardly even read your Sound Off anymore, let alone the rest of the paper. Guess I am back to the Waterbury Republican.
Sound off is nothing more than a political pissing contest where eight out of 10 of you are conservatives.


text: "Engaging, disturbing, intellectually complex." —The New York Times Book Review"Engaging . . . sly, witty. . . . [A] novel that meditates on literature and idealism and the uses and misuses of both." —Los Angeles Times"This is Ackroyd's most exuberant novel for years…"—Daily Mail"Provoking, unsettling, ingenious—and a delight to read."—Barry Unsworth, The Guardian"Written in clipped, precise, instantly recognizable prose, The Fall of Troy is a novel about opposites—of truth and deception, fact and fiction, history and romance, love and loyalty.…But however you read The Fall of Troy—as a love story and mystery told in Homeric style, or as a deeper meditation on the relationship between reality and imagination—Ackroyd the novelist re-emerges triumphantly from the mud of his excavations."—The Times"The Fall of Troy is a clever variation on the story of the excavation of the city in the 1850s.…There is another layer, however, to this tale of fakes, falsehood and deception. For Ackroyd is playing throughout his novel with the status of his own narrative as a work of fiction…there are unsettling surprises as the story dances between pure Ackroyd and the fantasies of Schliemann, and a treacherous middle-ground in between.…Peter Ackroyd's invention trumps even Schliemann's mendacity."—Times Literary Supplement"[Ackroyd's] evocation of the landscape, the weather and the conditions of the Hissarlik dig are brilliant, and his minor characters…are deftly brought to life. Above all, he manages to suggest, in a book which is less slight than it may appear, that men who meddle with the gods do so at their peril."—Sunday Telegraph"Ingenious…briskly told and vividly realized tale…a gripping novel."—Daily Express


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bpark73 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 178 diseños de 30 diseñadores freelance.
We are a wedding startup that will revolutionize the way brides and vendors meet and interact. We are a cross between craigslist and priceline.com and are poised to be a game changer in an industry that has long been without change. We need a simple yet modern logo that will go on our website.
Our target audience is generally aesthetically savy. They seek a modern, sleek and sophisticated wedding experience eventhough they are budget conscious. They dress well, dine at cool new eateries and pride themselves in being the first to know about something. They are generally in the 20's to mid 30's and can be considered young professionals.
We are looking for a simple and modern logo that will be the "face" of our brand. This logo will be comprised of an icon of some sort next to our name, "bloomh". This logo will go at the top of our website. Please check the jpeg attachment to see the colors that your logo will be sitting next to. Please make sure that your design "pops" and stands out from our background.
- You DO NOT have to use the same colors as the background. In fact this is preferred. Make sure your design "pops" and stands out yet still compliments the background.
- Logo & Name (bloomh) = I prefer the name to be in all lower caps because the "b" and "h" have a symmetrical effect that I like; however I am open to your design.
- Please place logo on left side of the name "bloomh".
- We want a simple yet modern design for both logo and typeface. - No cartoons
- Nothing too flowery or old school.
- Please provide jpeg or GIF version for online
- Please also provide a vector based version of it for future blow ups.
- Do not use any stock images or clip art.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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The fan-made add-on that's aiming to bring multiplayer to the PC version of Just Cause 2 came out of hiding last month. And lest you think that it might recede into the background again, here's proof that the JC-MP devs have been hard at work. The clip above is edited together from one player's session inside the beta. The impression I get watching these sequences is that you may not even need authored missions inside a big crazy sandbox like Just Cause 2. Just let a bunch of players run around parachuting, vehicle-jacking and dog-fighting until their heart's content.
Via Reddit.


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Here are the weekly coupon match-ups for the week of 9/25 – 10/1/11:
Centsable Momma has the Rite-Aid Deals for us.
Moms By Heart has the Walgreens Deals for us.
Couponing For 4 has the CVS Deals for us.
Thanks to Corrie, Alli and Lori for letting me share these deals with my readers!
Were you able to find deals for CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid for this week? Feel free to link them up. Be sure your link is to your deals and not your homepage to make it easier for my readers to find.


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Monday, March 02, 2009
I Am In Charge (Here)
As a life long Washingtonian, and The African Queen for 38 Years now, we appreciated the humor of Team President Stan Kasten's comment today: "I Am In Charge." The only word missing was "Here". Famously, after President Ronald Reagan was shot on August 13th, 1981--then Secretary of State Alexander Haig stated "I am in charge here." Haig wasn't then. In fact, he was third in line to the throne and was embarrassed, but Political Washington made that line--infamous in history.
Really that line was unbelievable.
As it turns out, Mr. Kasten's nearly identical comment today spoke the truth. He's wheeling and dealing, making things happen in the wake Our Now Former General Manager Jim Bowden Officially Resigning On Sunday. Alexander Haig had limited power. Stan Kasten--this day--has the final say right now. Not only is he considering trades with other ball clubs but reportedly is attempting to sign Our Franchise Player Ryan Zimmerman to a long term contract--and what could be better than that?
Good for him--because The Z-Man needs to be locked up as soon as possible. Of course, signing Our Number 11 would make The African Queen very happy. And at the same time, Mr. Kasten is asking those club employees wanting to step up and make themselves known. This is the time to make yourself a player.
What underling couldn't appreciate that? Really? What business are you in that The BossMan says bring it on--tell me what you think? What are we doing wrong here? What do we need to improve ourselves? How can we do things better?
Reportedly, that's exactly what Mr. Kasten told Baseball Operations today in his private meeting this morning with staff.
Don't be timid.
Speak your mind.
Tell it like it is.
Make Us Better.
Some may disagree, but sorry, that's pretty impressive in our book.
Having no idea how JimBo ran his operation internally--it's refreshing to publicly hear that Our Team President--Currently Also Interim General Manager--wants to listen to all options. Put everything on the table. Many times, those below have some good ideas. But are silenced over the fear that speaking out of turn will diminish their value to those in charge. Upper Management fearing those below them might make The BossMan less valuable.
That's not the case today.
Because on day two of a new era for Our Washington Nationals--"I Am In Charge (Here)" means Bring It On!! Tell me whatever you feel Our Washington Nationals need to do to get us better--not only on the field--but in The Public's Eye.
Bottom Line--Give Me Everything You Got.
You Have Got to appreciate the gumption and willingness to learn from EVERYONE involved with Our Washington Nationals--no matter who they are. Mr. Kasten understands that Washington Employees were not hired to follow the leader. They were brought on board to fill a missing void.
"I Am In Charge (Here)--Very, Very Refreshing Words From Our Team President Today.
PS- Yeah, believe it or not, The African Queen and I are still in Central Florida. An extended stay now--thanks to the never ending newsworthiness of Our Washington Nationals. And it's pretty entertaining by the way. Besides--it may have been 60 Degrees most of the day here in Melbourne, Florida--chilly by local standards. But that beats 10" of snow in Washington, DC over the past 24 hours. And thanks to Our Next Door Neighbor--Dolly--who let us know that she was shoveling both her and our driveway today--knowing The African Queen and I were still "Doing Baseball" with Our Washington Nationals. You can bet that Dolly wished she was here with us right now. Her classic comment: "Man, I hate you guys for always being away at the right time!!"
You have got to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR DOLLY--she was getting into the spirit of it all. (There is plenty of laughter on that commentary--and you would have to know Dolly to fully understand)
10 comments:
Here's my list:
-- Get Z-man signed long term
-- Sign Frank Howard into the organization as a scout or ambassador
-- Get at least one veteran reliever, hopefully Joe Beimel, signed to bolster the staff.
-- If there's any decent vet starter out there, get him (or sign Ben Sheets to a low-risk deal and wait for him to heal)
-- Bring in a truly solid 2B (if we can get one via trade)
-- Make Washington's baseball history more prominent around the ballpark
-- Get the 2009 Nats kids club up and running so I can sign my kids' up
-- Honor the 1924 Nationals and 1969 Senators (both having anniversary seasons) wit souvenirs, throwback unis, and other celebratory things
-- Make sure the #1 and #9A draft picks get signed quickly
-- Hire a solid GM, but one who is soft-spoken and keeps a low profile, but gets things done
-- Get a solid FA from Japan
-- Use 2009 to get back to on and off the field respectability and then go for broke in 2010
- Jeremy said...
-- Kill whoever designed that "new" Screech outfit.
- Edward J. Cunningham said...
One more thing...bring the old Screech back! Have you seen pictures of the new mascot? It may make you change your nickname to Formerly Screech's Best Friend!
- Screech's Best Friend said...
For those who missed this from the previous commentary in response to VCUALUM Kyle:
Having no involvement with the New Screech, we were taken aback by the new look. At the very least, the original Screech Face probably should have been kept in it's original form. The African Queen and I are going to have to see The New Screech in person to make our final opinion--as we are still in Florida. We liked his original "Bobblebelly". It added dimension to his physique. Baby Screech was a cartoon character that was loved by many kids. And we feel it should have been kept that way. Time will tell if this new version will be as popular.
SBF --A minor quibble here -- in the line of succession, the Sec of State is after 1) the VP, 2) the Speaker, and 3) the Sentate Pres Pro Tem. So, Haig would have been fourth in line, not third.
But on to today's BIG news!
I had to check the Nats320 blog today when I read the news about a new design for the Screech mascot. I had expected full coverage of the new mascot here, but it turns out that you are still in Florida. Seems like a bad idea to me. They actually quoted fans wo thaought that the fat Screech was a poor role model for an ever growing nation of obese kids. Really? A mascot will cause a kid to get fat? Sheesh!
- WFY said...
I thought of Haig too when I saw that Kasten line.
My advice: take $20 million and the 10th choice in the first round and offer it to the Red Sox in exchange for GM Theo Epstein who knows how to run a farm system and develop players.
I also thought of Haig.
I don't have a "to do" list for Stan, as I'm pretty sure that he knows what he's doing. Seriously, I've been very impressed with his handling of the transition.
Wow, I like Anon's list except I want to see how our current 2B pans out and only look to Japan if you can get a solid player.
I added one thing that I have been saying for a while and now with JimBo gone can be a reality. Bring Frank Robinson back and retire his #20 jersey.
Let's show him the respect he deserves and give him the party he should have received!!!!
- Unknown said...
I think it might be too late to do the throwback uniforms for this year to honor 1924 and 1969. Don't they have to be approved by the league a year in advance?