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November 16, 2012 4:10 PM

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ttym 9554 TTYM: A Bear Naked Tweet, A NASCAR Brawl And No Horsing Around For Berry
What one thing terrifies the NFL’s Eric Berry on the field? Ndamukong Suh’s personal hygiene is more important than you..

And find out how soccer sensation Hope Solo and former Seattle Seahawk Jerramy Stevens spent their wedding day.  All that and you know there’s a Tweet gone wrong in this week’s That Thing You Missed.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Black and Blue?

.hope stevens2 TTYM: A Bear Naked Tweet, A NASCAR Brawl And No Horsing Around For Berry
Over the years, attention seeking  adventurous couples have discovered many unique, possibly even bizarre ways to tie the knot.  From ceremonies on baseball fields to underwater scuba nuptials to skydiving vows you see it all these days.  And to that I say, eh you’re all annoying – but hey to each their own

Most people vie for the traditional ceremony and rubbery chicken dinner version.

And some folks choose to keep it simple and make it legal in a courthouse.

That’s where embattled soccer sensation Hope Solo and her former Seattle Seahawk TE Jerramy Stevens fiancé spent their wedding day… only Stevens was there after getting arrested on domestic violence charges.

Against Solo.

You may be shocked to learn alcohol was involved, there was a massive melee, a taser gun was used (not by cops) and Solo emerged with a cut on her elbow. Oh by the way, Stevens was found upstairs hiding under a bed – all according to the police reports, of course.

But, don’t worry! Stevens was released due to lack of evidence, the bruised bride was able to pull herself together and the couple got hitched that very evening.

Won’t that be a great story for them to tell their grandkids someday?

Story via CBS Local Seattle

Eric Berry Is Not Horsing Around

Kansas City Chief’s Safety Eric Berry was sure on the defensive during the Chief’s vs. Raiders game this week.  Only, he wasn’t chasing down a running back, he was trying to dodge a horse.

Berry suffers from Equinophobia (fear of horses).  Which is pretty damn unfortunate for him ‘cause the Chiefs’ mascot just so happens to be a horse named Warpaint – who trots the field during every single home game.

Now, I may be snarky, but I am not typically amused by other people’s fears.  That is until now.  This just may be one of the best clips in NFL Films history.

Eric, perhaps it’s time to start thinking about a trade.

Story via CBS Chicago

This Guy is Completely Nuts

suh2 TTYM: A Bear Naked Tweet, A NASCAR Brawl And No Horsing Around For Berry

Detroit Lions Coach Jim Schwartz baffled the media on Wednesday when he called defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh performance during the team’s loss to the Vikings one of Suh’s best games in a Detroit uniform.

The lofty praise left many in the media scratching their heads and wondering if Schwartz was at the same game they were. So our Detroit reporters were panting at the locker room door on Wednesday to start questioning Suh about Schwartz’s assessment.  Now, Suh is required by the NFL to talk to the media – or he could face fines.

Instead, Suh told the press he was heading to the showers to clean his well, um, I’m gonna call them his “baby makers.”

Hmmm. Perhaps, Suh just got confused when reporters asked him about his number of sacks?

I have no idea why he’s the most hated player in the NFL.

Story via CBS Detroit

Full Moon Spotted in Bears’ Locker Room

brandon marshall tweet2 TTYM: A Bear Naked Tweet, A NASCAR Brawl And No Horsing Around For Berry

After Sunday night’s game against the Texans Chicago Bears Brandon Marshall Tweeted a picture of himself hanging out in the locker room dressed in a T-shirt someone apparently sent to him.

Only, he wasn’t exactly by himself.

Right behind the wide receiver, clear as day, is one of his bare-butted teammates in the act of dropping trou.

Marshall quickly deleted the Tweet – but you can check out a definitely “safe for work” version right here.

Story via CBS Chicago

Talladega Fights

Smoking hot temps, a waving black and white checkered flag, the familiar smell of oil emanating from a track, the sound of engines roaring and most importantly gallons and gallons of beer.  Ah, the beloved NASCAR race.  It just doesn’t get any better for our red blooded American friends south of the Mason Dixon line.

Until last Sunday in Phoenix, when it did.

You see, Speedway god Jeff Gordon apparently has an ongoing testosterone-type beef with Clint Bowyer and wrecked his car intentionally during the race.  And that didn’t exactly sit well with Bowyer’s pit crew.  The second Gordon got out of his car they jumped him and a brawl of epic proportions ensued.

Making the drama even better – Bowyer stormed from his decimated car and sprinting furiously towards the fracas.  Race officials, however, held him back.  Buzzkills!

The best part?  After it was over race winner Kevin Harvick told the associated press “I like fights.  We should have more fights.”

 ‘Cause in the immortal words of Ricky Bobby “If you ain’t first, you’re last.  You know, you know what I’m talking about?

Warning: video contains some graphic language.

Got a fun story sports fans may have missed?  Or an obscure, silly and perhaps gossipy tale we didn’t cover?  E-mail Tara Lipinsky at or send her a Tweet @TaraLipinsky.

For more fun check out

That Thing You Missed: At Least Mike Vick’s Brother Has His Back; Peyton Manning Luckiest Guy in NFL?

That Thing You Missed:  LT Tackles Tebow with Relationship Advice

That Thing You Missed: Stephen A. Smith Said What?? And People Like Mike Vick More Than Jay Cutler

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GotSkillz falls to Duke’s Lacrosse Club (Pa.), 8-7, in overtime in Champ Camp finals

Saturday, 21st July 2012

Categories Boy's/Men's, Club, Posted 7/21/12

Sean Coleman scored early in sudden death overtime off a feed from La Salle (Pa.) teammate and Maryland recruit Matt Ranbo as the Duke’s Lacrosse Club (Pa.) defeated GotSkillz, 8-7, today to claim the title at Champ Camp at Homewood Field at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The Dukes had won the title five straight years before being beaten in the finals last year by Tri-State.

Eight different players scored for the Dukes, who finished 9-0.

The winning goal was set up by a face-off win by Charles Kelly (Malvern Prep). Thirty seconds later, Rambo found Coleman for the game-winner.

Also scoring for the Dukes were Rambo, Chris Hilburn, Nick Valentino (Hempfield), Trevor Kupecky (Upper Merion), Grayson Helm (Wyomissing), Mike Sutton (St. Augustine Prep) and Reilly Hupfeldt (Haverford School).

Matt Barrett (Malvern Prep) was the winning goalie.

The Dukes had seized a 6-2 lead in the second half with the help of five straight goals. But Villanova recruit Devin McNamara (Loyola Blakefield) scored twice for GotSkillz and after Hilburn gave the Dukes a 7-6 lead Princeton recruit Sam Bonafede (Chaminade) tied it with 2 minutes left in regulation.

GotSkillz had taken a 2-1 lead early on on goals by Brinton Valis (McDonogh) and Carney Mahon (Chaminade).

The Dukes had advanced to the finals with a 13-2 win over Team 24 (NY). GotSkillz advanced by downing Philly’s Twist Black, 9-2.

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text:
IFSC Code of UNION BANK OF INDIA (UBI) Chikodi branch - Belgaum. Contact phone number and address

Find IFSC Code using the Lists below...

First select your bank, select the state, now select your district and finally select the branch of your bank to find IFSC Code. If you need to change any search list term, please use Up Arrow Icons.

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IFSC Code Details and Chikodi Branch Information

UNION BANK OF INDIA - CHIKODI is located at KARNATAKA state, BELGAUM district, CHIKODI city and the bank branch's address is [938 39, GURUWAR PET, CHIKODI, DIST. BELGAUM, KARNATAKA, PIN - 591 201]. Contact phone number / numbers - 08338-272141. The IFSC Code is UBIN0537471. Branch code is the last six characters of the IFSC Code - 537471. Individual bank branch's details are listed below.

Bank :

Union Bank Of India

State :

District :

Branch :

IFSC Code :

UBIN0537471 (5th character is zero)

MICR Code :

Branch Code :

537471 (Last 6 Characters of the IFSC Code)

City :

Address :

938 39, Guruwar Pet, Chikodi, Dist. Belgaum, Karnataka, Pin - 591 201

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Nearest Union Bank Of India branches in Belgaum

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Indian Financial System Code, Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, SWIFT Code, Address and Contact number of UNION BANK OF INDIA (UBI) - Chikodi branch. Branch office / ATM location : 938 39, Guruwar Pet, Chikodi, Dist. Belgaum, Karnataka, Pin - 591 201

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text:
barbara duch

 sculpture and paintings

"There's always something more going on inside that you can't see. You just get a hint of it. And that makes you more curious: gives energy to the piece."                       Ruth Duckworth

under the sea and more                                       ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Welcome to my online gallery.    I live in Savannah, Georgia and have been strongly influenced by living on the coast.  My children grew up here and both live in coastal areas as adults....New York and St. Petersburg, FL.    When we travel we head to areas with beautiful water, coral reefs and fishing.  This is the inspiration for much of my work which is often narrative, using water and other motifs to represent things that are important to me as I travel through life.  Most of all I hope everyone who views my work can take from it something meaningful for themselves........

wall tiles

 wall tiles

paintings gallery

Barbara Duch     716 Bradley Pt. Rd. Savannah, Georgia  31410     912-660-2870

e-mail  For additional images or information


text:
Fiction > Harvard Classics > William Shakespeare > Macbeth
William Shakespeare (1564–1616).  The Tragedy of Macbeth.
The Harvard Classics.  1909–14.
Act IV
Scene II
[Fife. Macduff’s castle]
Enter LADY MACDUFF, her Son, and ROSS

  L. Macd.  What had he done, to make him fly the land?
  Ross.  You must have patience, madam.
  L. Macd.        He had none;
His flight was madness. When our actions do not,        4
Our fears do make us traitors.
  Ross.        You know not
Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.
  L. Macd.  Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes,        8
His mansion and his titles, 1 in a place
From whence himself does fly? He loves us not,
He wants the natural touch; for the poor wren,
The most diminutive of birds, will fight,        12
Her young ones in her nest, against the owl.
All is the fear and nothing is the love;
As little is the wisdom, where the flight
So runs against all reason.        16
  Ross.        My dearest coz,
I pray you, school yourself; but for your husband,
He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows
The fits 2 o’ the season. I dare not speak much further;        20
But cruel are the times when we are traitors
And do not know ourselves; when we hold rumour
From what we fear, yet know not what we fear,
But float upon a wild and violent sea        24
Each way and move. I take my leave of you;
Shall not be long but I’ll be here again.
Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward
To what they were before. My pretty cousin,        28
Blessing upon you!
  L. Macd.        Father’d he is, and yet he’s fatherless.
  Ross.  I am so much a fool, should I stay longer,
It would be my disgrace and your discomfort.        32
I take my leave at once.  Exit.
  L. Macd.        Sirrah, your father’s dead;
And what will you do now? How will you live?
  Son.  As birds do, mother.        36
  L. Macd.        What, with worms and flies?
  Son.  With what I get, I mean; and so do they.
  L. Macd.  Poor bird! thou ’dst never fear the net nor lime,
The pitfall nor the gin.        40
  Son.  Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for.
My father is not dead, for all your saying.
  L. Macd.  Yes, he is dead. How wilt thou do for a father?
  Son.  Nay, how will you do for a husband?        44
  L. Macd.  Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.
  Son.  Then you’ll buy ’em to sell again.
  L. Macd.  Thou speak’st with all thy wit; and yet, i’ faith,
With wit enough for thee.        48
  Son.  Was my father a traitor, mother?
  L. Macd.  Ay, that he was.
  Son.  What is a traitor?
  L. Macd.  Why, one that swears and lies.        52
  Son.  And be all traitors that do so?
  L. Macd.  Every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hang’d.
  Son.  And must they all be hang’d that swear and lie?
  L. Macd.  Every one.        56
  Son.  Who must hang them?
  L. Macd.  Why, the honest men.
  Son.  Then the liars and swearers are fools; for there are liars and
swearers enow to beat the honest men and hang up them.        60
  L. Macd.  Now, God help thee, poor monkey!
But how wilt thou do for a father?
  Son.  If he were dead, you’d weep for him; if you would not, it
were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father.        64
  L. Macd.  Poor prattler, how thou talk’st!
Enter a Messenger

  Mess.  Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,
Though in your state of honour I am perfect. 3
I doubt some danger does approach you nearly.        68
If you will take a homely man’s advice,
Be not found here; hence, with your little ones.
To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;
To do worse to you were fell cruelty,        72
Which is too nigh your person. Heaven preserve you!
I dare abide no longer.  Exit.
  L. Macd.        Whither should I fly?
I have done no harm. But I remember now        76
I am in this earthly world, where to do harm
Is often laudable, to do good sometime
Accounted dangerous folly. Why then, alas,
Do I put up that womanly defence,        80
To say I have done no harm?
Enter Murderers

        What are these faces?
  [1.] Mur.  Where is your husband?
  L. Macd.  I hope, in no place so unsanctified        84
Where such as thou may’st find him.
  [1.] Mur.        He’s a traitor.
  Son.  Thou liest, thou shag-ear’d villain!
  [1.] Mur.        What, you egg!  [Stabbing him.]        88
Young fry of treachery!
  Son.        He has kill’d me, mother:
Run away, I pray you!  [Dies.]  Exit [LADY MACDUFF] crying “Murder!”  [Exeunt Murderers, following her.]
Note 1. Possessions. [back]
Note 2. Troubles. [back]
Note 3. I am perfectly familiar with your rank. [back]

Shakespeare · Bible · Strunk · Anatomy · Nonfiction · Quotations · Reference · Fiction · Poetry
© 1993–2015 · [Top 150] · Subjects · Titles · Authors · World Lit.


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Baseball > Footwear > [x] Replacement Cleats > [x] $50.00 and under

Adams Track Replacement Steel Spikes Bag/50 [E93422]

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text:
Baseball Crank
Covering the Front and Back Pages of the Newspaper
April 3, 2006
WAR: The Hostage

I can't add much to Captain Ed's words on people rushing to judgment about Jill Carroll. The animosity directed at Carroll in some quarters of the blogosphere is way overheated. There's an interesting strategic question why she was treated relatively better than some other hostages and released alive, but as is often true of these things we may never know the answer. On the other hand, people trying to smear the conservative movement by equating one of Don Imus' nitwit sidekicks with real, thinking conservatives just don't know what they're taking about.

Posted by Baseball Crank at 12:21 PM | War 2006 | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

It's not like it hasn't happened before - look at Yvonne Ridley (?). Same sort of circumstances - far left reporter, gets kidnapped, when released starts making nutty statements. The real test will be 2-3 months down the line if Carroll decides to convert to Islam like Ridley did....

Posted by: JeremyR at April 3, 2006 4:18 PM

Carroll's sin, if she committed one, was naivete.
She went about in Iraq too cavalierly, too trusting of the place and its people. She's young. Whatever she said, she said. The tears and spaced out look of the first few videos tell a truer story than her pre-release statements, I think.

Posted by: seamus at April 3, 2006 7:29 PM

Bernard's a liberal by my way of thinking...

Posted by: Bill at April 3, 2006 11:18 PM
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text:
Tommy Lasorda

Thomas Charles Lasorda
Inducted to the Hall of Fame in: 1997
Primary team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Primary position: Manager

For more than three decades, he has been the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And after more than sixty years in the Dodgers’ organization, Tommy Lasorda remains the embodiment of Dodger Blue.

Lasorda, who managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976-1996, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 by the Veterans Committee following a career where he won 1,599 games, two World Series and two more National League pennants – all with the Dodgers.

Thomas Charles Lasorda was born Sept. 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pa. He got his start in pro-baseball at the age of 18 as a southpaw pitcher when he signed with the Phillies in 1945, then served two years in the military.

In 1948, Lasorda made a record-making return to the baseball scene with the Schenectady Blue Jays as he authored a 25-strikeout performance. In 1949, the Dodgers drafted him from the Phillies, and he made a new home pitching for the Greenville Spinners and the Montreal Royals. During his time with the Royals, Lasorda led his team to four minor league championships.

Lasorda made his major league debut on Aug. 5, 1954 with the Dodgers. He played for the Dodgers for two seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Athletics, where he pitched for one season.

After the 1960 season, Lasorda ended his playing career in pro ball and became a scout for the Dodgers until 1965. He managed in the minor leagues from 1966-72, and in 1973 Tommy made his way back to the big leagues as a third base coach for the L.A. Dodgers under another future Hall of Fame manager – Walter Alston. Alston retired in 1976 after 23 years with the Dodgers, and Lasorda took the reins.

By 1978, he had led the Dodgers to two straight National League championships, and became the first NL manager to win pennants in their first two seasons. After losing to the Yankees in both the 1977 and 1978 World Series, the Dodgers went on to win the World Series over the Yankees in 1981. They defeated the A’s in 1988 to give Lasorda his second World Series title.

After retiring in 1996, Lasorda stayed busy working in baseball. In 2000, he managed the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team to a gold medal in the Sydney games.

“Guys ask me, don't I get burned out?” Lasorda said. “How can you get burned out doing something you love?”

"This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my lifetime. The Hall of Fame is eternity and I thank God for all of it. I am living the dream. [on his 1997 Hall of Fame Induction] "
Tommy Lasorda

Career stats

Year Inducted: 1997
Primary Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Position Played: Manager
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Birth place: Norristown, Pennsylvania
Birth year: 1927
Los Angeles Dodgers (1976-1996)
Winning %Winning %


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TRI MOUNTAIN Highland Taffeta Nylon Hooded Jacket [E45880]

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Womens Bonney Water Resistant Lightweight Jacket [E50021]

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TRI MOUNTAIN Cordova Micro Fleece 1/4-Zip Pullover [E41970]

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TRI MOUNTAIN Mens Chandler 1/4-Zip Windshirt [E49835]

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TRI MOUNTAIN Superbike Lightweight Race Jacket [E73833]

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Batman’s backstory in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ revealed?

We’ve heard for a while that Batman was going to be older in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ben Affleck was spotted on set yesterday sporting some grey hair to support that claim. Director Zack Snyder has even been quoted as calling him a “crusty old Batman”. I had heard that he was going to be in his mid-40’s, but according to a new Badass Digest report, he’s going to be even older… perhaps 10 years older. Here’s what Badass Digest had to say about Batman’s backstory in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:

My sources indicate that when BvS opens Batman has existed for close to thirty years, which would place Wayne in his 50s (which is why I expected more grey in Affleck’s hair). In this version Batman is still an urban legend, a creature of the night, and no one has ever taken his picture. But he’s had plenty of adventures, and the Batcave includes a memorial centered around a tattered Robin costume.

Badass Digest also claims that Wonder Woman has been around prior to where we start off in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. “Her activities have been just as secretive as Batman’s. Her activities were badass as well… but in a very different, and unexpected, way”, the site explains.

Obviously all unofficial story news should be taken with a grain of salt, but Badass Digest has some solid sources. In fact, they were the first website to tie Jason Momoa to Aquaman… and we all know how that turned out!

How do you feel about these rumors, particularly the 50+ year old crime fighting veteran Batman who no one has really seen? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Update: I’ve been told that Batman will not be in his 50s. He’ll be in his 40s as we’ve previously heard. I’m confident in my sources, but it’ll be interesting to see if the rest of Badass Digest’s report pans out.

SOURCE: Badass Digest

Related: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice


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Boo at the Zoo

  • When: Sunday, October 20, 2013, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Where: Stone Zoo, 149 Pond Street, Stoneham, MA
  • Cost: Free - $14
  • Age limit2: All ages
  • Categories: Children, Outdoors

Children throughout New England are invited to trick-or-treat among the animals. Thrills, chills, and animals lurk around every corner on the Trick-or-Treat Trail, which will include candy from UNREAL Candy. Other haunted happenings include creepy crafts, ghoulish games, costume contests, and a haunted maze! Throughout the day, people can learn about the importance of enrichment as they watch as many of the animals receive pumpkins, generously donated by Whole Foods Melrose, as enrichment items.

MAGIC 106.7, Zoo New England’s 2013 radio partner, will be onsite on October 19 with music, games and prizes. Also on October 19, be sure to join the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts for fun crafts at Boo at the Zoo.

Zoo New England is pleased to partner with Green Halloween® for this year’s festivities. Green Halloween is a grassroots initiative to encourage communities to celebrate healthier and more sustainable holidays, starting with Halloween. Green Halloween has a simple goal: to keep fun and happy memories while creating traditions children and parents can feel great about, now, and in the future. To learn more about Green Halloween visit www.greenhalloween.org.

Special thanks to hibu, a Boo at the Zoo sponsor.


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Optoma NE800M Earphones

NZXT Noctis 450

Sennheiser CX 686G SPORTS

App Pick - Spending Tracker

Chip-Faced with Intel

Moving along today we've got a few Intel CPU reviews to post including one Core i5-3570K CPU at HiTechLegion that comes multiplier unlocked (hence the "K" moniker) and offers some pretty decent performance for the price.

If you want something with a little more punch, the Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge CPU at FutureLooks has a bit more power and is also factory unlocked for your LGA1155 platform.  If you don't believe them, TechPowerUp has the same chip on their bench as well.

The biggest changes can be found in the graphics core. It adds support for DirectX 11, which puts it on the map to play the latest games. Intel has increased the number of execution units from 12 to 16, which by itself will give a nice performance boost. We also see support for less common APIs like OpenCL 1.1 and OpenGL 3.1.

In The News


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The December placement numbers released last Friday surprised analysts by being up 16.1% while the average estimate of the analysts was only 13.7%. While last year’s placement totals were extremely low, December placements were up 5.7% compared to the five-year average. In addition, placements were up 10 of 12 months in 2010 compared to 2009.

The numbers raise a couple of questions. First, why the jump in prices? The answer is that we’re working through all those low placements, while export demand has been driving the ship in 2010 and helping to push prices.

Second, if numbers are so tight, how can we be placing more cattle? It is higher prices that are pulling cattle in, and profitable fed-cattle sales are causing feeders to aggressively replace those going out – both conditions that were not occurring last year. When it comes to marketing, few people are going to wait with prices at the levels they are. “Get ’em gone,” seems to be the mantra of the industry.

Considering the run-up in feeder prices, perhaps it’s the most surprising that December 2010 placements were less than 6% over the five-year average. Factoring into it are the high prices drawing a large amount of calves from south of the border. Mexican imports were up 37% in the fourth quarter, and are expected to remain high.

Other points:

Higher corn prices lead to higher placement weights so everyone was expecting the number of 700+ lb. calves to increase, a trend that’s expected to remain for the foreseeable future. The real surprise in placements was that the increase in lighter-weight calves was consistent (percentage-wise) with feeder-cattle placements. It’s obvious that we are pulling calves forward, which should bode well for the future, if not necessarily the first six months of the year.

Quite a few heifers destined for the replacement pen have found their way to town in the last 60 days. Short-term that’s more numbers than expected, which means long-term numbers will get tighter yet.
-- Troy Marshall


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Compared to last year, the first pasture-condition report issued by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) this season indicates a more positive start, especially in the West and Southeast.

Nationally, 53% of the nation’s pasture and range is rated as Good or Excellent, which is 5% more than at the same time last year.

Regionally, analysts with the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) explain, “The Western Region reported about a quarter of pasture and range was in the worst two categories, much better than last year when it had 35% classified in those categories. The Cornbelt, which has benefited from plenty of moisture this spring, reported Poor to Very Poor conditions at 8% vs. 11% last year, while conditions in the Great Plains were reported at 15% Poor to Very Poor, down from the 27% at this time last year.”

It’s the Southern Plains, especially Texas, getting off to a significantly drier start than a year ago. The LMIC folks point out a third of all pasture and range in the region was reported as Very Poor to Poor, compared to 20% last year and 23% for the five-year average.

On the other side of the growing fence, corn producers received favorable market news last week. Besides planting being so far off pace (see crop reports below), USDA has lowered expected production, while increasing expected demand.

According to the most recent “World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates” (WASDE), 2009-10 corn production is projected at 12.1 billion bu., down 11 million bu. from 2008-09, with fewer acres planted offsetting higher expected yields. At the same time, WASDE increased estimates of corn use, especially for ethanol production and exports. Consequently, U.S. corn ending stocks for 2009-10 are projected down 28% to 1.1 billion bu. The season-average farm price is projected at $3.70-$4.50/bu. compared with the record $4.20 reported for 2007-08 and the $4.10-$4.30 projected for 2008-09.

Soybean crush for 2009-10 is projected to increase 2% to 1.675 billion bu., reflecting a small increase in domestic meal use and higher exports, according to WASDE. Ending stocks are projected at 230 million bu., resulting in a relatively low stocks-to-use ratio at 7%. The U.S. season-average soybean price for 2009-10 is projected at $8.45-$10.45/bu. compared with $9.85 in 2008-09. Soybean meal prices are forecast at $260-$320/ton, compared with $305 for 2008-09.

As for wheat, WASDE estimates 19% less production and 4% less use. Despite lower expected use and higher beginning stocks, ending stocks are projected down 5% at 637 million bu. The season-average farm price for all wheat is projected at $4.70-$5.70/bu., below the record $6.85 for 2008-09.
For the week ending May 10, according to NASS:

Corn – 48% is planted, the same as last year, but 23% behind the five-year average. Producers in Iowa continued to plant at a rapid pace, despite much of the state receiving rainfall during the week. Progress in Illinois, at just 10% complete, remained over a week behind the previous year and more than three weeks behind the average. 14% has emerged, compared to 10% last year and 28% for average. Development was behind the five-year average pace in all states except Iowa and Nebraska.

Soybeans – 14% is planted, which is 3% ahead of last year but 11% behind normal. As producers continued to battle soggy fields and wet weather, planting in Illinois and North Dakota had yet to begin, and was over a week behind normal.

Winter wheat – 40% advanced to the heading stage, 6% ahead of the same time last year, but 8% behind average. While maturation neared completion in Arkansas and California, the most development occurred in Kansas, where 29% of the crop headed during the week. 46% is rated Good or Excellent, compared to 47% at the same time last year.

Spring wheat – 35% of the crop is in the ground, which is 42% behind last year, or more than a week behind. Compared to the five-year average it’s 43% behind, or two week off the pace. South Dakota made the most progress, with 24% of the acreage seeded during the week. 13% has emerged, which is 11% behind last year and 25% in back of average. The most maturation was evident in Idaho’s crop, where warmer temperatures during the week aided crop development.

Barley – 33% of seeding is complete; 40% behind last year and 41% behind average. Progress remained behind last year and average in all states. 12% has emerged, which is 12% in back of last year and 24% behind the average pace.

Sorghum – 31% of the intended acreage is sown, 3% behind last year and 2% behind the average. Producers in Arkansas and Louisiana made a strong push in planting during the week, getting 27% and 25% of the crop in the ground, respectively. However, progress in both states remained behind normal.

Oats – 80% of planting is complete, on par with last year, but 9% behind the five-year average. The most progress was made in South Dakota and Minnesota, where 28% and 19% of the crop was sown during the week, respectively. 60% has emerged, 10 points ahead of last year, but five points behind the five-year average. Iowa’s crop showed the most development, progressing 26% during the week. The most crop development during the week occurred in Ohio, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. 45% was rated Good and Excellent.

Pasture – 53% of the nation’s pasture and range is rated as Good or Excellent, 5% more than at the same time last year. 18% is rated Poor or Very Poor, compared to 21% a year ago.

States with the worst pasture conditions – at least 30% of the acreage rated Poor or worse – include: Arizona (49%); California (60%); Florida (59%); New Mexico (61%); and Texas (41%).

The lushest conditions – at least 40% rated Good or better – exist in: Alabama (81%); Arkansas (69%); Georgia (60%); Idaho (90%); Illinois (83%); Indiana (74%); Iowa (63%); Kansas (63%); Kentucky (67%); Louisiana (64%); Maine (74%); Maryland (87%); Michigan (60%); Minnesota (55%); Mississippi (74%); Missouri (63%); Montana (47%); Nebraska (71%); Nevada (48%); New York (72%); North Carolina (70%); North Dakota (44%); Ohio (64%); Oklahoma (53%); Oregon (65%); Pennsylvania (75%); South Carolina (64%); South Dakota (63%); Tennessee (76%); Utah (54%); Virginia (76%); Washington (40%); Wisconsin (63%); and Wyoming (69%).


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2 thoughts on “Anheuser-Busch extends partnership with Chicago Cubs, now exclusive beer and cider vendor

  1. One more reason US Cellular Field is better. You can buy a can of daisy cutter from half acre for less then Shock top and all those other “macro craft brews”

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Marine Security Guards

The Marine Security Guards' primary mission is to provide internal security services at designated U.S. Diplomatic and Consular facilities to prevent the compromise of classified information and equipment vital to the national security of the United States of America. The secondary mission of Marine Security Guards is to provide protection for U.S. citizens and U.S. Government property located within designated U.S. Diplomatic and Consular premises during exigent circumstances, which require immediate aid or action.

MSGs focus on the interior security of a diplomatic post's building(s). In only the most extreme emergency situations are they authorized duties exterior to the building(s) or to provide special protection to the senior diplomatic officer off of the diplomatic compound. MSGs carry a certain level of diplomatic immunity in the performance of their official duties.

The MSG Program in its current form has been in place since December 1948, but the Marine Corps has a long history of cooperation with the Department of State (DOS) going back to the early days of the Nation. From the raising of the United States flag at Derna, Tripoli and the secret mission of Archibald Gillespie in California, to the 55 days at Peking, Marines have served many times on special missions as couriers, guards for embassies and legations, and to protect American citizens in unsettled areas.

The origins of the modern MSG Program began with the Foreign Service Act of 1946, which stated that the Secretary of Navy is authorized, upon the request of the Secretary of State, to assign enlisted Marines to serve as custodians under the supervision of the senior diplomatic officer at an embassy, legation, or consulate. Using this Act, the DOS and Marine Corps entered into negotiations to establish the governing provisions for assigning MSGs overseas. These negotiations culminated in the first joint Memorandum of Agreement signed on 15 December 1948. Trained at the DOS's Foreign Service Institute, the first MSGs departed for Tangier and Bangkok on 28 January 1949. Title 10, United States Code 5983, has since replaced the authority granted in the Foreign Service Act of 1946 and the most recent Memorandum of Agreement was signed on 9 Jan 2001. The Marine Corps assumed the primary training responsibility in November 1954.

U.S. Marines in China

  • For reports on a special cooperative training mission with US and Chinese Marines, please click here


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Friday, July 19, 2013

I'd like to introduce you all to the newest member of my family, Shamelia. She's my new purebred Arabian mare. For those of you who have known me for a while, you already know how much I love horses and how the first part of my life was dedicated to them. Well, I'm back. And Shamelia is my new pride and joy!

So without further ado, meet Shamelia....

Shamelia is by S-Shah Bask, out of NV Araddinn.
Her pedigree reads like a Who's Who of Arabian horses!

Shamelia's full sister Shahamia  (pictured below) is a Canadian Reserve National Champion Mare.

Greatness runs in the family, below is a picture and video of Shamelia's "nephew", Shahamia's son Exclusive Psy.

The nephew in action...

  1. Gorgeous......just gorgeous. Are you going to breed her, show her, or just drool over her? Love her !!!!

    1. Thanks! I'm going to be doing lots of drooling for a bit lol - I'd like to show her. But I'm definitely going to try breeding her eventually.

    2. I don't know much about horses. I like you you know all about her family tree :-)

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To the Black Sea: 2 New Book Reviews

Book Review

Two new book reviews out in the world. For Kenyon Review Online, I break down David Bezmozgis’s excellent novel, The BetrayersThen, at Numéro Cinq, I talk about Jeff Parker’s nonfiction journal/travelogue, Where Bears Roam the Streets. Both books are very, very different, but they share geography, with The Betrayers set on the Crimean coastline and a large chunk of Parker’s narrative also unfolding along the warm edge of the Black Sea.

Brief Update

Interview, Random

I talked with Benjamin Johncock about his excellent debut novel, The Last Pilot, for Publishers Weekly. I highly recommend Ben’s book. It’s a great read.

Over at Barrelhouse, I took part in a panel piece on the FX comedy Louie. We got really into dissecting the narrative elements of the show, and we all admitted we’d go for the hot pour. UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: 6/6/15 Here’s the second half of the Louie panel discussion.

A Photo and a Title End Up on Buzzfeed

A funny little thing: A week ago, my photo ended up on Buzzfeed‘s post “33 Writers Share The Books That Inspired Them To Write.”

Backstory: While at AWP, I ran into Isaac, the editor at Buzzfeed Books and one of the nicest guys on the planet, about an hour before catching my airport shuttle. We were talking about, well, books, and he asked me to write down a title that helped shape me as a writer. “For a project,” he said. Off the top of my head, I thought of Where the Wild Things Are, which may seem like a strange choice, but it’s true. I think Wild Things, like the book There’s a Nightmare in My Closet, was one of the first children’s stories I remember that paired monsters with the concepts of empathy and emotion. Looking at my own writing today, I see that narrative thread constantly.

Anyway, he snapped a photo and it ended up on the website. Here’s a link to the piece. There are no names attached to the photos, but you can find me. Also, you may be able to spot some recognizable faces, like Will Chancellor and Julia Fierro, who both released acclaimed novels last year.


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Friday, December 25, 2009

Survived Christmas

I've heard from a couple of people who received the Bent Objects book for Christmas and have enjoyed it. Thanks for those messages.

We're now home from family festivities. Either open a bottle of wine, or head to a local theater to see a film. Decisions, decisions.

Hope you all are having a good one, whichever holiday you choose to celebrate.


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Fairy Tales

Classic Tales · Into the Woods · Selchies · Sir Orfeo
[Picture by Edward Burne Jones] Terri Windling, editor, artist, writer, mentor, and muse, has had a hand in most of the books on my "favorites" shelves. Her passionate vision changed the direction of fantasy publishing over the last two decades, and she is a living example of the power of story to transform our lives. Simply put, she is one of my personal heroes, and I am honored to name her one of our Living Legends.PKM

Into the Woods:
The Faery Worlds of Terri Windling

by Donald G. Keller

Throughout the 1980s, the editor who did the most to change the focus of fantasy from Howardian sword & sorcery to a renewed appreciation of fairytales and folklore and the Romantic tradition in literature, whose commitment to fantasy as a force in all our lives set the tone for the field, was Terri Windling.

Windling grew up in a blue-collar family in the mountains of Pennsylvania; she left home while still in her mid-teens, and enrolled in the New Directions program for underprivileged children at Antioch College. While attending she worked in a bookstore there in Yellow Springs, Ohio with Mark Alan Arnold; together they came to New York in the late 70s to seek work in publishing.

Windling's first professional assignment was as illustrator for the anthology Basilisk, edited by Ellen Kushner, who had been assistant editor at Ace, a position Windling later occupied, though she felt editing was only a stopgap in her true career goal of visual art.

Along with Arnold she edited three volumes of Elsewhere, elaborating on the Basilisk model of mixing fiction, poetry, and song lyrics, illustrated with evocative line drawings. She published early stories by such writers as Pat Murphy, Ellen Kushner, and Esther Friesner, as well as work by established writers such as Joanna Russ, Jane Yolen, and Fritz Leiber, and "mainstream" writers of the fantastic such as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, and Sylvia Townsend Warner. The first volume won the World Fantasy Award.

While considering submissions for Elsewhere, she discovered a group of writers workshopping in Minneapolis, and asked to see the novels they were working on; at the same time she suggested that they take a cue from Robert Aspirin's successful Thieves' World anthologies and create together a shared world suited to their talents. The result was the five volumes of Liavek, which showcased the work of editors Emma Bull and Will Shetterly, as well as Patricia Wrede, Pamela Dean, Steven Brust, Kara Dalkey and Charles de Lint (all of whose later novels formed the backbone of Ace fantasy for a number of years); guest writers like Gene Wolfe, John M. Ford and Alan Moore (of Watchmen fame) enriched the mix.

At the same time Windling was exploring other avenues: the urban fantasy of Megan Lindholm's Wizard of the Pigeons and the dark fantasy of Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs (which had been published as an obscure mainstream hardcover; the Ace paperback edition gave Carroll a whole new audience). When Putnam/Berkley bought Ace Books in the mid-80s Windling became a consulting editor; she was responsible for a number of projects for several publishers. For Berkeley's Tempo line of young-adult books she created the MagicQuest series, bringing into paperback for the first time such fine works as Nicholas Stuart Gray's The Seventh Swan and Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Perilous Gard.

As a counterpart to Terry Carr's revered Ace Science Fiction Specials, Windling conceived a series of Ace Fantasy Specials; she acquired two titles for the line, Emma Bull's War for the Oaks and Delia Sherman's Through a Brazen Mirror.

The Fairy Tale Series of contemporary updating of classic stories (the first of which was Steven Brust's The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, based on a Hungarian fairy tale), in collaboration with artist/designer Tom Canty, also began at Ace; for NAL she and Arnold originated the Borderland shared world. Aimed at a young-adult audience, the two anthologies Borderland and Bordertown, published by Signet (and republished more recently by Tor), were composed of novella-length pieces by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly, Ellen Kushner, Charles de Lint, and others; they described the area between Elfland and the World where neither magic nor science work consistently; where adolescents both elven and human form gangs, go to clubs, and play in folk-punk bands: fantasy for the MTV generation. Windling describes it as morally responsible fiction for troubled teenagers that suggests that banding together with your friends and being creative can transform your life.

All during her busy editing career Windling continued to draw and paint; she moved to Boston and formed the Endicott Studio with several other artists. They did a number of shows, including a memorable one on the theme of child abuse, an issue on which Windling has been very active politically; the culmination of this advocacy was the 1988 Tor anthology The Armless Maiden, an anthology of new and reprinted fiction and nonfiction, most notably Windling's autobiographical introductory essay.

For the last ten years Windling has been a consulting editor at Tor Books, where both the Fairy Tales and the Borderland series continue; 1998 will see the publication of The Essential Borderlands, and there will be further novels in the series to add to Emma Bull's Finder and Will Shetterley's Elsewhere and Nevernever.

Over the same period of time Windling has teamed up with Omni editor Ellen Datlow to produce The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror for St. Martin's, collecting a wide range of fantastic fiction from many sources. Windling's summation in the third annual volume (also a World Fantasy Award winner) was an important assessment of the evolution of fantasy during the entire decade of the 80s.

Resurrecting the fairy or wonder-tale for adults has been one of Windling's missions for over ten years, beginning with the Fairy Tales novels. In Women and Fairy Tales, a talk given by Windling in 1997 and available at The Endicott Studio website, she reminds us that the earliest

...magical tales of Italy and France (and the older oral tales they drew upon) were rich, complex and sensual works never meant for children's ears ... The French stories were less exuberantly scatalogical than the Italian ones, but were nonetheless written for an audience presumed to be adult, aristocratic, and educated. It was in the French salons that the term "fairy-tale" (conte de fée) was coined -- a colorful but misleading label, as many of the stories falling under it do not contain creatures called "fairies" at all. Rather, they are wonder tales, or märchen (to use the German word) -- tales about ordinary men and women in a world invested with magic.

The exploration of this "world invested with magic" is the uniting theme of the stories collected in the anthology series created by Windling, Ellen Datlow and Thomas Canty for Morrow/Avon, known by the title of the first volume, Snow White, Blood Red. Interlacing the story traditions of magic realism, heroic fantasy, and "dark" fantasy with the resonant, archetypal images of myth and folktales, these collections reclaim the conte de fée for an adult audience.

Windling currently lives half the year in Devon, England, in a thatched cottage decorated with wall murals by herself and artist-neighbors Alan Lee and Brian Froud, and half the year in Tucson, Arizona, the setting for her Mythopoeic Award-winning novel The Wood Wife.

Deeper into the Woods ...

The Endicott Studio "was founded by Terri Windling in 1987 as a creative center devoted to contemporary art projects rooted in themes from folktales and myths." This gorgeous new website features an interview with Terri Windling, as well as a comprehensive bibliography, essays on folklore and fiction, an art gallery, and other magical things.
The Wood Wife, Terri Windling's first novel, won the Mythopeic Fantasy Award for best novel of 1996. This magical novel merges the fantastic traditions of the American desert southwest and the ancient English countryside. Read an excerpt at the Tor Books page.
Borderland: where magic meets rock & roll.
Complete bibliography and publishing chronology at the Endicott Studio site.

Top · Home · Colophon · Notes on the Illustrations · Site Map
2 February 1998
Links updated 18 March 2006


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Tom's Monthly Gotta-Do's

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We have got to do a lot of weeding and pruning. Take it from a guy who has just spent hours in the yard hoeing, pulling and killing weeds then doing the trimming. It is amazing how well the unwanted greenery grows during the rainy season. Add some nutrients from mulches, compost, manures and fertilizers and you have out of control plants.

Some weeds can be spot-killed with herbicides. Most gardeners are familiar with the capabilities of Roundup and similar products that allow use under and near many plants for weed control. Regretfully there is no product to selectively take weeds out of thick established plantings. But there is one for grass control. Check out the Ortho Grass B Gon product. It allows spraying over the top of many broadleaf plants listed on the label to remove grassy weeds. Always follow the label carefully.

When herbicides are not an option, we are busy removing the weeds manually. Some like Cuban purple woodsorrel have bulb-like portions under ground. Where possible try to dig these out. I know it is a chore but it could save lots of work in the future.

Now is the time to reign in out of control limbs and shoots too. Some like the yaupon holly trees, oaks and even crape myrtles send up lots of suckers. There is a Sucker Stopper product on the market and this may help for trees that are on the label. Otherwise you hand prune them or use a string trimmer to cut them down.

Where limbs need to be trimmed back, follow good pruning procedures. Avoid haphazardly cutting or shearing them back to size. Instead, cut them back to buds along the stems, branch angles or back to the trunk or even the ground.

The idea with most pruning is to keep the good natural shape of the plant. For some plants major pruning time is over and these include azaleas, gardenias and camellias. An out of bounds shoot or two might be removed but that is about it.

When you are done with the weeding and pruning I have a list of Tom’s Gotta Do’s that have been keeping me busy – how about you?

Tom's Gotta-do's for October, 2012
Lawn Care:
Weeds have invaded many lawns; control with appropriate herbicides or replace with new sod.
Most lawns are looking good after the rainy season; give care now to continue growth.
Fill bare spots in lawns left from summer pests with sod or plugs.
Seeding time for bahiagrass if over; delay rye seedings until late November.
Lawn feeding time has arrived; use a low phosphorus product made for your lawn type
Lawns fed earlier may only need an iron or minor nutrient application to maintain their green.
Chinch bugs and sod webworms can linger into fall; control as needed
Water turf when it shows signs of moisture stress.
Use soil aeration in compacted and poorly drained soils to encourage better root growth.
Rake out brown leaf blades but delay thatch removal until spring.
Vegetable & Tree Care:
Tomato planting time is about over; select large transplants for the garden.
Remove all declining crops and weeds left from summer.
Plant the warm season vegetables during early October; cool season types later in the month.
Gardeners cramped for space can grow vegetables in containers.
Start seeds for transplants of broccoli, cauliflower and similar vegetables in containers.
Stay alert for caterpillars, aphids and leaf miners; control with natural insecticides.
Trellis or stake all tall growing vegetables to help keep them pest free and easy to harvest.
Add a mulch to the surface of the soil to conserve moisture and keep vegetables dirt free.
Groom summer weary herb plantings and start new ones that prefer the cooler weather.
Install microsprinklers in gardens to water efficiently and conserve water.
Most vegetables need a moist soil; water when the surface soil begins to dry to the touch.
Feed in ground vegetables every 3 to 4 weeks; container gardens weekly.
Fruit splitting on citrus trees is normal and may continue into the fall.
Give citrus a final feeding of the year during early October.
Delay pruning all fruit plantings until mid to late winter.
Landscape Care:
Scale insects have been heavy this year. Check plants and treat as needed.
Many plants have grown out of bounds; complete needed pruning early in the month.
Give hedges a final trimming.
Remove suckers and low limbs from trees.
Give palms and shrubs a final feeding of the year.
Use a slow release fertilizer that can feed in ground and container planting for months.
Crape myrtles are dropping their leaves which is normal as they go dormant.
Poinsettia and azalea pruning time is over for this year except for out of bounds shoots.
Shield poinsettias from nighttime lights starting mid month.
The dry season is ahead; moisten only as needed to conserve water.
Most established trees and shrubs can go a week or more between waterings.
Check container plantings for plugged drainage holes; repotting may be needed.
Maintain a mulch under trees and shrubs; start the mulch several inches from trunks.
Add fall plants to hanging baskets and container gardens.
Edge sidewalks and plant beds.
Replace soil in problem flower beds and planters.
Foliage & house plant care:
Many foliage plants have grown too large for their containers; repot as needed.
Groom outdoor foliage plants and begin moving them to a warm location.
Control insects on plants before moving them indoors.
Begin forcing amaryllis and paper white narcissus for indoor displays.
Obtain new plants for the home.
Remove declining foliage and faded flowers from home and patio plants.
Reduce watering of holiday cactuses to when the surface soil is dry and stop feedings.
Make sure poinsettias, holiday cactuses and kalanchoes receive no nighttime light.
Feed plants in bright light monthly.
Water when the surface soil begins to feel dry to the touch.

October 2012 Plantings

Flowers: African daisy, alyssum, angelonia, ageratum, begonia, black-eyed Susan, blue daze, calendula, candytuft, celosia, chrysanthemums, cleome, coleus, cornflower, cosmos, dianthus, dusty miller, gaillardia, gazania, geraniums, gerbera, heliotrope, hollyhock, impatiens, larkspur, lobelia, nicotiana, pentas, petunia, salvia, snapdragon, sunflower,
sweet pea, verbena and zinnia.

Vegetables: Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, collards, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onion, peas, potato, radicchio, radish, rhubarb, roquette, rutabaga, spinach, strawberry, Swiss chard and turnip.

Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, cardamom, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, lavender, lemon balm, lovage, mint, nasturtium, oregano, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme and water cress.

Bulbs: African lily, agapanthus, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, calla, crinum, day lily, gingers, gladiolus, pineapple lily, rain lily, society garlic, spider lilies, walking iris, watsonia. Refrigerate crocus, daffodils, hyacinth, narcissus and tulips for forcing.

All Material Copyright © 1998-2015 Florida News Network. All rights reserved.


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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Special Commentary--What Happend To Childhood? Part 2

Because of changing economic realities and our own selfish wants and desires, we adults have blurred the distinction between what was once childhood and adulthood. During the 1980s, the term “latchkey child” was coined in small measure, to express the unappealing nature of the then-growing practice of children left alone at home after school due to working and or otherwise absent parents. Now, especially in urban areas of the country, its not unusual to hear or read accounts about how children are not only left alone for extended periods of time sans parental presence, but because some parents engage in drug/alcohol/party binges (or some other hedonistic pursuits) older children are forced to regularly play the role of substitute parent, cooking, dressing, and otherwise watching over their younger siblings. Partially out of the guilt of not giving quality time to our children—especially in the case of single working mothers—some adults have attempted giving the empty substitute of the material…over-advertised video game consoles, over-priced “kicks” (“sneakers” for the un-hip) made by underpaid foreigners, oversized televisions with a gazillion useless cable channels, and the like. This counterproductive practice only causes the need for parents to work more to pay for more. It also contributes further to the erosion of childhood in that children alone, babysat by the likes of Sony, Sega, and MTV grow up with the mindset that, because they have managed—somehow—to “take care of themselves” with minimal supervision that this somehow makes them the equal of adults.In addition to a lost sense of place within the family structure, our absence as adults has created a lack of structure for today’s child. No supervised daily routine—school, household chores, homework…then play (preferably in that order)—translates to a lack of discipline. Under this new culture, children and especially teens become quite resourceful when it comes to getting into trouble, which most don’t even expect to be punished for unless it is of such a severity that police and the courts become involved. And for the responsible parent who is fully aware of his/her obligation to discipline their unruly children, their desire to do so is often prohibited by interference from elements of the law. Take for example the 2007 attempt by California Assemblyman Sally Lieber to introduce a ban on spanking in that state’s legislature. In many other cases, children threaten to (or have so) call the authorities on their own parents for daring to do what’s been done in countless households for thousands of years of human existence…discipline them. We adults have—by eliminating both discipline and the threat of sanctions—given children the inevitable impressions that they are the equal of adults. Now, it’s PC for parents to talk, negotiate, or in some cases, plead with their children to do what’s expected of them, so why shouldn’t they think they are adults? At the risk of sounding like an anachronistic throwback from some bygone era, but in removing structure and discipline from their lives, we’ve taken away one of the primary distinctions which separate child from adult.While the absence of responsible adults has eroded childhood on one front, the presence of irresponsible adults has done so on another. And on this latter front, there is in turn a two-pronged assault which is eating away at childhood. One unit in this assault is the battalion of officials affiliated with our schools—principals, administrators, school board members, and the like, making decisions with counterproductive intents. Long-cherished merits such as personal achievement and initiative have been rendered meaningless in the face of attempts to make every child feel a sense of accomplishment. Not only are “awards” for every little action of note by a child gratuitously dropped in our schools like millions of leaflets from an pre-invading air force, but we have unceremoniously expanded the former rite-of-passage into adulthood known as “graduation” to include nearly every grade set (junior high, 6th grade, 3rd grade, even Kindergarten) in order to make every child feel special. No longer is graduation a recognition of “the first day of the rest our lives,” but another jaded ceremony (like going to church) that we force children to endure.The flanking unit of irresponsible adults attacking childhood does so in a more stealthily manner, like a special operations military unit engaging in guerilla warfare. Ironically, these self-serving types are those who try to live their own lives vicariously through the experiences of a child. Take for example the way in which parents shamelessly exploit their little girls in pint-sized beauty pageants, complete with copious amounts of adult makeup, heels, and evening gowns. Once upon a time, parents grinned in amusement as they peeked, hidden from view from around doorways, into their children’s bedrooms at the sight of their kids emulating adults in such a manner. And it’s easy to imagine under this scenario how parents would relish their children’s innocence, and would have no hesitation—even if it meant killing—at protecting them from being hurt or exploited, especially in a sexual manner. Today, parents have no problem pimping their kids—for whatever self-serving reasons they dream up in defense of such shameless exploitation—in such “contests.” Furthermore, many adult women have no qualms about dressing up as schoolgirls or some such, in an attempt to magnify both their sexual appeal and pleasure.We are thrilled with the daring of law enforcement (and their willing decoys) as they remove a seemingly endless stream of would-be child predators in front of hidden cameras. But, is it any wonder why we have a society peppered with sexual predators that prey on youngsters? We dress our children up as adults for various reasons, dress ourselves up as children for pleasure, blur the distinction between child and adult, and then expect sexual deviants not to think its ok to be attracted to our children? Such a social waving of red meat in front “hungry” animals, and an expectation that children would be protected by reason alone reflects a peculiar social logic thats yields no surprise at the disorder our selfish desires have wrought on childhood.

To Be Concluded...

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Our New Executive Committee!

On January 28, the members of the Ben Franklin Club elected a new executive committee.

The officers are
President – Daniel Johnson
Vice President – Sergio Marquez
Vice President – Heidi Schwartz
Vice President – Judith Sonett
Corresponding Secretary – Ivan Nedds
Recording Secretary – David Greenblatt

At-Large Executive Committee Members -
Marcia Allina
Steven Balicer
Michael Blaustein
Anthony Creaney
Bryant Daniels
Delores Dixon
Paul Ellis
Bruce Feld
Ellen Feld
Joseph Gordon
Michael Heller
Jerald Kreppel
Eleanor Oliff
Daniel Padernacht
John Ryder
Andrew Sandler

The executive committee members were nominated by the nominating committee: Eric Dinowitz, Chair; Marcia Allina; Steven Balicer; Ellen Feld; Helen Krim; Randi Martos; Helen Morik; Eleanor Oliff; William Weitz

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Democratic State Senate! Democratic Congress!

On October 25 and November 1, the Ben Franklin Club will be traveling to Putnam and Westchester to campaign for State Senate Candidate Justin Wagner and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney. We will leave at 10:30 am and return at 6:00 pm.

Our goal are to elect a Democratic State Senate to pass measures like Women’s Equality and a higher minimum wage, along with a host of other progressive items, and to make sure that New York is represented by Democrats in Congress

If you would like to elect progressives, please email us at BenFranklinClub@gmail.com
Let us know:
1. Which date or dates can you campaign?
2. Are you able to drive or would you need a ride?

Thank you for your support!

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Agenda for October 1 Meeting, 7:00 PM

  1. President’s Report
  1. Election to Fill a Vacancy in the At-Large Membership of the Executive Committee

The election of Eric Dinowitz as male District Leader in the 81st AD, replacing Bruce Feld, created a vacancy in the at-large Executive Committee membership. An individual will be elected to fill the vacancy at this meeting.

  1. DEBATE ON PROPOSAL ONE (on Redistricting)
  • Rachael Fauss, Director of Public Policy, CITIZENS UNION will speak FOR the Proposal
  • Susan Lerner, Executive Director, COMMON CAUSE NY will speak AGAINST the Proposal

These two good-government groups are on opposite sides of the proposed redistricting constitutional amendment that will appear on the November 4 general election ballot. Both will argue their cases and take questions from the floor.

For an abstract of all three November ballot proposals see:

  1. New Business
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Monday, 19 November 2012

No Need To Be Crabby About It : GW2

It ended with a bang. After two hours of non-stop mayhem, the Ancient Karka slipped under the hitherto unseen lava, lurched back up like any good horror film baddie, then slumped over the lip of the pool, dead. And a massive chest appeared.

You should see the other guy
I wasn't expecting loot. During the two-hour event many people made jokes about what reward we might get for our many, many deaths. Diddly squat was the consensus, if we were lucky. In the end I got a couple of rares and a couple of exotics, one of which I could actually use, and everyone got a 20-slot bag (worth about $10 in real money) and a level 80 exotic jewellery item. Some folks even got Legendary Pre-Cursors and if you don't know what those are then bully for you.

But it's not about the loot, is it? No it isn't! That wasn't a rhetorical question! It's about the fun and the camaraderie and the being there. And weirdly, this time I can say that without irony. I did the entirety of Lost Shores Phase 3 on an Overflow server, where people come together who may never meet again and yet the whole two hours passed in excellent spirits.

If I hear one more crab cake joke...
Despite many setbacks there was a steady stream of hearty, good-natured, articulate banter. Much as happens on the Frontiers of WvW, leaders arose spontaneously to direct the efforts of the zerg and were heeded and after a great deal of struggle, at several points during which I found myself wondering if ArenaNet had thought of providing a Failure condition, we eventually prevailed.

Is this the line for JBoots?
All's well that ends well, then. Unless you were one of the unfortunates who disconnected before the chest dropped and couldn't get back in (the log-in servers seem to have died - I'm writing this now because when I took the ship back to Lion's Arch the game crashed and that appears to be my lot for the evening). Or who wasn't able to play at all for whatever real-life reason. Or who had so much lag it was impossible to do anything meaningful and gave up.

Clearly these events are problematic. The forums are mildly busy with discontent. It needs to be recognized that not everyone enjoyed themselves. I had a great time, though and map chat for the two hours the event took suggested a lot of other people did too.

I thought you had the nails
On balance I thought Lost Shores got better stage by stage. Phase One was really very buggy indeed. It's probably fair to say that as far as the "quests" went more didn't work than did. There were patches and deadline extensions and a lot of scrabbling to try and get the loose ends tied. The invasion of Lion's Arch was fun but laggy. I expected the Karka to win and take over the city for a day or two so I also found it somewhat anti-climactic when we ousted them quite easily.

Phase two was late starting, much shorter, a lot less laggy, largely bug-free and over in about three-quarters of an hour. The introductory re-invasion didn't even happen on the Overflow server I was on. The ship just appeared and off we went. The core of the event was a chain similar to those we've seen many times before. Good fun but nothing amazing.

Phase Three was the "multi-hour" climax. It qualified, on the smallest possible value of "multi", finishing in about 130 minutes. I almost missed the beginning, having to run one and a half times around the entire island before I found the Lionguard Detonation Team but from then on it was action all the way as we went up and down the spiral ramps of the Karka hive laying bombs and harried the Ancient Karka hither and yon  across the salt flats.

Last thing crabmeat needs is more salt
I think we were all expecting the finale to be the exploding of the charges we'd set and the collapse of the mountain, which would have been truly spectacular. In the end I didn't notice the detonation at all, if it even happened, and the event ended with the Ancient Karka trapped at the bottom of the Hive succumbing to our withering fire.

Success? Success??
Was it a success? Well, I enjoyed it. I'd do it again, or another like it. For me, the fact that it was a one-time event made it worthwhile. It felt like an event in the non-gaming sense of the word. I was glad to have been there and done that. If it was going to happen every three hours for the next few days then I might well not have bothered with it. Oh alright, I probably would. But I'd have been sighing the while.

Will ArenaNet stick to their guns and carry on pumping out content that vanishes into the aether of memory after a single outing? I hope so. They seem surprisingly prone to vacillation right now, so I'm less confident of their stubbornness than I was, but yes, I do hope they keep it up. It may be wasteful and controversial and it may provoke discontent but I know that if I'm playing another game and they announce something like this again, I'll be back.

  1. I'm afraid to say that the glitches in phase 1 and Arenanet's generally all round poor communication really soured me on the process and GW2 in general. I've had the game for about two weeks now and haven't had a whole lot of time to play. I spent far too long Friday and Saturday morning chasing down people only to find them maybe gliched but not sure if I was in the right place and/or talking to the right character. And even then it was never clear to me how far into the event I would be able to go.

    On Saturday evening I just gave up trying to be a part of this, deleted all the mail I got about it and just levelled my main from 20-24 through Sunday. Which is a suitable closing comment to how I felt about the whole thing : it may just as well never have happened.

    1. Phase One was by far the worst, particularly the appallingly badly tested "quest" content. Also, if any part of the content was going to have an actual Reward it should have been that but if you had managed to finish it I believe all you'd have got would be a Jug of Karma and five Commendations, which you could have got in twenty minutes by running your daily and dropping a few cheap blues in the Forge.

      Shame if that put people off the next two Phases, both of which were much better.

  2. Despite my discontent (as I commented in your last post about this event) I attended the third phase.

    It was much better than phase 1, tho still nowhere as good as it ahould have been for a one time event imo.

    For us it took 3.5 hours from beginning to end. During that time I had to repair my armor twice (I do not repair it before ALL armor gets damaged and one gets broken) and in 3.5 hours I finished my monthly kill mutated crabs achi; with at best 10 to 20 bodes to loot.

    If it were not for the player supplied content (ie chats jokes comments etc) I would have logged out.
    The event itself was unbalanced, rough and too long for me.

    Considering this was a one time event, I expected less bugs and more smooth ride. I expected to have fun instead of reporting bugs and trying to find shortcuts thru them.

    20 slot bag and the jewelery were a wellcome surprise tho. Rest; I had no use for.

    Looking forward to their next event. I guess I have M tendencies haha.

    1. The player-supplied content is 90% of why I bother to attend any event like this, though. I enjoyed the hour we spent waiting in Lion's Arch for the thing to kick off as much as I enjoyed the actual event.

      Interesting that it took your server almost twice as long as the OF server I was on to complete it though. I thought we were pretty shambolic. I'd have guessed a server with big, well-coordinated guilds could have knocked it out in 90 minutes. Wonder which server was first to finish?

  3. Isn't this the kind of stuff that is happening in Rift on like an hourly basis? I missed this event in GW2 (timing issue) , but played some random Rift over the weekend, and i was quite surprised to find myself on Ember Island taking part of a zone invasion (with more players than i thought, considering Ember Island is not an expansion pack zone) . This invasion in steps were:

    1. Defend 4 wardstones (spread all over the map), involving you defending it, and/or upgrading the wardstone (about 4 turrets and 4 health stations) , for the entire duration of the event.
    2. Closing Rifts until you hit a magic number which then goes to the next stage
    3. Get to Wardstone, get blessing, turn into some Rock Elemental and go smash water spouts.
    4. Take out 3 mini bosses and their footholds
    5. Take out the big final boss (who seemed to have 3 stages of its own, make you travel across the zone after it).

    Amusing part, a few hours later , i was there again, and the invasion event was restarting again. Of course, no one was there, so it pretty much died at step 1 (ending in failure).

    I didn't do the event for any particular reward (although i always try to add the boss kill on my achievement list), and enjoyed it. It's quite intricate and does require at mimimum some zone wide communication in the sense of "is anyone defending that wardstone?" . I think Trion got this mass open zone event thing down very well, maybe Arenanet should play some Rift and see how it's done?

    I suppose that's why i wasn't too bothered with the GW2 thing, i kinda got the feeling it's similar to what Rift has been doing (and refining) for awhile now.

    In the end, yes, it is about figuring out how to get people involved and participate. Rift might have quite complex zone wide events going, but their "automated" nature, might not let people stream to it in droves like this GW2 event. That said, even the Arenanet events will have this issue if there's enough of them...

    1. I think you have really put your finger here on why these events DO need to be "one-time" only. The second and third phases of Lost Shores were *exactly* like Rift zone events. Some of the bigger Rift events that used to run regularly while I was last there were properly longer and more complex.

      The problem in Rift was that because these events ran often people became extremely blase about them and it wasn't long before they went largely unattended. The event last night was fun precisely, possibly only, because everyone knew it would never be repeated.

      As usual, I think this is a solution in search of a problem. Ten years ago Everquest had scripted zone events which GMs could switch on at whim. The undead invasion of Qeynos Hills, when it infrequently and unpredictably ran, would generate massive traffic in /ooc and guild chat and people would flock to it - they'd even phone or IM their friends to get them to log on so as not to miss it.

      Rather than run ever-cycling events like Trion or one-time-only like ArenaNet, perhaps there should be more events that pop and re-pop sporadically, infrequently but persistently.

    2. Indeed. I also think it's about the "aftermath" or "consequences" of these events. One-Time events most likely will have bigger/unique rewards vs. cycled events.

      I don't mind the "formula" of the events, as seen in Rift and in GW2. It's the lack of consequence that leads to it becoming "stale" or players becoming apathetic towards them. To make them have consequence, they obviously can't recycle as often as in Rift, but they don't need to be once-off either. I would be quite happy with a "weekly" or "monthly" thing that might result in changes to the availability/accessibility of cities,portals,zones,rewards or dungeons for the week/month afterwards (until a new event starts) . I would sure as hell participate in an event if i knew it might actually affect my week's questing or dungeon activities.

      Kinda like "Darkness Falls" (making content available based on PvP results). Isn't this straight from GW1?

      As for the GW2 event, i've spoken to friends who did not really enjoy being "boxed" into the specific time schedule of the GW2 event (but did it anyway), saying they probably wouldn't do a similar event in the future unless the timing is adjusted (the length + the exact schedule of the event) For me, being in the European timezone, this event started at 10pm going on 3+ hours, not ideal .

      I would've preferred having a type of Rift style "World Event" which can go on for a few days (or until some objective is met) and maybe the final stage (which may be a super boss fight ) be very specifically timed (you're either there or you miss it) . Even if you miss the actual boss fight, your participation in the event as a whole is still rewarded. Again Trion got this figured out too, no "loot chests" , you get your rewards in that little event-bags that pop up in your UI, so even if you disconnect mid-fight, you are more likely to still have all the accrued loot up to the point you d/ced (and most likely whatever world-event "completion" reward there might be) .

      In fact you don't even need to be at the actual place the event takes place to receive your rewards. Hence, the sucker who decided to defend the wardstones (which can fail an entire event at any moment) instead of zerging the boss, STILL gets a reward for completing the event. I'm surprised MMO-devs always seem to create "mass events" that becomes one gigantic boss-fight zerg? Why ? Why can't we have a real war with multiple fronts to defend? Anyway i digress...

    3. I think it's evident that a lot more could and should be done to make these vents both memorable and accessible. I like the big chest dropping at the physical location but there absolutely has to be some means of tracking who is entitled to what and making sure they get it even if the game crashes on them.

      There's an interesting interview Syp did recently on Massively with Steve Nicholls who's been making MMOs for a couple of decades, where he makes the seldom-heard point that "making MMO games is incredibly difficult...It's easier today than it was 15 years ago, but it's still really, really hard".

      I think we can often all see what's wrong and how it could be better but maybe it's the way it is because that's the best the people doing it were able to achieve. ArenaNet is a big player in the field and this was a high-profile, prestige event and still look how buggy it was. Imagine if they'd gone for something a lot more complex...

    4. Hehe, yea, easy being armchair MMO analysts. I am sure all these thoughts go through (hopefully) a few devs' heads when they design these things.

      That said, i'm also convinced most companies are taking a very "safe" road in MMOs these days (hurting them). Everything is very formulaic , and i suppose not even we know what the consequences might be of taking the risk of doing events a certain way .

      "Business" probably opted for a scenario where "worst case" is a short term rage about a once-off event (if it goes wrong) versus losing players on the long run based on a more long term mechanic that was risky and not easy to back out from (kinda like making your MMO full loot PvP) . So Arenanet is playing it safe, they won't lose players if this failed, and can only attract players if it succeeded.

      I can only hope, the more companies like Trion and Arenanet "experiment" with these things , the more risks they are willing to take. It's when they stop pushing when players start looking elsewhere.

  4. Baghpuss
    What makes you think they are vaccilating?

    1. I was thinking of the Ascended gear and what does appear to me to be a move towards the kind of end-game gear grind they very specifically said they weren't going to have.

      Tweaking the loot tables of Champions and adding level 80 loot down to level 55 zones is another example. That smacks of trying to eat cake and still have cake left. Why set the arbitrary limit at 55? The original idea was that we would never outgrow any zones, or so I thought. Now we apparently grow up at 55.

      No doubt there are more examples but of course this is par for the course for MMOs. Once the gales of dissatisfaction begin to blow post-launch, the developers either bend with them or snap. Often both.

    2. Thanks for the reply.

      I like the idea of Ascended gear. It gives the end gamers something to work on. I am more of a casual player so doesn't really worry me.

      I do agree about the lvl 55+ loot tables. I am scratching my head as to why they would set an arbitrary limit like that. Why not make it lvl 0 - 80 areas so that it encourages players to attend all zones.

      As for the gale of dissatisfaction I hope ArenaNet realises that the majority of us are very happy with the game as it is. My own guild is looking forward to player housing, giuld housing , and other social activities. I don't think the forums are presentative of the whole playerbase. Of course I may be wrong and maybe ArenaNet has stats to prove otherwise.

      Great discussion BTW. :)

    3. My guess is that they are trying to make legendary precursors more acessible. Take note some precursors are being sold by above 200 gold and that is too much.
      Level 80 loot tables at level 55 chests give more chances for a random drop of legendary precursors. The level 55 is arbitrary, but my guess the best option is just somewhere above level 40 (level 55 is at that level range): cannot be too much bellow level 40 or max level toons start to farm low level zones (downlevel not solve completelly that problem, max level toons have maxed stats and maxed gear... and dowlevel certainly need some tunning); too much high (level 70?) and they don't make the precursors drop go visibly higher.
      Take note they too changd the loot table someway for precursors drop more frequently. The consequence of these two changes (level 80 table loot at level 55 zones and higher chance to drop a precursor) is that precursor prices started to drop at TP.

    4. Regarding the lvl 55 thing, somewhere someone mentioned that the TTK (time to kill) between lvl 1 and lvl 80 are not the same, despite the whole scaling thing. Aparantly it is still faster to kill a mob in the starter zones than in say Orr, hence it creates a huge farming loophole to be exploited when it comes to the concept of "random drops" .

      I can only assume Arenanet figured lvl 55 and up, the mobs are similar in TTK.

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