text:
David E. Zwart, who is a visiting research fellow at the Van Raalte Institute of Hope College, will present the address "Preachers, Pews, and Pupils: Commemorating the Past in Twentieth-Century Dutch America" on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 4 p.m. in the Fried/Hemenway Auditorium in the Martha Miller Center for Global Communication.
Refreshments will be available prior to the lecture in the rotunda.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
Zwart received two consecutive research fellowships at the Van Raalte Institute in support of his research into the way Dutch-American Protestants commemorated their institutions, particularly their churches and educational institutions. His first fellowship was awarded for the 2007-08 academic year while he was a Ph.D. student in history at WesternMichiganUniversity in Kalamazoo; his second was for this past summer.
He notes that the commemoration of the institutions offers important clues to the values of the community. The commemorations took the form of yearbooks, alumni directories, anniversary celebrations, and other celebrations marking important times in the lives of the institutions. In addition to highlighting community values, he says, commemorations are important markers for how Dutch-Americans constructed a narrative about themselves in the years following what is commonly considered to have been the high tide of immigration. Finally, Zwart's research examines how commemorations changed over time in relationship to trends both within and outside the community.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dordt College, Zwart was a middle school social studies teacher at Central Valley Christian School in Visalia, Calif., from August 1999 to May 2002. He earned a Master of Arts in history in 2004 from California State University, Fresno, and then entered the doctoral program in history at Western Michigan University.
Zwart recently accepted a teaching position in the history department of Dordt College, and resides in Sioux Center, Iowa, with his family. In addition to teaching, he is striving to complete his doctoral dissertation by June 2009.
The Van Raalte Institute is located in the Theil Research Center at 9 E. 10th St. and specializes in scholarly research and writing on immigration and the contributions of the Dutch and their descendants in the United States. The institute is also dedicated to the study of the history of all the people who have comprised the community of Holland throughout its history. Zwart is the ninth visiting research fellow at the institute.
The Martha Miller for Global Communication is located at 257 Columbia Ave., at the corner of Columbia Avenue and 10th Street.


text:
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August 2017.
For experimenting with some ideas on improving blockchain scaling :
Currently simulates the growth of a crypto-currency blockchain ( similar to Bitcoin ), loops thru a cycle of :
- spend – pick addresses at random and spend to another address
- mine – put waiting transactions into the block, mine the cryptographic hash, add to chain
Features / Limitations :
- uses single sha256 bit hash for ids
- uses an easy Proof-of-work [ 256 tries on average to get a block hashs with '00' leading bytes ]
- uses node.js byte buffers for transactions and blocks
- runs around 7000 tps on i5 laptop
I wanted to simulate the growth of a blockchain with unspent transactions spread somewhat sparsely at the early older parts of the blockchain, and more dense at the top of the blockchain [as more recent transactions havent had time to be spent yet ].
The reason for this is to test the feasibility of reducing the size of the data needed to bootstrap a new node. eg. in Bitcoin the whole dataset is :
- around 150GB of transactions [ 250Mn txns ]
- utxo of around 2GB [ ~50Mn txns ]
- so unspent 'utxo' set is around 20% of transactions
Bring UTXO set forward
We can use much less data [5x smaller ] when spinning up a new node, by bringing utxo set forward to nearer the front of the chain. The sim gathers old utxos and injects them into the blockchain in baches of ids, so they are stamped into the block at block creation.
These 'utxo catchup sections' are read when starting a new processing node – ie. it only needs a provable list of utxos, not the complete history of all spent transactions.
skip links [ todo ]
Using block extension areas, we can also include skip links to blocks much earlier in the chain – the process of walking back thru the links of transactions inputs and outputs all the way back to the initial 'genesis' block is like walking a DAG tree, as un-needed areas of the blockchain are skipped over. These skip links are validated at block creation time by other nodes.
This is useful for clients which want to traverse the chain to make better proof of validity that SPV, and for nodes that use utxo bring forward above, so they can trace PoW to an arbitrary level back to the genesis block.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
When I pulled the first trays out of the oven, my first though was that I must have been too light-handed with the flour. Our cookies went a little more lacy that I thought they should have - I gathered after reading a few descriptions that these cookies would spread and be somewhat thin, but ours were almost see through!
If we put that aside, the taste and texture were exactly what we needed today. What makes these cookies special are those wonderful caramel undertones from a couple tablespoons of Lyle's Golden Syrup. A bottle or jar of this is good for many things by the way... it is fantastic on toast or warmed up and poured over pancakes!
Traditional Anzac cookies don't have ginger in them, but we love the combination of sweet and heat, so I added a modest half cup of the crystallized variety. You will also notice that the cookies have a decent amount of coconut in the recipe - however, I didn't detect much of that flavor at all if that is not your thing - it mainly adds a definite chew to the cookies. When you bake them, be sure that they are a rich golden brown before you remove them - they will be soft right out of the oven, but they will slowly crisp up around the edges, yet remain chewy in the center, as they cool. A bonus to these is they keep for quite awhile without loosing their texture.
Gingery Anzac Biscuits


text:
Taking 7nm process technology to new limits.
This Western-themed roguelike has style to spare, but falls short on ideas.
MSI and EK team up to cool the CPU and power delivery on its MPG Z490 Carbon board
Quotes expert Yossi Apleboum.
July 1 2020 | 17:34
Copyright © 2000 - 2020, bit-tech.net. All rights reserved.


text:
Board wants doctor to prove he's not a danger to public
State regulators say an Iowa chiropractor accused of inappropriately touching women patients in the past is not ready to resume practicing.
The Iowa Board of Chiropractic said in a filing released Monday that it's not willing to risk returning 35-year-old Stuart Hoven to practice before he can prove to the board that he is not a danger to the public welfare.
"The fact that it happened again, it now raises a lot more questions as far as the safety of the public, and so the board needs to make sure they're doing their job, make sure they're doing their due diligence to ensure that things are safe if he can be rehabilitated," said Braxton Pulley, of the Iowa Chiropractic Society.
Hoven, of Winterset, has been accused multiple times of inappropriately touching his patients' breasts.
Two women reported incidents last year. Other patients reported incidents in 2004.
The Des Moines Register reports Hoven's license was suspended in January, but he has since expressed interest in returning to work. He applied in March for reinstatement.
According to a board report, board members were troubled when Hoven reapplied for his license just four days into his required treatment program. They said it "appears to be a repeated attempt to get his license back as quickly as possible, rather than showing he can safely return to practice."
"It's frustrating in this case to see that it happened again. It would be nice to say that the system is perfect and that it would never occur. However, it sounds like some poor choices were made again, and the board is taking action appropriately," said Pulley.
Adding to the board's concerns was an assessment of Hoven by the Behavioral Medicine Institute. Officials said the report pointed to Hoven's need to be admired, his lack of empathy for others, his grandiose sense of self-importance, and his sense of entitlement. The assessment, which was done in February, went on to say it would not be safe for Hoven to practice chiropractic care at the time.
However, officials said once Hoven completes several steps to the satisfaction of the board, he can ask once again to have his license back.
"I'm hoping they would act appropriately in what is the best situation for the public," said Pulley.
The BMI did not say that Hoven would be safe to practice again after an intensive treatment program, but that he should attend that treatment, before any reinstatement is even considered.
Officials said Hoven will have to finish his treatment with the Acumen Institute in March before getting another evaluation by the BMI.
Hoven's lawyer says he just received the decision and had no comment.


text:
It all started when I married my highschool sweetheart. He wanted to have children and I didn't. I didn't like the thought of bringing a child into this world and going through what I had went through as a child myself. But he persisted and I am so thankful that he did.
After having a miscarriage I was reading my Bible one day about Sara and Abraham. I had read the story many times and knew it so very well. But something was different.....the words just seemed to leap from the page into my heart. I then knew I was to have a child and her name would be Sara. I know without a doubt that I heard a voice telling me this...I knew it was God.
One night at our church, my pastor called me up front. He said what he was about to say he had been struggling with. He then proceeded to tell me that God had told him that I was pregnant and that I even had a name. He said her name is Sara. No one, absolutely no one did I tell this! Not even my husband. I began to cry...God had confirmed what He had told me. You see, when my husband wanted children, I hadn't. I know God put it on my heart to have a child and then when I had a miscarriage it was devastating! So for God to tell me that I would have a daughter and her name would be Sara, then confirmed through my pastor....I was thrilled! We all know how long it takes to have a baby, so I had a girl and guess what her name was?
She was my most precious gift. I loved her unlike any other before. I woke to her sweet smell, her sweet smile and her little precious smile just consumed my whole life. She was my princess.
Even back then I loved pink and she wore it every day. My mother in law even asked me if I had clothes for her in any other color, lol. SARA looked absolutely beautiful in PINK. Nothing but PINK would do.
Sara was my pride and joy, always with me at all times. She loved her Mammaw Garnette just like I did. I always thought if I ever had children that I would want them to know her like I did as a girl. And God blessed me with that dream.
As she grew....I knew I had always wanted a sister or brother....since I was an only child....I wanted that for her. So then along came her sister Hannah(which is another story entirely). Sara was so excited to be a big sister. Something she has done with flying colors.
I couldn't have asked for any better...my two little angels. And just look at how she was teaching Hannah to pray...
The love that they shared was something truly amazing...something I had always wanted. I was seeing their love grow right before my eyes. She was the best big sister anyone could ever want!
As she began to grow, I saw such beauty...she was becoming a young lady...just radiant and so full of life. She made me so proud!
I couldn't believe my eyes...she was almost the size of me and then one day she just passed me up. I then began to look up at my little girl. Then I realized she wasn't that little girl anymore.
She had become a beautiful young woman before I could even blink my eyes....starting to drive, liking boys, thinking about college....I just couldn't believe it!
Where had my little girl gone that I used to take naps with, cut up oranges for and watch The little Mermaid with?
I'll tell you...she is my best friend, the one that I share my life with, my hopes and dreams for her with, the one that I laugh and can be sarcastic with, the one that makes me so mad and happy at the same time with....she is my first little girl who'll always be that sweet baby I held in my arms 18 years ago and got the every first smile from. She'll always be that little girl that called me Mommy. A name that I am proud to be called(now when she wants something). I now have graduated to Mom. But I will always love my little girl no matter what....
Happy 18th Birthday Sara!
Mommy loves you!


text:
The new Saint John's Bible display in the Payson Library lobby is currently featuring an illumination of a nativity scene, from the first page of the book of Luke. The nativity scene shows a manger surrounded by animals in front, Mary and Joseph to the right, and the shepherds and townspeople on the left. A beam of light connects the manger upwards towards heaven. The angels intersect this beam to form a gold cross, reminding us that the reason for Christ's birth was to be fulfilled with the crucifixion and resurrection. You can see the illumination online here, or visit Payson Library to see it in person.
The Saint John's Bible is a work of sacred art that unites an ancient Christian tradition with the technology and vision of today, illuminating the Word of God for a new millennium. In 1998, Saint John's Abbey and University commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson to produce the hand-written, hand-illuminated Bible. The Heritage Edition, on display in Payson Library, is a fine-art reproduction of the original with the mission of igniting the spiritual imagination of people on all faith journeys. Pepperdine University Libraries embraced this mission by acquiring this Bible for the University in honor of its 75th anniversary. One volume will remain on display in the Payson Library lobby, while the others are available for viewing in Special Collections. Please contact Melissa Nykanen at (310) 506-4434 or at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.


text:
Eyes down.
I'm walking through a drab suburb to the school and a shift I'm not in the mood for.
The few of us who just got off the bus trudge along in single file and mp3 privacy. The pavement is an ill-considered reddish colour that meanders alongside a concrete cycle path and descends into the housing development where the school is. The adjacent gutter is strewn with the debris of the careless. I pass empty drink cartons, what look like the innards of a TV, dead batteries, dog do, discarded packets and wrappers – dietary supplements and low fat milk substitutes.
I will get to the school and instead of sitting outside and enjoying an hour of sunshine before work starts I will sit at a net book in the cool, concrete and fluorescent-lit classroom trying to do too much in the time available. More


text:
Tech shift: More women in computer science classes
UC Berkeley at forefront of universities closing gender gap in computer science courses revamped for female students
(02-18) 18:02 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Peering out from behind the cool glow of iPads and MacBook Pros, some students sit with rapt attention. A few appear lost in daydreams, or perhaps just lost. At least two cruise Facebook.
It is a predictable college scene, but this Berkeley computer science class is at the vanguard of a tech world shift. The class has 106 women and 104 men.
The gender flip first occurred last spring. It was the first time since at least 1993 - as far back as university enrollment records are digitized - that more women enrolled in an introductory computer science course. It was likely the first time ever.
It's a small but a significant benchmark. Male computer science majors still far outnumber female, but Professor Dan Garcia's class is a sign that efforts to attract more women to a field where they have always been vastly underrepresented are working.
"We are starting to see a shift," said Telle Whitney, president of the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology.
Berkeley, Stanford and a handful of other universities have experienced a marked uptick in the numbers of female computer science students. Those increases have also coincided with a reimagining of computer science classes, especially introductory ones. In some cases, that meant doing away with aspects of classes that seemed to specifically discourage young women.
For Garcia's course, which is for nonmajors, the goal was to expand the class beyond "just programming," to make it "kind of right-brained as well."
Berkeley put more emphasis on the impact and relevance of computing in the world, and added pair exercises. Each class begins with a discussion of a recent tech-related news article. Introduction to Symbolic Programming was reborn as Beauty and the Joy of Computing.
While redesigning the course wasn't strictly to attract women, said Garcia, "everything that turns women off, we reversed it."
Attracting more women to computer science is invariably a good thing. Nationally, women earn 57 percent of bachelor's degrees, but only 12 percent of computer science degrees, according to a 2009 report by the National Science Foundation. This comes as technology industries rank among the fastest growing in the nation. But the way schools choose to attract women can pose a challenge.
Gender-neutral models
"It can be problematic to assume that all women are a certain way and therefore you should cater to that," said Sapna Cheryan, a University of Washington psychologist who has studied stereotypes in computer science. "What we do today to get girls in the classroom could have adverse affects on girls later."
Cheryan pointed to "My Fair Physicist," a much-cited 2012 University of Michigan study that questioned whether having more feminine role models in science and math fields could counteract the discouraging stereotype that those fields are unfeminine. The study found that feminine role models actually reduced middle school girls' interest and perception of their own ability in math compared to more gender-neutral role models.
For Sumer Mohammed, 21, Beauty and Joy of Computing got her hooked. Before registering, she knew nothing about programming, but decided based on her father's recommendation and the course title that "it might not be boring lines of code everywhere."
Boring it was not.
"It was so much fun. And very creative," said Mohammed, who took Garcia's class in 2011, the year after the revamp. She's now a bona fide convert: an electrical engineering and computer science major and a teaching assistant for Garcia's class. She is also spreading the gospel, having successfully convinced her roommate to minor in the concentration.
The lack of women in tech has long been lamented by the industry - research has shown it would likely benefit economically, as well as socially, from an increased female presence.
But problems persist in getting women to even consider the field an option.
For one, there are few female role models and a massive misperception of the field among women. A 2008 study by the Association for Computing Machinery, consulted in designing the Berkeley course, found that while college-bound boys equated words like "interesting," "video games," and "solving problems" with computing, girls associated terms like "typing," "math" and "boredom."
Tackling misperceptions
"Before I took Beauty and Joy I just thought computer science was people pent up in a room coding, looking like I look right before midterms," said Arany Uthanyakumar, 18, who took the Berkeley class last fall and also fell for it.
And those same gendered perceptions of the tech world also mean that boys often get exposure to computing much younger than girls. Even if women do eventually get exposure to the field, the lag time can continue to be discouraging.
"Even now, I still have the perception that they're better," said Mohammed. Many of the men in her class, she said, have years more experience.
At Berkeley, the percentage of female computer science majors in the College of Letters and Science nearly doubled from 2009 to 2013, to 21 percent.
Stanford similarly revamped its computer science program to make it more widely attractive in 2008. Since then, female computer science enrollment has grown steeply, from 12.5 percent in 2008 to 21 percent in 2013.
Harvey Mudd College, in Claremont (Los Angeles County), was among the first universities to dramatically increase its female computer science enrollment.
"Girls say they won't like computer science, won't be good at it and don't want to associate with the people they think are good at it," said college President Maria Klawe. "We've got to fix those three things: make it interesting, nonintimidating and obvious that the people who do this stuff are attractive, have good social skills and are not just dorks."
Interests differ
Research has time and again found that there are some marked differences in what interests boys and girls in computing. Generally, girls care more about the creativity and potential to make an impact on the world.
But there is a fine line between creating the perception that computer science isn't just for boys and the image that girls can do it because it's "girly" or less complicated.
"It's this cycle. You're reinforcing an image of what is appropriate for girls," said Cheryan. "It's a tension between how do you get girls in now, but also what are you saying to future girls?"
The title Beauty and Joy of Computing was inspired by a speech by IBM software engineer Grady Booch. But, noted Klawe, it does border on sending the message that the class is "a little fluffy."
In the end, it was the perception that the class wasn't just pushing that masculine computing stereotype that got Mohammed, the Berkeley junior, in the door.
"Before I really just saw it as one of those things boys do," she said.
On the rise
The percentage of female computer science majors at both UC Berkeley and Stanford in 2013.
Kristen V. Brown is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: email@example.com Twitter: @kristenvbrown


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - Poses? Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Archive : Sep99 - Dec00 View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "Poses?" imdakingmemberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 321Location: USA Posted: Sun Oct 24, 1999 10:15 pm Heyas! How do you come up with the poses for your pictures dhabi? This is my biggest problem. Well that and some other things. But those can wait. How?? Thanks. imdaking Back to top DhabihAdministratorMember #Joined: 13 Sep 1999Posts: 532Location: Kirkland, WA, U.S.A. Posted: Mon Oct 25, 1999 9:09 pm Do you mean making the poses look right or coming up with what pose to put someone in? -dhab Back to top imdakingmemberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 321Location: USA Posted: Tue Oct 26, 1999 1:44 pm Both! I know a guy who uses poser to make the poses look right... But I dont have that program. I know what I want, but I just cant make them look right. Back to top AffectedmemberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 1854Location: Helsinki, Finland Posted: Tue Oct 26, 1999 9:40 pm It's just a lot of practice, really. You need to think about how the weight is distributed in each pose you draw. You should also understand the way muscles and joints behave. Try going out and drawing some really quick sketches of people. Back to top BrainmemberMember #Joined: 26 Oct 1999Posts: 662Location: Brisbane, Australia Posted: Tue Oct 26, 1999 10:24 pm If ya want some interesting reading on anatomy etc, try looking up some of Giovanni Civardi's books, aswell as Anatomy Lessons From The Great Masters. Should be at Amazon.com. ------------------ Brain http://brain.gamekey.com/ Back to top DhabihAdministratorMember #Joined: 13 Sep 1999Posts: 532Location: Kirkland, WA, U.S.A. Posted: Tue Oct 26, 1999 11:51 pm In addition to everything said above, try to think of the human for as a real simple shape of cylinders and circles. Sketch out the limbs and torso as ovals in proportion to each other and once that looks right, then go over it with a more defined body structure. Check out some anatomy for artists books and practice like crazy. i've found that drawing cartoons (disney style) really helped my realistic figure drawing, since a cartoon simplifies the body to the bare essential shapes. but thats just me. -dhab -dhab Back to top SPike.CoMmemberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 194Location: Helsingborg, Sweden Posted: Wed Oct 27, 1999 12:24 pm When it comes to anatomy it'll tend to get tricky to positions you never drew before. Sketching like crazy from a playboy mag or something is a good idea to get some shapes and anatomy right. Although, as Dhabih said, it's easier and a bucket-of-load lot effectivier [excuse my english but I'm Swedish ] to "chop" the body into basic shapes. I.e. spheres, cylinders, blocks, pears, apples... (But the before mentioned one is a lot funnier). Back to top Happy_Mealjunior memberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 35Location: Quebec,Quebec, Canada Posted: Wed Oct 27, 1999 1:44 pm Never tried that... Back to top imdakingmemberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 321Location: USA Posted: Wed Oct 27, 1999 2:01 pm Alright! =) I remember when I was 12... I was having a hard time drawing females... and I still am but.. My dad said he would go out and buy me a playboy to help me.... LOL! Why the hell didnt I take him up on dat???? *pounds head against wall* Oh well =P Back to top LeomemberMember #Joined: 24 Oct 1999Posts: 328Location: Russia Posted: Wed Oct 27, 1999 5:08 pm Huh, i think practice make perfect... also magazines, posters, photos are good as reference stuff if you haven't a topmodel . /Leo Back to top [Shizo]memberMember #Joined: 22 Oct 1999Posts: 3938 Posted: Wed Oct 27, 1999 6:36 pm My bum is on the swedish! SWEDISH... SwEdIsh.. swedish!!! Come back bAbY cause i like to saaaaay.. i've been around the world back from bom bei. Im gonna put erasor in your face, smells a bit sheatty, dont disgrace! *nevermind this post * ------------------ Russia is power. You dont agree --> we nuke you! Back to top BinkememberMember #Joined: 27 Oct 1999Posts: 1194Location: Sweden Posted: Thu Oct 28, 1999 2:36 am hey im swedish too.. my bum is on the gum, my bum is on the gum I can blow a gum, with my bum bum bum! errr, goofy song Back to top ShrimpishGuestMember # Posted: Thu Oct 28, 1999 2:39 am GET THE POO OFF MY BUUMMM!!!!! GET THE POO POO OFF MY BUM BUM..!!!! Back to top RichieRichjunior memberMember #Joined: 28 Oct 1999Posts: 22Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posted: Fri Oct 29, 1999 5:11 pm Get some proffesional help... Back to top chrisk82memberMember #Joined: 16 Jan 2000Posts: 91Location: CO Posted: Mon Nov 01, 1999 7:41 pm If you want to learn poses, go check out Barnes and Noble - if they have one near you. They had some great books when I went there tonight. And pretty cheap too. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Archive : Sep99 - Dec00 All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group


text:
Generally speaking, I try and keep the Top 5 opening paragraph as topical as possible (i.e. films, television, posters, etc.). This week that protocol is easier than ever to follow as I recently got my first chance to check out director Gareth Evans' The Raid. Keeping this short and sweet, if you've yet to partake in The Raid and have ever derived any joy from watching action fare, martial arts, and the like, then you have a giant favor to do for yourself. Quickly find a way to check out this actioner and try to keep a smile from forming across your face while watching.
Movie recommendations aside, this weekend brings you a recap of all of our 2012 Toronto International Film Festival thus far, the first trailer and poster for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, video interviews with the cast and director of Bachelorette, the inaugural installment of our Hollywood! Adapt This feature spotlighting Disney's Gargoyles, and The Words video interviews with Bradley Cooper, co-writer/co-director Brian Klugman, and more. A brief recap and link to each awaits on the other side.
1. All of Our TIFF 2012 Coverage Thus Far
With TIFF 2012 kicking off just a few days ago, we've only begun to scratch the surface of the coverage Steve and Matt will be turning out from the festival. That said, just two days in and we've already got a plethora of early reviews to bring your way. Click here to check out all of the reviews that have graced the site thus far and join me in anticipation for The Place Beyond the Pines and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
2. First Trailer and Poster for HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS
If you're a sucker for classic fairy tales "reimagined" as dark, bloodthirsty, action pics (i.e. Snow White and the Huntsman), then Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters looks like it should fit comfortably in your cinematic wheelhouse. This first trailer for the film features an abundance of weaponry, witchcraft, violence, and attitude all dressed up in traditional early 19th century German garb. Or, put differently, it's the logical next chapter in the lives of a brother/sister duo who very nearly fell victim to the classic "I live in a house made of candy, so I must be a nice person" trick.
3. BACHELORETTE Interviews with Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, and More
With the comedy Bachelorette opening in limited theaters and on VOD via iTunes this weekend, we were fortunate not only to be offered this exclusive clip from the film but also to have video interviews with Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, and Lizzy Caplan, as well as Rebel Wilson and debut director Leslye Headland. In addition to learning more about this true indie and its VOD premiere during the sit-down, Steve was also able to extract updates on the Party Down movie and other future projects from Dunst and co.
4. Hollywood! Adapt This: Disney's GARGOYLES
This past week our own Dave Trumbore contributed his inaugural installment of a feature entitled Hollywood! Adapt This. His first case study? The animated magic that is Disney's Gargoyles. Even if you come away from Hollywood! Adapt This: Disney's Gargoyles thinking to yourself, "No, please leave that piece of greatness alone", your inner-child will thank you for having spent a period of your adult life reminiscing on Gargoyles. In short, it's a win-win.
5. THE WORDS Interviews with Bradley Cooper, Brian Klugman, and More
Also new to theaters this weekend is co-writers/co-directors Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal's The Words – a drama about a writer who meets the original author of a manuscript he plagiarized to great success. Although it's been met with primarily negative reactions to date, Matt enjoyed the film when he saw it at Sundance, Steve caught up with Bradley Cooper, the aforementioned Klugman, and Ben Barnes while at said festival, and earlier this week, Tommy Cook sat down with Cooper, Klugman, and Barnes once again during The Words press junket.


text:
Sunday, May 31, 2009
About that noise you hear if your windows are open
Fireworks for the 100th anniversary of the Queensboro Bridge. Depending on your rooftop, you can kind of see the fireworks...
Posted by Grieve at 9:10 PM
Labels: fireworks, Queensboro Bridge
2 comments:
- hntrnyc said...
Thanks for the clarification Grieve, saw the fireworks, didn't know the connection. Cheers.
- June 1, 2009 at 3:03 AM
- Jeremiah Moss said...
thanks--i wondered
- June 1, 2009 at 7:37 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Audi just announced their partnership with the New York Yankees as their official luxury vehicle. This will entail an Audi Yankees Club – a new viewing location and restaurant in the left field of the Yankees Stadium.
Audi's VIP guests to Yankees games will enjoy seeing the Audi logo displayed on the glass entrance door, televisions, napkins, brochures, and just about everything else in the area. The sponsorship begins with the opening of the Yankees Stadium and ends after the 2011 season, unless they renew.
So as a fan, what can you expect to change? Nothing really. Just expect to see an Audi logo somewhere around the left field now, and perhaps the occasional Audi vehicle on display outside the stadium.


text:
Author Archives: Matt Hayes
All Posts, Guest Bloggers 4
Top 10 Email Marketing Metric Basics
Good Email Marketing can help you get quick, easy and repeatable qualified traffic to your website. With Email Marketing, regardless of your experience, there are some key metrics that you need to understand, report and benchmark against to see if your email marketing is performing effectively. These metrics give you a bigger picture of email performance when analyzed month to month or year over year and also offers quick feedback … Read more


text:
Calendar | Community
| Family & Friends in the Armed Forces
| Milestones
Community Action |
Humane Society | YMCA
Kiwanis Chocolate Fest a sweet
Send a link to a friend
17, 2014]
This year, the annual fundraiser for Lincoln
Kiwanis took on a unique look. On Saturday, just one day after
Valentine's Day, the Kiwanis hosted "Chocolate Fest."
Cindy Stover, Kiwanis president, says she got the idea from her
If you like chocolate, this was definitely the place to be on
Saturday. The tables were covered with treats, starting with chili
with chocolate and a Mexican chicken mole courtesy of Roy Logan.
There was even a large platter of chocolate-covered bacon. While
everything was going fast, one of the most popular items was the
chocolate punch made by Kiwanian Jim Wilmert. The large bowl had to
be refilled several times. His concoction of milk, ice cream and a
secret sauce made by his wife was a definite hit.
Kiwanis is dedicated to helping children worldwide. "The Kiwanis
serves the children of the world," Stover said. "We help one child
at a time." One program that Stover especially mentioned is the
drive by Kiwanis to eliminate tetanus worldwide.
[to top of second column]
Locally, the Lincoln Kiwanis has an impressive list of
activities. They sponsor the summer reading program at the Lincoln
Public Library, provide a band scholarship at Lincoln Junior High
and sponsor the Builders Club at the junior high. They support the
Student of the Month award at Lincoln High School for the career and
technical programs. Kiwanis also sponsors the Creekside
Environmental Center at Lincoln College, as well as the Easter egg
hunt at the Lincoln Park District. In addition, they provide book
bags for local kids.
If the large crowd at the chocolate-themed fundraiser Saturday is
any indication for the future, look for another chocolate fest next
A special thanks to Cindy for taking the time to talk about the
event and the Kiwanis. She was constantly in motion during the
entire event.
[By CURT FOX]
Back to top


text:
Becoming God's Answer
Online Shopping
Featured Shopping
- Just Released
- Sale Bestsellers
- Bargains
- Baby Gifts
- Bible Study & Small Group
- Bulk Discounts on Books & Bibles
- Christian Book Award Winners
- Dove Awards Winners
- First Communion & Confirmation
- Gifts for Her
- Gifts for Him
- Graduation Day
- Greeting Cards
- LifeWay Resources
- New & Bestselling Fiction
- Resources for Love & Hope
- VeggieTales
- Wedding & Marriage
Spiritual Helps
Inside Scoop
Product Description
Their Lives Couldn't Be More Different, But Their Goal Is the Same: Survive King Herod's Rule.
Two women occupy a place in Herod's court. The first, Salome, is the king's only sister, a resentful woman who has been told she's from an inferior race, a people whom God will never accept or approve of.
The second woman, Zara, is a lowly handmaid who serves Salome, but where Salome spies conspiracies and treachery, Zara sees hurting people in need of understanding and compassion.
Powerful and powerless, Idumean and Jew, selfish and selfless--both women struggle to reach their goals and survive each day within Herod the Great's tumultuous court, where no one is trustworthy and no one is safe.
More Product Information
- Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
- Release Date: August 6, 2019
- Language: English
- Binding: Hardcover
- Height: 1.00 inches
- Width: 5.50 inches
- Length: 8.50 inches
- Weight: 1.40 pounds


text:
Summary Report for:
19-2012.00 - Physicists
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
Sample of reported job titles: Biophysics Scientist, Health Physicist, Physicist, Research Consultant, Research Physicist, Research Scientist, Scientist
Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Detailed Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
- Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.
- Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
- Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.
- Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.
- Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.
- Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentation, and procedures.
- Direct testing and monitoring of contamination of radioactive equipment, and recording of personnel and plant area radiation exposure data.
- Observe the structure and properties of matter, and the transformation and propagation of energy, using equipment such as masers, lasers, and telescopes to explore and identify the basic principles governing these phenomena.
- Develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and apply these theories and laws to problems in areas such as nuclear energy, optics, and aerospace technology.
- Teach physics to students.
- Develop manufacturing, assembly, and fabrication processes of lasers, masers, infrared, and other light-emitting and light-sensitive devices.
- Conduct application evaluations and analyze results to determine commercial, industrial, scientific, medical, military, or other uses for electro-optical devices.
- Develop standards of permissible concentrations of radioisotopes in liquids and gases.
Technology Skills
- Analytical or scientific software — CERN Physics Analysis Workstation PAW; COMSOL Multiphysics; Spectral Dynamics STAR; The MathWorks MATLAB (see all 25 examples)
- Computer aided design CAD software — Autodesk AutoCAD ; Mathsoft Mathcad; RibbonSoft QCad
- Configuration management software — Puppet ; VMware
- Data base management system software — OpenStack; SQLite
- Data base user interface and query software — Microsoft Access ; MySQL ; Oracle software ; Structured query language SQL
- Desktop publishing software — Scribus
- Development environment software — Assembler; Eclipse IDE ; Microsoft Visual Basic ; National Instruments LabVIEW (see all 10 examples)
- Enterprise application integration software — Extensible markup language XML
- Expert system software — Ansible software
- File versioning software — Git
- Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop ; GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP; Ploticus; Xfig (see all 5 examples)
- Music or sound editing software — Adobe Systems Adobe Audition
- Object or component oriented development software — C++ ; Oracle Java ; Practical extraction and reporting language Perl ; Python (see all 6 examples)
- Office suite software — Microsoft Office
- Operating system software — Linux ; Microsoft Windows ; UNIX
- Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
- Video creation and editing software — Lenox Softworks VideoPoint
- Web platform development software — JavaScript
- Word processing software — Microsoft Word
Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.
Tools Used
- Accelerometers
- Amplifiers — Conditioning amplifiers
- Analytical balances
- Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
- Autosamplers — Headspace autosamplers
- Binocular light compound microscopes — Measuring microscopes
- Capacitance meters — Capacitance bridges
- Chromatographic detectors — Atomic emission detectors AED; Photodetectors
- Cryogenic or liquid nitrogen freezers — Helium refrigerators
- Cryostats
- Desktop computers
- Digital camcorders or video cameras — High-speed video cameras
- Electromagnets — Laboratory electromagnets
- Electron microscopes
- Electronic counters — Particle counters
- Force or torque sensors — Vernier force sensors
- Frequency analyzers — Analog frequency analyzers; Portable fast Fourier transform FFT analyzers; Spectrum analyzers; Two-channel fast Fourier transform FFT analyzers
- Frequency calibrator or simulator — Two-channel dynamic signal analyzers
- Frequency counters or timer or dividers — Photon counting systems
- Galvanometers — Galvanostats
- Gas chromatographs — Gas chromatography equipment
- Geiger counters — Geiger-Muller counters
- Goggles — Safety goggles
- High vacuum equipment — Diffusion-pumped vacuum systems; Turbo-pumped vacuum systems
- Infrared spectrometers — Fourier transform infrared FTIR spectrometers
- Injectors — Gas chromatography GC injectors
- Interferometers — Mickelson interferometers; Microwave interferometers
- Ionization chambers
- Laboratory balances — Big G torsion balances
- Laboratory box furnaces
- Laboratory centrifugal pumps
- Laboratory safety furnaces — Annealing furnaces
- Laboratory vacuum pumps — Diffusion pumps
- Laboratory vibrators — Vibration exciters
- Laser beam analyzers — Laser power meters
- Laser filters — Cavity dumpers or drivers
- Lasers — Argon ion lasers; Diode lasers; Single frequency dye lasers; Zeeman split lasers (see all 7 examples)
- Leak testing equipment — Leak detection equipment
- Light scattering equipment — Light scattering devices
- Magnetometer geophysical instruments — Gaussmeters
- Magnetometers — Vibrating sample magnetometers
- Mass spectrometers — Isotope ratio mass spectrometers
- Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes — Computed tomography CT scanners
- Medical magnetic resonance imaging MRI scanners — Magnetic resonance imaging MRI systems
- Medical radiation films or badges — Radiation detecting film badges
- Mobile or transportable medical linear accelerators — Cyclotrons; High-energy accelerators; Linear accelerators; Positive ion accelerators (see all 5 examples)
- Monochromators — Double monochromators; Grating monochromators; Scanning monochromators
- Multimeters — Digital multimeters
- Network analyzers — Two-channel network analyzers
- Notebook computers — Laptop computers
- Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers — Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectroscopes
- Optical beamsplitters — Optical beamsplitting devices
- Optical breadboards — Optical tables
- Optical choppers
- Oscilloscopes — Digital oscilloscopes
- Personal computers
- Photo attachments for microscopes — Charge-coupled device CCD cameras
- Photometers
- Photosensitive diodes — High-resolution semiconductor detectors
- Plotter printers — Digital plotters
- Pneumatic vacuum equipment — Vacuum stations
- Polarizers — Programmable phase modulators
- Pull spring balances — Spring scales
- Radiation detectors — Neutron detectors; Scintillation probes; Thermoluminescent dosimeters
- Roughness measuring instruments — Surface profilometers
- Scanning electron microscopes — Scanning electron microscopes SEM
- Scanning probe microscopes — Atomic force microscopes; Friction-force microscopes; Magnetic force microscopes; Scanning tunneling microscopes STM
- Semiconductor testers — Semiconductor parameter analyzers
- Signal conditioners — Power amplifiers
- Signal generators — Arbitrary function generators; Function generators; Optical detectors; Radiofrequency RF generators
- Single gas monitors — Liquid helium level sensors
- Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter — Analog sound level meters; Digital sound level meters; Pistonphones; Sound intensity probes
- Spectrometers — Gamma ray spectrometers; High-resolution spectrometers; Prism spectrometers; Visible spectrometers (see all 5 examples)
- Spectrophotometers
- Telescopes
- Transmission electron microscopes — Transmission electron microscopes TEM
- Tube furnaces — Laboratory tube furnaces
- Tweezers — Optical tweezers
- Ultraviolet UV lamps — High intensity UV sources
- Visual filters — Pinhole filters
- Voltage or current meters — Digital voltmeters DVM; Nanovoltmeters
- X ray diffraction equipment — X ray crystallography equipment
- Physics — Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.
- Programming — Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Technology Design — Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Speed of Closure — The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Memorization — The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
- Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
Work Activities
- Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
- Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Detailed Work Activities
- Analyze geological or geographical data.
- Develop theories or models of physical phenomena.
- Instruct college students in physical or life sciences.
- Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
- Collaborate on research activities with scientists or technical specialists.
- Develop new or advanced products or production methods.
- Establish standards for products, processes, or procedures.
- Research environmental impact of industrial or development activities.
- Advise others on management of emergencies or hazardous situations or materials.
Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities
Work Context
- Electronic Mail — 77% responded "Every day."
- Face-to-Face Discussions — 72% responded "Every day."
- Structured versus Unstructured Work — 61% responded "A lot of freedom."
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 79% responded "Every day."
- Telephone — 56% responded "Every day."
- Freedom to Make Decisions — 60% responded "A lot of freedom."
- Duration of Typical Work Week — 71% responded "More than 40 hours."
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 49% responded "Very important."
- Contact With Others — 40% responded "Constant contact with others."
- Work With Work Group or Team — 46% responded "Very important."
- Spend Time Sitting — 38% responded "Continually or almost continually."
- Coordinate or Lead Others — 40% responded "Important."
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 72% responded "Important results."
- Letters and Memos — 63% responded "Once a week or more but not every day."
- Time Pressure — 39% responded "Once a week or more but not every day."
- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 29% responded "Moderate responsibility."
- Deal With External Customers — 28% responded "Important."
- Level of Competition — 33% responded "Highly competitive."
- Frequency of Decision Making — 62% responded "Once a month or more but not every week."
Job Zone
|Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
|Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
|Related Experience
|Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
|Job Training
|Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
|Job Zone Examples
|These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
|SVP Range
|(8.0 and above)
Percentage of Respondents
|Education Level Required
|Post-doctoral training
|Doctoral degree
|Master's degree
Interest code: IR Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
- Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
- Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
- Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
- Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
- Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
- Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Work Values
- Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
- Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
- Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Related Occupations
Wages & Employment Trends
|Median wages (2019)
|$59.06 hourly, $122,850 annual
|State wages
|Local wages
|Employment (2018)
|19,200 employees
|Projected growth (2018-2028)
|Faster than average (7% to 10%)
|Projected job openings (2018-2028)
|State trends
|Top industries (2018)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 wage data and 2018-2028 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2018-2028). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Job Openings on the Web
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Chemical Society
- American Institute of Physics
- American Nuclear Society
- American Physical Society
- Health Physics Society
- International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
- Materials Research Society
- National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physicists and astronomers
- Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
- The Optical Society


text:
The thing about making custom baby gowns is that every time I make one, I think, "Oh, my goodness, this is the most stinkin' cute baby gown that has ever existed on this Earth:"
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Penguin, Bunny, Boy
2 comments:
- Brooke said...
Very cute! Thanks for the pasta colouring advice on my blog. I find rubbing alcohol really expensive here (in Australia). But a little researching shows that it gives much vibrant colour and as you say no cracks! Will try it next time.
Envious of your blender! The peanut butter looks great - hope your little one likes the new flavours you are creating.
- March 22, 2011 at 10:33 PM
- Stephanie said...
That is pretty dang cute.
- March 23, 2011 at 10:57 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
It was a rough weekend for Central Ohio. Friday's thunderstorm, which produced 85 mile-per-hour winds, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. Since this happened in the middle of a prolonged heat wave, the power outages were unquestionably uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous. Also, Jason Kreis was forced out into our malls, where passersby could witness him glowering condescendingly about having all of this inconvenience put upon him. Thankfully, the Columbus Crew provided a brief respite from the insanity, treating a near-sellout crowd to a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake.
With so many people in Central Ohio still without electricity, what better way to help them pass the time than a 6,200-word article that can only be read on devices that require some form of electrical power? I am nothing if not a humanitarian.
So here's a little bit about the game, a lot about the power outage, and then a whole bunch of assorted silliness. Let's start with the goals.
The Crew took a vital early lead in the 16th minute. Sebastian Miranda sent a long ball over the top to Emilio Renteria. After trapping the ball, Renteria slipped, popped back up to his feet, and beat the RSL defense by dribbling to the end line, where he cut a low cross against the grain. His pass found Tony Tchani near the penalty spot, and Tchani clinically wrong-footed Rimando, hitting it back where Rimando had just come from as he moved across the goal mouth. It was Tchani's second goal in as many games.
"I was just following the play," Tchani said. "I followed the play and Emilio's cross came to me at the right time and I just put it away. I am an attacking midfielder and Emilio is a forward. If he is on the wing, I need to be in the box. I was there."
Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum said the goal was the result of Renteria adjusting his game based on the feedback and instruction following his previous efforts in such situations.
"Emilio did a great job of cutting the ball back and not shooting from that angle," Gruenebaum said. "We talked about that. Last week, maybe he shoots that ball. This week, he cuts it back for Tony and it's a class finish."
The Crew got another timely goal in the 44th minute. Chris Birchall sent a corner kick to the far side. Josh Williams deftly brought the ball down and then slotted a low pass along the edge of the six yard box. Eddie Gaven popped the ball off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net.
"That was all Josh," Gaven said. "What an incredible touch off of a long corner. He takes it down, plays it across, and then I had the easy part. All I had to do was throw my foot at it. Luckily it went in."
Williams has been notoriously unlucky on scoring off of his corner kick chances, so perhaps the assist is exactly what he needed to get his offensive game on track.
"Maybe that's what I should do," Williams said. "Instead of shooting, maybe I should get assists, because the goals aren't happening. Either way, if I have a hand in a goal, that's fine. I'm happy with it.
"The corner came in and I tried to go back post," he continued. "I saw Saborio jump for it, and I knew he wasn't going to get it. Borchers took a bad angle. I think he thought Saborio was going to get it. I saw it was going to fall to me, so I tried to get a good touch. Originally, I was going to shoot it, but my angle got cut off, so I tried to cut it across. Luckily, Eddie was there and kept it on goal."
After allowing two goals on a pair of turnovers in Chicago, the Crew rebounded to shut out a powerful RSL side that entered the night ranked fourth in the league in scoring at 1.65 goals per game. The Royals only mustered two shots on goal, which barely eclipsed their average shots IN goal.
"We made a point to communicate in the back," said goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum, who collected his sixth clean sheet of the season. "Communication led to some breakdowns in Chicago, so we made a point this week, starting from me, to talk the whole time. We were chirping in everybody's ear the whole time, staying organized. From an organization standpoint, it was good. Josh, Julius, Seba, and Netzo…and actually everybody. Team defending was the best that it has been in a long time. We need to continue that to be successful."
It was also a physical game, and Crew defender Josh Williams said he liked it that way. In fact, some of it was by design.
"We bumped runners a lot," Williams said. "Those guys don't like getting bumped, so we made a point to bump them and get them riled up a bit. Then the elbows started flying and we got some calls."
No Royal gers more worked up than Fabian Espindola. After a heated battle with Julius James last year, the players renewed acquaintances on Saturday. Espindola was clearly agitated for most of the night, and he finally earned a yellow card in the 57th minute for dissent, before being subbed out in the 63rd minute.
"We didn't talk to each other that much," James said of Espindola. "He still kind of lost it today. We're all passionate about the game, and he thought he was fouled, so he got all pissed off at the referee. So that's what happened."
One couldn't help but notice James' celebratory claps of joy when the referee showed Espindola his yellow card.
"I have fun," James said, smiling. "I have fun, man. It's a very passionate game, but there is a thin line between the passion and losing your head."
Another key to shutting down RSL was the return of Danny O'Rourke from a severe ankle sprain suffered on May 23 in Seattle. O'Rourke did what he does, and he did it well.
"Danny played great," said Gaven. "He was all over the field, breaking up plays, switching the field, and doing all of the stuff that he does. It doesn't show up on a stat sheet, maybe, but it's so important for our team. He did everything tonight for us."
"He has a lot of experience," said Crew head coach Robert Warzycha. "He's probably not 100 percent fit, because he hasn't played since the Seattle game. He can manage the game, especially at the end of the game when you have to have somebody on the field with experience to step up and win the ball in the middle. He did that."
"That guy's a beast," said a reverent Williams. "He's just all over the field. If you're playing against him, you hate playing against that guy, but you love having him on your team. I'm glad he's on our team because I know he would be kicking the crap out of us if he was on the other team. As long as he's kicking the other team, I'm fine with it."
"See what happened when Danny comes back?" asked Gruenebaum. "He just wrecks stuff in the middle. It's good to have him back. He looks great in black and yellow."
O'Rourke is notoriously silent and private while he is out injured. He focuses intently on his rehabilitation and never wants to jinx himself by talking about where he is in his recovery. Now that he has played a game, Danny reflected back on the injury in Seattle, where he came down from a header attempt and gruesomely rolled his ankle on the turf. Each replay was cringe-worthy.
"I thought my leg was broken," O'Rourke said. "It snapped. I'd never done an ankle before, so I didn't know that it pops. When I went down, Dilly ran over and was like, 'Dude! It's (bleepin') BROKEN!' Josh Williams was like, 'Nah, nah' and then Cole was freaking out. So I was like, 'Alright, there goes the season.' But between Dave (Lagow), Brook (Hamilton), a couple of the guys I work with locally, and Dr. Edwards, I have the best support staff. So I just worked hard."
The hard work paid off in an energetic 90-minute performance in his very first game back. One had to wonder how much was in the tank, but O'Rourke made it work.
"I didn't know how long I would last," he said. "I wanted to push myself. I wanted to challenge myself. Obviously, there are times where I had to play smarter and not really run around as much. I tried, when I wasn't able to run so far, to be good about directing guys to get into spots. I talked a lot with Josh and Julius. It will take a couple of games to get back to full game fitness."
For a first game back, especially if not at full game fitness, it doesn't get much more difficult in MLS than trying to badger RSL playmaker Javier Morales. O'Rourke effectively hounded him, which limited the RSL attack.
"That was our goal tonight, to shut down Morales," he said. "When you shut him down…obviously, we caught a break tonight since (Kyle) Beckerman was suspended. He's their engine and he frees up a lot of spaces and gets a lot of balls into Morales, so we were fortunate not to deal with that. But if you shut Morales down, you shut down all of those through balls to Espindola and Saborio. I just did my job. When he floated, I think Josh and Julius did a good job, and when he went out wide, I think our outside backs did a good job. It was an overall great defensive effort."
A season-high crowd of 19.674 cheered the Crew on to victory. Not only was the crowd sizeable, but they were into the match. As the Crew walked off the field at halftime with a 2-0 lead, the team got treated to a standing ovation. The Nordecke buzzed as always, this time with the aid of yellow glow sticks that made it look like a swarm of lightning bugs had invaded the northwest corner. It was a great visual to go with the ever-present audio. Meanwhile, the west stands took great delight in razzing Espindola all game, and gave him a jeering sendoff when he exited the match. And on what should have been a difficult night for everyone, that symbiotic team-fan relationship seemed to spur both ends to keep on going until the final whistle.
"They helped us a lot," said Tchani. "It was very humid out there."
"Hopefully we were able to give some people some relief from the heat," said O'Rourke, acknowledging the power outages. "It was a good game, a 2-0 win, and then some fireworks. If they keep showing up like that, hopefully we will continue to perform that way."
Gaven knew it was going to be a special night well before kickoff.
"When I walked out for warm-ups, I thought, 'Wow! This might be our biggest crowd of the year,'" he said. "It was cool. I think we were definitely able to feed off of their energy. The crowd was really into the game, which maybe killed their rhythm and gave us some extra energy. That was huge tonight."
James appreciated not only all of the fans who came, but also wanted to recognize the Crew employees who helped make it happen.
"Our front office did a great job on getting people out to the game," he said. "It's an improvement from last year. It's a good feeling to play in front of a crowd of that size. It's been five weeks, so maybe people missed us. Hopefully we can keep getting crowds like that."
And most importantly, the Crew took advantage of having a big crowd. In the past, it seems the team has squandered opportunities to show a big crowd a good time, but Saturday night, they accomplished their mission.
"I think last year we had a huge crowd against Chicago and we lost 1-0," said Gaven, referring to a ghastly performance that ended in a last-second defeat. "Everybody was bummed out, so to be able to play well tonight in front of a big crowd, and to get two goals, and to play a fairly exciting game was huge. Hopefully we start getting crowds like that week in and week out."
Hundreds of thousands of Central Ohio residents were without power on Saturday as a result of Friday's wind storms, and Crew players were not immune to Mother Nature's fury.
"We still don't have power," Gaven said on Saturday. "Last night was a rough one because my son is young and he couldn't sleep. But whatever. It wasn't just me. It was everybody. For me, once you get on the field, you can't worry about that. You just have to go out and do your job."
Julius James had power, but the storm had a different effect on him.
"The storm was really scary," James said. "I'm not going to lie."
(Gruenebaum interjected, adding, "Julius called me, saying, 'Hold me! Hold me!'")
All joking aside, James said the storm truly frightened him.
"Being from the Caribbean, you'd expect someone like me to be accustomed to these storms," he said. "Since I have been alive, Trinidad & Tobago hasn't had to deal with storms with high winds like that. Thank God. People in Trinidad say God is from Trinidad because the hurricanes head straight toward Trinidad, but then they veer away. This time, I was very scared, man. I was just sitting at home like this. [He dropped his jaw and bulged his eyes out in terror.] I was looking for my candles, and then I was sitting right next to my candles. I was ready. I have two! I have two candles!"
Gruenebaum lost power, which he viewed as a learning experience.
"These are the times in life where you thank God that you actually like your wife," he said. "If you marry someone and you don't like that person, you'll know it when the power goes out, because you just have to sit there and stare at each other. We enjoyed each other's company, so it was good. That's what I've learned."
Midfielder Tony Tchani and his roommate Dilly Duka encountered a more bizarre set of circumstances.
"We didn't lose power," Tchani said. "We were lucky. We just lost water. That was the only thing."
The ONLY thing? That seems like it would be worse!
"Those guys don't shower anyway, so it doesn't mean anything," O'Rourke said.
But showering was not my concern. I was more concerned about, say, not being able to flush the toilet.
"Can you imagine that?" said Gaven. "I don't know if that's worse, or sweating because you don't have a fan and listening to your 14-month old scream his head off. I think probably the toilet would be worse. At least we have water, so I can't complain too much."
Gruenebaum felt that losing water would be infinitely worse than losing power.
"You would be crapping outside and then picking it up like a dog," he said. "They would have to stroll over to the park where those plastic bags are and then pick up their own crap. It's embarrassing."
I highly doubt that's Tony and Dilly did, but at least we now know how Gruenebaum would handle the situation should he find himself in a similar predicament.
Like most of us in Central Ohio, including many of the Crew's players, Real Salt Lake had to deal with a lot of adversity on Friday and Saturday. Their hotel lost power, making for a sleepless night. The players had to spend much of the day hanging out at the mall at Polaris just to be someplace with electricity and air conditioning. Power came back to the hotel just as the team bus was departing for the stadium. It was hardly a normal road trip, and it undoubtedly took its toll on them.
"I just found that out," Gaven said after the game. "I didn't know that they didn't have power at their hotel. Maybe that played with their head a little bit. I don't know."
To their credit, RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando and defender Nat Borchers said the lack of power and the day spent hanging out at the mall wasn't an excuse when it was something both teams had to deal with.
"I've been on many teams where your uniforms don't show up til late; you're flight lands right before the game and you end up winning those games," Rimando said. "Funny things like that happen. Maybe that was going to happen today, but it didn't. It's definitely not an excuse. We still have to go out there and perform and try at least to get a point on the road."
"You'd like to make excuses, but you can't in this business," Borchers said. "We did everything we could to prepare physically and mentally for this game. They went through it, too."
Gruenebaum empathized with RSL's plight, having lived largely the same experience, although with the benefit of home field advantage.
"It's tough when you're on the road," Gruenebaum said. "When is that ever going to happen? Almost everybody goes through their whole career without having something like that happen. It happened, and it affected everyone. It's tougher, obviously, when you're in a different city, and you don't have the resources, like your own vehicle. It's definitely a tough situation for them. But then again, we both had to deal with it. My preparation for the game was a lot different. I spent half the day in Kroger. We were trying to figure out if we wanted to buy, like, apples and granola, or do we want to buy donuts? I mean, is this just an excuse to eat bad and gain weight?"
So which was it?
"We went the healthy route, unfortunately."
KREIS COMPLAINS, McCULLERS DEFENDS
If there was anything predictable about such an unpredictable situation that impacted over a million people, it was that Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis would find a way to play the victim. He did not disappoint.
"We wake up in the morning and the first thing we hear is that the game might be canceled or the game might be postponed or the game might get dragged out 'til nine; we might get a flight out of Cincinnati," Kreis said. "It's not good enough. It's not professional enough to be going the whole day, 'Are we playing? Are we not playing? What are we going to do because we have no air conditioning in our hotel?'So the guys are going to sit in the mall. It's just too much uncertainty and a little bit of a lack of professionalism the way things were handled over the last 24 hours."
The Crew never considered postponing the game unless the power to Crew Stadium could not be restored. Crew players I had spoken with said that the game was on all day, and that they did their best to prepare given the trying circumstances that many of them were experiencing as well. Until given an official cancellation notice, wouldn't that be the prudent way to approach the situation?
Crew President and GM Mark McCullers elaborated on some of the preparations that went into pulling the game off with only a one-hour delay.
"Before 10:00 a.m., we established that the stadium repairs and clean up from the storm were complete and that the stadium was game ready – it just needed power," McCullers said. "We were in constant communication with AEP [the power company] as they were evaluating the situation. Obviously they were reeling with half of Franklin County without power."
The plan was to play the game, and that an official delay and cancellation schedule would be provided in the afternoon if power had not been restored at that point. At 3:00, working in conjunction with the league and AEP, it was determined that the game would proceed as scheduled unless power was not restored by 5:00. At that point, the game would be pushed back one hour to a 9:00 start. If the power was not restored by 6:00, the game would be postponed and rescheduled. The default position all day was "game on" unless power restoration deadlines were missed.
Power was restored at approximately 5:30, resulting in a 9:00 kickoff in accordance with the established plan. Later that night, AEP tweeted that fixing just two poles restored power to 6,000 customers, including Crew Stadium.
"Words will not do justice to the job our staff and AEP did to make sure our fans endured as little inconvenience as possible and, in fact, enjoyed a great experience," McCullers said. "How about removing standing water from all the field level LED cabinets and toweling off the circuitry by hand to minimize the chance of damage? Remember, we didn't know (the LED boards) status until power was restored to the stadium around 5:30. How about Sodexo getting electricity two hours prior to gates opening and being ready to go when they normally take 4-6 hours to prepare? Sodexo served over 1,000 Limited employees a catered meal. How about our ticket office staff going to Ohio State and using their Ticketmaster equipment to print will call tickets? The list goes on and on. I couldn't be more proud.
"All of which makes Jason Kreis' comments so disappointing," McCullers continued. "A lot of people, including league personnel, answered the call to make sure this game got played and to minimize the impact on the fans and the teams under tremendous pressure and terrible conditions. His remarks were out of line, insensitive, and unwarranted."
Last winter, Kreis crabbed about the playing conditions of the Crew Stadium field during a CONCACAF Champions League match, which weren't all that bad considering it was February in Ohio. He said he was told that the field would be covered, and he wanted to know why the field wasn't covered like he had been told. He then assured the Columbus press that Salt Lake's field would be covered and would be in great shape for the return leg the following week. When the Crew got out to Salt Lake, they had to play on a sloppy brown surface that was infinitely worse than the Crew's field a week earlier, despite all of Kreis' condescension and bluster.
Now that Kreis has decried the "lack of professionalism" in pulling this game off, one can only imagine, based on the vast chasm between his 2011 field comments and actual reality, what would happen if a state of emergency blackout hit Utah when the Crew visit next year. Maybe the game would be played in the dark by players carrying flashlights or wearing those miner helmets with lamps on them.
In the meantime, McCullers and the Crew have nothing to apologize for. Between the fans, the players, the front office, and many other unsung heroes around town, everyone came together to produce an exciting night of entertainment during an otherwise tense and difficult weekend in Central Ohio.
"As I've said many times, being Massive is about being part of something bigger than yourself," McCullers said. "I think on Saturday, we were all Massive."
MORE McCULLERS ON ATTENDANCE
McCullers offered a few more thoughts on the team's attendance and the success of this specific match. He was pleased to hear the players acknowledging the crowd, as well as the front office's work. And he was also happy that the players responded by sending the fans home happy. And the fans were surely thrilled to see more of themselves in the stands watching a winning performance. Everyone, except for Jason Kreis, came away happy.
"It's such a symbiotic relationship," McCullers said. "The players feed off the atmosphere created by the fans with front office support, and the front office staff morale is boosted by the team's performance and enthusiasm of the fans. This is where the club really can create synergy and inertia that can have a major impact on our results going forward - on and off the field."
After a terrible 2011 snapped the Crew's five-year run of increased ticket sales and ticket revenue, the club has rebounded strongly in 2012, bolstered by its publicly-stated vision of 10,000 season tickets, called Goal 10K. Through seven games, the Crew are averaging 14,141 fans per game, compared to 10,011 through the first seven home games in 2011. That's an increase of 41.2 percent. The Crew finished 2011 at 12,185 fans per game, so they are well ahead of that pace in 2012.
"Our sales and marketing tactics are significantly improved under the leadership of Mike Malo and Clark Beacom," he said. "Our sales infrastructure is much improved and our sales culture and approach is very dynamic. I think Goal10K as a rallying point has been a factor. Our season tickets sales are up 35 percent over 2011 and we have sold more NEW season tickets this year than in any year since the stadium opened."
The big crowd on Saturday was the result of a several factors, according to McCullers.
"For this game, we have stuck with the Red, White & Crew brand and concept for four seasons," he said. "Our approach this year was to layer a number of promotions such as Night of Champions, Pepsi Crew Value Pack, Military Appreciation Night and others to drive significant attendance for marquee matches like Red, White and Crew. Our staff executed the plan brilliantly and my hope is that Red, White and Crew becomes a staple Independence Day event in the market. I think it will."
McCullers said the Crew have some good crowds shaping up for the second half of the season. He also said that Saturday's game showed what Crew Stadium could be like if the club meets its goal of 10,000 season tickets.
"When we achieve Goal 10K, crowds like Saturday will be much more frequent," he said.
Now, on to some frivolity…
Here is a tiny sliver of the infinite, constantly-evolving banter when this particular reunion takes place. As Duncan Oughton stood in the doorway to the upper concourse, Brian Dunseth popped out of RSL's broadcast booth, prompting this exchange…
OUGHTON: (leaning out toward the mini field on the west side of the stadium) "Look out children! Brian Dunseth is coming! Run away!"
DUNSETH: "Hey, you're the one that has a little red dot on a map on the internet, so parents know where you are at all times."
OUGHTON: "No, that's just for farm animals."
DUNSETH: "It's for the sheep when you're out with your Velcro gloves."
It never ends. It never ever ends.
At halftime, as I prepared to head back to the other side of the stadium to grab more water, I asked Dunny if he wanted anything while I was over there.
"If you could please bring back coffee, that would be great," he said. "I like my coffee black, like my men."
I laughed at what I thought was an "Airplane!" reference, but the in the middle of the second half, wouldn't you know it…
The game was brutally hot for the players, but it was also a scorcher in the broadcast booths. At halftime, I happened upon Crew technical director Brian Bliss, slumped and half-sitting on a table near the door to the concourse. His body language was incongruous with the Crew's 2-0 halftime lead, but it turned out that he was miserably hot in the suffocating radio booth, and was just trying to enjoy a little breeze.
Oughton, as always, found the most eloquent way to capture the sweat-soaked experience.
"I am never wearing this underwear again," Oughton said. "I'm going to throw it out or burn it. That's if I can even get it off my body. It might be melted onto me."
Oughton was later spotted straddling an upward-blowing floor fan in the RSL broadcast booth.
As of this writing, Gruenebaum was in the lead in fan voting for the 2012 MLS All-Star Game. Danny O'Rourke maintained a healthy skepticism about the voting process.
"What's the percentage of your all-star votes that are coming from the Gruenebaum family?" O'Rourke wondered. "That's what I want to know. What's the percent?"
"95 percent," said Gruenebaum. "My mom, my dad, Lacey's parents…"
"I bet if we checked," O'Rourke said, "all the votes would be coming in from when you get home at 1:30 until Lacey comes home at 5:00. That window of time would have most of the voting activity."
"I guarantee you that I have not voted for myself once," Gruenebaum said.
"I believe you," said O'Rourke with a sarcastic nod.
Team operations guru Tucker Walther saw through the smokescreen. "Yeah," Tucker said, "notice that he said he didn't vote for himself ONCE."
"I know," O'Rourke said. "I believed him because he has obviously voted for himself way more than once."
This is now O'Rourke's second allegation of election rigging. He has long maintained that equipment manager Rusty Wummel rigged the vote in winning the 2011 MLS equipment manager of the year award.
"That's the Chicago way, you know?" said Wummel, a Windy City native. "Vote early and vote often."
"Do you know what the criteria was?" O'Rourke asked. "Least amount of detergent used all year long."
"Especially for Danny O'Rourke's stuff," Wummel added.
It seems that every time this subject comes up, Danny has a new reason for Wummel winning the award. Last time, it was that the award was bestowed upon the equipment manager that gave the players the least amount stuff.
"That's still true," O'Rourke said before launching into an impersonation of an angrily yelling Wummel. "DON'T GIVE YOUR JERSEYS AWAY! I ONLY HAVE SEVEN THOUSAND AND I NEED THEM ALL FOR THE END OF THE YEAR SALE!"
Despite leading the All-Star voting on account of his fantastic play this season, or possibly election fraud, Gruenebaum made a point to credit his longtime goalkeeping partner, William Hesmer, for the role he has played in Gruenebaum's success. He noted that there were years that Hesmer deserved to be an all-star, and that the competition between the two of them has made each of them a better goalkeeper than they would have been without the other.
"A big part of this is with him," the Hebrew Hammer said of the injured Hesmer. "I want to say that part of that goes to Will, but not Matt Lampson. I just want to stress that Matt has nothing to do with anything that is going on. He's actually a nuisance. Every time I see him, it just makes me cringe. He's just a terrible person. I want that on record."
So what does the rookie goalkeeper do? After the Hammer learns from Hesmer, does Lampson try to teach him stupid stuff to make him a less effective goalkeeper? Like encouraging Gruenebaum to catch the ball with his elbows or something?
"It's not about teaching," Gruenebaum said. "It's about off the field stuff. Let me try to think of a for-instance. We hang out a lot, and his girlfriend owns him. It's tough to see a man of his size and stature just get owned by a girl that is five-foot-four, whereas, and you know this—you've seen it yourself—I own my wife. I put my foot down. We're big into Game of Thrones, and I've got my wife calling me 'My Lord.' Matt can't get his girlfriend to do that at all. Lacey calls me 'My Lord.' Like tonight, she will say, 'Good game, My Lord.' Or 'My Liege.' Whichever."
The story hung in the air for a moment.
"And by the way," he added, "that's a lie."
Former Crew forward (and Massive Champion) Jason Garey, now with the NASL's Carolina RailHawks, has added a surprising line to his resume—author. His first novel, "Geauxing Galt", is now available on Amazon.com. A Kindle edition will follow within a few weeks. It's a novel born out of not only Garey's intense interest in libertarian politics and the environmental causes of his native Louisiana, but also out of the mundane existence that accompanied off-season hip surgery.
"After I had my surgery last year, I was bored out of my mind," Garey said. "I had a lot of free time on my hands. I'm kind of educated in the world of politics, and I just started writing, and then a story took form. So then I thought, 'What the hell? Let's give it a shot. Let's put it out there and let people ridicule me!' Some guys decide to play video games. I decided to write a book."
Garey, a self-described "Ron Paul guy" and a fan of the book "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand, said he composed a story set in the year 2020 revolving around a self-made oil driller from Louisiana. (He explained that the title "Geauxing Galt" is a play on both Louisiana's French culture and a nod to the name of the main character in Atlas Shrugged.) The setting enabled him to draw upon his own experiences with the people, places, and issues of his home state. Once he started work on the novel, he also found extra personal meaning and motivation. He and his wife, Meghann, are expecting a baby boy in the first week of August.
"As I was writing, we found out that Meghann was pregnant, so I started thinking about what are the values that I would want my son to have? Not that I want him to be an oil driller, but I want him to be self-sufficient, confident, and to be able to take care of himself and his family. All of those kinds of things just started weaving themselves into the story. My love for fishing tied into it. My love for the outdoors and the marshes. There's a part of the book that deals with the coastal erosion down in Louisiana, which you may remember is the stuff that I did while I was in Columbus. It's all interwoven into this story."
Garey acknowledged that a politically-themed novel would be divisive on its face, no matter which political philosophy the book espoused. Being a libertarian who believes in smaller government, he knows that some people will disagree with him. And he is fine with that.
"I know there are people who will vehemently disagree, but I don't have a problem with it. I have pretty thick skin. People can curse me and tell me I'm an idiot and that I'm just a soccer player, and you know what? Maybe they'd be right. But it's something I decided to do and I'll stand by it. We'll have to see what the marketplace thinks. It's all about the free market and free enterprise. If people think it sucks, then I won't sell any and that will be that. Then when I am 60, I can look back and say I wrote a book, and it was fun, and that I wish it had done a little better. [Laughs.] And if it's good, then it will be rewarded."
On a personal note, Jason and Meghann have not decided on a name for their son, although Garey assured me that he has unequivocally ruled out the name Duncan.
I couldn't help but notice that right next to Rich Balchan's locker was another locker belonging to a man with a very similar last name…
It turns out that the perpetrator was none other than the anatomically-jawed goalkeeper himself.
"I thought it would be a good idea," Gruenebaum said. "You have to really strike against yourself before somebody else does it. That way it doesn't hurt as bad."
If the nameplate is correct, taking it on that particular chin would hurt extra bad.
As we wrapped up our interview at the end of a long day, O'Rourke glanced at the clock. It read 11:58.
"It's past my bedtime, man," he said. "You're keeping me here past my bedtime. I should be in bed in two minutes."
And with that, he went on his way. Somehow I doubt he made his curfew.
It's always a special and hilarious time when former Crew teammates Duncan Oughton, Brian Dunseth, and Dante Washington get together. As I've said many times, I owe a lot to those guys for helping the Notebook become what it eventually became, so I'm always happy to see them reunited. But I could never be as happy to see them reunited as they are. TheCrew.com's Cody Sharrett perfectly captured the trio in their natural state of perpetual laughter:
Upon seeing the photo, Dante tweeted: "Years of abuse I have taken from [Oughton] and Dunny. But yet we still remain friends. #muppetsforlife"
Questions? Comments? Think it's frustratingly ironic that the trees I save by writing online have fallen on the power lines that bring you the electricity needed to read the tree-saving internet columns? Feel free to write at firstname.lastname@example.com or via twitter @stevesirk
Getty Images
Sirk's Notebook: Power Outage


text:
Incoming 1Ls / Re: Penn 2L taking questions for a little bit...« on: December 19, 2007, 06:44:19 PM »
Sorry, I've been busy and unresponsive (to apparently not much activity). I'll be all over the world with not much internet access for winter break so it might take me until mid-January to answer questions. I'll try to check in if I can though.