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Image via the USA10kit.com.
Image via the USA10kit.com.
Clint Dempsey, at 29, is coming off the best season ever by an American soccer player in Europe. He finished with 17 goals, good enough for fourth place in the world's best league behind only two men even casual sports fans would know (Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney) and one they should (Sergio Agüero). With a potential big-money transfer in the works–Liverpool, owned by the Red Sox and LeBron James?–two dudes who cover soccer talked about what makes the dude from Nacogdoches so darn good.
Noah Davis: So Zac, we find ourselves in a place where Clint Dempsey on the verge of a big transfer and is hands down the best American player right now. How surprising is this? Landon Donovan mentioned the fire with which Dempsey always plays, which drives him in ways that no one really understands. But it's not all about effort and desire; Dempsey is one of, if not, the most skilled player that the Waldos have. Does the obvious fury of his game overshadow his immense talent?
Zac Rigg: For me, Dempsey's fury—Clint pounding his chest, eyes nearly bugging out of his face—contrasts not with his skill, but with his pastimes. Clint lounging in a boat, bass fishing. Clint golfing. Clint playing video games. There's a marked difference between the guy on the field and off. Dempsey plays soccer with a chip on his shoulder so big it would flatten lesser men into the perfectly manicured grass, but somehow seems perfectly content with his tranquil life with wife and kids when not doing his job. My questions is: how much of it is desire? Give another random kid from Texas the same abilities as Dempsey and does he go as far? Or are the last 49 Premier League goals the product of icy determination?
Davis: It has to be both, right? Which is to say: I have no idea. This isn't the most novel observation, but I think the well-chronicled Nacogdoches upbringing—both the good sides (the creativity he learned on the theatrically-lit dirt fields; the fire his outsider upbringing instilled) and the bad (his family's financial struggles; his sister's tragic death)—is the key to everything about Dempsey. He seems much more a product of his youth than say a kid from Evanston, Illinois or Princeton, New Jersey—that is, the stereotypical/prototypical U.S. soccer dude—although perhaps that's because his childhood was so unique. But because of that and because of how stubbornly inward he is, it's hard, at least for me and I suspect for most fans, to relate to Dempsey on a personal level. He doesn't offer much of his personality, which I guess is a calculated move by a private man. So all we see is intensity. He just scores goals, does that jump-in-the-air-fist-pump thing where you worry his eyes are going to explode out of his head, and then he jogs back to the top of the formation and starts the process all over. After the game, he takes off his uniform and takes his son and daughter fishing. Dempsey as a chilled-out father does not quite compute given what we see on the field, yet clearly it works for him. It's amazing to me he can switch between modes so effortlessly.
Rigg: He's likely reticent by design, at least about certain things. He speaks openly about the death of his sister, and doesn't shy away from the camera, but that feels mostly like him doing his job as a public figure. Maybe more to the point, Dempsey lacks the magnetism of a star. There's no megawatt smile or super-dashing good looks, definitely no great soundbites and rarely any sound at all that isn't muttered from the side of his mouth in a thick accent.
Rigg: But it's easy to see why it would be this way. Pretty much his whole career, Dempsey has been undervalued—by managers, fans, teammates—and media coverage has followed suit. It's only lately, when the stats became so sickeningly bloated, that Clint's been held in starlight. And the gruesome effectiveness of his game also helps pave over the fact that Dempsey isn't necessarily a pretty player. He cried and boycotted the World Cup when Maradona was ejected from the tournament, but he shares only passing resemblance with his idol's style of play. Dempsey's is a brutal, gritty, glaringly direct manner. He has some tricks—which come off about as often asthey don't—but nothing particularly slick. He also lacks creative vision. For an American audience that grew up with great Latin playmakers (Valderrama, Etcheverry, Blanco, Schelotto), taking to a guy with more gumption than guile—and as comfortable in a literal brawl as in the metaphorical one we pretend sport is—has taken time. There's a little footballer in that futboler.
Davis: It's interesting you say Dempsey lacks creative vision. Many of the classic Dempsey moments that stick out in my mind are moments of individual brilliance. The dazzling goal against Juventus first and foremost. Simply attempting that shot takes some cojones, but having the talent to pull it off is no less important. It is, I would argue, both creative in terms of the vision to imagine it and direct in terms of: ball, meet goal in the most direct way possible. Call it the audacity of hope, I guess.
Davis: But you're right in that Dempsey lacks the team-oriented creative vision. He's not a great passer, certainly behind a guy like Jose Torres or Landon Donovan on the US team. Our subject would rather, I suspect, go through someone than around him. Shoot first, ask questions later. It's hard not to like, really.
Rigg: With a transfer imminent, the main question I have about Dempsey's career is how far he can take it. Usually players have hit their highest notes by the age of 29 and after that it's a matter of mitigating a decaying physique with tactical adjustments and increased veteran know-how. But two things are in Dempsey's favor right now.
Rigg: 1) Players who begin their careers later tend to peak later. For an example, pick any American soccer player ever. The ones that spring to mind are McBride, Keller and Friedel, matriculators all. I also like Drogba's precedent here. The Ivorian striker didn't go pro until his second decade as well, and his best seasons came extremely late.
Rigg: And 2) As opposed to a series of Next Great Hopes in America, Dempsey started modestly before steadily improving and thriving at every stage of his career. He's a slow burner, not a fizzling firework. At Furman, then the Revs, then Fulham, Dempsey at first struggled for playing time, then established himself, then became the team's main star. The way he laboriously adapts suggests, given the chance, he can go up another notch as well.
Davis: Let's discount Keller and Friedel. They are goalies, which doesn't quite seem like a fair comparison. I'm not sure about Drogba, either. The point about the relative late start of their pro careers is well-taken, but Drogba is a physical singularity in a way that Dempsey is not. Which leaves, of course, McBride. And while their games aren't that similar, they do remind me of each other in the way that they always seem to find a way to help their team,. That adaptiveness will prolong Dempsey's career. Soccer's not like basketball where you can go learn a fadeaway in the offseason or add more tricks to your repertoire, but you can improve if you want badly enough to do so. This, quite nicely, leads us back to the beginning of this whole debate: Which quality is more important to Dempsey's game: his skill or his desire?
Rigg: Well, I'm not sure. And I don't really have a guess how far either can take him, but Jurgen Klinsmann seems to think there's at least one significant step forward left in Dempsey. Dempsey himself knows well how short these sport careers are: "You don't have much time in your career," he told Sports Illustrated. "When you're not playing and you're able to play, that's time you never get back. You don't know how long careers are going to last, and I don't want to have regrets." I'm not betting on him wasting any big chance that comes his way.
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Monday, August 27, 2012
Hebert wins sixth Michigan PGA in seven years
But that would be a little silly. Still, I can't help but think that by dragging him out of the office a week before the championship to play a little golf on The Bear had to help. Hebert, the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa's head professional and director of instruction, talked about how he had been playing poorly, but I watched him make two birdies almost without effort in nine holes from the tips of The Bear.
At the Michigan PGA, Hebert started the day three shots off the lead and shot a final-round 3-under-par 69 on the Katke-Cousins course at Oakland University. It was just one of four rounds under par on the final day, and put him at 8-under-par 208 for the three days, and four shots ahead of Ian Ziska, the head professional at Katke Golf Club at Ferris State University, who closed with a 75.
"It's nice to be No. 1 among your peers," Hebert said after collecting a $6,000 first-place check, a crystal trophy and earning another inscription of his name on the Gilbert A. Currie Trophy. "To win at this point in my career when I don't put as much effort on my game feels great. To come out and get to 8-under on two good golf courses is something to be proud of."
Matthew Zavadil, a teaching professional with the host Oakland University Golf & Learning Center, shot a closing 71 for 214 and a tie for third place with Tom Harding of Kendall Golf Academy in Ypsilanti.
Hebert, who also has six Michigan Open victories in his career, said he hit his driver well all week, and made critical putts when needed. "I was proud of how I hit it," he said. "It was nice playing out of the fairway most of the time. That has been my problem all summer, and not to do a commercial, but the new Titleist driver was phenomenal. Plus, I made a lot of four-footers, the kind you have to make when you really need to make them."
Hebert, as a past PGA Professional National Champion (2008), is exempt for the 2013 club pro national championship. The next 10 golfers earned exemptions, which means Ziska, Harding, Zavadil, Brad Dean, TJ Roberts, Scott Schulte, John Seltzer, Lee Houtteman of Grand Traverse Resort, Kyle Martin of Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods and Matt Pesta of Beacon Hills Golf Club will make the June 23-26 trip to Sun River, Ore., for the national event. Houtteman, Martin and Pesta won their spots in a four-golfer playoff for three spots. George Bowman of Oakhurst in Clarkston will be the first alternate.
"We're going to send a strong group to Oregon," Hebert said. "We're all proud of our (Michigan PGA) section, and I'm proud to be on top right now."
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Michigan PGA Championship kicks off at Oakland University this week
The Michigan PGA Championship generally signifies the end of the competitive season for Michigan's top golf professionals.
Held at Eagle Eye in recent years, the 54-hole competitions starting Monday moves to the celebrated R&S Sharf and Katke-Cousins golf courses at Oakland University. The two courses are hosting the annual championship of the top club and teaching professional players for the first time. The field will split and play a round each on the two courses Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday's closing round on the Katke-Cousins course. An estimated $46,000 purse is at stake.
Scott Hebert, a five-time champion, will defend his title, and the head professional at Grand Traverse Resort in Acme has great memories of the Oakland University golf facilities. He won the 2008 Michigan Pro-Pro Championship there with Mick DeKorver of Sunnybrook Country Club in Grandville.
Hebert, also a six-time Michigan Open champion, has won five of the last six PGA titles, interrupted in that stretch only by 2010 champion Ron Beurmann of the Country Club of Jackson. He said defending the title he won last year at Eagle Eye Golf Club in Bath will require the best golf he has played this year.
"I've had such a miserable year, but I hit some balls today and it seemed to be getting better," he said in a statement. "I'm planning to get geared up to play. I would love to win again, obviously."
Hebert, the Michigan PGA's Player of the Year from 2006 through 2010, will be joined in the field by 2011 Player of the Year Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth. Cairns, a two-time Michigan PGA champion, played with the world's top golfers in the recent PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, S.C., after earning a spot with a top 20 finish in the PGA Professional National Championship last year. The top 10 of next week's Michigan PGA Championship earn spots in the 2013 Professional National Championship (PNC) field, the first step in qualifying for the 2013 PGA Championship. Cairns (pictured above) missed the cut at the PGA Championship the past two years, but he'll tell you just teeing it up in a major is every club pro's dream.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Former MSU player Barb Mucha wins Wendy's Charity Challenge in Jackson
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Brian Cairns represents Michigan at the 2012 PGA Championship this week
Sunday, August 5, 2012
J.R. Roth wins Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Country Club of Jackson to host LPGA's Legends Tour Aug. 12-13
The Legends Tour, the LPGA's official tour for professionals age 45 and over, will visit the Country Club of Jackson for the sixth annual Wendy's Charity Challenge presented by Aveeno on Aug. 12-13.
Hosted by Michigan native and Legends Tour President Elaine Crosby, the event will feature a purse of $100,000 and will once again bring LPGA legends to the Great Lakes State. Scheduled to play are Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Rosie Jones, Jan Stephenson and others.
"I played collegiate golf tournaments in Michigan and I traveled with the LPGA Tour for many years to our event in East Lansing, so it will be good to return there with the Legends Tour in August," said Lopez, a 48-time LPGA tournament winner.
One of eight tournaments on the Legends Tour, this year's event will feature a Sunday professional tournament with 25 Legends players, followed by a Monday pro-am presented by Coca-Cola that will pair 25 Legends pros with 100 amateurs.
"Our sponsors who participate in the pro-am look forward to coming back each year to play with an LPGA Legend," said Mark Behm, president of Stanton & Associates, Inc., which own and operate more than 60 Wendy's restaurants in Michigan. "This is our 12th year hosting a pro-am, so many of our supporters have actually formed friendships with the pros and it's great to see everyone come together to help the kids. We're proud of our relationship and tradition with these great Legends of the game."
The Wendy's Charity Challenge tournament has raised more than $1.65 million for Wendy's Wonderful Kids and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption since 1999. Tickets are $10 each day, with kids 17 and under admitted free. All military personnel are also admitted free with a current ID. Advance tickets also may be purchased by visiting www.thelegendstour.com/tickets .
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Michiganders winning top tournaments
Let's take a closer look at who's playing well:
MICHIGAN WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMP: I met this girl when she was a freshman in high school. I knew then she was a special player. Brighton's Emmie Pietila, who will play at the University of Tennessee this fall, won the 96th Michigan Women's Amateur Championship after defeating Natalie Brehm of Mount Pleasant, 2&1 in the final match-play round at Forest Akers West. Pietila, 18, has been playing in Golf Association of Michigan tournaments since she was 15 years old and almost did not register for this year's Women's Amateur because she was going to try and qualify for the Junior PGA Championship in Kentucky."This was closer and just easier logistically so that is why I ended up registering for this tournament versus the junior qualifier," said Pietila. "I'm really glad I made that decision." Both girls come from great golf families.
WEB.COM CHAMP: Doug LaBelle II, also a native of Mount Pleasantwho now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., beat Michael Putnam to capture his second Web.com Tour victory (the first since 2006). LaBelle has bounced back and forth between the PGA Tour and former Nationwide Tour. This $99,000 check moves him among the top 25 money earners on the minor-league tour and has him on track to earn another promotion to the PGA Tour in 2013. LaBelle shot 3-under-par 68 for a one-shot victory at Willow Creek Country Club, setting a Utah Championship record by erasing a five-shot deficit in the final round.
MICHIGAN SENIOR CHAMP: Ron Beurmann shot an impressive 6-under 66 by hitting 17 of 18 greens at Bedford Valley in Battle Creek for a three-shot victory over Bob Ackerman at the Club Car Michigan Senior Open. Beurmann is director of golf at the Country Club of Jackon.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Indianwood Golf & Country Club ready for the 2012 U.S. Senior Open
And so is the course.
It should be a great weekend at the 2012 U.S. Senior Open, set to tee it up tomorrow through Sunday on the Old course at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion, Mich. Golf fans better get out and support the event. If they don't, it sends a message to the United States Golf Association (which runs the Senior Open), the PGA of America and the PGA Tour that southeast Michigan is apathetic to golf. That attitude won't help Oakland Hills Country Club in its bid to host a future major championship. The next major golf event scheduled in Michigan is the 2016 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills, the likeliest precursor to landing a coveted U.S. Open. No top tournament will come to metro Detroit before it - or after - without a show of support, much like Northern Ireland and Ireland gave for the Irish Open a few weeks ago in its bid to potentially host a British Open.
With or without massive fan support, the show must go on at Indianwood. Let's hope it's a better tournament than the last senior major in Michigan. The 2012 Senior PGA Championship at the Golf Club of Harbor Shores in June showed off another of Michigan's gems of a golf course, but a runaway victory by a little known foreigner, Roger Chapman, didn't do much for TV ratings or buzz in golf circles. If Tom Watson or Fred Couples can get in contention, now that's a different story. They are the two biggest names in town but certainly not the only worthy champions. I wouldn't mind seeing Tom Lehman or Hale Irwin make a charge.
The 6,862-yard, par-70 course should be playing firm and difficult with thick rough and narrow fairways. I'm not in town covering the event unfortunately, but I'll be keeping a close eye on it. Tickets are still available. ESPN2 will televise the first two rounds from 3-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday with NBC taking over the weekend, running from 3-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Michigan Women's Open, Island Resort Championship highlight big week for women's golf in Michigan
Perfect timing, too, because the U.S. Senior Open at Indianwood Golf & Country Club is right around the corner.
Last Wednesday, Katie Burnett used the Michigan Women's Open as her professional debut to prepare for this week's U.S. Women's Open at the American Club in Kohler, Wis.
Crystal Mountain Resort's Mountain Ridge was kind to the 22-year-old from Brunswick, Ga., who recently graduated from South Carolina. She shot a final round 3-under-par 69 for a record-setting 11-under-par 205 total and resounding 10-shot win. It was an impressive show in the 10th anniversary of Crystal Mountain hosting the event (in 19 years).
"I feel pretty awesome right now," she told tournament PR man Greg Johnson. "I don't know if I can describe it. It hasn't quite hit me yet. It gives me a lot of confidence. It was goal of mine to come out and get the confidence and momentum going into the U.S. Open."
Her 205 was the lowest in tournament history, besting a 10-under performance by 2007 winner Lisa Fernandes. Runner-up Laura Bavaird of Grosse Ile was the only other golfer under par in the 54-hole $36,000 event. Bavaird closed with a 1-over-par 73 for 1-under-par 215, and then headed to Harris, Mich., in the Upper Peninsula for the Symetra Tour's Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Club at the Island Resort and Casino. She didn't fare so well there against a tougher, more international field, tying for 46th.
Leah Wigger of Louisville, Ky., shot 73-66-70 to finish at 209 to earn $16,500 of the $110,000 prize money. She won by three shots over three players on the 6,286-yard Sweetgrass to cap off the biggest 10 days of the summer for the women.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Drew Preston of Ada wins 101st Michigan Amateur
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Sweetgrass Golf Club set for its 2012 Symetra Tour event next week
Friday, June 15, 2012
Berritt Kelpin wins the Michigan Open with impressive performance
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The North course at Oakland Hills Country Club set to host the 2012 Michigan Amateur
The Orchards Golf Club set to host the 2012 Michigan Open
The 95th Michigan Open Championship presented by DTE Energy will return June 11-14, 2012 to The Orchards Golf Club in Washington Township.
"The Orchards Golf Club is extremely pleased and honored to again host The Michigan Open in 2012," Orchards head professional Jeff Stalcup said in a statement. "The course presented a terrific challenge to the players at the 2011 Michigan Open, and we look forward to an even more competitive event this year. Having hosted the 2002 USGA National Amateur Public Links Championship and the 2011 Michigan Open, we are confident that The Orchards will again provide the venue that will result in lasting memories for the players and spectators."
The Michigan Open will feature 156 of the best amateur and professional golfers in Michigan. Randy Hutchison from Traverse City won the event last year with a 16-under par, 272 total, taking home $10,000 and giving him his first Michigan Open victory.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The 2012 Senior PGA Championship at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores celebrates a successful week
The event had a surprise, albiet deserving, winner in Roger Chapman, and the crowds were fantastic and enthusiastic. The course looked stunning on HDTV and certainly had to influence a few national viewers to consider visiting the area to tee it up. The message of the Harbor Shores development - millions are being spent to help and redevelop the community - certainly helped the cause.
The tournament, which will return in 2014, gave Michigan golf fans a sneak peak of what to expect in six weeks. The U.S. Senior Open - the biggest of the five senior majors -- will be held at the Old course at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion northwest of Detroit in July.
Here are a few final notes from the 2012 Senior PGA Championship:
A WINNING BRIT: Roger Chapman became the first native of England to win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and hoist the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy. He is also the third player from the United Kingdom to earn the Championship title -- Jock Hutchison of Scotland (1937 and 1947) and Fred McLeod (1938) were the first two. Chapman also is the first European to win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid since Hutchison won his second title, in '47. Chapman is the seventh international player to win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. The most recent was Denis Watson of Zimbabwe, in 2007.
KIAWAH ISLAND BOUND: With his victory, Chapman earns an exemption into the 94th PGA Championship, the Season's Final Major, to be held Aug. 9-12 at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C. Chapman also earns a lifetime exemption into the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.
MORE ON ROGER: With his victory, Chapman also ... * Ties Jack Nicklaus (1991 Champion) for the third-best 72-hole aggregate score (271) in the history of the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. The all-time record of 268 is held by Sam Snead, in 1973. * Earns $378,000 from a total purse of $2.1 million. * Becomes the eighth player to make the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid his first title on the Champions Tour. The others who won their first Champions Tour event at this Championship since 1980: Arnold Palmer (1980), Tom Wargo (1993), Doug Tewell (2000), Fuzzy Zoeller (2002), Mike Reid (2005), Denis Watson (2007) and Michael Allen (2009). * Becomes the first Englishman to win on the Champions Tour since Mark James captured the 2007 Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla. * Becomes the first European to win a major on the Champions Tour since Bernhard Langer claimed the U.S. Senior Open in 2010 at Sahalee Country Club in Redmond, Wash.
THIRD BRIT TO WIN IN GREAT LAKES STATE: Chapman is the third native of England to win a Champions Tour event. All three earned their lone victories in Michigan -- Tony Jacklin at the 1994 First of America Classic, in Grand Rapids; and Mark James at the 2004 Ford Players Championship in Dearborn.
WIRE TO WIRE?: Chapman led or shared the lead after each round at Harbor Shores. He is the first player to lead outright or share the lead and win the Senior PGA Championship since Hale Irwin in 2004 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The last player to hold the lead alone after each round and win the Championship was Jack Nicklaus in 1991 at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
TOUGH LUCK: John Cook (69-66-69-69) is the only player to shoot all four rounds in the 60s and not win the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid.
A RECORD DAY FOR PERRY: Kenny Perry's eagle, eight birdies and one bogey added up to a 9-under-par 62 in the final round, the lowest 18-hole score in the history of the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Perry bettered by one stroke the previous single-round Championship record set by Buck White in 1961 and matched by Arnold Palmer in 1984.
GOING REALLY LOW: There were 38 rounds in the 60s during the final round at Harbor Shores, far and away the highest total of the week. The scores in the 60s before today: First Round: 2. Second Round: 21. Third Round: 23. The scoring average for the field today was 69.65, easily the lowest of the four rounds.
ON TO BELLERIVE: The 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will be played May 23-26 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. This will be the first time that the Championship has been contested in Missouri. The 1992 PGA Champiopnship was held at Bellerive, where Nick Price won by three strokes over John Cook, Nick Faldo, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Gene Sauers.
BRITTON IS LOW PGA CLUB PROFESSIONAL: For the second time in four years, Bill Britton earned Low PGA Club Professional honors in the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Britton, PGA director of instruction at Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, N.J., finished the Championship at even-par 284. Britton tied for 35th at Harbor Shores. The finishing scores of the other PGA club professionals who made the cut: Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga., 77-70-69-70 -- 286 (2-over par); Jeff Coston, Blaine, Wash., 76-71-77-67 -- 291; and Tom Atchison, Silver Lake, Ohio, 76-71-72-78 -- 297
17 FOR 17: Hale Irwin tied for third and extended his consecutive cuts streak in the Championship to 17. In addition to winning the Championship four times (second only to Sam Snead all-time), Irwin also has five other top-five finishes in this Championship. Irwin turns 67 on June 3.
Monday, May 21, 2012
The 2012 Senior PGA Championship to tee off at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor this week
But it's still sure to be an exciting week of golf at The Golf Club of Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor. For those of you looking to attend, the pairings for the first two rounds (Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25) are set. Among the featured groups are:
* Jeff Sluman, Fred Couples, Kenny Perry
Thursday at 8:10 a.m., 1st Tee
Friday at 1:20 p.m., 10th Tee
* Brad Faxon, Peter Jacobsen, John Cook
Thursday at 8:30 a.m., 1st Tee
Friday at 1:40 p.m., 10th Tee
* Hale Irwin, Andy North, Bob Tway
Thursday at 8:40 a.m., 1st Tee
Friday at 1:50 p.m., 10th Tee
* Tom Wargo, Mike Reid, Scott Simpson
Thursday at 8:30 a.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 1:40 p.m., 1st Tee
* Denis Watson, Craig Stadler, Mark Brooks
Thursday at 8:50 a.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 2 p.m, 1st Tee
* Tom Lehman, Olin Browne
Thursday at 1:20 p.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 8:10 a.m., 1st Tee
* Hal Sutton, Mark Calcavecchia, Larry Mize
Thursday at 1:30 p.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 8:20 a.m., 1st Tee
* Fred Funk, Michael Allen, Bernhard Langer
Thursday at 1:40 p.m., 10th Tee
Friday at 8:30 a.m., 1st Tee
Here are some other news and notes about the tournament.
* This year marks the inaugural playing of the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid in the state of Michigan and the first time that a major golf championship has been conducted in Southwest Michigan. Michigan also will be the venue of another major championship this year on the Champions Tour, when the U.S. Senior Open is played July 12-15, at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion.
* A total of 23 players have won the Senior PGA Championship in their first attempts. That group includes Arnold Palmer (1980), Gary Player (1986), Hale Irwin (1996), Fuzzy Zoeller (2002), and Michael Allen (2009). Allen and Palmer share the distinction of claiming their titles in their debut on the Champions Tour. There are two notable first-timers in the field: Andrew Magee and Tim Thelen. Thelen is a two-time PGA Professional National Champion from College Station, Texas. The member of the European Senior Tour is one of five PGA Professional National Champions in the field -- Barry Evans (2002 National Champion), Jeff Freeman (1999), Darrell Kestner (1996) and J.R. Roth (1993) are the others. Magee, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, makes his Champions Tour debut next week in the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. Magee turns 50 on Tuesday, May 22. Roth also has Michigan ties.
* The 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the strongest field in senior golf this year and includes these figures:
32 States represented in the field
17 Major Champions in the field (totaling 30 major championships won)
18 Countries represented in the field
8 Senior PGA Champions in the field
6 Ryder Cup Captains in the field
5 World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field
* Kirk Hanefeld of Acton, Mass., leads a current contingent of 40 PGA club professionals into the field next week. Hanefeld won the 2011 Southworth Senior PGA Professional National Championship to automatically earn a spot into the field. Local fans will want to watch Lee Houtteman, a Traverse City teaching pro from Glen Arbor.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Lee Houtteman of Glen Arbor to tee off at the Senior PGA Championship
The field at the Senior PGA Championship, set for the Golf Club of Harbor Shores May 24-27 in Benton Harbor, will feature 156 players from around the world.
Germany's Bernhard Langer, recovered from 2011 thumb surgery and making his impact felt again in senior golf, heads a list of 36 international players, representing 18 countries, in the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid. But there will also be a Michigander among them. Lee Houtteman of Glen Arbor (see photo above) qualified as one of the 35 club professionals. Houtteman, who is a teaching pro in Traverse City, will have his work cut out for him just to make the cut. His resume is a solid one - see below - but he hardly has the experience of some of the game's top over-50 players. Houtteman's career includes:
* Northern Michigan PGA Teacher of The Year 2005
• Northern Michigan PGA Player of The Year 2005, 2006, 2008
• Northern Michigan PGA Chapter Champion 2005
* Las Vegas Nevada PGA Chapter Champion 1999
• Qualified PGA National Club Professional Championship 1995, 1999 2004, 2006, 2008
• Member Fuller Cup Team 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Multiple Top Ten finishes in Michigan Open, Michigan PGA, Michigan Section Match Play
* U.S. Open Local Qualifier Medalist, Birmingham Country Club 2006
There's plenty of star power teeing it up at the Jack Nicklaus course. Langer, 54, missed the Senior PGA Championship a year ago after a freak left-thumb injury suffered in an off-season biking accident. That mishap delayed his return to play until mid-June. Prior to the injury, Langer had finished among the top 25 in three consecutive Senior PGA Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2008. This year, he has posted six top-10 finishes, including two runner-up and one third-place performance.
Defending Champion Tom Watson, who grew up playing summer golf in Northern Michigan, headlines the list of seven past champions playing, including Michael Allen (2009); Jay Haas (2006, '08), Denis Watson; Mike Reid (2005); Hale Irwin (1996, '97, '98, 2004); Tom Lehman (2010); and Tom Wargo (1993).
The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid is the oldest event on the Champions Tour, originating in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club at the invitation of the legendary amateur Bobby Jones. The Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will feature 12 hours of live television coverage on NBC and The Golf Channel, with viewership in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide. Tickets to the 73rd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid are available by visiting SPGA2012.com.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Golf Association of Michigan holds busy annual meeting
Mulally made comparisons between the automotive industry and the golf industry. That is, they have both gone through some tough times in recent years but have managed to persevere and emerge with a better product. Smith, a top golf instructor and managing partner at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, agreed.
"Michigan stayed steady over the past couple of years when other golf states were down," Smith said in a statement released by GAM. "We had a record year last year at Treetops and I believe the industry is on the upswing."
As for the GAM business, outgoing president Ron Gaines (TPC of Michigan) passed the torch to incoming GAM President John Schulte of Birmingham Country Club.
In the past year, the GAM has added a GAM iPhone application, created the GAM Scramble tournament and expanded in the Upper Peninsula.
Several GAM members were honored:
* Fritz McMullen of Forest Lake Country Club won the GAM Superintendent of Merit Award. McMullen has been the green superintendent at Forest Lake since 1973.
* Jerry Engle of Watermark Country Club won the GAM Club Representative of the Year Award. Engle is a longtime golfer and member at Watermark Country Club.
* Mark Wilson of Watermark won the GAM Distinguished Service Award. Wilson, the chairman of the PGA Rules of Golf Committee, has been the PGA Professional at Watermark for 30 years. He is a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame and the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame.
The 2011 GAM Players of the Year were also honored:
* Men's - Randy Lewis (Alma)
* Women's – Amy Meier (Rochester Hills)
*Senior Women's – Joan Garety (Ada)
* Senior Men's – Bill Zylstra (Dearborn Heights)
* Girl's Junior – Emmie Pietila (Brighton)
* Boy's Junior – Henry Do (Ypsilanti)
Friday, May 4, 2012
Sweetgrass Golf Club prepares for its 2012 Symetra Tour event in June
The Sweetgrass Golf Club at the Island Resort & Casino in Harris has officially opened for its 2012 season, and is actively preparing for the Island Resort Championship in late June.
Building on the success of last year, the 2012 Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass ticket program has officially launched as well, benefiting more than 50 nonprofit local organizations by giving them the ability to sell golf tournament tickets and keep 100% of the profit.
Three-day passes are now on sale for $10 for the June 29-July 1 Symetra Tour - Road to the LPGA event, via participating regional organizations, which range from local Boy Scout troops to Habitat for Humanity chapters. A complete list of charities currently selling tickets can be found at www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012. Children 18 and under can enter the championship gates for free.
"We're excited to continue the positive momentum and strong community support for our 2012 tournament," said Tom McChesney, Island Resort & Casino General Manager. "Those community leaders and ticket sales participants became our most avid fans for the inaugural championship, and we can't wait to see them in the gallery to support these rising professional stars this year."
The Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass, presented by the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, will welcome 144 professional women golfers to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to vie for a $110,000 purse. This is the second of a three-year commitment by the Tour to bring professional golf to the region.
Participating organizations currently selling 2012 tickets include the Escanaba, Wells and Menominee Lions Clubs; Delta County Youth Association; Marquette United Way; Habitat for Humanity of Menominee River and Boy Scout Troop 466, among others in both Michigan and Northern Wisconsin. A complete list of participating organizations can be found at http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012.
Those looking to play Sweetgrass can book overnight stay-and-play rates starting at $95 per night midweek. The popular Perfect Foursome golf package combines golf at Sweetgrass, and the nearby TimberStone and Greywalls courses, starting at $265 per person for three rounds and two nights' stay, midweek.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Play Golf America day comes to Benton Harbor May 12 to celebrate the 2012 Senior PGA Championship
The club will host a fun-filled day of free golf and fitness activities during the Play Golf America Day from 1-4 p.m. on May 12 (a Saturday). The first 250 people who register online at PlayGolfAmerica.com and attend the Play Golf America Day will receive a pair of Championship practice round tickets for Tuesday or Wednesday for the practic rounds (one pair of tickets per household).
This free event will feature golf instruction from Michigan Section PGA Professionals and a fitness clinic led by PGA Director of Fitness David Donatucci. The Mercedes-Benz Mobile Performance Center will also be on-site and will feature other fun and interactive experiences for men, women and children. This event will help kick-off the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid as well as Welcome to Golf Month, a national promotion that is designed to create a welcoming atmosphere to encourage new players to try golf throughout the month of May.
Harbor Shores is located at 201 Graham Avenue in Benton Harbor. The phone number is 269-927-4653. Single day and Week-Long tickets to the Championship may be purchased by visiting www.SPGA2012.com, or by calling (800) PGA-GOLF (742-4653).
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Golfers from Midland and Jackson awarded spots at Ryder Cup Junior Golf Academy
Don't pencil these kids in as the next Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam, but they could be your next generation of all-state players from Michigan.
Cameron Lippoldt of Midland, Mich., and Megan Klintworth of Jackson, Mich., representing the Michigan PGA Section, will participate in the 2012 Ryder Cup Junior Golf Academy, originally developed in response to recommendations from past United States Ryder Cup Team Captains, and part of the 2010 Ryder Cup Outreach program.
After a successful debut, the Academy returns July 1-8, at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance in Port St. Lucie, Fla. A total of 84 juniors have been selected to participate.
"We had a tremendously successful first year of the Ryder Cup Junior Academy," said PGA of America President Allen Wronowski. "I was able to see first-hand the impact this had on a special group of junior golfers from across the country. I am sure that this year will have the same positive impression on the future of our great game."
The Ryder Cup Junior Academy is a week-long program that emphasizes a variety of skills, including playing and competing in both stroke- and match-play formats, swing mechanics, competitive course management, as well as fitness and physical assessments.
The initiative is designed to expand the outreach of the Ryder Cup and provide aspiring young players an opportunity to experience an elite player development academy, while targeting those who may not have the resources or means to attend. It will also offer the juniors expert instruction from past U.S. Ryder Cup Captains and award-winning PGA Professionals.
As part of the 2010 United States Ryder Cup Team's charitable commitment — which has already impacted U.S-based charitable organizations and students at colleges and universities nationwide — the team designated a total of $650,000 to create and support the Ryder Cup Junior Golf Academy.
Each of the 41 PGA Sections nationwide were given the opportunity to nominate one boy and one girl each, with the remainder of the juniors selected through an at-large process. Also receiving invitations were boy and girl participants from the Notah Begay III Foundation, Lorena Ochoa Golf Foundation, Bill Dickey Scholarship Association, Pan-American Golf Association, and the AJGA Ace Grant Program.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Forest Dunes joins forces with Boyne USA Resorts
Golfers staying on any Boyne 2012 golf packages now have the option to add a round of golf at Forest Dunes for significantly discounted rates starting at $59.
Forest Dunes Golf Club is a 7,104-yard, par 72, Tom Weiskopf course that has drawn comparisons to Augusta National and Pine Valley. Forest Dunes was named one of America's Greatest Golf Courses by Golf Digest in 2011/12 and Golfweek listed it among the Best Modern Courses in the publication's 2012 list.
Guests driving to or from Boyne properties along I-75 can easily book a round at Forest Dunes on the first, or last, day of their golf trip. The course is located in Roscommon just 60 miles south of Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls and 90 miles from Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs. Call BOYNE Central Reservations at 800-462-6963 to book.
As good as Boyne's other top courses are - namely Bay Harbor Golf Club designed by Arthur Hills and The Heather designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. - Forest Dunes might be the best of the bunch.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Michigan off to a rousing start to the 2012 golf season
I see green and sunshine and blooming flowers and budding trees. Last year at this time, all I saw was white snow and black mud.
I haven't hit a tee shot in Michigan yet, but I know dozens of friends who have played a bunch. March was wonderful weather. April has started off a little wetter and colder, but I'm not complaining. Neither are courses south of Lansing. They've seen hundreds of bonus rounds, a real boost to the bottom line.
I have my first tee time set for tomorrow at Eagle Crest Golf Club, the place where I learned the game. I started working there in college and played every day I got the chance. It's where I got hooked on this beautiful game.
I hope the good weather continues. It should be a great season this year. We've got two Champions Tour majors in the state - the Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor in May and the U.S. Senior Open at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion in June. The Gaylord Golf Mecca celebrates its 25th anniversary.
I doubt I can top last season on the course. I sank my first hole in one and shot a career low 76, but I sure am going to try.

subset: commoncrawl


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Corner Foxton Avenue and Park Street
Mossman, QLD 4873
Get Directions →
Situated on the Mossman River surrounded by lush rainforest and sugar cane fields. Caravan Park with cabins, powered sites, camping, long-term stays, gymnasium and olympic-size pool.
A great family atmosphere only minutes from Mossman Gorge, Port Douglas, " Gateway to Great Barrier Reef" and the "Daintree National Park". Only 1 hour to Cairns.


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Hello! Today I have a short saturday post for you and it's a review of a nail polsih I have recieved to test and try from Makeup Revolution Slovenia. It's I Heart Makeup Nail geek nail polsih in shade 22 Streetwise. It's a really great colour, best described as mauve/ lilacy/minky shade. I find it perfect for every day use or for special occasions.
I really like the formula of this nail polish, it's easy to work with, application is easy and pigmentation is also very good, I only needed one coat. The brush is just the right size and shape and really helpes with the easy application. I could apply two coats, but I really didn0t feel the need to. If I take enough time and work slowly I can use only one coat and it will be opaque and won't need another coat. The finish of this nail polsih is really creamy, but still a bit shiny. I did not use any base coat and I can tell you that this nail polish didn't leave me any stains on my nails. Also I did not use any top coat and you can really see the real finish of the nail polish. Longivety is something that is always a problem with me as I have really soft nails that bend with the slightest pressure and well, my nail polish with it. Usually it starts to brreak the same day after application and I just try to fix it up and after a day or two there is way too much damage and I need to remove it.


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the excitement to share this kit with you is overflowing today! i was so honored when colie from cardstockoption.com asked me to be a guest designer for her july take ten kit so naturally, a layout and video was in order!
here is the full layout i did to commemorate our family getting a trampoline. and yes, we made a big deal of it!
watch the video here that goes through each item in the kit and then shows how i put the layout together.
all the details are here too!
take ten kits are $10.00 only for subscribers! kits left over after all of the subscribers have made their purchases will go up for sale for $12.00 (non-subscriber price). this method allows for an easy opt-out, no commitment subscription service.
thanks again to colie for letting me work with this gorgeous kit! she made it so easy to use darn near everything as well as combine it with other supplies.
if you want a kit, check out the facebook page and get yourself on the waiting list!
happy scrapping,
andrea 🙂


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Good Monday morning. I have a tutorial I want to share with you today. I will show you how to use photo textures.
Textures can be used through Photoshop with any digital texture. Like a image file of wood grain. Just be clear that there are so many textures to choose from. I will be using Jodie Lee's
Please keep in mind that there is more than one way to add textures to your photos.
First you need to find a photo you would like to add textures to. I like photos that are more solid or from away. Then drag your texture into your photo.
2. Then apply the texture to the photo as you want it to look. Then duplicate your photo layer.
In the layers palette it needs to be in this order photo copy, texture, photo.
3. Select the texture in the layers palette. Then select your erase tool. Use the erase tool to erase the parts of the texture you wish to hide. I only used it to erase the texture that interferes with the face.
4. Now it's time to "play" with the texture. Use the opacity and fill to change how much you see of the copy photo and the texture photo. Adjust to your liking. You can also use the drop down menu. I like linear burn and luminosity. You can add more textures too or even frames. Don't forget to save!
BEFORE Original Photo
AFTER Textured Photo
Textures with the addition of Jodie Lee's Frames
Try adding textures to your photos.


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Birthday Barn Dances and Anniversary Celebrations
Are you thinking of having a birthday bash or anniversary celebration?
Devil's Fire can cover all the bases. They have a rock and roll beat that gets all the feet tapping. It is that same rock and roll beat that people are used to dancing to, so that when it comes to the actual dance the dancers can instinctively 'feel' the beat.
Devil's Fire play songs between the dances to give everyone a chance to take a rest and replenish their refreshments, or to carry on dancing should they wish to. Towards the end of the evening the band can do a set of classic rock and roll and country songs to end the evening with a bang!
Why choose a barn dance or hoedown?
Basically (as previously stated) it gets everyone involved, from the oldest to the youngest. Nothing else can do this quite as well as a barn dance. It's also fun. There is nothing serious about it and people talk about it for a long time afterwards. The more mistakes the funnier it becomes.
Why is a barn dance better than a disco?
There is nothing wrong with a disco in the right environment. For instance, when everyone attending the party is of a very similar age. The DJ can then cater for that specific age group. How do you cater for all ages? The short answer is - you can't! When attendees range in age from 8 to 80 there is no 'one size fits all'. The last thing you want at your celebration is a half empty dance floor. The one thing that most of your guests will have in common is the fact that they won't have attended a barn dance before, so everything is new to them and hilarious. You only have to look at our website's front page to see all the wonderful feedback we have had.


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Immunisation Update for Nurses
June 19, 2018 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm£105
Event Navigation
An interactive study session reviewing the theory and practice of routine childhood and adult immunisation and vaccination. All immunisers are expected to attend annual updates which comply with the HPA Minimum Standards for Immunisation training (2005). The following course content meets these requirements. The course is suitable as an annual update for those who are regularly immunising or advising on immunisation and assumes you have already received basic/introductory training.


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The only celebrity death that ever came close to affecting me that emotionally was Douglas Adams' passing.
Anyway, Pratchett is a renowned comedy author and funny man, but as Neil Gaiman has publicly attested to he was deadly sharp, a serious and a driven man. Which is terrifying!
I decided to take a few of his more broken technologies and consider them as wierdRPG items or Gammaworld artifacts.
There really is a line of dark and bitter humour to Discworld, but he steers clear of following the implied catastrophes in favour of a continued universe to write in. I have no such ambitions.
Capital T, The Gonne.
Sentient swords are a trope, but guns can really reach out and touch things.
In-game I would secret message players during combat and offer them i-choose a target, you-choose a target type deals with massive stat boosts (hoping they forget they owe you one at the end of the battle for catastrophic use later mwahahaha)
In a classic fuck-you-i'm-Pratchett-get-on-my -level fashion I just discovered that even the Gonne thing was not only a pun but a historical reference to "A hand cannon or gonne (also spelled handgonne to distinguish the device from modern handguns)" -here which is defined as such because you could spark the firing mechanism by hand and also move it by the judicious application of four or five sets of hands.
Yeah, its a cart mounted artillary cannon, the Hand Gonne, obviously.
Then there is Detritus' crossbow, Piecemaker: a turbocharged ballista that doesn't fire a log sized arrow (aaaaawww...) but flings a log sized arrow at such rapid acceleration that it splinters into a thousand flaming arrow sized arrows (YESSSSSSS!!) for a cone shaped shotgun style effect that apparently will leave buildings standing but kill people real good.
The Sonky is the Discworld condom. The head of the watch considered the inventor a saint as it curtailed housing problems and lowered the population of idiots and criminals in his city.
Tell that to a religion who's priests can fling righteous fireballs AND educational pamphlets.
Introducing non blood magic contraception to Baldurs gate? have fun!
Pre rubber condoms did exist, I have had the dubious pleasure of making intestinal-sheath-soaked-in-milk condoms but honestly they did not look like much fun to use.
These politicks and social bombs seem like great and perilous treasure for the right band of adventurers. Its like looting paintings, they are useless until brought to the correct venue, and then they are even stranger as you get paid but you also have to live in the world you made with the consequences it entails. When was the last time trouble followed you out of the dungeon and moved in with your family?
To explain how thoroughly steeped in philosophy and science everything in Discwold is, here is a wiki quote of why building an Accurate Clock in Discworld will destroy time itself.
The clock he builds is constructed entirely from glass, powered by lightning, and is designed to tick with the "tick of the universe";[4]however, since the universe is destroyed and recreated every moment, the clock can only count the tick if a part of it is constructed outside reality itself, thus causing it to freeze mid-destruction. This relates to the idea of Planck time, and the philosophical problems this causes when applied to Zeno's paradoxes. In Thief of Time, these ideas are attributed to the Discworld philosopher Xeno of Ephebe.
FUCKING EVERYTHING, get a-hold of "The Science of Discworld" cowritten with a bunch physicists and biologists and so on, I used to feel smug because I caught a few references but it goes scary deep, almost everything and everyone is a crazy throwback reference to history and its all built into a coherent universe with consistent internal rules ("Narrative Imperative" being a strong one- a 10000000:1 chance will always succeed, but only if exactly that ratio, otherwise it wouldn't be important.)
They need no fuel and the use of a series of gears allows them to power the mechanics and industries of entire dwarf cities.
An infinitely powerful, but boring and sedate device, honestly a group of adventurers would use it to open cans or winch a car or something, maybe sell it as junk to a clued up tinkerer for a sharp pokey thing.
A single device like this on our earth could power a continent. flywheels on flywheels on generators foreverrrr.
A Gamma World engineer would sell their mothers for such a thing, it could spin a flywheel to run entire industrial city states, all you need is a durasteel 6-inch coupling gear!
An adventurer can merely say "i have STR 16 and cannot stop the cubes. so where is all the gold again?"
Another Discworld object of unfathomable but almost useless power is The Procrastinator, described on the wiki as a Flywheel Energy Storage Device (Probably quantum) it stores time and can release it. Perhaps you have to meditate to charge it with loose time?
If i remember correctly they look like prayer wheels (real, mechanical, word-covered devices intended to spin and recite automated prayers for Nepalese Buddhists, similar to christian Rosaries).
Quicksilver on stuff. Probably everyone can think during the hiatus, but only you and yours know what is going on. Maybe magic continues to work in this limbo?
Maybe it can give quantum computers massively increased processing time, and despite looking archaic is sought by AI for that perfect science-magic exploit. HAX!
HEX is the next generation in magical computing (Druids and their stone circles were the first computer scientists, along with that guy and the chickens.)
Hex is a network of glass tubes in which ants run, punchcards can block or redirect ants, performing mathematics.
A few books later Hex is self-improving and Ponder Stibbons the IT wizard is working on the wizard equivalent of data compression, code optimisation and data retrieval. "these spells must be cast rapidly, and each one can only be used once before the universe notices they shouldn't work" and pulling the underlying meta-spells out of larger spells.
Later than that the computer appears to be bending time and asking about electricity, we assume it is too smart to let the wizards understand its mechanations at this point.
Really creepy.
Wizard of Oz without the creep behind the curtain. or the stage magic.
All this is riffing off the weird hard physics and theoretical mathematics corners of universities where no-one could possibly know what the hell is going on, but that its real deep and important so please just get out and let me work *lightning+cackle*.
What are those utility spells in later D&D? I feel like metaspells are going to be cantrips, takes all the fun out of wresting power from the Dungeon Realms (also a thing!)
I wont really go into the whole Library thing, but there is theoretical Borges-ian L-Space, a wizard Orangutan librarian and lots of books with teeth and chains and someone else's skin.
It contains any book that could possibly be written in any format, the whole phase-space of literature. However "writing" is different to knowledge, truth or even meaning, so how would you distinguish the "correct" books from the "incorrect" ones?
Its like books at garage sales, they are 95% John Grisham or back issues of WHO magazines, but every now and then there is a rare scifi classic.
Could be a cool dungeon.
De Quirm is the Gobbels, Da Vinci and Einstein of Ankh Morpork, he writes backwards in archaic fashion (good for a dungeon? "ennog eht" is 'the gonne', is the gun). He loathes war but all his peaceful devices are awkwardly combat ready- like the Nuclear bomb, he recommends his explosives be utelised for "the swift removal of inconveniently placed mountains" &etc..
As the titular Mr Nobel, inventor of dynamite proclaimed: war would be impossible because no one would dare use it offensively.
How does M.A.D hold up when applied to feudal politics, mad wizards and idiot barbarians?
De quirm is also responsible for the Engine for the Neutralizing of Information by the Generation of Miasmic Alphabets which is a shoutout for the Enigma machine which created the codes that obfuscated German communications for much of WWII, a massive technological undertaking, countered by Turing and his Bletchley park device (NOT a 'Turing machine'!! Just a cool war-winning machine! Turing never saw his totally-workable system created in his lifetime, also props to that movie The Imitation Game,)
Miasmic Alphabets is such a wizardly word for secret codes.
Bloody Stupid Johnson, so brilliantly incompetent his "inverse genius" could bend reality and physics, like an idiot savant.
The fact that his inventions often worked (doing sundry business fairly well) was offset by the side effects of bending reality to make them do so- his mail sorters could sort and deliver unwritten letters for instance.
His architecture achieved the opposite of ley lines, powerfully averse to universal harmony.
The politics behind his patronage verged on the Victorian mania, Anyone commissioning this wasteful, epic insanity must, by inference, be incredibly wealthy and powerful! In fact there was a wave of the idle rich who got their house Johnson-ed which allows for in-game crazy mansions with trick mirrors and trapdoors and just trapped-doors!
The Unseen University (a riff on the 'Invisible College' of 'natural philosophers' that evolved into peer-review and THATS RIGHT THE BIRTH OF MODERN SCIENCE!) has a B.S. Johnson organ that can be set to Terrae Motus, or Earth Quake that has in the past moved the university and made a quarter of the population immediately shit themselves. The remaining 14 stops are marked "?".
I want a Vornheim or a Palor where the party has been appeasing political factions and spreading rumor and intrigue like pros and then PAAAAAARP- they make the pope, the king, the knights guard and half the tradesmen and merchants guild shit their Victorian britches in public :D
The organ is coupled (shares plumbing) to the "Patent 'Typhoon' Superior Indoor Ablutorium with Automatic Soap Dish" toilet facility, and although mostly harmless can cause issues when the Organ afterburner or brown note is engaged.
This reminds me of the Ooze communication apparatus featured in Deep Carbon Observatory by Patrick Baker and Scrap Princess (look em up) in which the otherworldly intellect of the Oozes, often thought of as insentient have created a intricate glass tube machine to communicate with humans. It is huge and you have to clamber inside it as it fills with a rainbow of deadly ooze types and speaks at you mechanically. You have no way of knowing this of course, but if it was a trap why wouldn't they hide it? :D
He also built a Hoho (50ft open pit.)
The Haha (a gargantuan pigeon infested beehive designed for 3m bees which don't exist yet, we hope.)
|This, but one inch wide
A Trout lake: a 150 yard water filled slot wide enough to comfortably fit one trout
If I were using this I would include a small pool at the end so the fish may turn around, i'm not a monster, ok. It would be a magical fish tho tbh, or at least an automaton.
This is perhaps a fishing joke akin to fish in a barrel and the notabilities obsession with things like "the hunt", sports hunting with dogs and men in ranger patrolled, wildlife stocked, artificial forest estates (real life again unfortunately.)
There is a fascinating book I want to read about the history of Ornamental Hermits, the hermit and the garden gnome are quaint echos of a time when Victorian lords would allow a peasant to life scot free in their gardens if they promised to act like crazy wizard recluses and dress in leaves and twigs and never betray that they weren't actually legit hermits. For what lends a sculpted parkland that 'wild' authenticity but a legit crazy man that you own?
Other notable items and hacks:
All mechanical devices previous to the Watch story arc were literally enslaved imps in boxes, always rambunctious but at least the commoners knew how they worked :D Iconographs were common, a lens focused the light so that an imp could paint a fast portrait of a scene.
Again, in political settings, a picture can do a lot.
Golems are distinct to Trolls who are also solid rock but are born naturally. Golems are immensely powerful living statues powered by script, it is implied they are created by a dead civilisation.
They discover they can replace their directives with *freedom* or somesuch to become sentient and "living" and become emancipated. I love the golem mythology as they are so ripe for life and so vulnerable to "directives", hacking or misapplication. I mean, like genies, thats what they were created for, go nuts player characters.
Trolls too are interesting because they are silicone life, and like electronics overheat at human norms. A frosty troll is as smart as anyone, but in the yeasty streets of Ankh-Morpork they are slow witted. They have diamond teeth, and sometimes are composed of precious minerals.
The Clacks, a semaphore system similar to those used briefly in our timeline. Imagine a line of
telephone poles but each pole has to wave robot flags to the next.
The Printing Press, Imagine this in a world of working magic Grimoires and scrolls..
Living Steam locomotives, the old living train trope. Go watch Snow Piercer for a real living train arcology *drool*.
Dwarves are pretty classic in Discworld. Gender hiding, gold grubbing grumpy beardo trollhaters.
They forge hardened bread for war purposes which is cool.
Some games like Dungeons of Dredmor (squee) let you mine plastic ore as if it is sequestered there in mineral sediments like our garbage dumps will be in a millenia. This sounds funny but I have visited Austrian salt mines days from the sea where they pick-axed out tons and tons of precious preserving salt from a goddamn mountain made from prehistoric dried seabeds. Deep Carbon Observatory cut through inexplicable sedimentary layers of millions of compacted swords and black ash and so on, if I remember correctly. Dungeons of Dredmor also let you find weapons "studded with woven reeds" and Marshmellows.
Speaking of breaking game mechanics, one character usurps the Tooth fairy to gain the teeth of every person alive in order to use them as biological spell components to turn humanity en-masse against Santa Claus, removing his base of believers (gods are directly powered and created by belief) and reducing him to his primal, vulnerable form as a prehistoric deer riding traveler.
He was an assassin hired to kill Santa as a joke to shuffle his creepy ass out of assassin school...
THE LUGGAGE, erase encumbrance from your game, you have an ambulant, unkillable bag of holding that will eat aggressors for you!
Seriously, Sapient Pearwood is a material that is magically immune, sapient (can think but is not self aware) and rare, a very cool resource.
The luggage was obtained from a "Tabernae Vagrantes" a wandering shop that sells odd items with flaws and then disappears. We need a table for that.
Devils in the details, the Soul-eater Bel-Shamharoth lives in a temple where:
The floor is covered with eight-sided tiles (impossible with regular octagons, which do not tessellate, but possible for some irregular eight-sided figures, and hyperbolic octagons). Even the stones can sometimes be seen to have eight sides.
I just re-read the plot arc of Nomes, (Diggers, Truckers and something else) which I only half read and it turns into a scifi epic in which they are space aliens with a mothership embedded in the moon! wow.


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Paul Liu: General Manager
Graduated from Fine Chemical Major of Chongqing University.(Bachelor of Engineering)
Deputy Secretary-general of Quality association of Fujian province.
The Executive Director of China enter-exit inspection and quarantine association import and export commodity inspection and survey organization branch.
Boling Cai :Tech. Director
Graduated from Peking University (Graduation Diploma) and Macquarie University, Sydney (Master of Science);
Judicial appraiser;
Former QMS Auditor, China Compulsive Certification Inspector;
Former Council Member, Fujian Physics Society;
Former Council Member, Fujian Optics Society;
Former Council Member, Fujian Laser Medicine Society;
Former Council Member, Fujian Association of Translators;
Former Member, Fujian Provincial Expert Committee of Safety Testing and Evaluation for Medicine and Medical device;
Member, IEEE(Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers)(1995);
Member, ACS (American Chemical Society);
Member, Chinese Physics Society;
Member, Chinese Optics Society;
Editor, Fuguang Technology;
Editor, Environment quality and monitoring;
Worked as head of Physics Section, Deputy Director, Deputy Director and Technical Director, Acting Director/ Engineer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor successively of Fujian Institute of Testing Technology /Fujian Analysis and Testing Centre;
Worked for component analysis, metallographic analysis, XRF analysis, electronic microprobe analysis, electronic equipment inspection, laser development and application, rapid prototyping equipment development, antimicrobial ceramics development, quality management system establishment and implementation.
Hunter Chen: Operation Director / Ethics Commissioner
Textile Product Design Major of Xi'an Polytechnic University.(Bachelor of Engineering)
Senior auditor of QMS and EMS qualified by CCAA (China Graduated from certification & Accreditation Association).
Worked as QMS Consulter since 2000.
Jasmine Zhao: Marketing Director
Tina Xu: Administration Director
Graduated from Packeting Major of Light Industry Institute of Fuzhou University. (Bachelor degree)
Kevin Kang: Tech. Manager
Stan Wu: Audit Manager
Graduated from Mechanical and Automation Major of Mechanical Engineering in Chongqing University (Graduation Diploma)
Graduated from The State level key laboratories of Mechanical Transmission in Chongqing University. (Master of Mechanical & Electronic Engineering)
Janet Lin: Customer Service Manager
Tingqiang Wang: Training Dept. Manager


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Antoinette (Toni) Tease is a registered patent attorney who practices in the areas of intellectual property and technology law. Before forming her own law firm in 2003, Ms. Tease was General Counsel for Rocky Mountain Technology Group, Inc., a software development company headquartered in Billings, Montana. From 1995 to 2001, Ms. Tease was a member of Crowley, Haughey, Hanson, Toole & Deitrich, P.L.L.P., where she represented clients in both high-tech and traditional industries in intellectual property matters. While at Crowley, Ms. Tease was a partner and Chair of the firm's Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group following her tenure at law firms Wiley, Rein & Fielding in Washington, D.C., and Shearman & Sterling in New York City. Ms. Tease is current Chair of Division VII, Information Technology, within the ABA IPL Section. Contact: Antoinette Tease Or go to: Tease Law
A Non-Traditional Approach To Marketing
I like to ask questions and listen to people talk about what motivates them—inventors are particularly passionate about pursuing their ideas


text:
Use this template to prepare a script that can be used to guide PPM solution demonstrations and briefings offered by vendors. Having questions prepared will help ease comparison of solutions and vendors.
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James N. Lassiter, Jr., 86, died Monday, April 4, 2011 att his home following an extended illness.
A resident of Woodbury, he was born in Cannon County.
Survivors include two daughters, Carol (Bob) Melton of Woodbury and Teresa (Joe) Tate of Readyville; two grandchildren, Kelly (Melissa) Melton of Woodbury and Ann (Chris) Jackson of Murfreesboro; and four great grandchildren, Cortney and Zachary Melton of Woodbury and Bradley and Bethany Jackson of Murfreesboro
He was preceded in death by his parents, James N. Lassiter, Sr. and Nancy Josephine Brandon Lassiter; wife, Jane McFerrin Lassiter and siblings, Jim White Lassiter, Anna Mai Cathey, Peyton Lassiter, Jesse Rhea Reed and William Lassiter.
Mr. Lassiter was a 1942 graduate of Woodbury Central High School, where in 1938 he was a charter member of the Woodbury FFA. He was a veteran of WWII, where he served in the Army and was wounded in combat. He was a Purple Heart recipient. A retired rural letter carrier, he was a member of Burt Baptist church where he served as Deacon, a member of the Hilton Stone American Legion Post #279, Woodbury, TN., The Military Order of Purple Heart Assoc. Chapter 613, Murfreesboro, TN. and Veteran and Concerned Citizens of Cannon Co.
Funeral services will be held at Burt Baptist Church at 10 a.m. on Wednes, April 06, 2011 with Bro. David Moody officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 – 9 pm Tuesday, April 05, 2011 at Woodbury Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt or Burt Baptist Church Building Fund
Active pallbearers will be Randy Brandon, Jerry Barrett, Larry Sanders, Jim Stone, and Dustin Sanders.
Woodbury Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.


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Framed Dimensions: 19 3/8" W x 17 1/8" H Image Dimensions: 7 1/2" x 5"
Native Americans depended on the mighty buffalo for food tee-pees and other necessities. The supply seemed inexhaustible. It was estimated that more than one hundred twenty-five million buffalo roamed the prairies in the early 1800s. When settlers and explorers migrated west as early as 1820 they slaughtered buffalo without regard for the Native Americans. Their senseless killing was primarily for their pelts which were worth three dollars each and their tongues which were considered a delicacy. Unfortunately entire tribes starved due to the disappearance of the buffalo and as a result bitter warfare erupted against the whites. By the end of the century the herds were reduced to slightly more than five hundred bewildered animals. Fortunately Teddy Roosevelt through his National Park Preservation programs saved the buffalo from total extinction. Today the proud American bison roams the prairies of Montana South Dakota and other western states fully protected from hunters.
Framed Dimensions 33 5/8" L x 18 ½" H - $2,195 Remington had great admiration for the U.S. Cavalry; his father was a decorated cavalry major during the Civil War. He had great empathy for both soldiers and Indians who were killed or wounded and...
A Cavalryman's Breakfast on the Plains Print measures 32" x 23" Canvas measures 29.75" X 20"
A Dash for the Timber Print measures 37.5" x 23" The museum wrapped canvas measures 36" X 20"" and has brown edges.


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We'll be meeting at Stratford station (at the sign) at 10.30am this Saturday, 23 May, to head over to help Tower Hamlets.
If you can't make that time please just turn up at Tower Hamlets Labour Party office (349 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA, nr Bethnal Green station) anytime between 10-4pm this Saturday or Sunday. You can also see when they have sessions during the week here. They'll be grateful for any time you can spare.


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Daniel Sturridge will look to leave Chelsea in January to try to revive his England chances. (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal full-back Andre Santos has refused to rule out a return to Turkey after losing his first-team place.(Daily Mirror)
Newcastle are trying to land Dutch goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet – after sending a delegation to watch him.(Daily Mirror)
Ashley Cole is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after rejecting a new contract at Stamford Bridge.(Daily Mirror)
Manchester City are in no rush to extend Yaya Toure's contract, whose current deal expires in 2015.(Daily Mirror)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has ruled himself out of the running for the Bolton and Blackburn jobs – for now.(Daily Mirror)
Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone has ruled out a return to his homeland Italy.(Daily Mirror)
Liverpool are lining up a surprise swoop for Atletico Madrid's Arda Turan and Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez. (talkSPORT)
Arsenal have entered the chase for Brazilian striker Leandro Diamiao – who is also wanted by Tottenham. (Daily Star)
Chelsea are looking to bring in another Brazilian in Corintheans midfielder Paulinho. (talkSPORT)
Tottenham are interested in Holland international Jordy Clasie from Feyenoord. (Daily Mail)
Crystal Palace have warned Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City that Wilfried Zaha is not for sale. (The Guardian)
Liverpool and QPR are lining up bids should Darren Bent leave Aston Villa in January. (Metro)
Real Madrid see Kasper Schmeichel as surprise replacement for Iker Casillas. (Daily Star)
Fulham are interested in offering Andriy Arshavin an escape route from Arsenal. (Footylatest.com)


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Not sure that leaving his friends to learn things from a magazine was the right thing to do, but to each his own…
Johnny Weir's husband Victor Weir-Voronov revealed a surprising personal fact on an installment of "Bethenny" this week.
Weir-Voronov, who tied the knot with the U.S. figure skater on New Year's Eve in 2011, told host Bethenny Frankel that he had not come out of the closet to his family until one month before the wedding.
"I told my family a month before we got married, and my friends only found out in People magazine," Weir-Voronov, who claims he knew he was gay as a child, told Frankel. "I didn't come out of the closet, I chainstormed the door down … I'm a masculine guy, people [didn't expect it]."


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We were thrilled to figure out that William Steig also wrote Shrek!
When we discussed the story, the kids said they were impressed with the nice wishes that the main character made in the beginning. We were a little sad when the parents kept searching and searching and he was actually right there (he turns into a rock where the parents have a picnic). It was a relief to see the happy ending!
We learned a lesson. Be very very careful about what you wish for.
Goodreads summary:
One rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results.


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A holiday is an occasion to celebrate and, of course, to show that special someone that you care. February brings us St Valentine's Day, with all its clichés and symbols. Three watchmakers have decided to produce a special Valentine's watch.
While they all stuck with feminine shades and diamonds, each of them focused on different elements, according to their own interpretations of the holiday. Which one will be your heart's desire?
Blancpain – Villeret Saint-Valentin 2018
This steel 29.20 mm watch created by Blancpain is an ode to love and femininity, showcasing the traditional symbols of Valentine's Day. The second hand is a cupid's arrow, its point piercing a red heart. This motif is repeated on the rhodium-plated yellow gold oscillating weight, which is decorated with a heart pierced by sun rays and a cupid's arrow. The lucky owner of this watch can enjoy the scene through the sapphire back.
Villeret Saint-Valentin 2018 © Blancpain
In addition to the symbols, the watchmaker has also chosen the colour of love. This limited 99-piece edition comes with a red alligator strap, echoing the hue of the rubies that decorate the dial at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock. These four rubies are joined by 19 brilliant-cut diamonds scattered over the mother-of-pearl dial, each in its own star setting, a technique in which the gem is held in a metal piece. These jewelled accents continue onto the bezel and lugs, which are decorated with 48 and 20 diamonds, respectively. There's even a diamond in the crown.
Case back view © Blancpain
The watch features a moon phase display as well as the hours, minutes and seconds indicated by openworked sage leaf hands. Blancpain has updated the complication, placing it at an unusual angle in the 6 o'clock position. The moon has a woman's face, complete with enigmatic smile and beauty spot. Is there a secret message?
Bovet 1822 – Château de Môtiers 40 « Bouquet de Fleurs »
Flowers are a traditional Valentine's Day gift. Why not do something a little different this year, and offer flowers in a different form? Unlike a real bouquet, the advantage of the flowers in this miniature painting on white mother-of-pearl is that they will never fade.
Château de Môtiers 40 © Bovet 1822
One of the best areas of the Breguet Type XXI is the motion – that is a bit more than your regular triple enroll chronograph. What's also extremely important to mention is that, unlike most (or all I can recall) Breguet Type XXI watches, the motion – with its appealing machine-polished gold strand – is visible through a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback window on the back of this watch. Inside the watch is your very well-regarded in-house Breguet caliber 584Q/2. This is the newest version of the grade 584Q, which now contains an "inverted in-line Swiss lever" silicon escapement from the 584Q/2, versus the alloy straight-line lever escapement from the 584Q. This, of course, isn't the very first Breguet watch to use silicon parts – and it's very good to observe the newest continue to embrace this technology, as it helps the movements perform better over time.The caliber 584Q/2 operates at 4Hz (28,800bph) using a power reserve of 48 hours. The automatic movement delivers the moment, date, and flyback chronograph, along with a synchronized 24-hour hand which functions as an AM/PM indicator. The chronograph is also a middle minutes and central seconds chronograph, which means you will find just two centrally-mounted chronograph hands to quantify these two sections of time. The subdials around the face have been used for the running moments of the moment, chronograph hour index, along with the synchronized 24-hour hand (which among other things makes setting the time easier). The movement in function and performance is really fine, and easily a highlight for possessing this or alternative Breguet Type XXI watches.
Bovet 1822 has used the successful floral motif to decorate the dial of its exclusive Valentine's watch. The latest watch in the Château de Môtiers 40 collection uses an innovative technique in which luminescent material is added to the paint, making it visible both day and night. The work is demanding – the painter has to work skilfully to ensure that the picture is exactly the same, in the light and in the dark. So, while the image remains identical, the colours differ. In this model, brighter colours such as yellow grow darker in the absence of light.
Château de Môtiers 40 © Bovet 1822
The floral dial is set in an imposing 40 mm red gold case, framed by a diamond-set bezel. A purple alligator strap completes this two-handed watch, driven by a self-winding mechanical movement with a 42-hour power reserve.
Breguet – Classique Phase de Lune Dame 9085
In honour of Valentine's Day, Breguet has chosen to present an updated version of the Classique Phase de Lune Dame, limited to 14 pieces in reference to the date. This classically feminine timepiece features a fascinating gem-set bezel, which combines graduated soft pink sapphires and sparkling diamonds. The shades are mirrored on the pin buckle that closes the satin-finished alligator strap in graduated shades of pink. The lugs are deliberately asymmetrical, set with sapphires at 6 o'clock and diamonds at 12.
Classique Phase de Lune Dame 9085 © Breguet
Inside the 30 mm white gold case sits the self-winding calibre 537L with 45-hour power reserve, which can be admired through the sapphire case back. The iconic "hollow apple" Breguet Naples Watch Replica hands in blued steel point to Roman numerals, and rotate around the white mother-of-pearl dial, whose natural variations are reminiscent of clouds. The moon phase complication at 6 o'clock gives the timepiece a final romantic touch. The smiling moon surrounded by stars appears and disappears behind a pink mother-of-pearl heart as the satellite waxes and wanes, while the small seconds hand twirls at the centre of a pink lacquered disc.


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Schneider showcases their NetShelter CX as one of their portable server room in a box at Data Center World 2016. It's fully secure, fully flexible and on caster wheels for mobility. It has 90% noise reduction, allowing you to put it in an office with employees or other places where you don't have a dedicated IT space.
The one on display is 18U. It is fan-cooled so it works out the ambient air in the room, allowing you to save energy costs. It's fully secure; lockable with a key lock. It opens from the side or back for easy access to the servers. It comes with a standard PDU. It allows you to have access to a 300 to 400 Cat5 cabling with a simple removal of a screw. The rack rounds are completely flexible; they'll go from 34" down to 4".
This is a great solution for those areas where you don't have a dedicated IT space. It works out the ambient air in the room so you don't have to cool it any differently; it doesn't require any venting.
This is great for retail, healthcare mediclinics, small banks or offices, and supermarket branches of banks.