Modelling Your Way to Success
The fastest way to succeeding in anything, be it online or other areas of your life, is to MODEL those that are already achieving success in what they do.
It's that simple.
If you study and practice NLP you would probably have come across this term.
If you want set up a successful franchise, study McDonalds and Burger King or any other franchise operation that's successful, and model them.
Like wise, if you want to be a successful online marketer, study those who already made it and model them - their lead generation process, their follow up system, their marketing system etc etc
Besides that, you might also want to model these individuals in terms of their thought process, attitudes, behaviours, and so on.
You need to possess both - the right mental thought process as well as the knowledge and ability to see the whole picture - to integrate the parts and make it whole
Once you've gained Clarity on what you want, why you want and what you love to do, look for people or businesses which you can model.
Once you get the results you want, you can then start thinking of ways to improve the process/system that brought the results you want.
Brandon
brandon @ brandon-hong.com
http://www.you-can-have-everything.com
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Insider Secrets of an eBay Millionaire - Reviewed
"The Insiders Secrets of an eBay Millionaire" is a thorough study of the techniques to making a generous living on eBay. Derek Gehl and Brandon Dupsky have teamed up to produce a detailed eBay success system on how to navigate eBay, find the right products, enjoy profitable online auctions and become a Power Seller. Every tip and trick that Brandon has used on eBay to generate 8 million dollars in sales last year, are revealed to Derek Gehl.
The only part that was difficult for me is the length of time it took to study and digest the material included. There is so much information you will probably have to revisit the books until they become second nature. Derek and Brandons claim that you will be up and running on eBay in the next 24 hours is a little ambitious. Take your time and really let the information sink in.
Let me supply a little background on Derek and Brandon. You may have heard of Derek Gehl CEO of The Internet Marketing Center, a company with over 40 million dollars in internet sales. Brandon Dupsky on the other hand tends to fly under the radar. He is a regular guy from Nebraska that started selling a few odds and ends from his garage. Brandon then turned the internet business into one with sales last year of 8 million dollars. These two guys know what theyre talking about. Derek convinced Brandon to spill his secrets on how to become an eBay entrepreneur and I found this a very enlightening learning experience.
This work is loaded with tips and tricks that anyone interested in eBay auctions as a hobby or a home business must have. It will show you how to start from nothing and expand into a profitable eBay business. Many people spend years learning what works and what doesnt work on eBay. Derek and Brandon have drastically reduced the timeline it takes to become an eBay success.
The course materials are vast. Their heart is a 237 page manual and four audio-CDs, all filled with useful tips on building an eBay business from scratch. Each audio-CD has a read along transcript with margin notes to build on key points. The margin notes are excellent since they highlight the most important topics that were addressed on each page. There are also four bonus CD-ROMs with tips on more advanced eBay buying selling techniques. These CD-ROMs answer the questions of how to attract lots of bids on your products, how to create stunning listings that bring bidders to your auction, and how to set up foolproof payment and shipping systems. These steps are crucial to establishing yourself successfully on eBay. If you already have an internet business, Derek and Brandon will show you how to tap into some of the 2,000,000 visitors who come to eBay each day.
"The Insiders Secrets of an eBay Millionaire" delivers on its promise to teach you all of the fundamentals needed in order to grow into an eBay expert. It logically and easily takes you through the steps, from finding a product to completing an auction. This resource will be something that you refer to time after time and I suggest you take notes as you go along.
If anything, you may have to read all of the books again before you will be able to absorb the subtleties of using eBay profitably. Brandon and Derek go into so much detail that I was amazed at what they revealed.
In Dereks introduction, he tells you that you cant afford not to have this information and I totally agree with him. For me, this was the ultimate source to learn more about eBay and I am making the most of it.
Some people have asked me if there was some way to improve on this product and I can honestly say NO. I was astounded about the secrets that I learned from Brandon because I have been selling on eBay since 1999.
The only question I have is how Brandon manages his various weekly auctions. I would have preferred an in-depth study on how he accomplishes this very involved task.
If you are interested in growing an eBay business, this is the comprehensive course you should have. I give it my highest rating. For more information on this subject please visit: http://www.ebay-insidersecrets.com.
Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
"The Insiders Secrets of an eBay Millionaire" is a thorough study of the techniques to making a generous living on eBay. Derek Gehl and Brandon Dupsky have teamed up to produce a detailed eBay success system on how to navigate eBay, find the right products, enjoy profitable online auctions and become a Power Seller. Every tip and trick that Brandon has used on eBay to generate 8 million dollars in sales last year, are revealed to Derek Gehl.
The only part that was difficult for me is the length of time it took to study and digest the material included. There is so much information you will probably have to revisit the books until they become second nature. Derek and Brandons claim that you will be up and running on eBay in the next 24 hours is a little ambitious. Take your time and really let the information sink in.
Let me supply a little background on Derek and Brandon. You may have heard of Derek Gehl CEO of The Internet Marketing Center, a company with over 40 million dollars in internet sales. Brandon Dupsky on the other hand tends to fly under the radar. He is a regular guy from Nebraska that started selling a few odds and ends from his garage. Brandon then turned the internet business into one with sales last year of 8 million dollars. These two guys know what theyre talking about. Derek convinced Brandon to spill his secrets on how to become an eBay entrepreneur and I found this a very enlightening learning experience.
This work is loaded with tips and tricks that anyone interested in eBay auctions as a hobby or a home business must have. It will show you how to start from nothing and expand into a profitable eBay business. Many people spend years learning what works and what doesnt work on eBay. Derek and Brandon have drastically reduced the timeline it takes to become an eBay success.
The course materials are vast. Their heart is a 237 page manual and four audio-CDs, all filled with useful tips on building an eBay business from scratch. Each audio-CD has a read along transcript with margin notes to build on key points. The margin notes are excellent since they highlight the most important topics that were addressed on each page. There are also four bonus CD-ROMs with tips on more advanced eBay buying selling techniques. These CD-ROMs answer the questions of how to attract lots of bids on your products, how to create stunning listings that bring bidders to your auction, and how to set up foolproof payment and shipping systems. These steps are crucial to establishing yourself successfully on eBay. If you already have an internet business, Derek and Brandon will show you how to tap into some of the 2,000,000 visitors who come to eBay each day.
"The Insiders Secrets of an eBay Millionaire" delivers on its promise to teach you all of the fundamentals needed in order to grow into an eBay expert. It logically and easily takes you through the steps, from finding a product to completing an auction. This resource will be something that you refer to time after time and I suggest you take notes as you go along.
If anything, you may have to read all of the books again before you will be able to absorb the subtleties of using eBay profitably. Brandon and Derek go into so much detail that I was amazed at what they revealed.
In Dereks introduction, he tells you that you cant afford not to have this information and I totally agree with him. For me, this was the ultimate source to learn more about eBay and I am making the most of it.
Some people have asked me if there was some way to improve on this product and I can honestly say NO. I was astounded about the secrets that I learned from Brandon because I have been selling on eBay since 1999.
The only question I have is how Brandon manages his various weekly auctions. I would have preferred an in-depth study on how he accomplishes this very involved task.
If you are interested in growing an eBay business, this is the comprehensive course you should have. I give it my highest rating. For more information on this subject please visit: http://www.ebay-insidersecrets.com.
Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.
This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Top 100 Baby Names and Helpful Tips To Consider When Naming Your Baby
Are you an expectant parent anxiously waiting for that little package of joy? Yet, you and your spouse are still looking for that perfect name? Well...fret no more! The list of the top 100 baby names may be the answer to your prayers.
Searching for your baby's name is loads of fun! Whether you're seeking a name for your soon-to-be baby boy or baby girl, you and your spouse should be curious about what names in the top 100 are currently hot.
What is particularly interesting is tracking the popularity of baby names over the decades. In looking through baby name lists from 1880 to the present, some amusing patterns emerge, particularly in regards to baby names for girls.
For example, in Victorian times, Biblical names such as Mary, Sarah and Ruth were very popular for baby girls. There were also many baby names that are now considered very old-fashioned like Martha, Alice, Bertha and Minnie.
From the 1920s to the 1950s certain baby names rose in popularity. These included names such as Susan, Debbie, Patricia, and Linda. All of these baby names have since waned, to be replaced, by the 1980s, with fancier names such as Jennifer, Jessica and Nicole.
However, according to the new top 100 baby names, there's been a lot of renewed interest in the more "old-fashioned" names like Hannah, Abigail and Ethan, plus many Biblical names such as Sarah, Rachel, Joshua, Jacob, and Samuel. There's also been a surge in nontraditional baby names including Madison, Ashley and Brianna for baby girls, and Brandon and Logan for baby boys.
When naming a baby there are, of course, many other points to consider besides how popular or unique a name is. Here are some helpful tips that you can use with your spouse and immediate family in choosing a name for the new baby and to make the process fun:
1. Baby names need to go nicely with the sound of your last name. Also, pick a first name and a middle name that go together well. (So maybe not something like Erasmus Beelzebub Jones!)
2. When your family finds a name you all like, observe the initials to be sure that you don't give your new baby a name with initials that will make people laugh or cause teasing by his or her peers. (For example: Pamela Iris Greer, which equals pig!)
3. You might not want a baby name that is so unusual that the other kids will make fun of your child in school which could result in low self esteem. So please do not be selfish when choosing a name.
4. You also might not want a baby name that is so trendy that it will sound funny by the time the baby is ten years old. (For example... Sunshine.)
5. Be careful not to pick a name that's really cute for an adorable little baby but will sound silly when your little one grows up. (For example, Dimples or Cutie Pie.)
6. Avoid baby names that might produce insulting nicknames when people shorten them. (So maybe not Smellonius, or Smelly for short !)
7. You and your family might not want a name that is so hard to spell or to pronounce that people will always get it wrong and therefore, your poor son or daughter will have to go through their entire life correcting people.
8. You and your family might want to pick baby names in honor of favorite relatives or ancestors, or special names that show your family's ethnic roots. You may even want to borrow a name from one of your favorite celebrities or sports athelete.
9. Study the top 100 baby names and choose one that has a special meaning that you like - maybe something that means "strong" or "kind" or "brave".
10. Look at your own family names and see if using any name combinations create unusual baby names you like. Ask other family members for their suggestions, even invite your friends to give you their opinions. Does a relative have a name you like? Be careful if the name is already being used. Ask other family members to be sure your favorite unusual baby names are not given to relatives. It can become confusing in families when two people have the same names.
Conclusion
Have fun and enjoy viewing the top 100 baby names when choosing your child's names. Celebrate the moment. You will find out it was worth every minute spent deciding upon that baby boy or baby girl name...a name that will identify them for their lifetime.
Are you an expectant parent anxiously waiting for that little package of joy? Yet, you and your spouse are still looking for that perfect name? Well...fret no more! The list of the top 100 baby names may be the answer to your prayers.
Searching for your baby's name is loads of fun! Whether you're seeking a name for your soon-to-be baby boy or baby girl, you and your spouse should be curious about what names in the top 100 are currently hot.
What is particularly interesting is tracking the popularity of baby names over the decades. In looking through baby name lists from 1880 to the present, some amusing patterns emerge, particularly in regards to baby names for girls.
For example, in Victorian times, Biblical names such as Mary, Sarah and Ruth were very popular for baby girls. There were also many baby names that are now considered very old-fashioned like Martha, Alice, Bertha and Minnie.
From the 1920s to the 1950s certain baby names rose in popularity. These included names such as Susan, Debbie, Patricia, and Linda. All of these baby names have since waned, to be replaced, by the 1980s, with fancier names such as Jennifer, Jessica and Nicole.
However, according to the new top 100 baby names, there's been a lot of renewed interest in the more "old-fashioned" names like Hannah, Abigail and Ethan, plus many Biblical names such as Sarah, Rachel, Joshua, Jacob, and Samuel. There's also been a surge in nontraditional baby names including Madison, Ashley and Brianna for baby girls, and Brandon and Logan for baby boys.
When naming a baby there are, of course, many other points to consider besides how popular or unique a name is. Here are some helpful tips that you can use with your spouse and immediate family in choosing a name for the new baby and to make the process fun:
1. Baby names need to go nicely with the sound of your last name. Also, pick a first name and a middle name that go together well. (So maybe not something like Erasmus Beelzebub Jones!)
2. When your family finds a name you all like, observe the initials to be sure that you don't give your new baby a name with initials that will make people laugh or cause teasing by his or her peers. (For example: Pamela Iris Greer, which equals pig!)
3. You might not want a baby name that is so unusual that the other kids will make fun of your child in school which could result in low self esteem. So please do not be selfish when choosing a name.
4. You also might not want a baby name that is so trendy that it will sound funny by the time the baby is ten years old. (For example... Sunshine.)
5. Be careful not to pick a name that's really cute for an adorable little baby but will sound silly when your little one grows up. (For example, Dimples or Cutie Pie.)
6. Avoid baby names that might produce insulting nicknames when people shorten them. (So maybe not Smellonius, or Smelly for short !)
7. You and your family might not want a name that is so hard to spell or to pronounce that people will always get it wrong and therefore, your poor son or daughter will have to go through their entire life correcting people.
8. You and your family might want to pick baby names in honor of favorite relatives or ancestors, or special names that show your family's ethnic roots. You may even want to borrow a name from one of your favorite celebrities or sports athelete.
9. Study the top 100 baby names and choose one that has a special meaning that you like - maybe something that means "strong" or "kind" or "brave".
10. Look at your own family names and see if using any name combinations create unusual baby names you like. Ask other family members for their suggestions, even invite your friends to give you their opinions. Does a relative have a name you like? Be careful if the name is already being used. Ask other family members to be sure your favorite unusual baby names are not given to relatives. It can become confusing in families when two people have the same names.
Conclusion
Have fun and enjoy viewing the top 100 baby names when choosing your child's names. Celebrate the moment. You will find out it was worth every minute spent deciding upon that baby boy or baby girl name...a name that will identify them for their lifetime.
Relieve Vacation Stress By Planning Ahead
Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end of May. What a busy time!
Memorial Day is just around the corner and the package for her mom for Mothers
day is still sitting on her bedroom floor. There are graduations to attend,
parties to plan and vacations to pack for. The thought of getting away for a family
vacation brings a smile to her face, but preparing her family for that trip is another
story.
The night before their trip Cindy is in a dazed panic. She has a huge pile of laundry
and she is just beginning to pack. Three year old Megan is a huge help... as Cindy
puts things in the suitcase, Megan takes them out. Seven year old Nicole insists that
she can pack herself (five stuffed animals, her blanket and swim suit should just
about do it!). Then of course there is Zachary (6 months) who needs
everything under the sun for a short trip. Cindy and Mike are up until 1:00am
packing.
After an hour on the road the kids start asking, How much longer til we get there?
Mike decides to look at the map and realizes its still at home. A quick stop for a
map turns into a major episode when Cindy goes to change Zacharys diaper and
realizes the diaper bag was buried underneath the luggage! Five stops, 2 changes of
clothing and 3 bribes later, the Frys arrive at their hotel exhausted.
The next morning everyone is excited to finally get to Disneyland. Cindy begins
searching for the Buy One Get One Free coupon she is sure she packed,....
somewhere. Meanwhile, Mike gathers the camera and video camera and notices the
video camera never got charged. After a long search for the coupon and waiting for
the video camera to charge, they are on their way. The first character the kids run
into is Cinderella. Mike gets out the camera to capture the moment only to find
out he is out of film. The rest of their vacation continues in much the same fashion
and by the time they arrive home Mike and Cindy are ready for a vacation from their
vacation.
Tracy looks at her calendar and begins to plan. May is a busy month and they will be
going on vacation over Memorial Day weekend. She counts up the graduation
parties and makes a note on her to do list to buy graduation cards for the
upcoming month. Next she begins going over their upcoming vacation plans.
Pulling up her list of things to do before she leaves and revising her packing list
makes packing a breeze. Next week Tracy will have the car serviced, find a neighbor
who can feed the pets, buy film, charge the video camera, print out maps and stop
at the post office to have their mail put on hold.
Several days before their trip Tracy checks the weather at their destination and
prints out the packing lists. Brook, who is 7, is old enough to pack herself with a list
in hand. Tracy allows Brandon to pick things out and help cross things of the list as
they pack his bag together. Feeling so good about the work hes done, Brandon
beams with pride. Later that night Tracy will pack for herself and baby Alex. The day
before the trip, Tracy fills the car up with gas and takes the kids to the grocery store
to buy snacks for the trip. They separate things in baggies and include wet wipes
and napkins for spills and put it all in the van.
The drive to California is long but do-able with goodie bags and snacks packed for
the kids and frequent stops made. Of course, the built-in DVD player in the van is a
life saver! When the kids ask how much further, Kevin points to the rear view mirror
to show how far theyve gone and how much farther they need to go (see tips
section).
Disneyland turns out to be everything they hoped for and the Tells have pictures
and video to record their memories. It was great to get time away from home and to
have time together as a family just having fun.
Planning ahead, rather than packing the night before you leave for a trip, will help
your vacation get started on the right foot.
Travel tips:
Keep a toiletry bag packed all year round. Do the same for a make up
bag and a medicine bag. When it is time to leave for a trip, you will save time by
not having to pack these things. Just throw the bag in the suitcase.
If traveling by
plane and checking luggage, tie each piece with a bright colored strip of cloth or
ribbon. This will make finding it easier from the carasol.
Choose thin, wrinkle
resistent clothing for lower maintenance.
Limit the amount of shoes you take.
Choose clothing that works with 2-3 pairs of shoes. Wear the bulkiest ones on
travel day.
Pack more tops than bottoms. Bottoms (pants, skirts or shorts) take up
more room and can be worn more than once.
Leave the house in good order so
you dont have to return to a messy home.
Create a list on the computer for things
that need to be done before you leave on a trip.
Create a packing list on the
computer which can be revised for each trip.
Travel tips for families with children:
When the kids ask how much farther, use the
rearview mirror to give them an idea. If the left side of the mirror represents where
home is, and the right side is your destination, point somewhere in the middle to
indicate how far you have traveled.
If you are traveling with infants or small
children, consider traveling at night.
Switching seats can add variety.
Invest in a
portable or built in TV/DVD player (be sure to limit the time they watch it, but it is a
great way to help pass them time).
Fill a ziploc bag with plastic silverware,
napkins, straws and wet wipes. Also bring along a towel or two, some trash bags
and paper towels for just about any type of mishap.
If you are making a long car
trip, consider packing a small bag of goodies for each state you pass through. You
can fill them with treats and small toys.
Pack books on tape, narrated stories on
tape (such as Adventures in Odyssey or The Chronicles of Narnia) or bring books
you can read to them.
Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end of May. What a busy time!
Memorial Day is just around the corner and the package for her mom for Mothers
day is still sitting on her bedroom floor. There are graduations to attend,
parties to plan and vacations to pack for. The thought of getting away for a family
vacation brings a smile to her face, but preparing her family for that trip is another
story.
The night before their trip Cindy is in a dazed panic. She has a huge pile of laundry
and she is just beginning to pack. Three year old Megan is a huge help... as Cindy
puts things in the suitcase, Megan takes them out. Seven year old Nicole insists that
she can pack herself (five stuffed animals, her blanket and swim suit should just
about do it!). Then of course there is Zachary (6 months) who needs
everything under the sun for a short trip. Cindy and Mike are up until 1:00am
packing.
After an hour on the road the kids start asking, How much longer til we get there?
Mike decides to look at the map and realizes its still at home. A quick stop for a
map turns into a major episode when Cindy goes to change Zacharys diaper and
realizes the diaper bag was buried underneath the luggage! Five stops, 2 changes of
clothing and 3 bribes later, the Frys arrive at their hotel exhausted.
The next morning everyone is excited to finally get to Disneyland. Cindy begins
searching for the Buy One Get One Free coupon she is sure she packed,....
somewhere. Meanwhile, Mike gathers the camera and video camera and notices the
video camera never got charged. After a long search for the coupon and waiting for
the video camera to charge, they are on their way. The first character the kids run
into is Cinderella. Mike gets out the camera to capture the moment only to find
out he is out of film. The rest of their vacation continues in much the same fashion
and by the time they arrive home Mike and Cindy are ready for a vacation from their
vacation.
Tracy looks at her calendar and begins to plan. May is a busy month and they will be
going on vacation over Memorial Day weekend. She counts up the graduation
parties and makes a note on her to do list to buy graduation cards for the
upcoming month. Next she begins going over their upcoming vacation plans.
Pulling up her list of things to do before she leaves and revising her packing list
makes packing a breeze. Next week Tracy will have the car serviced, find a neighbor
who can feed the pets, buy film, charge the video camera, print out maps and stop
at the post office to have their mail put on hold.
Several days before their trip Tracy checks the weather at their destination and
prints out the packing lists. Brook, who is 7, is old enough to pack herself with a list
in hand. Tracy allows Brandon to pick things out and help cross things of the list as
they pack his bag together. Feeling so good about the work hes done, Brandon
beams with pride. Later that night Tracy will pack for herself and baby Alex. The day
before the trip, Tracy fills the car up with gas and takes the kids to the grocery store
to buy snacks for the trip. They separate things in baggies and include wet wipes
and napkins for spills and put it all in the van.
The drive to California is long but do-able with goodie bags and snacks packed for
the kids and frequent stops made. Of course, the built-in DVD player in the van is a
life saver! When the kids ask how much further, Kevin points to the rear view mirror
to show how far theyve gone and how much farther they need to go (see tips
section).
Disneyland turns out to be everything they hoped for and the Tells have pictures
and video to record their memories. It was great to get time away from home and to
have time together as a family just having fun.
Planning ahead, rather than packing the night before you leave for a trip, will help
your vacation get started on the right foot.
Travel tips:
Keep a toiletry bag packed all year round. Do the same for a make up
bag and a medicine bag. When it is time to leave for a trip, you will save time by
not having to pack these things. Just throw the bag in the suitcase.
If traveling by
plane and checking luggage, tie each piece with a bright colored strip of cloth or
ribbon. This will make finding it easier from the carasol.
Choose thin, wrinkle
resistent clothing for lower maintenance.
Limit the amount of shoes you take.
Choose clothing that works with 2-3 pairs of shoes. Wear the bulkiest ones on
travel day.
Pack more tops than bottoms. Bottoms (pants, skirts or shorts) take up
more room and can be worn more than once.
Leave the house in good order so
you dont have to return to a messy home.
Create a list on the computer for things
that need to be done before you leave on a trip.
Create a packing list on the
computer which can be revised for each trip.
Travel tips for families with children:
When the kids ask how much farther, use the
rearview mirror to give them an idea. If the left side of the mirror represents where
home is, and the right side is your destination, point somewhere in the middle to
indicate how far you have traveled.
If you are traveling with infants or small
children, consider traveling at night.
Switching seats can add variety.
Invest in a
portable or built in TV/DVD player (be sure to limit the time they watch it, but it is a
great way to help pass them time).
Fill a ziploc bag with plastic silverware,
napkins, straws and wet wipes. Also bring along a towel or two, some trash bags
and paper towels for just about any type of mishap.
If you are making a long car
trip, consider packing a small bag of goodies for each state you pass through. You
can fill them with treats and small toys.
Pack books on tape, narrated stories on
tape (such as Adventures in Odyssey or The Chronicles of Narnia) or bring books
you can read to them.
Monday, January 29, 2007
The Beginner's Guide to Building Ramps
Disclaimer:
Building and riding ramps can be fun and rewarding; however, caution should be
practiced with both. The author Brandon Cardone and any other contributors to this
article are in no way, shape or form responsible for any legal matters, injuries or
even death that may occur as a result of the information and content in this article.
The following chapter is one of five that can be found in my skateboard ramp
building guide "The Beginner's Guide To Building Ramps," This 54 page guide can
be instantly downloaded in PDF format from www.buildaramp.com. The skateboard
ramp building guide is filled with tons of photos and easy to understand
instructions and illustrations, you will also find on my website, tons of useful links
related to skateboard ramps, a ramp building photo gallery, free skateboard
wallpaper for your computer, a free skateboard screen saver, and even up to the
minute skateboarding RSS news feeds.
Introduction
So you want to build a skateboard ramp, maybe you are a parent and want to build
something for your kid. Maybe you have been skateboarding, riding BMX, or inline
for a while and realize that you want more than the few spots you get kicked out of
on a regular basis. Whatever the reason, you?ve started in the right direction by
reading this article. Building ramps is a productive learning experience, but the
most important thing is that it is fun and very rewarding if it is done right.
Most people really don?t understand how to build skateboard ramps and end up
giving up before they even give it a second thought. I have people all the time ask
me How do you bend the wood like that? or Where would you even begin building
something like that? Questions like these are why I wrote this guide in the first
place. I want people like you to know that it really isn?t that hard to build skateboard
ramps if you have the right knowledge under your belt. I have been building ramps
with my friend Mike Fitch since I was like 12 years old and over the years and plenty
of trial and error, we have learned the art of building skateboard ramps. I asked
myself if this kind of knowledge should be kept a secret, then I remembered all the
fun I had growing up building my own stuff to skate and all the friends I have made
over the years. We even had the chance to fulfill our dream of building an indoor
skateboard park located in Johnson City, NY, East Coast Terminal as a way of giving
back to the pastime that gave me direction and purpose in my life. I hope this article
gives you that spark of inspiration that I found so many years ago. Who knows,
there could be your own dream skate park lurking deep inside of you just waiting to
be built and for others to enjoy. I wish you the best of luck in your quest and, most
importantly, have fun.
Chapter 1 "Scope Out The Territory"
Before you start building
Some Things to consider
After the site has been decided and inspected
Before you Start Building your Skateboard Ramp
Before you get all gung ho and go down to your local lumber store to buy materials
and grab the tools out of the shed, there are some things you should think about
before you start building. For example, if all you want is a slider box or a jump
ramp, you shouldn?t need a huge area to put your ramps. In this kind of a situation,
an empty parking lot or your driveway will work. Be creative, like screwing some
trucks and wheels from an old skateboard or roller skates to the side so you can
wheel it around easy. You could even cut handles in the sides of the templates to
carry your ramp easier.
If you had your heart set on a ramp bigger and unmovable, obviously you will need
more space. You see, the idea here is that if you know where you are going to be
building your ramps, you can measure out the area and draw it on some graph
paper or even some regular paper will work fine.
Some Things to Consider
Consider how easy it will be to get your materials to the construction site
If your spot is way out in the woods, you better have some muscles because you will
be carrying a lot of wood. This is when a wheel barrow comes in handy.
Access to electricity
Power tools are your friends and building a ramp without them is very hard, but not
impossible if you are Amish. A generator or a bunch of extension cords might be
the way to go.
Neighbors and noise
Those nosey neighbors of yours already hate you and are just waiting to ruin your
fun. Will they call the cops when you?re having a session at 3:00 in the morning?
One solution to this problem is to fill the coping with concrete or sand and nail a
layer of carpet to the underside of your ramp.
Weather
Wood and bad weather don?t tend to agree with each other over time. If you can find
an area that is protected from Mother Nature, then more power to you. For the rest
of us, buying a good tarp is a really good investment. If you have the extra wood
you could even build your own make shift canopy, this way you can ride your ramp
even if it?s raining. You may also want to consider building your ramp up of the
ground on cinderblocks to keep the ramp high, dry and level.
Helpers
The more people you can find to help you build the better off you will be.
Ask everyone you know about available space
Hey you never know, your sisters, boyfriends, dad might have an empty garage or
empty lot of land that they will sell you dirt-cheap.
Damage prone areas
Your trying to do a 360 flip pivot to fakie and oops, you just zipped out and your
board is heading 100 miles an hour towards your mom?s new car. You should take
note of breakable objects around your ramps and make the necessary barriers to
prevent them from being damaged.
Zoning Laws
You may be living in an area where it is the law to get a building permit or you could
just take your chances and hope your local zoning board doesn?t find out. You may
end up having to pay fines and tear down your new creation. Trust me it isn?t fun to
take something apart that you?ve put so much time and effort into.
Remember, it is important that you build your ramps on a flat or level surface. If you
don?t, your ramp will not be as easy to build and ride. Once you have decided on a
spot to build your ramps, start by measuring the whole parameter of the space you
are going to be working in. Measure out any obstructions that might get in the way
when you are building, like a tree or a telephone pole, things like that. You should
also observe the landscape to see if you will have to level the area out or even build
your ramp up off the ground on posts. By doing this you are saving yourself a lot of
trouble down the road when you are halfway through your project and realize you
don?t have enough room or your that one side of your ramp goes uphill.
By:
Brandon Cardone
Here is a list of the other chapters that can be found in "The Beginner's Guide To
Building ramps" found at www.buildaramp.com
Chapter 2 "Construction Preparation"
Chapter 3 "All About Ramp Templates"
Chapter 4 "All About Framing a Ramp"
Chapter 5 "All About Sheeting Ramp"
Disclaimer:
Building and riding ramps can be fun and rewarding; however, caution should be
practiced with both. The author Brandon Cardone and any other contributors to this
article are in no way, shape or form responsible for any legal matters, injuries or
even death that may occur as a result of the information and content in this article.
The following chapter is one of five that can be found in my skateboard ramp
building guide "The Beginner's Guide To Building Ramps," This 54 page guide can
be instantly downloaded in PDF format from www.buildaramp.com. The skateboard
ramp building guide is filled with tons of photos and easy to understand
instructions and illustrations, you will also find on my website, tons of useful links
related to skateboard ramps, a ramp building photo gallery, free skateboard
wallpaper for your computer, a free skateboard screen saver, and even up to the
minute skateboarding RSS news feeds.
Introduction
So you want to build a skateboard ramp, maybe you are a parent and want to build
something for your kid. Maybe you have been skateboarding, riding BMX, or inline
for a while and realize that you want more than the few spots you get kicked out of
on a regular basis. Whatever the reason, you?ve started in the right direction by
reading this article. Building ramps is a productive learning experience, but the
most important thing is that it is fun and very rewarding if it is done right.
Most people really don?t understand how to build skateboard ramps and end up
giving up before they even give it a second thought. I have people all the time ask
me How do you bend the wood like that? or Where would you even begin building
something like that? Questions like these are why I wrote this guide in the first
place. I want people like you to know that it really isn?t that hard to build skateboard
ramps if you have the right knowledge under your belt. I have been building ramps
with my friend Mike Fitch since I was like 12 years old and over the years and plenty
of trial and error, we have learned the art of building skateboard ramps. I asked
myself if this kind of knowledge should be kept a secret, then I remembered all the
fun I had growing up building my own stuff to skate and all the friends I have made
over the years. We even had the chance to fulfill our dream of building an indoor
skateboard park located in Johnson City, NY, East Coast Terminal as a way of giving
back to the pastime that gave me direction and purpose in my life. I hope this article
gives you that spark of inspiration that I found so many years ago. Who knows,
there could be your own dream skate park lurking deep inside of you just waiting to
be built and for others to enjoy. I wish you the best of luck in your quest and, most
importantly, have fun.
Chapter 1 "Scope Out The Territory"
Before you start building
Some Things to consider
After the site has been decided and inspected
Before you Start Building your Skateboard Ramp
Before you get all gung ho and go down to your local lumber store to buy materials
and grab the tools out of the shed, there are some things you should think about
before you start building. For example, if all you want is a slider box or a jump
ramp, you shouldn?t need a huge area to put your ramps. In this kind of a situation,
an empty parking lot or your driveway will work. Be creative, like screwing some
trucks and wheels from an old skateboard or roller skates to the side so you can
wheel it around easy. You could even cut handles in the sides of the templates to
carry your ramp easier.
If you had your heart set on a ramp bigger and unmovable, obviously you will need
more space. You see, the idea here is that if you know where you are going to be
building your ramps, you can measure out the area and draw it on some graph
paper or even some regular paper will work fine.
Some Things to Consider
Consider how easy it will be to get your materials to the construction site
If your spot is way out in the woods, you better have some muscles because you will
be carrying a lot of wood. This is when a wheel barrow comes in handy.
Access to electricity
Power tools are your friends and building a ramp without them is very hard, but not
impossible if you are Amish. A generator or a bunch of extension cords might be
the way to go.
Neighbors and noise
Those nosey neighbors of yours already hate you and are just waiting to ruin your
fun. Will they call the cops when you?re having a session at 3:00 in the morning?
One solution to this problem is to fill the coping with concrete or sand and nail a
layer of carpet to the underside of your ramp.
Weather
Wood and bad weather don?t tend to agree with each other over time. If you can find
an area that is protected from Mother Nature, then more power to you. For the rest
of us, buying a good tarp is a really good investment. If you have the extra wood
you could even build your own make shift canopy, this way you can ride your ramp
even if it?s raining. You may also want to consider building your ramp up of the
ground on cinderblocks to keep the ramp high, dry and level.
Helpers
The more people you can find to help you build the better off you will be.
Ask everyone you know about available space
Hey you never know, your sisters, boyfriends, dad might have an empty garage or
empty lot of land that they will sell you dirt-cheap.
Damage prone areas
Your trying to do a 360 flip pivot to fakie and oops, you just zipped out and your
board is heading 100 miles an hour towards your mom?s new car. You should take
note of breakable objects around your ramps and make the necessary barriers to
prevent them from being damaged.
Zoning Laws
You may be living in an area where it is the law to get a building permit or you could
just take your chances and hope your local zoning board doesn?t find out. You may
end up having to pay fines and tear down your new creation. Trust me it isn?t fun to
take something apart that you?ve put so much time and effort into.
Remember, it is important that you build your ramps on a flat or level surface. If you
don?t, your ramp will not be as easy to build and ride. Once you have decided on a
spot to build your ramps, start by measuring the whole parameter of the space you
are going to be working in. Measure out any obstructions that might get in the way
when you are building, like a tree or a telephone pole, things like that. You should
also observe the landscape to see if you will have to level the area out or even build
your ramp up off the ground on posts. By doing this you are saving yourself a lot of
trouble down the road when you are halfway through your project and realize you
don?t have enough room or your that one side of your ramp goes uphill.
By:
Brandon Cardone
Here is a list of the other chapters that can be found in "The Beginner's Guide To
Building ramps" found at www.buildaramp.com
Chapter 2 "Construction Preparation"
Chapter 3 "All About Ramp Templates"
Chapter 4 "All About Framing a Ramp"
Chapter 5 "All About Sheeting Ramp"
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Detroit Tigers Road Record Has My Attention!
Growing up in Canada with the city of Detroit being the closest destination to watch a major league baseball game, I became a huge fan of the Detroit Tigers. I rejoiced in 1967 when Mickey Lolich and his crew knocked off the might Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.
Expansion brought baseball to Canada with first the Montral Expos and then the Toronto Blue Jays, so the Tigers became a distant memory. In the past couple of seasons though, I have found myself watching the Tigers as they assembled a very nice pitching staff.
I thought their President/CEO/General Manager Dave Dombrowski made a glaring error though when he hired former Detroit shortstop Allan Trammell to run the ship. Trammell brought in his buddies Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish and their coaching talents were better suited to little league not the major leagues.
But kudos to Dombrowski who issued that trio a bus ticket and then brought in former Pirate skipper Jim Leyland and he in turn brought in a veteran coaching staff. Now as we peer up at the American League standings we see the Tigers sitting at an incredible 18-9 including an outstanding 11-4 on the road.
The starting pitching has been the key as they are getting consistent performances top to bottom with their starters. Mike Maroth 4-1, Kenny Rodgers 4-2, Nate Robertson 3-2, Jeremy Bonderman 3-2 and 2004 1st round pick Justin Verlander 3-2. Together they have won 17 of the 18 games this year, with the bullpen only winning one, which speaks to the starters being durable and the Detroit bats getting in front early. In Detroit's last 14 games, its starting pitchers are 10-3 with a 1.87 ERA.
On the offensive side they have seven hitters with double digit totals in RBIs with points to depth in the lineup, so what is their Achilles heel? I would say their team defense where they have accumulated already this season 15 errors. The left side of the infield with Carlos Guillen and Brandon Inge has been brutal with 12 between them.
Playing the Twins and the Royals has not hurt and Detroit is 40-4 in those 5 wins. Kansas City has lost five straight and is 0-11 on the road this season. The major league record of 13 road losses to start a season is held by the 1969 Houston Astros and 1988 Baltimore Orioles.
2006 has been kind to the residents of Motown with the Super Bowl earlier and now the Tigers play early in the season. Too bad about the Detroit Red Wings!
Bob Acton
Online Sports Betting
Growing up in Canada with the city of Detroit being the closest destination to watch a major league baseball game, I became a huge fan of the Detroit Tigers. I rejoiced in 1967 when Mickey Lolich and his crew knocked off the might Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.
Expansion brought baseball to Canada with first the Montral Expos and then the Toronto Blue Jays, so the Tigers became a distant memory. In the past couple of seasons though, I have found myself watching the Tigers as they assembled a very nice pitching staff.
I thought their President/CEO/General Manager Dave Dombrowski made a glaring error though when he hired former Detroit shortstop Allan Trammell to run the ship. Trammell brought in his buddies Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish and their coaching talents were better suited to little league not the major leagues.
But kudos to Dombrowski who issued that trio a bus ticket and then brought in former Pirate skipper Jim Leyland and he in turn brought in a veteran coaching staff. Now as we peer up at the American League standings we see the Tigers sitting at an incredible 18-9 including an outstanding 11-4 on the road.
The starting pitching has been the key as they are getting consistent performances top to bottom with their starters. Mike Maroth 4-1, Kenny Rodgers 4-2, Nate Robertson 3-2, Jeremy Bonderman 3-2 and 2004 1st round pick Justin Verlander 3-2. Together they have won 17 of the 18 games this year, with the bullpen only winning one, which speaks to the starters being durable and the Detroit bats getting in front early. In Detroit's last 14 games, its starting pitchers are 10-3 with a 1.87 ERA.
On the offensive side they have seven hitters with double digit totals in RBIs with points to depth in the lineup, so what is their Achilles heel? I would say their team defense where they have accumulated already this season 15 errors. The left side of the infield with Carlos Guillen and Brandon Inge has been brutal with 12 between them.
Playing the Twins and the Royals has not hurt and Detroit is 40-4 in those 5 wins. Kansas City has lost five straight and is 0-11 on the road this season. The major league record of 13 road losses to start a season is held by the 1969 Houston Astros and 1988 Baltimore Orioles.
2006 has been kind to the residents of Motown with the Super Bowl earlier and now the Tigers play early in the season. Too bad about the Detroit Red Wings!
Bob Acton
Online Sports Betting
Arrival at Company D, 40th Signal Battalion, Qui Nhon, RVN
Article 4
Arrival at D Company, 40th Signal Battalion, Qui Nhon
Upon our evening arrival I was picked up along with the other replacements at the Qui Nhon airport moved to the company area. We were shown our temporary bunks and stowed our gear. Mike Massey, Bob Carpenter, and I went over to the EM club to get something to drink. The place had nothing to eat and of course the chow hall was closed. Back to the billets and for some much needed rest. Of course we had no mosquito nets.
The following day we in-processed the company and were assigned permanent bunks with our respective platoons. We were pole line construction and the following day I worked the pole line for half a day. Before going back to work the line after noon chow Mike Massey and I were called to the orderly room to see the operations sergeant. He offered us cable splicing school in Long Binh. We had not been in Qui Nhon for 3 days and its back to Long Binh for 3 weeks of in country cable splicing school.
Nothing eventful happened. What I do remember was that you had to be an E-6 or above to use the ice machine in the mess hall. In other words you could get ice tea for without the ice. This was one of my first indicators of the poor leadership that I would experience over the coming months in this outfit... This ice problem was later corrected with the help of the inspector general and some disgruntled troops. I also remember trying to get a mosquito net. Our platoon sergeant tells us to go to the supply room and of course the supply room has no nets. We were told to get one off someone rotating home. Of my 33 months in Vietnam I never received a net from supply. I dont ever remember receiving much of anything from company supply. Anyway it's off to Long Binh.
Article 4
Arrival at D Company, 40th Signal Battalion, Qui Nhon
Upon our evening arrival I was picked up along with the other replacements at the Qui Nhon airport moved to the company area. We were shown our temporary bunks and stowed our gear. Mike Massey, Bob Carpenter, and I went over to the EM club to get something to drink. The place had nothing to eat and of course the chow hall was closed. Back to the billets and for some much needed rest. Of course we had no mosquito nets.
The following day we in-processed the company and were assigned permanent bunks with our respective platoons. We were pole line construction and the following day I worked the pole line for half a day. Before going back to work the line after noon chow Mike Massey and I were called to the orderly room to see the operations sergeant. He offered us cable splicing school in Long Binh. We had not been in Qui Nhon for 3 days and its back to Long Binh for 3 weeks of in country cable splicing school.
Nothing eventful happened. What I do remember was that you had to be an E-6 or above to use the ice machine in the mess hall. In other words you could get ice tea for without the ice. This was one of my first indicators of the poor leadership that I would experience over the coming months in this outfit... This ice problem was later corrected with the help of the inspector general and some disgruntled troops. I also remember trying to get a mosquito net. Our platoon sergeant tells us to go to the supply room and of course the supply room has no nets. We were told to get one off someone rotating home. Of my 33 months in Vietnam I never received a net from supply. I dont ever remember receiving much of anything from company supply. Anyway it's off to Long Binh.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
College Humor Television May Cause Cancer
Dear College Humor Television,
I was surfing through your site to do some research on what passes for college entertainment for my Senior Seminar project. After trying to force a smile at College Humor.coms April Fools joke this year, I clicked on the CHTV logo to see the first episode of the sites TV show. Im not an expert on college television, but Id like to think I know a thing or two about what is funny, and what makes people want to play with a sheet of metal during a thunderstorm. I can say without any shred of doubt CHTV is the latter.
The fact that College Humor has a developmental deal with SONY Pictures makes me want to cut my wrists, and hope I survive long enough to cut them again. Here is what is wrong with CHTV. First, your host looks like Captain Emo. When I see him I see the face of Dashboard Confessional fans. And studies have shown being exposed to people who like Dashboard or other fine emo music leads to the Ebola virus. Another highly contagious disease that, like emo music, makes people vomit in-between wild fits of fevor and crying in the corner. Man on the street segments dont work for Jay Leno or David Letterman; theyre not going to work for you. And oh yeah, way to be hip and edgy by asking people when was the last time they got laid. Like we havent heard that one on the National Lampoon Network or any HBO special involving regular people. The Black Eyed Peas joke made me want to piss myself.
Not because it was funny, but because the filth I would be swimming in would be more entertaining than the excrement I was watching on your show. A college student in New York City is as far as you can get from the portrayal of the average college student, which you claimed to be reaching in your man on the street segment. There is nothing wrong with college students from New York City, but all because you were too lazy to film the segment elsewhere doesnt give you the right to advertise you were reaching out to the average college student.
The rejected video segment and random fact segments were terrible. The facts werent even funny. College students dont care about the lottery, and the Super Mario Brothers joke died before it even left the hosts mouth. I realize Ebaums World has a TV deal with USA Network to do pretty much what you just did with showing rejected clips, but all because theyre doing it doesnt mean you should. Are you seriously that desperate for something to rip off? If you are I recommend just about anything on Comedy Central because Comedy Central is about as funny as a September 11th movie.
Hey, do you know any funny fart jokes? Why dont you work some of those in there? You can ask Judah Friedlander to write some funny jokes for you. Because his segment was so funny, I was hoping a doctor would come in and tell me I had cancer of the eye, and my brain made up Judah Friedlander to give me a reason not to prolong death. I dont know how he gets work, but like him, I hope your show never reproduces. The last thing we need is another edgy college television show that just makes us look like a bunch of white, quasi-retarded men and women who suffer from alcoholism, slack off, and sleep around. Thanks; at least the next time I dont get hired for a job when I graduate Ill know whom to blame.
Sincerely,
Brandon J. Mendelson
Dear College Humor Television,
I was surfing through your site to do some research on what passes for college entertainment for my Senior Seminar project. After trying to force a smile at College Humor.coms April Fools joke this year, I clicked on the CHTV logo to see the first episode of the sites TV show. Im not an expert on college television, but Id like to think I know a thing or two about what is funny, and what makes people want to play with a sheet of metal during a thunderstorm. I can say without any shred of doubt CHTV is the latter.
The fact that College Humor has a developmental deal with SONY Pictures makes me want to cut my wrists, and hope I survive long enough to cut them again. Here is what is wrong with CHTV. First, your host looks like Captain Emo. When I see him I see the face of Dashboard Confessional fans. And studies have shown being exposed to people who like Dashboard or other fine emo music leads to the Ebola virus. Another highly contagious disease that, like emo music, makes people vomit in-between wild fits of fevor and crying in the corner. Man on the street segments dont work for Jay Leno or David Letterman; theyre not going to work for you. And oh yeah, way to be hip and edgy by asking people when was the last time they got laid. Like we havent heard that one on the National Lampoon Network or any HBO special involving regular people. The Black Eyed Peas joke made me want to piss myself.
Not because it was funny, but because the filth I would be swimming in would be more entertaining than the excrement I was watching on your show. A college student in New York City is as far as you can get from the portrayal of the average college student, which you claimed to be reaching in your man on the street segment. There is nothing wrong with college students from New York City, but all because you were too lazy to film the segment elsewhere doesnt give you the right to advertise you were reaching out to the average college student.
The rejected video segment and random fact segments were terrible. The facts werent even funny. College students dont care about the lottery, and the Super Mario Brothers joke died before it even left the hosts mouth. I realize Ebaums World has a TV deal with USA Network to do pretty much what you just did with showing rejected clips, but all because theyre doing it doesnt mean you should. Are you seriously that desperate for something to rip off? If you are I recommend just about anything on Comedy Central because Comedy Central is about as funny as a September 11th movie.
Hey, do you know any funny fart jokes? Why dont you work some of those in there? You can ask Judah Friedlander to write some funny jokes for you. Because his segment was so funny, I was hoping a doctor would come in and tell me I had cancer of the eye, and my brain made up Judah Friedlander to give me a reason not to prolong death. I dont know how he gets work, but like him, I hope your show never reproduces. The last thing we need is another edgy college television show that just makes us look like a bunch of white, quasi-retarded men and women who suffer from alcoholism, slack off, and sleep around. Thanks; at least the next time I dont get hired for a job when I graduate Ill know whom to blame.
Sincerely,
Brandon J. Mendelson
Gonzaga is King
Gonzaga (4-1) will arrive at sold-out Hec Edmundson Pavilion as a top ranked team instead of the underdog mid-major program of the past. The kings of the West Coast Conference certainly have ruled the state against an opponent from the supposedly superior Pac-10. The Bulldogs have the seven straight games over Washington covering the spread in five of the meetings. Gonzaga has already been tested this season as Gonzaga was runner up in the Maui Invitational, losing 65-63 to third-ranked Connecticut in the finals. Before that, they beat No. 23 Maryland and No. 13 Michigan State. Pre-season All-American G Adam Morrison is scoring co-leader in the country draining 27 points per game while F J.P. Batista averaging 21 points and almost nine rebounds. The schedule doesnt get any easier for the Bulldogs as they will face Virginia, Stanford and Saint Joseph's before they start their conference schedule. Of all the tough teams they have to play, the Bulldogs want to beat the Huskies the most. "They hate us and we hate them, plain and simple," Gonzaga preseason All-American Adam Morrison said.
The Huskies want to win this in-state dog fight. Head coach Lorenzo Romar has his hands full trying to replace a graduating trio that averaged 41.8 points per game. The Huskies are 6-0 for the first time since 1990 and are scoring 95.8 per game. Athletic Brandon Roy is back to lead team in scoring with 16.8 points per game. Bringing the ball up the court for the mobile Huskies is freshman Justin Dentmon, a ball-distributing point guard and tough man-to-man defender. The Seattle faithful are saying that this is the best recruiting class in over 20 years. The centerpiece of this class is 6-7 Jon Brockman, a national recruit, who stayed in-state. The Huskies have beat six easy opponents. Washington has beaten Morgan State, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Air Force, American, Idaho and Loyola Marymount -- all at home -- by an average of 33 points. Gonzaga will be the first real test for the young Huskies "This will be the first time we will play an opponent that, as we walk out on the floor, will be just as talented or more talented than we are," Romar said. "Gonzaga is as talented as any team in the country."
Gonzaga (4-1) will arrive at sold-out Hec Edmundson Pavilion as a top ranked team instead of the underdog mid-major program of the past. The kings of the West Coast Conference certainly have ruled the state against an opponent from the supposedly superior Pac-10. The Bulldogs have the seven straight games over Washington covering the spread in five of the meetings. Gonzaga has already been tested this season as Gonzaga was runner up in the Maui Invitational, losing 65-63 to third-ranked Connecticut in the finals. Before that, they beat No. 23 Maryland and No. 13 Michigan State. Pre-season All-American G Adam Morrison is scoring co-leader in the country draining 27 points per game while F J.P. Batista averaging 21 points and almost nine rebounds. The schedule doesnt get any easier for the Bulldogs as they will face Virginia, Stanford and Saint Joseph's before they start their conference schedule. Of all the tough teams they have to play, the Bulldogs want to beat the Huskies the most. "They hate us and we hate them, plain and simple," Gonzaga preseason All-American Adam Morrison said.
The Huskies want to win this in-state dog fight. Head coach Lorenzo Romar has his hands full trying to replace a graduating trio that averaged 41.8 points per game. The Huskies are 6-0 for the first time since 1990 and are scoring 95.8 per game. Athletic Brandon Roy is back to lead team in scoring with 16.8 points per game. Bringing the ball up the court for the mobile Huskies is freshman Justin Dentmon, a ball-distributing point guard and tough man-to-man defender. The Seattle faithful are saying that this is the best recruiting class in over 20 years. The centerpiece of this class is 6-7 Jon Brockman, a national recruit, who stayed in-state. The Huskies have beat six easy opponents. Washington has beaten Morgan State, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Air Force, American, Idaho and Loyola Marymount -- all at home -- by an average of 33 points. Gonzaga will be the first real test for the young Huskies "This will be the first time we will play an opponent that, as we walk out on the floor, will be just as talented or more talented than we are," Romar said. "Gonzaga is as talented as any team in the country."
Friday, January 26, 2007
Really Good News About Your Childrens Video Games
Research published by University of Rochester neuroscientists C. Shawn Green and Daphne Bavelier has grabbed national attention for suggesting that playing action video and computer games has positive effects enhancing students visual selective attention. But that finding is just one small part of a more important message that all parents and educators need to hear: video games are not the enemy, but the best opportunity we have to engage our kids in real learning.
Any observer knows that the attitude of todays children to video and computer games is the very opposite of the attitude that most of them have toward school. The amount of time they spend playing computer and video games estimated at 10,000 hours by the time they are twenty-one, often in multi-hour bursts belies the short attention span criticism of educators. And while years ago the group attracted to video and computer games was almost entirely adolescent boys, it is now increasingly girls and all children of all ages and social groups. One would be hard-pressed today to find a kid in America who doesnt play computer or video games of one sort or another.
The evidence is quickly mounting that our Digital Native childrens brains are changing to accommodate these new technologies with which they spend so much time. Not only are they better at spreading their attention over a wide range of events, as Green and Bavelier report, but they are better at parallel processing, taking in information more quickly (at twitchspeed), understanding multimedia, and collaborating over networks.
What attracts and glues kids to todays video and computer games is neither the violence, or even the surface subject matter, but rather the learning the games provide. Kids, like and all humans, love to learn when it isnt forced on them. Modern computer and video games provide learning opportunities every second, or fraction thereof.
On the surface, kids learn to do things to fly airplanes, to drive fast cars, to be theme park operators, war fighters, civilization builders and veterinarians. But on deeper levels they learn infinitely more: to take in information from many sources and make decisions quickly; to deduce a games rules from playing rather than by being told; to create strategies for overcoming obstacles; to understand complex systems through experimentation. And, increasingly, they learn to collaborate with others. Many adults are not aware that games have long ago passed out of the single-player isolation shell imposed by lack of networking, and have gone back to being the social medium they have always been on a worldwide scale. Massively Multiplayer games such as EverQuest now have hundreds of thousands of people playing simultaneously, collaborating nightly in clans and guilds.
Todays game-playing kid enters the first grade able to do and understand so many complex things from building, to flying, to reasoning that the curriculum they are given feel like they are being handed depressants. And it gets worse as the students progress. Their Digital Immigrant teachers know so little about the digital world of their charges from online gaming to exchanging, sharing, meeting, evaluating, coordinating, programming, searching, customizing and socializing, that it is often impossible for them to design learning in the language and speed their students need and relish, despite their best efforts.
An emerging coalition of academics, writers, foundations, game designers, companies like Microsoft and, increasingly, the U.S. Military is working to make parents and educators aware of the enormous potential for learning contained in the gaming medium. While edutainment, may work for pre-schoolers, it is primitive when it comes to the enormous sophistication of todays games. We need new and better learning games, and these are finally beginning to appear. Microsoft has sponsored a Games-to-Teach project at MIT which is building games for learning difficult concepts in physics and environmental science on the X-Box and Pocket PC. Lucas Games has lesson plans to help teachers integrate its games into curricula to teach critical thinking. A UK study by TEEM (Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia) has shown that certain games can help youngsters to learn logical thinking and computer literacy. Given the almost perfect overlap between the profiles of gamers and military recruits, the US Military uses over 50 different video and computer games to teach everything from doctrine, to strategy and tactics. Americas Army, Operations, a recruiting game released for free in 2002, now has almost 2 million registered users, with almost a million having completed virtual basic training.
Academic research into the positive effects of games on learning, which not so long ago sat unread on the shelf, is being noticed by national media. Theoretical and practical guides such as What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy by Professor of Education James Paul Gee, and my own Digital Game-Based Learning, are now on bookshelves. Experts, such as former Stanford CFO William Massey, who created the learning game Virtual U. are working with game designers to build games that communicate their knowledge and experience. Foundations like Sloan, Markle and others are funding these efforts. The Woodrow Wilson school has begun a project called Serious Games to increase the use of gaming in public policy debates, picking up an effort that begin 10 years ago with Sim Health from Maxis.
Yet despite all the findings, research, and cries for help from the kids in school, many parents and educators still tend to think of video and computer games as frivolous at best and harmful at worst. The press often encourages this with headlines about killing games when in fact two thirds of the games are rated E (everybody), and sixteen of the top 20 sellers are rated either E or T (teen). To counteract this name prejudice, users and funders of todays new educational games often refer to them by code names, such as Desktop Simulators, Synthetic Environments, or Immersive Interactive Experiences.
Yet what these new, highly effective learning tools really are a combination of the most compelling and interactive design elements of the best video and computer games with specific curricular content. The tricky part is doing this in ways that capture, rather than lose, the learners interest and attention. We are now becoming much better at this. The money and will is there to do it, and our students are crying for it.
Research published by University of Rochester neuroscientists C. Shawn Green and Daphne Bavelier has grabbed national attention for suggesting that playing action video and computer games has positive effects enhancing students visual selective attention. But that finding is just one small part of a more important message that all parents and educators need to hear: video games are not the enemy, but the best opportunity we have to engage our kids in real learning.
Any observer knows that the attitude of todays children to video and computer games is the very opposite of the attitude that most of them have toward school. The amount of time they spend playing computer and video games estimated at 10,000 hours by the time they are twenty-one, often in multi-hour bursts belies the short attention span criticism of educators. And while years ago the group attracted to video and computer games was almost entirely adolescent boys, it is now increasingly girls and all children of all ages and social groups. One would be hard-pressed today to find a kid in America who doesnt play computer or video games of one sort or another.
The evidence is quickly mounting that our Digital Native childrens brains are changing to accommodate these new technologies with which they spend so much time. Not only are they better at spreading their attention over a wide range of events, as Green and Bavelier report, but they are better at parallel processing, taking in information more quickly (at twitchspeed), understanding multimedia, and collaborating over networks.
What attracts and glues kids to todays video and computer games is neither the violence, or even the surface subject matter, but rather the learning the games provide. Kids, like and all humans, love to learn when it isnt forced on them. Modern computer and video games provide learning opportunities every second, or fraction thereof.
On the surface, kids learn to do things to fly airplanes, to drive fast cars, to be theme park operators, war fighters, civilization builders and veterinarians. But on deeper levels they learn infinitely more: to take in information from many sources and make decisions quickly; to deduce a games rules from playing rather than by being told; to create strategies for overcoming obstacles; to understand complex systems through experimentation. And, increasingly, they learn to collaborate with others. Many adults are not aware that games have long ago passed out of the single-player isolation shell imposed by lack of networking, and have gone back to being the social medium they have always been on a worldwide scale. Massively Multiplayer games such as EverQuest now have hundreds of thousands of people playing simultaneously, collaborating nightly in clans and guilds.
Todays game-playing kid enters the first grade able to do and understand so many complex things from building, to flying, to reasoning that the curriculum they are given feel like they are being handed depressants. And it gets worse as the students progress. Their Digital Immigrant teachers know so little about the digital world of their charges from online gaming to exchanging, sharing, meeting, evaluating, coordinating, programming, searching, customizing and socializing, that it is often impossible for them to design learning in the language and speed their students need and relish, despite their best efforts.
An emerging coalition of academics, writers, foundations, game designers, companies like Microsoft and, increasingly, the U.S. Military is working to make parents and educators aware of the enormous potential for learning contained in the gaming medium. While edutainment, may work for pre-schoolers, it is primitive when it comes to the enormous sophistication of todays games. We need new and better learning games, and these are finally beginning to appear. Microsoft has sponsored a Games-to-Teach project at MIT which is building games for learning difficult concepts in physics and environmental science on the X-Box and Pocket PC. Lucas Games has lesson plans to help teachers integrate its games into curricula to teach critical thinking. A UK study by TEEM (Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia) has shown that certain games can help youngsters to learn logical thinking and computer literacy. Given the almost perfect overlap between the profiles of gamers and military recruits, the US Military uses over 50 different video and computer games to teach everything from doctrine, to strategy and tactics. Americas Army, Operations, a recruiting game released for free in 2002, now has almost 2 million registered users, with almost a million having completed virtual basic training.
Academic research into the positive effects of games on learning, which not so long ago sat unread on the shelf, is being noticed by national media. Theoretical and practical guides such as What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy by Professor of Education James Paul Gee, and my own Digital Game-Based Learning, are now on bookshelves. Experts, such as former Stanford CFO William Massey, who created the learning game Virtual U. are working with game designers to build games that communicate their knowledge and experience. Foundations like Sloan, Markle and others are funding these efforts. The Woodrow Wilson school has begun a project called Serious Games to increase the use of gaming in public policy debates, picking up an effort that begin 10 years ago with Sim Health from Maxis.
Yet despite all the findings, research, and cries for help from the kids in school, many parents and educators still tend to think of video and computer games as frivolous at best and harmful at worst. The press often encourages this with headlines about killing games when in fact two thirds of the games are rated E (everybody), and sixteen of the top 20 sellers are rated either E or T (teen). To counteract this name prejudice, users and funders of todays new educational games often refer to them by code names, such as Desktop Simulators, Synthetic Environments, or Immersive Interactive Experiences.
Yet what these new, highly effective learning tools really are a combination of the most compelling and interactive design elements of the best video and computer games with specific curricular content. The tricky part is doing this in ways that capture, rather than lose, the learners interest and attention. We are now becoming much better at this. The money and will is there to do it, and our students are crying for it.
Relieve Vacation Stress By Planning Ahead
Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end of May. What a busy time!
Memorial Day is just around the corner and the package for her mom for Mothers
day is still sitting on her bedroom floor. There are graduations to attend,
parties to plan and vacations to pack for. The thought of getting away for a family
vacation brings a smile to her face, but preparing her family for that trip is another
story.
The night before their trip Cindy is in a dazed panic. She has a huge pile of laundry
and she is just beginning to pack. Three year old Megan is a huge help... as Cindy
puts things in the suitcase, Megan takes them out. Seven year old Nicole insists that
she can pack herself (five stuffed animals, her blanket and swim suit should just
about do it!). Then of course there is Zachary (6 months) who needs
everything under the sun for a short trip. Cindy and Mike are up until 1:00am
packing.
After an hour on the road the kids start asking, How much longer til we get there?
Mike decides to look at the map and realizes its still at home. A quick stop for a
map turns into a major episode when Cindy goes to change Zacharys diaper and
realizes the diaper bag was buried underneath the luggage! Five stops, 2 changes of
clothing and 3 bribes later, the Frys arrive at their hotel exhausted.
The next morning everyone is excited to finally get to Disneyland. Cindy begins
searching for the Buy One Get One Free coupon she is sure she packed,....
somewhere. Meanwhile, Mike gathers the camera and video camera and notices the
video camera never got charged. After a long search for the coupon and waiting for
the video camera to charge, they are on their way. The first character the kids run
into is Cinderella. Mike gets out the camera to capture the moment only to find
out he is out of film. The rest of their vacation continues in much the same fashion
and by the time they arrive home Mike and Cindy are ready for a vacation from their
vacation.
Tracy looks at her calendar and begins to plan. May is a busy month and they will be
going on vacation over Memorial Day weekend. She counts up the graduation
parties and makes a note on her to do list to buy graduation cards for the
upcoming month. Next she begins going over their upcoming vacation plans.
Pulling up her list of things to do before she leaves and revising her packing list
makes packing a breeze. Next week Tracy will have the car serviced, find a neighbor
who can feed the pets, buy film, charge the video camera, print out maps and stop
at the post office to have their mail put on hold.
Several days before their trip Tracy checks the weather at their destination and
prints out the packing lists. Brook, who is 7, is old enough to pack herself with a list
in hand. Tracy allows Brandon to pick things out and help cross things of the list as
they pack his bag together. Feeling so good about the work hes done, Brandon
beams with pride. Later that night Tracy will pack for herself and baby Alex. The day
before the trip, Tracy fills the car up with gas and takes the kids to the grocery store
to buy snacks for the trip. They separate things in baggies and include wet wipes
and napkins for spills and put it all in the van.
The drive to California is long but do-able with goodie bags and snacks packed for
the kids and frequent stops made. Of course, the built-in DVD player in the van is a
life saver! When the kids ask how much further, Kevin points to the rear view mirror
to show how far theyve gone and how much farther they need to go (see tips
section).
Disneyland turns out to be everything they hoped for and the Tells have pictures
and video to record their memories. It was great to get time away from home and to
have time together as a family just having fun.
Planning ahead, rather than packing the night before you leave for a trip, will help
your vacation get started on the right foot.
Travel tips:
Keep a toiletry bag packed all year round. Do the same for a make up
bag and a medicine bag. When it is time to leave for a trip, you will save time by
not having to pack these things. Just throw the bag in the suitcase.
If traveling by
plane and checking luggage, tie each piece with a bright colored strip of cloth or
ribbon. This will make finding it easier from the carasol.
Choose thin, wrinkle
resistent clothing for lower maintenance.
Limit the amount of shoes you take.
Choose clothing that works with 2-3 pairs of shoes. Wear the bulkiest ones on
travel day.
Pack more tops than bottoms. Bottoms (pants, skirts or shorts) take up
more room and can be worn more than once.
Leave the house in good order so
you dont have to return to a messy home.
Create a list on the computer for things
that need to be done before you leave on a trip.
Create a packing list on the
computer which can be revised for each trip.
Travel tips for families with children:
When the kids ask how much farther, use the
rearview mirror to give them an idea. If the left side of the mirror represents where
home is, and the right side is your destination, point somewhere in the middle to
indicate how far you have traveled.
If you are traveling with infants or small
children, consider traveling at night.
Switching seats can add variety.
Invest in a
portable or built in TV/DVD player (be sure to limit the time they watch it, but it is a
great way to help pass them time).
Fill a ziploc bag with plastic silverware,
napkins, straws and wet wipes. Also bring along a towel or two, some trash bags
and paper towels for just about any type of mishap.
If you are making a long car
trip, consider packing a small bag of goodies for each state you pass through. You
can fill them with treats and small toys.
Pack books on tape, narrated stories on
tape (such as Adventures in Odyssey or The Chronicles of Narnia) or bring books
you can read to them.
Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end of May. What a busy time!
Memorial Day is just around the corner and the package for her mom for Mothers
day is still sitting on her bedroom floor. There are graduations to attend,
parties to plan and vacations to pack for. The thought of getting away for a family
vacation brings a smile to her face, but preparing her family for that trip is another
story.
The night before their trip Cindy is in a dazed panic. She has a huge pile of laundry
and she is just beginning to pack. Three year old Megan is a huge help... as Cindy
puts things in the suitcase, Megan takes them out. Seven year old Nicole insists that
she can pack herself (five stuffed animals, her blanket and swim suit should just
about do it!). Then of course there is Zachary (6 months) who needs
everything under the sun for a short trip. Cindy and Mike are up until 1:00am
packing.
After an hour on the road the kids start asking, How much longer til we get there?
Mike decides to look at the map and realizes its still at home. A quick stop for a
map turns into a major episode when Cindy goes to change Zacharys diaper and
realizes the diaper bag was buried underneath the luggage! Five stops, 2 changes of
clothing and 3 bribes later, the Frys arrive at their hotel exhausted.
The next morning everyone is excited to finally get to Disneyland. Cindy begins
searching for the Buy One Get One Free coupon she is sure she packed,....
somewhere. Meanwhile, Mike gathers the camera and video camera and notices the
video camera never got charged. After a long search for the coupon and waiting for
the video camera to charge, they are on their way. The first character the kids run
into is Cinderella. Mike gets out the camera to capture the moment only to find
out he is out of film. The rest of their vacation continues in much the same fashion
and by the time they arrive home Mike and Cindy are ready for a vacation from their
vacation.
Tracy looks at her calendar and begins to plan. May is a busy month and they will be
going on vacation over Memorial Day weekend. She counts up the graduation
parties and makes a note on her to do list to buy graduation cards for the
upcoming month. Next she begins going over their upcoming vacation plans.
Pulling up her list of things to do before she leaves and revising her packing list
makes packing a breeze. Next week Tracy will have the car serviced, find a neighbor
who can feed the pets, buy film, charge the video camera, print out maps and stop
at the post office to have their mail put on hold.
Several days before their trip Tracy checks the weather at their destination and
prints out the packing lists. Brook, who is 7, is old enough to pack herself with a list
in hand. Tracy allows Brandon to pick things out and help cross things of the list as
they pack his bag together. Feeling so good about the work hes done, Brandon
beams with pride. Later that night Tracy will pack for herself and baby Alex. The day
before the trip, Tracy fills the car up with gas and takes the kids to the grocery store
to buy snacks for the trip. They separate things in baggies and include wet wipes
and napkins for spills and put it all in the van.
The drive to California is long but do-able with goodie bags and snacks packed for
the kids and frequent stops made. Of course, the built-in DVD player in the van is a
life saver! When the kids ask how much further, Kevin points to the rear view mirror
to show how far theyve gone and how much farther they need to go (see tips
section).
Disneyland turns out to be everything they hoped for and the Tells have pictures
and video to record their memories. It was great to get time away from home and to
have time together as a family just having fun.
Planning ahead, rather than packing the night before you leave for a trip, will help
your vacation get started on the right foot.
Travel tips:
Keep a toiletry bag packed all year round. Do the same for a make up
bag and a medicine bag. When it is time to leave for a trip, you will save time by
not having to pack these things. Just throw the bag in the suitcase.
If traveling by
plane and checking luggage, tie each piece with a bright colored strip of cloth or
ribbon. This will make finding it easier from the carasol.
Choose thin, wrinkle
resistent clothing for lower maintenance.
Limit the amount of shoes you take.
Choose clothing that works with 2-3 pairs of shoes. Wear the bulkiest ones on
travel day.
Pack more tops than bottoms. Bottoms (pants, skirts or shorts) take up
more room and can be worn more than once.
Leave the house in good order so
you dont have to return to a messy home.
Create a list on the computer for things
that need to be done before you leave on a trip.
Create a packing list on the
computer which can be revised for each trip.
Travel tips for families with children:
When the kids ask how much farther, use the
rearview mirror to give them an idea. If the left side of the mirror represents where
home is, and the right side is your destination, point somewhere in the middle to
indicate how far you have traveled.
If you are traveling with infants or small
children, consider traveling at night.
Switching seats can add variety.
Invest in a
portable or built in TV/DVD player (be sure to limit the time they watch it, but it is a
great way to help pass them time).
Fill a ziploc bag with plastic silverware,
napkins, straws and wet wipes. Also bring along a towel or two, some trash bags
and paper towels for just about any type of mishap.
If you are making a long car
trip, consider packing a small bag of goodies for each state you pass through. You
can fill them with treats and small toys.
Pack books on tape, narrated stories on
tape (such as Adventures in Odyssey or The Chronicles of Narnia) or bring books
you can read to them.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
America Goes to War - The battle for An Nasiriyah
It is hard to believe that it has been three years since Jessica Lynch and the 507th Maintenance Company rolled through the dusty streets of An Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. Eleven of Jessicas fellow soldiers were killed that morning, five were captured and a dozen more injured. Lynch was critically injured and near death when she was brought into a military hospital near the site of her ambush.
Within hours of the ambush, the North Carolina Marines of Task Force Tarawa moved to secure the bridges in An Nasiriyah. LtCol Rickey Grabowskis 1st Battalion, of the 2nd Marine Regiment rolled into the city and encountered stiff resistance. By midmorning they had rescued nearly half of the soldiers who had been ambushed and by noon the Marines were charging forward through a hail of RPGs, AK-47 gunfire, mortar and artillery barrages. By sunset, Grabowskis Marines had secured their objectives but at a terrible cost. Eighteen of Americas finest died and another dozen were wounded.
In all, twenty-nine Americans died that day in An Nasiriyah. Their story has never really been told. Initially, the situation in Nasiriyah was so confusing and filled with the fog of war that no one knew the connection between the 507th Maintenance Company and the brave Marines of the 2d Marine Regiment. At first, Jessicas capture was kept quiet for fear that the enemy would move her if they suspected that America knew where she was and most of the Marines who died that day could not be identified without DNA testing.
As the days and weeks passed, the news media moved on to Lynchs rescue and then the fall of Baghdad. When the Department of Defense finally sorted things out and released the names of the Marines and soldiers who died that day, the media took very little interest. No one ever realized that that bloody day in Nasiriyah, on March 23rd, was the costliest day of combat for America in the invasion of Iraq. These twenty-nine American soldiers and Marines were never given a fitting tribute to the ultimate sacrifice they made while in the service of their country.
Before sunrise on the 23rd on March 2003, thirty-three soldiers, traveling in eighteen trucks, stumbled into the dusty desert city of An Nasiriyah. It wasnt until they had driven all the way through the city that they realized that they were hopelessly lost. As soon as they turned around and tried to retrace their path, every Iraqi with a gun started shooting at the beleaguered convoy. The lead three vehicles managed to run the gauntlet and get back to the U.S. Marines front lines.
Five vehicles broke down and ten soldiers scrambled for cover in a nearby ditch. Surrounded, they each vowed to go down fighting. They had fought to hold off the enemy for nearly an hour, when Major Bill Peeples and the Marine tankers of Alpha Company, 8th Tanks arrived to save the day. The Marines beat back the enemy and rushed the ten soldiers to safety.
The remaining seventeen soldiers were not so fortunate. Eleven were killed and six captured. Specialists Jamaal Addison and James Kiehl both died when their vehicle careened through an intersection and rolled over on its top. Private First Class Howard Johnson II and Private Ruben Estrella-Sotos truck crashed at the same intersection. Sergeant Donald Walters was lost north of An Nasiriyah when his vehicle broke down. He leapt from his disabled vehicle behind enemy lines and laid down covering fire so that the rest of his unit could turn their vehicles and get out of a horrific ambush. Private Brandon Sloan was shot and killed while the vehicle he was in was racing south. Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Matas truck shuddered to a stop atop a railroad overpass and burst into flames. Mata was killed, but his driver, Specialist Hudson, survived.
Near the end to the doomed convoy, First Sergeant Robert Dowdy tried to shepherd his soldiers to safety. Private First Class Lori Piestewa was driving Dowdys HMMWV. Specialist Edward Anguiano, Sergeant George Buggs and Private First Class Jessica Lynch were riding in the back. Piestewa managed to maneuver around obstacles and raced all the way back through Nasiriyah when the flatbed in front of her jackknifed. Lori was unable to avoid the back of the skidding truck. She plowed into the rear of the flatbed, instantly killing Dowdy.
We know that Lori and Jessica survived the collision. It is not clear what happened to Buggs and Anguiano. When Patrick Miller approached the crash scene, he glanced in and thought everyone was dead. Hudson, Hernandez, Lynch, Miller, Piestewa, Riley, and Shoshana Johnson were all taken prisoner. Lynch and Piestewa were separated from the others and eventually ended up in the Tykar Military Hospital. Lori died while being treated, leaving Lynch alone and near death.
The soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company that were killed that day were from all walks of life and every corner of this nation. They were a swatch cut from the American fabric and the first to die in this protracted war. Lori Piestewa was an American Indian and single mother. Brandon Sloan and Robert Dowdy were both from Cleveland Ohio. Brandon, 19, had left high school early to join the Army, while Dowdy, 38, was a career soldier. James Kiehl, 22, was a friendly computer technician who left behind a pregnant wife. Buggs and Anguiano were not even members of the 507th. Dowdy had convinced them to take one of their vehicles in tow two nights before. Their tow truck ran out of gas north of An Nasiriyah and Dowdy, Piestewa and Lynch had picked them up.
By noon, the Marines were pressing north to secure two vital bridges in An Nasiriyah. The fighting started long before they reached the Euphrates River but it wasnt until they moved into downtown Nasiriyah that all hell broke loose. Alpha Company secured the Euphrates River Bridge while Bravo Company swung out to the east side of town. Charlie Company raced over the Euphrates River Bridge and charged through Ambush Alley to the Saddam Canal Bridge.
Eighteen Marines died in Charlie Companys battle for that northern bridge. Donald Cline was a twenty-one year old husband and father of two young boys. Patrick Nixon loved history and wanted to eventually be a teacher. Phillip Jordan was a career Marine and loving husband and father. Fred Pokorney was a giant of a man who had just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Sergeant Michael Bitz was the father of two young boys and one-month old twins. David Fribley and Brian Buesing were both Florida natives. Fribley joind the Corps after 9/11 and Buesing had been in the Marines since he graduated from high school. Brendon Reiss was the son of a decorated Vietnam Veteran and Randal Rosacker was the son of a Navy Master Chief submarine sailor. Jose Garibay and Jorge Gonzalez were both from Southern California. Thomas Slocum was a 22 year old from Colorado and Nolen Hutchings was from South Carolina. They were both troubled teens who had worked to turn their lives around in the Corps.
Tamario Burkett was a young Marine from upstate New York. Kemaphoom Chanawongse was born in Thailand and came to the United States at nine years old. He was the first to have a Buddhist funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Johnathan Gifford wanted to be a Marine since he was a little boy. Michael Williams joined the Corps late in life. At 31, he was just a Lance Corporal but older than most of the young officers he worked for. On his trip over to Iraq, he emailed his girlfriend and asked her to marry him. Thomas Blair was not a member of Charlie Company. He was part of an anti-aircraft unit that had been assigned to Charlie Company. He too, went directly into the Marine Corps after high school graduation.
Twenty-nine lives ended too soon on that clear Sunday in March. Twenty-nine families grieve to this day. These soldiers and Marines died before there was a daily box score in the newspapers of America. They have been buried under 2000 more stories. Donald Cline and Michael Williams died because they chose to help their wounded comrades.
Many more soldiers and Marines would have died that day had it not been for the Herculean efforts of men like, Private First Class Patrick Miller, Sergeant Michael Bitz, Gunnery Sergeant Jason Doran, Lieutenant Mike Seely, Captain Eric Garcia, and Major Bill Peeples. These men are true American heroes.
Read about these brave young men and women in the only book to tell the entire story of Americas first major battle in Operation Iraqi Freedom Marines in the Garden of Eden, Berkley, New York, will be released on June 6, 2006.
Visit www.MarinesintheGardenofEden.com today.
It is hard to believe that it has been three years since Jessica Lynch and the 507th Maintenance Company rolled through the dusty streets of An Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. Eleven of Jessicas fellow soldiers were killed that morning, five were captured and a dozen more injured. Lynch was critically injured and near death when she was brought into a military hospital near the site of her ambush.
Within hours of the ambush, the North Carolina Marines of Task Force Tarawa moved to secure the bridges in An Nasiriyah. LtCol Rickey Grabowskis 1st Battalion, of the 2nd Marine Regiment rolled into the city and encountered stiff resistance. By midmorning they had rescued nearly half of the soldiers who had been ambushed and by noon the Marines were charging forward through a hail of RPGs, AK-47 gunfire, mortar and artillery barrages. By sunset, Grabowskis Marines had secured their objectives but at a terrible cost. Eighteen of Americas finest died and another dozen were wounded.
In all, twenty-nine Americans died that day in An Nasiriyah. Their story has never really been told. Initially, the situation in Nasiriyah was so confusing and filled with the fog of war that no one knew the connection between the 507th Maintenance Company and the brave Marines of the 2d Marine Regiment. At first, Jessicas capture was kept quiet for fear that the enemy would move her if they suspected that America knew where she was and most of the Marines who died that day could not be identified without DNA testing.
As the days and weeks passed, the news media moved on to Lynchs rescue and then the fall of Baghdad. When the Department of Defense finally sorted things out and released the names of the Marines and soldiers who died that day, the media took very little interest. No one ever realized that that bloody day in Nasiriyah, on March 23rd, was the costliest day of combat for America in the invasion of Iraq. These twenty-nine American soldiers and Marines were never given a fitting tribute to the ultimate sacrifice they made while in the service of their country.
Before sunrise on the 23rd on March 2003, thirty-three soldiers, traveling in eighteen trucks, stumbled into the dusty desert city of An Nasiriyah. It wasnt until they had driven all the way through the city that they realized that they were hopelessly lost. As soon as they turned around and tried to retrace their path, every Iraqi with a gun started shooting at the beleaguered convoy. The lead three vehicles managed to run the gauntlet and get back to the U.S. Marines front lines.
Five vehicles broke down and ten soldiers scrambled for cover in a nearby ditch. Surrounded, they each vowed to go down fighting. They had fought to hold off the enemy for nearly an hour, when Major Bill Peeples and the Marine tankers of Alpha Company, 8th Tanks arrived to save the day. The Marines beat back the enemy and rushed the ten soldiers to safety.
The remaining seventeen soldiers were not so fortunate. Eleven were killed and six captured. Specialists Jamaal Addison and James Kiehl both died when their vehicle careened through an intersection and rolled over on its top. Private First Class Howard Johnson II and Private Ruben Estrella-Sotos truck crashed at the same intersection. Sergeant Donald Walters was lost north of An Nasiriyah when his vehicle broke down. He leapt from his disabled vehicle behind enemy lines and laid down covering fire so that the rest of his unit could turn their vehicles and get out of a horrific ambush. Private Brandon Sloan was shot and killed while the vehicle he was in was racing south. Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Matas truck shuddered to a stop atop a railroad overpass and burst into flames. Mata was killed, but his driver, Specialist Hudson, survived.
Near the end to the doomed convoy, First Sergeant Robert Dowdy tried to shepherd his soldiers to safety. Private First Class Lori Piestewa was driving Dowdys HMMWV. Specialist Edward Anguiano, Sergeant George Buggs and Private First Class Jessica Lynch were riding in the back. Piestewa managed to maneuver around obstacles and raced all the way back through Nasiriyah when the flatbed in front of her jackknifed. Lori was unable to avoid the back of the skidding truck. She plowed into the rear of the flatbed, instantly killing Dowdy.
We know that Lori and Jessica survived the collision. It is not clear what happened to Buggs and Anguiano. When Patrick Miller approached the crash scene, he glanced in and thought everyone was dead. Hudson, Hernandez, Lynch, Miller, Piestewa, Riley, and Shoshana Johnson were all taken prisoner. Lynch and Piestewa were separated from the others and eventually ended up in the Tykar Military Hospital. Lori died while being treated, leaving Lynch alone and near death.
The soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company that were killed that day were from all walks of life and every corner of this nation. They were a swatch cut from the American fabric and the first to die in this protracted war. Lori Piestewa was an American Indian and single mother. Brandon Sloan and Robert Dowdy were both from Cleveland Ohio. Brandon, 19, had left high school early to join the Army, while Dowdy, 38, was a career soldier. James Kiehl, 22, was a friendly computer technician who left behind a pregnant wife. Buggs and Anguiano were not even members of the 507th. Dowdy had convinced them to take one of their vehicles in tow two nights before. Their tow truck ran out of gas north of An Nasiriyah and Dowdy, Piestewa and Lynch had picked them up.
By noon, the Marines were pressing north to secure two vital bridges in An Nasiriyah. The fighting started long before they reached the Euphrates River but it wasnt until they moved into downtown Nasiriyah that all hell broke loose. Alpha Company secured the Euphrates River Bridge while Bravo Company swung out to the east side of town. Charlie Company raced over the Euphrates River Bridge and charged through Ambush Alley to the Saddam Canal Bridge.
Eighteen Marines died in Charlie Companys battle for that northern bridge. Donald Cline was a twenty-one year old husband and father of two young boys. Patrick Nixon loved history and wanted to eventually be a teacher. Phillip Jordan was a career Marine and loving husband and father. Fred Pokorney was a giant of a man who had just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Sergeant Michael Bitz was the father of two young boys and one-month old twins. David Fribley and Brian Buesing were both Florida natives. Fribley joind the Corps after 9/11 and Buesing had been in the Marines since he graduated from high school. Brendon Reiss was the son of a decorated Vietnam Veteran and Randal Rosacker was the son of a Navy Master Chief submarine sailor. Jose Garibay and Jorge Gonzalez were both from Southern California. Thomas Slocum was a 22 year old from Colorado and Nolen Hutchings was from South Carolina. They were both troubled teens who had worked to turn their lives around in the Corps.
Tamario Burkett was a young Marine from upstate New York. Kemaphoom Chanawongse was born in Thailand and came to the United States at nine years old. He was the first to have a Buddhist funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Johnathan Gifford wanted to be a Marine since he was a little boy. Michael Williams joined the Corps late in life. At 31, he was just a Lance Corporal but older than most of the young officers he worked for. On his trip over to Iraq, he emailed his girlfriend and asked her to marry him. Thomas Blair was not a member of Charlie Company. He was part of an anti-aircraft unit that had been assigned to Charlie Company. He too, went directly into the Marine Corps after high school graduation.
Twenty-nine lives ended too soon on that clear Sunday in March. Twenty-nine families grieve to this day. These soldiers and Marines died before there was a daily box score in the newspapers of America. They have been buried under 2000 more stories. Donald Cline and Michael Williams died because they chose to help their wounded comrades.
Many more soldiers and Marines would have died that day had it not been for the Herculean efforts of men like, Private First Class Patrick Miller, Sergeant Michael Bitz, Gunnery Sergeant Jason Doran, Lieutenant Mike Seely, Captain Eric Garcia, and Major Bill Peeples. These men are true American heroes.
Read about these brave young men and women in the only book to tell the entire story of Americas first major battle in Operation Iraqi Freedom Marines in the Garden of Eden, Berkley, New York, will be released on June 6, 2006.
Visit www.MarinesintheGardenofEden.com today.
Top 100 Baby Names and Helpful Tips To Consider When Naming Your Baby
Are you an expectant parent anxiously waiting for that little package of joy? Yet, you and your spouse are still looking for that perfect name? Well...fret no more! The list of the top 100 baby names may be the answer to your prayers.
Searching for your baby's name is loads of fun! Whether you're seeking a name for your soon-to-be baby boy or baby girl, you and your spouse should be curious about what names in the top 100 are currently hot.
What is particularly interesting is tracking the popularity of baby names over the decades. In looking through baby name lists from 1880 to the present, some amusing patterns emerge, particularly in regards to baby names for girls.
For example, in Victorian times, Biblical names such as Mary, Sarah and Ruth were very popular for baby girls. There were also many baby names that are now considered very old-fashioned like Martha, Alice, Bertha and Minnie.
From the 1920s to the 1950s certain baby names rose in popularity. These included names such as Susan, Debbie, Patricia, and Linda. All of these baby names have since waned, to be replaced, by the 1980s, with fancier names such as Jennifer, Jessica and Nicole.
However, according to the new top 100 baby names, there's been a lot of renewed interest in the more "old-fashioned" names like Hannah, Abigail and Ethan, plus many Biblical names such as Sarah, Rachel, Joshua, Jacob, and Samuel. There's also been a surge in nontraditional baby names including Madison, Ashley and Brianna for baby girls, and Brandon and Logan for baby boys.
When naming a baby there are, of course, many other points to consider besides how popular or unique a name is. Here are some helpful tips that you can use with your spouse and immediate family in choosing a name for the new baby and to make the process fun:
1. Baby names need to go nicely with the sound of your last name. Also, pick a first name and a middle name that go together well. (So maybe not something like Erasmus Beelzebub Jones!)
2. When your family finds a name you all like, observe the initials to be sure that you don't give your new baby a name with initials that will make people laugh or cause teasing by his or her peers. (For example: Pamela Iris Greer, which equals pig!)
3. You might not want a baby name that is so unusual that the other kids will make fun of your child in school which could result in low self esteem. So please do not be selfish when choosing a name.
4. You also might not want a baby name that is so trendy that it will sound funny by the time the baby is ten years old. (For example... Sunshine.)
5. Be careful not to pick a name that's really cute for an adorable little baby but will sound silly when your little one grows up. (For example, Dimples or Cutie Pie.)
6. Avoid baby names that might produce insulting nicknames when people shorten them. (So maybe not Smellonius, or Smelly for short !)
7. You and your family might not want a name that is so hard to spell or to pronounce that people will always get it wrong and therefore, your poor son or daughter will have to go through their entire life correcting people.
8. You and your family might want to pick baby names in honor of favorite relatives or ancestors, or special names that show your family's ethnic roots. You may even want to borrow a name from one of your favorite celebrities or sports athelete.
9. Study the top 100 baby names and choose one that has a special meaning that you like - maybe something that means "strong" or "kind" or "brave".
10. Look at your own family names and see if using any name combinations create unusual baby names you like. Ask other family members for their suggestions, even invite your friends to give you their opinions. Does a relative have a name you like? Be careful if the name is already being used. Ask other family members to be sure your favorite unusual baby names are not given to relatives. It can become confusing in families when two people have the same names.
Conclusion
Have fun and enjoy viewing the top 100 baby names when choosing your child's names. Celebrate the moment. You will find out it was worth every minute spent deciding upon that baby boy or baby girl name...a name that will identify them for their lifetime.
Are you an expectant parent anxiously waiting for that little package of joy? Yet, you and your spouse are still looking for that perfect name? Well...fret no more! The list of the top 100 baby names may be the answer to your prayers.
Searching for your baby's name is loads of fun! Whether you're seeking a name for your soon-to-be baby boy or baby girl, you and your spouse should be curious about what names in the top 100 are currently hot.
What is particularly interesting is tracking the popularity of baby names over the decades. In looking through baby name lists from 1880 to the present, some amusing patterns emerge, particularly in regards to baby names for girls.
For example, in Victorian times, Biblical names such as Mary, Sarah and Ruth were very popular for baby girls. There were also many baby names that are now considered very old-fashioned like Martha, Alice, Bertha and Minnie.
From the 1920s to the 1950s certain baby names rose in popularity. These included names such as Susan, Debbie, Patricia, and Linda. All of these baby names have since waned, to be replaced, by the 1980s, with fancier names such as Jennifer, Jessica and Nicole.
However, according to the new top 100 baby names, there's been a lot of renewed interest in the more "old-fashioned" names like Hannah, Abigail and Ethan, plus many Biblical names such as Sarah, Rachel, Joshua, Jacob, and Samuel. There's also been a surge in nontraditional baby names including Madison, Ashley and Brianna for baby girls, and Brandon and Logan for baby boys.
When naming a baby there are, of course, many other points to consider besides how popular or unique a name is. Here are some helpful tips that you can use with your spouse and immediate family in choosing a name for the new baby and to make the process fun:
1. Baby names need to go nicely with the sound of your last name. Also, pick a first name and a middle name that go together well. (So maybe not something like Erasmus Beelzebub Jones!)
2. When your family finds a name you all like, observe the initials to be sure that you don't give your new baby a name with initials that will make people laugh or cause teasing by his or her peers. (For example: Pamela Iris Greer, which equals pig!)
3. You might not want a baby name that is so unusual that the other kids will make fun of your child in school which could result in low self esteem. So please do not be selfish when choosing a name.
4. You also might not want a baby name that is so trendy that it will sound funny by the time the baby is ten years old. (For example... Sunshine.)
5. Be careful not to pick a name that's really cute for an adorable little baby but will sound silly when your little one grows up. (For example, Dimples or Cutie Pie.)
6. Avoid baby names that might produce insulting nicknames when people shorten them. (So maybe not Smellonius, or Smelly for short !)
7. You and your family might not want a name that is so hard to spell or to pronounce that people will always get it wrong and therefore, your poor son or daughter will have to go through their entire life correcting people.
8. You and your family might want to pick baby names in honor of favorite relatives or ancestors, or special names that show your family's ethnic roots. You may even want to borrow a name from one of your favorite celebrities or sports athelete.
9. Study the top 100 baby names and choose one that has a special meaning that you like - maybe something that means "strong" or "kind" or "brave".
10. Look at your own family names and see if using any name combinations create unusual baby names you like. Ask other family members for their suggestions, even invite your friends to give you their opinions. Does a relative have a name you like? Be careful if the name is already being used. Ask other family members to be sure your favorite unusual baby names are not given to relatives. It can become confusing in families when two people have the same names.
Conclusion
Have fun and enjoy viewing the top 100 baby names when choosing your child's names. Celebrate the moment. You will find out it was worth every minute spent deciding upon that baby boy or baby girl name...a name that will identify them for their lifetime.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Province of Manitoba
Manitoba is the most easterly of the Prairie Provinces and is 250,946 square miles in size. It is situated in central Canada, with Saskatchewan to the West, Ontario to the East, Nunavut bordering the North and the US states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the South.
The Province is in the Central Time Zone which is Greenwich Meantime -6 hours. Between the months of April and October Daylight Saving is in effect and the difference is GMT -5 hours.
The vast majority of Manitoba's total population of 1,150,800 (2002) live in the Southern part of the Province. The Provincial Capital is Winnipeg which is located in the South of the Province along with Manitoba's second largest city Brandon and the main gateway for goods shipping from the North the city of Selkirk The far North of Manitoba is mainly wilderness but there are a few settlements of note. The Mining Town of Flin Flon is on the Western border with Saskatchewan. Probably a bit more famous is Churchill which is on the Southern shore of Hudson Bay in the far North and has been the subject of several documentaries about its regular visitors - polar bears.
The Province is a flat, level land with most of it between 150 - 300 metres above sea level, the highest elevation being Baldy Mountain at 831 metres. The province has over 100,000 lakes and water makes up 16% of the land surface. Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis are the two largest of all the lakes. The far Northern part of the Province is covered is forest and is glaciated. As with all of Canada, there are fantastic Opportunities for Recreation that range from the great outdoors to all manner of tourism and sports. There are many Provincial and two National Parks in Manitoba where the wildlife and landscapes are protected and made available for everyone to enjoy.
The climate in Manitoba has great extremes of temperature, the average January high in Winnipeg is -13 degrees centigrade and the record low is -48 degrees centigrade. The South of the Province usually receives over 100cm of snow annually. The summers by contrast are usually sunny and warm, with precipitation in the form of brief heavy showers. Winnipeg's average high in July is 26 degrees centigrade.
The Provincial Government is led by Premier Gary Doer who is the leader of the New Democratic Party. The Province is responsible for administering the Healthcare System which provides a basic care system for the Manitoba residents. The Education System and the Driving Regulations are also regulated by the Province and have differences from other parts of Canada.
The Provincial Retail Sales Tax (RST) is a 7 per cent tax applied to the retail sale or rental of most goods and certain services in Manitoba. The tax is calculated on the selling price, before the Federal GST (Good and Services Tax) is applied. Residents of Manitoba are subject to Provincial and Federal Taxation.
The Government is actively seeking new residents and has a dedicated Provincial Nominee Program for both Business people and Skilled workers with a profile of high demand jobs. The webpages for Immigration are the best Provincial offering we have found and are crammed with excellent information. The Newcomers section is second to none and a must see if you are considering moving to Manitoba. Also, be sure to acquaint yourself with the Emploment Standards which describes your rights and obligations as an employee, the minimum wage system and great links to the health and safety regulations.
For more, detailed information and great links please go to http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/manitoba.html
Manitoba is the most easterly of the Prairie Provinces and is 250,946 square miles in size. It is situated in central Canada, with Saskatchewan to the West, Ontario to the East, Nunavut bordering the North and the US states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the South.
The Province is in the Central Time Zone which is Greenwich Meantime -6 hours. Between the months of April and October Daylight Saving is in effect and the difference is GMT -5 hours.
The vast majority of Manitoba's total population of 1,150,800 (2002) live in the Southern part of the Province. The Provincial Capital is Winnipeg which is located in the South of the Province along with Manitoba's second largest city Brandon and the main gateway for goods shipping from the North the city of Selkirk The far North of Manitoba is mainly wilderness but there are a few settlements of note. The Mining Town of Flin Flon is on the Western border with Saskatchewan. Probably a bit more famous is Churchill which is on the Southern shore of Hudson Bay in the far North and has been the subject of several documentaries about its regular visitors - polar bears.
The Province is a flat, level land with most of it between 150 - 300 metres above sea level, the highest elevation being Baldy Mountain at 831 metres. The province has over 100,000 lakes and water makes up 16% of the land surface. Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis are the two largest of all the lakes. The far Northern part of the Province is covered is forest and is glaciated. As with all of Canada, there are fantastic Opportunities for Recreation that range from the great outdoors to all manner of tourism and sports. There are many Provincial and two National Parks in Manitoba where the wildlife and landscapes are protected and made available for everyone to enjoy.
The climate in Manitoba has great extremes of temperature, the average January high in Winnipeg is -13 degrees centigrade and the record low is -48 degrees centigrade. The South of the Province usually receives over 100cm of snow annually. The summers by contrast are usually sunny and warm, with precipitation in the form of brief heavy showers. Winnipeg's average high in July is 26 degrees centigrade.
The Provincial Government is led by Premier Gary Doer who is the leader of the New Democratic Party. The Province is responsible for administering the Healthcare System which provides a basic care system for the Manitoba residents. The Education System and the Driving Regulations are also regulated by the Province and have differences from other parts of Canada.
The Provincial Retail Sales Tax (RST) is a 7 per cent tax applied to the retail sale or rental of most goods and certain services in Manitoba. The tax is calculated on the selling price, before the Federal GST (Good and Services Tax) is applied. Residents of Manitoba are subject to Provincial and Federal Taxation.
The Government is actively seeking new residents and has a dedicated Provincial Nominee Program for both Business people and Skilled workers with a profile of high demand jobs. The webpages for Immigration are the best Provincial offering we have found and are crammed with excellent information. The Newcomers section is second to none and a must see if you are considering moving to Manitoba. Also, be sure to acquaint yourself with the Emploment Standards which describes your rights and obligations as an employee, the minimum wage system and great links to the health and safety regulations.
For more, detailed information and great links please go to http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/manitoba.html
Conquering Correspondence & Christmas Clutter in the New Year
The New Year is here, Nicole is back in school and the in-laws have
returned home. Cindy should be breathing a sigh of relief but instead
she is once again feeling overwhelmed- this time due to post-Christmas
clutter. The tree needs to be taken down, decorations put away, and she
has no idea where to put all the new toys (the playroom and bedrooms are
already over crowded!). Then there is the issue of the piles of
Christmas cards, letters and pictures which have overtaken the house.
And of course their annual Christmas letter that hasn't been written
yet. Hmm.... let's shoot for Valentine's Day.
After slamming a diet coke for energy, Cindy starts taking off the
ornaments and you can bet Megan and Zachary were right there to help.
While Cindy was digging through the garage to find a box for the
ornaments, Megan and Zachary decided to decorate the entire house with
the ornaments that just came off the tree. The one hour project has
turned into an all day adventure - or should I say fiasco?
Several days later, Cindy gets a rare moment alone and decides to
knock out that Christmas/Valentine's letter. Writing the letter wasn't
too much trouble but locating all the updated addresses was something
she hadn't bargained for. "There must be a better way", she thinks to
herself as she searches the house for Christmas envelopes and crosses
out the old addresses in her address book.
Before she knows it, Zachary is up from his nap and it is time to
pick up Nicole from school. On the way home, she stops at the mailbox to
pick up the mail. The mail gets tossed on the empty front seat which
slides to the floor as she turns the corner. From the floor of the van,
the mail next makes its way to the kitchen counter where it is again
dumped. Before Cindy can even consider picking up a piece of mail, she
is bombarded with questions about homework, the kids fighting over the
snacks and the ubiquitous question of "what is for dinner?"
The dinner scramble begins with throwing the pile of mail into a
corner so she can prepare dinner on the kitchen counter. A few minutes
later when Mike calls to say he invited a co-worker over for dinner, the
pile of mail gets moved again. This time it is thrown into a bag and
shoved in the closet. It seemed like a good plan until she couldn't find
a few bills a week or two later. She vaguely remembered putting them in
a bag. Trouble was, she couldn't remember what she did with the bag.
Cindy wishes there was something she could do to stop this exhausting
cycle.
The New Year has begun and with Brook back in school, Tracy is
anxious to get her Christmas decorations put away and her house back in
order. During Alex's nap time she gets the ornaments box out of the
garage, wraps them and puts them away. Later that evening she and Kevin
will take care of the lights and take apart their tree. By the end of
the week, she should have all of the decorations taken care of.
The following morning after dropping Brook off at school, Tracy
stops to pick up the mail. It is much easier for her to deal with the
mail in the morning than at the end of the day. When she gets home she
sorts the mail in categories and puts any junk mail straight into the
trash. The kids need attention so she will deal with the "needs action"
items later.
On Saturday, 4 year old Brandon, Brook and Tracy sit down for the
special time they have planned together. Tracy grabs the envelope with
all the pictures she received over the holidays, a paper cutter and the
double sided tape. Her plan is to "crop" down the photos and tape them
to a bulletin board which will later be hung in the hallway known as her
"hall of fame". As Tracy replaces the old pictures with new ones, she
gives the kids the old pictures to cut and paste into their own
notebooks. The kids enjoy this creative adventure with mom and it also
gives them a chance to talk about friends and family.
Most mornings Tracy gets up in the wee hours of the morning to
enjoy her coffee in silence before the rest of the family's day begins.
For the next couple of months, she will also use this time to read one
or two Christmas letters from the "to read" pile. When she has finished
reading them, she puts her initial in the corner so John knows she has
read that one. Later, when he has had a chance to read it, he knows it
can be thrown away. It takes quite awhile to get through them
but at least this way she really has a chance to catch up on her many
friends' lives all across the country.
Another project Tracy hopes to complete this month is updating the
addresses on her computer data base. She has all of her Christmas card
envelopes in the "needs action" slot of her mail organizer and will take
several chunks of time to check them with her database. This process
will save her precious time later in the year.
Tips for dealing with the mail:
1) Most people happen to get the mail at a very stressful time of day
(i.e. on their way home from work or picking up the kids). When they
walk in the door there are other pressing issues, so the mail gets
thrown on the kitchen counter or table. Keep in mind that the time of
day your mail is delivered does not have to determine when you get the
mail. Get it when it is convenient for you and you have time to sort
through it.
2) The amount of junk mail that arrives daily in our mailboxes can be
overwhelming. Open the mail by a shredder or garbage can if possible so
the junk can be weeded out immediately. It is also a little known fact
that you can write the Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing
Association at PO Box 282 Carmel, NY 15012 and ask to have your name,
phone number and address permanently removed form all direct marketing
and pre-screening databases.
3) Once the junk mail has been tossed, the remainder of the mail must be
sorted. I have found the following categories to be helpful in sorting
mail: Bills, Needs Action, To Read, To Be Filed, and Donation
Opportunities. If there are several adults living in one residence, it
may be helpful to sort by name instead. Using a mail organizer with
slots, trays, or files that are clearly labeled will help with this
process.
4) The sorting is only effective if you set a time in your schedule to
deal with the items in the various categories. Start a new habit this
year of reading one piece of mail with your cereal and coffee in the
morning or before your favorite TV show begins. Set a certain day of the
week that you pay bills. Think of the time you will save not searching
all over for them! Put it on a "to do list" to file 10 items once a week
or allocate that job to a child that is old enough to handle that
responsibility. To kids, filing is fun! Set time aside each week in your
schedule to deal with "needs action" items.
5) Let go of the guilt of not saving every coupon that makes its way
through your door. Look at the expiration date and ask yourself how
likely it is that you will actually use it before it expires. If you do
decide to save some coupons, keep a small drawer designated to coupons
or a small expandable envelope in your car so you have them with you
when you spontaneously decide to stop at Linens n Things on your way
home from work.
The New Year is here, Nicole is back in school and the in-laws have
returned home. Cindy should be breathing a sigh of relief but instead
she is once again feeling overwhelmed- this time due to post-Christmas
clutter. The tree needs to be taken down, decorations put away, and she
has no idea where to put all the new toys (the playroom and bedrooms are
already over crowded!). Then there is the issue of the piles of
Christmas cards, letters and pictures which have overtaken the house.
And of course their annual Christmas letter that hasn't been written
yet. Hmm.... let's shoot for Valentine's Day.
After slamming a diet coke for energy, Cindy starts taking off the
ornaments and you can bet Megan and Zachary were right there to help.
While Cindy was digging through the garage to find a box for the
ornaments, Megan and Zachary decided to decorate the entire house with
the ornaments that just came off the tree. The one hour project has
turned into an all day adventure - or should I say fiasco?
Several days later, Cindy gets a rare moment alone and decides to
knock out that Christmas/Valentine's letter. Writing the letter wasn't
too much trouble but locating all the updated addresses was something
she hadn't bargained for. "There must be a better way", she thinks to
herself as she searches the house for Christmas envelopes and crosses
out the old addresses in her address book.
Before she knows it, Zachary is up from his nap and it is time to
pick up Nicole from school. On the way home, she stops at the mailbox to
pick up the mail. The mail gets tossed on the empty front seat which
slides to the floor as she turns the corner. From the floor of the van,
the mail next makes its way to the kitchen counter where it is again
dumped. Before Cindy can even consider picking up a piece of mail, she
is bombarded with questions about homework, the kids fighting over the
snacks and the ubiquitous question of "what is for dinner?"
The dinner scramble begins with throwing the pile of mail into a
corner so she can prepare dinner on the kitchen counter. A few minutes
later when Mike calls to say he invited a co-worker over for dinner, the
pile of mail gets moved again. This time it is thrown into a bag and
shoved in the closet. It seemed like a good plan until she couldn't find
a few bills a week or two later. She vaguely remembered putting them in
a bag. Trouble was, she couldn't remember what she did with the bag.
Cindy wishes there was something she could do to stop this exhausting
cycle.
The New Year has begun and with Brook back in school, Tracy is
anxious to get her Christmas decorations put away and her house back in
order. During Alex's nap time she gets the ornaments box out of the
garage, wraps them and puts them away. Later that evening she and Kevin
will take care of the lights and take apart their tree. By the end of
the week, she should have all of the decorations taken care of.
The following morning after dropping Brook off at school, Tracy
stops to pick up the mail. It is much easier for her to deal with the
mail in the morning than at the end of the day. When she gets home she
sorts the mail in categories and puts any junk mail straight into the
trash. The kids need attention so she will deal with the "needs action"
items later.
On Saturday, 4 year old Brandon, Brook and Tracy sit down for the
special time they have planned together. Tracy grabs the envelope with
all the pictures she received over the holidays, a paper cutter and the
double sided tape. Her plan is to "crop" down the photos and tape them
to a bulletin board which will later be hung in the hallway known as her
"hall of fame". As Tracy replaces the old pictures with new ones, she
gives the kids the old pictures to cut and paste into their own
notebooks. The kids enjoy this creative adventure with mom and it also
gives them a chance to talk about friends and family.
Most mornings Tracy gets up in the wee hours of the morning to
enjoy her coffee in silence before the rest of the family's day begins.
For the next couple of months, she will also use this time to read one
or two Christmas letters from the "to read" pile. When she has finished
reading them, she puts her initial in the corner so John knows she has
read that one. Later, when he has had a chance to read it, he knows it
can be thrown away. It takes quite awhile to get through them
but at least this way she really has a chance to catch up on her many
friends' lives all across the country.
Another project Tracy hopes to complete this month is updating the
addresses on her computer data base. She has all of her Christmas card
envelopes in the "needs action" slot of her mail organizer and will take
several chunks of time to check them with her database. This process
will save her precious time later in the year.
Tips for dealing with the mail:
1) Most people happen to get the mail at a very stressful time of day
(i.e. on their way home from work or picking up the kids). When they
walk in the door there are other pressing issues, so the mail gets
thrown on the kitchen counter or table. Keep in mind that the time of
day your mail is delivered does not have to determine when you get the
mail. Get it when it is convenient for you and you have time to sort
through it.
2) The amount of junk mail that arrives daily in our mailboxes can be
overwhelming. Open the mail by a shredder or garbage can if possible so
the junk can be weeded out immediately. It is also a little known fact
that you can write the Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing
Association at PO Box 282 Carmel, NY 15012 and ask to have your name,
phone number and address permanently removed form all direct marketing
and pre-screening databases.
3) Once the junk mail has been tossed, the remainder of the mail must be
sorted. I have found the following categories to be helpful in sorting
mail: Bills, Needs Action, To Read, To Be Filed, and Donation
Opportunities. If there are several adults living in one residence, it
may be helpful to sort by name instead. Using a mail organizer with
slots, trays, or files that are clearly labeled will help with this
process.
4) The sorting is only effective if you set a time in your schedule to
deal with the items in the various categories. Start a new habit this
year of reading one piece of mail with your cereal and coffee in the
morning or before your favorite TV show begins. Set a certain day of the
week that you pay bills. Think of the time you will save not searching
all over for them! Put it on a "to do list" to file 10 items once a week
or allocate that job to a child that is old enough to handle that
responsibility. To kids, filing is fun! Set time aside each week in your
schedule to deal with "needs action" items.
5) Let go of the guilt of not saving every coupon that makes its way
through your door. Look at the expiration date and ask yourself how
likely it is that you will actually use it before it expires. If you do
decide to save some coupons, keep a small drawer designated to coupons
or a small expandable envelope in your car so you have them with you
when you spontaneously decide to stop at Linens n Things on your way
home from work.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Office Politics: Survival of the Savvy
Theres one skill everybody at work wishes they were better at, but you wont find it taught in MBA courses: office politics.
Tales of political sabotage, power plays and turf wars are part of any organizations history. Nonetheless, political competence is the one skill everyone wishes to have more ofbut no one admits to it.
Political competence is the ability to understand what you can and cannot control, when to take action, who is going to resist your agenda, and whom you need on your side. Its about knowing how to map the political terrain and get others on your side, as well as lead coalitions, according to Prof. Samuel B. Bacharach who wrote Getting Them On Your Side, 2005.
Many individuals have good ideas that, if implemented, could yield positive results for their companies. Sometimes these ideas fail because the leaders who propose them cannot gain support from key people.
Defining Political Savvy
Its naive to suggest that all office politics are destructive and unethical. If you define politics in such a narrow and negative way, you overlook the value of political awareness and skill. When political astuteness is combined with ethics and integrity, it can produce positive results for you, your team and your organization.
By avoiding or denying its existence, you underestimate how political behavior can destroy careers, a companys reputation and overall performance. If you define politics in only negative terms, you are naively under-political, which leaves you vulnerable to overly political, self-serving individuals.
Three Phases of Political Competence
Political competence can be developed in an ethically sound way with this three-phase process:
1. Map Your Political Terrain
First, identify all stakeholdersanyone who has an interest in, or who would be affected by, your ideaand how they will react. Some resistance is inevitable. You must anticipate others reactions, identify allies and resisters, analyze their goals, and understand their agendas.
2. Get Others on Your Side
Build your coalitiona politically mobilized group committed to implementing your idea because doing so will generate valued benefits.
How do you win support? You need to be credible. You communicate credibility by letting potential allies and resisters know about your expertise, demonstrating personal integrity, and showing you have access to important people and information. Through informal conversations, meetings and office drop-ins, you need to explain your position.
3. Make Things Happen
You must win others buy-in by making it clear theres a payoff for supporting your effort and drawbacks for not joining your coalition. Show how implementing your idea will ease their workload, increase their visibility within the organization, or help them cut costs in their unit.
Once youve persuaded people to join your coalition, youve established a base that will legitimize your idea. Coalition members will then use their networks to evangelize for you.
Mastering only certain parts of the three identified phases will not yield success. Some people sabotage themselves by failing to complete all three phases when attempting to generate and implement change.
Reducing Risk through Politics
There are risks with any course of action you take. You sometimes have incomplete or inadequate information when making a decision. Building a coalition through dialogue with its members pushes valuable information to the surface.
You are open to criticism and politically vulnerable whenever you make a decision. Politically competent leaders reduce risk by getting as many people as possible on their side. Building a coalition is a search process for the best solution.
Building a coalition, bringing people together and solidifying/expanding your base will leave you less vulnerable to criticism. Its more difficult to attack a leader who has built a large base of support throughout the organization.
Resources on Office Politics
Bacharach, S. 2005. Get Them on Your Side. Adams Media Corp.
Brandon, R. & Seldman, M. 2004. Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success. Free Press.
Kleiner, A. 2003. Who Really Matters : The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege, and Success:. Doubleday.
Theres one skill everybody at work wishes they were better at, but you wont find it taught in MBA courses: office politics.
Tales of political sabotage, power plays and turf wars are part of any organizations history. Nonetheless, political competence is the one skill everyone wishes to have more ofbut no one admits to it.
Political competence is the ability to understand what you can and cannot control, when to take action, who is going to resist your agenda, and whom you need on your side. Its about knowing how to map the political terrain and get others on your side, as well as lead coalitions, according to Prof. Samuel B. Bacharach who wrote Getting Them On Your Side, 2005.
Many individuals have good ideas that, if implemented, could yield positive results for their companies. Sometimes these ideas fail because the leaders who propose them cannot gain support from key people.
Defining Political Savvy
Its naive to suggest that all office politics are destructive and unethical. If you define politics in such a narrow and negative way, you overlook the value of political awareness and skill. When political astuteness is combined with ethics and integrity, it can produce positive results for you, your team and your organization.
By avoiding or denying its existence, you underestimate how political behavior can destroy careers, a companys reputation and overall performance. If you define politics in only negative terms, you are naively under-political, which leaves you vulnerable to overly political, self-serving individuals.
Three Phases of Political Competence
Political competence can be developed in an ethically sound way with this three-phase process:
1. Map Your Political Terrain
First, identify all stakeholdersanyone who has an interest in, or who would be affected by, your ideaand how they will react. Some resistance is inevitable. You must anticipate others reactions, identify allies and resisters, analyze their goals, and understand their agendas.
2. Get Others on Your Side
Build your coalitiona politically mobilized group committed to implementing your idea because doing so will generate valued benefits.
How do you win support? You need to be credible. You communicate credibility by letting potential allies and resisters know about your expertise, demonstrating personal integrity, and showing you have access to important people and information. Through informal conversations, meetings and office drop-ins, you need to explain your position.
3. Make Things Happen
You must win others buy-in by making it clear theres a payoff for supporting your effort and drawbacks for not joining your coalition. Show how implementing your idea will ease their workload, increase their visibility within the organization, or help them cut costs in their unit.
Once youve persuaded people to join your coalition, youve established a base that will legitimize your idea. Coalition members will then use their networks to evangelize for you.
Mastering only certain parts of the three identified phases will not yield success. Some people sabotage themselves by failing to complete all three phases when attempting to generate and implement change.
Reducing Risk through Politics
There are risks with any course of action you take. You sometimes have incomplete or inadequate information when making a decision. Building a coalition through dialogue with its members pushes valuable information to the surface.
You are open to criticism and politically vulnerable whenever you make a decision. Politically competent leaders reduce risk by getting as many people as possible on their side. Building a coalition is a search process for the best solution.
Building a coalition, bringing people together and solidifying/expanding your base will leave you less vulnerable to criticism. Its more difficult to attack a leader who has built a large base of support throughout the organization.
Resources on Office Politics
Bacharach, S. 2005. Get Them on Your Side. Adams Media Corp.
Brandon, R. & Seldman, M. 2004. Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success. Free Press.
Kleiner, A. 2003. Who Really Matters : The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege, and Success:. Doubleday.
America Goes to War - The battle for An Nasiriyah
It is hard to believe that it has been three years since Jessica Lynch and the 507th Maintenance Company rolled through the dusty streets of An Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. Eleven of Jessicas fellow soldiers were killed that morning, five were captured and a dozen more injured. Lynch was critically injured and near death when she was brought into a military hospital near the site of her ambush.
Within hours of the ambush, the North Carolina Marines of Task Force Tarawa moved to secure the bridges in An Nasiriyah. LtCol Rickey Grabowskis 1st Battalion, of the 2nd Marine Regiment rolled into the city and encountered stiff resistance. By midmorning they had rescued nearly half of the soldiers who had been ambushed and by noon the Marines were charging forward through a hail of RPGs, AK-47 gunfire, mortar and artillery barrages. By sunset, Grabowskis Marines had secured their objectives but at a terrible cost. Eighteen of Americas finest died and another dozen were wounded.
In all, twenty-nine Americans died that day in An Nasiriyah. Their story has never really been told. Initially, the situation in Nasiriyah was so confusing and filled with the fog of war that no one knew the connection between the 507th Maintenance Company and the brave Marines of the 2d Marine Regiment. At first, Jessicas capture was kept quiet for fear that the enemy would move her if they suspected that America knew where she was and most of the Marines who died that day could not be identified without DNA testing.
As the days and weeks passed, the news media moved on to Lynchs rescue and then the fall of Baghdad. When the Department of Defense finally sorted things out and released the names of the Marines and soldiers who died that day, the media took very little interest. No one ever realized that that bloody day in Nasiriyah, on March 23rd, was the costliest day of combat for America in the invasion of Iraq. These twenty-nine American soldiers and Marines were never given a fitting tribute to the ultimate sacrifice they made while in the service of their country.
Before sunrise on the 23rd on March 2003, thirty-three soldiers, traveling in eighteen trucks, stumbled into the dusty desert city of An Nasiriyah. It wasnt until they had driven all the way through the city that they realized that they were hopelessly lost. As soon as they turned around and tried to retrace their path, every Iraqi with a gun started shooting at the beleaguered convoy. The lead three vehicles managed to run the gauntlet and get back to the U.S. Marines front lines.
Five vehicles broke down and ten soldiers scrambled for cover in a nearby ditch. Surrounded, they each vowed to go down fighting. They had fought to hold off the enemy for nearly an hour, when Major Bill Peeples and the Marine tankers of Alpha Company, 8th Tanks arrived to save the day. The Marines beat back the enemy and rushed the ten soldiers to safety.
The remaining seventeen soldiers were not so fortunate. Eleven were killed and six captured. Specialists Jamaal Addison and James Kiehl both died when their vehicle careened through an intersection and rolled over on its top. Private First Class Howard Johnson II and Private Ruben Estrella-Sotos truck crashed at the same intersection. Sergeant Donald Walters was lost north of An Nasiriyah when his vehicle broke down. He leapt from his disabled vehicle behind enemy lines and laid down covering fire so that the rest of his unit could turn their vehicles and get out of a horrific ambush. Private Brandon Sloan was shot and killed while the vehicle he was in was racing south. Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Matas truck shuddered to a stop atop a railroad overpass and burst into flames. Mata was killed, but his driver, Specialist Hudson, survived.
Near the end to the doomed convoy, First Sergeant Robert Dowdy tried to shepherd his soldiers to safety. Private First Class Lori Piestewa was driving Dowdys HMMWV. Specialist Edward Anguiano, Sergeant George Buggs and Private First Class Jessica Lynch were riding in the back. Piestewa managed to maneuver around obstacles and raced all the way back through Nasiriyah when the flatbed in front of her jackknifed. Lori was unable to avoid the back of the skidding truck. She plowed into the rear of the flatbed, instantly killing Dowdy.
We know that Lori and Jessica survived the collision. It is not clear what happened to Buggs and Anguiano. When Patrick Miller approached the crash scene, he glanced in and thought everyone was dead. Hudson, Hernandez, Lynch, Miller, Piestewa, Riley, and Shoshana Johnson were all taken prisoner. Lynch and Piestewa were separated from the others and eventually ended up in the Tykar Military Hospital. Lori died while being treated, leaving Lynch alone and near death.
The soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company that were killed that day were from all walks of life and every corner of this nation. They were a swatch cut from the American fabric and the first to die in this protracted war. Lori Piestewa was an American Indian and single mother. Brandon Sloan and Robert Dowdy were both from Cleveland Ohio. Brandon, 19, had left high school early to join the Army, while Dowdy, 38, was a career soldier. James Kiehl, 22, was a friendly computer technician who left behind a pregnant wife. Buggs and Anguiano were not even members of the 507th. Dowdy had convinced them to take one of their vehicles in tow two nights before. Their tow truck ran out of gas north of An Nasiriyah and Dowdy, Piestewa and Lynch had picked them up.
By noon, the Marines were pressing north to secure two vital bridges in An Nasiriyah. The fighting started long before they reached the Euphrates River but it wasnt until they moved into downtown Nasiriyah that all hell broke loose. Alpha Company secured the Euphrates River Bridge while Bravo Company swung out to the east side of town. Charlie Company raced over the Euphrates River Bridge and charged through Ambush Alley to the Saddam Canal Bridge.
Eighteen Marines died in Charlie Companys battle for that northern bridge. Donald Cline was a twenty-one year old husband and father of two young boys. Patrick Nixon loved history and wanted to eventually be a teacher. Phillip Jordan was a career Marine and loving husband and father. Fred Pokorney was a giant of a man who had just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Sergeant Michael Bitz was the father of two young boys and one-month old twins. David Fribley and Brian Buesing were both Florida natives. Fribley joind the Corps after 9/11 and Buesing had been in the Marines since he graduated from high school. Brendon Reiss was the son of a decorated Vietnam Veteran and Randal Rosacker was the son of a Navy Master Chief submarine sailor. Jose Garibay and Jorge Gonzalez were both from Southern California. Thomas Slocum was a 22 year old from Colorado and Nolen Hutchings was from South Carolina. They were both troubled teens who had worked to turn their lives around in the Corps.
Tamario Burkett was a young Marine from upstate New York. Kemaphoom Chanawongse was born in Thailand and came to the United States at nine years old. He was the first to have a Buddhist funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Johnathan Gifford wanted to be a Marine since he was a little boy. Michael Williams joined the Corps late in life. At 31, he was just a Lance Corporal but older than most of the young officers he worked for. On his trip over to Iraq, he emailed his girlfriend and asked her to marry him. Thomas Blair was not a member of Charlie Company. He was part of an anti-aircraft unit that had been assigned to Charlie Company. He too, went directly into the Marine Corps after high school graduation.
Twenty-nine lives ended too soon on that clear Sunday in March. Twenty-nine families grieve to this day. These soldiers and Marines died before there was a daily box score in the newspapers of America. They have been buried under 2000 more stories. Donald Cline and Michael Williams died because they chose to help their wounded comrades.
Many more soldiers and Marines would have died that day had it not been for the Herculean efforts of men like, Private First Class Patrick Miller, Sergeant Michael Bitz, Gunnery Sergeant Jason Doran, Lieutenant Mike Seely, Captain Eric Garcia, and Major Bill Peeples. These men are true American heroes.
Read about these brave young men and women in the only book to tell the entire story of Americas first major battle in Operation Iraqi Freedom Marines in the Garden of Eden, Berkley, New York, will be released on June 6, 2006.
Visit www.MarinesintheGardenofEden.com today.
It is hard to believe that it has been three years since Jessica Lynch and the 507th Maintenance Company rolled through the dusty streets of An Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. Eleven of Jessicas fellow soldiers were killed that morning, five were captured and a dozen more injured. Lynch was critically injured and near death when she was brought into a military hospital near the site of her ambush.
Within hours of the ambush, the North Carolina Marines of Task Force Tarawa moved to secure the bridges in An Nasiriyah. LtCol Rickey Grabowskis 1st Battalion, of the 2nd Marine Regiment rolled into the city and encountered stiff resistance. By midmorning they had rescued nearly half of the soldiers who had been ambushed and by noon the Marines were charging forward through a hail of RPGs, AK-47 gunfire, mortar and artillery barrages. By sunset, Grabowskis Marines had secured their objectives but at a terrible cost. Eighteen of Americas finest died and another dozen were wounded.
In all, twenty-nine Americans died that day in An Nasiriyah. Their story has never really been told. Initially, the situation in Nasiriyah was so confusing and filled with the fog of war that no one knew the connection between the 507th Maintenance Company and the brave Marines of the 2d Marine Regiment. At first, Jessicas capture was kept quiet for fear that the enemy would move her if they suspected that America knew where she was and most of the Marines who died that day could not be identified without DNA testing.
As the days and weeks passed, the news media moved on to Lynchs rescue and then the fall of Baghdad. When the Department of Defense finally sorted things out and released the names of the Marines and soldiers who died that day, the media took very little interest. No one ever realized that that bloody day in Nasiriyah, on March 23rd, was the costliest day of combat for America in the invasion of Iraq. These twenty-nine American soldiers and Marines were never given a fitting tribute to the ultimate sacrifice they made while in the service of their country.
Before sunrise on the 23rd on March 2003, thirty-three soldiers, traveling in eighteen trucks, stumbled into the dusty desert city of An Nasiriyah. It wasnt until they had driven all the way through the city that they realized that they were hopelessly lost. As soon as they turned around and tried to retrace their path, every Iraqi with a gun started shooting at the beleaguered convoy. The lead three vehicles managed to run the gauntlet and get back to the U.S. Marines front lines.
Five vehicles broke down and ten soldiers scrambled for cover in a nearby ditch. Surrounded, they each vowed to go down fighting. They had fought to hold off the enemy for nearly an hour, when Major Bill Peeples and the Marine tankers of Alpha Company, 8th Tanks arrived to save the day. The Marines beat back the enemy and rushed the ten soldiers to safety.
The remaining seventeen soldiers were not so fortunate. Eleven were killed and six captured. Specialists Jamaal Addison and James Kiehl both died when their vehicle careened through an intersection and rolled over on its top. Private First Class Howard Johnson II and Private Ruben Estrella-Sotos truck crashed at the same intersection. Sergeant Donald Walters was lost north of An Nasiriyah when his vehicle broke down. He leapt from his disabled vehicle behind enemy lines and laid down covering fire so that the rest of his unit could turn their vehicles and get out of a horrific ambush. Private Brandon Sloan was shot and killed while the vehicle he was in was racing south. Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Matas truck shuddered to a stop atop a railroad overpass and burst into flames. Mata was killed, but his driver, Specialist Hudson, survived.
Near the end to the doomed convoy, First Sergeant Robert Dowdy tried to shepherd his soldiers to safety. Private First Class Lori Piestewa was driving Dowdys HMMWV. Specialist Edward Anguiano, Sergeant George Buggs and Private First Class Jessica Lynch were riding in the back. Piestewa managed to maneuver around obstacles and raced all the way back through Nasiriyah when the flatbed in front of her jackknifed. Lori was unable to avoid the back of the skidding truck. She plowed into the rear of the flatbed, instantly killing Dowdy.
We know that Lori and Jessica survived the collision. It is not clear what happened to Buggs and Anguiano. When Patrick Miller approached the crash scene, he glanced in and thought everyone was dead. Hudson, Hernandez, Lynch, Miller, Piestewa, Riley, and Shoshana Johnson were all taken prisoner. Lynch and Piestewa were separated from the others and eventually ended up in the Tykar Military Hospital. Lori died while being treated, leaving Lynch alone and near death.
The soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company that were killed that day were from all walks of life and every corner of this nation. They were a swatch cut from the American fabric and the first to die in this protracted war. Lori Piestewa was an American Indian and single mother. Brandon Sloan and Robert Dowdy were both from Cleveland Ohio. Brandon, 19, had left high school early to join the Army, while Dowdy, 38, was a career soldier. James Kiehl, 22, was a friendly computer technician who left behind a pregnant wife. Buggs and Anguiano were not even members of the 507th. Dowdy had convinced them to take one of their vehicles in tow two nights before. Their tow truck ran out of gas north of An Nasiriyah and Dowdy, Piestewa and Lynch had picked them up.
By noon, the Marines were pressing north to secure two vital bridges in An Nasiriyah. The fighting started long before they reached the Euphrates River but it wasnt until they moved into downtown Nasiriyah that all hell broke loose. Alpha Company secured the Euphrates River Bridge while Bravo Company swung out to the east side of town. Charlie Company raced over the Euphrates River Bridge and charged through Ambush Alley to the Saddam Canal Bridge.
Eighteen Marines died in Charlie Companys battle for that northern bridge. Donald Cline was a twenty-one year old husband and father of two young boys. Patrick Nixon loved history and wanted to eventually be a teacher. Phillip Jordan was a career Marine and loving husband and father. Fred Pokorney was a giant of a man who had just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Sergeant Michael Bitz was the father of two young boys and one-month old twins. David Fribley and Brian Buesing were both Florida natives. Fribley joind the Corps after 9/11 and Buesing had been in the Marines since he graduated from high school. Brendon Reiss was the son of a decorated Vietnam Veteran and Randal Rosacker was the son of a Navy Master Chief submarine sailor. Jose Garibay and Jorge Gonzalez were both from Southern California. Thomas Slocum was a 22 year old from Colorado and Nolen Hutchings was from South Carolina. They were both troubled teens who had worked to turn their lives around in the Corps.
Tamario Burkett was a young Marine from upstate New York. Kemaphoom Chanawongse was born in Thailand and came to the United States at nine years old. He was the first to have a Buddhist funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Johnathan Gifford wanted to be a Marine since he was a little boy. Michael Williams joined the Corps late in life. At 31, he was just a Lance Corporal but older than most of the young officers he worked for. On his trip over to Iraq, he emailed his girlfriend and asked her to marry him. Thomas Blair was not a member of Charlie Company. He was part of an anti-aircraft unit that had been assigned to Charlie Company. He too, went directly into the Marine Corps after high school graduation.
Twenty-nine lives ended too soon on that clear Sunday in March. Twenty-nine families grieve to this day. These soldiers and Marines died before there was a daily box score in the newspapers of America. They have been buried under 2000 more stories. Donald Cline and Michael Williams died because they chose to help their wounded comrades.
Many more soldiers and Marines would have died that day had it not been for the Herculean efforts of men like, Private First Class Patrick Miller, Sergeant Michael Bitz, Gunnery Sergeant Jason Doran, Lieutenant Mike Seely, Captain Eric Garcia, and Major Bill Peeples. These men are true American heroes.
Read about these brave young men and women in the only book to tell the entire story of Americas first major battle in Operation Iraqi Freedom Marines in the Garden of Eden, Berkley, New York, will be released on June 6, 2006.
Visit www.MarinesintheGardenofEden.com today.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Arrival at Company D, 40th Signal Battalion, Qui Nhon, RVN
Article 4
Arrival at D Company, 40th Signal Battalion, Qui Nhon
Upon our evening arrival I was picked up along with the other replacements at the Qui Nhon airport moved to the company area. We were shown our temporary bunks and stowed our gear. Mike Massey, Bob Carpenter, and I went over to the EM club to get something to drink. The place had nothing to eat and of course the chow hall was closed. Back to the billets and for some much needed rest. Of course we had no mosquito nets.
The following day we in-processed the company and were assigned permanent bunks with our respective platoons. We were pole line construction and the following day I worked the pole line for half a day. Before going back to work the line after noon chow Mike Massey and I were called to the orderly room to see the operations sergeant. He offered us cable splicing school in Long Binh. We had not been in Qui Nhon for 3 days and its back to Long Binh for 3 weeks of in country cable splicing school.
Nothing eventful happened. What I do remember was that you had to be an E-6 or above to use the ice machine in the mess hall. In other words you could get ice tea for without the ice. This was one of my first indicators of the poor leadership that I would experience over the coming months in this outfit... This ice problem was later corrected with the help of the inspector general and some disgruntled troops. I also remember trying to get a mosquito net. Our platoon sergeant tells us to go to the supply room and of course the supply room has no nets. We were told to get one off someone rotating home. Of my 33 months in Vietnam I never received a net from supply. I dont ever remember receiving much of anything from company supply. Anyway it's off to Long Binh.
Article 4
Arrival at D Company, 40th Signal Battalion, Qui Nhon
Upon our evening arrival I was picked up along with the other replacements at the Qui Nhon airport moved to the company area. We were shown our temporary bunks and stowed our gear. Mike Massey, Bob Carpenter, and I went over to the EM club to get something to drink. The place had nothing to eat and of course the chow hall was closed. Back to the billets and for some much needed rest. Of course we had no mosquito nets.
The following day we in-processed the company and were assigned permanent bunks with our respective platoons. We were pole line construction and the following day I worked the pole line for half a day. Before going back to work the line after noon chow Mike Massey and I were called to the orderly room to see the operations sergeant. He offered us cable splicing school in Long Binh. We had not been in Qui Nhon for 3 days and its back to Long Binh for 3 weeks of in country cable splicing school.
Nothing eventful happened. What I do remember was that you had to be an E-6 or above to use the ice machine in the mess hall. In other words you could get ice tea for without the ice. This was one of my first indicators of the poor leadership that I would experience over the coming months in this outfit... This ice problem was later corrected with the help of the inspector general and some disgruntled troops. I also remember trying to get a mosquito net. Our platoon sergeant tells us to go to the supply room and of course the supply room has no nets. We were told to get one off someone rotating home. Of my 33 months in Vietnam I never received a net from supply. I dont ever remember receiving much of anything from company supply. Anyway it's off to Long Binh.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Florentine-Style
I owe my history teachers an apology.. You tried your best to ignite even a glimmer of emotion in me for your subject, but I stymied you at every turn. Well into adulthood now, I'm reduced to making muttered comments that history is not my strong suit, when in fact, I made certain it was preordained.
Now, at this advanced age in my life, I'm looking into some ancient Italian recipes, and my research is taking me to some fascinating places I probably should have known about all along. For example, I've known-seemingly forever-that it was Caterina de' Medici who taught the French to eat with a fork. But I recently stumbled onto some information about her other culinary contributions that I've found to be enlightening.
For readers who may also have been in the back of the classroom reading "Mad" magazine during the Renaissance, Caterina de' Medici was one of those Medicis. You know; the ones from Florence. The same Medicis who had a second story built onto the Ponte Vecchio so they could cross the Arno river without mingling with the hoi-paloi, even if they had to climb a set of stairs at each end.
Sometime around 1533, Caterina's uncle, Pope Clement VII, arranged for her to marry one of King Francis' kids, Henri, a.k.a. Henri of Orleans; later, Henri II, King of France. She was fourteen at the time.
It must have been tough going for a young lady who was, by-and-large ignored by the Royal Court. But it left Ms. de' Medici with some time on her hands, and she seemed to use it productively. (Of course there was that tawdry business about the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, but that was later in life). When she wasn't engaged in eating, say, a "ragot of cockscombs, kidneys, and artichoke hearts," she apparently spent a lot of time thinking about food. It goes without saying, that this qualifies her as my kind of Regent.
One of the foodstuffs she introduced to the French Court, was spinach. At this point, though, historians become vague. It seems that the French liked it well enough, but they weren't bowled over. Of course, this was also a period in culinary history when the Royal Court was-literally-grappling with the notion of using silverware at dinnertime, so they probably can't be faulted for being less than enthusiastic.
Also, as historian Brandon Case, of King's College in Pennsylvania, writes, "other than [King] Francis I, Caterina had not a friend." And elsewhere he writes that the Royal Court and French people at-large, referred to her as "the Italian woman."
So when spinach began to appear on the menus at the Royal Chateau Fontainebleau, the diners began to refer to it, with some contempt, as being "like that Florentine." Yet over time, "alla Fiorentina" seemed to change from the depreciative to the complimentary "Florentine-style." History remains weak about whether Florentines in general ever had a strong appetite for spinach.
Today, when we go to a restaurant and order something "alla Fiorentina," we expect that it will be served on a bed of spinach, or stuffed with spinach. And we're content to think that we're paying homage to the good people of Florence. But I submit that, in fact, we're paying homage the woman who also introduced high-heeled shoes for ladies.
The next time I go to brunch, I think instead of ordering Eggs Florentine, I'm going to order "Eggs alla Caterina de' Medici," and see what happens. Nah, it's probably too late in the game for that.
I owe my history teachers an apology.. You tried your best to ignite even a glimmer of emotion in me for your subject, but I stymied you at every turn. Well into adulthood now, I'm reduced to making muttered comments that history is not my strong suit, when in fact, I made certain it was preordained.
Now, at this advanced age in my life, I'm looking into some ancient Italian recipes, and my research is taking me to some fascinating places I probably should have known about all along. For example, I've known-seemingly forever-that it was Caterina de' Medici who taught the French to eat with a fork. But I recently stumbled onto some information about her other culinary contributions that I've found to be enlightening.
For readers who may also have been in the back of the classroom reading "Mad" magazine during the Renaissance, Caterina de' Medici was one of those Medicis. You know; the ones from Florence. The same Medicis who had a second story built onto the Ponte Vecchio so they could cross the Arno river without mingling with the hoi-paloi, even if they had to climb a set of stairs at each end.
Sometime around 1533, Caterina's uncle, Pope Clement VII, arranged for her to marry one of King Francis' kids, Henri, a.k.a. Henri of Orleans; later, Henri II, King of France. She was fourteen at the time.
It must have been tough going for a young lady who was, by-and-large ignored by the Royal Court. But it left Ms. de' Medici with some time on her hands, and she seemed to use it productively. (Of course there was that tawdry business about the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, but that was later in life). When she wasn't engaged in eating, say, a "ragot of cockscombs, kidneys, and artichoke hearts," she apparently spent a lot of time thinking about food. It goes without saying, that this qualifies her as my kind of Regent.
One of the foodstuffs she introduced to the French Court, was spinach. At this point, though, historians become vague. It seems that the French liked it well enough, but they weren't bowled over. Of course, this was also a period in culinary history when the Royal Court was-literally-grappling with the notion of using silverware at dinnertime, so they probably can't be faulted for being less than enthusiastic.
Also, as historian Brandon Case, of King's College in Pennsylvania, writes, "other than [King] Francis I, Caterina had not a friend." And elsewhere he writes that the Royal Court and French people at-large, referred to her as "the Italian woman."
So when spinach began to appear on the menus at the Royal Chateau Fontainebleau, the diners began to refer to it, with some contempt, as being "like that Florentine." Yet over time, "alla Fiorentina" seemed to change from the depreciative to the complimentary "Florentine-style." History remains weak about whether Florentines in general ever had a strong appetite for spinach.
Today, when we go to a restaurant and order something "alla Fiorentina," we expect that it will be served on a bed of spinach, or stuffed with spinach. And we're content to think that we're paying homage to the good people of Florence. But I submit that, in fact, we're paying homage the woman who also introduced high-heeled shoes for ladies.
The next time I go to brunch, I think instead of ordering Eggs Florentine, I'm going to order "Eggs alla Caterina de' Medici," and see what happens. Nah, it's probably too late in the game for that.
After Rocky Start, Sky is the Limit for Bomar
The career of QB Rhett Bomar started a bit rough, to say the least. He committed to OU, expecting to have a clear line to the job as a true freshman. True, Paul Thompson was there, but with competition, Bomar knew that he could step it up and try to win the job.
Then Jason White did the unexpectedthe fifth year senior decided to come back for a sixth year of eligibility granted by injury. When Bomar committed earlier in the year, Jason White was simply an outgoing senior, a guy who had two bum knees and hadnt finished a season with playing time without getting hurt one way or another. When the 2003 season was over, White was the Heisman Trophy winner, coming back to defend his honor as the most outstanding player in the nation.
After sitting out the 2004 season learning the system and honing his skills during a redshirt season, he faced a heated battle during the spring and summer with Paul Thompson. Bomar was the fan-favorite in many ways, he was the up-and-comer who was highly recruited and had the arm and tools to become the next John Elway (as the Daily Oklahoman put it). Thompson proved to be more level-headed by not making as many mistakes during practiceshowing the signs of a veteran in the system. The coaches were impressed more with Thompsons consistency than by Bomars flashes of brilliance and Thompson received the job.
The unthinkable happened the first week of this season as Oklahoma, a team that had played in two consecutive BCS title games, lost at home to TCU, a solid mid-major, but a 20+ point underdog. The 17-10 loss to the Horned Frogs featured little in the way of offensive prowess. Neither quarterback played well, with Thompson responsible for three turnovers, Bomar for one in his limited action.
Still, the OU coaching staff decided the Paul Thompson-era at OU would just last one game. Bomar got the start for the second game against Tulsa, and while the Sooners got the win 31-15, it was mostly because of Adrian Peterson, who ran for 230 yards. Bomar got just 13 pass attempts and turned those into only 42 yards. The Golden Hurricane had almost that many on their two interception returns. It got so bad that even with a slim 7-6 lead at the half, Oklahoma did not even attempt a pass in the second half, running every time to their 24 second half points.
Since then, however, Bomar has grown up, and done it fast. He has been to the road at storied programs like UCLA and Nebraska. He has played against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. He has had lots of success as of late, with the Sooners winning five of their last six. Two of those games featured either no Adrian Peterson or an ineffective one.
Bomar showed perhaps the most in the Sooners loss at Texas Tech. Bomar had been enjoying a rough outing the first three quarters of the game, but he managed to put that behind him and lead OU back to the lead. Bomar took the team under his reigns, leading them on 11 and 9 play drives for TDs to put OU in the lead 21-17. His stats werent great for the game, but he showed the ability to put that behind him and lead his team to victory. Only questionable calls later in the game kept OU from winning the game.
People look at Bomars stats and may ask what the big deal is. Well, one must not forget that Jason Whites favorite targets all left with him. Mark Bradley was drafted by the Bears, Mark Clayton by the Ravens, and Brandon Jones by the Titans. The OL lost two four-year starters, Wes Sims and Vince Carter to go along with Outland Trophy winner Jammal Brown. The cupboard wasnt bare, but it wasnt exactly left stocked full either. The talent may be as good as it was under White, but the polished experience wasnt there.
Bomar has grown faster than his freshmen WR corps. Earlier in the year the passes werent hitting their targets as often. Costly turnovers were plaguing the Sooners more, and blame could be directed at the QB position. Now, more often than not, the passes are on target, but the wideouts arent catching the balls.
Judging his improvement with his experience throughout the year, the sky is the limit for this freshman QB. If he continues to improve at this rate, he could be one of the greats, continuing the Oklahoma tradition that goes back to Mildren, Watts, Holieway, Heupel, and White. He already had the talent, now he has the experience to go with it...it could be a scary three years for the rest of the conference.
The career of QB Rhett Bomar started a bit rough, to say the least. He committed to OU, expecting to have a clear line to the job as a true freshman. True, Paul Thompson was there, but with competition, Bomar knew that he could step it up and try to win the job.
Then Jason White did the unexpectedthe fifth year senior decided to come back for a sixth year of eligibility granted by injury. When Bomar committed earlier in the year, Jason White was simply an outgoing senior, a guy who had two bum knees and hadnt finished a season with playing time without getting hurt one way or another. When the 2003 season was over, White was the Heisman Trophy winner, coming back to defend his honor as the most outstanding player in the nation.
After sitting out the 2004 season learning the system and honing his skills during a redshirt season, he faced a heated battle during the spring and summer with Paul Thompson. Bomar was the fan-favorite in many ways, he was the up-and-comer who was highly recruited and had the arm and tools to become the next John Elway (as the Daily Oklahoman put it). Thompson proved to be more level-headed by not making as many mistakes during practiceshowing the signs of a veteran in the system. The coaches were impressed more with Thompsons consistency than by Bomars flashes of brilliance and Thompson received the job.
The unthinkable happened the first week of this season as Oklahoma, a team that had played in two consecutive BCS title games, lost at home to TCU, a solid mid-major, but a 20+ point underdog. The 17-10 loss to the Horned Frogs featured little in the way of offensive prowess. Neither quarterback played well, with Thompson responsible for three turnovers, Bomar for one in his limited action.
Still, the OU coaching staff decided the Paul Thompson-era at OU would just last one game. Bomar got the start for the second game against Tulsa, and while the Sooners got the win 31-15, it was mostly because of Adrian Peterson, who ran for 230 yards. Bomar got just 13 pass attempts and turned those into only 42 yards. The Golden Hurricane had almost that many on their two interception returns. It got so bad that even with a slim 7-6 lead at the half, Oklahoma did not even attempt a pass in the second half, running every time to their 24 second half points.
Since then, however, Bomar has grown up, and done it fast. He has been to the road at storied programs like UCLA and Nebraska. He has played against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. He has had lots of success as of late, with the Sooners winning five of their last six. Two of those games featured either no Adrian Peterson or an ineffective one.
Bomar showed perhaps the most in the Sooners loss at Texas Tech. Bomar had been enjoying a rough outing the first three quarters of the game, but he managed to put that behind him and lead OU back to the lead. Bomar took the team under his reigns, leading them on 11 and 9 play drives for TDs to put OU in the lead 21-17. His stats werent great for the game, but he showed the ability to put that behind him and lead his team to victory. Only questionable calls later in the game kept OU from winning the game.
People look at Bomars stats and may ask what the big deal is. Well, one must not forget that Jason Whites favorite targets all left with him. Mark Bradley was drafted by the Bears, Mark Clayton by the Ravens, and Brandon Jones by the Titans. The OL lost two four-year starters, Wes Sims and Vince Carter to go along with Outland Trophy winner Jammal Brown. The cupboard wasnt bare, but it wasnt exactly left stocked full either. The talent may be as good as it was under White, but the polished experience wasnt there.
Bomar has grown faster than his freshmen WR corps. Earlier in the year the passes werent hitting their targets as often. Costly turnovers were plaguing the Sooners more, and blame could be directed at the QB position. Now, more often than not, the passes are on target, but the wideouts arent catching the balls.
Judging his improvement with his experience throughout the year, the sky is the limit for this freshman QB. If he continues to improve at this rate, he could be one of the greats, continuing the Oklahoma tradition that goes back to Mildren, Watts, Holieway, Heupel, and White. He already had the talent, now he has the experience to go with it...it could be a scary three years for the rest of the conference.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Philadelphia Eagles Potential Free Agency Targets
As an avid reader of every rumor mill, gossip and insider website known to man, it never ceases to amaze me how little you hear about the plans of the Philadelphia Eagles during the off-season. Whether it be prospective free agents or which direction the Birds are leading in the draft, nary a whisper can be heard emanating from the Nova Care Complex.
I say kudos to the Eagles for that. Jeff Lurie, Joe Banner, Tom Heckert and Andy Reid
clearly have that place sealed up tighter than Area 51. Obviously, the Eagles have
plans, and big ones I would hope, coming off of last years 6-10 debacle. The Birds
know they have lots of holes to fill, and fill them they must. But it always amazes me
how you know every piece of dirty laundry in some organizations, while the Eagles
continue to keep everything out of the public eye.
For example, the Birds signing of DE Jevon Kearse following the 2004 season came as a complete and total surprise to everyone in the NFL. No one had any idea that the Eagles had targeted Kearse as their main get that off-season. Once free agency
had begun and The Freak became available, the Birds pounced and got their man.
So while I had been a little concerned that there were no whispers coming out of
Eagles camp until today, I took comfort in the fact that the Eagles operated behind a
heavy curtain. I agree with their philosophy dont let anyone else know what
youre thinking. Its just smart business.
However, because the Eagles have been so reluctant to give Eagles fans a hint at
how theyre thinking, they leave it up to us to speculate. So, with that said, here are
some possible positions and players the Eagles could/should have their eyes on
once free agency officially begins on March 3.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
First of all, forget about Seattle OL Steve Hutchinson. Hes not going anywhere.
Seattle applied the franchise tag to him on Thursday, meaning the Seahawks can
match any offer Hutchinson brings back to them. While the Hawks do have other
needs to attend to, they know they cant afford to let the leagues best offensive
guards get away. It would take a monumental offer to pry Hutchinson away from
Seattle, and I doubt the Birds would pony up that kind of dough. However, if Seattle
does decide that they cant resign Hutchinson, expect him to be #1 on the Eagles
offseason radar.
Detroit OT Jeff Backus would have been another solid choice for the Birds, but he
was franchised by the Lions and isnt going anywhere. The best offensive lineman
left after Hutchinson and Backus is most likely Jacksonville guard Vince Manuwai.
Most think he has the potential to become one of the leagues best offensive guards,
and at 25, should be hitting his peak. If the Eagles are going to go after offensive
line help in free agency, Manuwai will most likely be their best option.
Of course, the Eagles also have a big decision to make with their own right tackle
behemoth, John Runyan. Hes an unrestricted free agent, and, based on media
reports, the Eagles are willing to wait and see what kind of offers Runyan brings
back from other teams before making him an offer. If the goal is to improve the
offensive line for next season, I think the Eagles have to bring Runyan back in
addition to adding another quality offensive lineman. However, this is the Eagles M-
O when it comes to letting go of veteran players. Hes 32 right now, and Im sure
the Eagles think is on the downside of his career. Look for him to wind up in Buffalo
with the Eagles former GM Tom Modrak.
Should Hutchinson and Manuwai both be unavailable, other options include Kevin
Shaffer from Atlanta or Denvers Matt Lepsis. Dont be surprised if the Eagles
address this need in the draft as well.
WIDE RECEIVER:
Reports in Fridays Philadelphia Daily News says the Eagles are extremely interested
in Pittsburg WR/KR Antwaan Randle-El, whose play-making ability in the playoffs
was a major reason the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. With Reggie Wayne re-signing
with Indy, Most people see Randle-El as the best or second-best WR available in free
agency. While I dont think hes got the ability to be a #1 receiver, he has shown a
lot as a downfield receiver, kick returner and all-around play-maker which could
make the Eagles very interested in his services. He also has spent a lot of time with
Donovan McNabb in the off-season training in Arizona. The Eagles will probably
have to challenge the Bears for Randle-Els services, but dont expect the Birds to
get into a bidding war over him. Randle-El is young, 26, but is probably not the go-
to receiver that Eagles fans would want.
An intriguing name that is not as of yet a free agent is Buffalo wideout Eric Moulds.
Most people seem to think that the Bills are going to cut Moulds, and if that
happens, the Eagles could be very interested. He has the size and pedigree to be a
#1 receiver and could be a perfect match for Andy Reids west-coast offense.
However, hes getting up there in age, 32, which could be a red flag for the Eagles.
However, his numbers last year were very respectable (81, 816, 4TD), and would
have been better if he didnt have Kelly Holcombe and J.P. Losman chucking him the
rock. Moulds would be my choice.
Some other names: New Englands David Givens, Clevelands Antonio Bryant, and
restricted free agent Brandon Lloyd, who is most likely the single most talented
receiver in free agency. However, because hes restricted, the Eagles would have to
give up draft picks to get him. And we all know the Eagles protect their draft picks
like stock in Google.
LINEBACKER:
The list begins and ends with San Franciscos All-Pro LB Julian Peterson. Many were
surprised with the 49ers didnt franchise or transition the five-year pro. The Eagles
have a desperate need for a play-maker at either strong-side or weak-side
linebacker, and Peterson can play in either spot. He would be a perfect compliment
to MLB Jeremiah Trotter, but would likely cost the Birds a pretty penny, and the
Eagles have never put a financial premium on the outside linebacker position.
However, last years crap-fest on defense has hopefully stirred the Eagles into being
more open to a playmaker on the outside.
If Peterson turns out to be too expensive, Carolinas Will Witherspoon is another
extremely attractive option. Only a four-year pro, Witherspoon is a bit undersized,
but has the ability to both play the run and cover tight ends out of the backfield.
Other possibilities include Jacksonvilles Akin Ayodele and Indys David Thornton.
DEFENSIVE END:
Talk about a need position perhaps if the Birds hadnt foolishly thrown away
Derrick Burgess last off-season they wouldnt have this need. However, they
desperately need another playmaker opposite Jevon Kearse, because Kearse is
clearly not good enough to beat double-teams on his own. The best DE on the
market is the Jets John Abraham, however he was franchised by New York in an
effort to trade him. Reports have the Eagles interested in possibly trading for the
six-year man, which would be a stretch to believe, seeing as how theyd have to
give up wait for it draft picks!!! But hes the best defensive end on the market.
If Abraham isnt doable, New Orleans Darren Howard is an excellent alternative. In
fact, many people believe Howard would be a better pick-up than Abraham, even
though he had a down year and missed some time due to injury. Howard would be
cheaper and has a ton of potential.
Other possibilities include Indys Robert Mathis, Green Bays Aaron Kampman and
Indys Raheem Brock. There are plenty of quality defensive ends available in free
agency, and dont be surprised if the Eagles pay to get a good one.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE:
Theres not a whole lot here, with the exception of Seattles Rocky Bernard, who had
a tremendous season in 2005, totalling 8 sacks, a great number from the tackle
position. He would be a fantastic pick-up for a defensive line that struggled to rush
the passer and get pressure inside all season long. Putting Bernard on that offensive
line next to Mike Patterson could make the Birds extremely dangerous on defense.
Arizonas Russell Davis and Clevelands Orpheus Roye are other possibilities for the
Birds to consider.
Obviously, the Eagles are not going to be able to fill all their needs in free agency.
The only position I feel the Eagles have to address in free agency and not in the
draft is wide receiver. The Eagles offense is too complex for a rookie wide receiver
to come in and grasp right away, just ask Reggie Brown and Freddie Mitchell.
And while the Eagles do have a ton of money under the cap, there isnt enough
money in the coffers to fill all these needs in free agency. But dont be surprised to
hear some of these players names mentioned come March 3, even though the
Eagles lock down their secrets in a vault more secure than Fort Knox.
The Birds have a lot of holes to fill, and the magic all begins next Friday.
As an avid reader of every rumor mill, gossip and insider website known to man, it never ceases to amaze me how little you hear about the plans of the Philadelphia Eagles during the off-season. Whether it be prospective free agents or which direction the Birds are leading in the draft, nary a whisper can be heard emanating from the Nova Care Complex.
I say kudos to the Eagles for that. Jeff Lurie, Joe Banner, Tom Heckert and Andy Reid
clearly have that place sealed up tighter than Area 51. Obviously, the Eagles have
plans, and big ones I would hope, coming off of last years 6-10 debacle. The Birds
know they have lots of holes to fill, and fill them they must. But it always amazes me
how you know every piece of dirty laundry in some organizations, while the Eagles
continue to keep everything out of the public eye.
For example, the Birds signing of DE Jevon Kearse following the 2004 season came as a complete and total surprise to everyone in the NFL. No one had any idea that the Eagles had targeted Kearse as their main get that off-season. Once free agency
had begun and The Freak became available, the Birds pounced and got their man.
So while I had been a little concerned that there were no whispers coming out of
Eagles camp until today, I took comfort in the fact that the Eagles operated behind a
heavy curtain. I agree with their philosophy dont let anyone else know what
youre thinking. Its just smart business.
However, because the Eagles have been so reluctant to give Eagles fans a hint at
how theyre thinking, they leave it up to us to speculate. So, with that said, here are
some possible positions and players the Eagles could/should have their eyes on
once free agency officially begins on March 3.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
First of all, forget about Seattle OL Steve Hutchinson. Hes not going anywhere.
Seattle applied the franchise tag to him on Thursday, meaning the Seahawks can
match any offer Hutchinson brings back to them. While the Hawks do have other
needs to attend to, they know they cant afford to let the leagues best offensive
guards get away. It would take a monumental offer to pry Hutchinson away from
Seattle, and I doubt the Birds would pony up that kind of dough. However, if Seattle
does decide that they cant resign Hutchinson, expect him to be #1 on the Eagles
offseason radar.
Detroit OT Jeff Backus would have been another solid choice for the Birds, but he
was franchised by the Lions and isnt going anywhere. The best offensive lineman
left after Hutchinson and Backus is most likely Jacksonville guard Vince Manuwai.
Most think he has the potential to become one of the leagues best offensive guards,
and at 25, should be hitting his peak. If the Eagles are going to go after offensive
line help in free agency, Manuwai will most likely be their best option.
Of course, the Eagles also have a big decision to make with their own right tackle
behemoth, John Runyan. Hes an unrestricted free agent, and, based on media
reports, the Eagles are willing to wait and see what kind of offers Runyan brings
back from other teams before making him an offer. If the goal is to improve the
offensive line for next season, I think the Eagles have to bring Runyan back in
addition to adding another quality offensive lineman. However, this is the Eagles M-
O when it comes to letting go of veteran players. Hes 32 right now, and Im sure
the Eagles think is on the downside of his career. Look for him to wind up in Buffalo
with the Eagles former GM Tom Modrak.
Should Hutchinson and Manuwai both be unavailable, other options include Kevin
Shaffer from Atlanta or Denvers Matt Lepsis. Dont be surprised if the Eagles
address this need in the draft as well.
WIDE RECEIVER:
Reports in Fridays Philadelphia Daily News says the Eagles are extremely interested
in Pittsburg WR/KR Antwaan Randle-El, whose play-making ability in the playoffs
was a major reason the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. With Reggie Wayne re-signing
with Indy, Most people see Randle-El as the best or second-best WR available in free
agency. While I dont think hes got the ability to be a #1 receiver, he has shown a
lot as a downfield receiver, kick returner and all-around play-maker which could
make the Eagles very interested in his services. He also has spent a lot of time with
Donovan McNabb in the off-season training in Arizona. The Eagles will probably
have to challenge the Bears for Randle-Els services, but dont expect the Birds to
get into a bidding war over him. Randle-El is young, 26, but is probably not the go-
to receiver that Eagles fans would want.
An intriguing name that is not as of yet a free agent is Buffalo wideout Eric Moulds.
Most people seem to think that the Bills are going to cut Moulds, and if that
happens, the Eagles could be very interested. He has the size and pedigree to be a
#1 receiver and could be a perfect match for Andy Reids west-coast offense.
However, hes getting up there in age, 32, which could be a red flag for the Eagles.
However, his numbers last year were very respectable (81, 816, 4TD), and would
have been better if he didnt have Kelly Holcombe and J.P. Losman chucking him the
rock. Moulds would be my choice.
Some other names: New Englands David Givens, Clevelands Antonio Bryant, and
restricted free agent Brandon Lloyd, who is most likely the single most talented
receiver in free agency. However, because hes restricted, the Eagles would have to
give up draft picks to get him. And we all know the Eagles protect their draft picks
like stock in Google.
LINEBACKER:
The list begins and ends with San Franciscos All-Pro LB Julian Peterson. Many were
surprised with the 49ers didnt franchise or transition the five-year pro. The Eagles
have a desperate need for a play-maker at either strong-side or weak-side
linebacker, and Peterson can play in either spot. He would be a perfect compliment
to MLB Jeremiah Trotter, but would likely cost the Birds a pretty penny, and the
Eagles have never put a financial premium on the outside linebacker position.
However, last years crap-fest on defense has hopefully stirred the Eagles into being
more open to a playmaker on the outside.
If Peterson turns out to be too expensive, Carolinas Will Witherspoon is another
extremely attractive option. Only a four-year pro, Witherspoon is a bit undersized,
but has the ability to both play the run and cover tight ends out of the backfield.
Other possibilities include Jacksonvilles Akin Ayodele and Indys David Thornton.
DEFENSIVE END:
Talk about a need position perhaps if the Birds hadnt foolishly thrown away
Derrick Burgess last off-season they wouldnt have this need. However, they
desperately need another playmaker opposite Jevon Kearse, because Kearse is
clearly not good enough to beat double-teams on his own. The best DE on the
market is the Jets John Abraham, however he was franchised by New York in an
effort to trade him. Reports have the Eagles interested in possibly trading for the
six-year man, which would be a stretch to believe, seeing as how theyd have to
give up wait for it draft picks!!! But hes the best defensive end on the market.
If Abraham isnt doable, New Orleans Darren Howard is an excellent alternative. In
fact, many people believe Howard would be a better pick-up than Abraham, even
though he had a down year and missed some time due to injury. Howard would be
cheaper and has a ton of potential.
Other possibilities include Indys Robert Mathis, Green Bays Aaron Kampman and
Indys Raheem Brock. There are plenty of quality defensive ends available in free
agency, and dont be surprised if the Eagles pay to get a good one.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE:
Theres not a whole lot here, with the exception of Seattles Rocky Bernard, who had
a tremendous season in 2005, totalling 8 sacks, a great number from the tackle
position. He would be a fantastic pick-up for a defensive line that struggled to rush
the passer and get pressure inside all season long. Putting Bernard on that offensive
line next to Mike Patterson could make the Birds extremely dangerous on defense.
Arizonas Russell Davis and Clevelands Orpheus Roye are other possibilities for the
Birds to consider.
Obviously, the Eagles are not going to be able to fill all their needs in free agency.
The only position I feel the Eagles have to address in free agency and not in the
draft is wide receiver. The Eagles offense is too complex for a rookie wide receiver
to come in and grasp right away, just ask Reggie Brown and Freddie Mitchell.
And while the Eagles do have a ton of money under the cap, there isnt enough
money in the coffers to fill all these needs in free agency. But dont be surprised to
hear some of these players names mentioned come March 3, even though the
Eagles lock down their secrets in a vault more secure than Fort Knox.
The Birds have a lot of holes to fill, and the magic all begins next Friday.
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