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McIlroy holds on to win Deutsche Bank
NORTON, Mass. — In a Labor Day finish filled with some of golf's biggest names, Rory McIlroy sent his stock soaring in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
McIlroy overcame a three-shot deficit Monday in five holes, and then survived mistakes on the final two holes to close with a 4-under 67 and escape with a one-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen.
McIlroy joined Tiger Woods as the only three-time winners on the PGA Tour this year, and with one of his wins being the PGA Championship, that might be enough for his peers to vote him player of the year. He also finally built a comfortable gap at No. 1 in the world.
Oosthuizen had a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff, only it slid by on the right side for a 71.
Woods made an early charge to get back in the hunt, though he never got closer than three shots until a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th gave him a 66. He finished in third place, two shots behind, and earned enough money to become the first player to surpass $100 million in PGA Tour earnings.
Phil Mickelson also had a 66 and tied for fourth, along with Dustin Johnson, who had a 70 and likely played his way onto the Ryder Cup team. Brandt Snedeker made a strong case for a captain's pick with a 65-67 weekend to finish sixth.
Davis Love III will announce his four picks Tuesday morning in New York.
McIlroy didn't make it easy on himself. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland had a three-shot lead with six holes to play, and only a clutch bogey putt on the 17th hole kept him from losing all of his lead.
"I had a couple of wobbles coming in, but I obviously did enough and I'm very excited to get a victory," McIlroy said.
Oosthuizen, who had to cope with pain in his right shoulder earlier in the round, came back with two birdies on the back to get within one shot. McIlroy hit a chip over the 17th green into more rough, and it looked as if he would struggle to make bogey. Oosthuizen, however, missed the green from the fairway, chipped poorly to 10 feet and missed his par putt, and Boy Wonder calmly sank his 5-foot bogey putt to stay one shot ahead.
"The 17th hole cost me," Oosthuizen said.
McIlroy finished 20-under 264 and moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, assuring he will have a shot at the $10 million bonus at the Tour Championship later this month.
It was the second time this year that Oosthuizen, who won the British Open by seven shots at St. Andrews two years ago, failed to win after leading going into the final round. McIlroy made an early charge with three straight birdies, but the turning point came on the fifth hole when Oosthuizen felt pain in his shoulder on a tee shot that sailed into the trees and led to double bogey.
The pain went away on the back, which the South African attributed to an adrenaline rush.
As always at the TPC Boston, this was quite a show on a late summer day in New England. This is the tournament that delivers duels between Woods and Vijay Singh (twice) and Woods and Mickelson. This time, all of them had fleeting hopes of winning.
McIlroy and Oosthuizen turned it into a two-man race, with Woods lurking until he couldn't convert enough putts. In the end, neither could Oosthuizen. He missed from just inside 10 feet for par on the 17th and from 12 feet on the 18th.
"I probably made all my putts yesterday," Oosthuizen said.
McIlroy becomes the youngest player with five PGA Tour wins since Woods, who had 15 wins at age 23.
There was other drama at the Deutsche Bank Championship, though it was not nearly as compelling as the top of the leaderboard.
Charley Hoffman went from the first page of the leaderboard to an unimaginable collapse until he steadied himself at the end. Hoffman, who was 13 under after a birdie on the eighth hole, played his next nine holes in 8-over par, including a quadruple-bogey 7 on the par-3 11th. He came to the 18th needing a par to finish among the top 70 in the FedEx Cup and advance to the third playoff event next week in Indianapolis.
He went over the green in two, barely chipped onto the putting surface, and then ran his putt 12 feet by the hole. He made the putt for par, and moves on.
"I didn't expect to be playing next week," Hoffman said. "Shooting 42 on the back nine, I don't think I deserved to play next week. But I guess I've got another chance."
Others who advanced included Dicky Pride, who birdied his last two holes to get the 70th spot by one stroke over Jonas Blixt; and Chris Kirk, who stumbled at the start only to birdie four of his last five holes.
Oosthuizen had a three-shot lead at the start of the final round, though he was never expecting an easy time. McIlroy rallied to cut a six-shot deficit in half on the back nine of the third round to give himself a chance, another example why he is No. 1 in the world.
Sure enough, McIlroy came out firing.
He hit a beautiful lag from just off the green on the par-5 second hole for birdie and rolled in a 12-foot birdie on the third to get within one shot. McIlroy hit 3-wood into the front bunker on the drivable par-4 fourth, the ideal position, and his bunker shot bounced off the pin to set up a third straight birdie. Oosthuizen stayed in front when his birdie putt from 25 feet dropped in on the final turn.
The fifth hole changed everything.
Oosthuizen reached for his shoulder after a horrific snap hook off the tee. The ball dove into the woods and landed in the middle of shoulder-high bushes, leaving him no option but to take a penalty drop out of the hazard. He laid up short of the creek and two-putted for double bogey. They were tied, because McIlroy's tee shot found a clump of native grass on the edge of a bunker, and he had to chip out short of the creek and made bogey.
Oosthuizen, though, was clearly hurting. He couldn't get through his swing on the next tee shot, which sailed into the bunker and kept him from attacking the pin. That's what McIlroy did, hitting 9-iron into 3 feet for birdie and his first lead. He never gave it back.
McIlroy and Oosthuizen could barely see Woods in his bright red shirt ahead of them, but they could hear what was going on. Woods ran off four birdies over the last six holes on the front nine, but he didn't make another one until the last hole.
"I certainly had my looks," Woods said. "I drove it really well on the back nine and just didn't hit it close enough at all. The only one I stuffed there was 17, and I missed that one."


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Greg Lindstrom
Greg Lindstrom
Kenneth Wajda
Greg Lindstrom
Much of the town of Lyons was submerged Thursday after the St. Vrain River spilled over its banks and barreled through neighborhoods.
Lyons is "facing a 500+ year flood event," the town said on its Facebook page Thursday. It said the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an advisory for residents to boil water for drinking, and it advised residents who are blocked in to "be prepared to be self-contained for up to 72 hours" and to try to help neighbors in need.
The Colo. National Guard Civil Support Team entered Lyons on Thursday afternoon with three 2.5-ton LMTV trucks carrying supplies and crews, according to Maj. Gordon Hunter.
About 7:30 p.m. the convoy rolled out of Lyons carrying about 10 people who were deemed unable to stay the night at the town's evacuation center, Lyons Elementary School.
Charles and June Stacy were among those brought to Longmont from Lyons. The Stacys, who were with a son who has special needs, said they still had family in Lyons.
"Our house is buried," Charles Stacy said.
June Stacy described the water rushing through the town as "roaring."
Private Ty Nicks, the driver of one of the vehicles, said water was four to five feet deep along the route into Lyons.
Lt. Camilo Perez said the roads were pretty much "wiped out." He also said there were three major river crossings, and that they were getting worse as the evening progressed.
After dropping off the evacuees with waiting ambulances and reloading with supplies, the three trucks turned around and headed back into the town, accompany by another three trucks.
Two SVVSD buses were staged at the roadblock, at the intersection of Colo. Highway 66 and 53rd Street, but did not appear to be used in the exodus.
Water and debris on roads prevented even emergency personnel from getting into town. Four Boulder County sheriff's deputies found shelter in a government building, Cmdr. Heidi Prentup said. Some residents evacuated to Lyons Elementary School or remained in their homes.
"We can't get in; they can't get out," Prentup said.
Residents on social media described Lyons as being divided by water into a series of islands. One person on Facebook said friends on Highland Drive were "trapped there and desperately need help."
The website of the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, boulderoem.org, was posting updates and alerts.
John Poynton, spokesman for St. Vrain Valley School District, said he attempted to visit Lyons Elementary early Thursday morning but was prevented by flooding from doing so. His understanding was that the only school employees at the school were a couple of Lyons residents who evacuated to the building and that town officials were operating the school as an evacuation site.
"It's been reported to me that there are approximately a hundred people there who will be staying there until it's safe to leave," Poynton said.
Xcel crews shut off all gas lines in old town Lyons, according to the town, and residents reported smelling gas. Other gas lines in town also had been expected to be shut off.
Residents in low-lying areas were told to head to higher ground after word came shortly after 2 a.m. that a dam had failed near Pinewood Springs and that floodwaters were headed down the canyon toward Lyons.
"It is the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen," said Sally Van Meter, who lives on a hill just outside downtown Lyons. About 10 neighbors had sought higher ground in her home Thursday morning.
Van Meter called 911 because neighbors said they heard someone calling for help. But homes she could see from her deck were completely surrounded by water and inaccessible except by boat, she said. Most of the town was submerged, including the Planet Bluegrass music festival ranch northwest of downtown, she said, adding that the St. Vrain River breached its north bank by 50 yards or more.
"Everyone's pretty much under 4 feet of water," Van Meter said.
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said Lyons was completely isolated by water.
"It's crazy watching the river. The river is a few hundred feet wide now," said Brian Eyster, who lives on the south side of Lyons near Bohn Park. "There are Dumpsters coming down the river."
By 2 a.m., the St. Vrain River had breached its banks, and by 2:30 a.m., emergency sirens were sounding.
At about 3:15 a.m., Boulder County sheriff's deputies closed Colo. Highway 66 at 53rd Street, after water from the St. Vrain River began spilling over the highway near its intersection with U.S. Highway 36, just east of town. Highway 36 also was closed between Lyons and Estes Park.
Times-Call photographer Greg Lindstrom, who was at the intersection of Highways 36 and 66 at the time, said he could hear debris striking the bridge over the St. Vrain just south of the intersection.
Quentin Young can be reached at 303-684-5319 or firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Let's face it. The universe is a big scary place. Infinitely vast and consisting mostly of an airless vacuum inhospitable to human life, it rarely inspires feelings of comfort and joy. It is also chock full of phenomena that are a little too mind bending for me. A black hole is a point from which light can't escape? Really?
I've always considered our solar system comforting in comparison. There are a set number of planets (don't get me started on Pluto) that orbit a single life giving star. Sure there are wildcards, comets and meteorites, and it will eventually end badly for the earth (hello red giant) but the solar system has always seemed more tangible and understandable than the inky blackness of space.
Now is a great time to revisit our nearest celestial neighbors. Reflecting the new information that is being discovered every day, there are many new books that are entertaining and take a fresh perspective on our home system.
The new edition of The Cambridge Guide to the Solar System is a great place to start your journey. Far from a stuffy or dry text, this work is full of intriguing information, colorful photos, and cutting edge science. The science can get a bit technical at times, but never fear, there are helpful summaries that allow those of us who haven't dedicated our lives to figuring out elliptical planetary orbits to get the concepts.
While it may be hard to believe, behind our local cloud cover there is actually a bright glowing orb that powers everything in the solar system. The Sun's Heartbeat by Bob Berman is a "biography" of our local star that entertains as well as informs the reader through a series of stories on topics as varied as sun spots to solar winds. If your concern is less with the sun itself than the sun's impact on humanity, definitely check out Chasing the Sun by Richard Cohen. Cohen's book is an exhaustive and fascinating examination of the sun's importance across time and cultures.
It is almost 100% certain that most of us are not going to leave the earth's atmosphere anytime soon. That's why books such as The 50 Most Extreme Places in Our Solar System by David Baker and Todd Ratcliff are great. This book is essentially a travel guide to very inaccessible places. Of course with chapter titles such as "The Hardest Rain: Diamond Hail on Uranus and Neptune" it might be a good thing to be earth bound.
If you find diamond hail an interesting phenomenon, you will definitely want to check out the rest of the solar system's weather by reading Drifting on Alien Winds by Michael Carroll. From the acid drenched atmosphere of Venus to the centuries old earth-size cyclone that is the giant red spot of Jupiter the author paints a vivid picture. Carroll is also interested in the vehicles, real and imagined, that have been used to explore the planets' atmospheres and uses his talents as an artist as well as a scientist to bring them to life.
Finally, if speculation grounded by scientific reason is your thing, the book What if the Earth Had Two Moons? by Neil Commins is the title for you. In ten different scenarios the author changes one element in the evolution of the earth (a second moon, a thicker crust, a smaller sun) and contemplates what might have been. This book is a boon for hard sci-fi fans who like to dream of creditable alternatives to our known reality.
So if you want to bask in the relative comfort of our solar system, make your first stop the Everett Public Library.


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- This event has passed.
Adult Zen Coloring
February 19, 2016 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every month that begins at 5:00 pm on day 19 of the month, repeating until May 19, 2017
Adult Zen Coloring
@ Fort Bragg Branch Library
Complex zen and anti-stress coloring pages for adults, inspired by nature or completely surreal, are guaranteed relaxation. Adult Zen Coloring, aka doodling, balances colors so they become a reflection of your emotions, soothing the inner self and relaxing the mind.
Find your inner balance every 1st Wednesday, 11 am -12 pm and every 3rd Friday, 5-6 pm @Fort Bragg Branch Library.
From medicaldaily.com
The Healing Power Of Art
Art may not be able to cure disease, but it can surely make coping with it a lot better. Researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and today, art therapy is used to help people express themselves when what they're feeling is too difficult to put into words, such as when they're faced with a cancer diagnosis. Read more here


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Officials from the Boy Scouts of America acted on their controversial policy Monday and announced they have fired an openly gay leader of a Washington state-based troop after he "deliberately injected" his sexuality into scouting, Seattle's NBC-affiliate station KING 5 News reports.
Scoutmaster Geoff McGrath, 49, who formerly headed Troop 98 in Rainier Beach, Wash., is reportedly the first openly gay adult to be banned from the BSA since the organization's officials voted to welcome out scouts but ban out leaders last year, the Washington Post notes.
McGrath found out he was booted from the BSA after being profiled by NBC News this week. He told KING 5 that he learned his membership had been "revoked" when reading the NBC article.
"We expected better," McGrath, who has been married to his partner of 20 years, said. "We played our part in a transparent way and are surprised they wouldn't back up their decision."
McGrath, an Eagle Scout, filed an application for a new troop last year via Rainier Beach Methodist Church. He said the Seattle neighborhood Troop 98 was soon approved.
"They were fully aware of my prior activism," McGrath told KING 5. "The impact of discrimination has missed them somehow."
He added that gay Scout leaders should remain in the closet.
In an email to NBC News, spokesperson Deron Smith confirmed the BSA's decision to ban McGrath.
"Our policy is that we do not ask people about their sexual orientation, and it's not an issue until they deliberately inject it into Scouting in an inappropriate fashion," he wrote. He added that the BSA has no plans of revisiting the organization's anti-gay policy.
According to Chief Seattle Council leader Sharon Moulds, the BSA officials didn't learn that McGrath was gay until NBC News contacted them for their profile piece. In an email to NBC, Moulds writes:
"It was then that we became aware of his intentions to make a public statement about his orientation and use our program as a means to further a personal agenda."
Late last year, the BSA decided to drop its ban on gay scouts but remained firm on barring openly gay leaders. The policy has sparked controversy and a number of companies have halted donations to the organization, including Lockheed Martin and Disney World.
From our media partner EDGE


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Blake, Eubie
Blake, Eubie (James Hubert Blake), 1883–1983, African-American pianist and composer, b. Baltimore. His career has extended from ragtime (see jazz) to the 1980s. With the songwriter Noble Sissle he produced early African-American Broadway musicals, e.g., Shuffle Along (1921). His most famous songs are
Memories of Youand
I'm Just Wild about Harry.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Music: Popular and Jazz: Biographies


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To shake up the usual outdoor theatre fare offered in NYC, Elephant Run District is presenting Brecht in the Park for the month of July in Central Park North. Brecht in the Park is three short plays, which will include The Elephant Calf (1926), In Search of Justice (1938) and The Exception and the Rule (1929). Each of the three short plays is connected by the motif of a courtroom drama, where society's rules are examined and one is judged based on those rules.
Performances are Saturdays and Sundays starting July 6 to the 28th at 4 p.m. (no-show July 13) near the southeast corner of the Great Hill in Central Park. Admission is free to all performances. Donations will gladly be accepted. Take the subway C, 2 or 3 trains to 110 Street.
The organization is partnering with bier international in Harlem at 113 Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. Bier's chef is creating special pre- and post-show menu items to serve at the restaurant.
For more information about this event go to www.elephantrundistrict.org.


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What is the New Mexico reciprocity?
The New Mexico Reciprocity is an agreement between AC and Eastern New Mexico University that gives residents of New Mexico who live in counties bordering Texas to attend AC at in-state rates. A waiver is issued upon verification of eligibility and must be renewed by the student each semester.
For full details visit our page, New Mexico Reciprocity.
Eligible Counties:
Union, Quay, Curry, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy, Otero and Dona Ana.


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Old foes Tubby Smith, Billy Donovan will meet again in Austin with NCAA's round of 16 on line
AUSTIN, Texas – Minnesota coach Tubby Smith knows his next opponent all too well.
Six years after their last meeting in the Southeastern Conference, when Smith was still at Kentucky, he will coach against Florida's Billy Donovan again — this time in the Lone Star State with a trip to the NCAA tournament's round of 16 on the line.
"I'm pretty familiar with Billy Donovan," Smith said after his 11th-seeded Gophers pulled away for an 83-63 win over UCLA in the South Regional late Friday night. "They're sort of like UCLA, they like to get the ball up-and-down the court."
Well, No. 3 seed Florida got the night session in Austin started with a 79-47 victory over fast-paced Northwestern State, which came in as the NCAA's top-scoring team but was held 34 points under its average.
After that, Smith got the win he needed to calm down his critics at home, while UCLA's Ben Howland took a loss that will only ignite a new round of howling for his job out West.
Andre Hollins scored 28 points for the Gophers (21-12), who gave Smith his first tournament win in his six seasons with Minnesota. It was their first win overall since March 3.
The 20-point loss will be tough for Howland to bring back to Los Angeles. Despite winning the Pac-12 regular-season title, the Bruins (25-10) came to Austin hearing intense rumblings of dissatisfaction with a program that hasn't made it past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament since 2009. UCLA missed the tournament altogether last season.
Howland, who led the Bruins to three consecutive Final Fours from 2006-08, wouldn't talk about his future after the game.
"I'm really proud of this group of kids, and I'm really indebted to them for the great season they provided," he said.
The afternoon session at the University of Texas consisted of two East Regional games. Second-seeded Miami rolled past Pacific 78-49 and No. 7 seed Illinois recovered to win 57-49 over Colorado after blowing a 16-point halftime lead.
Minnesota started the season 15-1 then lost 11 of its final 16 to limp into the NCAA tournament.
The Gophers found their early-season form in time to thump the Bruins. Minnesota shot 50 percent, with Andre and Austin Hollins knocking down a combined nine 3-pointers. The Gophers had seized control by halftime and never let go.
"We haven't played well in a while," Smith said. "It was good to see our guys having fun, playing the right way."
UCLA looked disjointed on offense and freshman Shabazz Muhammad, expected to leave for the NBA, missed all seven of his shots in the first half. Muhammad finished with 20 points.
Muhammad got more involved in the second with seven quick points and UCLA pulled within five when Norman Powell made a 3-pointer. The Gophers responded with consecutive 3-pointers from Andre Hollins from opposite corners to push the lead back to 11.
Erik Murphy scored 18 points for Florida (27-7), including a 3-pointer that started and layup that ended a 19-1 run in the second half. He led four players scoring in double figures, including Kenny Boynton with 11 points after he missed most of the first half because of two early fouls.
DeQuan Hicks had 12 points for the Demons (23-9), who upset Iowa as the No. 14 seed in their last NCAA tournament seven years ago.
Murphy and Boynton are seniors who arrived at Florida not long after the Gators had won consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007. They have been to the NCAA tournament each of their four seasons, but the last two ended with losses an NCAA regional final.
This is their last chance to get a championship of their own and they're off to a good start — even after Boynton missed most of the first half.
Donovan was with the Gators for those back-to-back national championships.
Smith won the 1998 national title to cap his first season at Kentucky, but never got back the Final Four the next nine seasons before going to Minnesota.
In their head-to-head meetings during that time, Smith was 12-10. But Florida won the last six after Kentucky had won eight in a row in the series.
Durand Scott had 21 points with five 3-pointers Miami (28-6), four of those long-range shots on assists by ACC player of the year Shane Larkin, the sophomore point guard who is the only non-senior starter.
While Larkin was only 2-of-8 shooting for 10 points, he matched a career high with nine assists. And he also had two free throws, an alley-oop pass and a three-point play to start a 14-0 run midway through the first half.
The Hurricanes' most-lopsided NCAA tournament victory brought to an end the coaching career of Pacific's Bob Thomason, who finished 437-321 in 25 seasons at his alma mater. He had already said last year that this would be his final season, and the Tigers finished 22-13 with a Big West Conference tournament championship.
"Great team, great pieces. They played tremendous," Thomason said of the Hurricanes. "I'll be rooting for them the rest of the time, so maybe they can win a national championship. If I had to go out in coaching, you want to go out to a great team, but also to a great coach and a class coach, and Jim (Larranaga) is that."
After Illinois (23-12) let its big first-half lead slip away Friday, and Colorado (21-12) went ahead by 5, Illini senior guards Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson bailed out the Illini with consecutive 3-pointers with 6 minutes to play.
"It's March Madness," Paul said. "That stuff happens all the time."
AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.


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One man passing on a unique opportunity is another man's gain.
For Ricardo Lamas (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), the chance to add a big-name opponent to his evolving resume was a welcomed idea. It was a no-brainer.
When fellow featherweight Hatsu Hioki (24-6-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) opted to pass on a title shot with current champion Jose Aldo in order to continue to hone his skills and gain additional octagon experience, he needed a fallback option for the short term.
Lamas, one of many ascending contenders in a division becoming more robust with each passing event, stepped up to accommodate him.
The pair meets June 22 on the FUEL TV-televized prelims of UFC on FX 4. The event, which includes an FX-televised main card, takes places at Revel Atlantic City in New Jersey.
"If I were in his shoes, I definitely, probably would have taken that title shot because that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Lamas told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "You never know what's going to happen day to day in this sport."
Hioki – a former TKO, Shooto and World Victory Road/Sengoku champion – made his debut at UFC 137 and earned a contentious split-decision victory over George Roop. He returned in fine fashion with a dominating unanimous-decision win over Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144.
The pride of Japan currently boasts a six-fight win streak and is 11-1-1 in his past 13 bouts. But if the time wasn't right to face Aldo, the time wasn't right. At the end of the day, it's Hioki's career, and he calls the shots.
Lamas, conversely, accumulated a 4-2 record as a lightweight under the WEC banner before shifting over to the UFC, where he immediately dropped to 145 pounds. The move has produced back-to-back wins over Matt Grice and Cub Swanson.
"The way I look at it, if he would have called me out, that would have been something else, but he said that he wanted another fight here," Lamas said. "He didn't really name specifically who he wanted to fight. Then they came to me first with it, so I was the one that took it first.
"I don't take it as an insult."
There's no denying this is the biggest, most important bout of Lamas' four-and-a-half-year career. It's his stiffest test. And it will be contested on the biggest stage. It just hasn't really dawned on him yet.
"I guess if you look at it on paper, you see it that way, but really me when I fight, every single fight is the biggest fight of my career," he said. "You constantly have that pressure to go out and perform and do well."
Lamas has not graced the octagon since his November 2011 fight with Swanson. He was expected to face Dustin Poirier in February at UFC 143, but he withdrew due to an injury.
"I tore my left pectoral muscle in training, and it took a little longer than expected (to recover)," Lamas said. "I went through physical therapy and everything. It was starting to feel better, and a couple times I came back a little too early and ended up tweaking it again, so that added on like another week or two each time I did that."
Able and more than willing, Lamas has split his preparations between Top Notch MMA in his native Chicago and MMA Masters in Miami to prepare for his litmus test.
A win, no matter how ugly, would be quite an achievement. A win coupled with a finish would be even better, but Lamas is a realist. Hioki is a tough nut to crack and has never been knocked out or submitted in any of his 32 professional fights.
"I think with the preparations that I do during my training camp, it's going to prepare me to just go with the flow of the fight," Lamas said. "If I see the opening, I'm going to take it, but … I'm always looking to finish. But it's not something I want to rush because when you rush, that is when you can get yourself caught or make a mistake."
See Miguel Torres vs. Brian Bowles, among a laundry list of others, for reference.
Lamas is on a mission to crack into the upper echelon of the division alongside guys such as "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, Erik Koch and Dennis Siver, among others.
And then he's onto the next goal.
"I want to be remembered as one of the best fighters in my weight class in the world," Lamas said. "Obviously, the top goal is to be a world champion. Just like everybody else, that's a dream of mine I've had. Those are the things I'm trying to shoot for."
For more on UFC on FX 4, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by "Gorgeous" George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian "Goze" Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.


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Looking back at the good and bad of 2014
Another year is coming to an end and for some of us it was a good one. For others, not so much. We started the year listing 10 headlines we wanted to see in 2013. We didn't see many of them, and those that we did see have come with a BUT. ... Here's a look back at the headlines we wanted to see in 2013.
1. Rockford airport expands, builds on cargo: "Expansion plans moving forward at Chicago Rockford International Airport" was a Dec. 10 headline. The airport plans to add a 20,000-square-foot addition to its terminal. It's about a $20 million project.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of passenger service returning to the airport. Nearly 1.8 million people have passed through RFD's gates since 2003, when a 20-day grass-roots effort raised $272,000 to persuade TransMeridian Airlines to begin passenger service in Rockford.
Passenger service in 2013 was up about 5 percent compared to 2012, and cargo service remained strong. Rockford's is the 23rd-largest cargo airport in the U.S.
The biggest airport news this year is the deal between Rock Valley College and the airport. It's not 100 percent yet, but it's close. The airport will give the college a free, 20-year lease for about 2 acres of land between two runways. The college would pay to build a classroom facility on the site for the expansion. RVC will expand its aviation maintenance program to eventually graduate 150 students a year. Those graduates will find employment at the airport if an aircraft repair, maintenance and overhaul operation becomes a reality. Nationally, MROs have a direct and indirect impact of $47 billion on the economy.
A lot of activity in 2013 has set the table for any extremely successful 2014.
2. Local unemployment falls below double digits: It happened, but it didn't last. After 52 straight months of double-digit unemployment in Boone and Winnebago counties, the local jobless rate fell to 9.9 percent in April. It stayed under double digits in May but rose after that. The October jobless rate for the city of Rockford was 12.3 percent, up from 12.2 percent last October. Winnebago County's jobless rate was 10.7 percent, unchanged from last year. Belvidere's rate fell 1.3 percentage points, from 11.5 percent to 10.2 percent. Boone County's rate was down from 9.9 percent to 9.6 percent.
The good news - we're trying to be optimistic - the jobless numbers have been down year over year for 40 of the past 41 months. Bad news: Fewer people are working.
We hope that changes in 2014. Jobs surely will be on our headline wish list for next year.
3. Rockford named one of America's most livable cities: Not yet. According to a Forbes magazine list of "America's Most Miserable Cities," Rockford ranks No. 3, behind No. 1 Detroit and No. 2 Flint, Mich. We can complain about the ranking or we can do something about it. The Transform Rockford group is doing something about it. Two public meetings drew about 2,400 people. Rockford residents clearly are tired of the status quo and want to see the Forest City improve.
There's a lot to build on. In August, 85 travel writers visited Rockford and they came away impressed. The journalists who attend Travel Media Showcase 2013 included people associated with USA Today, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Golf Vacations magazine and Ladies' Home Journal.
"Located about 90 minutes from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Rockford, Illinois is a small city offering lots of great things for families to do. Whether you are living in the area or just traveling through, there are plenty of family things to do in Rockford IL," Jodi Grundig wrote in Family Travel Magazine.
Positive reviews of Rockford will help the next time Forbes or anyone else comes up with a list.
There are seven more 2013 headlines to look at. Check back soon.


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Shaquille O'Neal takes multiple gunshots to his metal-plated crotch from a whole gang of armed thugs, in this scene from the DC Comics movie you all tried to forget. "I'm about to smoke you like a blunt!"
Update: It seems there's a problem with the sound and video synching on that clip. Luckily, the whole movie appears to be on Youtube, and here's the relevant part:
You have no idea how long we've been searching for a copy of Steel on DVD. We almost got some of the really obscure extended cable channels just so we could catch an airing of this total classic. And it does not disappoint. O'Neal puts on his most robotic performance as John Henry Irons, a former weapons-maker who creates his own super-armor and super-hammer to fight crime. It takes a lot to make lines like, "It's on now" sound flubbed, but O'Neal manages it.
Did you know that Steel was written and directed by V/Alien Nation creator Kenneth Johnson? It's hard to imagine. It also features large supporting performances by Richard "I owe money to some leg-breakers" Roundtree, who at one point handles Steel's hammer and utters the phrase, "I like the SHAFT best." Also, that's really Annabeth Gish as the disabled tech whiz who helps Steel become so superheroic.
Gish gets disabled during an early weapons test which goes wrong due to the cartoon villain's interference. And afterwards, she's moping and feeling sorry for herself in the VA Hospital, where Steel comes to visit her. As he puts it, "shit just happens" and you have to deal with it. But then Steel decides to take her out of there — by breaking the windows, picking her up, and carrying her out of there while exclaiming that "Shit is happening to YOU!". And everyone in the VA Hospital cheers for the crazy man breaking windows and abducting people, instead of calling security.
But the best line of dialog in the whole thing probably comes from the main villain, addressing one of his gangsta friends who's helping to test out his Evil Lasers. At one point, he advises the gang-banger: "Eat the hot dog — don't be one." Words to live by.
Seriously, this is a DVD you will invite your friends over to watch at least once a year, and cherish for the rest of your lives. There are no extras, other than a movie trailer — but you don't need DVD extras with a movie this incredible. You're welcome!
You can buy it online exclusively via the Warner Archive.


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My sabbatical is mellowing me out and I'm definitely enjoying the relaxed, non-wired vibe at the Huntington. The Huntington is wired, but what I mean by un-wired is that people here appear to be living their professional and personal lives in meatspace, face-to-face, rather than online. They're reading historical manuscripts and valuable rare books, they're having coffee with each other, they're meeting for lunch in the garden cafe. In other words, not everyone in the world is on Twitter or blogs or Instagram all of the time! It's like it's the War of 1812 or something: before telegraphy even.
So, inevitably, I'm going to miss a lot of what's happening now. (I do believe my knowledge of both British and North American history in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries will be nonpareil in Colorado upon my return, however.) Clearly, I missed a fascinating little interview with James McPherson of Princeton University in the New York Times, which is purely coincidental to the publication of his new biography of Jefferson Davis, I am sure. McPherson is probably the most famous American military historian, and among the most famous historians of the Civil War era.
Some friends of mine alerted me to this interview, because something about it just didn't seem right. Let me quote an extensive passage from it now:
What books are currently on your night stand?
Ron Chernow, "Washington: A Life," and Daniel James Brown, "The Boys in the Boat." In very different ways, these books chronicle unlikely triumphs over seemingly insuperable odds to found a nation from 1775 to 1797 and to win an Olympic gold medal in 1936.
What was the last truly great book you read?
James Oakes, "Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865." A powerful analytical narrative of the confluence of politics and war that ended America's shame and trauma.
Who are the best historians writing today?
Bernard Bailyn, David Brion Davis, Gordon Wood, Eric Foner, David McCullough, David Hackett Fischer. In elegant prose, based on impeccable research, they have covered the broad sweep of American history from the early colonial settlements through Harry Truman's administration.
What's the best book ever written about the Civil War?
The best book is actually an eight-volume series published from 1947 to 1971, by Allan Nevins: "Ordeal of the Union," "The Emergence of Lincoln" and "The War for the Union." It is all there — the political, economic, social, diplomatic and military history of the causes, course and consequences of the war, written in the magisterial style for which Nevins was famous.
Do you have a favorite biography of a Civil War-era figure?
Jean Edward Smith, "Grant." A lucid and empathetic account of the victorious general and underrated president that helped usher in the current revival of Grant's reputation.
To his credit, he mentions that he saw increasing student interest in "the experience of civilians, especially women, and in the impact of the war on communities and families." But then he moves quickly on to say that two books by men were student favorites, Solomon Northrup's Twelve Years a Slave and Michael Shaara's novel The Killer Angels, the latter of which "provides the most incisive insights into the various meanings of the war for the men who fought it."
If you are a historian, would your interview look like this? Do you think you might be aware that women other than Doris Kearns Goodwin write history, or that there have been some really great books written by non-white scholars other than the late John Hope Franklin and Northrup? Do you think you might be interested in sharing this information with the New York Times and its readers?
Maybe this tidbit explains a lot about his work as a scholar. (And no, I'm not knocking his interest in comic books as a kid! Some of my favorite historians are still obsessed with comic books):
What kind of reader were you as a child?
I devoured my quota of comic books as a child in the 1940s, but my earliest years as a reader coincided with World War II. My uncle was a fighter pilot in the European theater, so I also read a good many boys' books and even adult books about the Army Air Corps in the war; two that stick in my memory were "Barry Blake of the Flying Fortress" and "God Is My Co-Pilot." By my teenage years, my interests turned to sports, and I read and reread a series of novels about Chip Hilton, a high school athletic hero.
Now that is the pay-off pitch! Chip Hilton, "high school athletic hero": our historical imagination turns its lonely eyes to you! Why is it so little has changed since the days of George Bancroft and Francis Parkman, and "Great Men and Famous Deeds?" It's all guys, guns, wars, and heroes, all the time, plus pickup hoops, sandlot games and a dash of Indiana Jones. But that's just my first question. The other question is, why are media outlets so eager to publicize this view of history still? It's like we Americans don't trust history if it's delivered by anyone other than an older white man puffing on a pipe and stroking his beard. Just tell us what we need to know, old man! (So long as it's pretty much what the last old man told us 30 or 40 years ago, which in the case of the McPherson interview, it probably was.)
Why are professionals dedicated to the study of change over time so clearly disinterested in seeing it in their own lives? (As one wag said to me recently, "we study change; we just don't recommend it.")
True story: I was lost looking for the 1992 AHA meeting in Chicago. I wandered around until I found a bunch of bearded men standing on the corner wearing tweed jackets, and knew that I had found the right hotel. Why is this still the most reliable way to locate an AHA if you get turned around as you exit the subway in Chicago/New York/Boston/Washington/Atlanta? I wonder.
Tomorrow, I'm going to publish my interview with Historiann, asking her the same questions that McPherson answered for the New York Times. I'm also going to invite you commenters to answer as many or all of the same questions yourself in the comments. (Or if you're feeling energetic, why wait? Go ahead and get started today!) I'm talking to all of you–not just to American historians, and not even just to historians. You can modify the questions to your expertise as you like.


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Oscar Esquivel
Deputy Superintendent
Phone: 619-425-9600 Ext. 181371
Lisa Brannen
Business Services and Support Specialist
Phone: 619-425-9600 Ext. 181372
The Business Services and Support Division is committed to providing timely, efficient, and cost-effective services to support both internal and external customer needs, with the primary focus on needs of students in the Chula Vista Elementary School District.
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Main Phone: 619-425-9600


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By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld Aug 15, 2012 7:53 AM
HTML5 has won the war with Adobe Flash for mobile devices. As of today, Flash for Android devices won't available to download anymore from the Google Play store and the company said it has stopped development of Flash for mobile devices.
Adobe delisted Flash Player from Google Play, and you won't be able to get any updates that fix bugs unless you have a device with Flash already installed or pre-installed by the manufacturer (here's a list of the Flash-certified Android devices). In other words, Adobe is telling everyone to move on from Flash on their phones.
If you have an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean phone, then Adobe says Flash Player is not supported. If you had Flash preinstalled and updated to 4.1, the company recommends you uninstall Flash, as it is not certified and could "exhibit unpredictable behavior." If you have a Nexus 7, then the tablet does not come with Flash pre-installed, and the new Chrome browser does not support Flash anyway.
Still Want Flash?
Some popular video providers have not transitioned to HTML5, so if you still want Flash on your phone, there are ways around it — just keep in mind that this is not recommended by Adobe and that the experience with the plugin can be very poor. Also note that downloading the Flash Player apk file from unofficial sources could open the gates to malware on your phone or tablet, so it's not recommended to get the file from third-party sources.
The best source to download a working official version of Flash player is from Adobe's own site. Once you downloaded the apk file, you can just sideload it to your device with a service such as APKinstall. However, these files are aimed at developers, so installations made from the archive will not receive updates through the Google Play Store (until September 2013, Adobe says).
Dreaming of a Flash-Free World
Despite its best efforts, Flash for Android devices never delivered a seamless user experience. Many users experienced choppy playback and in some cases it sucked battery life down. However, the plugin is installed on more than 100 million Android devices, according to Google Play Stats, and it has 4.3 stars as an average rating.
With Flash for Android's demise, there's no excuse left for content providers that didn't adopt HTML 5 video yet (yes, that's you "The Daily Show"). iOS notoriously did not support Flash from day one, neither did Windows Phone, and development for BlackBerry and Symbian versions is also ceasing. Soon, besides PCs, there's won't be any room left for Flash — but even there, Windows 8 will have limited Flash support. So sooner or later, everyone will have to move on.
Republished from PC World. (View original version.)


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One of the categories here on the blog is Science Fiction, mainly because I read and watch a lot of it. Occasionally, someone wanting to get into the literary version of the genre asks me for recommendations on good initial books to start with. My recommendation often depends on the person, but I frequently suggest they try John Scalzi's work.
Scalzi has a light witty writing style. He never seems to be far from outright humor, although his stories usually have an overall serious core. This allows him to explore some issues that other authors struggle to do without alienating all but the most hardcore sci-fi nerds. A lot of people who dislike science fiction often do like his books.
Of the writers who have explored posthuman themes, his approach is often the least threatening. His breakout novel, Old Man's War, features old people recruited into a future army where their minds are transferred into new combat bodies. But he carefully avoids broaching some of the more existential issues associated with that idea. Likewise, his novel Lock In explores minds in different bodies in a way that minimizes the angst of many of his more (small "c") conservative readers.
Scalzi makes compromises to make his work more accessible, but it allows him to present ideas to a wide audience. He's been rewarded for it; he's a bestselling author. And he won the Hugo Award for Best Novel with the book, Redshirts, with a setting very similar to Star Trek, but one where the ship crew actually notices that a lot of people other than the senior officers die on away missions, and decide to do something about it.
His most recent book is The Collapsing Empire, a far future story about an interstellar empire that is about to lose its ability to travel interstellar distances. I read, enjoyed, and recommend it. But it's the first in a new series, so it ends on a cliffhanger, which some readers might find annoying.
But the reason for this post is that some reviewers are apparently finding the book to be too short a read. As Scalzi pointed out in a recent post, the novel isn't actually a short one by normal sci-fi standards, weighing in at about 90,000 words. Why then does it feel short to some readers? Scalzi himself offers an explanation.
I'm not entirely sure what makes people think The Collapsing Empire is short, but I have a couple guesses. One is that, like most books of mine, it's heavy on dialogue and light on description, which makes it "read" faster than other books of the same length might be.
I think Scalzi's exactly right about this. His books do read fast, and I think a large part of it is because they're simply easy to read. It takes a minimal amount of effort to parse them, particularly starting with Redshirts. I saw someone once comment that his writing makes for an "effortless" experience of story.
It seems to me that a large part of this is because of his "heavy on dialogue and light on description" style. If you've never read his stuff and want to get an idea of this style, check out his novella on Tor: After the Coup. Scalzi virtually never gives a detailed description of settings, except to note what kind of place they are, such as an office, spaceship bridge, or palace, and if there is anything unusual about them. And I can't recall him ever describing a character in detail.
Some readers are put off by this type of minimalism, finding it to be a bit too "white room", too much of a bare stage. They prefer more sensory detail to add more vividness for the setting or character.
I can understand that sentiment to some extent, but I personally find detailed descriptions too tedious. If I'm otherwise enjoying the story, I'll put up with detailed descriptions (to an extent), but for me it's something I have to endure, an obstacle I have to climb over.
One of the most often cited pieces of writing advice is "show don't tell". This advice seems to mean different things to different people. To me it means that, to relay important information to the reader, the best option is with story events that reveal it, the second is with dialog or inner monologue, and the least desirable is with straight exposition.
But many writers take "show don't tell" to mean providing detailed descriptions and letting the reader reach their own conclusions. So instead of simply saying that a workroom is messy, the details of the messiness should be described and the reader allowed to figure out that it's a mess. As a reader, I personally find this kind of writing frustratingly tedious. I tend to glaze over during the description and miss the point the author wanted me to derive.
Apparently a lot of people agree with me. As I noted above, Scalzi is a bestselling author. I'll say I don't like everything about his writing. (His character voices could be more distinct, although he's improving on that front, and his endings often feel a little too pat.) But his books are always entertaining, and I think, together with the humor, the minimalist style has a lot to do with it.
In many ways, this style is reminiscent of a type of writing we used to see a lot more of. Classic science fiction authors like Robert Heinlein (whose style Scalzi's early Old Man's War books emulated), Isaac Asimov, Jack Vance, and many others were all fairly minimalist on description.
Over time, styles have tended to become more verbose. I'm not sure why this is, but I suspect technology has something to do with it. Before the 1980s, most writers used a typewriter. Iterative revisions, with lots of opportunities to add new descriptive details, often required retyping a lot of text (i.e. work). It became much easier with word processing software, making it much more common.
In my view, this has led to a lot of bloated novels, often taking 500 pages to tell a 300 page story. To be clear, I have no problem with a 500 page book if it tells a 500 page story (Dune and Fellowship of the Ring both told a lot of story with around 500 pages), but many authors today seem to need that many pages to tell the same stories that were once handled with much smaller books.
Certainly tastes vary, but I think Scalzi's success shows that when given an option for tighter writing, a lot of readers take it. I wish more authors would take note.


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The East Carolinian has published excuses for their lapses in judgment for publishing the appalling exercise in misogyny by Ben Cochran. The editors are all utterly reprehensible.
Kelly Nurge claims it was OK to publish it, because they also published a rebuttal, and "presenting both sides to the issue was important." She has a bright future ahead of her in he-said/she-said journalism. But you know, sometimes the two sides to an issue are bugfucking pustule-popping insane vs. rational coherent normality. Did the East Carolinian really need an article recommending that women's reproductive health ought not to be supported by campus medical services because it gets in the way of Ben Cochran's priority snot-blowing? Is this really an issue that anyone takes seriously anywhere on the freakin' planet?
Kathryn Little claims that the "editing process is an in-depth one", and is mainly peeved that an unedited version of Cochran's piece was released — you know, the one that called a woman's genitalia a "hatchet wound", rather than the infinitely more genteel "lady-bits" that was in the edited version. Content, irrelevant; following the official process, essential. Then she seems quite pleased that her paper got national attention. Yeah, there's another one on the fast-track to a journalism career…Rupert Murdoch has his eye on her, I'm sure.
And lastly, there's Ben Cochran. This is supposedly an apology. It's a sneering, sarcastic bit of badly written bombast pretending to be an apology.
If you were among the many who were offended by my column last week, then let me take this opportunity to offer you a heartfelt apology. I am well aware that my stance was not a popular one. As an Opinion columnist, my primary goal is to generate informed discussion. To that end, I intentionally try to be provocative. As such, sometimes my columns offend people. Please understand that my intent was not to cause people to become enraged. I simply hoped they would disagree with the expressed opinion and state reasons for that disagreement. I wanted to see a lively debate, and hopefully, learn something in the process. The position I argued for is a valid opinion by virtue of the fact that it is an opinion. Unfortunately, my word choice was not the best. I cannot believe I said "conscientious" when I really meant "conscious," among other things. From now on, I will take greater care to exercise better judgment. As always, your responses are welcomed and encouraged.
Often, campus newspapers are almost fully independent — students are just handed the responsibility of putting a paper together with minimal faculty supervision. Sometimes, they end up wallowing so deep in juvenilia and irresponsible scribbling that it's clear that they do need some more mature guidance, especially when they drag the reputation of a place like East Carolina University into disrepute. Have these students had any training in journalism? Or is this what passes for responsible journalism at ECU?
Offending people is fine when you've got a purpose and a goal behind it. I fail to see anywhere in Cochran's whiny rant any reason or justification for regarding women with such contempt. It is true that his opinion that women are sluts, harlots, sex mongers, and sex fiends is actually an opinion, but usually in an opinion column you're expected to defend your controversial position, not just assume it as given.


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Hope you had an enjoyable holiday weekend! Let's get this part out of the way first: CALLED IT!
Talk about a region that is simply torn when it comes to hockey loyalty. On the one hand, this part of Canada is crawling with longtime Bruins fans, thrilled to see the team in the Final for the first time in over two decades (it's another geographic thing. See Red Sox, Boston.) On the other hand, a Canadian team is thisclose once again to hoisting the Cup, and that means the bandwagon is making room. Vancouver fans have waited nearly as long to get back to the Final: 1994, to be exact.
I'm also torn. It's the Great Battle of My Hockey Boyfriends: Kesler vs. Thomas! And I realize I am crushing on two American-born players. Whatevs. This is going to be a fun series. It all begins Wednesday (here's the sched. Being on Atlantic time, I am grateful for all the 8pm Eastern starts. No need for me to mainline coffee the following morning unless we get subjected to OT.)
To celebrate, I pulled together a playlist featuring great bands from both great cities. So put some beers on ice, dig out your fave retro sweater and crank up the laptop speaker after the jump.
Let's begin with the band that I had the pleasure of seeing in April: Pixies! Yes, my friends, after all of these years, they're still touring. Like many bands on the nostalgia trip these days, they've taken to treating us to a performance of an entire album. On this latest tour I took in, it was a celebration of 1989's Doolittle. Sweet Mother of God, I did not expect the Pixies to be so spot on and tight that night. Black Francis was at his blood curdling best, Joey and David kept us dancing and I think everyone wanted to give Kim a hug, she was so warm and sweet. My inner college student danced for days after that gig. Here is one of my favourite songs from the night:
I am a late comer to the Vancouver-based New Pornographers. After digging the tracks I heard on CBC Radio 2, I finally gave in last week and bought their latest Together. And…oh the wasted years! I have some catching up to do. This live performance is almost a year old but well worth watching. Dave's people win for booking them.
I couldn't have a playlist of Boston bands without featuring one of the most obvious: Aerosmith. Yeah, they're a guilty pleasure of mine. Here's a fun fact: Steven, Joe and the boys recorded three of their biggest albums in Vancouver with late producer Bruce Fairbairn: Permanent Vacation, Pump and Get a Grip. This track from Pump was always a fave of mine (SHUDDUP!)
Again with the obvious: Canadian rock stalwarts 54-40 (OK, they're from Tsawwassen, but still.) The band is celebrating their 30th anniversary of togetherness this year. While they're still making good music, we'll go back to 1994 from one of their best, Smilin' Buddha Cabaret:
I have to admit I don't know an awful lot about Guster, only that they look wonderful in long johns and make great pop music. "Architects and Engineers" is another great track, for the record.
Limblifter is long since done, though thankfully Kurt Dahle is still making music with New Pornographers. But this track from 2000 is worth sharing. I almost forgot how much I loved it at the time.
Finally…more power ballad? Sorry. I just couldn't resist. So. Much. Hair. And Cam Neely!
I know there's more, so add your favourites to the mixtape in the comments!


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(CNN) – To Mitt Romney, it was a humorous story about his father's gubernatorial campaign and a marching band. But Democrats saw it as an illustration of an "out-of-touch" millionaire.
On a Wednesday morning conference call with Wisconsin voters, the presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts governor joked about how his father, the American Motors president who went on to be governor of Michigan, joked that a band leading his father in a parade didn't know the Michigan fight song, but knew the one for neighboring Wisconsin.
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"So every time they would start playing, 'On Wisconsin, On Wisconsin,' my dad's political people would jump up and down and try to get them to stop because they didn't want people in Michigan to be reminded that my dad had moved production to Wisconsin," Romney said, chuckling.
By "moved production," Romney was referring to his father's decision to "close the factory in Michigan and move all of the production to Wisconsin."
"And so you can imagine that having closed the factory and moved all of the production to Wisconsin was a very sensitive issue to him, for his campaign," Romney said of his father.
Any response – positive or negative – wasn't audible to reporters, and on such conference calls, participants are usually muted unless invited to ask a question.
But Democrats pounced on his comment.
"The only things more out-of-touch than Mitt Romney's 'joke' about his dad closing a factory are his policies that would give massive tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires and allow insurance companies to discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions," Lis Smith, a spokeswoman for President Barack Obama's reelection effort, said. "He continues to be callous about the struggles that ordinary Americas face and his policies would make it harder – not easier – for anyone but the very wealthy to succeed."
The Democratic National Committee said "Romney just doesn't seem to get it."
"Mitt Romney may call himself a 'Son of Detroit' but he just can't help showing how out of touch he really is. Whether he's saying we should 'Let Detroit Go Bankrupt' or joking with voters in Wisconsin about his dad closing a Michigan factory to move production to Wisconsin, Romney just doesn't seem to get it," the DNC said in a statement.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, described this as an example of intra-national outsourcing.
"The people of Michigan know better than anyone that it's no laughing matter when our jobs are exported to other states or other countries. Outsourcing has had a devastating impact on the middle class," she said in a statement. "Americans deserve leaders who understand the challenges working families face. It's no laughing matter when jobs are shipped away."
In response, a spokesperson for Romney's campaign pointed to the car dealerships closed during Obama's first term in office.
"Under President Obama, more Americans have lost their jobs, lost their homes and fallen into poverty than at any time since the Great Depression," Amanda Henneberg said. "It's clear the Democrats will go to any lengths to avoid talking about Obama's colossal failures, including ginning up fake outrage about a campaign story from 40 years ago involving Mitt Romney's father."
Moving production from a state to another? Business make these decisions all the time based on costs. Competitiveness is at the heart of capitalism. When did that change in America?
Those in Wisconsin thought the move was great and the joke hilarious. What one see's is in the eye of the beholder.
Democrats are a veritable hive of bees when there is a whiff of money mentioned in connection with Romney, no matter how far it is removed from what he is actually saying. It's called confirmation bias.
Because God forbid we hear any personal stories.........
Mitt's favorite song: 99 pink slips to send down the hall ...
You send one down, they pass it around ...
Romney can't even joke without showing his true colors. How can you compare our President to Romney. The things he says is down right crude with no thought to the consequences. Obama doesn't have to pretend to be nice because he is a nice person. He is comfortable in his own skin. When the President speaks he speaks the truth that is why he hardly stumbles and has a cool posture about him. His manners are respectable. Romney is a big bafoone, Newt is a foolish ole man and should take Calista on a long vacation. Santourum should spend quality time with his kids and forget about being President. Ron Paul retire and go fishing. I wish the race was over with and President Obama can get some serious policies in place. Romney should go spend his money in the American economy. Go buy his sons new cars and donate lots of money to the poor and middle class.
It's a bird, it's a plane, Oh it's just Willard.
Race is not the battle between Americans.
The economic divide is the true battlefield.
LOL Democrats are a joke! What happened to Solyndra again??? Wasn't it a year ago that Obama was praising the company! But lets talk about Romney's dad? 50 years ago is obviously way more important that a year ago. Time to save this country from left nut loons! Romney 2012
Mitt McCain is a gaffe a minute and the GOBP are stuck with him. Obama/Biden 2012!
Are Democrat leaders really that sensitive or are they getting desperate?
There have been far worse jokes made by people from both parties so Democrat leaders are obviously out of touch as well.
The real politicians "out-of-touch" are my fellow Democrats. Because they are supporting a clueless/divisive/hypocritical/know-nothing candidate for president, any minor comment or joke will incense them.
What a shame. My party has been hijacked by the lies of Obama and his administration.
PLEASE don't do anything until I am reelected for another term. That says IT ALL!!!
What a dumb dumb
Like father like son. Just like you are not really from Michigan since you had rather seen the automobile industry be flushed down the toilet. Seems like the closing down of companies/factories and destroying lives is what your family does best. Nothing funny and certainly nothing to be proud of!
How's the building of that huge mansion of yours in California going? I heard the other day, and it seemed so BIG that I am having trouble wrapping my middle class brain around it, that your basement is a mere 32,000 square feet?
That's larger than my whole house!
These Democrats are a sorry bunch. They are so afraid come November that they try to make a political statement out of a joke. What the Dem's do not realize is they are the joke.
It would appear there are three 1% jokes: foolish Michigans elected his father governor, moving jobs out Michigan, and hiring newt's janitors that know only one song.
Where he comes from, I am sure that is a funny.
If he is a son of Detroit, why did he say, "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt...." NY Times. Ha...Folks, none of these four, especially this Mittens, not fit for any "Public-Elect" position. True, true, and true.
PS: this election is Rich v/s Middle Class America.
The Democrats have a closet full of GAFFS categorized and in alphabetical order
coming from Romney, and they can chose and pick any time they want and begin their slaughter
Romney is so out of touch to the point where he doesn't even realize when he's in a pan frying!
He constantly sounds like a "fast-talking" salesman and the majority of Americans are NOT BUYING!!!
Obama 2012 – The Only Trusted Way Forward!!!
My Daddy shut down factories and I've never really worked a hard day in my life. I like firing people like my dad, raid companies as a "vulture capitalist" like my dad, and stash my wealth in Swiss bank accounts and the Caymen Island like my dad!!!!
Who's your daddy? Now make me president!!. What a Jerk.


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Winds of Change and Tradition
`STORM coming,'' Jirimotu says tersely as he scans the horizon. ``We'd better hurry.'' He was born here on the Ordos - a part of Inner Mongolia between China's Yellow River and the Great Wall - and has an uncanny sense of its moods. But this sandstorm is so obvious that even I can see it: a great roiling yellow-white cloud hurrying toward us from the north.
We have been walking for an hour over sand dunes and dry scrub, heading toward a prominent hill. On its summit is an obo - a sacred stone cairn. But it looks like our outing will be cut short, for already the sky is darkening and the wind is rising ominously. We quickly traverse the remaining distance and climb to the great stone pile.
MY companion Jirimotu is a fervent Buddhist; I accompany him in the ritual of pacing the path that circles the obo. Then he checks the oncoming storm. It is advancing rapidly, a churning cloud that seems to devour the land as it approaches. ``No time to make it back to my house. Let's go down there,'' he says, pointing to a home a few hundred yards below us on the slope. We set off quickly.
As we walk the air turns cold, and the wind blows harder, driving a flurry of biting sand. The sharp flakes dig into my eyes, nose, and ears. Just as the storm reaches its full fury, we reach the house. Outside, a few sheep and goats huddle in the lee of some low bushes. Without pausing to knock (Mongolians will always welcome visitors seeking shelter from a storm), we burst in through the door. A short time later we are sprawling on a kang (a heated brick bed) as we sip salty Mongolian tea. Outside, the wind pounds like ocean waves crashing over a breaker.
Such windstorms are a regular feature of springtime in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China. In desert areas like the Ordos, these harsh and relentless gales create a living hell. Some storms last for days, fading at sunset and resuming again in midmorning. But Mongolian herders have long grown used to this and other trials. Indeed, when the time comes for Jirimotu and me to leave, the storm has scarcely abated, yet he plods through the cyclone with casual indifference, somehow finding his way among the dunes and can-yons. Meanwhile, I stagger along behind, the fine sand sucking at my every step.
Everyone has told me: ``This is not a good time to come to visit the Ordos; bad weather, not much milk or meat. You should come in summer when the grass is knee-high and animals are fat.'' Yes, I believe that in summer this place is a veritable paradise. But by coming now, during the cruelest season, I see clearly how tenuous life is here on the Gobi.
Jirimotu, who is 25, is living in a world much different from his grandfather's. His people no longer live in yurts - the circular, felt-covered tents used by nomadic herders across central Asia - but in stout brick houses. Although Jirimotu's family is not wealthy, their home is elegantly furnished with heavy wood cabinets and rich carpets. A wind-generator outside supplies power to their television and cassette-player. Yet all the gadgets in the world won't help them if, through mismanagement or misfortune, their herds dwindle and die. Their livelihood still depends on intimate knowledge of their grasslands environment: wisdom passed down from their nomadic forebears.
I have traveled far to come to Jirimotu's home: From the capital of Otog Banner, it was 30 miles over tortuous dirt roads, then six more on a trail better suited to camels that to wheeled vehicles. But despite their isolation, these people are far from being the scruffy, dust-streaked bumpkins that I expected to find out here. Their clothes are clean, their hair fashionably cut, and they are soft-spoken, educated, and intelligent.
Jirimotu is at home here on the grasslands, but his world reaches far beyond these dunes and pastures. As a child, he attended boarding school where he learned fluent Chinese; since then, he has worked as a railroad laborer and a postal clerk, and he dreams of going to Hohhot, the Inner Mongolian capital, to further his education. But his dreams will have to wait. ``I am under a lot of pressure,'' he says. ``I can't just do whatever I want; I have to think of my four younger brothers and sisters.'' Most likely, he will stay on the grasslands.
These days, many young people are escaping the monotony of a herdman's life by fleeing to the cities. Opportunities abound especially for young Mongolian women, who are famous for their sweet singing voices and can easily find work as entertainers in restaurants. Yet even those who have been city dwellers for years -
some of whom no longer believe in Buddhism and speak Chinese more often that Mongolian - still feel strong ties to the wide open spaces of their ancestral homeland.
Buhe Temor is a spry father of eight who manages a hotel and restaurant in a small town. On his motorcycle, it takes only an hour to reach the ranch where his aged parents and two of his sons live on the grasslands. There he proudly shows me their groves of trees, two springs gushing sweet clean water, and a menagerie of animals. Inside the house, I find a photograph showing him in Beijing's Great Hall of the People with a large group that includes Chinese leader Zhao Ziyang. It's another instance of how Mongolian life has expanded far beyond its traditional domain.
THE Ordos, also called Yike Zhao (``Big Temple'') League, lies at the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. It is divided into seven banners, of which Otog Banner is one. The western Ordos is largely pasture: grass and chaparral growing indomitably from soil that is pure sand. Sheep and goats forage on this; the people also keep small numbers of other animals.
In the southern Ordos, due to chronic overgrazing, the sand has been stripped of its protective grass cover. Sand dunes - beautiful but deadly - move with the winds, engulfing what was once fertile pastureland. The Chinese government is well aware of this problem, and long ago started a widespread tree-planting program, which may stabilize the sand enough to compensate for the excess of animals.
In Jungar Banner, I visit Jungar Monastery - one place where the Ordos's rich spiritual heritage is preserved. This institution belongs to the Gelupga Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which was imported into Inner Mongolia during Kublai Khan's time. At its peak, Jungar Monastery housed 2,000 monks; but now there are only 13, none of them younger than 50. ``During the Cultural Revolution, all the lamas were driven out of the monastery,'' says Radana Dadza, one of the few who returned. ``There used to be 36 temples here, but most of them were destroyed.'' ``How many are there now?'' I ask. He hesitates, then answers: ``around 11.''
When I go exploring, I see the reason for his uncertainty: Most of the structures are in ruins. The government, perhaps to atone for its past misdeeds, funded restoration of the main chanting hall, a partial Chinese-style temple with several courtyards and many rooms.
It's grand and imposing, but with so few inhabitants the place seems lifeless. The few monks I see are all occupied with maintaining the grounds. Nowadays, young Mongolians, who are educated and worldly compared to their parents, have little interest in ancient incantations. When I ask my guide about his personal beliefs, he answers succinctly: ``I believe in reality.''
DESPITE modest government support, Buddhism seems to be waning in influence. But it is not quite dead. In Otog Banner, at the end of a torturous, 16-mile dirt road, I come to Xinzhao Monastery. It consists only of one plain brick building, a replacement for more opulent structures lost during the Cultural Revolution. But this humble place is bursting with religious fervor, for the inhabitants are conducting a three-week prayer marathon. Every day, lamas great and small gather here - old ones to intone the sutras passed down from their spiritual forefathers, and a handful of young ones to listen and learn.
But Buddhism is not the only religion in the Ordos; there is another: Genghis Khan. This is a completely different sort of creed, for Genghis Khan was a man who cared nothing for Buddhism's spirit of loving compassion; he was interested only in conquest. He was a man who believed that the greatest happiness is ``to crush your enemies, to see them fall at your feet - to take their horses and goods and hear the lamentation of their women.'' He put this philosophy to practical use, conquering cities across Eurasia, leaving a trail of obliteration in his wake. And even modern Mongolians, many of whom subscribe to the cult of Genghis, have faith that their hero will someday rise again.
In a peaceful, verdant valley called Ejen Horo, the cult finds its focal point, for here is a monument housing the Khan's crypt. The seven banners of the Ordos are traditionally charged with guarding this sacred sanctuary. This came about because it is said that one day the great Mongolian warrior was riding through the valley, and was so struck with its beauty that he proclaimed that it would be his final resting place. Although most experts agree that the Great Khan's actual remains are not here, but in a still-secret burial ground somewhere in outer Mongolia, the monument at Ejen Horo stands as a symbol of the Mongolian juggernaut that struck terror across the continent. That Genghis Khan died more than 700 years ago is unimportant to the thousands of Mongolians who come to worship at the shrine of their most famous ancestor.
ON the 21st day of the third moon, the activities of the cult reach a climax, for at this time the Great Spring Sacrifice is held. Early in the morning, crowds begin to gather on the vast pavilion. Groups of pilgrims make their way inside; they have come for an audience with their leader.
They approach the altar, then fall to their knees. Rising again, they walk forward carrying a silk katagh, or scarf of honor, in their outstretched hands.
As the ritual continues, more offerings are made: a butter-lamp, cups of wine, and finally the carcass of a sheep, all presented with prostrations and singsong chants. Many visitors are dressed in Western-style suits - not silken Mongolian robes - but whatever their dress, class, or occupation, all faces show solemn reverence.
The Ordos is ruled by China and surrounded by a great mass of ethnic Chinese, so pressure on Mongolians to assimilate is strong. Before I arrived, I wondered if I would find anything left of authentic Mongolian culture. By the time I departed, I knew that Mongolians are preserving their heritage.


text: Pollen Count Make an Appointment Ask a Question Search Conditions Pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds can be inhaled and cause allergy and asthma symptoms. Pollen allergies are often seasonal, and allergy and asthma symptoms occur when the amount of pollen in the air is high. Get tips from our experts on navigating life with allergies. If you don't live in Denver, search for the pollen count in your area at the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) website. View by: Daily Pollen Count Pollen Count Process Denver-area Current Pollen Count (Last Updated: 10/12/2021) Ash0Birch0Cedar Juniper0Cottonwood Aspen0Elm0Linden0Maple Box Elder0Oak0Pine2Populus0Walnut0Misc Trees Bush0 Chenopod4Kochia0Ragweed2Sage0Tumbleweed0Misc Weed0 Grasses0 Show/Hide Pollen Count Key Pollen Count Key: Low Med High Trees: 0-15 15-90 90-1500 Weeds: 0-10 10-50 50-500 Grass: 0-5 5-20 20-200 If you don't live in Denver, search for the pollen count in your area at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology(AAAAI) website. Generally, the pollen season can be subdivided into three distinct seasons, each of which can affect different people. Early spring is when trees pollinate. Grasses pollinate during the summer, and weeds pollinate late summer into the fall. In Colorado, trees generally begin pollinating in February and continue through June. Grass pollen season runs from early May through August, and weed pollen is in the air from July through September. Pollen counts can vary widely from day to day depending on weather conditions. Generally, pollen levels increase on warm, sunny days. Windy days also commonly have higher pollen levels. Rain washes pollen out of the air, reducing pollen counts. Cool, damp weather also tends to keep pollen levels low. You need an iframes capable browser to view this content. National Jewish Health monitors pollen levels at its main health campus in Denver, Colorado. On weekday mornings, a technician retrieves a slide from a Burkard pollen and spore sampler. The slide is covered with a sticky substance to which pollen grains have adhered during the previous 24 hours. The technician then stains the slide, puts it under a microscope, and identifies and counts pollen grains to determine what kind and how much pollen is in the air. The resulting pollen count is then distributed to various National Jewish Health physicians, the National Jewish Health clinical research unit, the local media, and it is also posted here on the website. The pollen counts help inform physicians' discussions with their patients about allergies and symptoms. They are used by clinical researchers at National Jewish Health who are evaluating potential allergy medications. The pollen counts are also tracked year over year to identify and compare trends. NOTE: Our pollen collection process is heavily dependent on having good weather conditions for gathering the sample and at times, we are unable to provide accurate data. In these cases, please refer to the seasonal year-over-year data we provide, as it is generally a good indicator of current conditions. Outsmart Spring Allergies Learn about spring allergies and global warming. Get info on what you can do to minimize your allergy symptoms from the most common spring allergens. Surviving Spring Allergies Learn to manage your spring allergy symptoms with our helpful tips in our Surviving Spring Allergies infographic. Navigating Life With Allergies While spring is in bloom, not everyone is excited about it. For those who have allergies, it can be a difficult time as the body tries to adjust to all that's floating in the air and growing from the ground up. You can trust us and our allergy experts to help you cope with allergy symptoms and find relief. Allergy Tips A large part of dealing with allergies is being proactive to treat your symptoms before they even begin. Clues for treating allergy symptoms: Spring Allergy Tips Summer Allergy Tips Steps to Get Ahead of the Spring Allergy Season Tips to Avoid and Treat Insect Stings Tips to Help Get a Good Night's Sleep Despite Allergies Nasal Wash Treatment Many people with asthma or other lung problems also have nasal and sinus symptoms. Drainage from your nose and sinuses can make asthma worse, especially at night. A salt water nasal wash, or nasal irrigation, can help reduce this. Nasal Wash- A Guide Nasal Wash Treatment Using the Sinus Rinse Kit Technique Making The Nasal Wash Solution View all nasal wash videos You might also like: Surprising Sources of Indoor Allergens Asthma & Pets View Using an EpiPen video


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In a fast-rising convergence of functional plastics and
electronics, a flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) on foil debuted
this week on a LeMans race car.
The technology moved out of the lab as part of a multi-company, multi-university effort that incubated in the Holst Centre, an independent open-innovation R&D community in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The OLED technology innovation was part of a trend toward pre-competitive engineering collaboration in which major companies can avoid risk, but still profit from their inventions.
"One of our targets has been to make OLEDs twice as efficient as they had been previously," says Paul Blom, scientific director of the Holst Centre. Experts feel that once the technology is optimized over the next three years, these lightweight, flexible devices will use as much as 70 percent less energy than currently used, conventional light sources.
In a demonstration project, OLEDs were embedded in a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic composite used to make side mirrors on a car from the French racing team Oreca, which finished fourth in the 24-hour French competition, also known as the "Grand Prix of Endurance."
"You can easily integrate OLEDs into three-dimensional structures, unlike other types of lighting," says Bernhard Sailer, a global marketing manager of Huntsman Advanced Materials, one of the participants in the Holst project. Huntsman developed new barrier technology to help prevent the development of black spots caused by penetration of water into the functional polymer layers.
Pierre Seze, composite department manager at Oreca, says: "The integration of the OLED system in our carbon fiber pre-preg represents several advantages for our race car. The first one is the weight. This technology fit perfectly with the very demanding constraints of endurance race such Le Mans 24 Hours."
Sailer said Huntsman wanted to demonstrate with the mirror project that while OLEDs are not yet ready for prime time, they are moving closer. He thinks commercial applications are two to three years away and probably will begin with niche applications, such as ski boots, where buyers are not extremely cost sensitive.
While Huntsman is pursuing a polymer approach to barrier protection, a research team at Enindhoven University, also a Holst Centre collaborator, is exploring the potential of plasma-enhanced deposition and etching to provide protection for flexible electronic devices, including OLEDs. A lab headed by M.C.M van de Sanden is exploring the optimal combination of organic and inorganic materials that can be deposited with plasma techniques.
Another important target in the commercialization of OLEDs is development of roll-to-roll processing technology using webs of polymers. Testing is now taking place on the much slower sheet-to-sheet system.
Thermal sensitivity of plastics limits the process now primarily to a very expensive polymer, polyimide. Holst researchers want to develop roll-to-roll processes for polyethylene naphthalene (PEN), or even other less expensive members of the polyester family.
In one major leap, a company called NeoDec that was recently spun out of the research cocoon at Holst, says it has developed a polymer printing technology that takes place at room temperature, theoretically creating the opportunity to use most thermoplastics.
Some of the research projects at the Holst Centre are funded by the Dutch Polymer Institute, an organization funded partly by the Dutch government and partly by company and university researchers. Corporate R&D budgets shrank due to extreme automotive cost cutting in the 1990s, and companies agreed to conduct early research on projects such as flexible electronics as a group.
"It began as an experiment, and after 13 years, we have had significant success," said Jacques Joosten, director of the Dutch Polymer Institute. He pointed to two projects on flexible electronics as examples: the plasma deposition work and a separate project aimed at improving efficiency of polymer systems in photovoltaic cells.
The Holst Centre was set up in 2005 by IMEC (Flanders, Belgium) and TNO (The Netherlands) with support from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Government of Flanders. It is named after Gilles Holst, a Dutch pioneer in research and development and the first director of Philips Research.
OLEDs Debut on LeMans Race Car
In a fast-rising convergence of functional plastics and
electronics, a flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) on foil debuted
this week on a LeMans race car.