Haro's Khalen Young wins ABA #1 Pro title.

Man.....It's been a while since we've had a #1 title in BMX racing. Khalen Young took a years worth of amazing results and wrapped it all up with an overall Win at the ABA Grands...and of course the #1 Pro title. He is now in an Elite #1 Pro club of former Haro Champions... names that include Pete Loncarevich, Mike King, Kiyomi Waller, Warwick Stevenson and Jamie Staff.

We're proud of this guy....and we're gonna throw him a party of all parties to prove it!!!

Congrat's KY. You're awesome man.

tonyd.

WDI Europe Results

IDAS 2008 TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINALS

ROOM 1

1 Univ Ljubljana CIMERMAN-DOBRANIC 2ND OPP
4 Univ Ljubljana JAKOVAC-PLOSTAJNER 1ST GOV ADVANCES
5 Cornell SOLLOWAY-STITELER 1ST OPP
8 Serbia-Croatia JANKULOSKI-BLACE 2ND GOV ADVANCES

JUDGES: FISCHER, LOKE, LLANO

ROOM 2

2 Germany HILDEBRANDT-ASYAMOVA 1ST GOV ADVANCES
3 Vermont CARESS-NATALE 2ND GOV ADVANCES
6 Slovenia ZVEPLAN-CVIKL 2ND OPP
7 Slovenia PODLOGAR-JANZEK

JUDGES: GREENLAND, MORGAN, LANGONE

THBT the United Nations should send a multinational peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka.

FINALS

ROOM 1

1st GOV JANKULOSKI-BLACE
2ND GOV JAKOVAC-PLOSTAJNER
1ST OPP HILDEBRANDT-ASYAMOVA FIRST PLACE
2ND OPP CARESS-NATALE SECOND PLACE

JUDGES: MORGAN, MARUSIC, LOKE, LLANO, GREENLAND

THBT violent action to protect the environment is justified.

SPEAKERS

Position Name Team Total points Average Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6
1 Natale Caress-Natale 482 80.33 85 77 83 78 83 76
2 Hildebrandt Hildebrandt-Asyamova 476 79.33 82 82 74 77 83 78
2 (3) Plostajner Jakovac-Plostajner 476 79.33 75 79 81 79 78 84
4 (5) Asaymova Hildebrandt-Asyamova 472 78.66 81 80 76 74 84 77
4 Podlogar Podlogar-Janzek 472 78.66 80 81 79 73 80 79
6 Dobranic Cimerman-Dobranic 470 78.33 78 78 80 82 77 75
6 (7) Caress Caress-Natale 470 78.33 82 76 79 75 82 76
8 (9) Cimerman Cimerman-Dobranic 468 78.00 76 79 78 81 78 76
8 Jakovac Jakovac-Plostajner 468 78.00 65 82 82 78 77 84
8 (10) Zveplan Zveplan-Cvikl 468 78.00 75 76 78 84 78 77

IDAS 08 TOURNAMENT MOTIONS

ROUND ONE
THW make voting compulsory.

ROUND TWO
THW not negotiate with the leaders of Iran.

ROUND THREE
This house would not prosecute battered wives for killing their husbands.

ROUND FOUR
TH would allow the advertising of prescription drugs.

ROUND FIVE
THBT governments should not bailout failing corporations.

ROUND SIX
This House would ban international adoption.

SEMIFINALS
THBT the United Nations should send a multinational peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka.

FINALS
THBT violent action to protect the environment is justified.

Full results at bottom of USA WUDC results page:
http://debate.uvm.edu/usudc/usudctab0809.html

Kale, cauliflower and pasta with pomegranate

When I was a child, my mother would always buy a few pomegranates when they came into season, even though she couldn't really afford them, and she and I would share the jewel-like fruit. There was only one problem. My mother believed that the seeds, like grape seeds, were inedible, so we would chew the juicy pulp off and spit out the seeds. When I was on my own, I thought wistfully of those pomegranates, but didn't want to deal with the piles of gnawed seeds, so I never bought any. Now I know better. You eat the seeds, of course!

In addition to being delicious, pomegranates and their juice contain very high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C, and have been the subject of much research over the past few years.

According to HealthCentral.com:

... Researchers report that [pomegranates] are rich in antioxidants that can keep bad LDL cholesterol from oxidizing (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2000). This degradation of LDL seems to be an initial step in the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, pomegranate juice, like aspirin, can help keep blood platelets from clumping together to form unwanted clots."

Does this make any difference clinically? More recent research has found that eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months improved the amount of oxygen getting to the heart muscle of patients with coronary heart disease (American Journal of the College of Cardiology, Sept. 2005). Other researchers report that long-term consumption of pomegranate juice may help combat erectile dysfunction (Journal of Urology, July 2005).

Research has also suggested that pomegranates may have possible health benefits in preventing prostate cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, and helping osteoarthritis sufferers.

Pomegranate juice tastes so good that when I get my hands on a bottle of it, I end up drinking it before I can even contemplate using it in a recipe. The same was true of the whole fruit until I was recently given a large number of pomegranates. Here is what I did with one of them.

Kale, cauliflower, tempeh and pasta with pomegranate

• one large bunch of kale, washed, thick stems removed, thinly sliced
• one head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
• four ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup raisins
• seeds and pulp from one pomegranate
• eight ounces tempeh, cut into one inch by one inch by 1/2 inch pieces
• eight ounces small pasta (like bowties), cooked according to package directions and tossed with two tablespoons olive oil
• olive oil
• sweet mustard sauce (one tablespoon dijon mustard, one tablespoon agavé syrup or maple syrup, one teaspoon tamari or natural soy sauce, one teaspoon balsamic vinegar, three tablespoons water or no-salt vegetable broth)

1. Make the mustard sauce by mixing the ingredients listed, in a small dish. Set aside.
   
2. Toss the cauliflower with a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy ceramic baking dish or cast iron pan. Roast in a 450˚ oven for 20 minutes. Stir and continue roasting until softened and starting to brown around the edges.
3. Meanwhile, in a wok, stir fry the tempeh in one tablespoon olive oil. As it cooks, sprinkle evenly with one–two teaspoons tamari and turn frequently. (Be careful when adding the tamari. It can splatter.) When the tempeh is starting to brown, add the mushrooms. When the tempeh is browned and the mushrooms are cooked, stir in the raisins and remove to a bowl.
4. Add the kale to the wok, cover and steam in the water left clinging to the leaves from washing. (If necessary, add one or two tablespoons water to keep from burning.) When the kale is bright green and tender, add the tempeh and two tablwspoons of the mustard sauce.
   
5. Toss the cooked pasta with one–two tablespoons olive oil and the remaining mustard sauce. Place the cooked and seasoned pasta on a large, oval serving platter. Mound the kale and tempeh along the center. Surround the kale with the cauliflower. Spread the pomegranate seeds over the top of the kale.

How to get the seeds out

Cut off the flower end. Make five evenly spaced shallow incisions in the skin from the top to the base. In a large bowl of water, break apart the fruit along the incisions. Push out the seeds with your fingers. The seeds will sink and the membranes will float. Remove all the skin and membranes and drain the seeds.

The Light That Came Into the World

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, that period where Christians the world over begin building up their enthusiasm towards the celebration of Jesus' birthday at Christmas. It also marks the beginning of an official new year in the western Christian Church. The name derives from the Latin word 'adventus', which means 'coming', and so during Advent we are anticipating the coming of the Lord. During Advent the Catholic Church expects that we will prepare ourselves "worthily" for Christ's coming by making our souls "fitting abodes for our Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace". It is a period of preparation for all Christians. We are to take this time to prepare our bodies and souls for Christ's arrival. For Catholics, this is an outstanding time to get back to the Sacrament of Penance. We should all set time aside to find out when our particular Church will be holding Penance services, and take the opportunity to cleanse ourselves of the sins that keep us from a fuller relationship with the Lord. In some cases these sins and our inability or unwillingness to confront them are keeping us from the Church itself. Advent is the most appropriate time to set aside our egos and recognize that we are part of something bigger in the Church community. The period of Advent last for approximately four weeks, and one of the traditions in the Catholic Church to mark the progression through this period is the Advent wreath. At some unknown point in the Middle Ages, the Christians adopted an existing tradition of the Germanic peoples who lit candles within a wreath during the winter months as a sign of hope for warmer brighter days of spring to come. For Christians, Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, chasing away the darkness of sin and radiating life and the love of God to all mankind. The wreath is made out of various evergreens, celebrating the continuous life. The evergreens can be broken down further in symbolism: laurel signifying victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew signifying immortality; and cedar signifying strength and healing. The prickly leaves of holly also remind us of Christ's crown of thorns. The wreath is round, symbolizing the eternity of God with no beginning and no end. Pine cones and nuts in the wreath symbolize life and resurrection. The wreath as a whole signifies our immortal soul promised everlasting life through Christ. The four candles in the wreath represent the four weeks of Advent, and each also represents a millennium in a 4,000 year period from the time of Adam and Eve up until the birth of our Saviour. Three of the candles are purple in color, and one candle is rose colored. The purple candles signify prayer, penance, and sacrifices of good works that we undertake during Advent. The rose candle is not saved for the end, but is lit on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, representing that we are halfway through the period and are coming quickly towards the birth of Christ. One candle is lit each week as we celebrate a progressive expectant buildup towards this most joyfully wondrous time of the Christian year. At home, we should light the candles on Sunday after saying a prayer before dinner. Traditionally the father will say the prayer this first Sunday, and the youngest child will light the first purple candle. On the 2nd Sunday, the father will say the prayer and the eldest child will light two purple candles. On the 3rd Sunday after the father says the prayer, the mother will light two purple and the rose candle. Finally on the 4th Sunday, the father will light all of the candles after praying. The entirety of Advent and the tradition of the wreath are simply to strengthen our homes and our families in remembering the true meaning of Christmas. With all of the shopping, presents, music, food, and other secular distractions, we always need to remember that there is only one 'reason for the season'. While Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, Scrooge and other characters are fun and well worth adding to the joy of a child's season, we always must remember to put the ultimate focus on why we celebrate to begin with. God is coming to live among us. He will be born to us in his Son, Jesus Christ, who will be born and live and ultimately die so that we may live in eternity. There is no greater event in the history of mankind than the birth of Christ, for the saving sacrifice of His death and resurrection would not be possible without His joyful birth. Here in Advent, we look forward to the birth of Christ, the light that came into the world.

Decking the Halls

It's that time of year again. Time to transform the Veasey Ranch from the fall decor to the Christmas decorations. This is not an easy transformation, and it is most definitely not a one day project. First step is the putting away of the fall stuff. Various candles, artificial flowers, window displays, yard displays, nick-knacks, and more need to be gathered up, packed up, and put away. Next comes the cleanup. A little dusting, wiping, window cleaning and, worst of all, gutter cleaning. Yuck. I have not moved into the 21st century as yet. The VR (Veasey Ranch) has not advanced to those 'protected' or 'covered' type gutters. Ours are still exposed, and we are surrounded on all sides by massive trees that dump innumerable leaves onto the yard and into the gutters. Step one in this particular project is to get the right weather day. I will not do this on a wet, rainy day or on a day that is too cold. I am either a wimp, or a procrastinator looking for an excuse, or both. Unfortunately, today is a nearly perfect weather day, so step one is complete. Second step involved walking across the street and borrowing my neighbor Nick's huge ladder. He has one of those enormous extension things that is a bear to maneuver, but that enables me to safely reach the gutters at their highest points. So I trek across and bum the ladder. And now the fun part, alighting the ladder and getting my hands dirty, pulling all those leaves and muck out of the gutters. It takes about ten moves of the ladder all around the house, and so twice that many trips up and down, over a period of about an hour or so. Once the gutters are cleaned out, there comes the blowing of the leaves. The old leaf blower comes out, the leaves get blown into manageable piles, and then the concrete walks and patio get a little hosing down for their own cleanup. Finally, fall has been shoved aside and tucked away, and the actual putting up of the Christmas decorations can begin in earnest. We have our traditional display of bright white 'icicle' lights that string across the top of the front of the house. This requires yet another climbing of Nick's giant ladder, this time actually moving on to the roof of the house. It is my semi-annual trip to the highest points of my house, the 2nd coming when I take down these lights in early January. This year will require a prior step: purchasing new lights. We noticed last year that the old ones were getting, well, old. Strings were not lighting, or were flickering. Time to put out a little cash for some newbies. The lights will be strung across the roof, and then the lawn comes. We have a couple of deer and a Christmas tree that match the white lights, but the tree may need replacing this year as well. A couple of Christmas bears add a splash of lighted color thanks to a red candy cane they hold. Of course all of this is linked by a number of extension chords that I have to sort out each year. No matter how well I put this stuff away, it always seems that there is a lot of sorting and untangling to be done every year. All that is just to get the outside done, so now the operation moves to the inside. Debbie usually does the front window while this outside operation is happening, so now comes the breaking out of the various boxes and large plastic storage bins. These contain the inside decorations: candles, nick-knacks, flowers, manger scene, tree ornaments, lights, and much more that will be spread throughout the house to give the inside that seasonal feel. The whole thing has been done in a day before, starting early and working until night. Usually it is a two day operation. But the finale has still not arrived. That comes with the arrival of the Christmas Tree, which will probably be next weekend. Once we decide where to get the tree, go get it, transport it home, and put it up, then comes the actual placing of the lights, ornaments, garland, and tree top. This is usually an evening operation. Finally, the house is pretty much done. I say pretty much because there is ongoing decoration at the VR. We always display any Christmas cards that we receive from family and friends in a little display that surrounds our kitchen entry and breakfast bar area. Cards are added all season as they arrive, and that has already begun. Yup, it's not even December yet, Thanksgiving was just two days ago, and yet we already have received two Christmas cards. In fact, a couple of our neighbors already have their lawns and windows decorated, having gotten out there on Black Friday. The good thing about all this decorating is that it is for a 'season', and not just for one day, so once everything is up it stays up for a month. We won't be undecorating the VR until the first weekend after New Year's Day, so we get to enjoy it for awhile. Ah well, I guess that I have spread out this description of the process of decking the halls here at the VR long enough. Time to actually get to work. Ho ho ho. Mistletoe. Christmas cards. Lights and trees. Clark Griswald and Ralphie Parker. Wreaths and bows. Frosty and Rudolph and Scrooge. Presents and egg nog. Reindeer and Santa. Wise men and Jesus' birth. Christmastime is here. Deck the halls!

My dog has high cholesterol / Buffy's vegan dog cookies

My dog has high cholesterol. I've never known a dog with this problem; nor did I know that dogs were even tested for such things. She went to the vet for a couple of other complaints and received "routine" blood work to check her kidney function and such, as she is an older girl. We think she is 15, since her paperwork said she was three when we adopted her from the Humane Society 12 years ago. We didn't know the actual day of her birth, so we gave her the same birth date as our other (now deceased and sorely missed) dog, Starr. Anyway, the vet now wants to do a fasting blood test to recheck her cholesterol. In dogs with untreated high cholesterol, the cholesterol can be deposited in other organs, particularly the eyes. Buff has cloudiness developing in one of her eyes which had previously been contributed to age-related cataracts. Now the vet thinks the cholesterol could be a factor. We'll see.



Her reaction to the news was understandably irate. "Just give me more carrots," she said. "And I'd be happy to consume almonds and walnuts if you people would let me." In addition to the high cholesterol, she also has a slight heart murmur.

Of all the indignities, her fast began on Thanksgiving, and ended today after her test.

What could I do but bake her some dog cookies?

UPDATE: Buffy is now on thyroid medication (for hypo-thyroid) which helps to control her cholesterol.


Buffy's vegan dog cookies.

• one cup spelt flour
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes (NOT baking yeast!)
• 1/4 cup all-natural peanut butter
• two tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup water (or no-salt veg. broth)

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and yeast flakes.
   
2. Mix peanut butter and oil with water. (I measure the 1/2 cup water into a measuring cup, then add the peanut butter to make 3/4 cup, then add the oil and mix with a fork until the p-butter is dissolved.)
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Drop by small teaspoons onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes.
6. Cool and store in a closed container.
7. Makes about 50 small cookies.

Here's a link to a list of foods dogs cannot have

The following list of foods comes from here:

Avocados (fruit, pip, and plant) are toxic to dogs. They can cause difficulty breathing; fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart; or pancreatitis.

Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia, weakness, and breathing difficulty. Even small amounts can cause cumulative damage over time. This includes onions or chives - raw, powdered, dehydrated, or cooked.

Large amounts of garlic cause the same problems as onions.

Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill him. If the dog doesn't eat enough at one time to be fatal, he can be severely damaged by eating just a few grapes or raisins regularly.

Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe. (All parts of the plant except the tomato itself are also poisonous to humans.)

Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death.

Caffeine (from coffee, coffee grounds, tea, or tea bags) stimulates the central nervous and cardiac systems, and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations, and even death within hours.

Diet products containing the sweetener Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Unless treatment is given quickly, the dog could die.

Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis. These symptoms are usually temporary.

Walnuts are poisonous to dogs.

Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. But any chocolate, in large enough amounts, can kill a dog. An ounce of chocolate can poison a 30-pound dog, and many dogs will happily consume more than this. The symptoms may not show up for several hours (and so might make you think all is well), with death following within twenty-four hours. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous.

Apple seeds, cherry pips, peach pips, pear pips, plum pips, peaches and apricot pips contain cyanide, which is poisonous.

Too much salt can cause kidney problems. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may then drink too much water and develop bloat, which is fatal unless emergency treatment is given very quickly.

Too much fat or fried foods can cause pancreatitis.

Ham and bacon contain too much fat and too much salt, and can cause pancreatitis. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may drink too much water and develop a life-threatening condition called bloat. This is where the stomach fills up with gas and within several hours may twist, causing death.

Raw liver or too much cooked liver (three servings a week) can lead to vitamin A toxicity. This can cause deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss, and anorexia. Check the label of your canned dog food to be sure that it does not contain liver if you are giving your dog liver also.

Wild mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma, or death.

Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. The lack of it can cause hair loss, weakness, growth retardation, or skeleton deformity. Raw egg yolks contain enough biotin to prevent the deficiency, so this is not a problem with raw whole eggs. Raw egg yolks could contain salmonella, so you should get your eggs from a reliable source or cook the eggs.

Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but rice is generally safe in small amounts.

Cooked bones can splinter and tear a dog’s internal organs.

Dogs can't digest most vegetables (carrots, green beans, lettuce, potatoes or yams) whole or in large pieces. Potato peels and green potatoes are dangerous.

Dairy products are high in fat, which can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. A small amount of non-fat, plain yogurt is usually safe.

Pennies made from the 1980s to today contain zinc, which can cause kidney failure and damage to red blood cells. A dog that consumes even one penny can become quite sick, or even die, if the penny is not removed.

Indecent Exposure

You are never going to hear me advocate forced censorship or book burning. I never have, never will. I leave that to the ultra-liberals who want to support things like the deceptively named and unfair "Fairness Doctrine", a blatant attempt by liberal ideologues to shut down or drastically reduce conservative talk radio. True conservatives would never go down that road. We believe in a free exchange of ideas, as long as it is done with responsibility. Liberals just want to shut up the opposition. The debate on the radio issue will be covered here another day. Today it just sets the stage for discussing what is appropriate for our kids to see, and where, when, and how they should be exposed to certain language, images, and ideas. I truly believe that each of these decisions not only should be made within the sanctity of each home, but also surrender to the fact that this will be the case no matter what type of restrictive legislation anyone attempts to place on media. If you are a practicing Christian who home schools their child, there are certain things that you are going to teach that child, and certain things that you are going to severely restrict. Just the same, if you are an ethnic or racial minority, there is programming and music that you are going to expose your child to that teaches them an appreciation of their culture, sometimes to the neglect of teaching them responsibility and affection for their larger American culture. If you are an Aryan white supremacist, you are going to expose your kids to other ideas, and not only restrict them from multi-cultural experiences, but teach that these are somehow inherently evil. As parents, we hold a great deal of sway over our children's education, no matter what they see and learn at school. If a boy goes to a Catholic school and learns all sorts of good lessons during the day, then comes home at night to a father who drinks excessively and slaps his wife around in front of the kiddies, do you think that days teachings will outweigh those learned at home at night? Just the same, if a girl goes to school where she is taught in a completely secular environment all day, but goes home to a family with strong Christian values, teachings, and practices, she is far less likely to be influenced by secularism. What we expose our kids to at home is extremely important. The television shows and movies that we allow them to watch, the music that we allow them to listen to, the video games that we allow them to play. Every bit of this media input that we allow them to experience will influence the people that they will become. We can write it off ourselves to "it's just entertainment" or "it's just fantasy", but kids don't know the difference in their developing minds and psyches, no matter how smart we may be kidding ourselves into believing that our children have become. Today's media is light years ahead of anything that we grew up experiencing. The production values and artistic representations are realistic to the extreme, and beyond in some cases. But it is not only important what we allow the kids to experience, but also what we allow them to find us experiencing. We can tell them all day long that watching or reading or listening to something is not good for them, but when they later find us enjoying those same items, what lesson will they be learning? Do as I say, not as I do - the gift that just keeps on giving. They will learn hypocrisy, and they will learn to reduce their own standards. We all understand that what is appropriate for a fully grown, matured adult to watch or listen to is not the same for a 6-year old, which is similarly different from a 16-year old. Adults are capable of discerning good and evil, and are even capable of learning from complex story lines that include things such as sexuality and violence when set against a greater lesson in the story line. In exposing ourselves to these more adult-themed inputs, we must always be aware that they are indeed fantasies, and that there is indeed a more important lesson to be learned, so that we are not simply experiencing entertainment, but learning those greater lessons. Today's parents must not only care about what they expose themselves to, but more than at any time in history must be actively involved in the input that kids are receiving from media, at school, and among their friends, and need to be an aggressive filter. The process of learning good and bad, and then ultimately the difference between good and true evil, is a delicate one. When we advance from teaching the kids about what is 'bad' and then ultimately what 'evil' is, we need to be discerning, taking into account their full development as individuals based on age, intellect, and maturity level. The same goes in teaching them the basic biological differences between the sexes, moving on to having 'the Talk' about expressing their individual sexuality, and ultimately to guiding as best you can their practices during adolescence. Parents are far too often guilty of indecent exposure with their kids. I can't say that looking back, I was a paragon of the virtues that I now believe whole-heartedly and express here. Sometimes it takes difficult lessons learned to advance forward. But once you learn a lesson and understand truth, it is irresponsible not to pass those lessons along. As the group Crosby, Stills and Nash once sang, we have to "Teach the Children Well", not just teach them. God bless all parents as they perform that most important role of their lives.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanks everyone at Haro for an awesome year, all my teamates for being rad, Rockstar for hooking us up and everyone else for supporting Haro!

Ben Hucke

Happy Thanksgiving

With everything going on in the world that makes life difficult for us, there remain so many gifts from God for which I am personally thankful on this Thanksgiving Day when we set specific time aside for such reflections. I am thankful first of all for God Himself and the relationship that He has inspired in me with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the blessings of inspiration bestowed on me by the continuous presence of the Holy Spirit. I am thankful for a tremendously loving, forgiving, understanding, and growing family. My wonderful wife who provides me love and caring every day and night as the best partner and friend that I could ever want. My daughters who provide me with affection, challenges, and inspiration as they continue to grow and mature in their own lives. My grandchildren who provide me with pure joy, encouragement, and hope for the future. My dad and brother and their families who provide me with that long term familial base, that loving bond that stretches across time and distance. My further extended family, my wife's family, my co-workers and friends who make life full and its experiences deep, and provide me with perspective. I am thankful this year for the Philadelphia Phillies and the gift of their World Series title that was so utterly thrilling and enjoyable. I am thankful for our brave police officers and firefighters who help protect and secure our families and neighborhoods and nation every day. I am thankful for the American troops and all those who fight for freedom around the world in any way that they do so, be it physically or spiritually or ideologically. For all these people and the relationships that they provide, for all the gifts that the Lord has given me, including the gift of being able to express myself at this website and in other forums, I am forever thankful. Thank you God, and thank you all, and may He bless you all today on Thanksgiving Day and throughout the holy Christmas season.

Islamism Series: Mumbai

Radical Islam has once again reared its ugly head, this time in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, the financial and entertainment capital of the largest Democracy on the face of the earth in India. This marks yet another major attack by Islamic military forces against the free world in their efforts to spread the rule of Islam around the globe - which is their ultimate goal. Their aim in attacks such as this is not only to kill, injure, and generally terrorize those in the free world, but it is much larger. Their aim in Mumbai was the same as in New York, in Madrid, in London, in Paris. It is nothing less than creating enough fear and damage, both physical and psychological, to effect political and societal changes in those nations that will make it easier and easier over time to effectuate the ultimate control of these nations by Islam. They wish to unite the world in a new Caliphate, the rule by Muslims of every nation under Islamic Sharia law. They will play off governments such as those in Pakistan and India, Russia and the United States, China and Tibet, against one another anywhere that they can to use existing differences to undermine these governments. As is evident from the elections here in the United States earlier this month, normal everyday people simply cannot stomach fighting a lengthy war of civilizations. That is exactly what the Jihadist forces are counting on: their victory in the long term over more physically and financially powerful forces by demoralizing the citizens of those non-Islamic nations. They will fight, deceive, and by any means necessary spread their Jihad slowly but surely. Meanwhile, many Western news and political sources will look only at the distraction of ethnic and national differences and disputes, will be distracted by smaller terror groups and individual ideological leaders, and will miss the bigger, more important picture. Radical Islam has declared war on the West, and any nation or government that is not Islamic. The attacks in Mumbai, like those in the U.S. and other places around the world, are not isolated. They are another front opened in the global Jihad, just one more battle to them in a larger war. It bears being mentioned once again that if we fail to fight them fully and defeat them utterly, this will be a battle that our grandchildren's granchildren will be fighting. Since we appear to be unwilling to do the heavy lifting, there will be many, many more attacks like those in Mumbai, many more governments turning sympathetic towards Islam, many more Americans eventually paying the price here on our home soil. More to come in the days to come on the developing Mumbai situation and its relation to the big picture.

WDI Europe/International Debate Academy Begins

Sam Greenland speaks in the demo debate

Arrivals can be difficult and this one was no exception. All are now here and safe. Now we are about 80 people from 15 countries here for a week before we move to Maribor for the tournament.

Sunday night most people had arrived and a demo debate was featured. The motion was “This house would punish parents for the crimes of their minor children." It was an all-star cast, with Debbie Newman (world champion WSDC coach for England, England-Wales debate champion, former president of Cambridge Union) debating with Sam Greenland (Sydney WUDC semifinalist in 2007, former Hong Kong WSDC coach) were opening proposition, Sam Natale (top speaker, Northeast Universities 2008, University of Vermont) and Lucas Caress (top speaker, Global Youth Debate Conclave, Bangalore 2008, University of Vermont) were closing proposition; Filip Dobranic (twice top EFL speaker at WSDC, University of Ljubljana) and Maja Cimerman (EFL world WSDC champion, University of Ljubljana) were opening opposition, and last but not least Steve Llano (former national champion coach in USA, St. John's University) and Loke Wing Fatt (Singapore, WUDC breaking judge, father of debate in China) as closing opposition. It was a very spirited debate, chaired by Berlin Debating Union's Jens Fischer, and caused a great deal of discussion among he students. The video is coming soon.

Each day has the same schedule. There is an 8:45 AM organizational meeting at breakfast, followed by a series of lectures divided by experience level. After one hour there is a brief break before we meet again for an hour of drills on the subject of the lectures to help turn theoretical materials into behavior and habit. Then a motion is given and everyone has a debate with a long critique. There is a lunch break followed by a digestion break before the afternoon's activities take place. There are two one-hour period for elective classes. During each of these periods between five and seven different topics are offered, and students can choose which they would like to go to. I will send along a list of enacted electives later. After the second elective of the afternoon another motion is announced and with another debate and a long critique before dinner.

The first practice debate motions were:
1-THW pay a salary to stay-at-home parents
2-TH would create separate units for gays in the military.
3-THBT supporting Georgia's NATO bid is more important than maintaining good relations with Russia.
4-THBT the capitalist experiment has failed.
5-THW criminalize Holocaust denial.

Evenings have had a considerable social component. On Monday night the Country Exhibition took place where students brought items, foods, beverages and other things from their country on display and shared them with everyone. This was a robust affair of international fraternity and lasted well into the night. On Tuesday evening the traditional Slovenian "Kitsch Party" took place. Students swapped clothing and dressed outrageously for the party. It raged for quite a while before the judging took place. Sam(antha) Ricker of the University of Vermont was the winner, looking quite good in ponytails and wearing Helena Felc's pajamas. Second place was Don(na) Bracciodieta of St. John's, who had nice cleavage. Pictures will be coming along soon.

Having been at all six International Debate Academy sessions, I would say that the experience level and excellence of the teams is growing immensely here and all over Europe and the world.

Stay tuned for more from Ormoz.

Turkey Tails

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in America, and at some point in the morning my wife Debbie will awake and unpack our turkey for the traditional dinner. At some time tomorrow afternoon she is scheduled to slide the nice 17-pound Butterball out of our oven. I'll move into position with the electric carving knife, and peel off nice slices and pieces of white meat. Then I'll flip that bad boy over and go after the dark meat on the bottom. We will then put the turkey out on our table with some veggies and fixings that will most definitely include mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, spinach, rolls, and gravy. Then we will join my daughter Kelly and her boyfriend Jay in digging in to the annual feast. Ours will be a relatively small dinner, but there will be many around our town, region, and nation that will be much larger. Families will gather from far and near, taking days off from work, returning from school, going back home for the holiday. At the vast majority of these dinner tables, the turkey will be the featured attraction. But why? Where did this all start? Why turkey and not roast beef, or pork chops, or spaghetti (no, my South Philly Italian friends, your pasta course does not count.) Turkey is the main dish at Thanksgiving, what we all look forward to so much on this particular day that we don't have this dinner much, if at all, at other times during the year. The turkey was a wild bird original to North America, native to the eastern United States and northern Mexico. The bird was domesticated and brought to Europe in the 16th century, and it began to be raised much more extensively due to the high quality of their meat and eggs. The first Thanksgiving is traditionally recognized as having taken place among the Pilgrims and the native American Indians. Though there is no documentation that turkey was served at this feast, it almost certainly would have been a logical option. Some 22 years after that first celebration, William Bradford wrote his piece titled "History of Plymouth Plantation", and in the piece there is a quote stating that the governor had "sent four men out fowling, and they returned with turkeys, ducks, and geese." Bradford's work fell into the hands of the British during the Revolutionary War and did not surface in America again until 1854. On it's rediscovery and dispersal to the public, the turkey's roll at those early gatherings was recognized, and the bird began to turn into a symbol of Thanksgiving which simply grew and grew as the years and decades moved along. In the years after the Revolution, America was searching for many symbols to associate with the new country, and talk turned to a national bird. The favorite and ultimately the chosen symbol was the Bald Eagle, but no less than Benjamin Franklin himself supported the turkey, saying that it was "a much more respectable bird, and a true original of North America." The respect for the turkey has taken a humorous turn at the highest levels of our government as well. Each year since 1989, when President George H.W. Bush "pardoned" the turkey given to him as a gift from the Poultry and Egg National Board, a turkey has been ceremonially pardoned by the sitting President. This idea was originally begun by either Abraham Lincoln, who legend says pardoned his son's pet turkey, or by John Kennedy who supposedly was given the holiday bird gift and said "Let's just keep him." So the eagle soars through the skies as America's symbol to this day, but it is the turkey to which we turn to celebrate the thanks that we give for this land, for our families, and for our freedom.

Giving Thanks Every Day

There are many Catholic and other Christian families all around the world who begin each of their meals with the practice of saying 'grace'. Used in this context of a prayer said before a meal, grace literally means 'thanksgiving'. You are supposed to be thanking God for the gift of His bounty supplying the most basic of human physical needs. Many people believe that this prayer is obligatory, not optional, and that it should be said not only before the meal, but also after the meal. Christ gave us a tremendous example as he broke bread with His disciples at the Last Supper, and many other times throughout his ministry. In early monasticism, each dish would be brought out separately, and prayer would be said prior to each of these dish courses. Throughout the history of the Church, saying 'grace' or some prayer before each meal has been a traditional staple of the faithful, and teaching your children the proper way to say grace was a key educational effort for families. The most common form of grace said by many Christians has its roots in antiquity, and has been said around tables all over the world for centuries: "Bless us, oh Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord, Amen." In this familiar version that is simple to teach our youngsters in a family or school setting, we begin by asking the Lord's blessing. We go on to specify that the blessing for which we are praying is one of the gift of this particular meal. We then acknowledge this gift is received thanks to the intercession on behalf of all men by our Lord, Jesus Christ. Finally we conclude with the simple "Amen", which of course means "to strengthen" or "confirm" and was recorded as being uttered by our Lord in the Scriptures dozens of times. With the formal American holiday of Thanksgiving upon us, a subject that I will again explore over these next few days, it is important to remember to give thanks each and every day for all that we receive. Doing this at meal times is an especially noteworthy way to incorporate this tradition of thanks to God into our daily individual and familial routines.

Banksgiving Vid

Nike 6.0 BMX Banksgiving Jam in San Diego, CA from Will Stroud on Vimeo.

I wish I went to this, looks like so much fun!


Ben

New Hoodies!

Check out the new hoodie.

They will be available med next week on the Webstore.

Get one.

My Trip to Cali

I was lucky enough to spent the last 5 days in beautiful So Cal. It was beautiful because I left Greenville in freezing temperatures and on arrival to San Diego it was in the 80's... Im moving soon I promice...

I got to visit Haro and sit in on a meeting about bike color's, Do some shopping at Vans and I was treated to a rock star life in Hollywood at the RockStar Energy Drink office. I did an interview that should be on the site soon (rockstar69.com) and then Heath Pinter and I went around the back streets of Sunset BLVD with a photographer and had pics taken. I got to stay on the Enarson's couch, Justin Kosman's (Photographer) Couch, and Jerry Badders (Vans TM) Couch, and I finished my trip in a pretty nuts Hotel for one night in Downtown San Diego for the Nike Premier (thanks Pete!)

I was stoked to attend the Nike jam at Dennis Enarson's and it was really fun. Big turnout, big tricks, no deckspace, Catfish on the mic getting crazy, Dennis blasting soo high and also flip-whipping the spine, and even kids eating dirt.
I nearly died on one air that spooked me enough to make me stop riding the Mini section! I just yanked as high as I could and boned out coming in way to nosed. I got away without a fall.
Then I went over to the box jump and looped out a 7 and winded myself real bad enough to call it a day.

The premier was great, Im sure you've all scene the vid by now so I dont have to go on, but Im going to close with how good Dennis and Garret are. At 17/18yrs old it is just amazing the level these two are. Dennis scared me on the last T-Whip even though I knew he pulled it! Your crazy kid.

Thanks The Enarson's, Justin Kosman, Haro, Vans and RockStar for the hook ups on a nice fall get away trip. Hopefully its not much longer till Im out there permanent.

Mackay

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World from Hottest Tots and Celebrity Couples

Forbes' Hottest Hollywood Tots is such a crock of publicity horse cocky, I want to steam myself under a hot shower for the next fifteen minutes just to loosen the dibbles.

Joel McHale said exactly what was on my mind - why in the world is Forbes magazine venturing into the world of celebrity fluffaby? Did editors throw the financial sector overboard now that America is knee deep in meltdown economics?

"Oh, we can't break even publishing financial pontifications. Let's add a celebrity toddlers hot or not contest. That'll bring in people clicking like mad."

You'd better believe I'm mad, uptight and mad's more like it. Mad that I had to click through five crappy millileters each time I wanted more information about the listed tots. Boy, Forbes' stuff must really be in the toilet to milk so much out of celebrity gossip.

So I'm ending the shennanigans right now by printing their ridiculous exercise in self-preservation, saving you, dear reader, the torture of suffering through another gazilllion of pages from hell.

10. Samantha Sheen (Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen)
9. Sean and Preston Federline (Britney and Fed-Ex)
8. David Banda (Madonna)
7. Matilda Rose Ledger (Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger)
6. Cruz Beckham (Posh and Becks)
5. Sam Alexis Woods (Tiger and Elin Woods)
4-2. Pax, Zahara, and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt (in that order)(Brangelina)
1. Suri Cruise (TomKat)

And as long as we're on the subject, I have only this to ask ... WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

How could anyone in their right mind include tug-of-war toy David Banda but omit Kingston Rossdale? Or Johan Samuel? Or Harlow Winter Kate Madden, for that matter?

And what about the inferiority complexes foisted upon helpless and defenseless celebritots who through no fault of their own are subjected to arbitrary and capricious rejection every time they hear the name "Forbes?" It's not like these children ask to be paraded around like a traveling museum. The least we can do is feign a little respect for their privacy.

Not so when it comes to 2008's Best and Worst Celebrity Couples list. You'll also slog through a ton of advertising, but at the end of the day, won't feel any worse for the wear.

Unlike hot to trot celebritots, there's the trade-off component of choosing a profession that unfolds in the public eye. Celebrities expect and anticipate a certain amount of ogle. It's the American way, for goodness sake!

For those reasons and the fact that only one couple per family posted in the best and worst section, no spoilers about 2008's Best and Worse. Go ahead, get your hands dirty.

I won't tell if you won't.

Monday Morning Quarterback

There is so much going on right now that one entry here needs to be devoted to a number of topics. So I'm driving home after dropping my daughter off at her boyfriend's home this past Friday evening and one of her neighbors has their house decorated for Christmas. I mean, that would make it November 21st, just one day after my birthday. A week before Thanksgiving. It's just too soon. When I was a kid, nothing 'Christmas' happened until after Thanksgiving. The day after, in fact. That became known as 'Black Friday', almost a national holiday itself, when all the Christmas shopping would begin. Now poor little Thanksgiving, a great holiday unto itself, is being shoved aside more and more. Moving on to the Eagles...do I really have to? After my hopeful entry just 48 hours ago, the 'Playoff Express' ran completely off the rails in yesterday's 2nd half in Baltimore. A promising beginning rapidly deteriorated for Donovan McNabb, and he was yanked at halftime of a 10-7 game that was a must-win for this franchise to have any hopes of a 2008 playoff appearance. Frankly, he was awful, but he has been awful early in games before and rallied himself and the team. This was a close game against a top defense on the road. And this is where Andy Reid chose to make the switch to Kevin Kolb? Kolb was at least as bad as McNabb, the game spiraled out of control, the Birds lost 36-7 while all their playoff competitors won, and the 2008 season officially ended. It's time to let the Kolb Era fully begin, with more roster changes to come quickly. The Eagles could not have picked a worse time for this to happen. Now they come home for their first Thanksgiving game in years, a game that was looked on with excitement until these past two Sundays. Now it likely will prove to be a source of indigestion after a fine family turkey dinner. Maybe the news holds better stories for us? Nah. It's more 'Saint Barack' 24/7. Something good happens, the front pages read: "Obama Announces Financial Plan; Dow soars 400 points", or "Obama Reaches Out to GOP". Something bad happens, it's: "Sarah Palin Causes Global Warming", or "Cheney Suspected in California Forest Fires". These guys are a laugh riot a minute. The only thing that won't be funny is if Al Franken somehow comes out on top in his Minnesota recount. Now that, like Franken's comedic stylings, would not be one bit funny. Here in Philly, we bury a cop today. Another cop killed this year in the line of duty. This makes four: Steve Liczbinski and Pat McDonald gunned down, Izzy Nazario and now Tim Simpson run down. It's too much for one department to bear, Lord. We need a break. Like a few years break. Today cops from all across the city and region will gather. Another ceremony honoring a hero. Another Mass at the Cathedral downtown. Another motorcade to Resurrection Cemetery in Bensalem. Another burial of a hero in front of a grieving widow and children. More fundraisers and benefits to support and attend. We do it all because we understand, and because we are family. But we would just as soon not have to do it at all. Please Lord, one gift for 2009: no Philly Cop funerals. A lot of bad news in this 'Monday Morning Quarterback' posting, I know. So I'll end it on a bit of an up-tick: Jack is back. For those of us who are fans of "24" you know just what I mean. Jack Bauer returned to the air last night with a bang, rescuing a bunch of kids in Africa, but ultimately being taken into custody himself and transported back to America to testify before Congress as the first female President of the United States was being sworn into office. Hillary had to be watching with a lump in her throat. But Jack was back with the 2-hour movie "24: Redemption" and he will be back protecting the nation full-time come January. So we got that going for us, which is nice. Here's to hoping that 2009 is a better year all-around, not just for '24' fans, but for Philly Cops, Eagles fans, Republicans, and anyone else who pays any attention to this blog. God bless the family of Tim Simpson, may they somehow find peace and healing this holiday season.

Banksgiving Wrap up.

so it was pretty insane...

Here's a couple of points to give you an idea of the crazyness.

• The Enarson's and Nike 6.0 were expecting roughly 150people ath their house for the jam. Approximately 300 showed up.


• Colin Mackay launched so far above coping on one of the quarters that the whole jam errupted. He's still trippin about it.


• The weather couldn't have been any better. Sorry East Coasters...but us So Cal residents pay for the Sunshine. We call it sunshine tax.


• Nike went crazy and rented out the USS Midway, a retired air-craft carrier for the vid premier. Knarly.


• Bob Haro (yes THE Bob Haro) the President of Haro Joe, and myself (I am basically Joe's coffee delivery guy) barely got into the premeir. They were at capacity at 8:30....we arrived after 9. But the steak we ate was dee-lish! Curtis from Nike came down and got us. Thankfully.


• I ate too much Nike Pop Corn. I am a magnet for popcorn. Not helping my diet much.

For more info, click on ridebmx or vitalbmx . Enjoy.

tonyd.

Bad cake/good mandoline

I made an unfortunate cake. It doesn't look bad. And it was not so bad that WE wouldn't eat it, but too bad to post the recipe. It was supposed to be a pear-apple-raisin up-side-down cake but the cake was hard, gummy and heavy — as if it had no leavening. And I know it had baking powder because I noted that we needed to buy more when I added it to the flour. But I used my Japanese Benriner to slice the fruit, and the slices were so pretty that I was wishing I'd planned to make a fruit tart instead of an upsidedown cake so the slices wouldn't all be hidden. Since the cake turned out so poorly, this will be a post about helpful kitchen tools, instead of cake. In particular, my handy-dandy mandoline.

.


I have a Japanese Benriner purchased years ago at a local Asian market. I love the way it makes perfectly even slices of fruits and veggies. It shreds up a cabbage in nothing flat. (It's a little dangerous and will slice your finger if you're not careful and alert. But if you pay attention, keep your fingers out of the way and use the finger protector, everything will be fine.) I was quite taken by the beautiful pear shapes I sliced up to hide under the cake, and when the cake failed, I decided to focus on the mandoline instead of the dessert. In addition to the straight blade, there are three other blades that look like combs with variously spaced very sharp little teeth. Unfortunately, I'd never tried them! So for this post, I decided to finally see what they could do.



First task was to get them inserted into the mandoline without the long-gone instructions. (Now I know what those two screws on the sides are for!) The main blade stays in place, and one of the "combs" inserts perpendicular to the blade. I was able to create three different cuts—very fine, medium and 1/4-inch matchstick. At first I thought the slices were just coming out as ... slices. But when I touched one, it divided into little strips. I did carrots, cucumber and zucchini.



The Benriner, purchased at an Asian supermarket rather than a kitchenware store, is just about the cheapest mandoline out there. But in spite of its cheapness, it's really a great piece of equipment. It comes in several varieties including a "super benriner" which is a bit wider than the regular one.



I recently sent my daughter-in-law a Borner V-slicer Pro as a gift. After doing a lot of internet research, I found myself influenced by all the stuff I'd read, and I wanted to get her something a little nicer than mine. This seemed to be the best choice for the cost and she seems to like it. However, for a basic, hard-working mandoline that is extremely reasonable in cost, the benriner is not a bad choice.

TV Watch: Crossing the Goal

EWTN, the 'Eternal Word Television Network', is the American television network which broadcasts Catholic-themed television programming. The network has come under some attacks and criticisms since Mother Angelica, the pithy nun who founded the network in 1981 and grew it into the most recognizable world wide media voice of the Catholic Church, left the network in 2000 due to health concerns. These attacks have generally been from that ultra-conservative wing of the Church that sees Vatican II as a form of blasphemy and its modernization as a bastardization of the faith. The facts are, of course, far from what these radicals would have you believe. God inspired not only the early Church leaders in the time of Christ, but also many holy men and women prior to His arrival here on earth, and many more since He died for our sins, rose from the grave, and moved on to His kingdom in Heaven. The very modern EWTN mixes rebroadcasts of traditional Catholic elements, such as a taped version of Mother Angelica herself leading a saying of the rosary, with more modern stylized programming. The goal of course is to not only grow the Church, but reinforce its teachings and its principles to today's Catholic community. One particularly insightful and well done show that highlights this combination of modernity with tradition is the Friday night "Crossing the Goal". The show uses a sports talk show inspired styling and theme to direct spiritual teaching particularly towards today's men. "Crossing the Goal" was created by and features former New Orleans Saints pro bowl wide receiver Danny Abramowicz who discusses a wide variety of Catholic and life topics with his regular panelists Brian Patrick, Curtis Martin, and Peter Herbeck. The men conduct their discussions with frankness and honesty, and with a confidence that is specifically focused on the role of men today in the Church. The set itself and the panelists make today's American men comfortable with their personalities and stylings based on the many sports talk programs from ESPN, Fox, and other networks. But rather than talking about football and baseball, the panelists talk about love, family, responsibility, and other such topics. "Crossing the Goal" brings the teachings of the Church to a level that can be easily understood even by the most neanderthal of men. It also is easy to watch for those busy guys who might normally only concern themselves with working all week, yard chores on Saturday, and the Eagles game on Sunday. It makes important, sensitive topics palatable to the regular work-a-day male, but also is interesting and informative enough for the highest thinkers in our midst. Bottom line is that "Crossing the Goal" is a touchdown for the Church, for EWTN, and for anyone who gets into the habit of watching regularly. It broadcasts at 9pm on Friday nights, but also rebroadcasts at numerous times during the week. Just click into the title of this entry above, which as always is a link to more information, to find out when you can enjoy and be inspired by this outstanding program.
NOTE: This is a continuation of the Sunday Sermon series and the TV Watch series, prior items from which can be read by clicking into the below label.

Donovan and Eagles at a Crossroads

Despite what the gloom and doom crowd at 610 WIP AM Sports Talk radio would tell you, the Philadelphia Eagles football team does not stink. Their coach does not need to be fired. Their quarterback is not washed up. Eagles fans have become spoiled by the Andy Reid era. That is a fact. They must have forgotten the Ray Rhodes era that preceded it, when the team went 29-34-1 over a four year period. Or perhaps the Rich Kotite era before that, when the team went 36-28 over four years but only made the playoffs once. Maybe they loved those brash Buddy Ryan years before that, every one a winning regular season. Of course there was that little matter of zero playoff wins. None. Marion Campbell, the 'Swamp Fox', and his 17-29-1 over three years and no playoffs? Forget those. Fact is that since the end of Dick Vermeil's final full season in 1981 and the start of the Reid Era, the Eagles floundered, sputtered, and crashed after brief periods of soaring. Fact is also that since the end of Reid's first season he has guided the team to an 88-52-1 regular season record, 8 playoff wins, 4 NFC east division titles, an NFC championship, and a narrow Super Bowl defeat to this decade's dynasty team. The biggest mistake that professional sports teams make is hiring the wrong manager/coach. The 2nd biggest that they make is hiring the right guy, then giving up on him when the going gets tough. The organizations that remain the strongest consistently, year-in and year-out over lengthy periods of time, which is exactly what their fan base wants, are the organizations that keep their good coach through the tough times. The fact is that the Eagles are in a transition period with their personnel, they play in a tough division with superior competitors, and their superstar running back is playing at less than 100%. Andy Reid and his staff deserve a full chance to work their way through this tough period. My bet is that they quickly have the team back in contention. Of course that's not to say that they aren't in contention right now. The team sits at 5-4-1, just a half game off the final Wildcard pace. Their defense has allowed the 8th lowest points in the entire NFL. Only 5 teams have scored more points than their offense. The simple fact is that they remain one of the top teams in the league. They don't get blown out. They do not get dominated. In other words, to say they 'stink' is to completely ignore reality. They are in such a difficult playoff situation because they have not come through in critical situations in close games, not because they are any worse than any of the teams to whom they lost. Their four losses were twice by 4 points, once by 5, once by 6, and then there is last week's dispiriting tie with Cincinnati. Their five wins have all been by more than a touchdown. In other words, this is a good team. They have simply suffered some bad breaks, and some bad breakdowns at key moments. You can blame that on poor coaching decisions and be correct in a few instances. You can blame that on the inability of players to make plays, and be just as correct. You can also look at the fact that their most dynamic offensive component, running back Brian Westbrook, has been a shadow of his Pro Bowl self in an injury-marred season. The Eagles are in a four-team race with Washington, Dallas, and Atlanta for the final playoff spot. A look at all of their schedules shows that none has a real advantage. In other words, the Eagles are a playoff contender during a difficult season. On Sunday they have a difficult challenge in playing at Baltimore, an AFC contender with a defense as good as the Eagles. It should be a defensive struggle for both clubs. It is up to Donovan McNabb, the veteran quarterback whose career in Philadelphia (but certainly not his entire NFL career) is perhaps at as big a crossroads as this team's season. If McNabb steps up and leads the team to victory this week, the Eagles stay in contention, the WIP crowd is silenced for at least a week, and McNabb stock rises. If the Ravens dominate him and win the game, the Eagles season is likely over, and perhaps McNabb's career here as well. The Philadelphia Eagles and their longtime quarterback are indeed at a crossroads. Their coach should not be considered in the same light.

Nyquist Interview

Ryan has a good Interview up on BMXUnion, he talks about moving to Cali and why, his son that should be arriving any day now, and some other cool stuff. Check it out HERE if you haven't already seen it.

Vancouver, WA edit

Here's the espn video my buddy dean made, pretty good vid about putting in work and getting a park of your own. I'm a slacker and only got one clip.


Ben

Time for Christmas Shopping

Okay, the zaniness of 'Black Friday' is still a week away, but now is the time to really start your Christmas shopping. By next weekend, and for each of the final four weekends afterwards before the actual holiday, the rush at your local mall is going to only get worse and worse. Oh yeah, I know, there is some 'financial crisis' or whatever the doomsayers are trying to sell you on today. So there won't be any Christmas shopping this year, right? Probably will be short lines and plenty of stock on the shelves at the stores, right? You can put it off until later this year, right? Wrong! You and I both know that you are going to be out there buying gifts for your kids and grandkids, your siblings, your parents (right girls?) as well as other close family members and friends. So let me give you a hint. Get out there this weekend! Things began to pick up last weekend at the malls and stores. They are going to get worse next weekend and every one after that through December. This is the time to take advantage. Get out there, beat the real mad rush. Grab exactly what you want without fighting too much of a crowd. Oh, it will be crowded. But this rush is nothing compared to what is going to be happening for the following five weekends. An even better idea, begin to get a bunch of your shopping done online. Places like 'Amazon.com' are all ready to help you do the bulk of your shopping right from the comfort of your own home. They ship directly to you at a small fee, in plenty of time for you to get the gifts wrapped for redistribution by you at the holiday. Almost every major store has an online service now to help you shop at home. From Sears to Wal-Mart, from candy to food, from gift certificates to high-end clothes and jewelry, you can buy pretty much anything online these days. Just have your credit card ready. And as for those credit cards, don't be afraid to spend, as long as you are secure in your job. If you have a good, steady job there is no reason to fear spending your good, hard-earned money in bringing some love and joy at the holidays. So get out there this weekend and get going, or just stay home and fire up the computer and get going, or tune the TV to HSN or QVC and get going. But get going, now is the time. Get those Christmas decorations, you will be decorating starting next weekend. And don't forget those Christmas cards too, you are going to be wanting to mail them out in just two more weeks. Get to it people, this is going to be your best weekend remaining to get it done. Just 33 shopping days until Christmas. 'Carpe Diem', Christmas shoppers!

Scary Obsessed Fan Rattles Brad Pitt on Oprah

(photo courtesy of LaLateNews)

Yesterday, I got a long hard look at myself in the TV set. It was not by any means a pretty sight.

Brad Pitt returned to the set of Oprah plugging the Christmas Day release of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a movie about a New Orleans man who ages backwards. I hear the special effects are to die for. Heck, the movie was in post-production for almost a year.

Aside from styling reminiscent of the late Clark Gable, Pitt filled the studio with the twinkle of Hollywood stardust, what I call the magic of Hollywood. He’s a person, yes, like everyone else, but with killer good looks and notable acting talent. I hardly ever watch daytime television, but this was one show I wanted to see as it aired.

That Oprah, I have to hand it to her. She’s now peppering celebrity interviews with home audience questions via Skype. These are not your grandmother’s cheesy call-ins with background pictures but real time webcam "I see you, you see me" exchanges. Skype definitely made the show more engaging. One bride-to-be appeared in her bedroom with a bed full of family and friends.

Top of the heap in clout and earning power, Pitt stands toe to toe with the greats, actors admired for craft and popularity not necessarily due to peer recognition, but for opening movies and resonating with a crowd. He’s a big fish in a huge pond glutted with wannabes. Everyone wants a piece of him no matter how those pieces are derived.

The Q and A ran rather smoothly until Christina from Ontario questioned Pitt about his body tattoos. At that point, the exchange turned on its head.

(video may be removed due to copyright and if so, don’t count on a replacement)

In the first place, Christina knew way too much about Pitt for comfort, like prey studied by stalker before ambush. Clearly, Pitt became very uncomfortable, refusing to divulge any personal information or put his tats on display. It was comical, really, in a "Lady, who are you and why do you know so much about my ice man tattoo?" kind of way. Then suddenly, it felt kind of scary. Poor Christina, I could see she felt it too.

At that moment, I glimpsed my reflection. Figuratively speaking of course, but no less startling. I too feed off Hollywood minutiae, petty details of lives steeped in fantasy glamour. What’s the harm in wanting to see a decorated body part? Why even decorate if not to show off?

As Pitt lamented the ever present din of paparazzi, as well as fences and walls he would rather remove but requires for privacy, I too wanted the inside scoop. As if answering Christina’s question might reveal the essence of this movie star’s shine, I really wanted to know about his tats. So did Oprah, though immediately after gentle prodding she backed down.

Despite being offensive or intrusive, Pitt owed a better answer to his fans. He chose acting for his livelihood and should expect people crossing the line. Without fans who feed off his star power, he’s like any other bit player on Broadway.

On the other hand, I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in a fish bowl. The constant presence of cameras and strangers approaching wherever one goes must be unnerving. Can a fan’s desire to connect go too far?

At the end of the day, none of it matters, gossip tidbits or glitterati lives. Hearing Pitt speak about his children, life with Angie, or his Benjamin Buttons co-star, the fabulous Cate Blanchett, another guest on the show, won’t change the world or cure cancer. It’s entertainment like a good book or a day at the races, nothing more than fleeting fancy to pass the time.