It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt
Book Review - AS THEY SEE 'EM - What do you think?
Allen St. John wrote this book review on Sunday, September 27, 2009 called "It's the Hard-Knock Life For Umps."
Have you read AS THEY SEE 'EM, By Bruce Weber? What do you think? Agree or disagree? (Seems like if you are an umpire you will love the book, otherwise, you might find it skewed.)
Here's the review:
The manager storming out of the dugout to accost an umpire over a blown call is as much a part of baseball as late-season pennant races and overpriced hot dogs. But what exactly are they saying in the heat of the moment? Bruce Weber's "As They See 'Em" gives us a glimpse, in the form of a transcript of an argument between former Orioles manager (and legendary umpire baiter) Earl Weaver and umpire Bill Haller.
Haller: I didn't touch you.
Weaver: You pushed your finger --
H: I did not. Now you're lying. You're lying.
W: No, you are.
H: You are lying.
W: You're a big liar.
H: You're a liar, Earl, a liar.
Amusing, but not exactly the Lincoln-Douglas debates. And in a way, this brief exchange is a microcosm of "As They See 'Em." While Weber's detailed look at the men (and women) who call balls and strikes is mildly entertaining, it's also fairly predictable and more than a little overblown.
Weber begins promisingly enough with a brief cultural history of umpiring, stretching from the first -- and only -- umpire corruption scandal way back in 1882 to cultural references that run the gamut from Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee to Jim Bouton's novel "Strike Zone." Weber argues strenuously for umpires' cultural importance: "It's hard not to see them as symbols of something or other. The gorgeous human imperfection of democracy, perhaps." But the cumulative effect is that he protests their significance just a bit too much.
Weber's Plimptonesque foray behind the plate is not very successful. He attends Jim Evans's umpire school and learns the basics -- and hints at the intricacies -- of working the bases and calling pitches behind the plate. The problem is that Weber neither masters the subtleties of the work nor finds humor in his own ineptitude. His biggest insight, such as it is, is that umpires watch the game differently, as he explains why he blew a call. "I'd acted like a fan, a watcher. I'd considered the situation, parsed the details, and analyzed the possibilities, all before I'd determined where to go." Weber's stint behind the plate in a Giants intrasquad game in spring training should have provided a dramatic peak for the book, but Weber is so far out of his depth that it's nothing more than a wasted opportunity.
In the end, umpires are mostly interesting to the degree to which they affect the game. And it's in Weber's discussion of the theory and practice of the strike zone that "As They See 'Em" finally hits its stride. "Anyone who thinks a strike is a strike is a strike ought to recall that the strike zone is like the fulcrum of a seesaw," he writes. "It sits at the swivel point of baseball, between pitching and hitting, between offense and defense, and if it isn't precisely situated, the game is thrown out of balance." Umpires, Weber explains, will consciously adjust their strike zone to keep the game moving, to keep the dugouts quiet and to encourage batters to swing even when the pitcher's control is suspect. And indeed, he argues that the loosening up of the strike zone in the 1990s was the umpires' unofficial response to the game's offensive explosion. "It's impossible to call a rulebook strikezone," admits umpire Chris Guccione flatly.
Weber's genuine admiration for his colleagues drives "As They See 'Em," but it's also the book's major flaw. While the rest of baseball is largely a meritocracy, Weber explains the many ways in which the world of umpiring is not, and yet he's reluctant to explore this notion further. Minor league umpires, it turns out, are drawn from the pool of students at one of two umpiring schools and are moved up to the majors in a way that has more to do with random chance, sheer persistence and an ability to work an old-boys' network than with actual skill. (The treatment of one female umpire -- "Guys who had never worked with her were willing to offer an opinion about her, either that she was a lousy umpire or that she slept around, with umpires and with players" -- is especially disturbing.) Most umpires are in their mid-30s by the time they reach the big leagues -- the age at which most ball players can't see a fastball the way they once could -- and once they're there, they're as entrenched as federal judges. Weber notes that, unlike modern players, umpires don't use outside training aids (and have actively resisted their implementation) and even their QuesTec stats, which are used to measure their performances, are quietly juiced by Major League Baseball.
But despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, Weber clings to the notion, perpetuated by the umpires themselves, that the men in blue are a persecuted minority. He buys into their version of the bungled 1999 strike and even lends credence to their hurt feelings over being left out of a recent World Series program.
Weber goes so far as to search out umpires like Don Denkinger and Tim McClelland, who made some of the most controversial -- and just plain bad -- calls in recent memory, and gives them a chance to set the record straight. "Did [Matt] Holliday touch the plate?" Weber wonders breathlessly, as he considers McLelland's home plate call in a decisive 2007 pennant race game between the Padres and Rockies. "Perhaps this inquiry doesn't quite have the same resonance as, say, was Hamlet insane? Or does Godot exist? But in the sense that a ball game can be seen as a drama I've come to think of it as baseball's equivalent." To his credit, McClelland doesn't try to wax poetic: "I can't beat myself up. I saw what I saw, and I called what I saw." It's a lesson that would have served Bruce Weber well while writing this uneven and ultimately less-than-satisfying book.
Allen St. John is the author of "The Billion Dollar Game: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Day In American Sport -- Super Bowl Sunday" and "Clapton's Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument."
Saw this editorial recently about how I can convince my friends (and family!) to travel overseas.
"To those of us who love international travel—those of us who’ve been transformed by it and have become addicted to it—this notion might seem astonishing. Who on earth wouldn’t want to travel the world? Well, in reality, lots of people. In fact, those of us who love travel may well come off as the weird ones sometimes—and it’s a good idea to tread carefully with our travel-love when we’re around friends and family. Earlier this year, Elisabeth Eaves wrote a great essay in these pages about wanderlust, noting how “I couldn’t look at the glossy cover of a travel magazine, or browse the travel section of a bookstore, without getting a lump in my throat.” I’ve had that same lump in my throat, and odds are you have too. But many people haven’t, and needling them with information and justification won’t change that.
This isn’t to say that your friends can’t still be won over—but often this is a gradual, subtle process. Just as an evangelical Christian is more likely to win converts by living joyfully in his faith than by droning on about salvation, the best way to win over travel skeptics is to humbly allow your overseas journeys to deepen your life. Over the course of many years, as you return from exotic places energized and inspired—with your body (and bank account) intact—your friends may start to take an interest. Once they start barraging you with questions of how and when and where (instead of just why), odds are they’re seriously starting to consider their own international trips.
A good strategy at this point is to answer the “who” question for them—i.e. offer to have them meet up with you during one of your own journeys. Your companionship and confidence will help allay their fears on that initial overseas trip, and odds are they’ll catch the travel bug in the process. I’ve seen this happen with none other than my own parents, who didn’t own passports until I talked them into visiting me in Korea a little over 10 years ago. A few years later they joined me in China and Mongolia, and a few years after that they joined me in Paris and Prague. Now, in their 60s, they’ve become salty overseas travelers, eagerly looking forward to their next journey.
So in the end you’ll just want to be patient with your friends. Some of them may never travel overseas, and that’s fine. But for those who may yet be converted, your best strategy is to quietly enjoy your own international travels, and keep at it until your friends can’t help but want to join the adventure."
Cash for Clunkers and Why I Think it is a BAD idea!
Been a while since I went on a rant. Please allow me 5 minutes to state my peace about Cash for Clunkers (CFC). IMHO, CFC is a bad idea for many, many reasons:
1) It puts people into new car loans that shouldn't be buying new cars (can't afford the car...)
2) It teaches people to buy new cars which is a poor financial decision knowing how much the car will depreciate when you drive it off the lot
3) It takes useful cars off the road
4) It continues to teach Americans the attitude of throw-it-away and buy new
5) Where will the CFC stimulus money come from?
Now an example of #2.
CNN Money ran a story telling what people got in place of their clunker. Here's an example:
Traded: 1993 Ford Explorer (15 mpg)
Bought: 2009 Hyundai Elantra (28 mpg)
"Cash for Clunkers made it possible to buy a new Elantra. It was an absolute no-brainer. The sticker price was $17,500, and I paid $10,500."
Interesting. A no-brainer? I did a search on autotrader.com for newer model Hyundai Elantra's. I found a great used car at half-the-price of the new one he bought... Used 2006 Hyundai Elantra GLS for $5,300 with 42,000miles. Half the price and still, probably, a decent car. And I bet he could have sold the 1993 Ford Explorer to some sucker for $500 or $1000 so they could get the CFC rebate.
He then pays maybe ~$4500 for his upgraded car - and not $10,500.
This is a great article from the WSJ and puts into perspective the other side of America's debate over illegal immigrants. As I work in foreign countries (100% legally, mind you) I often ask/wonder how I am perceived...
SAN JUAN ALOTENANGO, Guatemala -- In 2004, Ambrosio Carrillo made a perilous and illegal journey to the U.S. in search of opportunity. Earlier this year, he made the equally wrenching decision to return home.
This Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element known to science. This new element, Governmentium (GV), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it a mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called Morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electron, it is inert; however, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction, which would normally take less than a second, to take anytime between four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of two to six years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes reorganization, in which some of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming Isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as the Critical Moreass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many peons, but twice as many morons.
AdiĂłs Sydney. The pleasure has been all mine getting to know you. In the past ~3 weeks I have been able to indulge in:
* Viewing the Opera house from all angles
* Harbor bridge climb
* Market shopping at Paddy's
* Manly beach
* Bondi beach
* Shopping on Pitt St., George St., etc.
* Spending time on the water (ferries to and from all over)
* Trekking to and all over the Blue Mountains including seeing the Three Sisters
* Walking all over CBD and North Sydney
* Enjoying the great staff and facilities at the Sheraton/Westin Sydney
* Relaxing in the Sydney Botanic Gardens
* Taking in my first "footy" match - and watching a South Sydney upset!
* Traveling over to the Taronga Zoo
* Experiencing the Maritime Museum
* Eating fresh mussels and great dining on the wharfs and harbor fronts
* Meeting great people at the client and Guidewire Australia
I think that is it :) This has been a great three weeks and I look forward to my AU return.
As many of you know, I officiate college baseball in the USA. My travels have taken me to Sydney, AU where I read a local story about a home-town official, who, couldn't make either side happy! Blasting the official happens worldwide.
Henry blows whistle on local ref
"CANBERRA coach Neil Henry last night claimed Raiders fans would be concerned about local referee Ben Cummins being appointed to crucial end-of-season games involving the Green Machine."
One of my RU colleagues passed along this (very funny) "Boston Consulting Group" (BCG) presentation called "Romance: A BCG Analysis". It is very funny, and maybe a little true, too.
Reflections on Italy -- Agony and the Ecstasy (Newsweek)
Newsweek published an article in their International edition about Italy recently. Entitled "Agony and the Ecstasy", the article describes a barely functioning society that is separated from the governments woes. Yet its people are happy.
I just was in Rome, Italy not too long ago and found this article interesting. The full article is included herein or you can view the article at Newsweek.
Just days remain until 2008. This Christmas and Holiday season reflect back on your year. What lives have you changed? How have you impacted the world? Have you improved your life or lives around you? 2008 is here, what will we do with it?
Make this holiday season the best ever. Remember why Christmas is celebrated then let that knowledge propel you into a great 2008.
To you and to yours may I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Jarhead, a movie based on former Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book about his pre-Desert Storm experiences in Saudi Arabia and about his experiences fighting in Kuwait, opens Nov 4th, 2005.
More details are at www.jarheadmovie.com. HD movie trailer at http://movies.apple.com/movies/universal/jarhead/jarhead-tlr_480p.mov
1) Be true to yourself. 2) Make each day your masterpiece. 3) Help others. 4) Drink deeply from the Good Book. 5) Make friendship a fine art. 6) Build a shelter against a rainy day. 7) Pray for guidance, and give thanks for your blessings every day.
[Cameron was a cancer patient at All Children's/St. Pete. I visited him a few times while visiting AM @ All Children's.] Cameron Mitchell Cox, 12, died June 2, 2005. Cameron was a lifetime resident of Bradenton, Fla. He attended Abel Elementary and Lee Middle School. He is survived by father, Allan Cox; mother, Jennifer Edwards; stepfather, Darin Edwards; brother, Justin; sister, Kimber; grandparents, Kerry Pulizzi of Bradenton; Jim Kenney of Kirkland, Wash.; Peter Shea of Bradenton; Barbara and Norman Edwards of Pinellas County; great-grandparents, Shirley and Robert Shea of West Palm Beach; godmother, Kimberly Reisinger of Cleveland, Ohio. Visitation will be Wednesday, June 8, 2005, 6-8p.m. at Covell Cremation & Funeral Center, 4232 26th Street West, Bradenton. Celebration of Life service will be at Palma Sola Bay Baptist Church, 4000 75th Street West, Bradenton, Thursday, June 9, 2005, at 6p.m. We want to acknowledge the love and support of our extended family and friends. We love you dearly, Cameron. You have touched many lives and are safe in the arms of Jesus. We will miss you until the day we join you in Heaven. Ride your bicycle, my son. Memorial contributions may be donated to Cameron Cox Memorial Fund C/O Palma Sola Baptist Church, 4000 75th Street West, Bradenton, Fla., 34207. Published in The Herald on 6/6/2005.
Big Ben in London mysteriously stopped ticking for 90 minutes today. Here is some history on the landmark clock:
Big Ben, which is operated by the Palace of Westminster, survived attacks by German Luftwaffe bombers during World War II, continuing to mark the time to within 1 1/2 seconds of Greenwich Mean Time.
However, the clock has experienced occasional problems.
In 1962, snow caused the clock to ring in the New Year 10 minutes late. In 1976, the clock stopped when a piece of its machinery broke. Big Ben also stopped on April 30, 1997, and once more three weeks later.
Big Ben is actually the clock's 13-ton bell, which was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the British commissioner of works at the time the clock was built.
The official name for the Gothic tower holding Big Ben is St. Stephen's Tower. Standing 315 feet tall, it was completed in 1858 after an 1834 fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster.
I've been working in Panama City, Florida for SallieMae. My return trip has me flying direct from PFN to MCO. I rent a car in Orlando and drive to TIA. This week's drive was everything but ordinary.
Just outside of Tampa I witnessed - meaning happened right in front of me - a major accident. The local news stories present it this way:
MANGO - A mother and her baby were killed in a fiery multi-car crash on Interstate 4 Thursday night.
Just after 8 p.m., Sandray Green's small car crossed the median from the eastbound lanes into the westbound lanes of the interstate near Thonotosassa Road. The vehicle hit a pickup truck head-on, then went airborne before striking at least two more cars.
"When I seen the car coming across, it spun around right there into that spot, and within a few minutes, it was in flames," Jimmy Simpson recalled.
According to the Highway Patrol, witnesses told them that Green, 38, was unresponsive in the moments before her car caught fire, but other witnesses told Action News that she was crying out for help.
"Looked like the driver, the lady, was actually still alive. But we couldn't get to her. All of the sudden it burst into flames. No one could get to her," Art Luther said
"She was just yelling and screaming for help and nobody could do it. They all tried to do the best they could do; nobody could get to them," Martin Simon added.
Green and her 1-year-old son died in the fiery crash, which left debris strewn across the highway and Green's vehicle completely unrecognizable.
Two people from California were in one of the other cars involved, and a woman from Michigan was in a third. All three were injured badly enough to require hospitalization.
I-4 was shut down for several hours as a result of the accident. Two men who tried to sneak around the detour were arrested for drug possession after being pulled over.
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PLANT CITY - Two people died in a two-vehicle crash that closed all eastbound lanes of Interstate 4 near Plant City for several hours Thursday night.
The accident, which happened shortly before 7:50 p.m. near Thonotosassa Road, forced traffic to be diverted through Plant City, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Identities of the victims and any other information were not available Thursday night. Troopers were investigating.
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A mother and one-year-old child are dead after a horrible accident on Interstate 4.
The fiery accident happened just before 8:00 pm, near Plant City. The road was shut down for several hours, and was re-opened just before 1:00 am.
Authorities say a vehicle crossed the median into on-coming traffic. The car was hit, overturned and caught on fire.
A 38-year-old woman from the UK died. Her one-year-old passenger also died in the crash. Six other people in three other cars were involved in the accident, but survived.
The lady was later named as Sandra Yvette Green. Her 1 year child, Darius Edward Green was also killed.
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Here is perspective from one of the victums and a discussion about guard-rails to prevent future accidents...
PLANT CITY - Tracy Palmer remembers looking up to see ``a little car'' careening toward her across the median.
She vividly recalls the silver ring on her outstretched hand, bracing for the impact.
``The things that go through your mind are incredible,'' Palmer said of surviving a May 19 smashup on Interstate 4 near State Road 39.
The collision killed a young Plant City area mother and her 1-year-old son, the occupants of the ``little car,'' a 2002 Nissan.
As Palmer, 40, lay on the road, her ankle shattered, her lip impaled on her teeth, she was aware of tires rolling inches from her head: motorists so eager to be on their way, they weavedthrough the victims of the four-car wreck.
``People were actually driving between us. I was terrified,'' she said. ``And that little car was burning the whole time.''
As the news helicopters and medevacs circled above, Palmer wondered how the motorists could show so little respect for an accident scene.
Mostly, though, she wondered why there were no guardrails in the median.
That's all it would have taken, she said. A slender metal barrier that could have meant the difference between dining in Clermont - her destination - and lying in the middle of I-4 with a compound fracture.
There used to be guardrails along this stretch of I-4, the main link through Central Florida between the east and west coasts.
That was back when the treacherous four-lane highway was known as ``the slab'' - a reference to its reputation as a road to the morgue for too many who traveled it.
Rails Removed
The guardrails disappeared when I-4 was widened to six lanes in the late 1990s.
Conventional wisdom - and federal guidelines - suggested they were not needed where the median is at least 64 feet wide.
The green ribbon of grass dividing I-4 between Interstate 75 and the Polk County line was expanded to as wide as 88 feet - more than adequate for a driver to correct a vehicle after losingcontrol, according to national standards.
``As opposed to spending money that we weren't sure was in the best interest of the public, we followed federal guidelines,'' said Dwayne Kile, district design engineer for the FloridaDepartment of Transportation.
The vast median, however, did not prevent cars from crossing over into opposing traffic. People were dying in head-on collisions, not only on I-4, but throughout the state.
The state transportation agency commissioned a study that showed more than 80 percent of median crossover accidents happen within a mile of an interchange.
Guardrails, it concluded, could make a difference, especially where drivers are jockeying for position before and after interstate exits.
``We believe most of the issue is that you have that merging and weaving of traffic,'' Kile said. Add to that a ringing cell phone, blaring stereo, bickering children and other distractions.
``All of that together doesn't necessarily make for a good recipe,'' he said.
Rails To Return
The state plans to install 22 miles of guardrail, at a cost of $7 million, along I-4 from 50th Street in Tampa to the Polk County line.
``The exits near Plant City are so close together, we're just putting them the entire length,'' DOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said.
The DOT will ask for bids on the project in December. Construction generally begins three to five months after the bidding process is over, she said.
Work crews are already in the process of installing 15 miles of guardrail in the median of the Veterans Expressway, part of a statewide initiative that is expected to cost more than $50million.
The barriers are not a cure-all, Kile said.
``It helps eliminate our most severe accident - head-on collisions at high rates of speed,'' he said.
The driver who loses control of a vehicle still will collide with the guardrail. That vehicle even might bounce back into the roadway, hitting other cars.
But the effect should not be as severe as crossing over the median into oncoming traffic, such as the Nissan that slammed into the Dodge truck Palmer was riding in.
It collided with two more vehicles before it flipped and caught fire. The final toll: two dead, four hospitalized.
The Florida Highway Patrol still is investigating the cause of the crash, which killed driver Sandra Green and her infant son, Daruis Tubor.
Palmer, a visitor to the area who returned last week to her ranch in Alpine, Calif., expects the accident will leave her with a permanent limp.
It could have been worse, she said. ``I'm so grateful it wasn't my wrist because I'm a graphic designer.''
She's also grateful for the nameless good Samaritans - an off-duty paramedic and a passing physician - who braved the relentless wave of traffic that flowed through the accident scene tostabilize her and take her out of harm's way before emergency rescue units arrived.
``Those people's faces you remember glimpsing, you'll remember them for a lifetime,'' Palmer said. ``These people didn't have to endanger their lives, too. But they did.''
Reporter Jan Hollingsworth can be reached at (813) 865-4436.
Today we saw Qwest and Safeco field. Seattle is a large port city and huge fishing town. Dinner was seafood, of course. We drove/walked along the waterway and piers. Seeing Seattle from atop the Needle was impressive. The IMAX was showing Fighter Pilot which we watched. Note: Qwest is ranked as #1 by Sporting News for football stadiums in the US!
Arrived in Seattle; met up with Caleb. We are spending today seeing Seattle. First things first was to check-in to the hotel (Sheraton Towers downtown). Conceige points us to the hot spots and we head out.
Lisa Vice neatly packed her husband's black suit, shaving kit, sweat shirt and socks in a suitcase Thursday night knowing full well this may be the last time she would see him alive.
"I think he thought, "If I do all these things, they'll shoot me for sure,"' she said Sunday in the living room of her home in Oldsmar.
Instead of going to Atlanta to make a presentation for Cingular Wireless, as he told his wife he would, David P. Vice terrorized the city of Oldsmar on Friday by planting letters with white powder in neighbors' mailboxes, placing a fake hand grenade at a post office and placing a suspicious package at a nearby rental car company, authorities say.
The 41-year-old was captured Saturday night in the back yard of his home at 520 Cypress View Drive. He's charged with knowingly manufacturing a hoax weapon of mass destruction, and was held without bail.
OLDSMAR - First a neighborhood was terrorized. Then the whole town.
It began with a letter in the homeowner association president's mailbox about 8:15 a.m.
"BOOM. Wait until Sunday. You haven't seen anything yet," said the letter, in an envelope filled with white powder.
Then came a series of alarming calls that sent authorities scrambling across Oldsmar all day: a suspicious package at a nearby car rental company, a possible explosive device in a room at the Holiday Inn Express, a reported hand grenade attached to a mailbox at an Oldsmar post office.
"It was total chaos," said Oldsmar Mayor Jerry Beverland.
Today was an interesting day in Oldsmar, Fl. Some nut, whom lives just up the street from me, decided he would terrorize the city. He began by inserting a letter with white powder in his neighbor's mailbox. Then he hit the Enterprise rental car facility, Holiday Inn Express, and post office with fake grenades and suspicious packages. You can read all about it in the next blog posting... when they catch this guy.
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Sheriff's deputies identified the man they think is responsible as David Vice, a 41-year-old married father of four. He is wanted on at least two felony charges, but deputies had not found him by late Friday.
"I want him out of circulation," Beverland said. "He's dangerous, not only to himself, but his family."
Residents say Vice has spread fear in their Oldsmar neighborhood, the Preserve at Cypress Lakes, for several years.
And Vice is no stranger to authorities.
On Sept. 11, 2004, he rammed his car into a gate at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, authorities said. He was charged with fleeing and eluding a police officer and later received probation, according to Hillsborough court records.
"I've been saying for months that something was wrong with him and everybody laughed at me," said homeowner association president Derrick Cain. "Now I guess they know to take him seriously."
Northpinellas: Teen hit by truck dies at hospital: "ST. PETERSBURG - A 16-year-old hit by a truck while crossing the street Friday died Sunday, said a family spokeswoman.Doctors at Bayfront Medical Center pronounced Rebecca McKinney brain dead Sunday morning, said friend and family spokeswoman Debbie Hembrey. Family members elected to turn off life support later in the day.
McKinney suffered serious internal injuries when she was hit by a 1991 Chevrolet S-10 pickup Friday as she was crossing McMullen-Booth Road, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Janice L. Dotter, 57, of Palm Harbor was driving the pickup. She was not charged.
McKinney, known to friends and family as Becca, was on the swim team at Clearwater High and sang in the chorus there.
She had just gotten off a school bus with other students near San Bernardino Street, south of Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, the FHP said.
FHP spokesman Trooper Larry Coggins said Sunday that detectives were still investigating. He said earlier the girl ran in front of the truck and Dotter could not avoid her."
Northpinellas: Storm deals damaging hit to Clearwater Beach: "CLEARWATER BEACH - Winds and rain from Hurricane Jeanne battered the beach all day Sunday, tearing off roofs and uprooting trees in a storm that everyone said was worse than France"
Hurricane Jeanne hit Tampa Bay probably the hardest out of all the storms. All day Sunday the winds blew and the rain pelted the region.
The Lamsons from IN were in town and were staying at my place. We made it through Sunday without any power, water, cable or Internet loss!
The St. Pete Times sums up our feelings with this lead story: Enough already. "FOLLOWING FRANCES' PATH: Surprising forecasters, fast-moving Jeanne leaves six dead and $4-billion in insured damage. TURN ON THE LIGHTS: Nearly a half-million people in the bay area are left without power, and traffic signals are out of service.
VERO BEACH - The toll on Florida this time: six dead, 1.1-million homes and businesses without power, at least $4-billion in insured damages and a punch-drunk state wondering how much more it can take.
Hurricane Jeanne made landfall at Hutchinson Island, about 35 miles north of West Palm Beach, right where Hurricane Frances came ashore three weeks ago - a rare deja vu that amazed experts at the National Hurricane Center.
Carrying Category 3 winds of 120 mph, Jeanne zipped across the state as if Frances had left a road map, never deviating from the earlier storm's track by more than 10 or 15 miles until Jeanne approached the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday evening.
The Tampa Bay area, which has largely dodged Florida's Year of Storms, got its first brush with a hurricane in 36 years when Jeanne's weakening center sliced into northeast Hillsborough County before turning north as a tropical storm."
It's early afternoon Sunday. The hurricane is pounding -- there are trees down in the neighborhood; I am seeing some shingles flying in the back yard. Power, water, cable are all still on! Local forecasts have the storm tracking just a little north of my home. The worst is still to come but should be over by 7 PM.
Guess what! Hurricane Jeanne is bearing down on Florida this will be the 4th major storm to hit our region this season. Right now Jeanne is off the east coast.
Here's a recap of the storms so far:
Aug 13, Cat 4 Charley hits Charlotte county then moved northward Sept 5, Cat 2 Frances hit the southern eastern tip and moved north hitting the bay area Setp 16, Cat 3 Ivan churned through the Gulf of Mexico then hit the Panhandle region
Hurricane Ivan (the fourth major storm to threaten Florida this season) has been lurking in the tropics. It has already devasted Grenada, blasted Jamaica and is today heading for Cuba. The track 2-3 days ago had it heading, once again, to Tampa Bay. Today the track has it much further west in the Gulf. We shouldn't be affected at all by Ivan. The panhandle of Florida, however, is in for a direct hit.
This Hurricane humor came my way in an email.
Subject: Hurricane Season We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any day now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Atlantic Ocean and making two basic meteorological points: (1) There is no need to panic. (2) We could all be killed. Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one." Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan: STEP 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days. STEP 2: Put these supplies into your car. STEP 3: Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween. Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items: HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE: If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements: (1) It is reasonably well-built, and (2) It is located in Nebraska. Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss. Since Hurricane George, I have had an estimated 27 different home-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Company, under a policy which states that, in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys. SHUTTERS: Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages: Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off. Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December. Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them. Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska. Hurricane Proofing your property: As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc... You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles. EVACUATION ROUTE: If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area). The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely. HURRICANE SUPPLIES: If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies: 1. 23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the power goes off, to be the wrong size for the flashlights. 2. Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so get some!) 3. 55 gallon drum of underarm deodorant. 4. A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.) 5. A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Andrew; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.) 6. $35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth. Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean. Good luck, and remember: It's great living in Paradise.
Hurricane Frances has just passed. Finally. Frances came on-shore around Vero Beach yesterday as a Cat 2 hurricane. It slowly moved northwest across the state. Sunday night we thought the storm was over; that was far from the truth. Winds overnight Sunday into Monday AM were the strongest of the weekend.
We endured Frances without any damage to the house.
The storm is heading north to the panhandle. And brewing in the tropics is Hurricane Ivan. Stay tuned!
Vinnie, his crew, and myself traveled down to Port Charlotte today. We spent the day trimming trees, replacing windows, picking up debris, etc. Pictures are posted online.
The first news reports and pictures are coming from Punta Gorda.
Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and Charlotte county Florida have taken a direct hit from Cat 4 (almost a cat 5) Hurricane Charley. There is no power, no water and many many buildings have sustained major damage.
The storm is now heading up through central Flordia. Polk and Hardy counties are getting hit hard.
Tampa/St. Pete and Clearwater have been in Hurricane Charley's eye for about 3 days. Just now the storm has changed directions and its heading to Port Charlotte.
Evacuating my house is the best option. I have secured everything here and am leaving. Who knows what I'll come back to. I'm heading south to my grandparents in Bradenton.
Charley is approaching fast. The storm track has it coming right into Old Tampa Bay. They are saying Pinellas county may be an island...
My house is in a level 3 evacuation zone. With storm surges of 16 feet expected I need to evacuate. Oh where to go... Orlando with friends or south to my grandparents?
Friends and colleagues back in TPA say its time to get home! Hurricane Charley is approaching fast. I'm heading to the airport and catching the next flight home.
Christmas Day at the Gparent Bishops. Gifts opened in the morning. Smyths came over later for gifts round 2. Ham and all the trimmings were served. Played tennis with Kimberly/Ed/Crystal in the evening.
Jail ordered for man who attacked umpire at White Sox game From Yahoo! Sports December 4, 2003
CHICAGO (AP) -- A man who attacked an umpire at a Chicago White Sox game this year pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated battery.
Eric Dybas was immediately sentenced to six months in jail and 30 months of probation. He had faced up to five years in prison.
Dybas, 25, of Bolingbrook, was arrested and charged April 15 after he ran onto the field during a White Sox home game against the Kansas City Royals and tried to tackle umpire Laz Diaz.
Dybas, who was overpowered by Royals players before he could hurt Diaz, was the second man convicted this year for attacking game officials at U.S. Cellular Field but the first one sentenced to jail.
In the other case, William Ligue Jr. was sentenced to 30 months' probation for a September 2002 attack that resulted in permanent hearing damage to Royals coach Tom Gamboa.
Dybas will serve the first part of his sentence in jail, but he could be out of jail in 85 days after time off for good behavior and a five-day credit for time already spent in custody, officials said.
Dybas was told to undergo alcohol abuse treatment if recommended by adult probation services.
Learn to use chop-sticks: Think of the chopstick as a pair of prongs, the only difference being that there are two separate parts or sticks. One stick is held in stationary position and the other is moved. 1. Take one stick first and hold it in your right hand in the way you would normally hold a pencil. If the stick has a thick and a thin end, hold it so that the thick end is on top. 2. Keeping the fingers in this position, turn your hand inward until the stick is horizontal to the table and parallel to your body. 3. Relax your fingers slightly and slide the stick to the left until your thumb and forefinger are clamping the stick at about its mid-point. The thumb should not be bent nor rigidly straight. All your fingers should be curved slightly inwards with the middle finger in contact with the underside of the stick and the nail of the middle finger protruding towards your body. The third (ring) finger should be in line with the middle finger but its nail should protrude beyond the middle finger towards your body. 4. Now, take the other stick with your left hand and let the thick end rest on the protruding part of the ring finger of your right hand. Slide the stick towards the right, touching the tip of the middle finger and passing under the thumb until the thick end rests at the base joint of your forefinger. This is the stationary position of this stick, and it should be roughly parallel to the first stick. 5. Alternately bend and extend your forefinger and middle finger, letting the first stick PIVOT at the thumb. The thin tip of the moving stick will touch that of the stationary stick when you bend the two fingers. Don't hold the sticks rigidly. Hardly any pressure or strength is needed to grasp things at the tip of the chopsticks. The chopstick is multipurpose; it serves the Japanese as fork, knife and spoon. They eat soup with it they cut food into small morsels with it; and they use it to pick up food and carry it from the plate to the mouth. You can do it, too.
It snowed about 2 inches overnight. The weather is very cold.
WVU played Temple today in their final homegame of 2003. Lyndon, his friend Jordan, and I went to the game. Tailgating with the Hoskinsons and crew was enjoyable. We all braved the cold including flurries during the first half and falling temps during the second half. All bathrooms were overly crowded -- that is the only heated area! Our seats were 50 yard line, 2nd row up! Photographs from the game are here.
WVU won, 45-28, sending them to the Gator bowl and a rematch with Maryland.
Today is Thanksgiving. Our t-day feast was at Jim Reid's. They served all the traditional foods - turkey, prime rib, ham, stuffing, vegitables, etc. Dad left for home afterwards; Doug went back to skin his deer. The rest of us visited the Stewarts.
Joe's Sports Bar, North Ave. has been recommended as a good eatery in Chicago.
From Downtown: Take LaSalle, Clark or Dearborn Street North to North Avenue. Turn left on North Avenue. Go to Sheffield Avenue and turn left. Go 1 block to stop sign, which is Weed Street. Turn left on Weed Street. Joe's is on your left-hand side.
Dinner tonight was at Thyme - a recommendation by a colleague. Thyme is located on N Halstead/Grand, just across the river. The rabbit tasted like chicken, really. The duck breast was sweet (however very good).
Dinner tonight was at Marche's on Randolph. The lamb shank was perfect. Its meet fell off the bone. A colleague's filet special was salty but flavorable, juicy, and highly recommended. Steer clear of the fish - acceptable but you can purchase better elsewhere.
Services at Tabernacle [Tabernacle The, (434) 822-6100, 1978 S Boston Rd, Danville, VA 24540] aren't unique but are presented with quality and genuineness. An atmosphere of sociability prevails.
Afterwards, Greg and I toured downtown Danville. Main St. is limping along. The anchor stores are high-end clothing retailers and doctor's offices. Millionaire's Row stands apart with its older, colonial, brick and stone two-story homes. The town is divided by the Dan River. It is a foul, dirty waterway. Outside of the city limits sits Goodyear. This campus is vast and includes their own golf course!
Lori prepared a great dinner (thanks Lori!) which wrapped up my weekend in VA/NC.
Flights back to ORD were delayed due to weather. I hung out at the USAir lounge and watched the 'Skins play.
Went to Glory restaurant last evening. Quite good New England style food. The pumpkin cheesecake was best ever had! It was out at 1952 N Damen Ave. Thyme is another recommend restaurant which we will have to checkout.
SUA Ballgame: Showed up at Joe D and Dixie had only 5 players. FD and I waited for 30 minutes - they still did not have the 9 required players to start. Game forfeited.
Cubs, Red Sox dial long distance The Chicago Cubs took 95 years of frustration out on the Florida Marlins in Game 2 of the NLCS, homering four times in a 12-3 romp. In the ALCS opener, the Boston Red Sox took Mike Mussina deep three times to defeat the New York Yankees 5-2.
Disney's water park, Blizzard Beach, was our entertainment today. The park includes a 120' water slide drop. Summit Plummit takes just 4 seconds to descend the full 120 ft. That's a whopping 20.5 MPH or 30 FT/SEC! [Update: Granddad Bishop broke two bones in his foot. He'll be 'booted' for about a month.] Ate at the Black Angus - Granddad's favorite - in the evening. After some shopping and hitting the pool/hottub it was bedtime.
