Savannah, Georgia BURNING RUBBER

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Savannah, Georgia BURNING RUBBER

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Silicon Valley Threats and Nationalizing the Power Grid

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More SHTF Revelations </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Aftermath of the PG&E Substation shooting  </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Notice YOU TUBE is trying to keep this information from getting out...</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/U266c5mOuME?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RQzAbKdLfW8?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cow2cCp4cC0?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GacLkjrh18s?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><b>...developing...</b></div>

Silicon Valley Threats and Nationalizing the Power Grid

More SHTF Revelations The Aftermath of the PG&E Substation shooting  Notice YOU TUBE is trying to keep this information from getting out...

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U.S. Approaches Oil Independence

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kp-5jH9V6Hcx1Fgt7WY4xBJGpz5lgpn53RhhJXZiA96cZg4BkmL1zt8ku8R3hOLp2NO7FSCXJvXQFMg9OwFwzbxyhaBsjgadpRtUMz7SNJdk97rnmyiViaeWBEBDfzogzq5VEOCTWwOv/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kp-5jH9V6Hcx1Fgt7WY4xBJGpz5lgpn53RhhJXZiA96cZg4BkmL1zt8ku8R3hOLp2NO7FSCXJvXQFMg9OwFwzbxyhaBsjgadpRtUMz7SNJdk97rnmyiViaeWBEBDfzogzq5VEOCTWwOv/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Roughnecks wrestle pipe on a True Company oil drilling rig outside Watford, North Dakota, October 20, 2012. Thousands of people have flooded into North Dakota to work in state's oil drilling boom. <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/us-surpasses-russia-become-largest-oil-natural-gas-producer-energy-dependent-countries-india-are">Reuters</a></span> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>U.S. May Be Inching Toward Oil Independence -- USA Today</b></span></div><br />U.S. oil imports are down 17% since 2010, helping narrow the trade deficit.<br /><br />U.S. oil imports fell sharply again in 2013 while petroleum exports rose, leading some analysts to proclaim that a new era of energy independence is just a few years away.<br /><br />Experts largely credit new drilling techniques that have unearthed vast troves of previously inaccessible oil embedded in shale deposits in states such as North Dakota and Texas.<br /><br />"We're at the beginning of a long upswing," says Citigroup analyst Eric Lee.<br /><br />Crude oil imports declined 9% last year to 2.8 billion barrels and are down 17% since 2010, according to the Census Bureau.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/02/07/falling-oil-imports/5268819/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Oil and gas fracking technologies have clearly changed the dynamics of the energy industry that has impacted the power of OPEC and some of it's member states .... and for the good. So much for peak oil theorists.<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> Here is a good post on how much oil we are talking about in <b><a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/2003121-apache-a-look-at-the-wolfcamp-and-lng-potential?source=iphoneportfolioapp_twitter">just one U.S. shale deposit</a></b>. Hint .... the estimated recovery for the Spraberry/Wolfcamp is 50 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), which is only beaten by the Ghawar oil field in Saudi Arabia. (Hat Tip: <b><a href="http://prairiepundit.blogspot.ca/">Prairie Pundit</a></b>)

U.S. Approaches Oil Independence

Roughnecks wrestle pipe on a True Company oil drilling rig outside Watford, North Dakota, October 20, 2012. Thousands of people have flooded...

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Cannabis kicks Lyme disease to the curb

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/307cbbKw0xM" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'Lyme disease has been controversial for some years. Many medical practitioners misdiagnose it, while several think that it's mental. With Lyme disease, there are so many symptoms, so many debilitating, agonizing manifestations, that it's often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, lupus or a mental issue.<br /><br />Lyme disease is caused by a spirochetal bacteria of the <i>Borrelia</i> genus. Spirochetes are composed of about 40% DNA and have double-membrane envelopes that make them difficult to trace and kill. They're apparently able to hide in deep tissue and change shapes to disguise their identities.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/043834_cannabis_Lyme_disease_medical_marijuana.html">more...</a></span>

Cannabis kicks Lyme disease to the curb

'Lyme disease has been controversial for some years. Many medical practitioners misdiagnose it, while several think that it's menta...

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Dying cancer patients are being milked of every last dollar

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://exposethemedicalmafia.com/AMA_Mafia_logo.jpg" class="decoded" height="223" src="http://exposethemedicalmafia.com/AMA_Mafia_logo.jpg" width="400" /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'Recent studies and reports have revealed that terminal cancer patients are frequently given harsh chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments long after they have been diagnosed as hopeless. In many instances such treatments continue up until the moment of death. As a result, many cancer patients are subjected to needless expense and suffering and little time is left for alternative treatments that otherwise might have saved their lives.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The Oncologist reported that about one in five dying cancer patients are given chemotherapy within 14 days of their deaths. The report also stated that one-third of terminal cancer patients are not sent to a hospice until they have less than three days left to live. Last year, Virginia Commonwealth Massey reported that 25% of Medicare expenses for terminal cancer patients are spent in their final month.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://www.tbyil.com/Dying_Cancer_Patients.htm">more... </a></span>

Dying cancer patients are being milked of every last dollar

'Recent studies and reports have revealed that terminal cancer patients are frequently given harsh chemotherapy drugs and radiation trea...

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Study Confirms That Matters of the Heart Directly Influence The Health of Your Heart

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" src="https://scontent-a-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1545807_10151923398432499_192843947_n.png" style="height: 480px; width: 380px;" /></div><br /><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'University of Utah researchers have shown that the ways in which you are supported, can actually have significant bearing on your overall cardiovascular health. The findings announced by <i><a href="http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/heart-disease-risk-linked-with-spouses-social-support.html" target="_blank"> Psychological Science</a></i> reveal that when both partners perceive having mixed feelings about the support they get from each other, each partner’s levels of coronary artery calcification (CAC) tend to be particularly high. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> “There is a large body of epidemiological research suggesting that our relationships are predictors of mortality rates, especially from cardiovascular disease,” explains Bert Uchino, psychological scientist of the University of Utah. “But most prior work has ignored the fact that many relationships are characterized by both positive and negative aspects -- in other words, ambivalence.”'<br /> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://preventdisease.com/news/14/020714_Matters-of-Heart-Influence-The-Health-of-Heart.shtml">more...</a></span>

Study Confirms That Matters of the Heart Directly Influence The Health of Your Heart

'University of Utah researchers have shown that the ways in which you are supported, can actually have significant bearing on you...

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Clean Your Brain While You Sleep

<img alt="Sleep" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-18146" height="423" src="http://renegadehealth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Sleep.jpg" width="637" /><br />Photo Credit: Renegade Health<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'When I was young, I fell asleep instantly and slept soundly through the night. No matter how stressed I was, sleep was a refuge, a sanctuary, a way of restoring myself. During the day, I worked hard and after work I exercised intensely. The more challenging my exercise, the better I slept. I avoided stimulates and alcohol, didn’t drink coffee or tea or any caffeinated beverages, and ate a natural, organic, plant-based fresh food diet. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, it was an era without cell phones, smart tablets, and computers. No email. No cable TV with hundreds of channels and movies 24/7. No multitasking. No dual screening. No Twitter. No Facebook. And, I was young.' </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2014/02/07/clean-your-brain-while-you-sleep">more... </a></span>

Clean Your Brain While You Sleep

Photo Credit: Renegade Health 'When I was young, I fell asleep instantly and slept soundly through the night. No matter how stressed I ...

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First One On The Right

That's a nice ass.<br />Dayum.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWpMGSGMU8x7EAMRPXm2im3f9-BCsIuJHRV6v2HebPHX-4xNsoeLtvWSC37gQRMaPtU3Nx16FuEviW8fQZgxMZ99HGvTwnV0Sh_XkV6dngs7jZdC6CMpPhm_2Waqway3fZOfrfv_GlQzY/s1600/world-cup-babes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWpMGSGMU8x7EAMRPXm2im3f9-BCsIuJHRV6v2HebPHX-4xNsoeLtvWSC37gQRMaPtU3Nx16FuEviW8fQZgxMZ99HGvTwnV0Sh_XkV6dngs7jZdC6CMpPhm_2Waqway3fZOfrfv_GlQzY/s640/world-cup-babes.jpg" /></a></div>

First One On The Right

That's a nice ass. Dayum.

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Iran's Supreme Leader: The U.S. Wants To Overthrow The Iranian Government

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZV5cqAKKj8W9bm_zh6_93rLVV6ncHl-nI4T3Yk3-XusuhEqEULLRmPWXfVkTZ8TMbvDK6WTcExw2GFXgsPax4JgueitzEKVwEtwWEjBVkjDZ57vOOVax1f3Vh-jBW8fz2SM5ZF4s2ZG5/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZV5cqAKKj8W9bm_zh6_93rLVV6ncHl-nI4T3Yk3-XusuhEqEULLRmPWXfVkTZ8TMbvDK6WTcExw2GFXgsPax4JgueitzEKVwEtwWEjBVkjDZ57vOOVax1f3Vh-jBW8fz2SM5ZF4s2ZG5/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 12, 2009. Credit: Reuters/Caren Firouz</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Khamenei: U.S. Would Overthrow Iranian Government If It Could - Media -- Reuters</b></span></div><br />(Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader said on Saturday the United States would overthrow the Iranian government if it could, adding Washington had a "controlling and meddlesome" attitude towards the Islamic Republic, Iranian media reported.<br /><br />In a speech to mark the 35th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran, added that officials seeking to revive the economy should not rely on an eventual lifting of sanctions but rather on home-grown innovation.<br /><br />"American officials publicly say they do not seek regime change in Iran. That's a lie. They wouldn't hesitate a moment if they could do it," he was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/08/us-iran-usa-leader-idUSBREA170CT20140208">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update #1:</b> <a href="http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/02/08/349769/compromise-will-lead-nowhere-leader/">‘US unable to change Iran government’</a> -- Press TV (Iran)<br /><b>Update #2:</b> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/08/ayatollah-khamenei-us-iran-nuclear-weapons">Khamenei says US 'wouldn't hesitate' to topple Iranian regime if it could</a> -- The Guardian<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: A lot of people want to see the mullahs out of power .... even in Iran. But with talk and warnings like this .... I do not see the the possibility of an Iranian nuclear agreement in the foreseeable future.

Iran's Supreme Leader: The U.S. Wants To Overthrow The Iranian Government

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in ...

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Iran Announces That It Is Sending It's Naval Fleet To The U.S. Coast

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90UpsaZL13ybJOhFgL9ssmNCzpBWe7Ax9y-QhBqwWFgR2e4d6M2QQ065p25vWIpeO1Ax57Xie32t5qUAykOiz5HEpTk2iDOZ4GS20Q0O8LGYm8LdWx0ma5goFc3GXDzfl3wHOQe9TXPDM/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90UpsaZL13ybJOhFgL9ssmNCzpBWe7Ax9y-QhBqwWFgR2e4d6M2QQ065p25vWIpeO1Ax57Xie32t5qUAykOiz5HEpTk2iDOZ4GS20Q0O8LGYm8LdWx0ma5goFc3GXDzfl3wHOQe9TXPDM/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">TEHRAN (FNA)- Senior Iranian Navy commanders announced on Saturday that the country has sent several fleets of warships to the US maritime borders.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>URGENT: Iran Sends Warships to US Maritime Borders -- FARS News Agency (Iran)</b></span></div><br />"The Iranian Army's naval fleets have already started their voyage towards the Atlantic Ocean via the waters near South Africa," Commander of Iran's Northern Navy Fleet Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad announced on Saturday.<br /><br />The admiral, who is also the commander of the Iranian Army's 4th Naval Zone said, "Iran's military fleet is approaching the United States' maritime borders, and this move has a message."<br /><br />In September 2012, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari reiterated Iran's plans for sailing off the US coasts to counter the US presence in its waters in the Persian Gulf.<br /><br />Sayyari had earlier informed of Tehran's plans to send its naval forces to the Atlantic to deploy along the US marine borders, and in September 2012 he said that this would happen "in the next few years".<br /><br /><b><a href="http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13921119001013">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Reports That Iran Is Sending It's Naval Fleet To The U.S. Coast</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAN_US_NAVY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-02-08-10-14-18">Iran sending warships close to US borders</a> -- AP<br /><a href="http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/2239789.html">Iranian navy fleets start their voyage towards U.S. maritime borders</a> -- Trend<br /><a href="http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/175707/">Iran sends warships to U.S. naval borders</a> -- PanArmenian.net<br /><a href="http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=134715&frid=19&seccatid=32&cid=19&fromval=1">Iran Sends Warships to US Maritime Borders </a>-- Al Manar<br /><a href="http://rt.com/news/iran-warships-us-waters-197/">Iran dispatches warships to US maritime border</a> -- RT<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> The Iranians are blunt in their official announcement .... <br /><br /><i>.... "Iran's military fleet is approaching the United States' maritime borders, and this move has a message."</i><br /><br />No word yet from the White House.

Iran Announces That It Is Sending It's Naval Fleet To The U.S. Coast

TEHRAN (FNA)- Senior Iranian Navy commanders announced on Saturday that the country has sent several fleets of warships to the US maritime b...

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Iranian State TV Airs A Simulated Bombing Of A U.S. Aircraft Carrier

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DxpcHl2jj20" width="420"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iranian TV Airs Simulated Bombing Of Tel Aviv, US Aircraft Carrier -- Times of Israel</b></span></div><br /><i>Clip shows simulated strikes on Ben Gurion Airport, Haifa, USS Abraham Lincoln in retaliation for hypothetical attack on Iran</i><br /><br />Iranian state TV on Friday ran a documentary featuring a computerized video of Iran’s drones and missiles bombing Tel Aviv, Haifa, Ben Gurion Airport and the Dimona nuclear reactor in a hypothetical retaliation for an Israeli or American strike on the Islamic Republic.<br /><br />Iranian drones and missiles are also shown carrying out simulated strikes on the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, downing American aircraft and striking American military targets in the Persian Gulf.<br /><br />The clip was broadcast amid a clear escalation of anti-American rhetoric and even action by Iran: On Saturday, an Iranian admiral announced that Iran had despatched warships to the North Atlantic, while Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the Americans as liars who, while professing to be friends of Iran, would bring down his regime if they could. He also said it was “amusing” that the US thought Iran would reduce its “defensive capabilities.”<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-tv-airs-simulated-bombing-of-tel-aviv/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>:No comment from the White House.

Iranian State TV Airs A Simulated Bombing Of A U.S. Aircraft Carrier

Iranian TV Airs Simulated Bombing Of Tel Aviv, US Aircraft Carrier -- Times of Israel Clip shows simulated strikes on Ben Gurion Airport, Ha...

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The Olympics Are Exposing The US - Russia Rift

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPmUjvhsgcf4WlUxXLBWO_EbIbL-2Q637Kcl4ICjkzepdzfuiMeDfEn7ChXp05co4JX8-rSLbCD3j8MsIiD-oNQAuS5MEWASQYY1S22W6LHfsHDqUzFG0rpYpHV3XtxCOWtHfsPuU7rl0/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPmUjvhsgcf4WlUxXLBWO_EbIbL-2Q637Kcl4ICjkzepdzfuiMeDfEn7ChXp05co4JX8-rSLbCD3j8MsIiD-oNQAuS5MEWASQYY1S22W6LHfsHDqUzFG0rpYpHV3XtxCOWtHfsPuU7rl0/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The five Olympic rings stand in front of the Sochi Airport. © RIA Novosti. <a href="http://en.ria.ru/sochi2014/20131011/184072471.html">Mihail Mokrushin</a></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>US-Russia Rift Widens At Sochi -- Julian Pecquet, The Hill</b></span></div><br />The Olympic Games, created to bring countries together around sports, appear to be having the opposite effect on U.S.-Russia relations.<br /><br />Rising animosity between the former Cold War powers was on full display Friday when Russia chose a former figure skater who tweeted out a racially charged picture of President Obama for the symbolic lighting of the Olympic cauldron.<br /><br />That came just a day after the world found out that a personal phone call between State Department official Victoria Nuland and the U.S. ambassador to Kiev, where she can be heard saying “F—k the EU,” had been intercepted and leaked on You Tube.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/europe/197853-us-russia-rift-widens-at-sochi">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: Relations between the White House and the Kremlin have been poor to downright hostile in the past 2-3 years .... the Olympics are revealing nothing new in this rift. As to Russian reaction to President Obama absence from the games .... to put it bluntly, there has been little if any reaction or coverage (my nationality is Russian, and I follow Russian news all the time). In fact .... I would say that almost all of the reaction has come from the U.S. press corp where (in my opinion) they are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

The Olympics Are Exposing The US - Russia Rift

The five Olympic rings stand in front of the Sochi Airport. © RIA Novosti. Mihail Mokrushin US-Russia Rift Widens At Sochi -- Julian Pecquet...

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Only In The West Is It A Big Deal That President Putin's Mistress Carried The Olympic Torch

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qs6ECv4uQi8_VeKfNjaoLJJVMJ2EiKBxwfSuaWOOdaGgl1WSP26xzmoNcGsgJo8UW-43yBMcQkNoJfdYnOjjNzA1JHN5-VZEUswE8x86kDTC-8uGpf8OkelKAhj3v6X7tqcOYDkGtaqr/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qs6ECv4uQi8_VeKfNjaoLJJVMJ2EiKBxwfSuaWOOdaGgl1WSP26xzmoNcGsgJo8UW-43yBMcQkNoJfdYnOjjNzA1JHN5-VZEUswE8x86kDTC-8uGpf8OkelKAhj3v6X7tqcOYDkGtaqr/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The president's girlfriend Alina Kabayeva holds the Olympic flame aloft at the opening ceremony. Reuters</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: President Putin's Lover Alina Kabayeva Carries Olympic Torch -- International Business Times</b></span></div><br />Putin's Secret Girlfriend Takes Centre Stage at Olympics Opening Ceremony<br /><br />While the spectacle of the world's most expensive Olympics, with its inflatable St. Basil's, technical glitches, unceremonial slip-ups and surreptitious signs of protest, had a global audience captivated, all eyes were on the torch bearers, in particular, gymnast Alina Kabayeva, who also happens to be President Vladimir Putin's girlfriend.<br /><br />Putin had earlier refuted suggestions that Kabayeva would be afforded the special privilege of wielding the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sochi-winter-olympics-2014-president-putins-girlfriend-alina-kabayeva-carries-olympic-torch-1435611">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> None of my aunts/uncles/cousins in Russia were surprised that Putin's mistress/wife carried the Olympic torch .... and neither was I. I also never expected her to light the Olympic torch .... that would have been a little too much. As a result there will be zero fallout from this .... everyone knows that Putin wanted to please his girlfriend .... and he did so in a spectacular fashion. As to the question .... was this the right thing to do? Putin's opponents will make "hay of it" and his supporters do not care .... as for my opinion ....I live in Canada now and it is good to see that somethings have not .... cough, cough .... changed back home in mother Russia.

Only In The West Is It A Big Deal That President Putin's Mistress Carried The Olympic Torch

The president's girlfriend Alina Kabayeva holds the Olympic flame aloft at the opening ceremony. Reuters Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Pre...

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IWS Person of the Week...Cupid !!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Valentine's Day is but a mere five days away, so all you men <strike>and women</strike> need to go buy something special for that special someone in your life, lest ye suffer the slings and arrows of a pissed off, shallow, yet significant other come February 14th.<div><br /></div><div>And speaking of arrows...</div><div><br /></div><div>There is no more famous representative nor icon of Valentine's Day than the arrow d'amour shootin' boy-god than Cupid, who is of course, our IWS Person of the Week...</div><div><br /></div><div>Cupid was a boy god who really loved his hot mom Venus, and she taught him the ways of love...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp07w9opsjdBYKN8cIcXsTk_NQjp6aHMJkkP91FsNhMWQwB3E3NX0VAHAOiuiCLfui0hcza0UDzROgUQr81_36g4qpKJeTwV2PbfpqwggW9s6YTU3Sn2eRZz8cHXJZaR2T_TDL7vuBnf3/s1600/Cupid+Venus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp07w9opsjdBYKN8cIcXsTk_NQjp6aHMJkkP91FsNhMWQwB3E3NX0VAHAOiuiCLfui0hcza0UDzROgUQr81_36g4qpKJeTwV2PbfpqwggW9s6YTU3Sn2eRZz8cHXJZaR2T_TDL7vuBnf3/s1600/Cupid+Venus.jpg" width="286" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>As he grew older, he would sit for hours and think about what he should do with his knowledge of love...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5-dnV4ARt_I01XuzrIihc7m4xxyyHAcRZk4jSXKkQ5j0z3osZowLHMwLvVeYYaD2vuYt3U3DFl6fTiFh9NdhTgpsVEtZIWwkvPj1VYy2MRA-pNb62maOKFGa-thmrXwhscS085iMm0Ql/s1600/Cupid+Mythology.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5-dnV4ARt_I01XuzrIihc7m4xxyyHAcRZk4jSXKkQ5j0z3osZowLHMwLvVeYYaD2vuYt3U3DFl6fTiFh9NdhTgpsVEtZIWwkvPj1VYy2MRA-pNb62maOKFGa-thmrXwhscS085iMm0Ql/s1600/Cupid+Mythology.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>He decided that it would be best for all if he spread the love he had...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlL6sCTiiUgCPe_ES4dQqTmIuw5jPZ4TM6BgrQAIWukshPD5iS1nsfnbBDYFXLNfYhKj8FDgMwpkiNfGYn0d_u4LeDPIiS85Qtbf8DojaESN6LsbPCq1PKTAcvDsWfSLBx8vHRBVG1XbM/s1600/Cupid+Psyche+Valentines+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlL6sCTiiUgCPe_ES4dQqTmIuw5jPZ4TM6BgrQAIWukshPD5iS1nsfnbBDYFXLNfYhKj8FDgMwpkiNfGYn0d_u4LeDPIiS85Qtbf8DojaESN6LsbPCq1PKTAcvDsWfSLBx8vHRBVG1XbM/s1600/Cupid+Psyche+Valentines+Day.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>For years, he wore the reputation as a purveyor of true love, and was viewed by all as an adorable figure...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvqxMjX56mRS4656WOaCQOslu-gjZe1g_GtSojOCgDSSnvyKmVS-AXGpXH2ek7GKa3mbdiRKbrdvZcPg2758QtMphALlCnX2pTVxR-xkU3A_8UXguelrnAlIbheoybcd6M1mAdWzLP6F9/s1600/Cupid+Valentine's+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvqxMjX56mRS4656WOaCQOslu-gjZe1g_GtSojOCgDSSnvyKmVS-AXGpXH2ek7GKa3mbdiRKbrdvZcPg2758QtMphALlCnX2pTVxR-xkU3A_8UXguelrnAlIbheoybcd6M1mAdWzLP6F9/s1600/Cupid+Valentine's+Day.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And then?  Greeting Card companies, confectioners, jewelers, and flower shops everywhere, turned his mission of love into a man-hating, wallet-draining holiday, and some began to turn on poor Cupid, and give him a dose of his own archery...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIvRMCtk3h6T2-41-acV1MaOYNaz1oexoUnWj5JgDEn8wkLFK3TH5hP68dYc24xrZNNX1k_fIn7pItHjrvlK4mIBKX_x3LVL5z0BwfMNZq5TOqBUCTJcLjIdF3HL00LmGNLT8DAV2wr4B/s1600/Cupid+Arrow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIvRMCtk3h6T2-41-acV1MaOYNaz1oexoUnWj5JgDEn8wkLFK3TH5hP68dYc24xrZNNX1k_fIn7pItHjrvlK4mIBKX_x3LVL5z0BwfMNZq5TOqBUCTJcLjIdF3HL00LmGNLT8DAV2wr4B/s1600/Cupid+Arrow.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div>But this story does have a happy ending...</div><div><br /></div><div>After getting out of the love business, Cupid changed his name to Michael Stipe, began a music career, and founded the band REM...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB6vGciBT3Yi6kUGvOa3UO9VGTqRrn10NwCPhMdtIxdnlQw-CqS_4bu8L43gDhsQIzx-G0Tf4zifvTmkqjzNYR34fkQewhFBemDMCApsr0eQN_-hFLFX_A68DD6GvdYl8KGrIIvfzbl9c/s1600/Cupid+Michael+Stipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB6vGciBT3Yi6kUGvOa3UO9VGTqRrn10NwCPhMdtIxdnlQw-CqS_4bu8L43gDhsQIzx-G0Tf4zifvTmkqjzNYR34fkQewhFBemDMCApsr0eQN_-hFLFX_A68DD6GvdYl8KGrIIvfzbl9c/s1600/Cupid+Michael+Stipe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The rest is rock 'n' roll history.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here's to Cupid aka Michael Stipe; today's IWS Person of the Week.</div><div><br /></div><div>And for more on Cupid, love, and all things Valentine's Day related, check out Jay and Matt tonight LIVE from 8-10 PM EST on Blog Talk Radio as IWS Radio presents,<i><span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2014/02/10/its-hot-as-an-oven-in-the-love-shack" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">It's as Hot as an Oven in the Love Shack</span></a></span></i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>To listen LIVE tonight and join in on the fun and frivolity of IWS Radio, click <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2014/02/10/its-hot-as-an-oven-in-the-love-shack" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">HERE!!</span></i></a></div><div><br /></div></div>

IWS Person of the Week...Cupid !!

Valentine's Day is but a mere five days away, so all you men and women need to go buy something special for that special someone in you...

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Day 2 - The Day I Watched Everything

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hello everyone! Make sure to check the blog every morning to see what I’ve posted about the previous day - don’t worry, I’ll make sure to post </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">after</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the primetime coverage. </span></span></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-7d1a8475-1501-ca9a-806b-f02c248cd24d" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I had an interesting night. I watched the cauldron lighting three times, finished the blog, and went to be at 11:30. My alarm went off at 2am, and I turned over and grabbed my computer to watch the men’s Slopestyle final that started at 1:45am. To my surprise, the highest score had already been achieved by the United States’ Sage Krotsenburg in his early first run! I saw the end of the first run and the whole second run. It was pretty much hoping and hoping that everyone else wouldn’t be as good! </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Kotsenburg seems like a very relaxed guy - kind of an “average” X Games athlete. I saw him interviewed on “Today” a couple of weeks ago, and he was very easygoing. Such is the life of a snowboarder if you’re not named SJ Shaun White. I’m very excited he won the gold!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But if you watched the slopestyle at all, did you see the GIANT snowboarding nesting doll near the track? May that thing never become animated. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The run itself was spectacular - especially that final jump (a 1620!). Being that this is a new event, I still have a hard time determining which slopestyle runs are spectacular and which are average (unless someone crashes or goes on their butt - then it’s easy). Of course, I still have a hard time determining </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">figure skating</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> scores. Some of the scores were only in the 20s and 30s (on runs I didn’t think were terrible), but Kotsenburg’s score was a 93! What a range!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I was expecting the Canadians to show more push here, but Max Parrot wiped out in his first run and didn’t get enough in his second, and Mark McMorris only could manage a 91 in his second run. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Fun Fact: grabbing the snowboard in the air gets you more points than flips. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I got to watch Kotsenburg’s medal ceremony later and viewed the medal outfit for Team USA. Clearly they are treating the US Olympians like they have gone into shock and need a giant metallic blanket to help them recover! However, the instrumental version of the US National Anthem is very good this time around - very powerful!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After Kotsenburg clinched, I went back to bed, but my heart was racing after watching the event, so it took a while to actually fall asleep. My alarm went back off at 4:30 to view the Speedskating men’s 5000m. In this event I was pulling for the Dutch, since the Americans really didn’t have any power in the “distance” speedskating events. Sven Kramer was the reigning Olympic champion (and had broke the Olympic record in 2010), and his race was awesome. He paced himself, and in the last couple of laps got </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">faster</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Most of the speedskaters by the last couple of laps were slowing down and falling behind, but Kramer was the opposite. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">To my delight, the other two skaters from the Netherlands were also very good, and the rest of the field was very bad - even reigning 10,000m Olympic champion from South Korea, Seung Hoon Lee! Jan Blokhuijsen and Jorrit Bergsma took silver and bronze. Blokhuijsen even broke the Olympic record from 2010...unfortunately it had been broken in a faster time by Kramer!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That Netherlands sweep helps me a lot in my medals competition. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I had forgotten that the 5000m was one of the distance events, so I stayed up a lot longer watching that. I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until the ice dancing short program was almost over. Fortunately Meryl Davis and Charlie White were the last pair to go, and I caught that one. Their program (along with Ashley Wagner’s short program) got the Americans into the free skate against Japan, Italy, Russia, and Canada. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not all of my nights are going to be that crazy, but it was fun to watch that stuff live!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Mini Blurbs</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today Bob Costas is reporting from…</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> World 6 of Super Mario Bros. 3! (Thanks Matt!)</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today’s viewing roundup</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: men’s slopestyle, men’s 5000m speedskating, team figure skating - including ice dancing short program, women’s short program, and pairs free skate - men’s luge, women’s moguls, women’s skiathlon, men’s biathlon, men’s ski jumping, men’s downhill skiing, and women’s hockey. (WOW! I didn’t realize I watched everything today! That is a first. It’s impossible to do that in the Summer Games.)</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shout-out</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: My Dad and Rachel M. got my reference to the Broadway show </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Producers</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">  last night! </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US Speedskating unis</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I much preferred the powder-blue speedskating uniforms - not because of the color of blue (I hated that), but because it was very easy to pick out the US speedskaters in the races. Now their uniforms are very similar to several other countries’ uniforms. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Camera angles</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I am enjoying all the ways that the speedskating events are shown. There’s the standard overhead camera, the close-shot rolling camera, the long-shot rolling camera, the rinkside stationary camera, and the tiny camera on the ice right after the skaters switch lanes!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What’s in a name</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: One of the Japanese speedskaters is Shane Williamson!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Name That Reference!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In the NBC Primetime coverage of slopestyle, the commentator said after Max Parrot did his last run that “I would not want to be a judge right now. This is so heavy!” I wanted to respond with “Is there a problem with the Earth's gravitational pull?”</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Empty seats</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I never get upset at the empty seats in an arena. It’s something that people will probably bring up, but I don’t care. I just think to myself, “I should be in that seat. That seat is for me!”</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Waiting for the ice to be resurfaced</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: While Americans would have a DJ and some funky dancing going on, the Russians had a six-piece oom-pah band and fully-clothed cheerleaders with pom-poms! </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sliding</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: When watching the first two runs of the men’s Luge, I noticed the three entrances for the sliding events. Bobsled is a flat, straight shot, Skeleton is a medium decline with a big curve, and Luge has the biggest decline! The reason for this is the push: in Bobsled and Skeleton you get a running start, while in Luge you push off with only your hands.</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mecca</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Terry Gannon, the NBCSports announcer, declares the state of Michigan, “the Mecca of figure skating,” and says that Davis and White are both Wolverines (because they go to U-M, which they were also doing in 2010. Apparently they are on the 7-year track)!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">German dominance</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Felix Loch of Germany took the lead early on in the second run of luge, and no one could keep up with him!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buffering issues</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: There was far less buffering in the middle of the night than there is during the day. I wonder why?</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More figure skating</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I actually turned my Internet coverage to the NBCSN coverage instead of the standard English international coverage so I could hear Terry Gannon, Johnny Weir, and Tara Lipinski’s coverage of the events. They are not as psycho-crazy as Scott Hamilton, and not as blunt and bland as Sandra Bezic. They are softspoken, which doesn’t get in the way of the skating, they give great critiques on jumps and spins (and costumes, in Weir’s case). They also shut up for long periods during the skates. Can they do the NBC Primetime coverage, too?</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More cowbell</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Just noticed the giant German cowbell in the team figure skating. Don’t know how I could have missed that! Too bad they got eliminated from the free skate. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ice dancing in primetime</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: In the evening I got to view Canadian’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s short routine, and I liked it more than Davis and White’s routine because they are such enigmatic dancers. Moir and Virtue did mess up in the twizzles, though, so the fact that Davis and White got a higher score is a no-brainer. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not your momma’s music</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Many of the short program women’s skaters were dancing to more modern, rock music. Ashley Wagner skated to Pink Floyd, for Pete’s sake! Some of the other music was a little edgy, in my opinion. I don’t mind - it’s nice to not hear yet another version of “Carmen.”</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pair’s subs</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Each figure skating team is allowed to sub two performers for the free skate, and to my surprise, Canada subbed out their pairs teams. The Canadian pair who did the short program had an incredible routine in the short program, but maybe their free skate wasn’t as up to par? The free skate team did a very good job, though. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The pair from the US had some falls and mishaps, but they came away with a personal best score! We really need to get our pairs skaters up to snuff. Come to Michigan - they’ll take care of you there.</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Czech report</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Returning from London, we have the Czech report! And what do you know, we have a medalist already! Jaroslav Soukoup took bronze in the biathlon 10km sprint. Keep it up Czechers!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moguls</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Hannah Kearney of the US was no match for the mighty Dufour-Lapointe sisters (sans older sister Maxine), who took gold (Justine) and silver (Chloe) in front of Kearney. In all three of her finals runs, Kearney had trouble with the top moguls in the second long straightaway every single time! At least she won bronze. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">X-Country roundup</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Ole Bjorndalen of Norway won gold in the men’s 10km biathlon sprint, and fellow Norwegian Marit Bjorgden won gold in the skiathlon, which is a mix of classic x-country and freestyle x-country. It used to be called pursuit, but no one knew what that meant, either! I don’t really get into cross-country skiing until Nordic Combined, where someone </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from northern Europe has a chance to win. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That rounds up Day 2! My roundups won’t normally be so thorough, but I’ll do my best! </span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcnyQPDT5wRMejuE1gvXZc4IXaDZsZuPUz4SXNGVhizMmd45QYvgkGyoIVweWqzibhows-81by1Rr6qQJEh32brYuKXDJKoR_ijoFo_UDVZEQk-OnY0163FvaFbqrSrb90dafyV8gHMg/s1600/olympic_rings_568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcnyQPDT5wRMejuE1gvXZc4IXaDZsZuPUz4SXNGVhizMmd45QYvgkGyoIVweWqzibhows-81by1Rr6qQJEh32brYuKXDJKoR_ijoFo_UDVZEQk-OnY0163FvaFbqrSrb90dafyV8gHMg/s1600/olympic_rings_568.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>

Day 2 - The Day I Watched Everything

Hello everyone! Make sure to check the blog every morning to see what I’ve posted about the previous day - don’t worry, I’ll make sure to po...

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They Must Have Looked Under The Couch Cushions

<br /><br /><i>"We don't have the money..."</i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppkp_fQQ0M5-MTwsLPhfvazLqkd3LhC0eJ9V8nRdAgkaSlu0tlr2DC2F80Qe3aFGumNb9JfUYF_EJe06Di2wChBWCytAu2iP4bbx8jYMzCdQrwwlwVHedd9UZ3F-PxLdExk-UbmLWenv8/s1600/flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppkp_fQQ0M5-MTwsLPhfvazLqkd3LhC0eJ9V8nRdAgkaSlu0tlr2DC2F80Qe3aFGumNb9JfUYF_EJe06Di2wChBWCytAu2iP4bbx8jYMzCdQrwwlwVHedd9UZ3F-PxLdExk-UbmLWenv8/s640/flag.jpg" /></a></div>(I wonder where the power lines went?)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.khou.com/community/Tattered-flag-concerns-residents-in-north-Houston-244489061.html"><b>Tattered American flag concerns residents in North Houston </b></a></blockquote><br /><blockquote>HOUSTON -- The Kenswick subdivision, just north of Bush Airport, is getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons.<br /><br />The American flag that flies above the entrance was in shambles. A concerned viewer e-mailed us about it.<br /><br />The HOA said it didn’t have the money to replace the flag, and residents were upset.<br /><br />“It’s very disrespectful,” said Shirley Carlson.<br /><br /><i>After KHOU started investigating, the flag was replaced Friday evening</i>.<br /></blockquote><br />My emphasis.<br /><br />Fuckin' assholes got called on their bullshit and got a dose of public opinion. Like every other weasel motherfucker, a little negative publicity and they all of a sudden announce they can make it happen after all.<br /><br />Someone needed a good slap upside the head for not handling it before it got that bad anyways.<br /><br />

They Must Have Looked Under The Couch Cushions

"We don't have the money..." (I wonder where the power lines went?) Tattered American flag concerns residents in North Houston...

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No Tow Vehicle? No Problem! Let's Go Camping!

Gotta love it.<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ltz0MGlzbaI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

No Tow Vehicle? No Problem! Let's Go Camping!

Gotta love it.

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Jim Comiskey on the World Bank and the IMF

<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Guess where GOLD and SILVER is going? </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Also get in the HEAT MISER CONTEST</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />HeatMiserJCM@gmail.com</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>"The whole idea behind the World Bank and the IMF and the BIS is to create a situation of sub-servitude.  The people that run the world financially want to enslave us, and they're doing it..."</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>---Jim Comiskey</b></i></div><b><br /></b></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pKdw8OVNrH4?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>

Jim Comiskey on the World Bank and the IMF

Guess where GOLD and SILVER is going? Also get in the HEAT MISER CONTEST HeatMiserJCM@gmail.com "The whole idea behind the World Bank a...

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Eric Sprott: NO GOLD in the USA VAULTS

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where's the GOLD?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUaQSCBSmGoeixhoZ25Qi80jjTqVXf2UoKUo8PB60JtY3Up0b81ZlVO4S-HWxByjKi57MnQ8bY4LWkbSJug1x4DnP0siiTYzYMhLG2wh2BVVagNQt6Uv7b3Pg4LYyXHKhnULlerwZkbk/s1600/Eric_Sprott_sprot_21241artw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUaQSCBSmGoeixhoZ25Qi80jjTqVXf2UoKUo8PB60JtY3Up0b81ZlVO4S-HWxByjKi57MnQ8bY4LWkbSJug1x4DnP0siiTYzYMhLG2wh2BVVagNQt6Uv7b3Pg4LYyXHKhnULlerwZkbk/s1600/Eric_Sprott_sprot_21241artw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Concerns rise about SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>All of the sudden there is a major concern with actual physical U.S. GOLD RESERVES.  Apparently there is none left.  Learn more below by listening to Eric Sprott, Chairman of Sprott Asset Management:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/Broadcast/Entries/2014/2/8_Eric_Sprott_files/Eric%20Sprott%202%3A8%3A2014.mp3" style="color: red;">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Eric Sprott also warns of exercising extreme caution in the STOCK MARKETS.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><!-- Start FreeStockCharts.com Chart Widget --> <div align="center" width="100%"><iframe frameborder="0" height="390" scrolling="no" src="http://widgets.freestockcharts.com/WidgetServer/InteractiveChartWidget.aspx?guid=f630e29c-c77d-4a64-b362-6997858a0756&w=500&h=390" style="border: none;" width="500"></iframe></div><!-- End FreeStockCharts.com Chart Widget --></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>...developing...</b></div>

Eric Sprott: NO GOLD in the USA VAULTS

Where's the GOLD? Concerns rise about SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) All of the sudden there is a major concern with actual physical U.S. GOLD RE...

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Book Review: Crossover (and some notes on continuity)

<a href="http://www.randomhouse.de/book/Crossover/Cecil-Balmond/e327707.rhd?pub=58500"><b><i>Crossover</i></b></a> by Cecil Balmond<br />Prestel, 2013<br />Hardcover, 720 pages<br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aZNHZx-TzWbid2X6q553RNeUTGggZmBzu8mosNp3rrHaGQyUc5pZK1dvPg9oQd37tmNTYFaJTDU4nFNi7mnGqYJQICO1Cp1yEkAKZ7g9rnJ2cmmeKuEjmErChVQKCbz8cJvRJ4i9JSoa/s1600/book-balmond.jpg" /><br /><br />The more I read books, at least non-fiction, the more I realize that the middle of a book is often the most important part. This it not a universal rule, but something I've noticed particularly in monographs. Placing something important in the middle of a books seems intentional, for doing such at the beginning would front-load the book and make the rest like a downhill path, while doing such at the end would make the journey seem longer than it should. Putting it in the middle gives a more natural, bell-curve-like arc to a book's narrative, making the experience of reading more enjoyable.<br /><br />This hypothesis comes to mind in the case of Cecil Balmond's follow up to his popular book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3791337769/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=3791337769&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20"><i>Informal</i></a>. Occupying just over 100 pages in the middle of <i>Crossover</i> is OMA's CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, easily one of the most important projects in structural engineer Cecil Balmond's career. It is a bravado feat of engineering, a building that reconsiders what a tall building is by looping it in on itself through its two legs and daring cantilever. The building actually expresses the structural forces at play, a testament to Balmond's abilities and creativity, but also the willingness of architects like Rem Koolhaas to trust him to help shape their projects.<br /><br />Like <i>Informal</i>, <i>Crossover</i> isn't strictly a monograph or a theoretical text; it combines both to present case studies but also manifestos and peeks into how Balmond's brain works. The latter is definitely the most valuable aspect of the book, illustrated through loads of sketches and other documentation, and accompanied by text that describes the voyage of each project. To be sure there are many circumstances of "that's going to be impossible," followed by lots of hard work and (re)conceptualizing, and often involving a "eureka moment" where the structure and architecture fall into place.<br /><br />To return to my idea about the importance of a book's middle section, I'd also say that the end of a book is important for pointing the way forward, giving a hint at the preoccupations that are in their early stages and will probably be explored fully at a later time. In the case of <i>Crossover</i>, such a thing is found in Toyo Ito's Opera House <a href="http://www.tmoh.com.tw/page/05-schedule/schedule_main.htm">under construction in Taichung, Taiwan</a>, what I believe will be one of the most important works of architecture in this century. The sponge-like mass of concrete achieves a synthesis of architecture and structure, where any distinction between the two disappears. The project, second to last in the book, signals that great things are still to come for Balmond and the architects he works with.<br /><br /><b>US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3791345222/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=3791345222&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.com" border="0" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan.gif" /></a> CA: <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/3791345222/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=3791345222&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.ca" border="0" height="28" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan-ca.gif" width="90" /></a> UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/3791345222/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=3791345222&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy from Amazon.co.uk" border="0" height="28" src="http://www.archidose.org/books/buy-from-tan-uk.gif" width="90" /></a></b><br /><br /><b>Some notes on continuity in the form of architectural monographs:</b><br /><br />Another thing that comes across in Balmond's latest book is the relationship of the book's content and form to its predecessor, <i>Informal</i>. Balmond employs similar means of telling the stories of the projects in each book, but they also have a similar (but not the same) appearance, size and graphics. The stripes from <i>Informal</i> (cover photos above) can be seen extending to the spine of <i>Crossover</i>, where they shift to <a href="http://crossover.balmondstudio.com/">a curving pattern</a> on the cover. The book feels and reads similarly to the first (but thankfully the odd, just-off-center, right/left justification spine of <i>Informal</i>'s text is gone), meaning that the continuity achieved with <i>Crossover</i> is important. Balmond is not the first to do so, and below are a few others that come to mind.<br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoC5397Df3fyge3UXJwi1nVxajmb7fvcItZDPZvPfzT4b0wwjaWDUVyRAibRlUhOZg6GgVYl9GNdrfcLf4-Fg3NKTB9EKM8TamhC57dRHdWckOKMnTj_wJa8eBsRguh4wv2_LEK4NTVYU/s1600/book-holl.jpg" /><br /><br />Steven Holl was not the household name that he is now when <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1878271512/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1878271512&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20"><i>Anchoring</i></a> was published by Princeton Architectural Press in 1989. But I'd wager that the linen cover, square format and thorough documentation of primarily unbuilt projects made quite an impression on other architects (not to mention the introduction by Kenneth Frampton and the strongly theoretical essay by Holl). It's no surprise that Holl used almost the same format for 1996's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568980612/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1568980612&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20"><i>Intertwining</i></a>. In the ensuing years Holl has published many books with both PAPress and other publishers, departing from the continuity of the first two monographs. But the 2009 release of <a href="http://www.archidose.org/books/holl.html"><i>Urbanisms</i></a> (and to a lesser degree the 2007 book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568985878/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1568985878&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20"><i>House: Black Swan Theory</i></a>, which is meant to be the "micro" to <i>Urbanisms</i>' "macro") harks back to <i>Anchoring</i> and <i>Intertwining</i> with its linen cover and same-size format. The interior is much different, but side-by-side on one's bookshelf these books illustrate that Holl's ideas have been fairly consistent over the years, yet growing in scale with his popularity.<br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdAZC1ekpKbKG9Kio9alcayJJE1V91izZMx4DcU7RKgl1hOjJOtau4ppEXbvwspga-yLEMpgocHI9FnnSYzrl8Zl8ZLWbPAMfsCjoAgH2oojv79no9iZ2yq_3WdoP2wzy0wv0W0YVfn-7/s1600/book-piano.jpg" /><br /><br />One architect I'd least expect to receive the treatment of one monograph after the other in the same format is Renzo Piano, whose buildings responds to the unique circumstances of site, client and program to the extent of not having a personal style. But when seen at the level of the details, Piano's buildings are actually pretty consistent. In that sense, having the details of a series of monographs (cover, author (Peter Buchanan), layout, etc.) stay the same is consistent with the architect's practice. The latest book in the series is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0714844721/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0714844721&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20"><i>Renzo Piano Building Workshop: Complete Works, Volume 5</i></a>.<br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEI-sZlXFXU6tytlkmASjPDLHlYhBTTbEMat6mBtHuYd42qjn-Ra1JJxtgvVwTIcPWSvP0ZbZBjMrE5I7VsUq5E5rZ3vheqCg5UMreo0oyU2hwj8KIdenPt33q_Ts9cAJJlXV7dtGUnfsh/s1600/book-meier.jpg" /><br /><br />On the other hand, one architect I <i>would</i> expect to receive such a treatment is Richard Meier, whose drawings and models are as consistent as the white buildings he designs. Meier's recognizable style is now documented across six monographs published by Rizzoli, which just released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847842304/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0847842304&linkCode=as2&tag=aweeklydoseof-20"><i>Richard Meier Architect: Volume 6</i></a>. It seems that the only difference is the color on the cover.

Book Review: Crossover (and some notes on continuity)

Crossover by Cecil Balmond Prestel, 2013 Hardcover, 720 pages The more I read books, at least non-fiction, the more I realize that the midd...

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