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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Award-winning country singer-songwriter Darius Rucker and multi-platinum recording artist Chris Daughtry will perform the national anthem at the Final Four.
Rucker will sing the anthem before Monday's championship game, when he will be accompanied by the Jazz Singers vocal ensemble from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performance and Visual Arts in Dallas.
Daughtry will perform before Saturday's games. He will be backed by the Fort McHenry drum and fife corps in celebration of the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Rucker first broke into the mainstream music scene in the mid-1990s as the frontman of the band Hootie & the Blowfish. He released his third country album last year.
Daughtry and his band have had four No. 1 hits, selling more than 8 million albums worldwide.

subset: commoncrawl


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Serves 8 appetizer portions
This is a recipe from "CHIC MADE SIMPLE" by Esther Deutsch. I like it so much that I keep it in my refrigerator for lunch, along side an omelette, atop a green salad or with crackers. I serve it as an appetizer on Shabbos too.
2 English cucumbers
10 ounces kani, (imitation crab meat) shredded
Black and white sesame seeds, garnish
1 cup mayonnaise (I use a little less)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon honey
Slice the cucumbers in half and scrape out the seeds. Slice them thin and mix with the kani.
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the cucumber and kani. Top with sesame seeds if using.


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I got a Raspberry Pi a while ago (well, two actually) and have finally finished my first project with it, to make a portable music streaming device.
This would have been pretty easy, but I decided to put it in an old retro 80s ghetto blaster case, namely this one, a Phillips Roller radio cassette player. My parents had one when I was a kid and I came across one on eBay and thought it would be perfect.
So, I ripped out the guts, including the rather measly speakers and cut out loads of the inner plastic that was supporting the amp, radio and cassette parts and went to work to put in my own contents.
This took quite a while and the added difficulty of a young baby and a two year old who needs constant entertainment only added to the challenge (using a dremel when the wife has put your 6 month old son to sleep doesn't go down too well ;)).
Once all the insides had been cleaned out, I then went to work to put my own contents inside. Alongside the Raspberry Pi, I also put in:
The car speakers were chosen since the old ones were really small and not capable of any bass or offering high power output, the amp because i thought it had a volume control – but to get it to work needed some ninja soldering skills that I don't have, the sound card I believe is an improvement on the in-built chip (but I might be wrong) and finally the WiFi dongle uses an external antennae, so I'll still get a good service with all the different devices crammed inside the stereo.
The next step was getting the Pi to play music. Luckily, I tend to listen to all my music from a central server running the rather awesome MPD to stream my music out to as many connected MPD clients as I want. So, all I had to do was install MPD on to a fresh version of the latest Raspbian and I was almost ready to go. I wrote a small script which, on boot, checks to see if my MPD server is available, if so it starts the MPD daemon on the server playing the stream, then starts the MPD client on the Pi playing the stream from the server. If it doesn't find the server, it adds music from the small local library stored on the SD card and plays that instead., via MPD.
Here's the inside of the Roller, with the Pi, amp, soundcard and speakers in place:
I stuffed the whole thing with cotton wool, to help boost the bass (but I know next to nothing about proper speaker design, it is one of those things I plan to do in my retirement – build massive bass-thundering speakers).
The Pi is at the bottom, the amp in the middle (you can see the amp's fan sticking out) and the sound card is at the top.
And here is the finished article (playing at the time, but you can't tell when it is on apart from the music playing).
It sounds pretty good considering. The bass could be better, but you can't expect much from such relatively small speakers. However, it does go pretty loud for something so small and it sounds really clean and crisp, so I am happy with it.
For the other Pi I have lying around, I plan to use it (when Piface comes out) to control the lights in the dolls house we got my daughter this Christmas. Eventually she will hopefully get in to using Scratch herself to control the lights in her dolls house (and maybe some other things like a little mini stereo or even a small screen in her dolls house). I would imagine when she sees that we can plug her dolls house into the TV and it is a computer, she will be a little excited and intrigued!


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Vice President
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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
April 29, 2007
Mrs. Bush's Remarks at the Rededication of the Zion National Park Nature Center
Zion National Park
Springdale, Utah
MRS. BUSH: Thank you all very much. Thank you, Jock, very much for your great work that you do as Superintendent of Zion National Park. I want to recognize Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who is with us today, from the U.S. Department of Interior. Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert -- Governor, thank you so much for joining us, and your wife and son, thank you all for being here. Mayor Pat Cluff, Mayor of Springdale, thank you for joining us, Mayor. Barbara Pahl, who is the Regional Director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Barbara's the Regional Director in Denver, and thank you so much, Barbara, for joining us today here in Utah.
A special recognition to Lora Tom, who is the Chairwoman of the Southern Band of the Paiute. Thank you very much for being with us today. And the person who introduced himself as a "fossil" from Zion, the historian around here, J.L. Crawford. Thank you so much, Mr. Crawford. (Applause.)
And the Red Rock Rondo, you were terrific. That was a really wonderful way to be welcomed here to Zion.
One person who wishes she could be with us today is Mary Bomar, who is the Director of the National Park Service. Mary today is in Eads, Colorado, dedicating the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. This site will become our country's 391st national park. We congratulate the people of Eads, Colorado on this distinction, and I know Mary Bomar sends her very best wishes to everyone here at Zion.
Local officials, preservationists, conservationists, park enthusiasts, history buffs, distinguished guests, I'm so happy to be with you this afternoon in one of our country's most spectacular national parks.
All of us can remember the first time we were amazed by a national park, and if you grew up here, then I know this is the site that first amazed you. My love of our national parks began when I visited Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, which was the closest national park to Midland, Texas, where I grew up.
Now I hike in a national park every year with childhood friends of mine. We began this tradition on our 40th birthday by taking the river -- the float trip down the Colorado River, and then hiking out the 10 miles on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Since then, we've visited some of our country's most magnificent parks. We've been to Yosemite and Glacier, Yellowstone, Denali and Olympic.
Recently, we took our daughters and did that Grand Canyon trip one more time. And we found that 20 years after that first visit, it was a lot harder to hike out those 10 miles. (Laughter.) Our girls were very great about it, though. They finished in four hours, and the old mothers made it out in about seven.
This week, we're going to explore this national park. We're going to see Zion's sweeping plateaus and some of the world's most scenic canyons. My friends are here on the front row with me that I hike with every year. And so we're really looking forward to this opportunity to be together, and be together in this beautiful park. (Applause.)
I'm also looking forward to learning about Zion's fascinating past. Twelve-thousand years ago, men hunted mammoth, giant sloth and camels here long before man started to record his history. You can still read the rich natural history of this region in the 240 million years of geology preserved in the walls of Zion's gorgeous and towering walls.
At Zion, as in the parks throughout the United States, dedicated park rangers and volunteers work every single day to preserve these treasures for all of Americans to enjoy, for all of us, and for each generation that comes after us.
Preservation is an issue that President Bush and I care about. In 2003, he announced the Preserve America Initiative to encourage communities to safeguard our cultural and natural heritage. Preserve America helps boost local economies, because recognized landmarks attract visitors and businesses.
In the four years since President Bush announced the initiative, we've honored historical organizations, history teachers, and 486 communities for their preservation work. Eleven of those communities are here in Utah.
An important goal of Preserve America is to educate Americans to be good stewards of our national treasures, and that's what you're doing here at Zion.
In Zion's peak season, the park welcomes 11,000 visitors a day. They come for the sport of canyoneering. They come to learn about this park's abundant plant life -- from the Utah Beavertail Cactus to the Bigtooth Maple to the Pigsweed Shrub. They come to learn more about the 290 species of birds that fly through Zion every year. They learn about the traditions of the Virgin Anasazi and the Paiute peoples who have called the lands of Zion home.
By preserving this history, Zion National Park also provides a connection between early Native Americans and their descendents, who still live here in the Southwest.
Zion has an especially proud tradition of educating young park visitors through the Junior Rangers program. Through Junior Rangers, young people can explore our parks with activities especially designed for children -- from specially guided park tours to wildlife coloring books.
At nearly 300 parks and monuments across the United States, children learn about our country's history, our spectacular landscapes, and our wildlife. Some, we hope, will be inspired to grow up to be real park rangers.
Yesterday was the first-ever Junior Rangers Day. This nationwide celebration capped off National Park Week by bringing children from across the United States into our parks and monuments, and millions more children participated online as Web Rangers.
Zion National Park has one of the oldest Junior Rangers programs in the national park system. Since 1974, the Nature Center has hosted activities to educate young visitors about the history, geology and ecology of Zion.
The Junior Rangers program is one of Zion's most popular projects. Last year, more than 7,000 young people participated. And this gives me the chance to urge everyone across our country, all parents, to bring your children to your local national park, just like my mother took me to Carlsbad Caverns, and then to take your children to our other parks around the United States. You'll make really wonderful, happy memories for them if you do that.
Today, I'm delighted to be part of the rededication of the Zion Nature Center, which will now be open to Junior Rangers year-round. This former cafeteria building also happens to be one of the best examples of Gilbert Stanley Underwood's rustic architecture. Through your improvements to the center, you've shown your commitment to preserving our country's history, and you'll help encourage America's next generation to be good stewards of the treasures they inherit.
Giving all Americans a sense of responsibility for our shared national heritage is vital to the health of our national parks. In 2009, Zion will celebrate a "Century of Sanctuary," to commemorate when these lands were first set aside by President Taft in 1909. Today, President Bush is asking individual citizens to make sure Zion -- and all our national parks -- will be preserved and enhanced throughout the next 100 years. Secretary Kempthorne will tell you more about the President's Centennial Initiative in a minute.
The Zion community's work to protect the natural, cultural and historical treasures of many centuries, while eagerly sharing them with the world, represents the best of our national parks. And it represents the generous spirit of our country.
Thank you for your efforts. Congratulations on the reopening of your Nature Center. I wish you the very best for this new facility and for the great work you'll continue to do here at Zion. (Applause.)
Now I'd like to introduce someone who's an extraordinary steward of our country's resources. I've been privileged to travel with him to some of the most spectacular sights in the United States, and on the planet. Most recently, we explored the fascinating marine and bird life of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, by making a trip to Midway Island. President Bush declared the Northwest Hawaiian Islands -- its 140,000 square miles of marine and island life -- a National Marine Monument last year. (Applause.)
Secretary Kempthorne -- in addition to being an enlightening travel companion -- is also a huge enthusiast of our national parks. Ladies and gentlemen, our Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. (Applause.)
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US government shutdown averted
Posted by Admin on April 10, 2011
Obama and Democrats forced to accept $39bn package of cuts while Republicans gave way on healthcare for women
A shutdown of the US federal government scheduled to begin on Saturday was averted after the Democrats and Republicans reached agreement only hours before midnight on budget spending cuts.
The shutdown would have triggered major disruptions across the country and could have set back the country's fragile economic recovery. Hundreds of federal agencies would have closed down and about 800,000 federal staff faced suspension.
The deal came after days of negotiation between Obama and the Republican House Speaker, John Boehner, and the Democratic leader in the Senate Harry Reid. A deal had appeared to be tantalisingly close several times but was not finalised, until Friday night.
Boehner, an hour before midnight, told journalists in Congress: "I am pleased that Senator Reid and the White House have come to an agreement that will cut spending and keep government open."
It would have been the first federal government shutdown since 1995-96 when there was a stand-off between the Republicans and the Clinton White House.
Barack Obama tore up his schedule for Friday, including the start of a family weekend break in Virginia, to concentrate on negotiations with Republicans. He had hoped to reach a compromise Friday morning but discussions dragged out throughout the day.
Obama portrayed the compromise as a tribute to US democracy as he said: "Tomorrow … the entire federal government will be open for business."
Reid, like Obama, paid tribute to the Republicans in spite of the repeated clashes over the last week. "This has been a long process," Reid said. "It has not been an easy process. Both sides have had to make tough choices."
The Republicans forced the Democrats to agree to $39bn (£23bn) in spending cuts in this year's budget to September, $6bn more than the Democrats were prepared to accept earlier this week. In return, the Republicans dropped a demand to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, an organisation providing healthcare for women. Republicans objected to the organisation's links to abortion.
Boehner had as many problems in negotiations with his own Republican party as he did with the White House and Democratic members of the House. Many Republicans were elected in November with the support of the Tea Party movement who have demanded huge reductions in the federal deficit.
After reaching a deal with the White House and the Congressional Democrats, Boehner had to take the proposal to Congressional Republicans for final approval.
Boehner said Congress would pass a temporary spending measure to keep the government open until mid-way through next week. This would allow time for passage of the budget bill covering spending up until the end of the fiscal year in September.
The deal came after Obama spoke twice by phone Friday with Boehner.
The Republicans faced being blamed for the disruption if they had not reached a deal. But Obama could have suffered too, accused of weak leadership, unable to prevent a government shutdown.
About 800,000 federal employees would have been suspended without pay from Monday, more than a million troops at home and abroad would not have received pay, tax offices would have been disrupted and, in Washington DC, rubbish collection, parking control and other services would have ceased.
Pollution checks by the Environmental Protection Agency would have stopped across the US, as would monitoring of Wall Street transactions.
The White House, Congress, the Pentagon and hundreds of other bodies would have had to reduce staff.
The immediate impact of a shutdown would have been felt by tourists hoping to visit some of America's most popular attractions, the 400 national parks, monuments and historic sites.
Queues grew at passport offices on Friday as tourists and people travelling for business or other reasons put in their applications afraid of a closedown.
The dispute offers a glimpse of bigger battles to come over the 2012 budget, in which Republicans are likely to seek much bigger cuts.
A Gallup poll published on Friday showed 58% of those surveyed favoured a compromise in this week's row, with 33% backing the Republicans to hold out.
US federal government shutdown US politics Barack Obama John Boehner Republicans US Congress Democrats Obama administration United States US economy Ewen MacAskill Guardian News & Media Limited 2011
Related Articles
- US government shutdown averted by late night drama (guardian.co.uk)
- Federal shutdown averted at last minute – Christian Science Monitor (news.google.com)
- Congress averts shutdown with last-minute funding deal (independent.co.uk)
- Congress averts shutdown with last-minute spending deal (independent.co.uk)
- Shutdown averted, at least until Thursday (ftalphaville.ft.com)
- 'Historic' deal to avoid government shutdown (nj.com)
- Fight over Planned Parenthood money blocking deal to avert federal government shutdown (oregonlive.com)
- Obama holds out hope US government shutdown can be avoided (guardian.co.uk)
- Obama hails deal to avert government shutdown (charlotte.news14.com)
- Obama holds out hope US government shutdown can be avoided – The Guardian (news.google.com)
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Girls' Weekend Easy Appetizer Party
January has become the month for getaway weekends with "the girls"-- my college girlfriends two weeks ago and three of my childhood friends this weekend. For our college friends' gathering, we decided that total relaxation was the goal and we wouldn't worry about preparing elaborate meals. All of us love to cook and entertain, but this was the time for packing light and heading for this year's destination, Reynolds Plantation, with nothing but our jeans, PJs and spa appointments.
Don't get me wrong. Just because we opted out of elaborate meal preparation doesn't mean that we did not dine well. Our definition of light packing includes tote bags and coolers filled with bottles of wine and all the makings for a mighty fine appetizer buffet.
- Here are a few of the recipes on our menu:
- Steamed Gulf Coast shrimp
Blue Moon Pimiento Cheese (photo above)
- Herbed goat cheese
Brie with whole grain crackers
- Spinach dip
Onion dip
- Dixie "caviar"
Cheese straws
- Assortment of crackers, breads, and pretzels
Because our spread was so satisfying (and so plentiful), we only ate out for dinner one night. There's nothing better than sitting in front of the fireplace, savoring an assortment of tasty appetizers, and catching up with your dearest friends. My new motto for the girls' weekend menu is 'Keep it simple, satisfying, and, of course, stylish." Isn't that what we all want out of life?
For more ideas for your Girls' Weekends, see Girls' Night In; Movie Night and Martie Knows Parties: Girls' Getaway Dinner. We'd love to hear about your girls' weekend trips!


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Sometimes the results of science experiments are just too weird to believe. In 2005 Jennifer Pluznick hypothesised that a gene known to play a role in a common form of kidney disease did so by acting as a master switch for other genes. Lab tests supported her theory; however, when she looked at which genes it acted on, she did a double take. Among them were several that encode scent receptors, the chemical sensors that allow us to identify smells.
At first Pluznick didn't believe her eyes. As far as we know, kidneys filter waste from our blood and get rid of it in urine. They are not sensory organs. "I wasn't sure if we could believe the data," she says. "It seemed really spurious." Thinking there had to be a mistake, Pluznick, then a researcher at Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, Connecticut, carried out another experiment. She soaked a slice of kidney in a fluid that would make scent-system proteins glow fluorescently under a microscope. When she peered down the eyepiece, it was lit up like a Christmas tree.
Pluznick has spent the last eight years trying to understand why.
The sense of smell is one of our most powerful connections to the physical world. Our noses contain hundreds of different scent receptors that allow us to distinguish between odours. When you smell a rose or a pot of beef stew, the brain is responding to scent molecules that have wafted into your nose and locked on to these receptors. Only certain molecules fit specific receptors, and when they slot together, like a key in a lock, this triggers changes in cells. In the case of scent receptors, specialised neurons send messages to the brain so we know what we have sniffed. The discovery, in 1991, of around 1,000 genes involved in generating scent receptors was rewarded with the Nobel prize in Medicine over a decade later.
In the last ten years, however, reports have trickled in from bemused biologists that these receptors, as well as similar ones usually found on taste buds, crop up all over our bodies. In 2003, bitter taste receptors were found in sperm. The same year Pluznick came across scent receptors in the kidney, biologists at the University of California, San Diego identified sour receptors in the spine. A smattering of papers over the following few years reported sweet taste receptors in the bladder and the gut, bitter taste receptors in the sinuses, airways, pancreas and brain, and scent receptors in muscle tissue.
What are they doing there? As these findings became public, researchers poured over genomic data and reported that low levels of these receptors occurred in almost every tissue in the body. One possible explanation was that they are evolutionary leftovers whose previous functions were lost in time. However, Pluznick and others have unearthed evidence that, in some tissues at least, they are anything but passive. Their findings suggest that our bodies are "smelling" and "tasting" things deep inside of us, and that these abilities are crucial to our health.
System sensor
The kidney is made up of miles of minuscule tubes, twisted into an exquisite lacework. Threaded through these is a system of blood vessels, and in places where these and the kidney's tubes are especially intertwined, water, nutrients and other molecules seep through the walls and pass between the two. What the blood doesn't need is passed off to the urine forming in the tubes, and what it does have a use for – keeping blood pressure stable, for instance – goes back. If this process stops working the body will soon shut down, poisoned by its own exhaust fumes.
Peering more closely down the microscope at that slice of kidney, Pluznick saw the fluorescent glow was emanating from the macula densa, a group of cells that play a central role in this chemical back-and-forth, sampling the forming urine as it goes by and sending out alerts to adjust the blood filtration rate. "The macula densa is the only cell type in the kidney that you would think of as being a chemical sensor," says Pluznick. "It made a hell of a lot of sense, and it made me think it was real."
The next step was to figure out what would happen if these receptors were absent in this region of the kidney, using engineered mice that lacked one of scent receptors Pluznick identified in the kidney, called Olfr78. Tests revealed these mice had kidney problems involving their blood filtration rate and the production of renin, a hormone which stimulates the constriction of blood vessels to increase blood pressure. Both of these are controlled by the macula densa.
Pluznick now began to devote herself full-time to the puzzle. Identifying which chemical "keys" – known as ligands – were binding to the Olfr78 receptor "locks" would help her understand the bigger picture of what the receptor was responding to. In doing so, her work took her from one weird and wonderful discovery in biology to another: the microbiome.
Our bodies contain trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. Those in the human gut fulfil various important functions, such as breaking down certain foods into energy and useful nutrients, suppressing harmful microbes, preventing allergies and assisting the immune system in a number of other ways. The evidence that the balance of different microbes we have inside us is important to our health has been growing rapidly in recent years. People with irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and depression have been shown to have differences in gut bacteria when compared to healthy people.
As a study published by Pluznick last March showed, Olfr78's ligands are short-chain fatty acids, molecules produced when gut bacteria digest components of plant-based foods. Other scientists have documented their roles in human health, such as stimulating immune-cell production, reducing heart-disease risk, stabilising blood glucose levels and protecting the colon lining.
Pluznick acknowledges the picture is a complex and incomplete one, further work indicates another receptor that also binds to short-chain fatty acids has a greater and opposite effect. However, she believes the work shows the scent receptors she accidentally discovered are a previously unknown means for bacteria to tell the kidney to make blood pressure changes that allow them to best carry out their health-related functions.
Bitter truth
As Pluznick was unravelling this mystery, other researchers were investigating taste and scent receptors elsewhere in the body. Yehuda Ben-Shahar, now a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, found cells in the human airway equipped with bitter receptors. These cells are covered in microscopic hair-like protrusions called cilia which flap when dangerous chemicals are breathed in, helping to flush them out of the body. Bitter receptors in the tongue are thought to have evolved to help us identify poisons, and Ben-Shahar wondered whether those in the airway might be protecting us in a similar way.
He and his collaborators found that when receptors in these cells were exposed to certain noxious molecules, it triggered a cascade of events that culminated in the flapping of the cilia. This made Ben-Shahar think that what we know as bitter receptors might better be called danger receptors. "We call them bitter but that's only because when we taste with them that's what we get," he says. "Probably what's uniting them is things that we try not to take in."
In fact, work by Noam Cohen, an ear, nose and throat doctor at University of Pennsylvania Medical School, suggests an intriguing role for bitter receptors recently discovered in the sinuses. He found one particular type can intercept the chemical signals that bacteria send to each other when they are coming together to form biofilms, a manoeuvre that greatly strengthens their defences against immune-system attacks.
When the bitter receptors in the sinuses pick up these signals, they set in motion an attack against the bacteria, causing cells to release toxic gas and cilia to flap. If people have a genetic variant that produces a different form of this bitter receptor, however, they are deaf to this back-channel bacterial chatter, and are more prone to severe sinus infections.
Patients who regularly get serious sinus infections often opt for surgery. However Cohen, who, along with Ben-Shahar, presented some of his findings at April's Association for Chemoreception Sciences meeting in Huntington Beach, California, speculates this may not help those with bitter receptors that can't pick up these signals. Since the bitter receptors in an individual's sinuses are the same as those on their tongue, Cohen suggests a test that tells clinicians which version of the receptor patients have on their tongues could help guide treatment.
Different tastes
Pluznick's research has revealed the existence of Olfr 78 receptors beyond the kidney, in blood vessels in the skin, heart and muscle. Scent receptors may be even more widely distributed, Firestein thinks, in blood vessels right across in the body. There's no better place for a chemical sensor, he points out, as the blood is the highway by which substances move around the body. This could explain why the receptors show up in so many places, since tissues are shot through with blood vessels bringing in nutrients and ferrying away waste.
What's emerging is a picture of these receptors as a kind of general-purpose chemical sensor. Consider a doorbell: the button next to your front door is hooked up to a little machine that can be programmed to play almost any kind of tune, a clock chime, a fire alarm, or "Wild Thing" if so desired. The button doesn't care what is being played – it just relays to the machine the message that a finger is pushing on it. These receptors are like that button, and the finger is anything with the right chemical structure to bind to it. The output might be the perception of a scent, the alerting of the immune system or the beating of cilia. "If you say olfactory receptors in the kidney, it sounds kind of nuts," says Pluznick. "But if you say that chemical sensors are in the kidney, I think it makes a heck of a lot of sense."
We just happened to come across the receptors in the nose and the mouth first. It's intriguing to think this role may be pre-dated by their chemical-sensing capacities in other organs. Some see it as unlikely given that they are present in much higher numbers in the nose and mouth, but others disagree. "We call these taste receptors, but maybe they aren't taste receptors," says Ben-Shahar. "Maybe they were doing a lot of things before. Recycling is a very strong theme in evolution." Cohen puts it more strongly. "I'm willing to bet that these bitter receptors were on the airway before they migrated to the tongue, that this is where they really belong."
Pluznick is now a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in Baltimore, Maryland. It has been a long time since she studied kidney disease. Her lab is focused on understanding how these receptors work, and how they contribute to kidney function. Pluznick acknowledges there is still a lot to discover about the broader functions of what we still currently call scent and taste receptors, but she and others have made a start. She chuckles as she remembers how she complained to her academic supervisor about the "bad" data from her kidney gene experiments.
"He kind of looked at me for a second, and he was like 'Scent receptors in the kidney. That would be cool though, right?' At that point we both still thought it was one of those crazy, stupid ideas you laugh about later." Crazy perhaps, but very far from stupid.
CORRRECTION (12/07): We stated that the engineered mice used in experiements had come from Stuart Firestein's lab, but this was not the case. This has been corrected.
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Reforming our immigration system is long overdue. Our current laws, regulations, and enforcement do not recognize the importance of sound immigration policies to our economy and national security. We cannot afford to wait any longer to reform our immigration system in a comprehensive way.
Immigration is one of the great strengths for our nation. People from all over the world have come to our country because they see opportunity in America and a chance to build a better life for themselves and their families. The hard work and talent of immigrants have helped grow our economy and have strengthened our country for all Americans.
Legal immigration is not an obstacle to growth, but rather supplements our economic competitiveness and American jobs by attracting needed workers, high-skilled entrepreneurs, and investors. This can all be accomplished while keeping families together in a way that is consistent with American values.
I have advocated on behalf of immigrants through supporting key legislation and other advocacy efforts during my time in Congress:
- Reforming our Deeply Flawed Immigration Detention System: Together with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) I introduced H.R. 3923, the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, legislation to reform the systemic problems in our immigration detention system. Our current system is inhumane, unjust, and driven by private, for-profit corporations like The GEO Group, which operates the Northwest Detention Center located in Tacoma, Washington. This bill will end the use of private facilities and repeal mandatory detention, while restoring due process, oversight, accountability, and transparency to the immigration detention system.
- Standing up to the Trump Administration's dangerous executive orders banning refugees: I am an original cosponsor of the SOLVE Act and the SOLVE 2.0 Act, which would bar any federal spending on President Trump's harmful travel bans. I have condemned these executive orders in the strongest possible terms and remain dedicated to supporting refugees and immigrants in our communities.
- Defending DACA and Keeping Families Together: I have taken strong action to defend DREAMers and other immigrant youth. I am a cosponsor of the DREAM Act, and an original cosponsor of the American Hope Act, in support of providing a path to citizenship for DACA recipients and other immigrant youth, who were brought here as children by no fault of their own. I also sent a letter to the president along with other members of the Washington delegation, urging the President to work with Congress to pass legislation to protect DREAMers. I cosigned a letter to then-Secretary Kelly, condemning his suggestion that border agents may separate children from their families when attempting to cross the border. I am committed to supporting immigrant youth and keeping families together.
- Ensuring an Accessible Justice System: I am an original cosponsor of the Access to Counsel Act, which would make certain that those held or detained while attempting to enter the United States are guaranteed access to legal counsel. Under current US law, there is no right to appointed counsel in immigration removal proceedings. 70% of families with no representation are deported. This bill would ensure access to counsel for noncitizens and unaccompanied children who are detained at airports, ports-of-entry, and detention centers.
- Opposing discrimination against immigrants: Cosponsor of the Freedom of Religion Act, which would prohibit travelers, refugees, and immigrants from being denied entry to the United States based off their religion or lack of religious beliefs.
- Supporting sanctuary cities and local immigration policies: I am an original cosponsor of the Safeguarding Sanctuary Cities Act. This legislation would ensure that any state or local authority cannot lose federal grant funding if it limits or restricts compliance with an immigration detainer request. Seattle is at risk for having federal funds cut as a self-identified "sanctuary city." Stripping sanctuary cities of funding for not complying with certain federal immigration laws is unconstitutional and would only harm our communities.
The immigration system in the United States is broken and needs to be reformed. I am dedicated to fixing the system. Allowing for immigrants to become productive members of our society will only strengthen our communities, our economy, and our country's future.
For more information on this issue, sign up to receive Congressman Smith's email updates.
More on Immigration Reform
July 2022
|Rep. Smith, Washington Delegation Members Advocate for Pathway to Health Coverage for Uninsured Washingtonians
June 2022
|Reps. Smith and Roybal-Allard Introduce Legislation to Help Immigrants Enter the Health Care Workforce
May 2022
|Rep. Smith Statement on Federal Court Blocking the End of Title 42
November 2021
|Rep. Smith Statement on the Passage of the Build Back Better Act
|Rep. Smith Statement on the Passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the Build Back Better Act Rule
August 2021
|Rep. Smith Votes in Support of the Budget Resolution to Start Negotiations to Enact the Build Back Better Proposal
July 2021
|Smith Praises Passage of H.R. 3985 the Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs (ALLIES) Act
June 2021
|Rep. Smith Secures Funding for World Relief Seattle's Teaching & Commercial Kitchen
May 2021
|Rep. Smith Statement on the President's Budget
April 2021
|Rep. Smith Submits Community Project Funding Request for Entrepreneurship Incubation Hub: Teaching & Commercial Kitchen for Refugee & Immigrant Community


text:
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Jeremy Suited Up For Phili
32 comments:
Law hasn't stayed in front of his man once.ReplyDelete
Do you think he can do it, at least once, in the 10 - 15 minutes Dumbo gives him?
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
And again, Law gets beat by Williams, easily, and forces Biedrens to foul for Law's inability to stay in front of his man at NBA level.ReplyDelete
Latvia is calling!
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2011 at 3:56 PM
i like how jeff adrien got called up from d-league and never played a game thanks to Smart. Thorton just got signed and he is playing already.ReplyDelete
LOL, Radmanovic has already done what Law can't do, actually stay in front of Lou Williams.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2011 at 4:09 PM
Jeremy is the only bench player that hasn't gone in the game yet...hmmm i wonder whyReplyDelete
Thorton had a good Q2, but never got into the game again... "Smart" signature moveReplyDelete
Lin suited up for the game but did not play one minute again. Meanwhile Acie Law ends up with a -16 +/-. What does that say ?ReplyDelete
Law makes Louis Williams look like an All-Star. But who cares, he scored 7 points .... that's all coach Smart is looking for ..... bench scoring.
Law actually played pretty well in second half.ReplyDelete
However, he was basically responsible for the huge deficit Warriors gave up in first half (he was -14 in about 5 minutes of playing time, and Louis Williams was blowing by him at will).
IIRC, Warriors were down by 1 when Law entered the game, so they must have been down by 15 when he left 5 minutes later.
don't care. anyone can do well every once in 10 games. doesn't mean anything. problem is, he gets too many chances when he obviously has no upside. same thing goes with smart. his coaching has been horrible. if he wins the next game, some people would say he is "getting it now" or whatever. no, they suck and always will be no matter what. some may say i'm being biased here. but this is being realistic. lin has been playing very well but people are going to watch carefully at his mistakes. it's ridiculous.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2011 at 8:06 PM
Why do people keep thinking that the key to the Warriors success is to have better scorers off the bench (which I'm assumming is why they got Thornton)? The Warriors are 7th in the NBA in scoring, and 28th (3rd to last) in points allowed. It shouldn't be hard to figure out that the Warriors need to improve their defense first and foremost.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2011 at 8:07 PM
Agreed. If you put any player under a microscope, even an all-star, you'll find tons of mistakes they make every game: couldn't get through a pick, their man blows by them, made a bad pass, missed a crucial free throw down the stretch, etc.ReplyDelete
Monta had 6 turnovers today, only 2 assists, missed 5/7 3 ptrs, and a -11 +/-. But media and most fans will just look at his 27 points and say he had a great game.
"Warriors coach Keith Smart was heard screaming at his team in the locker room." - from AP game recap
While some of the blame belongs to the players, a lot of it is on the coach too, for his coaching, game planning, rotations, etc.
"Meanwhile Acie Law ends up with a -16 +/-."
That's pretty impressive to do in 18 mins. That will drop his team worst +/- even more.
instead of posting here... many of you who have made unbiased and substantial points should email Joe Lacob, i doubt he will ever read it or see it, but if enough emails gets piled up about how frustrated fans are with acie law and keith smart... there might be a chance he will step in and do something... who knows? (chances are, nothing will change until next season)ReplyDelete
key arguments could be... law's team worst +/-... his lack of "upside"... his flawed defense... he probably won't be back with the team next year, why not see what you have with Lin... etc etc etc
NOTICE *** For those in the Bay Area: Can someone please bring a sign to the game that says, "Fire Smart, and Bring in the Musselmen!" or something to that nature? :) That would be awesome to see if they show it on TV. :)ReplyDelete
Just reading the comments above, I take that Dumbo screwed things over again tonight. No amount of screaming or weeping at the team is going to change the fact that he STINKS as a NBA coach. How frustrating for JLin and the Warriors...goodness gracious! Just tell us the good news when he is gone.
Go JLin.
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2011 at 10:07 PM
At this point, I would rather see Jeremy Lin go to another team.ReplyDelete
the problem is lacob likes lin so he won't be going anywhere. and lacob can't fire dumbo until the end of the season or else it would look bad. he doesn't want to risk alienating potential coaches/players. there's no point emailing lacob either, he knows stats and lin more than any of us here. just wait til next season. expect monta and smart to be gone and law to either get limited minutes or waived. rowell and riley may still be around though, but it won't be a problem because by next season, lacob will be pulling their strings.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2011 at 11:31 PM
Lacob will only be pulling his strings if there is a season. Lacob did say he will most likely pick up Lin's contract. And I don't think Lin minds too much about sitting on the bench, at least he hasn't voiced his opinion. He's getting paid. I just hope that he is developing with the team somehow. Would love to see Lin and Adrian play though. I am glad Smart finally got Lou back into the mix. Now if he can eliminate Law, I would be happy with how he is running things for at least this season.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 7, 2011 at 12:35 AM
from the boston game...ReplyDelete
There was a Harvard group at TD Garden on Friday night, hoping to see inactive Warriors rookie guard Jeremy Lin play. "I remember my first game back in New Orleans," coach Smart said. "A lot of people paid to watch me sit on the bench."
heh, sounds a lil like smart tryna make jeremy suffer in the same way he did. unfair + uncool
- AnonymousMarch 7, 2011 at 12:51 AM
don't worry, smart won't be suffering after this season's over.ReplyDelete
Again,he was the only one to be placed on the DNP list.This marks the end of JLin's career in the NBA soon or later without any doubts.ReplyDelete
Expect big changes for the GSWs. Lacob considered trading ball hogs Curry and Ellis. I think he wants a center. How about Ellis and Curry for LA's Andrew Bynum?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 7, 2011 at 10:28 AM
The warriors don't need to trade Ellis and Curry, they are providing the offense. What they need is to let JLin play to provide the defense and transitions they need. Look at the stats against the Philli team.ReplyDelete
GSW 39 RB vs 76ers 53, GSW 19 Assists vs 76ers 32, 9 steals vs 14 steals. See the point?
Look at Acie Law's stats - 17:38mins, 3-8fg, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 PF, 1 BA but NO TO, -16.
The stats might not show for JLin but watch him play and you'll see the score change very quickly but with Law its either stay the same or lose even more. I'm just saying.
But at this point, I just want to see GSW drop below the Clippers so Smart will be gone.
- AnonymousMarch 7, 2011 at 7:06 PM
It is simply not accurate to say that the +/- stat favors Jeremy Lin. The +/- stat is not really conceived as a single-player stat. It is more meaningful as a multi-player stat. For full reference, please refer to the nba.com pages for the autotrader.com +/- stat. (quote: "The AutoTrader.com +/- stat shows the power of teamwork. It's a way of showing the best-engineered/best combination of players on the court)ReplyDelete
As a team stat, it shows the following:
* radmanovic/wright/ellis/curry/lee have the best warriors +/- at +48
* the best Acie Law combo is radmanovic/lee/ ellis/admunsen/law at +11
* the best Lin combos are lee/carney/wright/curry/lin at +9 and radmanovic/ellis/williams/udoh/lin at +8
Thus, any analysis of Law versus Lin +/- really has no basis to support Lin.
- AnonymousMarch 7, 2011 at 9:53 PM
Thanks to reality-now for the link. It was very informative, although I confess I'm not a "stat man," there were some interesting points:ReplyDelete
1) Acie's +11 group has a +/- per minute of 1.271
2) Lin's + 9 group has a +/- per minute of 2.368
3) Actually the best group was Rad, Ellis, BWright, Udoh and Lin with a per minute average at 3.495
4) Probably none of the combinations above are statistically valid because they didn't occur very often.
5) As a single player stat, AutoTrader says Lin is 3rd best on the team and Law is 13th.
6) For 2 player combinations, Lin's best showing is 6th partnering with Udoh. In the 50 top two player combinations, Lin's name appears 10 times. Acie appears only once, at number 19, in the top 50 two player combinations. His partner? Jeremy Lin!
7) For 3 player combinations, the best +/- per minute average occurs when Rad, Udoh, and Lin are together, or Lin, Udoh and DWright.
8) For 4 player combinations, once again Lin is in the group with the best +/- per minute. Using reality-now's methodology, Lin would be rated higher than Law, but I'm willing to call the matter moot.
10) The site only analyzes the top 50 combinations. It would be interesting to see what the worst combinations are.
At any rate, anyone who wants to rate Acie Law over Lin is fine with me. The AutoTrader Site is very interesting. I recommend it to all. It gives a good idea of how reality-now's mind works.
- AnonymousMarch 7, 2011 at 10:02 PM
You are absolutely right. The +/- is best read as a team stat, and the autotrader.com section is a great link.
However, you are like the anti-realdsb. You try to pick the configuration of stats that are not favorable to Lin.
Using a straight highest +/- for a combo is like comparing starters to bench players by total points scored. That is, the more minutes you get usually means the more points you get (unless your name is Andris Biedrins). So the top combo is +48 but they also have, by far, the highest # of minutes together at 131.
Now if you took the +/- per minute to normalize it, that group drops to 3rd to the bottom (out of the top 25) at 0.364. Whereas, guess whose group jumps to the top? Lin/Curry/Carney/BWright/Lee at 2.6!!!
Now of course, this group only had 3+ minutes together so it isn't a very accurate picture. But if you drop it to a 3-man group, who is at the top again? Lin/Udoh/Rad at 0.884 with 31 minutes and Lin/Udoh/Wright at 1.002 with 12 minutes.
I still think the sample size is a little small. But it is certainly an indicator of effectiveness. And from watching Lin's last few appearances, I am not that surprised.
- AnonymousMarch 8, 2011 at 12:36 AM
That was hilarious to watch reality-now try to use a "total" stat to force a conclusion rather than a "rate" (per game, per min, etc).ReplyDelete
He thinks Karl Malone was a better scorer than Jordan since Malone had more total points in their careers. He thinks Don Nelson's the greatest coach of all time because he has the most wins.
Usually I give him a "nice try", but I can't this time. Utter fail.
- AnonymousMarch 8, 2011 at 3:25 AM
What can be simpler in name than 'the +/- stat'? It is a single number and nothing more. It has been used in this site repeatedly as a single number to hound Acie Law and favor Lin. But now that I have disarmed any such arguments, it turns out that we need to look at this stat 'as a rate'. Completely laughable.ReplyDelete
Reality-Now - try to keep some dignity... I actually like your posts as a counter-point to the fandom (myself included). Sometimes it's just better to call it a day on a losing argument and come up with something fresh.ReplyDelete
lmao! since when has reality-now ever made a valid point? "counter-point to the fandom".. really? some of you guys give trolls like reality-now way too much credit and the fans here too little. you act like fans here are totally biased. and when this reality-now character (or any other new name) comes around throwing out some random negative bs about lin then it makes them some kind of savior from the fandom. sheesh. i've never seen a site where trolling is so easy and effective. gullible people. well, you may be happy to hear that i won't be visiting this place anymore. tired of supporting lin against trolls AND his own fans. hopefully lin gains the respect he deserves and get some playing time but i seriously doubt it so it's a good time to take a break from it all. good luck to JLinfan#1 and this site. thanks for supporting lin. and keep it real, real-dsb. the rest of you can suck my **** lolReplyDelete
I am not a troll anonymous. I have been posting as Steve and SKL since the very beginning of the season rather than anonymously. I've watched Jeremy live and even drove up to Reno to catch him and I live in NY. I am a fan but don't need everyone to tell me all the time how much he/she agrees with me. I visit this blog all the time given the paucity of news and actual appearance by Jeremy during recent games.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 8, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Don't waste your breath with anon. He has a little growing up to do. And even though he claims he won't be visiting here anymore, I think we all know that isn't a promise. Ha ha.
I think it is awesome you drove up to Reno to catch one of his games. I wish I had had the time to do so. Inexpensive seats and a lot of playing time for Lin. Win-win.
- AnonymousMarch 8, 2011 at 8:52 PM
LOL, Anon is just a passionate and emotional fan. A few weeks ago, after Lin was inactive, he swore off watching the Warriors for the rest of the season. The next game, he was back on the forum commenting about the game. See you soon, anon! =)ReplyDelete


text:
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Curt Schilling sits calmly in Champions Stadium as the lightning flashes and the thunder rumbles around him. The Mass Drifters, the Massachusetts state champion girls' under-16 fast-pitch softball team that he coaches, are facing elimination in a USSSA World Series II tournament game when the rains came. But that's the least of his problems.
His wife, Shonda, still worries about the stress caused by the failure of his 38 Studios venture.
"I don't know how somebody would not kill himself, honestly, over what he has had to endure," she says.
The Schillings say they have lost almost everything. Even the bloody sock the former Red Sox pitcher wore in the 2004 postseason has been sold.
It's not worth having a heart attack over, a visitor tells him.
"Uh, I already did, actually," says Schilling. "Yeah, I did, a couple of years ago. Nobody knows that, actually."
A mild one?
"It was a decent one," he says. "It's not something . . ."
His voice trails off and his eyes dart around Champions Stadium.
"I had one, and it was dealt with."
Schilling's father died of a massive stroke right in front of him when he was just 21.
"Outside of, like, personal family — losing my dad — it was the most devastating thing I've ever gone through," he says, "and it's still something I'm trying to bounce back from.
"It was so hard, because I had pushed and pushed and pushed. I had 300 families [of company employees] I had to take care of, including my own, and it failed.
"And I've lost a lot in my life but I've never failed at anything. I was going to [win] but I couldn't get it done."
Schilling, 46, later said that he wishes he hadn't mentioned the heart attack. He knows this will be news, and he is reluctant to go into details about it.
"I was in New York with my wife, who was running the New York Marathon," he said by cellphone while traveling. "I was watching it and I had chest pains.''
Shonda ran a 4:58:50 in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 6, 2011. Schilling says he waited for her to finish, despite the discomfort he was in.
"I didn't think it was anything serious," he says.
They flew back to Boston and went straight from Logan Airport to a Boston hospital, where doctors were waiting for him. No ambulance.
"Ya, as stupid as that was," Schilling wrote in a text message. "My doctor made it clear that I was very, very, lucky."
Surgery was performed the next day to insert a stent. The health scare, he says, changed his lifestyle.
"Oh yeah, in every way possible, it had to," he says, without going into detail.
He wouldn't totally blame the heart attack on stress related to 38 Studios — the video game company went bankrupt seven months later — but, he says, "I'm sure that was part of it."
Though Curt says, "It was an event and we dealt with it; I'm good," Shonda says there are still lingering issues.
"I still worry because he has to let the guilt go," she says. "You cannot be hit with that many things and not have it affect you, I don't care who it is."
Bitter feelings remain
In 2010, Rhode Island issued $75 million in bonds so that 38 Studios could relocate to Providence, create jobs, and produce state-of-the-art fantasy games. But the company declared bankruptcy in June 2012. Schilling lost nearly $50 million of his own money, 300 employees lost their jobs, and Rhode Island taxpayers lost an estimated $100 million.
"It was probably the first time he ever failed at anything," says Shonda. "I never saw him so beaten."
Shonda was never in favor of launching the company, either.
"I fought it, fought it, fought it, and then this happened," she says. "So he thinks I'm going to say, 'I told you so.'
"Had I not seen him the way he was, then I would've. To see somebody down that low, you can't kick him."
She says coaching softball has been his savior.
"This is a great distraction for him," she says. "It has given him purpose."
But even as Schilling sits in the stands and watches the rumbling skies, sadness seeps into his voice when the subject of 38 Studios is broached.
"It's still raw for me," he says. "It's a tough thing to talk about. There was so much it could've been.
"I wanted to open up the Shonda Schilling ALS Research Clinic, the Grant Schilling Autism Camp, things that take tens of millions of dollars to do. That was my shot at doing that, and it didn't work out.
"But ultimately, it's on me. I was the guy. At the end of the day, it failed because I failed to raise outside capital."
According to Schilling, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee did "absolutely nothing" to prevent 38 Studios from closing.
"We had a local investor who was going to pony up the money — he wanted us to do some things — and Chafee just waited us out," says Schilling.
Chafee has said that he did not want to put good money after bad. But Schilling says the state, as the second-largest investor after himself, had a responsibility to help the venture succeed.
"Name one thing he actually did," he says. "Ask him that."
Faye Zuckerman, Chafee's deputy press secretary, said in a telephone interview, "Due to the pending litigation, Governor Chafee is unable to provide comment."
Schilling knows that people don't want to hear him whine.
"The last thing a citizen of Rhode Island wants to hear is a [expletive] millionaire ballplayer blaming the state," he says.
Schilling, who is now an analyst for ESPN, and who has raised millions for ALS research, is not trying to resurrect his image, either.
"The people that hate me, there's nothing I can say or do to get them to like me," he says. "I've never stolen. I've never hit my wife. I've never driven drunk. I've never taken steroids. I've never done cocaine. I've never beat my wife, beat my kids.
"I've never done any of the stuff that a lot of people are all about getting second chances for.
"I've made a ton of mistakes — a ton of mistakes — but none of them have ever been malicious, mean-spirited, or angry in an effort to ruin somebody.
"That doesn't mean I'm perfect. Far from it. I've got a big mouth and I don't know when to shut up and I'll give you my opinion on anything. But I know I'm not a bad dude."
Coach Curt
Earlier this month, Schilling was inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies' Wall of Fame, honored by a team he won 101 games for and helped lead to the 1993 World Series. But he says he would rather have been with his girls, coaching softball.
"'Cause I love this," he says. "I have a huge advantage. I've already been famous. These girls, no matter what they win, will never make me famous. I want these girls to go to college, to get an education paid for, and they can. And I can make them better doing that."
The other coaches, the girls, and the parents love Coach Curt.
"He is a great guy who has really taught our daughters a lot on the field," writes Kelly Johnson, a parent, in an e-mail. "But also, more importantly, a lot about life lessons off of the field, which at the end of the day is definitely really what matters most."
Schilling has had to retool his tough guy image, because there is crying in girls' softball.
"The challenge for me is that they are a lot more emotional," he says.
But there are pluses as well.
"Girls are easier to coach," he says. "They do exactly what you ask them to do."
But right now at Walt Disney World, there is trouble brewing. The Mass Drifters are in the losers' bracket of the World Series — lose and they go home.
Coach Curt has seen worse jams. In 2004, he beat the Yankees and then the Cardinals with blood oozing from his surgically repaired ankle to help end an 86-year-old Boston curse. He was a hero, paraded around the Magic Kingdom in a shiny red convertible with Mickey Mouse.
This time is different. Here, there are no crowds, only devoted parents watching their girls play.
At first glance, Schilling is just another soft-bellied coach, lugging a camouflage backpack and equipment bags on the steamy back fields behind the baseball stadium.
In the previous day's loss, the team was listless. Schilling, in his second year coaching, says they looked like 11 players who wanted to be in 11 different dugouts.
"They played like dog [expletive]," he says. "And they knew it."
So he called a team meeting. This would be the polar opposite of the famous "why not us?" mantra he preached during the Red Sox' 2004 championship season.
"I said, 'Here's what's going to happen. I will forfeit tomorrow's game and you will go home. You're not going to put this uniform on and go out there with what I saw today.' And it had nothing to do with making errors. It was the attitude and the effort. So they sat down there for a good hour and talked amongst themselves."
His daughter, Gabriella Schilling, plays first base. Last year, she threw her arm out of its socket while pitching, requiring reconstructive shoulder surgery. Stubborn as her father and wearing his No. 38, she fought with him to get back into the lineup.
Before the rains, the Drifters rallied to go ahead in their last at-bat on a double by Georgia Lapierre, a rail-thin freshman catcher from Attleborough, Mass. In the bottom half of the inning, Gabby Schilling made a bullet throw home to end the game in a cloud of dust.
"I was unbelievably proud,'' says her father. "This kicks the [expletive] out of anything I did playing baseball.''
Better than the bloody sock game?
"Well, it's different," says Schilling. "This is harder, way harder, because I don't have any control over this."
Making him proud
It bothered Schilling to auction off the bloody sock, which fetched $92,612.50 in February.
"All that stuff bothered me," he says. "I sold all that stuff to pay the banks back for the note, instead of filing bankruptcy and keeping it all, I sold it all. It sucks.''
But none of that matters now. When the Drifters switch fields and promptly make six errors in the first inning to fall behind, 5-0, Coach Curt does not scream at them, he chirps encouragement. Schilling tells the girls there are zero players in Cooperstown who never made an error.
"Grind it out," he orders.
The Drifters battle back and tie the score. At one point, Schilling sees something and moves his left fielder back eight steps — perfect position to catch the ensuing line drive.
"Almost looks like he knows what he's doing," says assistant coach Dan Zucco, laughing. "He has one of those every game or two."
Another time, Schilling predicts a two-run home run by sweet-swinging Maddy Barone of Taunton, Mass. Then came the thunder, the lightning, and the rain.
After a one-hour delay, the Drifters move to another field that has lights and resume play. Schilling takes a pinch of Skoal and asks for somebody to "be a hero."
The Drifters score three times for an 8-5 victory. After the last out, Schilling shuts his ever-present notebook and fist-bumps all the girls.
He addresses the troops.
"As mad and as angry and disappointed as I was yesterday, I am equal parts incredibly proud of what I just watched," he says. "We went from being some team looking at going home to this.
"You guys dug yourself out. I'm not going to lie, I didn't know that you'd be able to dig your way out of it. Un-be-lievably proud of every one of you.
"You played a phenomenal game after the first inning. A phenomenal game, and you earned every ounce of that win. Incredibly proud of you guys! We got our path for us tomorrow, 8 a.m. game. What do you guys want to wear? Whites? OK, get 'em washed. Be here at 7, OK? Get your rest.''
Then he wraps his big right arm around his daughter's head, gives her a soft kiss on the forehead, and heads toward the Magic Kingdom, head high, a hero again. At least for a day.
Stan Grossfeld can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The following is what we recommend for most patients after weight-loss surgery. Make sure to talk to your doctor about your individual nutritional needs.
Taking chewable or liquid forms of supplements can help prevent stomach discomfort.
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Photos: Freeway "Diamond In The Ruff" Listening Party @ Chung King Studios, NYC
10 years ago 3,749,427
iHipHop was granted exclusive access to the listening party for Freeway's upcoming album, Diamond In The Ruff, held at Chung King Studios in New York City. Special guests included Neef Buck, It's The Real, Iman Shumpert, and Rasheed Wallace of the New York Knicks. Photos by Lucas Farrar/Far Fetched Future.


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A 10-month-old baby has died from injuries received from apparent head trauma, police said Thursday, after arresting a 26-year-old Colton man now accused of murder and assault on the child .
The baby — who police identified only as John Doe — died Wednesday at Loma Linda University Medical Center, police said.
On Thursday, Colton police arrested Manuel Anthony Madrid, 26, of Colton on suspicion of murder and of causing an assault on a child with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death, said Colton Police Det. Robert Wilson.
Police were called to an apartment on Tuesday in the 2100 block of North Rancho Avenue for a baby not breathing.
The baby was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Police later learned that the child had suffered possible head trauma.
They also later found that Madrid had been caring for the baby at the time of the incident on Tuesday.
"I can tell you the child had been in this person's care for quite a while — more than a day …." Wilson said.
Madrid was being held with no bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. He's scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Wilson asked that if anyone had any more information about the incident that they call the Colton Police Department and ask for him: 909-370-5021.


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On Tuesday, Kaspersky Lab launched its 2014 versions of Kaspersky Anti-Virus ($59.95) and Kaspersky Internet Security ($79.95). Pricing varies upon the length of protection and how many PCs you want to protect; those listed here include one year for up to three PCs. If you're a current customer you may upgrade from the 2013 products free of charge.
The look and feel of the software hasn't changed much since last year, but there are, of course, a few new features and improvements.
The new Trusted Applications mode improves the blocking of malicious files and programs. It adapts the Default Deny approach that is more commonly seen in corporate security solutions. When enabled, the Trusted Applications mode will deny the opening or running of programs and files not 'whitelisted,' or trusted.
The Trusted Applications mode can be used in conjunction with the traditional antivirus, which works in the opposite fashion: It allows all content except if specifically detected as malicious. Although you can customize the Trusted Applications settings, like selectively blocking or allowing a file or program, it's been designed to be as automated as possible, using the Kaspersky whitelists and other technologies to automatically allow known, safe content.
If ransomware takes your PC hostage, the new rescue feature could thwart the plot. It allows you to enter a key combination to initiate removal of malware even when the PC is locked down by ransomware.
The online protection feature called Safe Money was added in the previous release to secure your online logins from hackers or malware trying to steal your login credentials. In the 2014 version, it now includes support for more Web browsers, and the list of trusted banking, stores, and payment sites has grown.
The Parental Control feature has added the ability to set exact times when children can use the PC and which applications they can run. It even allows you to specify what kinds of information—such as credit card numbers and home addresses—are blocked from sharing on social networks.


text: You've come to your choice that getting a company or offering your business is the way that you might want for taking. The most effective piece of advice, even though biased, I can offer would be to preserve the services of a company agent or organization move consultant. Even though enterprise agents usually operate on… Continue reading Why Should I Use A Business Broker?


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Time period displayed is 1 hour of lightning activity for the region, delayed by 2 hours.
All times are in Central European Time (CET). This display is updated every 15 minutes.
= Positive Lightning = Negative Lightning
|Euclid detects a significant amount of lightning in an area not detected by human senses. But Euclid cannot guarantee that all lightning is detected and communicated to its subscribers. Therefore, Euclid MAKES NO WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES AS TO MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE.


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Membership: Bombshell, Knickknack, Oddball (Orville Bock), Ringleader, Tenpin;
auditioning for membership Throwdown;
formerly Crossfire (William Cross), Oddball (Elton Healey)
Purpose: To act as criminals for hire
Affiliations: AIM, Batroc the Leaper, Bobcat, Brothers Grimm, Bullet Biker, Crossfire, Doctor Sax, Johnny Guitar, Mad Dog, RAID, Ramrod, Razor-Fist (Douglas Scott), Steinmetz, Sumo,
Enemies: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Falcon (Sam Wilson), Diamondback (Rachel Leighton), Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Loki, Mockingbird (Bobbi Morse), Sabra, Shang-Chi, Trick Shot, Union Jack (Joey Chapman)
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#3 (February, 1986)
(Captain America I#317 (fb) - BTS) - Oddball and Bombshell decided to join a team of evil jugglers, each specializing in a particular weapon. Oddball continued wielding his arsenal of deadly balls; Bombshell focused on juggling lit bombs and explosive devices; Knickknack took to juggling blades, chainsaws, and bricks; Tenpin, Oddball's brother, juggled burning bowling pins; and Ringleader, who called himself the leader of the group, juggled razor sharp rings. Calling themselves the Death-Throws, the deadly jugglers started taking contracts out for various kills and assignments. Oddball heard from Crossfire that he would pay the team handsomely if they rescued him from the police before the trial.
(Captain America I#317) - The Death-Throws waited for Crossfire, who was being escorted into the courthouse by the police. They threw gas bombs at the crowd and hit the cops with tossed weapons, Knickknack wielding a pipe. As the crowd choked, the jugglers donned gas masks and gave one to Crossfire, easily escaping with him and blowing up a cop car on their way out. When they arrived back at their warehouse headquarters, the Death-Throws realized that Crossfire couldn't pay them Furious, they made Crossfire stand in the middle of them as they juggled and tossed deadly devices at each other, which would have killed him if he moved. They decided to use him as bait for Hawkeye, who they figured they could auction off to the Avengers. The Death-Throws set traps at an abandoned railroad station and sent a message to Hawkeye through Captain America's hotline. Hawkeye soon entered with Captain America's shield and they nearly trapped him under a steel mesh net, but Captain America entered and fired flare arrows, lighting the room up and giving Hawkeye time to escape. The Death-Throws attacked, throwing their various weapons. Bombshell was taken down by an arrow from Hawkeye while Captain America charged Tenpin, knocking him out. Knickknack caught Captain America's shield and they tossed it around, then he severed Hawkeye's bow with a thrown blade as Captain America punched out Ringleader. The last standing juggler, Knickknack hit Hawkeye with the shield, then tried to escape, but Mockingbird arrived and stopped him. Oddball, who'd been trapped under adhesives, confessed their crimes to Hawkeye.
(Avengers Spotlight#25 (fb) - BTS) - Crossfire hired several villains, including Bobcat, the Brothers Grimm, the Bullet Biker, Mad Dog, Razor-Fist, and the Death-Throws, offering a bounty if they brought him the severed arm of Hawkeye.
(Avengers Spotlight#23) - Hawkeye, wounded and running from other opponents, was attacked by the Death-Throws, who surrounded him, each juggling their deadly arsenal. Oddball hit Hawkeye in the ribs with a ball just before the hero climbed quickly up a telephone pole to escape. He shot an arrow at one of Bombshell's bombs and escaped in the subsequent explosion.
(Avengers Spotlight#24) - Hawkeye was joined by Trickshot, who fired an arrow and narrowly saved Hawkeye from one of Knickknack's thrown cleavers. Knickknack was shocked when Trickshot fired several arrows that grazed his clothing and pinned him to the wall. The Death-Throws soon joined Crossfire and the others in surrounding Hawkeye in the sewer.
(Avengers Spotlight#25) - Crossfire ordered Hawkeye's arm severed. As the villains moved in, Mockingbird and Trickshot joined Hawkeye, and they fought the villains off, disarming the Death-Throws with their arrows and staves while Hawkeye kept dodging their tossed weapons. In minutes, all the villains were defeated.
(Captain America I#411) - The Death-Throws traveled to the AIM Weapons Expo on Boca Caliente. Later, they watched, alongside dozens of other criminals, a bout between "Crossbones" and Mad Dog, Ramrod and Sumo.
(Captain America I#412-414) - The fight continued against Razor-Fist (Douglas Scott) and Batroc the Leaper before Captain America was exposed. The villains rushed to attack, but were fought off by Captain America and his allies, Falcon, Shang-Chi, and Diamondback (Rachel Leighton).
(Avengers: The Initiative#27 (fb)) - Knickknack and Ringleader were approached by Dr. Sax and Johnny Guitar, who wanted to join the team, but they were turned down as they didn't juggle.
(Union Jack II#1) - RAID hired the Death-Throws (Bombshell, Knickknack, a new Oddball (Orville Bock), Ringleader, Tenpin), who were now being led by Crossfire, to engage in terrorist attacks on London.
(Union Jack II#2) - While attacking the Tower Bridge, the Death-Throws were hit by Sabra, who quickly nailed Tenpin. Sabra stayed out of Crossfire's mind control range, though he nearly grazed her with a bullet. Knickknack and Ringleader were prepared to attack her, but Union Jack drove a flying car into them, knocking them into the river. Bombshell, back to using lit bombs, hit Union Jack with an exploding bomb, but he jumped on the flying Sabra's back. They easily defeated Oddball and Crossfire with punches, then convinced Bombshell to surrender her back of bombs.
(Dark Reign Files) - Quasimodo researched the Death-Throws for Norman Osborn.
(Loki: Agent of Asgard#8) - Ringleader led the Death-Throws, introduced by their audutioning member Throwdown, into a heist at the Big Top Casino in Las Vegas. Their heist was thwarted by Loki when he hit a knockout gas ball tossed by Oddball back at them, leaving the Death-Throws behind unconscious for the authorities to pick up.
Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary, and Dennis Janke.
The Death-Throws received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#3.
Profile by Chadman.
Death-Throws has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
Captain America I#317, p8, pan1 (main image)
Captain America I#317 (May, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (penciler), Dennis Janke (inker), Mike Carlin (editor)
Avengers Spotlight#23-24 (October-November, 1989) - Howard Mackie (writer), Al Milgrom (penciler), Don Heck (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Avengers Spotlight#25 (December, 1989) - Howard Mackie (writer), Allen Milgrom (penciler), Tom Morgan (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#411-413 (January-March, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Captain America I#414 (April, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins, MC Wyman (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Union Jack II#1-2 (November-December, 2006) - Christos N. Gage (writer), Mike Perkins (penciler), Andrew Hennessy (inker), Andy Schmidt (editor)
Dark Reign Files (February, 2009) - Michael Hoskin & various others (writer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Avengers: The Initiative#27 (October, 2009) - Christos Gage (writer), Rafa Sandoval (penciler), Roger Bonet (inker), Jeannine Schaefer (editor)
Loki: Agent of Asgard#8 (January, 2015) - Al Ewing (writer), Lee Garbett (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Last updated: 06/14/16.
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
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Place Category: Parks and Playgrounds
Broad Channel Park is located on the Cross Bay Parkway between the Broad Channel waterway and 20th Road. The park lies within the neighborhood of Broad Channel, the only island community in Jamaica Bay. The neighborhood stands on Big Egg Marsh, an island approximately 20 blocks long and 4 blocks wide. Prior to European settlement, the Jameco and Canarsie Native Americans frequented this area. During the 1600s, Dutch settlers established a community on the island and began harvesting oysters, clams, shrimp, and fish. Broad Channel remained a parcel within the Town of Jamaica until the consolidation of New York City in 1898.
In 1915, the City leased the island to the Broad Channel Corporation, which in turn leased properties to private individuals for the development of summer bungalows and houses. The island prospered as an exclusive retreat for city residents. After the construction of the Cross Bay Boulevard in 1923, Broad Channel underwent a surge in popularity. Following the construction of the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge in 1939, the island became easily accessible by car. That same year, the Broad Channel Corporation declared bankruptcy. The City acquired the island's property titles, but for many years denied residents the right to purchase the land under their houses. The City made many attempts to alter the island's purpose, but the local community resisted them all. Proposed changes included the construction of a commercial port and the extension of John F. Kennedy International Airport. In 1982, New York City granted Broad Channel residents the right to purchase their property. Broad Channel has two churches, a volunteer fire department, two elementary schools, a public library, and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
Broad Channel Park resides in the splendor of Jamaica Bay, an 18,000-acre wetland estuary bordered by the Rockaway Peninsula to the South, Brooklyn to the West, and Queens to the East. The bay has a total area nearly equal to that of Manhattan, and contains numerous islands separated by a labyrinth of waterways. The region also supports meadowlands and two freshwater ponds. The wetlands of Jamaica Bay are protected from the harsh environment of the Atlantic Ocean by the Rockaway Peninsula, and provide a unique environment for both wildlife and urban recreation. The region is host to more than 325 species of birds, 50 species of butterflies, and 100 species of fin-bearing fish. A favorite stop for migratory waterfowl, the area is an integral part of the larger regional ecosystem. Jamaica Bay is one of New York City's most extraordinary natural resources, and remains undeveloped by virtue of federal, state, and City legislative and legal protection.
Originally, the Yeshiva of Flatbush operated the Broad Channel Day Camp on this property. In August 1994, the Department of Real Property assigned 17.337 acres to Parks. In 1995, the City Parks Foundation provided a $15,000 grant that purchased backstops, lumber for benches, and clay for the park's ball fields. Volunteers from the Broad Channel Athletic Club assisted with the rehabilitation. The park opened in May 1995, and now features two grass baseball fields, one asphalt baseball field, benches, water fountains, a parking area, four basketball standards, a roller hockey rink, and a small play area. One of the park's most unique features is the flagpole area, which is surrounded by a nautically themed sitting area. The Department of General Services assigned Parks an additional parcel of 0.092 acres in January 1997. Commissioner Stern gave the park its present name in March 1998.
- Broad Channel Park
New York
United States
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For the girl who can't remember what her name is, oh na, na, it's time to move on from brawling exes and clubbing boyfriends. RiRi, the world is your vinoyster. Time to focus mononymous one. I'm serious. You are growing up so fast. Time to start shedding those disparaging nicknames like the sevenhead songstress. Fine wine will help you mature as a person and an artist. I'm talking to you too, Drake.
I'm not suggesting investing time and research into Bordeaux Futures (Château Latour, not) or Burgundy of a DRC level. Champagne may be what all the other Limo-riding rappers are putting back (note Cristal), but Old World, European, crustaceaous-friendly white wine is what you need. I know you both put back plenty of raw bar material. An indisputable case purchase in Greco di Tufo from Campania in Southwestern Italy is the ticket. A terrific match.
Terredora Loggia Della Serra Greco Di Tufo 2010 (983197, $17.95) gives up lime cordial and amaroidal, Angostura suspended in Campari on the rocks, jet setting in Terre Cinque as much as in Campania. Firm body, bronzed, dewy complexion and scented, pigment-shy berries. Absolute IVR* from the June 23rd, VINTAGES release. 89
IVR* – Vintage Direct Intrigue-to-Value Ratio
Good to go!


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GOP tries to counter narrative
With time running out before the government closes for the first time since 1996, congressional Republicans are rallying around the same message: A shutdown won't be our fault.
It was preemptive damage control as the GOP tried to counter the narrative that the House essentially voted early Sunday to close the federal government when they amended a Senate-passed continuing resolution to include several Obamacare-related provisions.
Sen. Ted Cruz said it is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who is being obstructionist for refusing to advance the House legislation.
( Government shutdown full coverage)
"If we have a shutdown, it will be because Harry Reid holds that absolutist position and essentially holds the American people hostage," the Texas Republican said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "He says, 'I'm not willing to compromise, I'm not willing to even talk. His position is 100 percent of Obamacare must be funded in all instances. Other than that, he's going to shut the government down."
Cruz, who derided Obamacare in a floor speech that spanned more than 21 hours last week, declined to say whether he will try to halt any further progress on the CR as it heads back to the Senate.
The House amended the Senate-passed CR to include provisions that would delay the health care law for a year, repeal the medical device tax that helps fund Obamacare and postpone until 2015 the law's requirement that employers cover birth control as part of their health insurance packages.
( WATCH: Romney: There's a better way to stop Obamacare)
Before the House even voted, Reid made clear the Senate wouldn't pass a CR with anything that weakens the health care law. He's not even bringing the Senate back into session until Monday afternoon, less than 12 hours before a shutdown would begin.
The Senate is "playing games," Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) said on CNN's "State of the Union." "They need to come back."
As host Candy Crowley pressed her that the Senate and Obama have vowed not to undo Obamacare, McMorris Rodgers insisted that it's the upper chamber that needs to debate the health law in order to avert a shutdown.
( WATCH: Cruz: GOP 'scared' over shutdown)
"We're pushing the Senate to listen to the American people," she said.
President Barack Obama, meanwhile, said he'd veto the legislation in the unlikely event in cleared the Senate. That's prompted Republicans to renew their criticism of what they see as Obama's unwillingness to negotiate.
"We would love for him to sit down and say, 'Okay there are some problems with Obamacare,'" Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "We've been met with this attitude of no negotiation. Don't want to sit down. Don't want to talk about this. It's my way or the high way."
House Budget Committee ranking member Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) pushed back, explaining that Democrats have been trying to negotiate for months. He pointed to the Republican refusal to convene a conference to come to a compromise between the House and Senate passed budgets.
Instead, Van Hollen said, Republicans intentionally stalled budget negotiations so they could attach an attempt to defund Obamacare on a last-minute spending bill.
"Drive the country to the cliff and then say give us what we want," Van Hollen said.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said lawmakers do need to debate whether changes to the health care law are needed.
"But we shouldn't connect it to a government shutdown," Kaine said on "Fox News Sunday."
( PHOTOS: 17 times the government has shut down)
Democrats are portraying support for the House language as a vote for a shutdown. That message could carry huge political implications for Republicans. The GOP took the blame for the government shutdowns in the 1990s and polling suggests the same could happen now.
Republicans acknowledged as much, with Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador telling "Meet the Press": "I think everybody agrees that this is a loser for us."
"That's why I think the president and the Democrats want to shut down the government," Labrador said.
( QUIZ: How well do you know the news? Shutdown edition)
For weeks, Democrats have accused Republicans of "hostage taking" in order to attach Obamacare language to the CR. Mimicking that line of attack, Republicans argued it's actually the other way around.
"[Obama is] saying 100 percent of Obamacare or the highway," Sen. Rand Paul said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "The president's the one saying 'I will shut down government if you don't give me everything I want on Obamacare.' That, to me, is the president being intransigent and being unwilling to compromise."
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) gave no signs that his colleagues are anywhere near backing down from their pledge to gut Obamacare. If the Senate were to again return a so-called clean CR to the House, Republicans would take another stab at blocking the health care law, he said.
"We will pass a bill … that will keep the government open, that will reflect the House that I believe the Senate can accept," McCarthy said. It "will have fundamental changes into Obamacare that can protect the economy for America."
The Senate does seem poised to pass one measure that the House cleared early Sunday morning. The House unanimously passed a bill that would allow military personnel to continue in a shutdown.
Kaine said while Democrats are unhappy with parts of the provision, it's likely to pass easily.
"In all likelihood, we will," Kaine said. "We think it's insufficient – it doesn't cover [the Department of Veterans Affairs] and other important workers – but it is necessary and I don't suspect that it'll be too controversial."