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Tagged: Altanta Braves
Rain-Soaked PNC Park (5/22/2010)
At about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 22, 2010, Tim and I hopped in the car and started making our way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This would be our first over-night road trip of the season.
I was really looking forward to this trip. We'd been to PNC Park before. In fact, in September 2007, it was our first ever father-son over-night roadtrip (and Tim's first night ever away from home without mommy). But we'd never really explored the place. So that was part of the plan.
We had a blast chatting with each other and playing "I spy" and other driving games as we crossed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania…
A couple notes about those pictures:
- I always enjoy the drive across PA because there are several long tunnels through "mountains" (if you were on the west coast you'd call these "hills"…mountains have snow at the top).
- The rest stop in the bottom left had special parking spots for "low emitting fuel efficient vehicles" like my Prius. But when we returned to our car, we found a Hummer H3 parked next to us in the "green" parking spots. Weak, Hummer driver. Weak!
- Tim LOVED our hotel room, which we got for a great price on hotwire.com…our first time ever using it.
It rained a lot during the day. But we headed to the park early in hopes of seeing BP. On our way over to the "River walk" entrance in LCF field, we snapped some pictures of Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente…
…and the Roberto Clemente Bridge just behind the Clemente statue. I love all of the gold bridges crossing the river from downtown Pittsburgh to the North Shore.
When we arrived, the River walk was open…
…but the rest of the stadium was only open to season ticket holders. From the River walk, I could see the tarp covering the field. No BP. We killed time watching boats in the river and birds flying all around the River walk.
Half an hour later, we were behind home plate taking in this soggy afternoon view:
There were three Braves playing catch down the 1B line. Nothing else was going on in the stadium, so we headed over to watch them. One of the three Braves was Takashi Saito…
…with whom we would soon have a nice interaction. We'll get to that soon. First, Saito finished up playing catch and returned to the dugout.
Soon, Billy Wagner came out of the dugout and started signing autographs right by the OF end of the dugout. We were about 40-50 feet further toward RF.
At the time, Billy was sitting on 389 career saves, one behind Dennis Eckersley and number 6 on the all-time career saves leaderboard. After signing some autographs, he headed to RF to play catch. On his way by, I got him to take a picture with Tim…
…as you can tell by his big smile, Billy was really nice. He was very happy to meet Tim and pose for a picture. And he got a kick out of our Mariners shirts and hats. Tim was proud to announce that "We like the Mariners!"
After signing one of our tickets…
…Billy headed to RF to play catch.
Then, Takashi Saito came back out to RF to play catch again. Thanks to another MLBlogger (thanks, Nao), I know a few Japanese words, one of which is a polite way to say "excuse me." As Saito approached us, I told Tim to say "excuse me" in Japanese and, if Saito looked our way, to ask him for a baseball.
As Saito passed, Tim called out, "Sumimasen!" Saito quickly looked over with a surprised smile and Tim asked him for a baseball. As he continued to RF, Saito showed us the fronts and backs of both of his hands as to say "Sorry, I don't have one." No problem. It was pretty cool just having him react positively to Tim's tidbit of Japanese.
Saito then played catch with Kenshin Kawakami in RF as his interpreter watched them. When Saito and Kawakami finished playing catch, Saito headed back toward the dugout. On his way, he looked our way and then headed over to a teammate (Cristhian Martinez) who was stretching nearby and asked him for the baseball resting nearby in his glove.
When I saw this, I told Tim, "He's getting you a baseball!" It was awesome. Tim's request was going to work! Saito got the baseball and started walking over to us.
Then The Weirdest Thing Happened!
Out of nowhere, we hear someone on the field yell "HEY, SEATTLE!" I looked out to RF and saw that it was Billy Wagner. Billy held up a baseball and then fired a perfect strike to my chest right as Saito was approaching us with the other baseball!
I caught Wagner's baseball as Saito watched on. I yelled "Thanks!" to Billy and then showed the baseball to Saito. We smiled at each other and gave each other a mutual "wow, that was weird" expression and I thanked Saito for the gesture. He then headed back to the dugout with the baseball he'd grabbed from Martinez.
A few minutes later, Wagner headed back to the dugout and I asked if he would sign the baseball he'd given to Tim. He grabbed the ball and pen and knelt down next to Tim again and said, "I'll sign this baseball for you if you give me a big "GO BRAVES!"" Tim complied with a big "Go Braves!" Wagner laughed at Tim and declared, "You're too easy!"
He then explained to me how he was going to sign the ball (as in, where on the ball). I said, "do it however you want!", which was funny because 2 second later another guy handed him a baseball and said, "Can you sign it on the sweet spot?" (we're not very demanding with our autograph requests).
Anyway, here is a picture of Tim a few seconds after getting the ball from Wagner…
…and the final signed baseball (in the cube in which it now resides on Tim's dresser).
Hey, it was time to play some catch outselves!
None of the ushers said a word to us as we played catch in the field level seats. Cool.
Then, it was time to explore. I had an idea I'd been planning to do for a long time. Now was the time. It required us to walk to the LF upper deck. On the way there, I took this gloomy panorama over the visitors' dugout:
Note how the Pirates put a Braves logo on the visitors' dugout. Very thoughtful of the Pirates.
The plan was to take pictures (hundreds of pictures) while we circled the stadium and then to make a 360 degree stadium video from them. You can see the finished product in our last entry.
By the way, the time stamp on our first 360 degree picture was 5:27 p.m. and the last picure was taken at 6:30 p.m. So, subtracting the 15 minute telephone call I had with my wife right as we made it into the field level behind the 3B dugout, it took approximately 45 minutes to take the 700 photos used in the PNC360 video.
Here is a panorama from the spot where I took the first of the PNC360 photos:
My original plan was to go all the way around the upper deck. But I was aiming my camera at the (tarp covered) pitchers mound, which made it so the Pittsburgh skyline was cut out of the pictures. So I cut diagonal down through the LF foul upper deck seats. However, do to this, I needed to get into the Pittsburgh Baseball Club seats at the lower portion of the upper deck. This is a special club for which you need special tickets — we didn't have them.
Luckily, I did have a supercute kid. I tried to sweet talk our way into the club so we could go take pictures cutting diagonal through the seats. The lady working the door explained, "I wouldn't let you do this, but he is just so cute." So Tim's cuteness got us in. I took a couple pictures in there but it is so dark they didn't come out well. This is the best shot I got inside the club:
After passing through the club, we headed to the field level and took a hard-induced break. While I chatted with the wife on the phone, I took Tim's Garrett Jones give-away action figure out of its box and gave it to Tim.
To put it mildly, he loves that action figure…
…he named his Jones action figure "Ichiro." Ah, Tim is a good Mariners fan. Tim was still playing with "Ichiro" when we made it all the way around to the LF foul pole to finish up our PNC360 tour.
More rain…
Hour an a half rain delay…
Check out the concourse as we went to get nachos…
Everyone was hiding from the rain.
After nachos, it was time for ice cream helmets:
Tim couldn't look at me and smile for that picture because they were showing a bugs bunny baseball cartoon on the jumbo screen. By the way, the price and choices of real ice cream (or soft serve) at PNC Park were outstanding. The "Pirates Buried Treasure" ice cream was ridiculously good…and Tim loved his mint chocolate chip.
As we sat in our pre-game ice cream seats (section 119), I took this panorama:
And this one, which is simply zoomed in more:
After ice cream, it was time for some more exploring.
Here is the view from the concourse in LCF behind section 138:
Hey, look, its Tim in section 339…
….and here is a panorama from roughly the same spot in section 339:
By the way, these are the general admission seats in LF. There are a couple rows of "reserved" outfield seats in front of these seats. How about another panorama? This one is from between sections 337(left) and 336 (right):
Here is a panorama from the concourse behind section 137 as the grounds crew is in the process of removing the tarp:
It was still pre-game. Due to the rain delay, the game was going to start at 8:35 p.m. (twelve hours after we left home). Eventually, we asked an ushed to take our picture in the LF concourse:
When we spotted Jason Heyward warming up in RF, we headed over there:
And Tim held up this home made sign that Heyward never saw:
Eventually, the game started and Heyward hit a single in the first inning:
Soon we headed over to LF and got this random picture on the walk over there:
We watched most of the game from the standing area behind the LF reserve seating:
The ushers let Tim have free reign in the handicapped seating area behind section 137:
This was our view of the Pitts M&M's…
…and former short-time Mariner, Ronny Cedeno:
The Braves took the early lead in the second on a lead-off HR by Melky Cabera and an RBI ground out by Chipper Jones. Then they tacked on another run in the third on a homerun by Eric Hinske.
The Pirates came back with two of their own in the fourth on an RBI triple by Lastings Milledge and a sacrifice bunt by Cedeno.
We left the LF standing room area in about the 5th inning because a drunk Pirates fan was being excessively loud (in non-family friendly language) in his pointless taunting of a Braves fan (I'm not sure the Pirates have done enough to give their fans license to taunt…anyone).
Anyway, Tim wanted to explore the spiral ramp in LF and the upper deck. So we were off.
First, we checked out legacy square where Tim posed with some stars of the old Negro League:
Going clockwise from the upper right: "Judy" Johnson, "Cool Papa" Bell, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, "Buck" Leonard, and…oh, no, Judy Johnson again! Oops.
Anyway, if you are at PNC Park check out Legacy Square. Can see little grey terminals next to each statue? Those are little TV screens where you can run a program that will tell you about each of these men. Very cool, Pirates. Good job.
Then we were off to the upper deck. Here is a panorama from the spiral ramp:
Here's a random shot of the batters' eye and bullpen from the spiral ramp:
I like this shot from the top of the ramp because it shows various levels of the ballpark…
…the spiral ramp, the infield seats, and the left field reserve seating.
Here is a panorama from section 317 behind home plate..
…I wish I got that shot on a sunny day. Its a majestic view of the ballpark and city from this vantage point.
Here is a random view of the upperdeck showing the pennants for the Pirates World Series Championships…
…none of those titles came during the current 17-year losing season streak…obviously.
Its a nice view from up in the upperdeck. Tim was taking it all in:
The Braves were throwing Derek Lowe…
…who I personally rank as one of the most overrated players in the game. He was given a No. 1 starter contract by the Braves, but his career record is only 147-121 (with 85 career saves). Don't get me wrong, I'd personally take a 147-121 big league career. But he's no Randy Johnson or _________ (insert the name of any other true No. 1 pitcher).
Tim was getting super-tired by around the 6th inning, which was making him more and more excited. Eventually, he ran into a handrail (bumped his head) and that was enough upper deck for him.
On our way back to the LF spiral ramp, Tim had to show me the most "adorable baby spider" out in the concourse. Then we ducked back into the seating area to take this panorama from section 235:
About two minutes later, the Pierogies were racing!
Tim loves (to eat) pierogies so he was happy to see the Pierogies race.
After the race, I snapped this picture of thie "PIRATES" plants in the CF batters eye:
As we wound back toward LF, we stopped to watch Nate "Former Pirate" McLouth…
….whiff big time at this pitch for strike three in the sixth inning.
Very briefly we headed back to the standing room area in LF. That's where we were when Jason Jaramillo grounded weakly to future hall of famer, Chipper Jones:
By the seventh inning, it was 10:30 (or later), and Tim was teetering on the brink of falling asleep after a big exciting day.
We decided to go to RF to watch Heyward play the field. Tim was on my shoulders as we took the pictures for this panorama:
By the time we made it over to Heyward…
With sleeping Tim on my shoulders and a backpack full of rain gear, sweat shirts, long sleave shirts, extra t-shirts, two huge Garret Jones action figure pictures and who knows what else, my back was about to break under the extreme weigh.
So we took off early.
We missed Billy Wagner coming into the game and tying Dennis Eckersley in the all-time list with his 390th career save.
We walked to the car and I changed Tim into some night time sleeping cloths. He was still out. Then as we drove to the freeway, Tim woke up and asked "Is the game over?" He was a little upset that we left early, but he explained "I ran out of my energy."
So we drove back to our hotel for the night. It was a good first day and game of the weekend roadtrip. We'd be back at PNC Park the next day for another game and we were already looking forward to it (and hoping the forecasted rain would stay away).
2010 Fan Stats:
6 Games
9 Teams (Mariners, Orioles and Blue Jays; Phillies, Pirates, Braves, Mets, Brewers and Nationals)
6 Ice Cream Helmets (Orioles (2), Phillies, Pirates, Mets, & Nationals)
16 Baseballs (2 Mariners, 3 Brewers, 3 Nationals, 2 Blue Jays, 3 Umpires, 1 Phillies, 1 Mets, 1 Braves)
5 Stadiums (Camden Yards, Citizens Bank Park, Nationals Park, Citi Field, PNC Park)
5 Player Photos (Ryan Rowland-Smith, Frank Catalanotto, Billy Wagner, Jeff Suppan and Scott Olsen)
4 Autographs (Frank Catalanotto (2), Billy Wagner (2), Jeff Suppan and Scott Olsen)
3 Kids Run The Bases (Citizens Bank Park, Nationals Park, Citi Field)


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The Big Week in Washington
July 8: History was crowding in, but the heat numbed men's reactions. Pulsing under a debilitating sun, the Washington Monument seemed to detach itself gently from its base and hang there, waiting. Despite 90-degree temperature at 8 AM, hundreds of young people were found waiting at the Supreme Court, veterans of this long, drenched weekend of the Fourth. They had patiently sorted out questions of precedence, seniority, and merit; turning in their own report card for admission, working out their tables of rotation. It was participatory democracy come to witness the working of judicial authority, calling the big marble temple to account, hoping it could call the President back to accountability—an iffy bet; the hard money held off, waiting.
Still other people, also mainly young, were waiting Monday morning, just across Capitol Hill, for the first appearance of John Ehrlichman in his own defense at the "Ellsberg break-in trial." But the marathon waiters were those newsmen who stood, as they have for weeks, outside the House Judiciary Committee's waiting room, begging like puppy dogs for scraps of testimony to print, so they could be excoriated by the White House for "selective" presentation of the evidence—as if they had a wide range of material from which they could select.
This morning they must piece together the testimony of Fred LaRue, called by Mr. St. Clair and questioned while he spoke at the Supreme Court. St. Clair hopes to prove that hush money to E. Howard Hunt was authorized by phone before John Dean met the President on March 21. At best that would indicate when Mr. Nixon joined the cover-up, not that he did anything to prevent it. But LaRue seems not to have contributed much, either way. The White House scored points last week, in the euphoric afterglow of Moscow, when some of St. Clair's witnesses were disallowed. It looked as if the Committee was trying to head off a St. Clair triumph. At last the chairman caught on, and gave St. Clair his witnesses—like giving him enough rope.
The journalists' rut, worn outside the Committee room, is a dreary beat. As one says: "I've got so used to it now, I go home and stand around in the middle of the living room. Then my wife comes in and speaks to me—but she sounds like Peter Rodino, so I go to sleep." Another draws a Snoopy hanging over his doghouse, with the bubbles-of-thought up to this balloon: "Being a witness to history gets to be a bore."
Washington is currently bored with great events, and narcotized by stimulants. Estragon doubts and Vladimir hopings reduce everyone to passive expectation. The capital is waiting, but afraid of what it waits for—which should be enough to make that "something" never come. But already unwilled things have happened, large and barely discernible, but there. The proof of that lies in the mere concentration of business around the Capitol—in both House and Senate, and in courtrooms that form the other axis of the…
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subset: commoncrawl


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[ Background |Equipment |Where ]
The bicycle was invented in the 1600s, originally a wood vehicle to be powered by people instead of horses. By the early 1800s, bicycles were consistently being built of metal, with two wheels, and were being driven by one person. The sport of cycling, and more recently mountain biking, has gained in popularity. Many us it as an environmentally-friendly form of transportation.
Cycling provides good exercise, fresh air, and a competitive challenge. It exercises most parts of the body including the legs, arms, hands and cardiovascular system. Cycling is also an Olympic racing sport with track and cross-country events. Mountain biking competitions continue to grow in popularity, combining speed with rugged terrain.
There are thousands of brands and types of bicycles, from touring to mountain bikes, even tandems and unicycles. Costs range in price from under $100 to thousands of dollars. It is important to maintain the bike so it is at peak running condition. Check for thinning tire treads, squeaky brakes, sticky cables or a bent frame. Before each ride, squeeze the tires to make sure there is enough air pressure (the tires shouldn't squeeze much).
Riders should also invest in a CSA-approved helmet, with costs ranging from $20 to more than $100. This means the helmet design has completed the Canadian Standards Association's durability testing. Other accessories include a quality lock & cable, a water bottle, and a tire pump. Many cyclists also want toe clips, to improve peddling efficiency. Serious cyclists also invest in cycling clothing including cycling shoes, spandex pants shorts (usually with soft chamois crotch padding) and cycling gloves.
The Canadian Rockies provides ideal cycling terrain, with over 200 kilometres of bike paths. Rockies cyclists should have a bell or horn with which to warn others (particularly bears) of their approach. Cyclists should also use traditional hand signals when riding on the street. When crossing a road, cyclists should dismount and walk their bikes (this forces cars to treat you like pedestrians!).
There are several cycling groups in the Canadian Rockies offering group cycling activities: the Calgry Sport and Social Club (403-284-4711), and the Elbow Valley Cycle Club (403-283-BIKE) famous for its Golden Triangle trip through the Rockies in the summer.


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Taapsee - 'Sikhni from South'Feb 26, 2013 IANS
New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) Southern actress Taapsee Pannu may have featured in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films but she is a Delhi-based Sikh girl and David Dhawan is introducing her in Bollywood with the "Chashme Baddoor" remake.
The director has coined a nickname for her - Sikhni from South.
In fact, Dhawan confused Rishi Kapoor when he introduced Taapsee to him as 'Sikhni from South' while shooting in Goa.
"Rishi looked a little puzzled and asked Taapsee why such an unusual name, which does not sound like a Sikh name, she replied, 'My aunt kept it'," said a source.
From then every one on the sets started calling her 'Sikhni from South'.
When asked about it, Taapsee laughed and said: "Both Davidji and Rishi uncle are Punjabis and maybe that is why he introduced me like this, but now it is a habit for him.
"He always introduces me like this only. Davidji is very sweet and I had a blast shooting for 'Chashme Baddoor' and this is the perfect launch pad any one could have asked for."
A remake of the 1981 film of the same name, the new version of "Chashme Baddoor" also stars actors Ali Zafar, Siddharth and Divyendu Sharma.
Produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, the film also features Juhi Chawla and Anupam Kher.
The film hits theatres April 5.
Click the Movie button below for more info:
Chashme Baddoor
Taapsee Pannu Pictures
More News


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First stop, Hogwarts! Or Alnwick Castle, to be accurate - star of the Harry Potter films. Home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, watch your children's faces light up as they gape in awe at its impressive ramparts. They can dress up as medieval knights, learn how to joust and step inside the dragon's lair! Other less thrilling but no less enjoyable activities include archery and brass rubbing, not forgetting seasonal concerts and festivals.
Next stop, The Alnwick Garden, a short walk from the castle and perhaps the most amazing contemporary garden on earth! Brainchild of the Duchess, this dazzling attraction is a riot of colour, brimming with unique features. There's the Poison Garden, the Bamboo Labyrinth and its crowning glory, the Grand Cascade, a gigantic water feature. Children will have endless fun dodging the water jets, exploring the huge tree house and walking across wobbly rope bridges.
Alnwick is made for browsing, with its cobbled streets and elegant stone buildings housing traditional inns, stylish restaurants and specialist shops - look out for second-hand books and the ultimate in fishing tackle. The medieval Market Place buzzes come market day and hosts annual music and food festivals. Expect lively evenings too, with regular local music and live theatre.
The breathtaking Heritage Coast is a short drive away, offering glorious beaches, coastal walking, cycling trails and fantastic wildlife watching.
Whatever you decide to do, do it in Alnwick!


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The Chestnut Hill Film Group, sponsored by The Chestnut Hill Local, presents Yves Montand in the classic 1953 thriller "Wages of Fear" at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 8 at the Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave. It won the Palm d'Or at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival
Montand and Peter Van Eyck are truck drivers who earn large salaries transporting highly volatile nitroglycerine across some of the most treacherous terrain on earth. Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, known as the French Hitchcock. Archive print projected on 16mm film. Subtitled. Admission is free.
The next film scheduled for the series is "Death on the Nile," a 1978 adaptation of n Agatha Christie novel starring Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, John Finch and others..


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Rope Clasp for Power Conditioning Ropes -- Valor Fitness (BR-CLASP)
Rope NOT Included
Valor Fitness Rope Clasp for Converting Battle Rope to Climbing Rope – What is the best way to convert your heavy rope into a climbing rope? The BR-Clasp can be attached to your existing 1.5-inch wide fitness rope to make it suitable for rope climbing. Simply bolt the clasp onto one end of your power conditioning rope, and then affix the rope vertically to a ceiling anchor using the eyelet on the clasp. The heavy duty clasp will support up to 750 pounds!
Attach to training ropes horizontally for heavy-rope training movements such as waves, slams, throws, spirals, and whips. Attach to one end for securing to a weighted sled for hand-over-hand pulls, or to both ends to use as a rope tether from sled to vest for sled drags. The user may also attach a clasp at both ends of the rope and anchor horizontally to use for horizontal hanging-type movements and tightrope balance training.
Need additional information on this Rope Clasp or other fitness equipment items that fit within your budget and address your fitness goals? Contact an IRON COMPANY® fitness equipment specialist today at 1-888-758-7527 or email email@example.com
- (1) Rope Clasp with rope attachment hardware (bolts and nuts)
- Designed for use with 1.5" diameter rope only (NOT for use with 2" diameter ropes)
- Max Weight Load: 750 lbs
- Weight: 3 lbs.
- 1-Year Manufacturer Warranty against defects
- Rope not included (sold separately)
Recommended Instructions for Attachment to Rope:
It is suggested that you pre-drill the holes at the end of the rope (through the protective end covering or boot) and then slide the bolts through and firmly secure the nuts on the outside end.
Click here to view detailed instructions and recommended tools for installing Valor Fitness BR-CLASP over braided battle rope
NOTE: The clasp itself can bear the weight of 750 pounds, but the actual weight load will also depend on what you have the clasp attached to. Please ensure that the entire attachment can manage the entire load (clasp, rope and weight of person) when considering attachment points for climbing.
Shipping Included
Shipping cost included within the lower 48 states only
Ships via USPS Priority Mail


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Greenwich beating emblematic of epidemic
GREENWICH -- Revelations of the horrific events that unfolded Tuesday night inside the home of Michael and Diane DeMaio have shocked the Greenwich community.
Michael DeMaio, reportedly enraged that his wife was leaving him, is accused of savagely beating her with a baseball bat and leaving her near death in their multi-million dollar mansion. She is now in a coma at an undisclosed hospital.
But as gruesome as De Maio's crime was, it might sound disturbingly familiar.
In January 2010 in nearby New Canaan, former White House lawyer John Michael Farren broke his wife's jaw with a metal flashlight when she served him divorce papers. Farren is now facing a 70-year prison sentence on charges of attempted murder, two counts of first degree assault, and risk of injury to minor.
Those with longer memories might also recall the grisly murder of Anne Scripps, heir to a newspaper publishing fortune, in Bronxville, N.Y.
It is not difficult to discern the elements that tie these crimes together. While the heinous incidents have stuck in the public memory, experts say they're only publicized examples of a pattern that's distressingly common.
"The most dangerous time for any victim (of domestic violence) is when a victim tries to leave a relationship," said Suzanne Adam, director of abuse services at the Greenwich YWCA, which serves a diversity of abused invdividuals, including children, but primarily those in intimate partner relationships with their abusers. "Domestic violence is about control. When an individual tries to leave an abusive relationship, it's them taking back control from those who use violence to control them."
Anything that threatens an abuser's dominance in the relationship -- court dates, custody hearings, even calling the police -- can have a similar effect, said Karen Jarmoc, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
"Domestic violence is so much about power and control and the desire of one person to have power and control over another," Jarmoc said. "When an abuser senses that hold is slipping, he or she often lashes out with even greater force than usual."
Domestic violence need not be solely physical -- the phenomenon includes emotional, verbal, financial and sexual abuse, alongside the use of physical force, and often involves a combination of these elements. In times of attempted separation, Adam said, abuse can escalate or change forms.
"You can see financial and verbal abuse turn to physical abuse, or one form escalate in severity," she said. "The tactics (of abusers) change when (an abused partner) tries to leave."
In these moments, violence can escalate to the point of death or near-death as seen on Round Hill Road in Greenwich on Tuesday.
Domestic violence fatalities -- and near-fatalities -- are an unfortunate reality in the state. According to the CCADV, there have been six homicides in the state stemming from intimate partner violence this year.
In 2012, there were 12 such deaths. Even more startling, Jarmoc said, was the number of "near deaths" linked to domestic violence -- incidents in which someone was beaten to the edge of death by a partner, but survived. Last year, Jarmoc said, there were 64 such incidents. The near-deaths for this year haven't been calculated yet.
This threat of increased violence, be it physical or otherwise, often locks abused partners into relationships with abusers and prevents them from reporting criminal activity -- although it's only one of many factors contributing to the continuation of abusive relationships. Others can include financial dependency and fear of social stigma connected to domestic violence.
That last factor is something professionals are working hard to overcome.
Despite domestic violence being the second-most investigated crime in Greenwich, according to past reports, formally reported incidents are dwarfed by abuse that goes unreported or by abused partners who see alternative channels for support, experts say.
"While we encourage people who reach out to us to use the police as a resource, we see thousands more people each year than the police arrest," Adam said.
At the YWCA, the 24-hour domestic violence hotline receives as many as 15 to 20 unique calls a day, officials said. Furthermore, according to the CCADV, some 4,919 Greenwich adults called local crisis centers or hotlines over the course of the 2013 fiscal year, up from 4,143 in 2012. The great majority of those adult callers seek services from support organizations as 4,578 did in 2013.
The YWCA is a mandated reporter for child abuse, elderly abuse, and threats of homicide or suicide, but otherwise maintains strict confidentiality and does not report other domestic violence incidents to the police.
And yet, while the most high-profile cases of severe domestic violence in Greenwich and the broader region have taken place behind cast iron gates and manor walls, the crime obviously is not just a problem of the rich and famous. According to Adam and Jarmoc, what makes domestic violence unique -- and chilling -- is its pervasiveness throughout all social circles and strata.
"The most important thing is that domestic violence in Greenwich is no different than in any other community," Adam said. "It is the same here as it is in New Haven, New London, Bridgeport and Torrington, and it affects people regardless of socioeconomic, religious, ethnic, cultural lines."
No location is immune to domestic violence -- from inner-city developments to the upscale mansions of Greenwich.
"Domestic violence is a serious problem in Connecticut and across the nation and it impacts people all across the country," Jarmoc said.
Victims of domestic abuse are encouraged to contact the YWCA domestic violence hotline at 203-622-0003. All services are confidential and free.


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Making the case for pre-K programming, state Superintendent June Atkinson told lawmakers on Tuesday that early childhood education is critical to closing the achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students.
She highlighted statistics showing that 60 percent of students who are on the federal free and reduced lunch program are proficient in reading. In contrast, more affluent students are 90 percent proficient.
"That gives us a sense of urgency and that will also require us as adults to address some of the root causes," she said, "and some of those root causes for this statistic is that some of our students, especially our students who are economically disadvantaged, do not have quality early childhood education programs.
She made her comments while giving the Education Oversight Committee an update on North Carolina's Race to the Top initiative.
In addition to early childhood education, she also made reference to the state's remediation rate at the postsecondary level. Race to the Top, she noted, has several goals, including a 100 percent graduation rate, increased college enrollment, and a 10 percent remediation rate.
It contrasts sharply with the 60 percent remediation rate often referenced by Governor-elect Pat McCrory as a reason for statewide education reform, one that includes a renewed emphasis on career and technology education.
Recent figures show that the remediation rate is slightly higher, or 65 percent, but both figures omit the remediation rate for four-year institutions. That figure is 8.4 percent.


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Billy Godbold Interview - Enginology
If You Ask Billy... - A revealing collection of perspectives from an experienced and involved engineer with years of bringing new technologies into the realm of circle track engine parts development
Editor's note: A conversation with Comp Cam's Billy Godbold is both interesting and revealing. He brings viewpoints that are not only thought-provoking but clear evidence of his penchant to bring new and supportive technologies to the motorsports community. With an M.S. degree in Physics from Florida State University and while working for the Nuclear Physics Group, he chose to join the ranks of the Comp Performance Group to combine his academic background with a passion to improve race engine performance. You'll enjoy his comments.
Over time and from a design perspective, how have you developed programs with racers and engine builders to address specific needs for their applications?
At Comp, we do not believe anything is more critical to success than listening to customers. Once you establish a relationship of mutual trust and respect, then communication flow is great, and we can focus on steps to improve performance.
Customers have to know that we will never share what they are doing with a competitor before they can give us good feedback and information. Once they can tell us where exactly they have issues, what is working well, and how they are trying to improve their system, then we can lock arms with the customer and bring all of our experience, testing and manufacturing resources to bear on their specific needs.
Over my 19 years with Comp Cams, I have seen that model work extraordinarily well while developing everything from new lobe families and lifters to literally hundreds of parts throughout our CPG family of companies. Earning trust, maintaining great communication and nurturing excellent partnerships are absolutely critical.
In the past, before engine dynamometers became rather commonplace among the racing community, parts manufacturers essentially aimed their products toward presumed needs and manufacturing techniques. Today, the level of parts specialization has increased dramatically. How have you adjusted to this changing environment?
I really have to thank SEMA for the access to information we have on the OEM side, and give equal thanks to all the race teams and OE suppliers for sharing CAD drawings, models and detailed information on all the new engines.
At times it almost seems as easy as in the late '90s. The difference is our engineering team has grown from two to almost 20, and the tools are so much better from design to testing to manufacturing.
We made a very conscious decision many years ago to stop designing "camshaft lobes" and "tappet lift" as the goal, but instead focus on designing what we thought would be the optimum valve motion for a given application. I know that seems simple, but it is quite difficult. Instead of making a given lobe shape and finding out how the valve moved, we would focus on designing valve motion, then back out the required cam profile needed to achieve that motion. If that profile could not be made, we would work around the system and design until we would get as close as possible.
Implementing that paradigm shift was painfully slow at first, but it put us miles ahead of everyone when the mass influx of new engines and specialization took place. It really was no more difficult for us to design valve motion for an R07, Ford Modular, TRD or anything that came our way than it would have been for a standard small block Chevy. We had great experience with what valve motion characteristics made power, and we were already extremely proficient at designing "at the valve" then working backwards to the camshaft.
The difficulties balancing what the rules makers require and what the engine building and racers want is an ongoing challenge. What role do you see parts manufacturers taking to help satisfy the requirements of these three areas of interest?
The short answer will always be that Comp Cams will make whatever our customers want, and then they can deal with the sanctioning body. We must understand that we are in business to serve our customer, so the balance on the design and manufacturing end is pretty easy.
The long answer comes from our place as a leader in our industry. Racers always do the following: Complain to the sanctioning bodies that they need more rules to be competitive then work their backsides off trying to evade those rules when implemented.
As an industry leader, we should communicate that the most valuable product in motorsports is innovation. In spite of massive efforts by extremely smart individuals, thicker rule books always result in higher cost, less opportunity for the clever engine builders, and more dominance by very wealthy teams. In NASCAR Cup, small engine builders begged for things like a gear rule, no qualifying engines, common chassis and less testing so they could keep up with the super teams. The result was exactly opposite of their intentions. The super teams bought everything from teams of engineers and elaborate endurance dynamometers to test tracks and copied tires. The new rules to save the small guys became the death to the small engine builder in the Cup series. All the parts manufacturers need to communicate the law of unintended consequences to sanctioning bodies, and help them see the pitfalls we have seen in other series.
What types of computer-based design and modeling techniques have you found to be of value when creating parts and systems for today's circle track racing markets? In pursuit of using such technologies, is it more economical and controllable to reach outside your company to enlist these services?
Comp takes a three-legged approach; balancing experience, testing, and modeling. We have used both 3D FEA and more simple "Mass-Spring-Damper" 1D models of valvetrain. Similarly, we have used 3D CFD modeling with engine firing for airflow, and stepped back to constant flow and typical 1D wave analysis approaches. All of the modeling approaches can be extremely beneficial. However, all have to be "tweaked" to match measured results. There are generally damping coefficients in valvetrain models or mass and stiffness values you can modify to achieve good agreement between predicted and measured behavior. You would think that a powerful enough model would need zero "tweaking," but a racing valvetrain has dramatic kinetic energy with coils clashing (often slightly off axis) and parts interacting in ways that are either not well understood or prohibitively difficult to correctly model.
We use the customer relationships to define a problem, then use our experience to layout various paths to explore. Then we prefer to run some baseline test and attempt to dial in a model. From there, we can explore various changes on both the model and testing. As we fine-tune the model, we can greatly reduce the number of tests that need to be run and even predict how changes that we do not have the technology to achieve or easily incorporate might improve the system (for instance a very light hollow head valve).
Anyone not learning to take advantage of a combination of experience, testing, and modeling is competing with a severe disadvantage. However, you must always balance the load on those three legs. The common trap is to lean too heavily on one (say modeling) and greatly reduce the time on others (like testing).
As a parts manufacturer, how do you establish and maintain the confidence of engine builders and racers in the protection of their racing "secrets" as they pertain to specific parts for their individual purposes?
Comp Cams has been around for over 35 years, and our customers know you cannot keep a great reputation in this industry without living and breathing integrity and confidentiality. We might be able to have a tiny spike in sales by sharing one person's secret, but we are not living and dying on quarterly sales reports. We want to keep our business strong year after year, and we value the relationships with our customers even more than our bottom line. Our customers understand nothing ever takes precedence over integrity, relationships, and our reputation.
On a long-term basis, do you see any shifts in how parts manufacturers do business when it comes to manufacturing processes and ways products are distributed?
Manufacturing equipment, capabilities and processes at Comp Cams improve so quickly it is hard to fathom. Things we used to think would be impossible are now common. Right now, I can't image just how it will get better, but ask me in 5-10 years and I'll likely be shocked that we made it by without things that are not even developed yet.
Briefly describe the future health of circle track racing, at whatever level you feel most comfortable commenting about. Where do you anticipate areas of growth or decline?
I'm extremely excited about all the new technologies headed into racing and truly believe this is the most exciting time ever in Valvetrain. Whether viewing from the engine shop, driver seat, or stands, we hope to see these new innovations make racing better, more affordable, reliable, and fun.
How are you positioning your product development plans to take advantage or guard against the answer to the previous question?
At Comp Cams, we love providing and promoting innovation. Lately, we have had tremendous results in both Sprint Car and Late Model racing. Customers are going faster, making more power, turning higher rpm, and breaking fewer parts. I believe this will continue in those and most other circle track venues. Engine builders, racers, fans and event promoters all desire to see great competition and innovation. While we may have seen some bumps in the road with both rules and turns in the overall economy, I certainly believe we have all learned and should be able to work together toward a very bright future. Comp Cams will continue to listen closely to our customers and respond quickly to their needs, following them towards whatever series and engine building applications they find most rewarding.


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Dear Fellow TV Academy Members,
Please DO NOT VOTE for any EMMY NOMINATIONS for a film that MURDERS the TRUTH and HURTS people like us who are still alive today. Here's why.
Shame on David Mamet for cooking up this stew of distortion and misinformation on paper. Shame on Barry Levinson for producing this hurtful thing to make a quick buck. But most heinous of all are the button down suits at HBO who green lighted this attack on documented history. They have scurried around like rats in a sinking ship trying to offset their mistakes with disingenuous screen statements saying the film is fiction. However HBO attacked our campaign for Lana Clarkson and our public attacks on this fabricated tale with their press release saying: "We stand by all of our HBO productions with accuracy portraying historical events". REALLY? HBO you shot yourself in the foot on that one.
Our two year campaign to provide the Truth about this HBO film is coming to an end. Unfortunately millions of viewers will be exposed to the Phil Spector Murder trial for the first time by watching this lie. Lana Clarkson is portrayed as killing herself and that Phil Spector is innocent. Yet in reality and on the record for all to see, is that in fact, on Feb 3, 2003, and without a doubt, Phil Spector tortured and murdered the beautiful Lana Clarkson with his own gun by pistol whipping her, abusing her, knocking her teeth out, then pulling the trigger after shoving that .38 caliber pistol into her mouth.
What is especially disturbing is that the film commits the very crime it condemns. It argues that a famous eccentric can't get a fair trial because the bloodthirsty, ignorant public is willfully blind to the facts. But the movie supports it's thesis by ignoring, misrepresenting, and soft-pedaling the evidence that convicted Spector. "They have no facts!" insists defense lawyer Linda Kenny Baden portrayed by Helen Mirren. In fact there WAS blood on Spector's jacket: mist like spots near the lapel that according to expert testimony put Spector no more than three feet from Lana Clarkson's face when the gun went off. The same type of blood mist was found on the OUTSIDE of Clarkson's wrists, an indication, experts said, that at the time of the gun shot, her hands were up in a defensive posture and NOT ON THE TRIGGER. None of this is in the film.
Spector's driver testified that shortly after the gunshot, his boss walked out of the mansion holding a gun in his bloodied hand. "I think I killed somebody," he quoted Spector as saying. But the film suggests that unethical police detectives forced the chauffeur to make damning statements by threatening to charge him as an accessory. REALLY !? FICTION!!
Not included in the film: Five women testified often through tears, that Spector had pulled guns on them when they tried to leave his house against his wishes. They were unshakable in their accounts of how alcohol and dashed romantic hopes turned Spector into a monster. But the movie rolls it's eyes at them. Just common people looking for 15 minutes of fame instead of treasuring their time with the genius. Really?
One hundred others came forward and filed affidavits that Phil Spector had pulled guns on them and held them against their will including celebrities like Michelle Phillips(Mommas and the Poppas), and Grammy winner Debbie Harry. Using a gun for sex is RAPE! Again, none of this in the film.
In the film, Spector's defense claimed wrongly that Lana Clarkson, committed suicide because she was depressed about turning 40. Then in a second theory-- that she "accidentally" shot herself while toying suggestively with the gun. Which is it Mr. and Mrs. Badden? Which is it Mr.Mamet??? Accuracy HBO???
What the film doesn't mention is that Clarkson died with her purse strapped to her shoulder! She was waiting by the door to leave...Spector's behavior in the past shows that the guns come out and women do not leave.."unless you want to die".
We will never forget sitting in the courtroom listening to the answering machine message tapes left by Spector to the women he had abused or raped with the use of a gun. One of the messages from Spector said: "..about last night...it's NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE!". Those tapes brilliantly put into evidence and played to the jury by the excellent Prosecutor Alan Jackson, helped put more nails into Spector's coffin. Jackson constantly outmaneuvered the multi-million dollar defense team and Linda Kenny Baden. None of this is in the film.
In anticipation of criticism about the revision of real facts, HBO has taken pains to describe the the movie as a "mythological take on the case"--a warning to people who know the case well. They attempt to gloss over the many factual problems with this film as a kind of artistic ignorance.
"It's called envy", Pacino-as-Spector says. "Extraordinary accomplishments transform the grateful into an audience and the envious into a mob" he rants. REALLY!? Jurors couldn't envy him because they had no clue who he (Phil Spector) was! Lana's death and the news of the trial made Spector infamous to millions for a short time. He was a has-been recluse-An aging bitter troll with a chip on his shoulder, a Napoleon complex and a pattern of gun abuse for sex and extra special treatment his warped mind thought he deserved.
Spector's defense team was a legal clown car of five big-time attorneys trying to squeeze into a nationally televised case. This high powered defense was so strategically outfoxed by the prosecution led by the brilliant Alan Jackson, that Spector's lead attorney, Bruce Cutler, a New York mob lawyer, begged the judge for an emergency trial delay.
Lana Clarkson is not portrayed in the film at all. They knew better. But her legacy and real life experience as a professionally trained and experienced actress for 25 years (SAG, AFTRA, Equity) and comedian, is shattered by this film. They do not even pronounce her name right, the final insult.
HBO shame on you! We have enough problems with Reality Shows ruining our profession, now you allow this false story to taint the scripted/acting TV projects which allow us to survive. A vote for Emmys no matter how good the acting, is a nail in the coffin for our industry.
Distorting the Spector case serves only to undermine the public's faith in the jury system. The facts though have thankfully convicted Phil Spector of murdering actress Lana Clarkson. This gun abusing psycho murderer rots in prison now for almost 4 years after losing all appeals. If he survives his 20 year term, he will be in his 90's. The odds show that prisoners who are unhealthy drug addicts in the winter of their lives do not survive in prison. Yet, there are people who can survive the long term on just HATE alone. Unfortunately he may be one of them.
Finally, we thank all of you in our group *The Friends of Lana Clarkson, for your hard work and concerns. Many of you have jumped in and helped beyond the call of duty. It's been a long haul in countering this film. I hope we got our point across. Yet millions of people will watch this lie on HBO and unfortunately most of them will leave with the impression that Lana Clarkson was responsible for her own death.
So Again, Please do not vote for any EMMY NOMINATIONS for a film that MURDERS the TRUTH and HURTS people like us who are still alive today. Thank you.
*The Friends of Lana Clarkson are comprised of men and women who were the actor's and comedienne's long time girlfriends, hairdressers, agents, managers, publicists, actors, casting directors, boyfriends, producers, make-up artists, church goers and a select group of media reporters including the late Vanity Fair crime writer Dominick Dunn, veteran Beverly Hills publicist Edward Lozzi, and Spector Murder trial Prosecutor Alan Jackson. Many of the group were in the court room during both criminal trials and remain stalwart in their quest to protect the wonderful legacy that was the life and times of Lana Clarkson.
Filed for The Friends of Lana Clarkson by spokesperson Edward Lozzi, Beverly Hills publicist who was Lana's friend and media consultant for over 25 years.
Click here for the Hollywood Report article.