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DURHAM — Connor Hardowa was anxious to get back to campus for two reasons: he had enough time off and the weather is warmer.
"It's a little too cold for me over there after getting used to this," said the senior co-captain and native of Edmonton, Alberta.
The climate around the University of New Hampshire hockey bordered on tropical over the first two months of the season in which the second-ranked Wildcats (11-2-2) were one of the hottest teams in the country.
They'll try to recapture the momentum that saw them put together an eight-game unbeaten streak before losing to Boston University three weeks ago in their last official game before semester break.
UNH tied the U.S. U18 national team three days later.
"It's another season," said coach Dick Umile, "and we've got to start it off like we started off the first half."
UNH, which swept a four-game homestand to open the season, will face intra-state rival Dartmouth at Thompson Arena in the first round of the Ledyard Bank Classic on Sunday night (7) in Hanover.
Bemidji State and Massachusetts will meet in Sunday's first game (4). Win or lose Sunday, the Wildcats are scheduled to play again on Monday at 4 p.m.
"Any time you can win something … it's exciting," senior alternate captain Greg Burke said of the rare in-season tournament.
The power forward is just excited to be back in the lineup after missing the last six games with a shoulder injury. The Wildcats used their depth up front to mask his absence.
They went 4-1-1 while Burke was out. He got hurt at UMass-Lowell on Nov. 16, making it six weeks since he's played in a game.
"He's a big part of this team," Hardowa said of the Lee native. "He's definitely part of the glue that keeps everybody going. He leads by example in a lot of ways."
Burke will likely center a line Sunday between senior John Henrion and junior Nick Sorkin. UNH practiced Wednesday night, then twice each on Thursday and Friday.
"It's tough to sit out," Burke said, "especially when you're doing as well as we are."
The Wildcats plan to work out at Thompson Arena today in preparation for the 10th-ranked Big Green (7-2-2) in the first of three straight non-conference games over the next two weekends.
"We're focusing on Sunday night," Burke said. "We understand the magnitude of that game."
Although there are no league points at stake this weekend, the games are no less important. Failing to win the Hockey East title and secure an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament, record against non-conference opponents is a big part of Plan B.
"It's huge for us to play a ranked team," Hardowa said. "They've been playing well all year."
UNH is 3-0-1 in non-league games thus far. The Wildcats host Rensselaer on Jan. 5.
"I think everybody's excited to get back and play a game," Hardowa said. "Once you practice a few times you just want to get in there and play again."
The UNH-Dartmouth matchup features the top two penalty-killing teams in Division I. They've combined to kill 91 of 94 penalties with six shorthanded goals.
"They play a lot like we do," Umile said. "You live on the edge. You've got to move the puck quickly (on the power play), get it to the net and try to out-number them."
Both clubs have scored more shorthanded goals than they're allowed power-play goals. The Wildcats have four shorties, including three by sophomore Grayson Downing.
Dartmouth (97.5) ranks first nationally in penalty killing with UNH (96.3) second.
"I think we need to move the puck quickly because they're aggressive," Burke said. "It's going to be important to get the puck to the crease, shoot pucks when we can and make plays."
The Wildcats last played at Thompson Arena in 2000 when they lost 6-2. The last 11 games in the rivalry have been played at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.
UNH has won five of the last seven meetings with Dartmouth, including last season's Battle for the RiverStone Cup, 4-1, with Kevin Goumas assisting on three of the four goals.
The junior forward leads D-I this year in assists per game (1.07) and ranks third nationally in points per game (1.60).
UNH is third nationally in both team defense and offense and first in scoring margin.
"Not a lot of time to prepare for this," Umile said, "but everybody's in the same boat. Getting back to good, solid team defense will be a priority."
After next Saturday's non-conference games against RPI, the Wildcats will close out the regular season with 16 consecutive Hockey East contests.
"There's no more breaks now," Umile said. "The first half is over. What you did the first half you can forget."


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IT IS a question that has stirred emotions from as early as the 1950s when West Indian migrants grew concerned about their children's education. For many, Great Britain was supposed to be a land of promise and as residents of the Commonwealth, the virtues of a British education had been drummed into them. But that dream failed to deliver.
They encountered widespread racism which seeped into schools, fuelling the widely-held belief that black children were somehow educationally subnormal. For teachers in Britain's state schools, black underachievement was not an anomaly that needed to be addressed; it was to be expected.
Grenadian teacher Bernard Coard was the first to identify institutional racism in schools in his seminal work How The West Indian Child is Made Educationally Subnormal, published in 1971. It was this, he argued, that was preventing black Caribbean children from reaching their potential.
He explained how the low expectations of teachers damaged pupils motivation and confidence thus dooming them to a life of underachievement.
The issue was also one of negative connotations being embedded in the students' minds. In his book he highlighted how the word 'white' was associated with good and the word 'black' with evil.
Coard gave an example of a children's book in which the 'white unicorn' and the 'white boys' were able to repel an attack by the violent and evil 'black pirates.'
He further pointed to disturbingly high numbers of exclusions among black pupils as one of the ways in which teachers exercised their bias.
Coard's findings kick-started the growth of supplementary schools dedicated to tutoring African and Caribbean children whose parents could afford it to help redress the balance.
These students do well but more than forty years later, there is evidence which proves his concerns are still valid. Furthermore, not a single policy, initiative or intervention has been able to reverse this depressing trend.
None of the initiatives, from the Thatcher Government's 1985 Swann report Education for All to Ofsted's 1993 Access and Achievement in Urban Education or Labour's 2007 REACH report which highlighted the need for black children, specifically black boys, to have middle class professional role models instead of rappers, have achieved the desired effect.
Black children can be high achievers and we know this because hundreds do so every year. But when exam results data is compiled the statistics are undeniable: black children are trailing behind every other racial group despite having exactly the same talent and potential. Clearly, there is something happening within society, possibly the home and, most crucially, within our schools that is holding them back.
Leading black educationalists Dr Keith Davidson and Dr June Alexis recently published Education: A pathway to success for black children – a guide to overcoming barriers to educational excellence.
The authors, with more than sixty years between them as teachers, researchers and Ofsted inspectors, are unequivocal about what is to blame when it comes to black children's attainment: "It is the education system that is underperforming", the book notes.
Alexis, a former headteacher of the predominantly black John Loughborough School in Tottenham, north London, said: "I am tired of the negativity surrounding black children. Don't get me wrong, we know there are some problems but it lies not with the children, it's within the schools.
"There are all these initiatives to help black children and still there is no change. Who is evaluating them? Are they even effective? Because, quite frankly, they are still letting our children down."
But there is some good news. For the past six years, the GCSE results of black children have been improving year on year. This is a statistic that elected officials, head teachers and Oftsed are eager to point out.
However, this upswing is a part of a trend– overall exam results have improved. And even though the performance of black children is improving at a faster rate than white British children – a positive sign, certainly – collectively they are still under-performing.
GSCE figures for 2011/12 published last week, revealed only 54.6 per cent of black children achieved five or more A-C grade including core subjects of maths and English.
This represents an improvement of approximately 18 percentage points from their 2005/06 GCSEs results but still falls short of the national average of 58.8 per cent.
Comparatively, for white British children this figure rose from 46.1 per cent to 58.9 per cent – the equivalent of 13 percentage points. The gap between the two groups has narrowed from nine percentage points to a promising four percentage points.
For Indian children, this has risen 14 percentage points between 2006 and 2012, and for Chinese pupils - the highest achievers – this has increased from 70.7 to 76.4 per cent, or five percentage points.
Davidson said: "We have spent the past four decades talking about these problems but we are still in complaining mode. Yes, our supplementary schools have been able to inject social capital enjoyed by white middle class parents. Black parents need to take ownership and articulate ways to solve the problem."
This year, to mark the 20th anniversary of its first publication, Ofsted's chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw will revisit the Access and Achievement in Urban Education report which focuses on the lack of educational success in deprived communities, of which black children are disproportionately represented.
The majority of black pupils are educated in inner cities; 7,523 sat GCSEs last year in inner London (and represent the largest ethnic group) while a further 8,606 are educated in outer London.
A review panel of leading experts will try and answer how the educational system can mitigate issues of isolation and disconnection that emerged through the last two reports and still exists.
Unsurprisingly, top performing students from Indian and Chinese backgrounds are from more high-income families. In 2011/12, only 7.5 per cent of all Chinese GCSE pupils were eligible for free school meals. The figure is 10.07 per cent for Indian pupils and 11 per cent for white British pupils.
For students of Caribbean heritage this figure is more than double at 24.26 per cent, but even higher – 34.25 per cent – for pupils of African heritage. So why then is it that more black Africans are from low-income families, yet perform almost as well as white British pupils, and outperform their Caribbean counterparts?
In 2012, 58 per cent of African pupils achieved five GCSEs at grade A-C including Maths and English, while only 49.8 per cent of Caribbean pupils did.
So poverty cannot be solely blamed for underachievement. It also raises questions over the need for more black representation on a Eurocentric curriculum void of black role models, as some experts would argue.
The question is, if Indian and Chinese pupils can excel in that environment, why can't black children?
For a start, black Caribbean pupils are almost four times more likely to be excluded and 11 times more likely than white British girls, according to a report by the Children's Commissioner. Eighty per cent of all exclusions are boys.
Knox Daniel is the father of seven-year-old Joshua Beckford who defies all the stereotypes and statistics attributed to black Caribbean boys. Joshua is the youngest person to achieve a clean sweep of distinctions in a course for gifted children at Oxford University.
But despite being advanced for his age, speaking Japanese and some Mandarin, Joshua was repeatedly excluded. He was diagnosed with having autistic traits, which his teachers simply dismissed as bad behaviour.
Daniel told The Voice: "Instead of support, he got punished. Joshua went from enjoying school to preferring learning at home.
"But I challenged and engaged with the school," Daniel said. "And it has gone from a negative environment to something more positive – at the very least they are more careful about what they do with him because they know I am watching. The exclusions have stopped but things could have easily got worse. Joshua could've ended up permanently excluded like many black boys across the country."
The dedicated father who is a full-time carer says he is no different to any other parent, except that no matter what, he always finds the time to encourage and interact with his son.
"The parent is the primary teacher and that's what makes the biggest difference. I started teaching Joshua myself at 10 months old and by two he had mastered phonics and was able to read fluently. That gave him a headstart in school. When he asks me questions, I answer and explain things to him. If I said I was too tired or too busy, eventually he would stop asking questions and that's not a good thing," he said.
Race and education academic Maud Blair has argued that what makes a difference for black pupils is strong leadership, clear management, a positive ethos and open discussions about racism, sexism and bullying. In simple words: discipline.
A lack of discipline is something award-winning supplementary school teacher, Yemisi Akindele, founder of High Achievers Tutoring thinks is one of the biggest challenges for black children.
She said: "Sadly, comprehensive schools in the inner city have become less about learning and more about class management. Teachers can't discipline and they are undermined in front of their students. Children realise this gives them the power to do what they want without repercussion. Michael Gove [Education Secretary] thinks more Teach Firsts [Oxbridge graduates who are fast-tracked into teaching] in inner city schools will raise standards but it won't make a blind bit of difference. You can have the subject knowledge, that doesn't mean you can impart it."
Akindele is unapologetic about preferring grammar and selective schools that grant admissions based on academic ability to the average comprehensive. She says that while white middle class parents work the system in their favour, black parents are too happy to rely on "the school down the road" because it's convenient.
Her students have won places at independent schools like Harrow with full scholarships or at some of the few remaining grammar schools like The Latymer School, in Enfield, north east London, or Dulwich College in south east London.
"Unless black parents pull their finger out and take on responsibility of teaching their children themselves at home or in a supplementary school, their children will continue to fall behind.
Middle class parents whose children attend high-performing schools still feel the need to pay for additional tutoring. What does that tell you?" she said.
Alexis notes the trend of private tutoring with some dismay. "It is sad when parents must rely on extra tuition to see their children advance."
She added: "Something is very wrong in the state school education system and black children are suffering because of it."

subset: commoncrawl


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I think it may happen with people who have lack of confidence, for example shy people. So in conversation they often add proper nouns (eg. names of persons or countries) to give "evidence" and weight of their sayings.
In fact, I am interested either such a phenomenon exists, not necessarily having a name for it.
-Do you like cheese?
-Yes, but not the types they have here, like the commercial Mozarrela. Now, if you were in a Mediterranean country, that's other story. Like in Spain or Italy. I remember the tasty cheeses from my trip in Sicilia.
-Hey, that place has a bad reputation...
-Ha, I felt like Michael Corleone


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Odd Thoughts with 30 Days Until Reporting Date
Holy Moly, in the last few days a lot of things have been coming up and out of the Tampa Bay Rays camp, But best of all, as of today, we have LESS than 30 days now until the boys' hit the clay again in Port Charlotte, Florida for the first time. With this new Spring Training Complex comes new problems for the Rays players for the first time in their careers. This was the last team to report to their Spring Training home in the same town that they call home during the regular season. With the new complex a good hour and a half away from the St. Petersburg, Florida area, the guys might have to adjust to being away from the confines of their soft, warm beds for a month.
That can be a make or break moment for some teams. The aspect of not training locally has a double meaning for the Rays. First they are training this season south of their usual demographic area, and that will invite new fans from the reaches of the Port Charlotte, Naples and Fort Meyers areas to embrace the team and get more comfortable with the Rays. Considering that the Rays are establishing their Florida State League class A team here in the city will also help promote a hometown feel every year for the team as the local citizens get to know and watch their local guys move through the Rays system.
A baseball team to call you own can be a major thing for a city's pride. It gives a town an outward appearance to the rest of the world as a destination and not just a name on a map. With the Rays playing in the sunny and beach-filled west coast of Florida, it will give people up north and in other regions of the country the chance to vacation during the cold spells and still have all the luxuries of Florida that the Tampa Bay area held for the Rays for over a decade in St Petersburg, Florida. But the best thing it can do is help the local economy and boost a city's morale and visual focus to the world.
Do not take that lightly, a lot of teams play their regular season games in town that have huge reputations, like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit. Not only do these towns have long history with baseball and middle class America, but they have also trained in Florida for a long, long time. The aspect of escaping the snow, wind and sleet and have a month of warm sun and cool breezes can have a rejuvenating effect on the mind and soul. Sometime you think that teams did it to get their minds set right and with the warm weather you tend to relax and want to work out and your worries tend to drift with the winds.
So here we are within sight of the guys stretching and throwing some long toss, and with that we will probably see some changes in a few of the players physical states, and as always someone will have a different hairstyle or facial hair to show to the fans. It used to be Rocco Baldelli who has gone from baby faced peach fuzz, to a mustache on season, to a full grown Grizzly Adams rendition before finally shaving it in Seattle before his first start in 2008.
But the guy that will probably command the most attention upfront will be Rays starting pitcher Scott Kazmir. As we know, Kazmir suffered from some elbow problem early in Spring Training in 2007, and in this off season decided to do a bit of working out and building himself up to a point where he was no longer going to be carded every time he went into a new place for dinner or a beverage. Kazmir has put on about 20 odd pounds on his frame, and his arms are showing the bulk of the change.
This can be a double-edged sword for a pitcher. With some added on muscle and weight, sometimes your old release points will seem a bit off and might even bring about a change in your delivery that can either hamper or help you velocity. Now this not to say that he will look like a Blue hulk, but even to consider Kazmir with a little extra muscle means we might be seeing him finally take that last step to wanting to be an elite pitcher in this league.
No one has ever doubted his determination or his desire to be a great pitcher, but in the last few seasons, he has shown a bit of a vulnerable side due to arm situations, that thank goodness have not had lasting effects or brought up conditions that would limit his pitching beyond simple rest and flexibility training. This is a season where the youngest current member of the Rays rotation, and also the most experienced gets to lead by example and maybe finally take that last hurdle to become a household name in places besides Texas and Florida.
Kazmir has the likability and the up front bold and confident nature to speak his mind and back it up. Don not forget people, this is the guy who boldly said during last years Spring that the team would make the playoffs and go beyond. Such a statement at the time was met with snickers and belly chuckles. How could this young pitcher know more than the mass of sportswriters' and columnists situated all over the green grasses. How could this pitcher, who was limited in his workouts make such a statement when he had to stand by and watch for a short period of time.
The boldness and the bravado of Kazmir was only a glimmer of the teams total personality in 2008, he portrayed and possessed the true spirit of this team in 2008, he was the young gun fighting for respect and nation-wide attention for the first time. Kazmir might not have been the poster boy for the Rays revolution, but he surely held one of it's best weapon in his left shoulder. So is he the only one showing off season commitment and possible advancements in his career in 2009? He has another young player right there next to him that has been labeled a slacker and will transform to change his 2008 persona into a budding All Star.
People commented a lot last year that B J Upton looked like he was slacking off at the plate by not striding in and using his front shoulder to hit the ball for power. But these are the same people who maybe did not see that game in Baltimore when Upton went down in a heap and was in obvious pain due to his shoulder popping out of joint. It is a problem he has had his entire life, but in 2008, it became front and center to the world. He played the entire 2008 season with a tear in his shoulder and did not make a big deal out of it to the media or the fans.
When it finally came out that his power numbers were absent mostly due to that injury, people looked back and then remembered the incident and cut the guy some slack. It began to feel better about October of 2008, and Upton then went on a bit of a power tear showing that a healthy Upton is a productive Upton. In the off season, Upton underwent surgery to hopefully prevent the same injury from happening again. There are no 100 percent surgeries in life, but this one will help him develop that power stroke again that we saw in the playoffs. It will also help him relax a bit more at the plate and be able to take more pitches, which will make him more of a threat to walk and then steal bases in 2009.
But his progress has hit a bit of a snag, and he might not be able to swing as much as he would like in Spring Training. It is thought that he will be ready a week into the season, maybe after the team comes back from its first road trip through Boston and Baltimore. The prognosis is bad if you want a healthy Upton from game1, but isn't it better that we have a 100 percent, ready to go Upton a week later than to maybe make him adjust and maybe even re-injure himself before he is ready.
Players' make sacrifices all the time for the sake of the game and their teams. One week will not cost the Rays anymore than using another player in his spot for a few games, then they will have him back in center field patrolling the outfield for the rest of the season. I can wait for a healthy Upton. I also think this is the year he will awaken and raise a few eyes towards him finally taking steps to the All Star game and becoming that great player we all have seen in him since he first came up in September at the age of 17 with the Rays.
Life will be exciting in Tampa Bay in 2009. The team will strive nightly to bring home wins and also bring back the excitement of 2008. They will try and establish a winning baseball tradition in this area. Along with the joys and sorrows of 2009, we hope to see a few more of these guys take their games to the next level and establish themselves as players and competitors. 2009 is only 30 days away from starting its infancy, but in Tampa Bay, our team is all grown up and ready to take on the world………again.
4 Comments
I have a question – how do you think the team will do handling the pressure to repeat what they did last year? Many teams – even those with long traditions – can falter here. Oh – I liked the Rays new alternate road uniform. Thanks!
From what I am hearing, a few of the guys are approaching it like "unfinished business", which could provide some momentum to succeed. But as always, it will have to be a team concept and not a few guys thinking like that for it to gel and gain in stature.
I honestly feel the pressure is more on the top two teams who have owned this division for a dozen years to again get the spotlight for themselves. The Rays can play the same style of play in 2009 and it is the jobs of the other two to catch up to them in talent and wins.
But as with out favorite television show…………the finale had a great tag line like " To Be Continued….in 2009″
Rays Renegade
Thats a great point about geographical changes allowing more of Florida to embrace the club. The more people exposed to the Rays the law of averages would tell us the more people will make a connection and spend more money on merchandise, tickets and only help the bottom line helping the club.
That is what baseball seems to be about these days. Where can we find the last drop of money flow to help our low attendance and make an upward spiral in our merchandise.
The fact that they are less than 2 hours away does garner that extra bit of, well I can make it a weekend up in St Petersburg and take in a Rays series a bit more of a bargain that driving 200 miles to see the Florida Marlins on the other coast of the state.
Money and popularity by geography, the Rays way.
Rays Renegade


text: Lovehatehero was formed in Burbank, CA, by vocalist Pierrick Berube, guitarists Josh Newman and Mark Johnston, bassist Paris Bosserman, and drummer Bryan Ross, who took it upon themselves to record their first album, subsequently shopped it to labels, and eventually signed to Ferrett Records for its late-2005 release. What a deal, as the album contained top-notch metallic emocore, ready for mass consumption. The band went on to tour regularly, including stints with Funeral for a Friend, Eighteen Visions, and He Is Legend, among others. A few days before heading out on their fourth major tour in support of the album, however, three members up and left, one taking the van with him. Not ready to call it quits just yet, Berube and Bosserman soon hooked up with drummer Scott Gee and guitarist Myk Russell and headed back on the road. Also counting a second fill-in guitarist in their ranks, Lovehatehero ran across guitarist Kevin Gruft (whose own local band was opening) while playing a show in upstate New York. Following his high school graduation, Gruft officially joined the band's ranks and work began on their follow-up album. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia


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James Gannon - Last year, Archaia announced the first of two volumes reprinting Marvel's 1986 Fraggle Rock comic book. After a couple delays, it's finally available in the form of Fraggle Rock Classics, Volume 1. The first four issues are collected in this soft cover graphic novel, digitally remastered, and recolored, plus with a wonderful new cover by Jake Myler. In this volume are the two original stories ("The Magic Time Machine" and "#1") as well as the first of six comic adaptions of actual television stories ( "The Monster that Could be Anything" and "The Doozer Who Wanted to Be a Fraggle"–adaptions of "Believe it or Not" and "All Work and No Play' respectively). This will be an overall review, with specific looks into the first two issues to come later.
Like I've said with my Muppet Babies back issue reviews, time wasn't too kind to the original 1980's printing technology. This sullies the artwork with blotchy colors, bleed through of red ink, and dusty black outlines. Not to mention the size of the colored ink dots and limitations of how many colors you can recreate with them. With a digital cleaning and recoloring, Marie Severin's art shines through. And what art it is. Other than a few awkward angles and small eye issues, the Fraggles, Doozers, Gorgs and Sprocket all look well drawn, allowing for puppet-like expressions from time to time. Much better than the animated series designs, anyway. Not to mention the skillfully rendered Rock itself. Beautiful backgrounds are present in each panel. And the new coloring gives it all the clarity that it didn't even have back when it was first published. There's even a field of depth with gradations that were impossible with 1980's technology.
There are a couple little ticks, though. The color seems to have been lifted from the original comic source, leading to miscolorings (Pa Gorg's white mustache, a purple Skenfrith for example). Some of the colors are a little muted and there are a few nagging fuzzy shading and coloring dots still present, despite the thorough job cleaning the source material up. The only alterations to the comics were erasing Marvel logos on the covers (Spider-man's face on the UPC signs were replaced by The Jim Henson Company logo), and the price panel was replaced with chapter numbers. While the original comics will crumble from their thin, waxy yellow paper, these issues have been printed on a sturdy, clean white paper stock. Though the faux dust jacket cover does make it a little clumsy to read the beginning and end of the book (but then again, I'm VERY careful with the spine on these things). The book also includes profiles, though the same ones written and made for the Archaia comics. Strangely enough they include Marjorie the Trash Heap who doesn't appear in any of the comics present.
As for the comics themselves, Stan Kay did a good job with the original stories. He has the basic understanding of the Fraggle characters down. Marie Severin does a great job with the all around Fraggle look, though it seems that so far Stan and Marie aren't aware of Fraggles outside of the main five and Uncle Matt. There are some generic background Fraggles (that seem smaller than the rest of the Fraggles), but no recognizable faces like Large Marvin, Storyteller, or World's Oldest. Also, they've taken an approach that would later be adopted by the animated version, and portray Doc in Nanny-style (from the shoulders down). I wonder if that was a licensing issue or just trying to give it a more uniform look with Muppet Babies in mind. I know that Doc's face was shown in one of Archaia's own series. As for the adapted stories, I have yet to see the episodes adapted here, so I can't give a partial comic by episode comparison of what's been changed and what's been added (though it's safe to say the musical numbers aren't present). And it is a shame that Archaia didn't add any credit to the writers of those episodes as Marvel surely forgot.
Overall, while I really did enjoy reading these old comics, can't wait for the second volume, and highly recommend tracking these graphic novel reprints down, it does make me all the more appreciate Archaia's own Fraggle Rock line. While 1980's pen and ink and modern era digital paint techniques are an unfair comparison, the writing of these newer comics shows a sign of daring and fan level understanding of characters and themes. And while having the same artist and writer for a series gives a level of consistency, Archaia's motley crew of different artists and writers give a sense of exciting difference to each issue. But that doesn't mean these old Marvel treasures aren't a fun read either. And at $9.99 for a sturdy reprint as well as the luxury of not having to go mad looking for the issues at different comic stores it's just as easy for those who never seen these comics in the first place to first experience them.
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, firstname.lastname@example.com
Feb 13, 2012
Muppet Comic Mondays: Fraggle Rock Classics Vol. 1
2 comments:
James, they avoided showing Doc's face to be able to market the comics outside the United States, somewhat still matching those markets. You're probably aware that Germany, France and the UK had their own, different versions of Doc. And these comics have at least been issued in Germany and Spain... check Muppet Wiki!ReplyDelete
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Badger Meter Inc. will hold its 2012 annual meeting of shareholders at Racine Federated Inc. on Friday, April 27 at 8:30 a.m.
Milwaukee-based Badger Meter, which makes flow measurement and control products, acquired Racine-based water flow meter manufacturer Racine Federated in February 2012.
Badger Meter's annual report, "Grow with the Flow," will focus on the acquisition and what it means for the company.
The acquisition of Racine Federated has greatly increased Badger Meter's industrial flow measurement capabilities, with new products, new markets and an established distribution channel. The company plans to grow in the building automation, oil and gas, water and wastewater, petrochemical and other process industries, according to the report.
"We not only expect the acquisition to be accretive to earnings in 2012, but we also expect to see significant synergies in our joint technology development programs, in our manufacturing and administrative functions and in our sales and marketing channels," said chairman, president and CEO Richard Meeusen in the report. "Racine Federated provides Badger Meter with several new flow technologies, as well as a skilled management team and efficient workforce."
Badger CFO Rick Johnson will present the report and discuss financial results for the company.
There will also be a tour of the new subsidiary following the meeting.


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May 20, 2017 – iAG Publishing has announced that they will be releasing an inspiring book titled 'The Life of Liam: Seeds of the Mind' on Saturday, May 22nd 2017. The book is co-authored by a motivated couple of Marla York and Lester Bell Jr. and it will be available online on the web and Amazon from May the 22nd. The book will be first in the 'Life of Liam' series and the couple has announced that they will be releasing a new book each month. Upon the launch, the first 50 readers to purchase a book will also get a pack of crayons for the coloring book section in this amazing children's book.
Life of Liam is about a child named Liam, who begins to understand how thinking can affect his everyday life. As he grows up, he learns the differences between negative and positive thinking. The authors have taken readers to a an amazing journey alongside Liam and according to the initial feedback received by the book, it is not only a perfect read for the children but people of all age groups can enjoy this book equally. However, the book is originally intended for the age group of newborns to 10 year olds. Moreover, the book has 40 pages and also includes a coloring section for the children to color a few of the scenes from the storyline.
"We want to influence the greatness and encourage the creativity in kids at a young age," said Marla York, the co-author of this book. "We believe that the stories will teach them the morals they need to live a full, happy life," she added. Marla and Lester have been in a committed relationship for over a year and the inspiring couple has embarked it upon themselves to contribute in shaping a new generation that is all about love and positivity to promote peace and Godliness in humanity's future.
According to Lester Bell Jr., the couple had been planning for a long time to launch this project and they are very excited to see their dream come true. Moreover, the couple also expressed their gratitude for all the parents who have been supporting them throughout this journey. According to Marla, the book will have positive effects on a child's mind from a very early age and will influence them to start believing in themselves. The couple is determined to change the generations of the future and has requested parents from all around the world to support them in the launch of this amazing book and the remaining books of the series.
For further information, please visit: www.LifeofLiam.com
Media Contact
Company Name: iAG Publishing
Contact Person: Marla York & Lester Bell Jr.
Email: email@example.com
Country: United States
Website: www.LifeOfLiam.com


text:
On Wednesday's edition of "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart applauded President Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. He also offered an implicit mea culpa for initially doubting Obama's motives.
"We may have insinuated President Obama was somehow being disingenuous in giving in to his most base political calculations by not just saying he favors same-sex marriage and equal rights for all Americans—that his position is 'evolving' is weak tea."
But Obama proved his skeptics wrong when he announced on Wednesday that he believes homosexual couples should be allowed to marry.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Of course, as Stewart said, Obama's change of heart arrives one day after dispiriting news for gay rights activists: the passage of a constitutional amendment in North Carolina banning same-sex marriages and civil unions.
North Carolina's Amendment One, in Stewart's opinion, represents the "codifying of bigotry in — let's say the state where the Democrats are going to be holding their convention."
Check out the full clip below via Comedy Central for Stewart's harsh words for North Carolina voters and the problematic implications of the anti-gay marriage law:


text:
A delightful International and Arabic buffet breakfast, and à la carte menu, is served at the Swiss-Café, with an all-day dining restaurant and outdoor Panoramic Terrace located on the 10th Floor. There is also Cafeccino lobby café, which offers a selection of salads, sandwiches, pastries, cocktails and mocktails throughout the day.
For business delegates, the hotel offers up-to-date conference and meeting options with three meeting rooms and a ballroom with a capacity of up to 250 guests, to accommodate the needs of each business or private function in Bahrain. Meeting rooms are fully equipped with modern facilities and state-of-the-art equipment making the hotel ideal for hosting exhibitions, seminars, conventions, weddings, gala receptions, private receptions and product launch events. Our top of the line fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool and Spa are the perfect place to rejuvenate your body and mind.
Entrez votre adresse e-mail et obtenez un accès à des offres exclusives ainsi qu'aux dernières nouvelles de Swiss-Belhotel International directement dans votre boîte mail et sur notre site internet.


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Fasten your seat belts. The federal Department of Justice and officials in Texas have just made the nation's skies a bit more turbulent. Along with attorneys general in five other states, they're suing to block the merger of American Airlines and US Airways.
They should drop their case. By opposing the merger, these legal eagles are undermining competition within the air-travel market -- to the detriment of consumers and airline workers alike.
The airline industry is no stranger to turbulence, having suffered through 195 bankruptcies since 1978. American Airlines became the latest casualty when it entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2011.
A merger with US Airways would allow American to conclude its restructuring -- and in doing so create a third large network carrier, making the U.S. industry more competitive internationally.
Nevertheless, the Department of Justice claims that the merger would be anti-competitive because it would reduce the number of major domestic airlines from five to four.
Of course, Justice didn't intervene to stop a similar merger between Delta and Northwest in 2008. Or between United and Continental in 2010. Or between Southwest Airlines and AirTran in 2011.
American and US Airways can't compete on an equal footing against these larger, consolidated carriers. Delta and United, for instance, have been able to use their increased clout to eat into American's share of business travel.
Further, the Department of Justice appears to be holding American and US Airways to a different standard than the other carriers that recently merged.
Southwest and AirTran, for example, served many of the same markets and overlapped on more routes than American and US Airways currently do.
American and US Airways compete head-to-head on just 12 nonstop flights -- out of the more than 900 routes they fly. The former serves 48 cities that the latter does not; US Airways hits 64 cities that American does not.
The fact is that an American Airlines-US Airways merger would increase competition. The establishment of a third large-network carrier would force both Delta and United, the current industry titans, to work harder to retain their existing customers -- and thus create a more consumer-friendly market. A merger would also give existing customers of American and US Airways access to a more robust network.
Critics claim that a merger will result in price hikes or even the elimination of some routes. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, for instance, has expressed concern that "some areas in rural Texas could see their travel options reduced as a result of a merger."
Actually, if American cannot proceed with its merger plans, serving less profitable rural markets might not be sustainable. American would have to consider shedding marginal routes, focusing instead on more lucrative service in major markets.
Texas is set to benefit more than most states if the merger goes through. Headquartered in Fort Worth, American is the largest employer in northern Texas. The thousands of local jobs the airline supports -- both directly and indirectly -- would be far more secure under an airline with the combined weight of American and US Airways.
That's why the Chambers of Commerce of both Dallas and Fort Worth are pressing Attorney General Abbott to drop his opposition to the merger.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's hostility to the merger is similarly puzzling. Officials at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, in the southwest corner of the state, believe that the merger would work to their advantage by giving the airport a long-sought link to American's Dallas-Fort Worth hub. That could help the airport make up for some of the 365,000 passengers -- and $1 million in revenue -- it lost when AirTran was absorbed into Southwest.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also favors the merger, noting that, with its Miami hub, "American Airlines is a vitally important part of our work force." Miami International Airport's director has voiced concerns that its bond ratings will suffer if the merger is blocked.
The business, political, and labor communities have all rallied in support of the merger of US Airways and American Airlines. Attempts to stymie it run counter to the needs of not just the airline industry but consumers, too. If the Department of Justice and its allies in the states are really concerned about promoting competition among airlines, they should drop their suit immediately.
Captain Keith Wilson is the president of the Allied Pilots Association.


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Interested in Language
Dear all,
I'm quite uncertain about the meaning of this phrase in the context below:
A: Wow. Youre screwing your scooter up. How will we travel?
B: It is for science. I might be on to something. Anyway, I combined different types of oils to check milage. I think I can beat normal lubes by ten percent.
Does speaker B try to say that he is indulged in something important, or? Could you please explain the meaning or suggest alternative sentence to help me understand it?
Thank you so much,
Wow, that makes all crystal clear now
Thanks indeed, Mr. fivejedjon


text:
Twitter's stock fell after its early investor shares could be traded, and the possibly glut of shares on the market likely spooked investors. This six-month lock-up period expired today and shares fell more than 12 percent, according to reports.
Twitter's shares hit a low of $32 on the New York Stock Exchange, the first time it's fallen below $37 since its November 7 initial $26 public offering, according to Reuters. More than 6 million shares changed hands by midday, four times the usual amount.
About 470 million shares were locked up and could not be traded until six months after the IPO. If the shares flood the market at once, the price could be driven down.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
"The move is bigger than expected and is indicative of the negative investor sentiment towards Twitter right now," Atlantic Equities analyst James Cordwell told Reuters.
However, Twitter's share prices have other factors affecting them -- including the company reporting slowing usage. Perhaps this is all for the best because some might say that Twitter was suffering from inflated valuation. After all, it was trading at 323 times forward earnings per share, while Facebook trades at only 39.
Private equity firm Rizvi Traverse, which holds 85.2 million Twitter shares, said it wasn't going to sell last week, but hasn't commented on the dropping share price today. In fact, most everyone polled by Reuters said they weren't selling -- but if that's the case, then why is the trading so fierce and the price dropping?


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Notice: On April 23, 2014, Statalist moved from an email list to a forum, based at statalist.org.
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Re: st: predict
Chiara Mussida <email@example.com>
Re: st: predict
Mon, 6 Jun 2011 10:07:46 +0200
Dear All,
many thanks to Maarten and Richard for their precious help.
One doubt remain unsolved:
when I compute the predicted probabilities from my mlogit as:
pr1 = exp(b0 + b1 x1)/(exp(b0 + b1 x1) + exp(b0 + b2 x2) + 1)
where pr1 is the predicted prob of outcome 1, b0 is a constant, b1 and
b2 the coefficients from outcome 1 and 2. here I assume that outcome 3
is the base category, and a totalo of three outcomes.
this computation, carried out by using the coefficients of the STATA
output (mlogit commands) differs from the outcome predicted by using
the predict command (which is a mlogit postestimation outcome), such
Predict probabilities of outcome 1 for estimation sample
predict p1 if e(sample), outcome(1)
my question is: why the two computations offer different results for
predicted probabilities? Maybe related to the method of computation
behind predict command.
Many Thanks
On 3 June 2011 09:42, Maarten Buis <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:
> --- On 2 June 2011 18:08, Chiara Mussida wrote:
>> I simply want the coefficients (of my covariates) which allow me to
>> get the predicted outcome of each equation of my MNL.
>> example: I get a predicted probability (say to move from employment to
>> unemployment) of 0.4:
>> what is the contribution (numerical) of each covariate I included in
>> my equation (suc as sex, individual age, etc.). Is it given by the
>> exponential of the coef I find in the Stata output? therefore by
>> summing/subtracting the exp of each coef I get my predicted of 0.4
>> (but there is also a standard error)
> The contribution of each variable to the predicted probability is
> neither its coefficient nor the exponential of that coefficient. It is
> a non-linear function you can find in any introductory text on
> multinomial regression. So you cannot use a set of additions of
> coefficients to get to the predicted probability.
> If you want to give a exact representation of the model you will have
> to look at relative risks or odds(*) (**), this is:
> relative risk = exp(b0 + b1 x1 + b2 x2 + ...)
> or, equivalently
> relative risk = exp(b0) * exp(b1 x1) * exp(b2 x2) * ...
> Alternatively, you can fit a linear model on top of your multinomial
> logistic regression, and use those results to summarize the results.
> This is what you do when you compute marginal effects. As this is the
> result of a model on top of a model it will not be an exact
> representation of the original multinomial regression model, so the
> addition of coefficients will in all likelihood lead to deviations
> from the actual predicted probabilities. on the plus side, you can now
> interpret your results in terms of probabilities instead of relative
> risks.
> The fact that marginal effects are not exact representation of the
> model results is not necessarily bad. Marginal effects form a model of
> your multinomial regression model, and models aren't supposed to be
> exact, they are only supposed to be useful. Whether or not this model
> of a model is useful depends on the exact aim of the exercise. If you
> do this in order to compute some kind of decomposition of effects,
> than I would stick to the exact representation, if I were presenting
> results than I would look at who my audience is. There are also cases
> where the underlying multinomial regression model is so complicated,
> that the linear approximation implicit in the marginal effects starts
> to struggle. For example it is not uncommon for correctly computed
> marginal effects of interaction terms to be significantly positive for
> some respondents, significantly negative for others, and
> non-significant for the remaining respondents. In most cases, that is
> hardly a useful conclusion.
> Hope this helps,
> Maarten
> (*) There are some differences between disciplines in whether the
> outcomes of a multinomial logistic regression can be called an odds or
> whether a new term like relative risk has to be invented for it. See,
> for example: <http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2007-02/msg00085.html>
> (**) Notice that I say here relative risk or odds, I did not say
> relative risk ratio or odds ratio. It is a common mistake to assume
> that these things are the same.
> --------------------------
> Maarten L. Buis
> Institut fuer Soziologie
> Universitaet Tuebingen
> Wilhelmstrasse 36
> 72074 Tuebingen
> Germany
> http://www.maartenbuis.nl
> --------------------------
> *
> * For searches and help try:
> * http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
> * http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
> * http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
Chiara Mussida
PhD candidate
Doctoral school of Economic Policy
Catholic University, Piacenza (Italy)
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/


text:
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text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'digital painting tutorial' tag.
By several requests, here is the digital painting tutorial for "Pushing Color" using a digital painting software program of your choice for painting brush strokes and then using Adobe Photoshop or Element to push the colors with the "Liquify Filter". It gives more dimension, texture and depth to your digital painting.
Download the following sketch to work with in this tutorial — right click your mouse and save to your computer
(Image above) To create your own "pushing color" technique, start with a sketch or drawing of an image. For the tutorial, we'll use the image above that you can right click your mouse to save on your computer. Once you save it, open it in the software program you prefer best for digital painting. I like to use Corel Painter X because this program has the widest variety of brushes.
In Step Two (image above), select the brush and colors you want to use for your painting. I used Corel Painter X Oil Pastel, Variable Oil 30. For colors, I chose a soft pink hue for the background, deep violet purple, lavender, and bright purple for the center of the flower that I simply stroked without worrying too much about where the color was bleeding. Then, I used three shades of yellow from soft to bright for the outer edge. I added a white and pink edged tip for the petal on the left. I also feathered the edges of the purple center of the petals for a natural appearance.
In Step Three (image above), I added a few muted shades of plum in with the soft pink at the bottom right corner. I also added soft yellow tip to the largest petal.
Step Four (image above), I saved the file and re-opened in Adobe Photoshop CS2 in order to use the first "Liquify" filter in Adobe Photoshop, which you find by selecting "Filter" and scrolling then selecting "Liquify". If you use Adobe Elements, I believe you have to select "Filter" then "Distort" and then "Liquify".
For the first filter, I use the warp tool and push the color from the outside into the center to create distinct movement and lines.
Here's a quick look at the other tools available in Liquify:
Warp Pushes pixels forward as you drag.
Reconstruct Fully or partially reverses the changes you've made.
Twirl Clockwise Rotates pixels clockwise as you hold down the mouse button or drag.
Pucker Tool Moves pixels toward the center of the brush area as you hold down the mouse button or drag.
Bloat Moves pixels away from the center of the brush area as you hold down the mouse button or drag.
Push Tool Moves pixels perpendicularly to the stroke direction. Drag to move pixels to the left, and Alt-drag to move pixels to the right.
Mirror Tool Copies pixels to the brush area. Drag to reflect the area perpendicular to the direction of the stroke (to the left of or below the stroke). Alt-drag to reflect the area in the direction opposite to that of the stroke (for example, the area above a downward stroke). Use overlapping strokes to create an effect similar to a reflection in water.
Turbulence Smoothly scrambles pixels and creates fire, clouds, waves, and similar effects. To adjust the smoothness, drag the Turbulent Jitter pop-up slider in the Tool Options section, or enter a value between 1 and 100 in the text box. Higher values increase smoothness.
In Step Five (image above), while still in Adobe Photoshop, I select "Filter" and then choose "Artistic" and "Watercolor" to add depth. (You may not see the difference until you do it in your own painting or download this image and enlarge it to see the texture added.
Step Six (image above), I added various shades of green brush strokes around the upper right corner. I added deeper orange color near the tip of a couple of the petals. Next, I selected "Filter" and "Liquify" again using the clockwise tool to create an interesting center, pushed more color in different directions within the flower.
(image above) To complete this simple painting for the tutorial, I saved the file and re-opened in Corel PhotoPaint in order to add my infamous dots, a raindrop element in the far left and the smudge tool to soften some of the edges.
(image above) Same final painting — however, changed the "Hue" to darken the color to show more blue purple instead of violet. I show this so you can see that you can alter an image just by working with "Adjustments".


text:
Filed under: Site News
Edit (Feb 2011) – The Live Archive has returned and is available here.
Hello friends (if you're out there).
This site will be closing very soon. Thank you to everyone who donated last year and helped me pay the $120 for hosting. It's a new year and the hosting is up. It may return on its own in the future after I graduate college and get a real job. Click here for a little more info.
Filed under: Weezer News
Patrick posted a interesting picture of himself on what appears to be the set of Yo Gabba Gabba, the awesome television show warping your child's mind.
Filed under: Weezer News
As if Rivers working with Katy Perry, Jermaine Dupris, and Lil' Wayne wasn't enough, Weezer was joined by Kenny G and Chamillionaire for an AOL taping yesterday.
In other news, Weezer's got some dates planned.
10/24 – Los Angeles, CA – Palladium (opening act: Wax!)
10/31 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
12/1 – Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
12/3 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom
12/5 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Center
12/7 – Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
12/9 – Washington DC – Patriot Center
12/10 – Philadelphia, PA – Susquehanna Center
They promise more soon, we'll see. I'm still waiting on a makeup for that St. Louis show that was canceled in last month.
Filed under: Weezer News
The tracklist of Raditude was released on weezer.com today. Albumsix board member City After Six typed out this handy guide to what you can expect from the new album.
01. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
-Written with Butch Walker
-Produced by Butch Walker
-First single
02. I'm Your Daddy
-Written with Dr. Luke
-Produced by Butch Walker
-Played live
03. The Girl Got Hot
-Written with Butch Walker
-Produced by Butch Walker
-Played live
04. Can't Stop Partying
-Written with Jermaine Dupri
-Either Butch Walker version (played live) or Jacknife Lee version (demoed on Alone II)
05. Put Me Back Together
-Written with The All-American Rejects
-Produced by Butch Walker
-Described as a slow non-Weezer sounding song
06. Trippin' Down The Freeway
-Produced by Jacknife Lee
-Written right after Red
-One of Karl's favourites
07. Love Is The Answer
-Produced by Jacknife Lee
-Written for Make Believe
-Sugar Ray cover released
-Karl says "much different and better than Sugar Ray version"
08. Let It All Hang Out
-Written with Jermaine Dupri
-Produced by Butch Walker
-Described as a fun party jam
09. In The Mall
-Written with Pat Wilson
-Produced by Jacknife Lee
-Described about the nostalgia of growing up and always going to the mall
-Karl says "it rox"
10. I Don't Want To Let You Go
-Produced by Jacknife Lee
-Written for Red
-Demo released on Alone II
11. Get Me Some
-Karl says "rocks hard but awful lyrics"
-Deluxe bonus track
12. Run Over By A Truck
-Produced by Jacknife Lee
-Written for Red
-One of Karl's favourites
-Deluxe bonus track
13. The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World
-Produced by Jacknife Lee
-Written for Green
-Demo released on Alone II
-Other version played live
-Karl's favourite post-pink song
-Deluxe bonus track
14. The Underdogs
-Deluxe bonus track
15. The Story Of My Life
-Written by Social Distortion
-iTunes bonus track
16. Kids/Pokerface
-Written by MGMT and Lady Gaga
-Released in video
-iTunes pre-order bonus track
17. Rainbow Connection
-Written by The Muppets
-Produced by Butch Walker
-Muppets 2010 Compilation track
Filed under: Weezer News
The new single is out! It's titled (If You're Wondering if I Want You To) I Want You To. In other news, the Weezer/Blink tour began in Canadaland last night. Just a reminder, submit your show reviews and pictures to the Live Archive (link in the nav above). No new bootlegs have surfaced yet, but look for those at the 'chive soon, too.
Filed under: Weezer News
At the Fuji rock festival, Rivers mentioned that the new Weezer album will be released in October. See http://twitter.com/chocolate_disco/status/2853167511 for the original fan source.
Filed under: Weezer News
It's been announced that Weezer will be playing at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, CA on May 16th. This will be Weezer's first show since October's show in Atlanta. I expect it to be an emotional whirlwind. In other news, mp3s of Pat's old band Suburban Advantage have been added back to the audio page.
Also, check out this 8bit cover of "You Won't Get With Me Tonight" someone programmed. Awesome.


text:
If you follow the New York food scene even remotely, you've likely slobbered over Daniel Krieger's photos many times before, even if you didn't clock the name in the credit.
As Eater's chief photographer, he often gives NYC restaurant obsessives their first look inside the most anticipated new openings in town. Shooting for the New York Times, he provides the the visual complement to some of the Grey Lady's most talked-about reviews, from the four-star Le Bernardin to the white-hot import Mission Chinese. And if you go to the websites of some of the city's best restaurants, you just might see Krieger's work there too, as chefs often choose his stunning images to represent the work they do in he kitchen.
Indeed, when we started sifting through the photographs that best represent this past year in NYC dining, it became clear that Krieger was right there, camera in hand, for just about every blockbuster story in food. When carrots suddenly became the sexiest new ingredient on the table, Krieger stepped up and snapped 2012's most memorable carrot porn. And when out-of-town chefs like Pok Pok's Andy Ricker and Danny Bowien arrived to build their empires, he composed iconic portraits that made them impossible to forget.
Since Krieger seared so many vivid images into our minds in 2012, we reached out to him to find out what he remembered as his best food photographs from the past 12 month. Here, he breaks down his 15 top picks in his own words, taking us inside the kitchen with Eric Ripert and up-close-and-personal with some of the year's most eye-popping dishes.
Follow Daniel Krieger on Instagram/Twitter (@danielkrieger), and check out more of his food photography www.nycfoodphotographer.com.


text:
Parking must be bad for business
I am also no fan of the new kiosk system. I have no objections to the overall concept of paying for convenient parking in Chestnut Hill, but feel that the new system must be changed.
I am very disappointed in the recent implementation of kiosks and the 24 hour pay to park rule. I have lived in Mt. Airy for about 25 years and usually shop in Chestnut Hill several times a week.
As Jim Foster put it succinctly recently in the "Northwest Independent," this is "the most punitive system one might imagine." Like Foster and other letter writers, I also believe that the new system has altered how I shop in Chestnut Hill.
If I drive up to Chestnut Hill on a Saturday, park in a lot, and then decide I want to go anywhere besides my initial destination, I have to really hurry to avoid a potentially large ticket – or I forgo the extra shopping. If I go back to the lot to buy more time, it will overlap with any remaining minutes and can't be added to the total, wasting money.
Spontaneity is gone. I go to fewer stores than I might have in the past and I know I spend less money on the Hill now.
I am also really annoyed at the 24 hour rule. This policy is almost more objectionable than the other! Who thought it wise to have more restrictive hours for pay parking in the lots than on the street, where you can park for free after 6 p.m.?
Rather than park in a lot, I now try to park on the street at night, probably taking up a local resident's spot.
Surely these aggravating changes are bad for business.
Alex Loeb
Mt. Airy
How can Obama win the election?
Obama and his radical Democrats in the U.S. Congress pushed through a health care plan that will cost much more than planned leading to even more massive deficits. They have hindered job growth by unwarranted regulation in the energy sector. Business people are afraid to expand because of unknown expenses coming from health care, "cap and trade" and other pollution programs, and Dodd-Frank regulation.
Obama's election campaign is based on a hate business and hate the rich strategy. Contributing nothing for the good of the country and then dividing its people by the amounts in their bank accounts is shameful. How is it possible Obama can be re-elected?
Glen Watkins
Chestnut Hill
Thanks for a great Book Festival
It was with the help of many in our generous community that the Chestnut Hill Book Festival was able to bring a terrific schedule of events to our neighbors, friends and guests from hither and yon. Inquiring minds, happy participants, eager learners were tantalized with facts and fiction, poems and slams, singers and songwriters, mystery and history.
It is also with much appreciation that we thank our very special sponsors -Chestnut Hill College, the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District, Bowman Properties, the Chestnut Hill Business Association, Paul Roller of Flying Fish and Express-O, the Chestnut Hill Hotel, Musehouse Center for Literary Arts, Jay Valinis of Javelin Design, Jane Piotrowski Design, Chestnut Grill and Christ Ascension Lutheran Church.
Working with the Friends of Jenks School and the staff at Jenks, we are dedicated to providing support for arts, music and literacy for our neighborhood public school. In the process we enrich are own lives, too. Thank you to all who came and enthusiastically listened, questioned and applauded. Follow our Speaker Series information at www.chestnuthillbookfestival.com and stay tuned as we begin our plans for the 5th Annual Chestnut Hill Book Festival.
Kathy Bonanno
Hugh Gilmore
Marie Lachat
Kate O'Neill
Greg Welsh


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Huzur delivered his Friday Sermon from Manneheim, Germany, inaugurating the country's Jalsa Salana with his sermon. Huzur said this year due to the commemoration of the Khilafat Centenary each country is making great arrangements for their Jalsa Salana on unprecedented scales, largely inspired by the Ghana Jalsa Salana. Huzur said the German Jalsa Salana was the seventh Jalsa of the year that he has graced.
Huzur said the German Jalsa Salana is held very successfully each year and it is hoped that it will be better this year and every person attending it will derive beneficence from it having comprehended its spirit. The reason for gathering at Jalsa should always be kept in mind. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that he had initiated the Jalsa Salana so that all the 'mukhleseen' (sincere people) would gather in a spiritual environment which help would cool off the love of this world in hearts and love of God and His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) would overcome. Huzur said each Ahmadi should take note that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has referred to those who take his bai'at with the endearing word of 'mukhleseen'. He has given us this status or has expected us to endeavour to attain this status. Huzur said if the attributes of 'mukhleseen' that Allah has stated were to be kept in mind, indeed the love of this world would cool off. In Surah Yusuf Allah states that Hadhrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) shunned a woman's call towards evil due to his fear of Allah and his true insight and perception of Allah and states: 'Surely, he was one of our chosen servants.' (12:25) Hadhrat Yusuf's (on whom be peace) pure nature saved him. Huzur said it is this fear of God and purity that saves one otherwise Satan has openly said that he will lead people astray by making things look alluring and he said that people would forget God apart from when he conceded: 'Except Thy chosen servants from among them' (15:41) & (38:84). Huzur said those who have taken the bai'at of the Imam of the age should strive and put the conditions of the bai'at in practice no matter how much Satan tries to entice. Referring to verses 37 to 41 of Surah Al Saffat Huzur explained that when the disbelievers said outrageous things about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) it was revealed that this Prophet was so great that not only had he brought the truth but he also had testified to the truth of all the earlier prophets and that believing in him was the only path to salvation. Huzur said this expounds that now believing in him and his true and ardent devotee (the Promised Messiah) is the only way to salvation. We are most fortunate as Ahmadis that we were enabled to believe in him and have thus been blessed. It is our obligation to value and cherish this blessing. Allah declares that that He is Holy and far above what they associate with Him and that only those will prosper who worship Him sincerely. Huzur said in this day and age there are many who do not believe in God, we have been told what their end will be like. Therefore we have to remember this at all times and not only when we are in need.
[Please note in all the above quoted Quranic verses the word mukhleseen has been used with reference to Allah and in conjunction with the word ebaad (servants). It is therefore translated as 'chosen servants' in Hadhrat Maulwi Sher Ali translation edition.]
Huzur said when the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that for his 'mukhleseen' love of Prophet and love of God will prevail over love of this world, he expected them to overcome and shun all the evils of the world at all times. Huzur said we have to draw our attention to try and come up to the mark of the expectations of the true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), strive to follow the commandments of God and Sunnah of the Prophet, draw attention to get to know God, draw attention towards developing our religious and spiritual levels and enhance our worship of God with taqwa (righteousness) – only then will we be able to contribute usefully and beneficially to the Community. It is such people that Allah has referred to as His 'chosen servants' in the Holy Qur'an.
Citing (3:32) Huzur said love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is not only a source of attaining love of God but also absolves ones sins and saves one from committing sins in the future. Therefore those who call themselves Ahmadi and have gathered for the Jalsa purely for the sake of Allah for three days should pay particular attention to this as participation in the Jalsa is also a source of enhancing ones sincerity. Huzur read out extracts from the noble writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) counselling and advising towards piety and said that we can only be included among the 'mukhleseen' by adopting his counsel. Huzur said everyone had gathered for the Jalsa to commemorate the significance of the Khilafat Centenary. It should therefore be a Jalsa that reminds us of the blessing of Khilafat and our true thanksgiving for this blessing would be when we endeavour to bring about pure changes in our 'nafs' (self). To attain the love of God we have to follow the blessed model of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) who left a model for us in every aspect. He was indeed the Qur'an personified. Allah enjoins the believers in the Qur'an (33:57) to invoke blessings and salutations (durud) on the Prophet. Huzur said during the Jalsa days while it was essential to pay special attention to Salat and prayers it was also important to invoke blessings and salutations on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) so that Allah may accept our prayers and improve our situation and make us His sincere servants. May He enable us to remember Him profusely and follow the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and honour the dues of mankind and shun the evils that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has cautioned us about.
Huzur said the most perfect of the chosen servants of Allah was of course the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). His supplications and entreaties to God surpass all other supplications; his standards of worship of God were supremely excellent. Such a station cannot be attained by everyone, however, Allah states in the Qur'an 'Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fear Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.' (33:22) Therefore for those who remember Allah it is vital to follow the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). For those who are in the Community of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) it is paramount to follow this Prophet. Each Ahmadi has to endeavour according to his or her utmost capacity to enhance the standard of worship of God so that their claim does not merely remain a claim. Reading extracts from the writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) extolling the virtues of Salat Huzur said worship of God is not proper until one is free from all manner of latent/concealed shirk (associating partners with Allah) and until one is extremely humble, is free from any kind of impure planning and egotism. Those who proclaim Tawheed (Unity of God) cannot seek worldly means when it suits them, usurp others' rights and speak arrogantly. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said the true worshipper is one who establishes the rights of creation.
Huzur cited some ahadith to further elucidate the subject. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said that the more a servant of God forgives the more Allah increases his honour and the more humility he adopts the greater status is granted to him by Allah. Huzur said these days as with other places marital disagreements are also common here. Neither the men have the self-control that a believer is supposed to have nor the women. Huzur said he has said it before that although generally speaking most of the blame lies with the men, some women are equally culpable. If both parties have control over their emotions, adopt taqwa then none of this would happen. Indeed the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) enjoined that if you see a fault [in your spouse] surely you can see a good point as well. Huzur said in the days of Jalsa when there is an ambience of spirituality people should self-examine and reflect over their Salat, their civility and should not ever think about usurping the rights of others. Huzur said basic morals cannot be maintained unless one has fear of God. If one can inculcate this one can be free of all ills. Such an Ahmadi can then achieve the standard that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wanted us to aspire to. Huzur said keeping the purpose of the Jalsa in view each person has to raise a 'muzaki' (purifier) from within oneself. Huzur explained that this Jalsa will have many academic and scholarly speeches with reference to the Khilafat Centenary; he prayed that may each speaker be blessed and may those who listen seek spiritual beneficence from the speeches. Reading an extract of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) Huzur enjoined to avoid sin, worship God and adopt piety. Huzur said this is our very objective and may Allah enable each person who is attending the Jalsa to attain this and may each person get the beneficence of the blessings of the success that InshaAllah will be ours in accordance to Divine promises.
Next Huzur said that last year he had placed some restrictions on the German Lajna. However, following many letters of apology he has removed the restriction. However, he reminded that the promise that they have made should be fulfilled. Huzur said many other Lajna worldwide learnt a lesson from this episode and have put it in practice. At the Jalsa in Ghana about 50,000 women participated. Of these 25,000 to 30,000 would come for Fajr Salat. There was never any noise during Salat, sermon or speeches despite the heat and the fact that there was no separate arrangement for children. Huzur said nations who have joined at a latter stage but are establishing such models will excel, indeed rightfully so. Huzur said he was reminding about this lest Lajna has forgotten that they have to listen to all the programmes with patience, only then will they be seeking beneficence from the Jalsa of Khilafat Centenary. Huzur said continue to enhance your standards, may Allah enable everyone.
The Jumu'ah (Friday) prayer is one form of congregational worship in Islam. It takes place every Friday. Regular attendance at the Jumu'ah prayer is enjoined on the believer. According to a Saying of Muhammad(sa) this congregational prayer is twenty-five times more blessed than worship performed alone. (Bukhari)
"O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. That is best for you, if you only knew." more
"… (He who) offers the Prayers and listens quitely when the Imam stands up for sermon, will have his sins forgiven between that Friday and the next" (Bukhari)


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SO's getting a bit silly now. Almost every hour I'm editing tags and thanks out of titles.
If we're not going to have automatic warnings to users during question composition, can we at least add to the FAQ?
A "thank you", whilst polite, is unnecessary noise. This is not a forum or chat: it is a knowledge resource. The question body should just contain the question. Therefore, please do not write "thanks" or "regards" at the bottom of your post; if you do, they are likely to be removed!
Please do not write tags in titles. Adding tags like "jQuery - Why doesn't this dialog open?" is redundant and noisy, as we already have a consistent, indexable tagging system.
I realise that some people think that this is just pedanticism, or that I care more than is appropriate about this. But it is frustrating.. and ultimately needless. I'm happy to keep editing posts for now, but it'd be helpful to have a FAQ entry to which to point offenders.
"Thanks" have already been covered by some Meta posts, though the active ones tend to talk about "signatures" and stop just short of discouraging "thank you"s.


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Like most Canadians, right winger David Jones has a friend in Calgary with a harrowing story to tell about the southern Alberta floods.
As of Thursday afternoon, Jones's own place of employment, the Scotiabank Saddledome, is also in the disaster zone.
"It's just devastating," one of the newest members of the Calgary Flames said over the phone from his off-season home in Vancouver. "A buddy of mine, the first floor of his apartment building, I think it was completely under water. But thankfully, he lives on the fifth floor, so he's a little lucky.
"It's just devastating. Horrible. I hope everyone stays safe there . . . I have a lot of friends there, so I've definitely been following that very closely."
No doubt Jones, 28, will follow news of the cleanup even more closely after the Flames acquired his rights along with defenceman Shane O'Brien, 29, Thursday for left winger Alex Tanguay, 33, and defenceman Cory Sarich, 34.
The deal actually sees the Flames fork out more money ($16 million in cap hit for O'Brien and Jones compared to $12.5 million for Tanguay and Sarich over the life of the respective contracts). But in the early days of an organization rebuild, Calgary gets younger, bigger and nastier.
Youth, size, and grit are all key items on general manager Jay Feaster's shopping list.
"One of the things we've been talking about for some time and we certainly talked about at the end of the season, is the need to become a harder team to play against," Feaster said Thursday night. "We wanted to get bigger and younger as well."
Jones is a six-foot-two, 210-pound power forward originally selected by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2003 draft. He has three years left on a four-year, $16-million US deal with an annual cap hit of $4 million.
Born in Guelph, Ont., Jones spent roughly four years of his early childhood in Calgary before moving to the West Coast.
"I learned to ski at Canada Olympic Park and my wife actually went to school at the University of Calgary," Jones said. "I would go visit her all the time there. My sister and her husband lived there for the last six years, and I would go visit them all the time.
"They've moved back to Vancouver this year. They're kind of giving me a hard time, because why couldn't this have happened when they were living there?"
Three years back, Jones collected career highs in goals (27) and assists (18) for the Avalanche. He followed that breakout season in 2011-12 with 20 goals and 17 assists.
Then came a miserable lockout-shortened 2013 campaign where he managed just three goals and six assists for nine points in 33 games.
"I just had a tough year," he said. "Just try and forget about it. I'm not going to make any excuses. I just wasn't playing very well.
"I just couldn't really get things going."
The Flames believe Jones can turn things around in a hurry with a change of area code.
"With Jones, we get a guy who is an up and down winger," Feaster said. "He's a big body, he protects the puck well. We like the fact he drives to the net. He's willing to go and play in the dirty areas. He's a right shot, a penalty killer."
In O'Brien, the Flames get a rugged defenceman who likes to play the body — basically Sarich but five years younger.
The six-foot-three, 230-pound rearguard is clearly not reticent to drop the gloves with 853 penalty minutes in seven NHL seasons.
A certified NHL journeyman, O'Brien has played for the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche.
While in Vancouver, O'Brien was perhaps better known for his life as a party boy at the Roxy than his work on the ice.
"I was a little bit younger then," he said Thursday upon learning of the trade in the middle of a round of golf with his dad. "I've learned my lesson with that kind of stuff. That's in my past. I know a lot of people still joke about it. But if you ask the guys who have played with me, I take my job extremely serious.
"Everyone likes to have fun now and then, but I've definitely grown up. Hockey is definitely my main priority."
As for joining a team in the baby stages of a rebuild, O'Brien envisions a quick turnaround for the new-look Flames.
"It's a younger NHL now," he said. "I don't think it takes nearly as long to rebuild as it maybe did a few years back.
"I think Jay's a great hockey man. I think he knows exactly what he's doing, and I'm excited to be coming to a young team."
The feeling is indeed mutual.
"He's someone who has been on our radar screen for some time," Feaster said. "He's a hard guy to play against. He's a guy that has the real ability to annoy other players on other teams. I can't count how many times this past season when we played Colorado, he would be the guy that would be crashing into (Miikka) Kiprusoff, coming in late, and just creating havoc in front of the net. We liked that. He's a guy who sticks up for his teammates, he has good size.
"We got younger, we got bigger, and I think we got harder to play against."


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Robert Upe picks his Queenstown top 10 — from pizza to parasailing.
As the snow melts in the mountains around Queenstown, jagged rocks in the dramatic peaks are exposed and the fast-flowing rivers are on the rise.
With spring coming on, there's an exodus of the snow crowd that has been here for the cream of New Zealand's skiing, at places such as Coronet Peak and the Remarkables. There are bargain four-wheel-drives for sale and ski gear is going cheap at the Saturday market on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, where buskers play and the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw blows its whistle and bellows black smoke in preparation for another cruise.
The change of seasons does not mean there is a slowdown in Queenstown.
Paragliders, who have launched from a nearby hill, float over the town, paraflights behind a speedboat on the lake are in constant demand, and the screams from people at the end of bungy cords are ceaseless.
The city is busy, with buses ferrying people to jet-boat rides, whitewater rafting, helicopter picnics and on winery tours.
There are many reasons to visit Queenstown, which has positioned itself as the adventure capital of the world, alongside the likes of Interlaken in Switzerland and Whistler in Canada.
The exchange rate is favourable - each $NZ100 spent equates to $79 and there are more than 100 restaurants and bars.
Here are my top 10 reasons to visit:
1. Whitewater rafting
I've got white knuckles and I'm not even in the rapids yet. Our rafting group is in a minibus sitting there like scared little chickens as it bumps down the loose gravel on the skinny road that snakes down to Skippers Canyon towards a remote section of the Shotover River.
Our guide asks if anyone has been on the hairiest road in the world and some backpacker types immediately nominate Bolivia's North Yungas death road. But the guide says we're on it right now and looking outside at the sheer drop to the river valley, I think he is only half joking. In fact, we have to walk the last 800 metres down to the river in helmets, wetsuits and lifejackets because the road has collapsed and is impassable to vehicles.
After a safety briefing, our three-raft flotilla casts off gently enough on a 90-minute journey that fluctuates from calm to tumultuous in the two-degree water fed by snow melt.
As we go along with the forceful flow, there's time to learn paddling instructions and technique, to spot goats on the river cliffs and see rusting and decaying gold-mining relics.
But the focus turns to the river as we approach a serious set of rapids with names such as Aftershock, Toilet, Pinball and Oh S--t. No one tumbles in, but later on a calm stretch we are invited to jump in. Most take the plunge into the frigid water, but not for long.
It all ends with a 170-metre section through a dark tunnel (constructed by gold miners) and the final rapid, Mother-In-Law. I'm almost tipped out but, with white knuckles, I manage to hold on. Almost anyone can do this, but the minimum age is 13.
Adrenalin rating: 8/10 Cost: $NZ195 a person, $NZ279 a person with helicopter drop-off at the river. See rafting.co.nz.
2. Jet-boating
The rock walls in a gorge on the Shotover River are seemingly within arm's reach and we are tearing through the shallow aquamarine water at 80km/h. Then the driver puts the jet-boat into a 360-degree spin. Screams all round. A local says the best seat in the boat is right behind the driver "because it's the part of the boat that goes closest to the cliffs" but I can attest the wettest seat is the back right. Wherever you are in the V6 supercharged boat, this is a thrill-a-second experience and when it's all over I'm left with a mouthful of water and wanting more. No wonder 3 million people have done this since 1970.
Adrenalin rating: 8/10 Cost: $NZ129 an adult, $NZ69 under 16. See shotoverjet.com.
3. Bungy jumping
No matter which bungy option you choose - the relatively mild ledge swing 400 metres above Queenstown; the massive Nevis swing with a 300-metre arc and a 70-metre drop; or the Nevis bungy which is the highest in Australasia, with a 134-metre drop and 8.5-second freefall - this is as scary as it gets. Bungy jumping was pioneered in Queenstown in 1988 and there seems to be no let-up in its popularity.
Adrenalin rating: 9/10 Cost: ledge swing $NZ150; Nevis swing $NZ180; the Nevis bungy $NZ260. See bungy.co.nz.
4. Gondola and luge run
If you ever want to beat your children at anything, the two luge runs at the top of the Skyline Gondola provide a place for keen competition, though no bumping is allowed. After a ride up the gondola, head for the 800-metre tracks and career down the hill in three-wheel carts. There's also the ledge bungy swing and jump up here, a 30-minute Kiwi haka show and a buffet restaurant with stunning views but which seems too big and impersonal.
Adrenalin rating: 5/10 Cost: For gondola and three luge rides $NZ44 an adult and $NZ34 a child. Haka show $NZ39 an adult, $NZ26 child. See skyline.co.nz.
5. Fergburger
There is an insatiable appetite for these juicy burgers that come wrapped in a brown paper bag. There are queues at Fergburger in Queenstown's main street at 4am, 11am, 3pm ... whenever we go. Where else does a burger have such a cult following? The basic Fergburger ($NZ11) has a big soft bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, aioli and tomato relish, or try Mr Big Stuff ($NZ16), Sweet Bambi ($NZ12.50) or The Codfather ($NZ14.50). Eat in and savour the buzzy atmosphere if you are lucky enough to find a seat. Otherwise Lake Wakatipu is just around the corner and it seems almost everyone along the shore has a Fergburger in hand.
Satisfaction rating: 8.5/10 Cost: $NZ10-$NZ18.50. See fergburger.com.
6. Nightlife
Among a lot of good choices, Barmuda, Bardeaux and the Bunker are essential Queenstown nightspots. Barmuda for its big open fire, courtyard and cocktails; Bardeaux for its big open fire, upmarket air and pinot; The Bunker for its small restaurant, lounge bar and, of course, big open fire.
Cool rating: 9/10 See goodbars.co.nz, thebunker.co.nz.
7. The Cow pizza
Tucked away in a stone building with a warm timber interior and a blazing open fire, this compact-size pizza and pasta restaurant in Cow Lane in central Queenstown is worth finding. There's usually a wait to get a table but you can hover at the small bar till your name is called. The homemade bread with lashings of garlic, butter and parsley ($NZ8.50) is a good way to start, followed by a 14-inch pepperoni.
Satisfaction rating: 7.5/10 Cost: Pizzas $NZ18.90-$NZ32.90, pasta $NZ19.90-$NZ23.90. See thecowrestaurant.co.nz.
8. Ivan Clarke Gallery
You are likely to end up with a big smile across your face in this gallery, especially if you are a dog lover. It is full of work from local artist Ivan Clarke's Lonely Dog series that has hounds, and sometimes cats, in all sorts of situations such as skiing and cruising in a convertible. There's also a book, and a Disney movie deal is on the cards.
Feel-good rating: 10/10 Cost: Entry free; limited-edition works from the latest dog series start at $NZ1250. See ivanclarkegallery.com, lonelydog.com.
9. Arrowtown
About a 20-minute drive from Queenstown, this historic gold-mining town has a beautiful main street of old buildings that have been renovated to their period glory. The lanes and arcades are filled with shops, cafes and restaurants. The boutique Dorothy Browns cinema and bar is a good place to catch a movie with a drink and a gourmet food platter, and the Arrowtown Bakery has a reputation for outstanding pies.
Pie rating: 8/10 Cost: $NZ5.50 a pie; $NZ12 for pie, peas and pud. See arrowtown.com.
10. Parasailing
A big yellow parachute with a smiley face inflates from the launch deck on the back of a speedboat on Lake Wakatipu and rises 180 metres into the air for a gentle sightseeing flight. The tethered flights can be taken solo, tandem or triple and you don't even get your feet wet.
Adrenalin rating: 4/10 Cost: $NZ139 a person solo. See paraflights.co.nz.
Getting there Air New Zealand has a fare to Queenstown from Sydney and Melbourne for about $640 low-season return, including tax. Fly non-stop to Christchurch (about 3 hr) and then non-stop to Queenstown (1 hr 5 min); see airnewzealand.com. On certain days of the week there are non-stop flights from both cities to Queenstown and prices will vary. Australians do not require a visa.
Staying and eating there Peppers Beacon Queenstown is in a prime spot on the shore of Lake Wakatipu and has modern self-contained apartments with lake and mountain views. A gourmet food package in a lake-front apartment is from $NZ599 ($470) a night (garden suite $NZ450, studio for two $NZ249). See peppers.co.nz/beacon/packages.
Robert Upe rafted courtesy of Destination Queenstown.


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See? Not dead! Still alive! And reading Revolt! For it is funny and goodly.
... oops, I never did reply to that email of yours, did I? It's that stupid "life" thing, I think. Or something.
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Bubba and Alice - The only comic on Keenspace with the word "Bubba" in the title.
http://bubba.keenspace.com/


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Ask us about a virtual appointment!
The 210 Dorado is perfectly suited for any activity out on the water and is backed by reliable Yamaha power. Standard features include port and starboard transom swim platforms with boarding ladder, a removable stern seat / wave gate that make it ideal for landing the catch of the day, or just enjoying a day of swimming and diving, a smartly-designed fold-down table with hideaway cooler underneath, captain's chairs and a stainless steel full bow rail for added safety.


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Oak Pit' tag.
"This sumptuous feast of barbecued sirloin, salsa, Pinquito beans, toasted French bread, and green salad has been called by Sunset Magazine, the "best barbecue in the world""
Simple aroma of the Red Oak burning in the bottom of an iron pit. The hot smokey air surrounds everything, changing everything. The deep crackle of the big oak logs, the fire is preparing to give up its gift. Men in jeans and boots, as authentic as the aroma itself prepare the 4″ thick Top sirloin "Block" steaks or tri-tips. Preparation is simple – shaking on some coarse garlic, salt & pepper. We have a few beers – waiting. We aren't going to trim very much – the fire will need that. Families are happy, women talk. The fire wisps and cracks as we lower the iron grate on the rotating shaft. We control heat with the movement of the grate. This scene has been repeated thousands of times, more in this Central California region. We know nothing else. This is our lifestyle. Every important event. Every sad event. Grill marks, weeping, dripping fat into the fire, reddened meat, swollen. This is my BBQ. This is Santa Maria Style.
Families grill everyday in "backyard" California. Our weather is beautiful for 9 months of the year. Some slow smoke, others charcoal grill, others gas grill.
This style, like other landmark BBQ styles, is not the "only" way to BBQ, it is just the only true CALIFORNIA BBQ. It is ours. As simple as the corner of Mill and Vine streets in Santa Maria where the first Tri-Tip roast was discovered. Bob Shultz stumbled into the core of modern Santa Maria BBQ…only by accident. This discovery put Santa Maria BBQ on the map.
The fire lighting tips are simple:
Traditional Oak Pit: as pictured, load it with 5 or so logs and light it up. When those logs burn down, to coals, put one log in the back of the pit at the edge of the fire. This log will smolder and give you new coals slowly as the main fire burns down. Continue to add logs to the rdge of the fire as needed to continue making coals. Rake or drag the coals to the center as you BBQ. (If you have one of these pits, my information probably isn't new or revolutionary. Have patience for those that are new.)
Charcoal grill or any "Stick Burner": make a fire with BBQ oak wood chunks/small logs make a large pile, light them up, add more until you get a nice bed of coals 3″ thick. During this process, you probably won't have seen your grill emit this much fire, so add sparingly to keep the fire manageable. A person could add charcoal to the BBQ chunks, but that isn't what we're talking about here. This is a process, enjoy it. Have a glass of wine, enjoy friends around that huge pile of burning oak wood.
Gas Grill: I don't know what to tell you. Oak chips soaked in water don't do it. Use this an excuse to buy another type of BBQ. After all, two or more isn't bad.
Cooking Tips:
Let the coal bed rest until you can keep the back of your hand over the coals for about 2 1/2 seconds. It's gonna be hot… On the charcoal grills, move the coal bed to one side, block the fire with foil covered bricks or something firm, creating a slightly indirect heat.
In this temp range, the term "indirect" sorta goes out the window. We could be looking at 600+ over the fire, and around 450+ on the "cold side" In a charcoal grill, where you don't have much control of the heat/grill height. Wait until the heat is within the 350-400 degree range before even thinking about putting that $30 dollar 4″ Sirloin Block or tri-tip on the grate. If you have an Oak Pit, lower the grate as the fire cools to maintain the 350 degree range. Oh yeah, you probably aren't going to need that lid on the charcoal grill or Big Green Egg, Weber etc. Cook this on the grate, moving it around as needed to keep things in line.
Lets see, what else…yeah, your arm hairs may be singed, and you eyes may sting from that cookable clear smoke – that's a sign that everything is normal. Just keep that meat moving a bit, don't burn it & make sure to serve it with a great salad (and strawberries if you can get them)
This BBQ Style will take practice, and will probably cause a newbie some degree of frustration at first. Stick with it, and you will begin to unconsciously begin to "feel" your BBQ & it's sumptuous rewards.
We'll continue to have more on Santa Maria Style BBQ in the future…