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I am a little bit bored today so now is a good time for me to list out all the Disney restaurants that we are going to go to this year. I am super duper excited!! Only 52 days to go. Here is this year's list of ADRs (advanced dining reservations):
9/19-Kona Cafe-dinner (Polynesian Resort)
We ate there last year since it is located conveniently in our hotel. The food was wonderful and I can't wait to get the banana cream brulee again. Yum...
9/20-'Ohana-breakfast (Polynesian Resort)
We had dinner here last time and it was just okay. You really have to like meat since that is the main attraction. They skewer everything and cook it over a pit. I didn't really care for the meat but the Maui potatoes side and the bread pudding were to die for.
This year we opted to have breakfast here instead. They serve everything family style and there are characters circulating the room (I know Lilo and Stitch are there for sure). I think that it will be a great first morning meal just before we head out to the Magic Kingdom.
9/20-Cinderella's Royal Table-dinner (Magic Kingdom)
I have heard mixed reviews about this place but I am willing to give it a shot. CRT is actually one of the hardest ressies to get since the meal includes photos with Cinderella and it is located inside the castle. It's every kid's dream to eat inside there (and mine!). Hopefully I won't be too disappointed by the food but at least the atmosphere is priceless.
9/21-Rainforest Cafe-lunch (Animal Kingdom)
I have eaten here a few times in the past. The food is always yummy and the atmosphere is so cool. My kiddos are going to love it!
9/21-The Wave-dinner (Contemporary Resort)
This is a brand new restaurant so I don't know much about it. I have seen pics and it is beautiful inside. The food is supposed to be mostly organic and fresh.
9/22-Teppan Edo-dinner (Epcot-Japan)
I have heard rave reviews about this place. I think that the kids will enjoy watching the chefs do tricks at the hibachi and I love this type of cuisine.
9/23-Kona Cafe-breakfast (Polynesian Resort)
This place has an awesome breakfast menu that includes Tonga toast and macadamia nut pancakes. Can I just say yum?!
9/23-Garden View Tea Room-high tea (Grand Floridian Resort)
I did this one twice during our last trip and it was the highlight of my trip. The food is phenomenal and the teas are so yummy. This is a great place to get away from the kids and have some adult time. Mom and I are going alone this time.
9/23-Whispering Canyon Cafe-dinner (Wildnerness Lodge Resort)
I am mainly doing this one for the kids. Supposedly the wait staff does lots of silly antics and they have pony races during dinner for the kiddos. I am just looking forward to seeing this resort again because the inside is absolutely breathtaking.
9/24-Sci-Fi Dine-In-dinner (Hollywood Studios-used to be MGM)
This has always been one of my favorite places to eat and it is now my whole family's favorite too. You sit in a car and a car hop brings you your food. In the meantime, they show cheesy old flicks on the big screen ahead of you. On our last trip this was our most enjoyable meal thanks to the ambience. The food is just okay though.
9/25-Chef Mickey's-breakfast (Contemporary Resort)
This is a character breakfast with Mickey Mouse and the gang. It should be fun but I don't expect the buffet to be all that great (I despise buffets-major ick factor!!). We'll just have to wait and see.
9/25-Rose & Crown-dinner (Epcot-United Kingdom)
I booked this one because the menu looked good and they offer lots of good beer for Clayton. Hopefully it will be as good as I think that it will be!
9/26-Kona Cafe-lunch (Polynesian Resort)
We eat here alot, huh? It is convenient to us since it will be close to our room at the Poly. It's good too so why not?
9/27-Liberty Tree Tavern-dinner (Magic Kingdom)
We ate here for our first lunch on our last trip. It was super yummy and I am thrilled to be going back. This time we are going for dinner so it will be a bit different (it is served family style with limited options). I still think that it will be great though. It is a character dinner and they will be in Halloween costumes this particular evening because it is a Halloween party night. My friend Sandy and her daughter Sage (I met them back in NC and they now live in FL) will be going with us too. How fun!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I'm Hungry!
I am a little bit bored today so now is a good time for me to list out all the Disney restaurants that we are going to go to this year. I am super duper excited!! Only 52 days to go. Here is this year's list of ADRs (advanced dining reservations):
Posted by Brandy at 7/29/2008 02:54:00 PM
Labels: disney


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Distance : 621 km
Estimated Time : 11 hours
Delhi to Jodhpur is the very popular route for tourists. Jodhpur is crowned with various epithets like 'Blue City', 'Sun City', 'Gateway to Thar' because of its blue walls and houses and its proximity to Thar desert.
"A Palace that might have been built by Titans and colored by the morning sun."
Jodhpur offers a perfect blend of the modern and the traditional. Its second largest city of the royal state of Rajasthan carrying glorious history back to the year 1459 AD when it was built by Rao Jodha, the chief of Rathore Clan. Alongwith the most famous Mehrangarh Fort, there are a number of magnificant forts, palaces, temples, havelis; most of them and most of houses in city are build in vivid shades of blue. The old city provides the warmth of Marwari culture with local markets offering Jodhpurs-stylish horse-riding pants, tie & dye textile, leather shoes etc., a lot of eating joints offering famous Rajasthani food items like Pyaaz Ki Kachori and Daal Baati Churma.
Taxi from Delhi to Jodhpur is readily available at CabBazar.
Route Information
Delhi to Jodhpur by car is well connected via NH48 and is very convenient and comfortable drive. Delhi to Jodhpur distance is 621 Km and is 11 hours journey. Other famous tourist places on this route are :
Neemrana - Neemrana Fort Palace, Zip Lining, Baori
Jaipur - The Pink City, forts, palaces, temples, architecture
Pushkar - Brahma Temple is most popular attraction in Pushkar
Ajmer - Dargah Sharif Tomb of Garib Nawaz (Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti)
Pali - textile hub, famous temples like the Somnath temple, Adishwar temple, and the Ranakpur Jain temple
Sariska National Park - a Tiger reserve and wildlife sancturay
Bhangarh - Bhangarh Haunted place
Mehandipur - famous Balaji temple
You can plan to include them in your itinerary. With CabBazar, you can customize the itinerary as per your choice and enjoy the trip to fullest.
Tourist Attractions
Mehrangarh Fort
Khejarla Fort
Umaid Bhawan Palace
Moti Mahal
Sheesh Mahal
Phool Mahal
Chamunda Mataji Temple
Ranisar Lake
Padmasar Lake
Jodhpur Museum
Jaswant Thada
Ghanta Ghar - clock tower of Rajasthan
Mahamandir Temple
Mandaleshwar Mahadev
Sardar Samand Lake and Palace
Masuria hills
Shastri Circle
Kailana Lake
Machiya Safari Park
Somnath Temple
Balsamand Lake
Guda Village
Taxi Options
Being an Aggregator, CabBazar provides you enormous car options for your Delhi to Jodhpur taxi booking. You can mention your specific preference, if any, while raising a taxi booking request. Our partnered taxi services providers have various cars available with them for Delhi to Jodhpur taxi service. At high level, we classify taxi in below four categories :
Delhi to Jodhpur Taxi Prices
Vehicle Type
Per Km Rate
|Wagon-R, Indica or similar
|4 seater
|Rs. 9
|Dzire, Etios or similar
|4 seater
|Rs. 9
|Xylo, Ertiga or similar
|6 seater
|Rs. 12.5
|Assured Innova
|Innova, Innova Crysta
|6 seater
|Rs. 13.5
Taxi Fare
CabBazar is committed to keep the pricing as simple and clear as possible. So, we provide one price for your Delhi to Jodhpur taxi which covers a specified maximum kilometer and maximum days. So, you know upfront how much taxi is going to cost you and plan your budget well.
The prices are dynamic and transparent and give a win-win deal for both you and our partnered taxi services providers. You can choose car as per your preference.
Why CabBazar
CABBAZAR.COM rated based on 596 reviews

subset: commoncrawl


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October 15th, 2012
Michelle Obama to visit "Live with Kelly and Michael"
WHITE HOUSE (CNN)—First Lady Michelle Obama will hit the daytime talkshows once again in the final weeks of her husband's re-election campaign.
Mrs. Obama will tape an interview with "Live with Kelly and Michael" on Wednesday in New York. Co-host Kelly Ripa announced on Monday's show that the segment will air on Friday.
Her appearance will be the First Lady's second time on the show this year. In June, she appeared on the show to promote her book American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America . She also surprised a jump-roping team with a demonstration of her double-dutch jump-roping skills.
Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, appeared on the show in September where they talked about reality TV star Snooki, his pet peeve of Ann's method of squeezing toothpaste out of the tube, and an embarrassing moment of walking in on former President George W. Bush receiving a massage during a White House visit.
Last week, Mrs. Romney co-hosted ABC's "Good Morning America" with George Stephanopolous where she made her famous Welsh cakes and interviewed a thoroughbred rider from the Paralympics games in London in August.


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The highly anticipated UFC debut of Sergio Pettis will see a change less than two weeks before the fight.
An injury has knocked Vaughan Lee (13-9-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) from his bantamweight fight against Pettis (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) next week at UFC 167. Sources close to the promotion on Tuesday confirmed the news to MMAjunkie.com. The UFC is actively seeking a replacement for Lee, but has not made an official announcement of the injury yet.
UFC 167 takes place Nov. 16 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and serves as the promotion's 20th anniversary show. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and MMAjunkie.com. The Lee-Pettis fight was slated for the preliminary-card stream on MMAjunkie.com.
Pettis, the younger brother of UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, is unbeaten in his MMA career. Like Anthony, Sergio is a fixture at the Roufusport gym in Milwaukee. In late September, Pettis submitted James Porter in the first round of a North American Fighting Championship event in his home city of Milwaukee. In June, he stopped Dillard Pegg with a first-round TKO to win Resurrection Fighting Alliance's flyweight title. But for his move to the UFC, he decided to remain at bantamweight, where he was for the Porter fight.
Lee was looking to rebound from a first-round submission loss to Raphael Assuncao at June's "UFC on FUEL TV 10: Nogueira vs. Werdum 2" event. While Lee has also fallen short against top contenders T.J. Dillashaw and Chris Cariaso, he does boast UFC victories over Motonobu Tezuka and MMA legend Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.
With the change to the card, the UFC 167 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
- Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks – for welterweight title
- Rashad Evans vs. Chael Sonnen
- Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
- Josh Koscheck vs. Tyron Woodley
- Ali Bagautinov vs. Timothy Elliott
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
- Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham
- Ed Herman vs. Thales Leites
- Brian Ebersole vs. Rick Story
- Edwin Figueroa vs. Erik Perez
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6:45 p.m. ET)
- Jason High vs. Anthony Lapsley
- Sergio Pettis vs. TBA
- Cody Donovan vs. Gian Villante
For more on UFC 167, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Vaughan Lee)


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Story highlights
Of the town of Kumano's 27,000 inhabitants, 1,500 are brush craftsmen
The best time to visit is September, when the annual Brush Festival takes place
When demand for calligraphy brushes declined, Kumano companies began producing high-end makeup brushes
Kumano turns out 15 million brushes a year -- 80% of Japan's total brush production
Shin Takemori throws a handful of old brushes onto a fire on a flat stone "altar," where a mound of similar brushes is already ablaze.
A dozen people queue behind him, waiting to do the same.
Collective garbage disposal?
No – this is a ritual cremation.
"It's to honor the souls of the brushes, for the work they've done," explains Takemori, president of Chikuhodo Ltd., one of 80 family run brush-making companies located in Kumano, Japan.
Used brushes from all over Japan are brought here to end their days.
The brush pyre is a key part of the Fude no Matsuri, or Brush Festival, held annually in Kumano, a mountain town 20 kilometers east of Hiroshima.
The festival is held on September 23, the autumn equinox, a national holiday in Japan, when the souls of the dead are believed to return to their earthly homes.
Alongside the pyre stands the Fudezuka stone tablet, Kumano's most iconic monument, commemorating the town's first brush makers.
Its inscription reads: "A brush dances to the wind of the heart."
Kumano has long been synonymous with quality brush production, officially recognized by Japan as a traditional industrial art.
Of Kumano's 27,000 inhabitants, 1,500 are fude-shi, or brush-making craftsmen.
The town turns out a staggering 15 million brushes a year – 80% of Japan's total brush production.
When Japan won the Women's Soccer World Cup in 2011, then prime minister Naoto Kan presented the team's members with a set of Kumano makeup brushes.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the brushes "showcase Japan's traditional craftsmanship and global brand power."
MORE: Japanese cuisine by region: which is best?
How it all started
"It began about 160 years ago, toward the end of the Edo era (1603-1867)," explains Takemori.
"This is a mountainous area, with little flat land for farming, so it was hard to survive in winter. Many men used to make ends meet by going away to Nara prefecture, to work in forestry.
"They'd buy calligraphy brushes there and re-sell them on returning to Kumano."
Around 1840, a few enterprising farmers decided to learn to make the brushes themselves.
They combined different brush making techniques they'd learned on their travels and developed a method unique to Kumano.
In 1877, Japan's introduction of compulsory education, including calligraphy, triggered a surge in demand for calligraphy brushes.
Word of Kumano's distinctive brushes began to spread and a brand was born.
In recent times, as demand for calligraphy brushes has declined, Chikuhodo (founded in 1952, the company employs more than 100 workers) and other well known Kumano companies began producing high-end makeup brushes and paint brushes, while still using traditional artisan techniques.
Now as in times past, most of the brushes are made with animal hair.
But what makes Kumano brushes so special?
"Touch them and see!" Takemori smiles.
They're silky soft – rub one against your face and it's like brushing your cheeks with rose petals.
"Even today, Kumano brushes are all handmade," Takemori adds. "You wouldn't get that softness otherwise."
MORE: Toyota Kaikan: Inside one of the world's most fascinating factory tours
Baby hair brushes and octopus dumplings
Visitors can watch the time-honored technique in action at Kumano's Fude-no-sato Kobo Brush Museum, where local craftsmen give demonstrations.
The museum houses one of the world's largest calligraphy brushes (3.7 meters long, weighing 400 kilos), suspended from the ceiling.
In the souvenir shop, you can have your name engraved on the brush.
You can also find the Birth Fude – a special brush for a baby's hair.
Better yet, you can have a souvenir brush made from your baby's first hairs.
You can also try your hand at making your own brush.
During the Brush Festival, tens of thousands of visitors from all over Japan throng tranquil Kumano.
The air is alive with the smoky tang of yakisoba noodles, octopus dumplings and skewered squid sizzling on grills at colorful food stalls.
At other stalls, local companies sell brushes at discount prices.
The heart of the festival is Brush Avenue – the steep, 99-step path leading to the 10th-century Sakakiyama Shrine.
Brush Avenue is festooned with 10,000 brushes of various sizes, hanging down around head-height, "so everyone can feel them," Takemori says.
A festival highlight is a demonstration by a master calligrapher.
The master paces barefoot around his "canvas" (a large vinyl sheet spread on the ground) in a balletic whirl, wielding a heavy brush longer than his arm, while an assistant stands by with an ink pot as big as a barrel.
With great, graceful strokes, the master composes a message of gratitude to the Fude no Kokoro (Spirit of the Brush).
As the applause fades, an explosion of fireworks heralds the arrival of a boisterous procession, led by a brightly decorated bamboo boat.
It carries the kami, or spirit of the local deity.
Men in colorful happi coats haul the boat up Brush Avenue (all 99 steps), back to the shrine.
There, the kami will rest until next autumn equinox, when Kumano once more falls under the Spirit of the Brush.
MORE: The 8 fiery 'hells' of Beppu, Japan's hot spring capital
When to visit
The Fude Matsuri is held on September 23 in Kumano, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Kumano is 45 minutes by bus from Hiroshima JR Station and 35 minutes from Kure JR Station.
The brush museum is open year-round and sells brushes of all varieties and prices. Kumano brushes are also sold at Japanese department stores, large stationery stores and Hiroshima Station.
Fude-no-sato Kobo Brush Museum, 5-17-1 Nakamizo, Kumano-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture; +81 82 855 3010; open daily, except Monday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; $5 per person
MORE: Uncovering abandoned sex museums and decrepit amusement parks in Japan


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Tom DeLonge
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Tom Delonge (born December 13, 1975) is the former guitarist and vocalist of and Box Car Racer. He is currently a member of Angels and Airwaves and the re-united blink-182 as of 8th of February 2009.
|This musician-related article is a stub. You can help Wikiquote by expanding it.
- I didn't quit that band because I wanted to. I quit that band because I had to. Because when people give you an ultimatum about your family, what are you going to do? But the problem was no one was being truthful at the time.
- In interview for Absolutepunk.net about quitting his old band Blink-182.
- But really we wanted to do something that was more kind of different than what most punk rock bands are doing right now, where they are all dressing in black and acting pissed or sad or wearing make-up. Its just not what we are into.
- In interview for Absolutepunk.net about his band Angels and Airwaves. (January 2008).
- I'm going to usher in this entire new culture of the youth, obsessed with the future.
- Every breath I take is a tribute to John Kerry.


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My mother forwarded an email to me with a nifty little javascript game to test your reactions. It is called Escapa! (Spanish for "Escapes"?)
"This is pretty wild. This will drive you batty! If you can go longer than 18 seconds you are phenomenal. It's been said that the US Air Force uses this for fighter pilots. They are expected to go for at least 2 minutes. Give it a try but be careful… it is addictive!!"
The picture below shows my personal best score. The higher the number the better. Click the picture of the game to begin playing.


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Dynalite Multipurpose Controllers
Browse the
Dynalite Multipurpose Controllers
products and find the product that you are looking for by using the filter and compare options
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Within any project, many different lighting load types may be required to achieve a desired result. Each of these load types may require a different style of control. The Philips Dynalite range of multipurpose controllers allows customization of output types via different output module units. When using DIN-rail multipurpose controllers, a specific type of control can be chosen for each circuit: relay, leading-edge dimmer, trailing-edge dimmer, ballast control, controller with out-of-the-box functionality, fan control, and blind/screen control. In any combination, multiple load types can be controlled from a single device. This simplifies installation and prevents wasted capacity of circuits that are not required.


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I was commenting on a friend's blog this morning, and when it posted, the date was July 9th. Car accident day. For the last few years, the date has been unremarkable, and in Cambodia this morning, it's actually July 10th. My brain and body went through the entire day yesterday with no physical or emotional hang ups. But somehow when I saw the date in print this morning, I got a tiny bit stuck.
I never did my I AM on Sunday, so how about I do it today?
I Am (alive)
I Am a cup of instant coffee in 2013, and at the same time, a travel mug of some kind of cheap brew in 2004 on my way to work. I am ice chips in the ER, hand-fed soft foods by my mom for a week, ice cream in a motorized Wal-Mart shopping cart, and a month's worth of home cooked meals, with a qdoba or two thrown in there.
I Am on Coliseum Blvd, headed toward the Boys & Girls Club on a happy, sunny Friday. I am recklessly propelled forward by something outside my control. I am underneath the giant wheel of a semi, one foot on earth, the other resigned to inevitable afterlife. I am laying flat as the wheel rolls over my car and I am wrapped around a tree when it's over. I am in an ambulance, then in the hospital, then in Indy, then at Bec's. Six weeks later I am back at work.
I Am they guy who saw it happen and thought I was dead. I am the first responder and the paramedics and the jaws of life cutting me out. I am the nurse handing me the phone with my mom on the other side. I am my best friend's face as we both realized what could have been. I am her parents on the other side of the curtain, and my boss and coworkers waiting for me outside. I am the friend who hosted me on the ground-level for the amount of time it took to be able to climb the stairs to my own apartment. I am Michael Gray, mid-seizure, and I am the two kids in his backseat. I am my lawyer the day he told me Mr. Gray died. I am the Insurance agent who got fired for negligence, the Anthem agent who took cash from the settlement for medical bills, and the Nationwide agent who claimed the rest for reimbursement.
I Am "It's okay" and "You're okay" and "I thought you were dead" and "The defendant died." I am "You're alive."


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If you read about my trip to Hawaii you already know that I am obsessed with sea turtles so when I found out that one of the most beautiful beaches in on the Yucatan peninsula was also a turtle haven I coerced my family to head out there with me. It was only 40 minutes or so from Playa del Carmen. The beach was stunning.
We snorkeled all over the bay and saw so many sea turtles, including the largest one I have ever seen, it was muy grande! I don't have an underwater camera but sometimes I wish I did!
It was the first time Dan ever saw a sea turtle and he was stoked!
There was a huge cabana restaurant that I was worried wouldn't have any vegan options but it turned out there were tons! From homemade veggie burgers to tostadas, and panuchos. I was craving a burger and fries and it was surprisingly delicious. You don't find any malt vinegar in Mexico though.
When we were in the ocean I lost my late grandma's ring, it just flew off my hand. I completely panicked but then we found it!!!! We looked for twenty minutes and then I saw it on top of a rock. All I could think was "My Precious".
It was a wonderful day!


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During our recent vacation we stayed at Fourth Cliff Recreation Area. It is a military recreation area with cabins and a limited number of RV sites managed by Hanscom Air Force Base and is located near Scituate, about midway between Boston and Cape Cod. These are some images of the Recreation Area. We look forward to visiting again sometime in the future.
Monthly Archives: November 2015


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Dallas History Department Office
History of Dallas, TX
Dallas, Texas was established as a tiny trading post in the middle of the 19th century, and it has a long and illustrious history. The city grew quickly and became a major hub for trade, transport, and agriculture. Dallas was a vital hub for Confederate troops, supplies, and trade throughout the Civil War. Union forces took over the city in the final stages of conflict. After the war, Dallas experienced rapid development and modernization that made it a major hub for commerce and industry. Dallas continued to grow and develop throughout the 20th century. It became a major Southern city and contributed to the US's economy. Dallas is today a multicultural and energetic city renowned for its booming economy, cultural landmarks, and top-notch services.
Business Name:
Dallas History Department Office
1500 Marilla StreetDallas Texas 75201United States
About Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County with portions extending into Collin, Denton, Kaufman and Rockwall counties. With a 2020 census population of 1,304,379, it is the ninth most-populous city in the U.S. and the third-largest in Texas after Houston and San Antonio. Located in the North Texas region, the city of Dallas is the main core of the largest metropolitan area in the southern United States and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea.The cities of Dallas and nearby Fort Worth were initially developed due to the construction of major railroad lines through the area allowing access to cotton, cattle and later oil in North and East Texas. The construction of the Interstate Highway System reinforced Dallas's prominence as a transportation hub, with four major interstate highways converging in the city and a fifth interstate loop around it.
Neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas
Baylor-Meadows, Belmont Park, Bluffview, Bonton, Bryan Place, Caruth Terrace, Casa Linda, Casa View, Dolphin Heights, Eastwood, Eastwood Hills, El Tivoli Place, Elmwood, Far North Dallas, Forest Hills
Things to do in Dallas, Texas
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When a potential client walks through the door and enters your business they will immediately judge your company based on what they see. Are the floors dirty? Is there a peculiar odor emanating? Are the windows and counters clean? Business owners often get so caught up in their daily schedule that they may forget that […]
Posts tagged 'Sleepy Hollow'
Clean office invites happy clients
August 1st, 2022


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"The woman Democrats love to hate" was how Sean Hannity introduced Christine O'Donnell last night. Correction: Democrats love her, as long she stays 15 points behind. So how'd it go? Well, she's a PR person, and she knows that much.
This morning, media types are complaining that the O'Donnell interview was boring. There was, as Mediate noted, only one or two entertaining intervals:
Of course, Bill Maher came up. Hannity noted O'Donnell "did his show a lot," to which she replied, "Unfortunately." She also termed her dabbling in witchcraft "rebellion"…and in one of the more (and relatively rare) interesting moments of the interview, said, "Who didn't do some questionable things in high school?"
Except that when it comes to O'Donnell, the less the national media finds her "interesting" — in this case, controversial, ridiculous, clickbait or good for ratings — the better it is for her legitimacy as a candidate. She attributed her abrupt cancellation of Sunday shows to being devoted to Delaware and local media, saying this was her last national interview. She attributed her financial problems (which make her distinctly relatable to average Americans struggling with their mortgages) to her virtuous non-profit work, and her positions on social issues to being inspired by religion in her twenties, without saying what she believes now on condoms, homosexuality, or abstinence-only education, to name a few. She claimed that she was being labeled an "extremist" but that no one was addressing her on the issues — the new ones she's claimed, in accordance with the times, including taxes and jobs.
Anyone just tuning in to see what all the fuss about might get the mistaken impression that this pleasant, well-spoken young woman was getting a bad rap from the big bad liberals.
It's no accident that O'Donnell is not only a PR and marketing type, but that her candidacy came out of the sort of pseudo-knowledge conferred by TV talking head culture, in which people habitually fake it until they make it, turning morsels of cocktail party chatter into a believable impression of actual authority. As Charles P. Pierce wrote when she first won:
O'Donnell is a creature of an age in which politics have no meaning beyond performance art. She is the Creature from the Green Room, with no apparent public career beyond being available whenever some teenage booker from the cable shows needed someone to say something reliably stupid.
... She is what politics produces when you divorce politics from government. She is what you get when you sell to the country that nothing government can do will help, and that the government is an alien thing, and that politics is nothing more than the active public display of impotent grievance.
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And that was almost a whole week ago — an eternity in the news cycle. She has six more weeks to continue giving a convincing impression of being an actual candidate.
O'Donnell To Hannity: The Media Is Trying To Paint Me As An Extremist [Talking Points Memo]
O'Donnell On Hannity: Not Going To Do Any More National Media [Mediaite]
Related: Can We Calm Down About Delaware's Tea Party Already? [Esquire]


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Other Side of the Rainbow - Sweater Quantity and Dyed to Order
Sale Sold out
Regular price $35.00 CAD
Regular priceUnit price per
Sale price
Please note that this is a Dyed to Order listing, and has a turnaround time of 2-4 weeks from order date.
Please check out the yarn bases page for full information on individual yarns.
No two skeins are identical. While a Sweater Quantity order is dyed all at one time for you, each skein holds its own variation. If you need more than one skein for your project, be sure to alternate rows to ensure good color match.
Unless a mistake has been made in the preparation of your order, all sales are final.


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Tzitzle Rye
Growing up in St. Louis in the early 60's we bought a rye bread with a coating of corm meal (maybe) called tzitzle rye. Does anyone know exactly what the crust is rolled in to make it "tzitzle?"
Growing up in St. Louis in the early 60's we bought a rye bread with a coating of corm meal (maybe) called tzitzle rye. Does anyone know exactly what the crust is rolled in to make it "tzitzle?"
Last time I had tzitzle rye, the crust was not rolled in anything at all. But cornmeal does sound correct for what rye is typically rolled in to get a nice crunch from each bite.
and used to buy Tzitzel from Pratzel's. I actually have tried really hard to recreate that Tzitzel and have posted about it several times http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21310/authentic-tzitzel-i-can-make on TFL. Since my last post on the subject, I got in touch with one of the Pratzel family and she shared information about what flour they use. She told me that Pratzel's uses medium rye and regular bread flour (not First Clear flour.) I have been meaning to buy medium rye and try it but have been distracted with other things. My sister, however, tried it, and said it was very close to what she remembered. -Varda
I didn't answer your question - it is rolled in cornmeal.
I just remember the bread. I don't recall much about the bakery itself, other than its old location on Delmar. I think it has since moved to Olive Blvd (in Creve Coeur?) But my father used to buy the Tzitzel, and if I saw a loaf on the counter, look out. I assumed that the world was full of Tzitzel bread, but when I moved away from St. Louis, I only found it once - at a now defunct (and fabulous) sandwich shop in Harvard Square (Cambridge Mass). A year and a half ago when I started making bread I became interested (ok, obsessed) with trying to recreate the bread. The problem was I didn't have much experience with making bread of any kind, and rye isn't the easiest thing to start with. I emailed Pratzels to see if they could give me any pointers, and got a brief reply from Elaine Pratzel saying it was just a Jewish Rye wrapped in cornmeal. Eventually (with a lot of help from people on TFL and Greenstein's Secrets of a Jewish Baker) I figured out how to put together a passable Jewish Rye, but it still didn't taste like I remembered. Finally it occured to me that the rye mattered. After trying a variety of things, I finally mixed whole rye and white rye, and got something very close. I emailed Elaine Pratzel again and begged her to tell me what kind of flour they used. She answered Medium Rye (which I never thought to try) and a regular bread flour (not even high gluten and definitely not First Clear.) Armed with this information I.... passed it along to my sister who had gotten interested.... as my obsessions had moved on. She made it a few times with medium rye and said it was a dead ringer for Pratzel's Tzitzel. One of the things she was unsatisfied with was the cornmeal. She had tried Albers (I've never seen it around here) and didn't think that was right, so she was going to try Arrowhead and/or Bob's Red Mill next. Meanwhile the Pratzels were retiring and the younger generation wasn't interested in taking over the bakery, and they were about to close it down. This seemed to create something of a crisis in St. Louis both from foodies and Orthodox Jews who relied on them. The last I heard is they found a buyer and the bakery was going to stay open. Anyhow, that's probably more than you want to know. Have you been making Tzitzel? How is it going? -Varda
1500 loaves? That's a huge amount. How did you bake so much? Did you have help? A bakery to work in? That's amazing. Pleasant insanity, obsession, what's the diff? It's the engine that makes us do things. I guess in my case (and baking much, much less than you) I just got interested in so many different breads that I couldn't maintain my focus on just one. But I'm still planning to get back to tzitzel.
Hope this works out. -Varda
The recipe for tzitzelbroyt will be in Inside the Jewish Bakery as a variation of Old School Jewish Deli Rye. It's too important to ignore.
Stan Ginsberg
I'm looking forward to that. -Varda
picking up a conversation after 2 years as if no time had gone by whatsoever. But this is TFL. You don't have to ask about posting a recipe. Yes, let's see it. In the meantime I have used the recipe in Inside the Jewish Bakery, and have been very happy with it. But just recently I baked a deli rye at a King Arthur class and no matter what I remember, I don't think I've ever tasted anything better. That's my next Jewish Rye. -Varda
Please post the recipe!
Me and my rye bread obsessed son will be very happy to try it.
He loves the taste of rye, will buy me the ingredients to make it. Sigh. He is not interested in making bread.
I recall in the late 1940's and early 50's being given some change and told to go buy a tzitzelbroyt at the Jewish bakery about a mile away. I would walk to the bakery. I never liked to be sent there. It smelled great. What made it such a negative experience was the large number of heafty Jewish women who would elbow me away from the counter when I finally would get close enough to ask for my bread. I was taught to be polite to older people and expecially ladies. It would take me for ever to get my bread. It was coated in carraway seeds, not corn meal. Maybe that was just a Minneapolis, Jewish Bakery affectation. Every bread had a paper sticker on the top saying it was union made.
it littlejay? Pratzel's tzitzel is one of my next bakes!
Found it under recipes. Thanks


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In case it was less than obvious, I was driven insane some months ago by the media's complete inability to grasp even the basics of player evaluation; most acutely with respect to Clay Buchholz.
But while reading Over the Monster's interview with the Globe's Tony Massarotti – kudos to OTM on that, BTW – I really think I've had a breakthrough in my comprehension of how Massarotti and his colleages can look at the same set of data and come to such different conclusions: we're not looking at the same data.
Everything about the media's evaluation of our players begins to make sense if you do one, simple thing: discount their minor league performance and scouting reports. If you base your analysis off of nothing more than their performance with the big club, Tony, Nick and the rest of the gang are exactly right. Phrases like, I still think "Buchholz' greatest value is on the trade market," or "Masterson seems like the best of the lot," are not controversial, obtuse or perplexing, but simple statements of fact. Well, maybe not so much the former, because it flies in the face of basic precepts like "sell high/buy low," but you get the point.
Try it. Just look at the major league numbers for a minute. Not the ones that provide context like BABIP, and not the ones are decent indicators of ceiling like K/9. Don't look, in fact, any further than ERA, because that's all you'll need. Buchholz' ERA last season was 6.75 (ignore the 1.59 over 22.1 IP in '07). Masterson's was 3.16. Who's the better pitcher? Masterson. Who's expendable? Buchholz.
What makes life hard for me, I can see now, is that I actually consider their minor league histories, and factor them in when evaluating the player. To make matters worse, I view ERA as slightly more important than a pitcher's W/L record – which is effectively irrelevant for the purposes of evaluation, as far as I'm concerned – but significantly less useful than, oh, BABIP, K/9, HR/9, and K/BB. And the nail in the coffin? I'm reluctant to project too much on the basis of sample sizes of less than a hundred innings at the major league level.
If I didn't have those problems, none of the following would trouble me when I concluded that Buchholz was a bust and should be shipped for the first available need:
- Buchholz' BABIP – career – is .343. The average typically allowed on balls in play for pitchers of virtually any type is .290, which in English means that hitters have an average 50+ points higher against Buchholz than they should.
One of two conclusions, therefore, is supportable: a.) Buchholz has found some new way to uniquely allow a higher average on balls in play, or b.) he's been unlucky in a small sample size and will inevitably revert to the mean.
- In 344.1 IP in the Minor Leagues, Buchholz has struck out 417 guys while walking 95. His ERA over that span? 2.43. In case you're fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing, those numbers are good. Exceedingly good. For the sake of comparison, Masterson – who, in spite of being the media's flavor the month, I really like – has struck out 193 while walking 59 in over a hundred fewer innings (233.1). His ERA? 3.78. What do those numbers mean? Buchholz – per nine innings pitched at the minor league level – has struck out roughly three more guys, while walking .2 more. It's always difficult to predict pitchers, but the ability to strike men out while walking as few as possible is one of the best indicators.
- Aside from the statistical arguments that Buchholz is a pitcher with a higher upside than Masterson (and Bowden, in my view, isn't even in this conversation yet), there's the scouting report on their respective arsenals. Buchholz has two pitches that are considered plus – his curveball and changeup – and his fastball is, when he can locate it, more than adequate, with good to plus velocity. Masterson has one pitch that is considered plus – his fastball – and two that are not: his changeup and slider. Thus, while both pitchers have suggestive platoon splits in their major league history to date, the scouting reports indicate that Buchholz has more weapons than Masterson to attack left handed hitters.
Ignoring all of that, it's easy to see why Buchholz is on the media's shit list at the moment. Not living up to the impossible expectations created by the no hitter would be enough on its own, but carousing with Victoria's Secret models and Penthouse pets? You're done in this town, kid: no matter what your minor league numbers say.
Well, except for the fact that Theo's running things. Thank Jebus.
Maybe Bucky pans out, and maybe he doesn't: he's a pitching prospect, after all. But to regard him, as the media quite obviously does, as done after 98.2 innings is, to me, the real insanity here.


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GM Bruce Allen: Redskins have 'no gaping holes'
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) The Washington Redskins' annual predraft news conference is an exercise in saying a lot without saying anything, so it helps to be entertaining.
''We're going to do our best job not to lie to anybody today,'' general manager Bruce Allen told the gathering Tuesday. ''If we mislead 31 other teams, then it's successful.''
The line produced a huge laugh because it was a zinger aimed - intentionally or not - at dismissed coach Mike Shanahan, who infamously said during last year's 3-13 season: ''What I'm trying to do is be as honest as I can, and I don't normally do that.''
Allen, of course, didn't declare the Redskins' plans for the draft, but he did drop a few hints. Washington has only six picks, starting with the second selection of the second round, and Allen said ''in theory'' he would prefer to trade down and collect more picks, depending on how the board shakes out.
''If we have a player that has a first-round grade that falls to us, it'll make us less likely to trade out of there,'' Allen said.
Allen added that it's unlikely he will trade up into the first round.
Perhaps the GM's most interesting remark reflected his confidence in the players he already has. The Redskins did add some notable free agents - three-time Pro Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson tops the list - but they are coming off a last place season and are starting over coach-wise after replacing Shanahan with Jay Gruden.
''We've been active in free agency, so we feel there's no gaping holes on the roster,'' Allen said.
Still, there's little debate that the Redskins could use some more help along the offensive line, at linebacker and safety, and perhaps need to pick a solid pass-rushing defensive lineman. Allen said he'll stick with the standard NFL philosophy of taking the best player available regardless of position, but there's some leeway: If two or more players are rated the same, then position of need is often the tiebreaker.
The Redskins lack a first-round pick because it was one of three they dealt to the St. Louis Rams two years ago as part of the package that allowed them to move into place to take Robert Griffin III. While it could be years before the final verdict on the trade is rendered, Allen feels it was worth it because he doesn't have to worry about the most important position on the team.
''The fact that we don't have a first-round draft choice is because we have a quarterback,'' Allen said.
Making his debut behind the microphone was director of player personnel Scott Campbell. Allen gave Campbell a more visible role in draft preparations following the ouster of Shanahan, who had final say in all player selections.
''I think it inspires the scouts,'' Campbell said of the new front office setup. ''It's exactly what you want, to be involved in the process.''
Campbell has worked for the Redskins for 13 years in various scouting-related roles. His day-to-day job hasn't changed that much - except that he's now more in the public eye as the face of the draft.
''I'm not real comfortable with that, and it's really not my style,'' he said. ''I'm really a behind-the-scenes worker.''
Added Allen: ''He refused to wear makeup today.''
AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP


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By David Lawder
(Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of people made homeless, long waits at airports and criminals going unpunished.
Those were among the dire warnings from the Obama administration on Thursday of the consequences of automatic public spending cuts that are due to kick in next month.
While the measures do indeed threaten jobs and the economic recovery, experts say government agencies are overplaying the effect of the $85 billion "sequestration" cuts to jolt lawmakers into halting them.
Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing that U.S. military readiness would be eroded by the across-the-board cuts, to be split evenly between military and domestic discretionary programs.
Carter said some 46,000 contract employees would be laid off, and 800,000 civilian employees would be furloughed for 22 days and ship and aircraft maintenance would be slashed.
But the cuts are only a small portion of the overall $3.6 trillion U.S. annual budget, and a miniscule component of the vast U.S. economy.
"Somehow, the idea that if we go back to 2007 military funding levels we're going to be a second-rate power, well that's overdoing it," said Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress and a former U.S. assistant defense secretary.
"If you kept this cut, you're back to $500 billion a year. I find it hard to get that worried about it," Korb said, noting that this was still vastly more than any other country spends on its military.
A senior White House budget official cautioned, though, that sequestration will have grave real effects.
"We simply cannot cut $85 billion out of our budget over the next seven months without critical consequences for defense and non-defense," said Danny Werfel, controller for the Office of Management and Budget.
He was one of several administration officials, including cabinet secretaries, to list the serious ramifications if Congress and President Barack Obama did not reach an agreement to stop sequestration.
The Justice Department predicted that it would handle 1,000 fewer criminal cases this year due to the cuts. The FBI would have to furlough all of its employees for up to 14 days, which the agency said was the equivalent of taking 775 agents off the streets.
"Criminals that should be held accountable for their actions will not be held accountable and violators of our civil laws may go unpunished," Attorney General Eric Holder wrote in a letter to Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that screening lines at busy U.S. airports could grow by up to an hour as Transportation Security Administration staff are furloughed.
Waits at border crossings could reach 4 to 5 hours, ports could face gridlock and reduced Coast Guard patrols would mean less interdiction of drug and illegal immigrants and more pressure on fisheries, she said.
Secretary of State John Kerry said that "vital missions of national security, diplomacy and development" were at risk from the budget crunch.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan predicted some 225,000 people, including veterans, could be at risk of becoming homeless as they lose access to housing vouchers or emergency shelter programs.
The Pentagon has more flexibility to deal with the cuts than domestic agencies, said Gordon Adams, an American University foreign policy professor.
Domestic agencies are more payroll-based, so they have little choice but to lose people, whereas the Pentagon has all of its war operations and military pay exempted, and its procurement activities can largely run on previously allocated dollars. "We are not suddenly going to be subject to overseas coercion."
But even on the domestic side, the predictions of gloom are subject to hyperbole and political calculation, he said.
"If I'm the administration, I'm going to ramp up the biggest and most horrible effects I can to put pressure on the Republicans" to reach a deal to prevent the cuts.
Werfel acknowledged that, unlike a government shutdown, not all of the effects are going to happen immediately when the cuts begin on March 1.
In some cases, furlough notices will go out at that time, but employees may not be sent home for 30 days due to statutory notice periods. In other cases, negotiations with unions over implementation of furloughs may take longer.
But the effects of the cuts, will build up "relatively quickly" within weeks and months, Werfel said. The layoffs, furloughs and curtailed services described by administration officials would more likely be spread over the seven months to the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Part of the problem the administration faces is a lack of flexibility in prioritizing the cuts, which were aimed at nearly every discretionary budget account and designed to pressure lawmakers to reach a broader agreement to reduce deficits.
Lack of alternative preparations means that agencies have little choice but to furlough employers and curtail operations to meet their savings targets for the fiscal year.
But after that, defense savings can be found that will not compromise U.S. security, said Mattea Kramer, research director at the National Priorities Project, a Massachusetts research group focused on the U.S. budget.
"There is waste, there are obsolete programs to be sunsetted, there is Cold War technology that we need not be investing in any longer," Kramer said.
The dire warnings of chaos on the domestic side may be more motivated by worries that the automatic cuts will hit economic growth, which is the top Democratic priority, said Ethan Siegal, who advises institutional investors on Washington politics.
The Congressional Budget Office forecast last week that if the sequester occurred, it would reduce U.S. economic output by 0.6 percentage points and slash 750,000 jobs.
Siegal said the administration may find ways to mitigate the effects of the cuts, but it is not politically advantageous to do so at this time, when it wants to put maximum pressure on Congress to reach a budget deal.
He predicted that the sequester would be delayed again just before a March 27 deadline for new government funding legislation.
"Government agencies are marvelous at massaging these things and moving money around."
In a sign that lawmakers are looking for ways to prevent the cuts, Senate Democrats offered a plan on Thursday to replace the sequester with tax hikes and reduced farm subsidies, but the proposal is expected to be quickly shot down by Republicans.
OMB's Werfel said that the administration will do what it can to blunt the cuts.
"Whatever the tools we have, we're going to use. I'm not going to comment on specific aspects, I just know that it is going to be enormously challenging and there is no way we're going to mitigate these impacts effectively enough," he told reporters after the hearing.
(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell and David Alexander, Editing by Alistair Bell and Paul Simao)
via Doom scenarios for U.S. budget cuts may be overplayed | Reuters.


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Former Gov. George Pataki, the Roman Catholic Church, and now Fox News host Bill O'Reilly have joined a growing chorus of voices blasting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) for championing an abortion bill that would provide access to late-term abortions if a woman's health is endangered or the fetus is not viable.
The latest opponent to join the ring, Mr. O'Reilly, calledGovernor Cuomo "barbaric" last Thursday on theGlenn Beck show and said he wants "to legalize late-term abortion for any reason … a migraine headache, a hang nail, a panic attack."
It's no surprise the governor's proposed Reproductive Health Act is gaining so much attention. The chorus of protests began after Cuomo outlined the proposed legislation in his January State of the State address, as part of a broader package of women's rights initiatives. One of the country's most liberal pieces of abortion legislation, the bill goes against the national tide, attempting to relax abortion controls at a time when many other states are seeking restrictions.
Last year 19 states enacted 43 provisions restricting abortion access, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion advocacy and research group. Not one measure was adopted to expand abortion access. In 2011, a record-breaking 92 abortion restrictions were enacted.
"Pretty much all of the energy, all of the momentum, has been to restrict abortion, which makes what could potentially happen in New York so interesting," Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute, told The New York Times. "There's no other state that's even contemplating this right now."
Cuomo's office has said his Reproductive Health Act is an effort to reinforce Roe v. Wade to protect the reproductive rights of women should the Supreme Court overturn the court's landmark abortion ruling.
"The governor would simply realign our outdated state laws to federal law and existing state practice," said Cuomo's counsel, Mylan Denerstein, in an Op-Ed. "The Supreme Court could always change and we want to protect a woman's current right to choose."
Cuomo's office has said the legislation would not expand state laws beyond federal standards. New York State's existing law, which was passed in 1970, currently allows abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy only if a woman's life is at risk, while federal law allows late-term abortions to protect a woman's health even if her life is not in danger.
The bill — one plank of a 10-part Women's Equality Act that would also seek to install equal pay, anti-trafficking and anti-discrimination legislation – would allow licensed health-care practitioners, not just physicians, to perform abortions. It would also remove abortion from the state's penal law and enter it into public health law.
Opponents, led by O'Reilly, have declared war on Cuomo's proposal, saying it would be a radical expansion of abortion laws.
"Andrew Cuomo is barbaric. He's just barbaric," O'Reilly said on the Glenn Beck show. "It's so barbaric that people should be rising up, but you're not going to see it because we're too busy on our video games. We can't pull ourselves away."
Later, on his own Fox News show, the conservative TV host said, "He's behind a proposed new law that would allow abortions in New York state to be performed at any time for pretty much any reason. Cuomo wants to decriminalize all abortion activity.… I do not want my country to be a place of barbarism, and I will fight against that!"
Taking another dig at Cuomo, O'Reilly added "the fact that he says he's Roman Catholic is just staggering," and "if there is indeed a judgment day, he better bring a good lawyer."
Cuomo's Republican predecessor, former Governor Pataki, also expressed disapproval, saying the proposal amounts to "partial birth abortion."
"It is the wrong thing to do and I hope that the legislature in its wisdom takes a hard look at this and decides that New York should not," Pataki told conservative website Newsmax.
Even the Roman Catholic Church has weighed in.
"I am hard pressed to think of a piece of legislation that is less needed or more harmful than this one," Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, said in a letter to Cuomo in January.
In a Jan. 24 Catholic New York column, he added, referring to Albany lawmakers, "It's as though, in their minds, our state motto, 'Excelsior' ('Ever Upward'), applies to the abortion rate."
Cuomo's office is fighting back, calling opponents' claims "wildly false misinformation," and insisting that the bill is not an expansion or radical change to existing law.
"The statements made by the opposition are outrageous and disingenuous," Mr. Denerstein wrote in the Op-Ed. "The governor's position is to purely codify existing federal law. To be clear, there would be no change whatsoever in law and practice now existing in the state of New York."
The battle is just beginning for Cuomo's bill, which to become law, must be passed by a split state legislature, including a Democratically-controlled House and a Senate dominated by a coalition of Republicans.


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John Semmens: Semi-News — A Satirical Look at Recent News
Despite sworn testimony to the contrary by State Department officials at a House of Representatives hearing this week, Vice-President Joe Biden claimed during his debate with GOP VP nominee Congressman Paul Ryan that the White House had no warning of the security problems at the Libyan Consulat
Presidential Press Secretary Jay Carney suggested that "perhaps this issue was covered in one of the national security briefings that the President was unable to attend. We all know the President has more things to do than he has time to do them. So, there are going to be occasions when he may be 'out of the loop' so to speak."
Statistics from the Government Accountability Institute lend support to Carney's contention that the President is often "out-of-the-loop." Since the start of his term, President Obama has attended less than half of the national security briefings held at the White House. This year he has attended only a third of the briefings. In the week before the murder of the Ambassador he attended none of them.
As for the State Department's admission that slain Ambassador Christopher Stevens had made several requests for additional security months before the attack that killed him, Carney laid the blame on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "This is her turf," Carney explained. "The President has delegated the authority to the State Department to handle this kind of issue. If there are any presumed lapses that's where you should look."
For her part, the Secretary refused to accept blame insisting that the decision to forgo the requested extra security was a jointly agreed upon course. "Both the President and I concurred in the plan to outsource the consulate and embassy security to the February 17 Martyrs' Brigade," Clinton said. "How were we to know that this would prove inadequate?"
The possibility that their on-site ambassador's opinion that security wasn't adequate might have been a clue was apparently beyond the comprehension of both the President and the Secretary. Ansar al Sharia, the al-Qaida-linked militia believed to have organized and carried out the attack on the US Libyan Consulate in September, is a spinoff of the February 17 Martyrs Brigade.
Meanwhile, Obama campaign spokesperson Stephanie Cutter maintained that "the issue is being blown out of proportion by both the Romney campaign and the media. The murder of the Ambassador, while tragic, is just an isolated incident. We mustn't award it undue attention when more critical items are at stake in this campaign."
Asked to enumerate a few "more critical items," Cutter pointed to "the very real threat that a GOP victory would cut government funding for abortion, force sexually active young women to pay for their own birth control, and cancel the tax increase scheduled for January 2013. We think voters should look past an unfortunate event that we can't undo and focus on the 'bread-and-butter' issues that the Democratic Party has always delivered on."
Obama Defeat May Lead to Rioting, Emigration
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano warned that "vibes we've been picking up indicate that a defeat for the President in November would ignite a wave of civil strife like we've never seen in this country."
"The blogosphere and world of twitters is flush with credible threats of violence and mayhem that our Department thinks should be taken very seriously," the Secretary said.
"Voters can help thwart this threat by ensuring the President's reelection," Napolitano advised. "Even if voters are dissatisfied with the progress the Administration has made or are attracted to Romney's siren song, they need to ask themselves whether it is worth the risk of being assaulted in the streets or having their homes burned down before they cast a vote against the President."
A second concern cited by the Secretary was the prospect that "many of our best and brightest would follow through with their promise to leave the country should the President lose the election. This demographic is the foundation stone of the President's plan to transform America. If we lose too many of these people the nation could spiral backwards toward a society where individuals are forced to fend for themselves."
In related news, the Federal Aviation Administration announced plans to have as many as 30,000 aerial drones patrolling America's airspace by the end of the decade. Napolitano enthusiastically endorsed the plan. "The success the President has had using these types of weapons to neutralize our enemies abroad recommends it for domestic deployment," she said. "Our porous borders as well as the growing threat of home-grown right-wing terrorism demonstrate the need for the ability to strike closer to home."
President Pledges He Will Save Big Bird
Gloating over what they consider a "colossal blunder," the Obama campaign has launched a series of ads promising that Obama will save the Sesame Street character from "extinction" at the hands of the GOP.
Obama Campaign spokesperson, Jennifer Psaki boasted that "the cruel side of Governor Romney is now on display for every voter with school-aged children to see. The idea that he would even consider defunding this American icon is the unkindest cut of all. We won't let voters forget it."
Whether Big Bird or Sesame Street would face extinction without federal subsidies seems dubious. The Sesame Street operation grossed over $100 million last year and has nearly $300 million in assets on the company's books. Merchandise sales, copyright licensing fees, and corporate sponsorships account for 90% of their revenues. Federal subsidies make up less than 10% of total revenues. Ironically, at a salary of over $300,000, the actor who plays Big Bird falls in the group the Obama Administration says needs to pay higher taxes.
A lawyer for Sesame Street has requested that the Obama Campaign refrain from using its characters in its ads. Psaki acknowledged receipt of the complaint, but declined to confirm the campaign would comply with the request. "If the President feels he needs to use these characters to make his point he will continue to use them," Psaki asserted. "After all, the needs of the nation surely override this organization's hope to make a profit. Besides, it is by no means clear who owns the rights to these characters. If the government subsidizes Sesame Street why shouldn't it control how the benefits of that subsidy are dispersed?"
Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs seconded Psaki's take. "The fact of the matter is that what the President says or does about anything takes precedence over what anybody else has to say or do," Gibbs argued. "He represents all Americans. As such, whatever he determines is right for the country supersedes the private interests of any other individual or organization."
President Woos College Women with Promise of Free Birth Control
In a bid to shift the narrative to an issue he sees as more advantageous, President Obama told a George Mason University audience that "ensuring college-aged women's access to free birth control services is what's at stake in this election. A coed shouldn't have to give up sex just because she can't afford to pay for birth control. Neither should she be forced to make space in her budget for condoms or birth control pills."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops vehemently opposes the Administration's insistence that all employers, regardless of religious or ethical objections, must finance birth control and abortion. The Bishops contested the supposed rationale for the Obamacare mandate, pointing out that "access to contraception is ubiquitous and inexpensive. This mandate is about the federal government riding roughshod over freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution."
The President boldly dismissed these religious objections to the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to provide for birth control and abortion services in their healthcare plans. "The enemies of women's rights attempts to evade their responsibility to provide for these rights will not prevail," Obama bragged. "This election is about a test of wills to determine what vision for America will prevail. I assure you, that as long as I am President religious dogma will not be allowed to negate the benefits the Affordable Care Act has bestowed upon the women of this country."
In related news, Darden Restaurants, owner of the Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains, says it is moving away from offering full-time positions. The aim is to avoid Obamacare's requirement that firms pay for health insurance for workers who put in 30 hours or more per week. Sadly, many of those affected are women.
Wisconsin Sheriff Won't Stop Felons from Voting
Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney has instructed his staff not to assist in checking the felony status of those seeking to cast votes in the county. This is despite a state law mandating such assistance.
"It may be a state law, but the Constitution's provision for a government of, by, and for the people outranks it," Mahoney claimed. "Felons are people too. They have a right to participate in the selection of who will govern them. I cannot stand by and be a party to misguided state efforts to disenfranchise them."
Mahoney had hoped to keep his directive within the confines of the Sheriff's Office. However, a deputy leaked the internal memo to the press garnering some unwanted scrutiny for the questionable action. Mahoney says he deplored the leak and called the whistle-blower responsible "unprofessional." "I count on the men who work for me to show their loyalty in how they comport themselves," Mahoney said. "As their superior officer, it is my prerogative to interpret the law and determine how or whether we will enforce it. Going outside the chain of command is totally unacceptable."
In related news, in similarly progressive Illinois, it was discovered that over 1,000 prison inmates are receiving unemployment compensation from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Governor Pat Quinn (D) defended the distributions saying "I don't see a problem. If you're in jail I think it's pretty obvious that you're unemployed. Why shouldn't you receive compensation? I mean, it could be used to bribe fellow inmates not to rape you or it could come in handy when you eventually get out."
Obama Campaign Downplays Illegal Donation Issue
While the Obama campaign was boasting about raising more campaign cash than the GOP during September it now looks like a significant share (an estimated 68%) of this cash may have been obtained illegally. It appears that two-thirds of the campaign's web donors are foreigners. By law, foreigners are barred from donating to US political campaigns.
David Axelrod emphasized what he called "the inherent inequity" of the ban on foreign money. "Look, it isn't only Americans who are affected by who is elected," Axelrod pointed out. "We're not a small insignificant country. What we do has ripple affects all over the globe. It impacts people in other countries. Naturally, these people would like to have some input to the process."
In support of the idea that foreigners should have a right to contribute to President Obama's reelection, Axelrod cited a GlobalPost poll indicating that 68% of foreigners favor Obama's reelection and a Gallup poll of foreign voters that would give Obama 81% of the vote.
"The vast majority of the people of the world want President Obama to continue in office," he observed. "In fact, the ratio of support is greater than three-to-one in one poll and four-to-one in another. Should this make no difference? It's bad enough that all the people affected by US policies can't vote for who runs America. Must we also deny them the opportunity to 'put their two cents in' so to speak?"
Professor Says President Misrepresenting His Study
All along the campaign trail President Obama has been asserting that Governor Romney's tax plan would boost levies on middle income earners. He has been citing a study by Harvard economist Martin Feldstein and Princeton economist Harvey Rosen that he claims validates his case.
The problem is, Professor Rosen has said the President is misconstruing his work. "The main conclusion of my study is that under plausible assumptions, a proposal along the lines suggested by Governor Romney can both be revenue neutral and that an increase in the tax burden on lower and middle income individuals is not required in order to make the overall plan revenue neutral," Rosen explained.
"I suppose it comes down to who you're going to believe," said Obama Campaign Press Secretary Ben LaBolt. "On the one hand, you have the President of the United States—a man everyone in America knows," LaBolt said. "On the other hand, we have an obscure professor who I'd bet not one voter in a thousand has ever heard of before. Would you take the word of a stranger over that of the President? Well, we feel pretty confident that the majority of Americans will choose the President as the person they'll want to trust on this issue."
Obama Advisers Pan Romney's "Peace through Strength" Foreign Policy
Obama national security advisers Michele Flournoy and Colin Kahl sought to lampoon Govern Mitt Romney's pitch for a foreign policy founded on a "peace through strength" approach as "old hat."
"This lame attempt to revive a policy championed by Ronald Reagan is so out-of-date it's laughable," Flournoy chortled. "Time has moved on and the world has changed since these ideas were fashionable. It makes no sense for us to go backward—what—more than 30 years. Let's get real."
Flournoy called "the attempt to divide nations into 'friend-or-foe' categories as a basis for guiding our international relationships is simplistic. As President Obama has shown over the last four years, a more nuanced view is more successful. In his world view there are no foes. There are only differing degrees of friendship."
"Just because there are disagreements between countries doesn't mean they can't still be friends," Flournoy continued. "President Obama hasn't shied from making the first move toward building bridges toward improved relations. His aggressive move at the outset of his term to admit and apologize for our country's transgressions opened up new possibilities for progress around the world."
As proof of the superiority of Obama's foreign policy, Flournoy reminded that "Reagan never won a Nobel Peace Prize. President Obama won one in his first year on the job."
A Satirical Look at Recent News
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Imagine, research, decide and persist. The path to success is simple but not easy. Continue reading
Tag Archives: hiring sales staff
5 ways SIP shields you from poor recruitment
When we think of poor recruitment outcomes it is easy to imagine the financial loss on salaries, resources and training that hiring the wrong person costs you. But there are real issues from even interviewing the wrong ones that can have a subtle but potentially more devastating effect on your business. Find out how SIP can shield from all of these. Continue reading
How To Series Episode 6: How to Sell
Many of us get into selling entirely by accident and many of us are petrified of being sold to. But selling is just a conversation – it is as simple as that. But selling is a conversation with a purpose; … Continue reading
How To Series Episode 5: How to Close the Sale
Selling is a conversation. At the end of which, somebody gets to make a decision. At the end, we close. How do you know when that conversation is at its end? Some training programs will say, close, close, close. Close … Continue reading
How To Series Episode 4: How to Build Trust
It's a fundamental process in human interaction whether you're building a relationship or trying to sell a product, and the process is exactly the same. In the Emotions in Selling program we spoke a lot about the mechanisms of fear … Continue reading
How To Series Episode 3: How Resumes are Killing your Business
Recruiting sales people is the trickiest part of your company. Recruiting sales people is harder than recruiting any other part of the business because the number of people who can sell is actually quite small. But the number of people … Continue reading
How To Episode 2: How To Cold Call
The first part of the process is, can you really do it? It looks easy and many people think that anyone can do it. We all have phoning blitz or a called calling day, get the whole company out there, … Continue reading
How to choose a Business Coach
Lets leave aside the question of when do you need a business coach and skip to: How do you choose the right one for you? I often hear comments by people trying to sell their coaching services that only current … Continue reading
How To Episode 1: How To Recognise a Sales Person
You need staff and you need to interview a pool of candidates and see which one of them can sell. There is a myth that some people believe that they can recognize sales people as soon as they see them, … Continue reading
Spotting a Top Gun Listing Agent
Spotting a top gun listing agent in a 40 minute interview just from their external attributes is impossible… As a Sales Psychologist with 20 years experience I have found in my research of top guns that they come in all … Continue reading
Starting a Sales Career Part 1
In this short interview, Maya Saric – Sales Psychologist and founder of Sales Inventory Profile – will be talking to Eliza Doueihi, a member of the Sales Tribe team. Eliza starting with Sales Tribe as a Business Development Manager, moving … Continue reading
Starting a Sales Career Part 2
Continuing on from part 1 this short interview Maya and Eliza talk about using SIP – the Sales Inventory Profile – to recruit people who can really sell, and why this is. Maya: So Eliza, you've journeyed from not selling to … Continue reading
Sales Myths Episode 5: Anybody can sell
Sales Myths: There's no skill required to sell. Anybody can do it. Indeed, there are lots of people who have tried to sell and failed miserably. The mutli-level sales organizations of the world would testimony to that. They have thousands … Continue reading
Sales Myths Episode 4: Selling is not a real career
Selling is not a real career. Indeed, many people do get into it by accident. But, 90% of managing directors having during their career been sales people. Sometimes for a long period of time, sometimes for 4 or 5 years, … Continue reading
Sales Myths Episode 3: There's only one sort of sales person
Sales Myth – the myth that there's only one source of sales person. I have tested 30,000 candidates and I know that that's NOT true. There are at least 2 types in the simplest definition. There's the sort that can … Continue reading
Sales Myth Episode 2: Selling Ice to Eskimos
Another sales myth that is the most popular is that if you can sell, you can sell anything. And a lovely cliché of selling ice to Eskimos. That is also not true. There are several types of sales people and … Continue reading
Sales Myths Episode 1: Willing to sell is able to sell
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The Importance of the Herd effect in selling
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The Role of Trust in Overcoming the Fear Filter
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The Hunter vs. The Farmer
In our world, there are a lot more Farmer types than Hunter types. The people that interview and hire you, such as HR Managers, Sales managers, and even some Managing Directors, tend to be Farmers. This means that they are … Continue reading
All about SIP Recruitment: Why we write your adverts for you?
All about SIP recruitment program is that we write the adverts for you. We use your logo, your identity, and we write elaborate detailed adverts that are designed to attract a broader and deeper candidate pool. So if you are … Continue reading
All about SIP Recruitment: Best Sales Recruitment tool in the world!
Sales Inventory Profile. I like to call it SIP, is the world's best recruitment program because at its core is a selling IQ program. We've recruited hundreds of sales people around the country; 70% of those are still in … Continue reading
All about SIP recruitment: A Brief History of SIP
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The Role of Fear in Selling
We get it when salespeople freeze up in fear when they start out. But what about when prospects refuse to listen no matter how convincing you are because they are in fear? How does this work and how do you … Continue reading
Eliminate time-wasters and finish your to-do list!
Time management is an essential part of everyone's lives. It's particularly important for salespeople as if you're not careful you will only spend 10% of your time selling. SO what really happens to the remaining 90%? Here's a breakdown: Since … Continue reading
Reach those 2013 Goals without goal setting
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If something is truly important to us we are motivated to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Very few people think getting more money is important enough to endure the angst of prospecting. To have people push through … Continue reading
Hire the right Sales reps and training them will also be easier
We don't expect to be able to do accounts in order to employ an Accountant. So…why do we expect to be great Sales Reps before we allow ourselves to employ great reps? Can we really expect a new sales person … Continue reading
Book your January Sales Makeover – Build sustainable growth in 2013
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Hit the right notes. Recruit the Right Salespeople.
The quality of people's resumes amazes me every day of the week in terms of details, consistency, layout and logical flow. I read thousand's of selling CV's a year now and even years ago the trend is always that, … Continue reading


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Other perhaps than The Bible and The Sherlock Holmes stories, no book has inspired as many movies as Bram Stoker's Dracula. Everyone knows the famous Bela Lugosi version, but few people are aware of the versions I am recommending here.
Count Dracula was broadcast on BBC in 1977, and is perhaps closer to the original text than any other version (except that Meena and Lucy are sisters rather than friends, and one of Lucy's three suitors is omitted). The elegant French actor Louis Jourdan makes a memorable Count Dracula, conveying a mixture of civility, erudition, seductiveness, arrogance, and menace. Equally good are Frank Finlay as a kindly, devout Professor Van Helsing and Jack Shepherd in an unusually sympathetic take on the madman Renfield. Props also to Bosco Hogan for vividly portraying Jonathan Harker's progressive mental breakdown under the strain of being trapped in Dracula's castle.
The budget for the BBC production was clearly small, and that shows in some cheap special effects, the lack of any eye-popping sets, and the absence of mega-stars. But within the limits of a television budget, it's a quality movie, especially the exciting closing confrontation between our heroes and Dracula.
An even better TV adaptation, simply called Dracula, was made in 1973 by Dan Curtis of Dark Shadows fame. His frequent collaborator Richard Matheson departs substantially from the original story in his script, offering a fresh take on the world's most famous vampire. Dracula, played with panache by Jack Palance, is as much sad as threatening, longing for the normal life he had centuries ago and seeming almost to regret his thirst for human blood. Matheson also strips down the number of characters (e.g., no Renfield, Dr. Seward, Quincy Morris or Arthur Holmwood) in a way that simplifies and helpfully speeds up the storytelling. My only gripe about Matheson's changes is that Professor van Helsing was turned into a proper Englishman (Nigel Davenport) when he works better as an old-world character steeped in the mythology of nosferatu. Oswald Morris, whose work I have praised many times on this site, again offers fine cinematography, which enhances Curtis' ability to deliver moments that make viewers hold their breath or let out a scream.
The final forgotten Dracula I would recommend was made by Universal Studios in 1931. You are probably thinking "What does he mean 'forgotten', that was the most famous version ever, wasn't it?". The English-language version is indeed the most famous, but in the early days of talkies, films were not dubbed for foreign markets. Rather, the studios would shoot the same film twice with a different cast in a different language. That's how the Spanish-language version of Drácula was made in 1931. Bela Lugosi, Tod Browning et al did their shooting during the day, and then a completely different crew and cast shot the same scenes in Spanish at night.
The Spanish-language crew had a smaller budget, but they also had a distinct asset: They got to see the rushes that the English-language crew had shot that day. This allowed them to replace shots that were dull or didn't work with new set-ups, and the result is much better camerawork in the Spanish-language version. This version also adds in a few scenes that make the story more coherent. I would not say it's better than the Lugosi/Browning version, but I would say that on balance it's just as a good and well worth your time both for itself and for comparative interest with its more famous twin.
This 3 minute video from CineMassacre does a superb job comparing the two productions:


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What if a virus were a shapeshifter, able to change its appearance each time it infects a machine? What if a virus used your own files against you, able to ransack the programs on your computer for the bits of code it needs? Judging from the progress made on the Frankenstein virus, a venture sponsored by the U.S. Air Force, that may soon be a reality.
Developed by two professors at the University of Texas at Dallas, New Scientist says the Frankenstein virus is essentially a program compliler with directions about the algorithms it needs to assemble. Once unpacked and functional, it begins searching the software on your computer for the code it needs—generally taking little snippets called gadgets. These gadgets are written to perform specific actions and thus can be transposed over to another program more easily. The researchers only had the Frankenstein virus create two simple algorithms as a proof of concept, but they believe it can assemble any program, including full-scale malware.
And though there have been other viruses that can change their code, Frankenstein is believed to be more dangerous because it can also change its every aspect of itself to hide on your computer.
Frankenstein is different because all of its code, including the blueprints and gadget-finder, can adapt to look like parts of regular software, making it harder to detect. Just three pieces of such software are enough to provide over 100,000 gadgets, so there are a huge number of ways for Frankenstein to build its monster, but it needs blueprints that find the right balance. If the blueprint is too specific, it leaves Frankenstein little choice in which gadgets to use, leading to less variation and making it easier to detect. Looser blueprints, which only specify the end effects of the malware, are too vague for Frankenstein to follow, for now.
Obviously the military wants this for its ongoing cyberwarfare efforts. But if this ever gets in the hands of script kiddies, we're in trouble. [New Scientist]
Image by gualtiero boffi/Shutterstock


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How to get started
- Focus on making smaller, more manageable choices in each of the four areas.
- Each change in your lifestyle should feel easy, simple and light – or you likely won't be able to maintain it.
- You are unique, so don't compare yourself to what someone else is doing.
- There are many ways to reach the same goal. Find yours.


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By E.J. Crawford
The clay-court and grass-court seasons are now behind us, meaning the tennis world turns its attention to the North American summer hard-court season. And that, of course, means the 2014 Emirates Airline US Open Series.
The Series title will be decided a little bit differently this year, with players who earn points at three or more Series events doubling their total points. So it's the more you play, the better your chance of winning. With that in mind, let's take a final look at who might contend for the 2014 Series crown.
Click here for a recap of the men's players to watch in 2014.
The Favorites
With all apologies to the next woman on this list, no player has climbed faster in recent years than 20-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, who improved her ranking from No. 144 at year-end 2012 to No. 32 in 2013 to No. 7 following her runner-up showing at Wimbledon. She is the only player in tennis to reach at least the semifinals at all three Grand Slam events this year and now gets a chance to play on perhaps her best surface, all in tournaments that are just a short flight from her home in Montreal.
Simona Halep was a virtual unknown a year ago. That changed when she defeated Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova to win the 2013 New Haven title. Since then she has been arguably the best player in the world. The 22-year-old Romanian won six titles in 2013 (second only to Serena) and this year has reached the French Open final and the Wimbledon semifinals. Her court coverage is unparalleled, and her counterpunching style will be hard to beat during the 2014 Series.
After not cracking the Top 5 during the first seven years of the Series, Serena Williams has become a force over the last three seasons, winning Series titles in 2011 and 2013 and finishing third in 2012. Her hard-court bona fides are also among the best in the history of women's tennis, with five Australian Open and five US Open women's singles titles. Shocking early exits this year at the French Open (second round) and Wimbledon (third round) mean Serena will likely enter the summer hungry to re-establish her supremacy.
The Contenders
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka was perhaps the most consistent hard-court performer in women's tennis from 2011 to 2013. Her 2014 season has been short circuited by injuries, but if she can regain her form this summer, a now-healthy Azarenka will be a contender for the 2014 Series title. She boasts three Top 5 Series finishes in her career, including as runner-up in 2013, when she won the title in Cincinnati.
Despite being a steady presence in the Top 10, Petra Kvitova had fallen off the radar a bit in recent years. But her run to a second championship at Wimbledon was a reminder of how dangerous she is at her best. And while she struggles on slower courts, the lanky Czech is a force on the quicker ones, which reward her slicing lefty serve. She also knows what it takes to win in the Series, claiming the overall title in 2012 and reaching the New Haven final each of the last two years.
Li Na cemented her status as one of the world's best hard-court players by winning this year's Australian Open for her second career Grand Slam title. The current world No. 2 also reached the final in Miami earlier this year and advanced to the semifinals at the 2013 US Open. In 2012, she took the title in Cincinnati en route to a second-place finish in the Series standings, her best Series showing.
Agnieszka Radwanska has quietly become one of the best hard-court players in the world, with eight titles on the surface in the last three years and a Top 3 Series finish in 2011 and 2013. The 2014 Indian Wells runner-up and Australian Open semifinalist also is a frequent participant in Series events, having played in four of the five women's tournaments in 2013 (highlighted by a runner-up showing in Stanford).
Maria Sharapova missed the majority of the 2013 summer hard-court season due to injury, but she is firmly back in the mix in 2014 following her championship run at the French Open. Seven of her last eight titles have come on clay, but Sharapova has an impressive hard-court resume, having won the 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open. She also finished in the Top 5 of the Series standings in five of six years from 2006 to 2011.
The Sleepers
Dominika Cibulkova began the year by reaching the Australian Open final. Her results since have been spotty, but don't write her off yet. Cibulkova reached the semifinals in Miami and the quarterfinals in Indian Wells, a reminder that she is at her best on hard courts. She is also a consistent performer in the Series, having won two of her four career titles in Series events.
Ana Ivanovic, the 2006 Series champion, has quietly re-established herself as a contender, having already won two hard-court titles in 2014 (Auckland, Monterrey). Moreover, the former world No. 1 has reached the round of 16 or better at each of the last six hard-court Slams, and she defeated Serena Williams en route to the quarterfinals at this year's Australian Open.
Already a steady presence in the world's Top 50 – and currently the youngest player in the Top 30 – 19-year-old Madison Keys could soon establish herself as a contender for major titles. Despite her maiden WTA title coming on the grass in Eastbourne in June, the big-serving American is most at home on hard courts, having reached the third round at the 2013 Australian Open and the semifinals in Sydney earlier this year.
Sloane Stephens has struggled in 2014, but she still reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and French Open and has a game well-suited to hard courts – and she should benefit from playing the summer season close to home. During the 2013 Series, the 21-year-old American won two matches at each of the events in Cincinnati, New Haven and Toronto.


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-By Ryan Fagan, Sporting News
The stunning news dropped a little before 2:30 eastern on Tuesday, when Syracuse announced with a 47-word press release that center Fab Melo was facing an eligibility issue and would not participate in the NCAA Tournament.
Those sounds you probably heard across the country moments later were brackets being erased, scribbled out or just crumpled up and tossed in the trash can as the No. 1 seed in the East Region lost one of its most indispensable players.
This is a game-changer, folks.
Syracuse's vaunted zone worked so well this year because the 7-footer made a massive improvement in the offseason—he went from being lost as a raw freshman to the Big East's defensive player of the year as a sophomore. Melo averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but his true value came with his shot-blocking ability—he averaged 2.9 blocks per game and altered countless others attempts and game plans.
His value was very evident in the first game he missed this season, when Syracuse had its 20-game winning streak snapped at Notre Dame.
One of the very few problems for Syracuse this season—teams that enter the NCAAs with a 31-2 record seldom have glaring flaws—has been the Orange's propensity for allowing way too many offensive rebounds, and ensuing second-chance opportunities. Opponents grab an average of 38.9 percent of all available offensive rebounds against Syracuse, which is 341st in the country.
So, yeah, it's an issue. Melo was, no doubt, part of the problem; for a 7-footer, he was just a decent defensive rebounder. In fact, the youngster that will likely get a large chunk of his minutes, freshman Rakeem Christmas, does a better job on the defensive boards., percentage-wise—17.9 to Melo's 13.5. Of course, more minutes means more exposure for Christmas, and there's a reason he's played only an average of 10.3 minutes per game.
That weakness on the boards could be a huge problem very quickly, especially if the Orange faces No. 8 seed Kansas State in the round of 32. The Wildcats grab 40.6 percent of all available offensive rebounds, which ranks seventh in the country. Their athletic, big front line is a huge reason they were able to knock off Missouri twice in the reguar season.
You'll rarely see a No. 1 seed be at such a significant statistical disadvantage in one particular area so early in the NCAA Tournament.
The statement:
"Syracuse University sophomore men's basketball center Fab Melo did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh, and will not take part in the NCAA Tournament due to an eligibility issue. Given University policy and federal student privacy laws, no further details can be provided at this time."
-Article originally appeared on SportingNews.com