Sunday 04 September 2005

Dear Jaspers,

706  are active on the Distribute site.

This month, we had 107 views on 8/31 and 6,222 over the last month.

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This issue is at:     http://tinyurl.com/azqzz

Which is another way of saying

http://www.jasperjottings.com/jasperjottings20050904.htm

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Unless you’ve been under a rock, you must know about the tragedy that has befallen this nation. There was the terrible natural hurricane disaster in the SSE US of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Then there was the engineering disaster of the levee failure in New Orleans. Then there was the social disaster of us not being organized, prepared, or adept at responding the basic human needs of all the victims. My prayers go out to all those folks. I would urge us all to do the same. But, prayer, while good, does not discharge our self-imposed Christian burden to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. I, like many others, will open their hearts to God’s Grace and then open their wallets for those in need. However, before you act on those impulses, I would urge you to take an hour read some good thoughts about effective compassion at:

http://www.acton.org/publicat/books/transformwelfare/olasky.html

And, then act. In my mind, one has to first do no harm. Second, then one has to help -- effectively and efficiently -- those, as we would wish to be helped.

WalMart http://www.walmartfacts.com/community/article.aspx?id=1331#needs, for whatever one thinks about large corporations and them in particular, demonstrates that private efforts are better, faster, more effective, and probably cheaper that what governments do. WalMart recommends the Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn.nsf and the Red Cross http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate2 which seems to be good enough to me. The Red Cross site reports the donation of ~20M$ by 200k people. Better than the politicians, who asleep at the switch, now are rushing to donate our money to fix their ineptness. Like we can’t donate our own money.

If any of my fellow Jaspers have been affected, I hope they are safe and connect back up with us. I have pinged the ones I know might have been in harm’s way and will pass along any information.

Finally, should you need to “connect” with loved ones in the affected area, WalMart has a message board https://ecs.wal-mart.com/CrisisComm/ which might be an effective communications channel.

God Bless.

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CALENDAR OF JASPER EVENTS THAT I HAVE HEARD ABOUT

SEPTEMBER

Monday, September 19th, 2005
5th Annual JKO Golf Classic
www.jkogolf.org

 

The weekend of September 23, 24 and 25
Manhattan College Businessmen's retreat
Cardinal Spellman Retreat House in Riverdale

 

Thursday, September 29, 2005, 7 - 10 pm
Latino Alumni Club Recognition Awards Celebration
Location: Thomas Hall/Faculty Dinning

 

 

=========================================================

My list of Jaspers who are in harm's way:
- Afghanistan
-
- Feldman, Aaron (1997)
- Iraq
-
- Sekhri, Sachin (2000)
- Unknown location
- - Lynch, Chris (1991)
- Uzbekistan
-
- Brock (nee Klein-Smith), Lt Col Ruth (1979)

… … my thoughts are with you and all that I don't know about.

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Technology-wise, I am getting ready to rehost Jasper Jottings with a new hosting company. I’ll have more space for Jottings, and all my other web efforts while reducing my costs. I’m shooting for prior to 10/2 move. (Actually, it’s up a running now. You can’t see it because the Jasper Jottings name still points to the old hosting company.) In thinking about it, it should be invisible to you. SO if you have any problem reaching www.jasperjottings.com, then please contact me and let me know. If needed, I can switch it back. Should be a snoozer.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Of all the contrivances for cheating the laboring classes of mankind,
            none has been more effective than that which deludes them with paper money."

Daniel Webster

========================================================

 

Exhortation

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/29/how_humans_track_sme.html

<extraneous deleted>

Monday, August 29, 2005
How humans track smells

UC Berkeley researchers report that humans can determine where a smell is coming using just our noses. In Berkeley study study, subjects were presented with essence or rose, cloves, and also odorants that smell like vinegar and banana. Brain scans revealed that the right and left nostrils are tied to separate regions of the primary olfactory cortext. As a result, the brain can locate a smell similarly to the way we localize sound based on input from two ears. From the press release:

"It has been very controversial whether humans can do egocentric localization, that is, keep their head motionless and say where the spatial source of an odor is," said study coauthor Noam Sobel, associate professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and a member of the campus's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute. "It seems that we have this ability and that, with practice, you could become really good at it."

In future experiments, UC Berkeley biophysics graduate student Jess Porter and Sobel plan to train volunteers to track odors in the field and test the limits of odor localization in humans.

Porter, Sobel and their colleagues reported the results in the August 18 issue of the journal Neuron.

In a review appearing in the same issue of the journal, Jay A. Gottfried of the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine noted that the UC Berkeley findings open numerous avenues for further research. "Finally, what are the implications for the Provençal truffle hunt?" he wrote, only partly tongue-in-cheek. "In the traditional world of the truffle forests, the dog (or pig) is king. The evidence presented here suggests that humans are every bit as well equipped to carry out the search."

##

As my fellow alums know from reading this block, I LOVE stories that demonstrate the untapped potential that the Intelligent Designer has given each and everyone of us.

Imagine if we can actually communicate by smell. Not in doggie fashion; I remember that there was some scientific proof that young fertile women have a scent that attracts the opposite sex. And, having grown up thru the hippie generation, I just thought that was ivory soap.  But it is amazing how little of our brain we use.

I’m gonna try to use mine harder. But, I don’t think the wife will appreciate me find those young girls. Nor will those young girls appreciate being dragged home by the hair by a fat old guy.

Yeah, I know. Us injineers can be so Neanderthal. We had a spot in a recent commercial. Look like some of the guys I went to school with.

Seriously, I hope we can all appreciate what a fine machine we’ve been given. And, to all my retired fellow alums out there, I urge wearing out rather than rusting out.

Reflect well on our alma mater, this week, every week, in any and every way possible, large or small. God bless.

"Collector-in-chief" John
reinke--AT—jasperjottings.com

 

 

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[CONTENTS]

 

1

Messages from Headquarters (like MC Press Releases)

 

1

Good_News

 

1

Obits

 

2

Jaspers_in_the_News

 

5

Manhattan_in_the_News

 

7

Sports

 

2

Email From Jaspers

 

2

Jaspers found web-wise

 

1

MC mentioned web-wise

 

[PARTICIPANTS BY CLASS]

Class

Name

Section

????

Aquino, Alexander V.

Updates

????

Finn, George R.

Updates

????

Velba,  Nick

Updates

1957

Morgan, James

Email01

1957

Stearns, John H.

Updates

1960

Mealy, Bob

MCSports4 (an obit)

1963

Apoldo, Lou

Email02

1968

Padian, Robert E.

JFound1

1969

McGrale, Sr. Rose

Obit1

1980

Richard J. Duggan,

JNews2

1982

Frank Fonzo

JNews1

1983

Lavan, Kevin C.

JFound2

1985

Gallagher, Edward A.

Updates

1991

Moore, Robert K.

Updates

2007

Picciotto,  Stephen

Updates

MCStf

Ressegger, Eric

Wedding1

 

[PARTICIPANTS BY NAME]

Class

Name

Section

1963

Apoldo, Lou

Email02

????

Aquino, Alexander V.

Updates

????

Finn, George R.

Updates

1982

Frank Fonzo

JNews1

1985

Gallagher, Edward A.

Updates

1983

Lavan, Kevin C.

JFound2

1969

McGrale, Sr. Rose

Obit1

1960

Mealy, Bob

MCSports4 (an obit)

1991

Moore, Robert K.

Updates

1957

Morgan, James

Email01

1968

Padian, Robert E.

JFound1

2007

Picciotto,  Stephen

Updates

MCStf

Ressegger, Eric

Wedding1

1980

Richard J. Duggan,

JNews2

1957

Stearns, John H.

Updates

????

Velba,  Nick

Updates

 

 

[Messages from Headquarters

(Manhattan College Press Releases & Stuff)]

*** Headquarters1 ***

http://www.manhattan.edu/news/news_releases/082605_1.html

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RATES MANHATTAN COLLEGE'S SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – U.S. News & World Report has ranked Manhattan College’s chemical engineering program fifth in the specialty  category of best undergraduate engineering programs. The College’s ranking appears in the print and online versions of U.S. News &  World Report's 2006 Edition of "America's Best Colleges" released this week.

This isn't the first time the College's chemical engineering program has received a top spot in the popular survey. In the 2005 edition, Manhattan's chemical engineering program ranked sixth in the same category, and the civil engineering program earned a spot in the Top 10 in its specialty category under best engineering programs in the nation.

U.S. News ranked undergraduate engineering programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The ranking was based solely on a peer survey consisting of deans and senior faculty who rated overall programs and best programs in various specialties. Fifty percent of those surveyed returned ratings.

Other schools ranked with Manhattan's chemical engineering program include Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Cooper Union, Bucknell University, Rowan University, Lafayette College and University of Minnesota at Duluth.

###

 

 

Honors

*** Honor1 ***

None

 

Weddings

*** Wedding1 ***

Newsday (New York)
August 28, 2005 Sunday
NASSAU EDITION
SECTION: LI LIFE; Pg. G16
HEADLINE: CELEBRATIONS
BYLINE: Compiled by Darlene Gein

<extraneous deleted>

Buckley-Ressegger

Maura Buckley and Eric Ressegger were married May 29 at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre. The reception was at the Coral House in Baldwin. She is a recreations supervisor for Rockville Centre Recreation and is the daughter of Edward and Dolores Buckley of Rockville Centre. The bridegroom is the assistant director of sports medicine for Manhattan College and is the son of Richard and Harriet Ressegger of Fairmont, W. Va. The bride earned a bachelor's degree from St. Joseph's College and is pursuing a master's from Hofstra University. The groom earned a bachelor of science in exercise physiology from West Virginia University and a master's in education from Tennessee State University. They live in Rockville Centre.

<extraneous deleted>

LOAD-DATE: August 28, 2005

[JR:  MC Staffer. ]

 

Births

*** Birth1 ***

None

 

Engagements

*** Engagement1 ***

None

 

Graduations

*** Graduation1 ***

None

 

Good News - Other

*** OtherGoodNews1 ***

None

 

 

OBITS

[Collector's prayer: And, may perpetual light shine on our fellow departed Jaspers, and all the souls of the faithful departed.]

Your assistance is requested in finding these. Please don’t assume that I will “catch” it via an automated search. Sometimes the data just doesn’t makes it’s way in.

***Obit1***

Sister Rose McGrale: Maryknoll Sisters

Sister Rose McGrale died in the Maryknoll Sisters Residential Care on August 26, 2005, after a long illness.

She was 94.

McGrale had been a Maryknoll Sister for 68 years.

McGrale was born in Boston on June 6, 1911, to Sarah Cecilia Gallagher and John Henry McGrale. Her brother, Edward J. McGrale, and sister, Dorothy McGrale Chalmers, have both predeceased her.

She attended elementary school at John A. Andrew School for five years and then moved to Daly Industrial School, where she studied for five years.

McGrale then attended South Boston High School for one year and from there went to Milton High School for another year graduating in 1929.

Her first employment was with Columbian National Life Insurance in Boston where she did clerical work for six years. She moved to C.H. Groves Company where she stayed for one year.

On June 9, 1937, she entered the Maryknoll Sisters at Maryknoll, New York, from St. Mary of the Hills Parish in Milton, Massachusetts. She pronounced her First Vows on June 1, 1940, and her Final Vows on the same date in 1943.

From 1944 to 1947 she served at San Juan Bautista and Guadalupe, California, working in the field of Catechetics. She was assigned to the Philippines in 1947 where she began a long term of serving in Maryknoll Schools.

Returning to the United States she earned a bachelor's in education from Maryknoll Teachers College in 1956, and then after more years in the Philippines, a master's in theology from Manhattan College, New York City, in 1969.

Intermittently from 1947 onward, she served in Maryknoll Schools located in Manila, Lipa, Dulawan, Santo Tomas, Pakil and Malabon. She also served as the Superior of the Convent in Santo Thomas from 1961 to 1967, and as the Philippine Region Personnel Director from 1969 to 1971. From 1972 to 1973 she served as Directress of St. James Academy, Malabon, which had an enrollment of 1,500 students.

In 1973 she again returned to the United States and served in offices at the Maryknoll Sisters Center up to 1977. The Immaculate Conception Parish in Irvington requested her services in 1977 to be the CCD coordinator and she served in that position until 1981.

A new mission field was undertaken by her in 1981 when she was assigned to Kyoto, Japan, where she studied Japanese and afterwards began teaching English at the Notre Dame Women's College until 1993.

Again, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in 1993 and worked one year in the Treasury Office part time. Afterwards she retired at Maryknoll, New York.

The Vespers Service was held yesterday (Tuesday). Funeral services were held today (Wednesday) at 11 a.m. on August 31 followed by burial in the Sisters Cemetery at Maryknoll, New York. Funeral Arrangements were handled by Dorsey Funeral Home in Ossining.

#

[Reported As:  1969 ]

 

[Jasper_Updates]

[JR: I'm going to try a new section for "updates". These are changes that "pop" in from the various sources that are not really from the news. I thought it might be valuable to alert old friends seeking to reconnect or "youngsters" seeking a networking contact with someone who might have a unique viewpoint that they are interested in. This is a benefit of freeing up time trying to make email work by "outsourcing" the task to Yahoo.]

Aquino, Alexander V. (????)
MC Alumni & Grad Student
Malcolm Pirnie

 

Finn, George R (????)
Greenwich, CT 06831

  

Gallagher, Edward A.  (1985)
Vice President
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Global Private Client & Enterprise Technology
Office of General Counsel
Jersey City, NJ 07302-3815

 

Moore, Robert K. (1991)
KeySpan

 

Picciotto,  Stephen (2007)

 

Stearns, John H. (1957)
Magellan Consulting, Inc.
Maple Grove, MN 55311
www.magellan-consulting.com 

 

Velba,  Nick (????)

 

 

[Jaspers_Missing]

[JR: I'm going to try a new section for "negative updates". These are changes that "pop" in from the various sources that are not really from the news. I thought it might be valuable to alert old friends or "youngsters" that someone they maybe interested in has “drifted off”. Yet another benefit of freeing up time trying to make email work by "outsourcing" the task to Yahoo.]

None

 

Jaspers_in_the_News

*** JNews1 ***

St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
August 31, 2005 Wednesday
SECTION: HERNANDO TIMES; Pg. 1
HEADLINE: CPA's farewell draws lots of friends, tears
BYLINE: MICHAEL KRUSE

About 800 people attend a retirement party for a cop turned accountant who says he likes to keep it low key and stay in the background.

SPRING HILL - Frank Fonzo said he was going to try not to cry.

He was not, however, particularly optimistic.

"When I start reminiscing, I start crying," the CPA said Monday morning in his office in the Sunshine Plaza on Spring Hill Drive.

That evening, tax clients, local corporate bigwigs, mom-and-pop business owners, friends from St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, his "brothers" from the Knights of Columbus - an invited list of about 800 people - were set to gather at the Heritage Pines Country Club down on County Line Road to help him celebrate his retirement after 23 years.

The party also marked the merger of Fonzo's firm with that of Pam McKinney - Brooksville born-and-bred - a combined office now that was bought by West Palm Beach financiers Michael Graham and Glenn Dayton.

But Fonzo was the focus.

And he was going to have to give a speech.

Talking about retirement without any tears?

Tough task.

Fonzo, 65, retired in June, actually, and he will still come into the office here or there, he says, to do some consulting work, but this - well, this was kind of making it official.

It was bringing to an end, too, a relatively private public life.

"I usually try to keep it low key," he said Monday morning. "I like to be in the background."

A good reputation, after all, doesn't often make headlines. Neither does an uncanny knack for remembering first names. Frank Fonzo seldom has appeared in the pages of the Times - and those were mainly in buried business briefs.

But he's been a good civic soldier.

"I know a lot of people," is the way he put it, "and a lot of people know me."

Fonzo grew up in the Bronx, in the Pelham Bay neighborhood, and he married a girl from around the corner: Carol has been his wife for 42 years.

He served for 20 years with the New York Police Department - from 1961 to '81. He went to Manhattan College at night for eight years to get his accounting degree while working Monday-through-Friday day shifts in Harlem's Precinct 32, between 7th and 8th avenues on 135th Street.

"I could tell you a lot of stories," he said Monday morning, "but the less said about that, the better."

He moved from the Bronx to Monroe, N.Y., about an hour outside the city, and lived there for 16 years before moving to Florida. He now lives in the Palms, down by County Line Road, off the seventh hole. When he got here, though . . .

"The area was . . . nothing," he said.

But his business grew with the area after starting in his living room on Renton Lane. He advertised at first in Brooksville's old Sun Journal, and the Times, and the Spring Hill Newsletter, but for the last 10, 15 years, he says, there was no need. All referrals were word of mouth.

"If you treat people nice," he said, "they will treat you nice."

Fonzo has been a financial adviser for St. Joan of Arc. He's been a financial adviser for the Knights of Columbus. He's been treasurer for several local political campaigns.

He has four children: Kevin, 41, and Greg, 26, chefs in Orlando; Stephen, 36, who works for Fed Ex in Memphis; and Lori, 39, who works for him as office manager.

Eight grandchildren, too: five in Tennessee, three in Florida.

It's time to see more of them.

"I've worked 47 straight years," he said. "So I figure it's about time I took some time off."

He said he was going to go on a cruise in January to Cozumel and Grand Cayman, and to Hawaii next summer, too. More time for golf. First, though, there was this party to get through - and without tears if at all possible.

It was from 7 to 9.

Just after 7, Fonzo, in blue, short-sleeved, button-down collar shirt, dark slacks and shiny black loafers, was meeting and greeting near the country club's lobby. Congrats. Hugs, kisses and handshakes.

First names.

Behind him, the office staff: Diane Rotolo, Athena Sikes, Carmen Adorno, Nichole Gray and Rebecca Ashby were making out name tags for the hundreds of arriving guests.

In the room, open and light, there were dinner rolls and slices of cantaloupe and silver-dollar slabs of salami, and lots and lots of cheese cubes.

People mingled.

And they talked about their friend Frank Fonzo.

"I deal with a lot of CPAs," said Carene Cougill of Paychex in St. Petersburg, "and he's friendly, and he's caring."

Thomas Leighton of Cobra Construction and Plumbing in Hudson was enjoying a vodka and grapefruit juice over by the bar.

"Always personable, always a help," he said. "Everybody loves Frank."

Steve and Debi Longarello of County Approved Carpentry sure do.

"He's honest," Debi Longarello said. "It's his frankness."

His frankness?

"He's very . . . frank," she said.

Frank?

"It's like talking to a friend," she said. "He gives you a very comfortable feeling talking to him."

Back near the table with the name tags, where the tile floor of the lobby blended into the floral-pattern carpet and the big, open room, Fonzo was still doing the meet-and-greet thing.

He had in his left hand some wine in a plastic glass with blue dolphins on it.

"A little merlot," he said.

"Just to warm me up."

The party shifted to an even bigger room, a hall with a stage and a lectern.

Bob Young from the newly merged company was the master of ceremonies.

"Twenty-three years of impeccable service in the community," he told the crowd. "The dedication to the community is what you see here tonight."

Hundreds of people sat in purple-upholstered chairs and at tables with white tablecloths.

Young called up the man of the hour.

"I promised I wouldn't cry," he told everybody.

But it was no use.

Before the night was out, he got a trophy from the Knights of Columbus, and a plaque from the office, and he had bouquets of flowers for his wife, his daughter and all of his office assistants.

He called them up one by one.

He gave them a hug.

And a kiss.

And the flowers.

"Thank you," he said to each of them, and the microphone picked up Frank Fonzo's sniffles and sent them out over the great big room.

LOAD-DATE: August 31, 2005

[MCalumDB:  1982 ]

 

*** JNews2 ***

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050826/nyf050a.html?.v=1

Selective Insurance Group Announces Executive Appointments

Friday August 26, 2:00 pm ET

BRANCHVILLE, N.J., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Selective Insurance Group, Inc., (Nasdaq: SIGI - News), has announced the following executive appointments by its subsidiary, Selective Insurance Company of America:

<extraneous deleted>

Richard J. Duggan (Glen Rock, NJ), to assistant vice president, associate fixed income portfolio manager. Duggan joined Selective in May of 2005 with extensive fixed income investment management experience. He is a member of the federation of fire chaplains and is the chaplain of the Glen Rock, NJ, fire department. Duggan holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's of business administration degree from Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. He also holds a Series 7 and Series 63 licenses from National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD).

<extraneous deleted>

Selective Insurance Group, Inc., headquartered in Branchville, New Jersey, is a holding company for six property and casualty insurance companies that offer primary and alternative market insurance for commercial and personal risks. The insurance companies are rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best. Through other subsidiaries, the company offers medical claim management services; human resources administration services; risk management products and services; and flood insurance policy, administration and claim services. Selective maintains a website at http://www.selective.com

Source: Selective Insurance Group, Inc.

[MCalumDB:   1980 ]

 

Manhattan_in_the_News

*** MNews1 ***

The New York Post
August 28, 2005 Sunday
SECTION: All Editions; Pg. 33
HEADLINE: VIRTUAL TOP GUN; VID GAMERS GO PRO FOR REAL MONEY
BYLINE: TODD VENEZIA

One New York man is turning his "1337" - cyberspeak for "elite" - status into big $$$$.

Sal Garozzo - known as "Volcano" to his fans - is one of the new stars in the growing sport of professional video gaming.

A member of Team 3D, a top squad in the world of digital gladiators, Garozzo, 18, was able to pull down more than $30,000 in prize money and sponsorship dough last year - all while going to school full time.

"I don't have a job besides professional gaming," the Manhattan College student said. "This is sort of what I consider my job."

Video game playing is transforming from a simple pastime to a spectator event that could soon be on par with X-Games sports like skateboarding. There is now a professional tour and World Cup-like international tournament, which take top-level gamers out of their bedrooms and put them in front of large crowds of spectators.

Hank Jeong, the head of the World Cyber Games - an annual international game competition that has its U.S. qualifier in Manhattan starting Sept. 8 - estimates that what he calls "the e-Sport market" will reach $5 billion worldwide by 2010.

"The size has the potential to be even bigger if the related business model is actively developed," he said.

"It's also notable that top gamers are earning six-figure salaries," he said in an e-mail interview. "So that should give you some indication."

Gaming competitions in the U.S. are now followed primarily by people who play the games themselves. The "e-Sport" has already become a huge concern in South Korea, where as many as 100,000 spectators can be drawn to a match, and the government there estimates the matches to be a $25 million business, Jeong said.

To players like Garozzo, it's a way to turn their passion into money. The Eastchester gamer is on a team that holds the 2004 Cyber Games title in the first-person-shooter-type game "Counter-Strike," a version of the popular game "Half-Life."

The teams' in-game avatars fight it out in a virtual world against other players. The cyber-combat is broadcast on screens to a live audience in an arena.

Matches are also televised on cable stations, such as G4, and - in a feature no other sport can match - spectators can go online, enter the game field and watch the action from any angle.

In addition to the team-on-team gunfight game "Counter-Strike," pros compete in strategy war games, auto racing games and sports games. Fans argue over who is best - or "1337" - in discussions on Internet forums that are as heated as any WFAN sports talk show.

These fans, often young people, present a challenge for marketers as they often spend more time in the online and game worlds and stray from traditional media.

"Sponsors of Team 3D and professional gaming see the growing interest in tournaments and following for teams and players," said Craig "Torbull" Levine, the manager of Team 3D, which is sponsored by several companies that make gaming equipment.

"They recognize the huge growth in the video game segment and understand that the 14- to 24-year-old male is becoming increasingly more difficult to market to because they're watching less TV and reading fewer magazines."

GRAPHIC: HE GOT GAME: Sal Garozzo, 18, will defend the gold medal he won last year after winning U.S. championship. He will compete next week playing "Counter-Strike," a version of the popular game "Half-Life." (Julie Stapen)

LOAD-DATE: August 30, 2005

 

*** MNews2 ***

Local conservation group awards scholarships

Mac” Clark Scholarship. He is a junior at Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY, majoring in environmental engineering. Amanda Smith

#

http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2005/0830/Front_Page/185.html

Local conservation group awards scholarships

Freehold Soil Conservation District has awarded three $1,000 scholarships to area college students majoring in a field related to the conservation of natural resources.

<extraneous deleted>

Eric Spargimino, of Freehold, is the winner of the Marvin “Mac” Clark Scholarship. He is a junior at Manhattan College, Riverdale, N.Y., majoring in environmental engineering.

<extraneous deleted>

The scholarships honor Munch and Clark for their many years of service to Freehold Soil Conservation District and to conservation, and 2005 marks the 26th consecutive year that the scholarships have been awarded. College students interested in applying for the 2006 scholarships should contact Freehold Soil Conservation District by e-mail at info@freeholdscd.org or call (732) 683-8500, or visit www.freeholdscd.org. Applications will be available in December.

=

 [JR:  “Conservation District” smacks of government. But, it still is nice to hear a Jasper win anything, something. ]

 

*** MNews3 ***

Onion River relay team wins first-ever event

I voted for him and he finished runner-up. Rizzotti was ineligible because he resides in New York where he attends Manhattan College.

=

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050830/NEWS/508300339/1004

<extraneous deleted>

'Neers have two 'da mans' A few weeks back I singled out UVM senior Kyle Brault, the Vermont Mountaineer's right fielder, as "The Man." Among other accolades, I called the League's leading slugger a great gamer and a fine gentleman. A number of people took me to task for overlooking Matt Rizzotti, the 'Neers outstanding first baseman and power hitter.

Actually, Brault, from Milton, was singled out because he was eligible for the "Vermont Athlete of the Month" award. I voted for him and he finished runner-up. Rizzotti was ineligible because he resides in New York where he attends Manhattan College.

But justice has been served. Rizzotti was named this week to the Top Ten Prospects list by the New England Collegiate Baseball League, thereby putting the truth to Mountaineer GM Brian Gallagher's pre-season pronouncement: "He is the real deal…one of the top ten players in the country. He's going to be a first-rounder." Rizzotti came to Vermont after winning the triple batting crown as a freshman in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and this summer batted .327, leading the League with a .451 on base percentage. Yes, folks, Matt Rizzotti is also "The Man."

<extraneous deleted>

#

 

 

*** MNews4 ***

http://www.bxtimes.com/news/2005/0826/Boroughwide_News/051.html

Boroughwide News August 26, 2005 
Seniors hear Koch stump for Bloomberg

The Bon Secours New York Health System van took eight Frances Schervier Apartment tenants to Manhattan College to hear former NYC Mayor Ed Koch stump for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and hear what Bloomberg has done for senior citizens.

“I’m 80 years old,” said Mayor Koch, “and I still work. I’m here to tell you that the senior years should be good ones. And we’re lucky to have a first-rate mayor eligible to run for four more years.”

“The four Democrats running against him are nice, but not terrific,” Koch said. “And some people resent that Mayor Bloomberg’s a rich man. I wish we were all that rich! But he made that money on his own, and he gives hundreds of millions of dollars away.”

“When I was mayor,” he continued, “we put the largest city housing contract into motion with 250,000 housing units. Now Mike Bloomberg has renewed the program with 65,000 new apartments with affordable rents.”

On voting, Koch said, “If we’re lucky, we’ll get a 50% turnout. Your votes are extraordinarily important, and seniors have an excellent voting record.”

The Frances Schervier Apartments in Riverdale, celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, provide affordable housing to more than 170 low income seniors and mobility-impaired individuals.

#

Above (l-r) Frances Schervier Apartment residents Doris Glickstein and Lilien Christmas ask Former Mayor Ed Koch for his autograph after listening to him stump for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s re-election campaign at the Senior Breakfast at Manhattan College. 

#

 

 

*** MNews5 ***

New York Law Journal
August 24, 2005 Wednesday
SECTION: DECISIONS; Pg. 11 Vol. 234
HEADLINE: COURT NOTES
APPELLATE TERM
First Department
Civil appeals

Pursuant to 22NYCRR 640.6(a)(2), a "Clerk's Return" from the New York Civil Court has been filed with the Clerk of the Appellate Term, First Department for each Civil action listed below since the last calendar was published on May 14, 2005.

The Clerk's Returns are from the New York Civil Court - New York and Bronx Counties.

Attention is directed to the applicable provisions of 22NYCRR 640.6(a)(3)(iii) in the event of noncompliance:

<extraneous deleted>

Keles v. Manhattan College Corp.

<extraneous deleted> 

LOAD-DATE: August 30, 2005

 

 

 

Reported from The Quadrangle (http://www.mcquadrangle.org/)

[JR:  Back on the air. (They were just echoing canned content.) ]

Albert Fazio, a Manhattan College graduate, worked in efforts with NASA to launch the Discovery

NASA's Return to Space Facilitated by Manhattan Graduate

When NASA's space shuttle program resumed missions this summer, more than a few New Yorkers had a hand in its success. While Eileen Collins and Charles Camarda were in the shuttle, Mr. Albert Fazio, a New York native and Manhattan graduate, looked on as the Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off, ending a three-year hiatus from American space travel.

=

 

 

Sports

SportsSchedule

The only reason for putting this here is to give us a chance to attend one of these games and support "our" team.

Date Day Sport Opponent Location Time
9/6/05 Tuesday M. Soccer   Long Island   Brooklyn, NY   5:00 PM
9/6/05 Tuesday Volleyball   St. John's   Jamaica, NY   7:00 PM
9/9/05 Friday Golf   Saint Peter's   White Plains, NY   2:30 PM
9/9/05 Friday Volleyball   Seton Hall$   Storrs, CT   4:30 PM
9/9/05 Friday W. Soccer   at Youngstown State&   Youngstown, OH   7:00 PM
9/10/05 Saturday Volleyball   Brown$   Storrs, CT   10:00 AM
9/10/05 Saturday Cross Country   Fordham Invitational I   HOME   10:00 AM
9/10/05 Saturday Volleyball   Connecticut$   Storrs, CT   3:00 PM
9/10/05 Saturday M. Soccer   New Jersey Institute of Technology#   West Long Branch, NJ   3:00 PM
9/11/05 Sunday W. Soccer   vs. Binghamton&   Youngstown, OH   11:00 AM
9/11/05 Sunday M. Soccer   Monmouth#   West Long Branch, NJ   1:00 PM
9/13/05 Tuesday Golf   Saint Peter's, FDU, LaSalle   West Orange, NJ   2:00 PM
9/14/05 Wednesday W. Soccer   Columbia   New York, NY   7:00 PM
9/16/05 Friday Golf   Bucknell Invitational   Lewisburg, PA   10:00 AM
9/16/05 Friday M. Soccer   Central Connecticut State   New Britain, CT   4:00 PM
9/16/05 Friday Volleyball   Loyola (IL)%   Chicago, IL   8:30 PM
9/17/05 Saturday Volleyball   Tulsa%   Chicago, IL   TBA 
9/17/05 Saturday Golf   Bucknell Invitational   Lewisburg, PA   10:00 AM
9/17/05 Saturday Cross Country   Fordham Invitational II   HOME   10:00 AM
9/17/05 Saturday W. Soccer   Drexel   HOME   1:00 PM
9/17/05 Saturday Volleyball   Columbia%   Chicago, IL   4:00 PM
9/18/05 Sunday M. Soccer   Maine   Orone, ME   1:30 PM
9/20/05 Tuesday Golf   Saint Peter's, Monmouth, Wagner   West Orange, NJ   2:00 PM
9/21/05 Wednesday Volleyball   Wagner   Staten Island, NY   8:00 PM
9/23/05 Friday Volleyball   Santa Clara&   Providence, RI   1:00 PM
9/23/05 Friday Golf   Yeshiva   White Plains, NY   2:30 PM
9/23/05 Friday Volleyball   Stony Brook&   Providence, RI   4:00 PM
9/23/05 Friday W. Soccer   Marist*   Poughkeepsie, NY   7:00 PM
9/24/05 Saturday Cross Country   Iona Meet of Champions   HOME   10:00 AM
9/24/05 Saturday Volleyball   Brown&   Providence, RI   1:00 PM
9/24/05 Saturday M. Soccer   Quinnipiac   Hamden, CT   1:00 PM
9/25/05 Sunday W. Soccer   Siena*   Loudonville, NY   1:00 PM
9/27/05 Tuesday Volleyball   Army   West Point, NY   7:00 PM
9/28/05 Wednesday M. Soccer   Georgetown   Washington, DC   3:00 PM
9/30/05 Friday Volleyball   Maryland-Eastern Shore@   Princess Anne, MD   TBA 
9/30/05 Friday W. Soccer   Iona*   HOME   3:00 PM

 

If you do go support "our" teams, I'd appreciate any reports or photos. What else do us old alums have to do?

 

Sports from College (http://www.gojaspers.com)

*** MCSports1 ***

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6131

Ryan Darcy
Assistant Baseball Coach

Darcy '03 returns to Riverdale after having played two seasons with the Can-Am League's New Jersey Jackals. Darcy posted a 2-2 record over 46 innings for the Jackals, making four starts. He was part of a combined one-hitter for the Jackals in 2003, one of just four in the history of the team. Darcy was a four-year letter winner for Coach Trimper, and is the all-time program leader in wins (24), innings pitched (341.1), appearances (60), complete games (17), and starts (47), and is second all-time in strikeouts (253). He also holds the single season records for wins (8), complete games (6), and innings pitched (106.2).

Darcy will work primarily with the pitching staff, but will assist in all aspects of the program.

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6132

Phil Martelli, Jr.
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

Martelli joins Gonzalez's staff after spending the last two seasons working under head coach Howie Dickenman at Central Connecticut State University. Among his responsibilities at CCSU were on-the-floor coaching, game and practice preparation, recruiting and various other administrative responsibilities. He also served as Co-Director of the Howie Dickenman Basketball School.

Martelli graduated from Saint Joseph's in 2003 with a Bachelor's Degree in marketing.

In his four-year career with the Hawks as a walk-on, Martelli saw action in 35 total games. He played in 14 games for the Hawks in his senior year as the team enjoyed a 23-7 record, 13-1 at home. The Hawks made two NCAA Tournament appearances in Martelli's four seasons and were regular season Atlantic-10 champions in three of his four years.

 

 

*** MCSports2 ***

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6135

WOMEN'S SOCCER DROPS SEASON OPENER, 3-0

West Point, NY (August 26, 2005)- Kiera Fox made eight of her 11 saves in the first half to help Manhattan go into halftime trailing by just one, but two second half goals by Amry's Ronee Farrell allowed the Black Knights to defeat the Lady Jaspers, 3-0, tonight in the season opener for both teams.

Neither team could crack the scoreboard early, until Army's Jen Pascucci broke the scoreless game at the 43:09 mark, but that was the only first half goal Fox would allow, despite the Black Knight's holding a 14-6 advantage in shots.

In the second half, Farelly put in two goals in quick succession to give Army the advantage.

Brandy Luther and Chrissy Reina each tallied three shots, while Katie Kuntz and Kiera Barrett recorded one shot apiece.

The Lady Jaspers will return to action on Sunday, August 28, taking on Lehigh at Army beginning at 3:30 p.m.

 

*** MCSports3 ***

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6136

LEHIGH DOWNS WOMEN'S SOCCER, 1-0, IN OVERTIME

West Point, NY (August 28, 2005)- In overtime at the BAE Systems Classic on the West Point campus, Lehigh's Jennifer Fetsick's shot was stopped by keeper Kiera Fox but Daniela Molina converted the rebound to lift Lehigh to a, 1-0, win Manhattan this afternoon. The Lady Jaspers fall to 0-2 despite eight saves from Fox. Katie Kuntz and Brandy Luther were named to the All-Tournament team.

For the second straight game, Fox kept the Lady Jaspers in the game with numerous stops, this time keeping the Mountain Hawks off the scoreboard during regulation time.

However, Fetsick's overtime goal proved to be the difference as Manhattan could not solve the Lehigh keeper.

Jess Garcia and Lauren Zdunczyk each tallied three shots to lead the Lady Jaspers. Luther and Chrissy Reina each tallied two shots, while Caitlin Newkirk, Brittany Duhamel, and Rachel Panullo recorded one shot apiece.

The Lady Jaspers return to action on Thursday, September 1, when they travel to Staten Island, NY to take on Wagner. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m.

 

 

*** MCSports4 ***

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6139

MANHATTAN MOURNS THE PASSING OF HALL OF FAMER BOB MEALY '60

The Manhattan College Athletic Family mourns the passing of Bob Mealy '60 (HOF Class of 1993), who passed away Monday night. Mealy became only the fifth Jasper basketball player to score over 1,000 points in a career, and currently stands 26th on the all-time list. Funeral arrangements are listed below.

Wake Information:
Date: Thursday, September 9
Times: 2-4:30 pm and 7-9:30 pm
Location: Boyd Spencer Funeral Home
448 W. Main Street
Babylon, NY 11702

631-669-2400

Funeral Mass Information:
Date: Friday, September 2
Time: 11:15am
Location: St. Cyril Methodius Church
125 Half Hallow Road
Deer Park, NY 11729

Burial Information:
Calverton National Cemetery

In 1959-60, as the team's senior captain, Mealy averaged 20.9 points and 14.7 rebounds. He established several program records while a player, scoring 51 points vs. CCNY, pulling down 28 rebounds against Adelphi, and tallying 20 made field goals vs. Adelphi. All three records still stand today.

Mealy totaled 1,028 points in his career before graduating from the School of Business, despite playing in only 60 games (a 17.1 ppg average). He was drafted in the third round of the 1960 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia Warriors.

BOB MEALY ON THE ALL-TIME MANHATTAN BASKETBALL LISTS
Single Season Records Held:
Rebounding Average:
1. 18.4 – 1958-59
5. 14.7 – 1957-58
10. 11.4 – 1959-69
Career Records Held:
Scoring Average:
9. 17.1 – 1957-60
Rebounds:
5. 872 – 1957-60
Rebounding Average:
1. 14.5 – 1957-60
Field Goals Made:
10. 409 – 1957-60

 

 

*** MCSports5 ***

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6140

SOFTBALL ANNOUNCES FALL SCHEDULE

Riverdale, NY (August 30, 2005)--Head coach Jenn Fisher announced the Manhattan College Softball fall schedule on Tuesday. The Lady Jaspers will play games during three weekends in September, and then, conclude the fall season the first weekend of October.

Manhattan will open play on September 10, when they travel to Army for a single-day four-team tournament. The Lady J's first game of the day will be against cross-town rival Fordham University at 11 a.m.

The following weekend, Manhattan will play a doubleheader at Adelphi University. First pitch is scheduled at noon on September 17.

On September 24, Fisher and her squad will participate in an invitational hosted by Rutgers University at the Edison Angels complex in Edison, NJ. Manhattan will take on Caldwell College at 2:15 p.m., followed by a showdown with Monmouth University at 4 p.m.

To close out the fall season, the Lady Jaspers head to the other side of the Bronx as they will participate in the fifth annual Fordham Fall Invitational, beginning on October 1. On day one, Manhattan will face host Fordham at 11 a.m., followed by games against MAAC rival Iona College at 3 p.m. and CW Post at 7 p.m. The tournament, and the fall season, will conclude on October 2 as the four teams engage in bracket play with the seeding based upon the results from day one.

 

 

*** MCSports6 ***

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6141

ALEKSANDAR ONDELJ NAMED ASSISTANT VOLLEYBALL COACH

Riverdale, NY (August 30, 2005)--Manhattan College Athletic Director Bob Byrnes announced today that Aleksandar Ondelj has been hired as assistant women's volleyball coach.

Ondelj comes to Manhattan after spending a year as a Division I assistant men's volleyball coach at Rutgers-Newark. Prior to his coaching stint, Ondelj enjoyed a successful playing career at Rutgers-Newark, where he played under then Newark assistant coach Ray Green.

At Rutgers, the three-year team captain was a three-time EIVA First Team All-Conference selection as well as a three-time member of the EIVA All-Tournament Team. Ranked as the second-best setter in the nation by the USA Volleyball Magazine in 2002, Ondelj was an integral part of a championship team that finished 19-10 and fell just one win short of reaching the Final Four.

Aleksandar had a phenomenal career at Rutgers,” said Green. “He was extremely coachable and was undoubtedly the hardest worker and most-disciplined player on the team.”

Ondelj's volleyball accolades also extend beyond his tenure at Rutgers-Newark. Earlier this year, Ondelj was the MVP of the USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships as he helped his team capture the national title in the BB Division.

Ondelj's reunification with Green has excited the second-year head coach. “I see us working very well together,” said Green. “I'm a very defensive-minded coach and he is very offensive-minded, so it should be a nice combination.”

At Manhattan, Ondelj with assist Green with several coaching duties, as well as, working intensely with the team's setters.

“The biggest thing that excites me about Aleksandar is the setter training he is going to offer. It's an extremely important position, and he has a wealth of experience at such a high level.”

Ondelj is also an architectural assistant at IC Solutions in Harrison, NJ. He currently resides in Jersey City, NJ.

 

 

 

*** MCSports7 ***

http://www.gojaspers.com/article.cfm?doc_id=6142

ECAC SELECTS MEN'S TENNIS TO PARTICIPATE IN 2005 INVITATIONAL

Riverdale, N.Y. (August 30, 2005)--The Manhattan College Men's Tennis Team has been selected by the ECAC to participate in the 2005 Division I Men's Invitational Tennis Championship. Manhattan is one of only sixteen schools that received an invite to the prestigious tournament.

The forty-fourth annual ECAC Men's Invitational Tennis Championship will run from September 30 through October 3 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The seeding call for the invitational will take place on September 26.

Joining the Jaspers in the field of sixteen will be defending-champion Harvard University, American University, Binghamton University, Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Stony Brook University, and Yale University.

Manhattan Men's Tennis is coming off of back-to-back MAAC championships, as well as back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. The Jaspers are also undefeated in their last 20 matches against MAAC opponents.

 

 

 

Sports from Other Sources

[JR: At the risk of losing some of my aura of omnipotence or at least omni-pia-presence, you can see Jasper Sports stories at: http://www.topix.net/ncaa/manhattan/ so for brevity’s sake I will not repeat them here. I will just report the ones that come to my attention and NOT widely reported. No sense wasting electrons!]

http://www.topix.net/ncaa/manhattan/

 

*** OtherSports1 ***

None

 

EMAIL FROM JASPERS

*** Email01 ***

From: James Morgan [1957]
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 2:58 PM
Subject: Re: jasperjottings20050821.htm

I guess you don't pick up stories about Manhattan College from small town newspapers. Our Fernandina Beach, FL.  "NEWS Leader" in announcing the publication of my new book "Redistribute Values Not Wealth" mentioned all my degrees including my BBA(57B)from Manhattan. The college was notifed of the publication because there was a chapter about my time at Manhattan. I don't know what they will do with the information.  J.P.Morgan

=

Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 7:51 PM
To: 'James Morgan'
Subject: jasperjottings20050821.htm

James,

I run 14 internet searches on various schedules. As I understand it, many papers don't want their content picked up by the search engines. I'm continually tinkering with the internet looking for new an different ways to find our fellow alums. And those alums don't make it easy. Unlike Mike McE, I don't recognize people by name. Although I'm getting better recognizing the "usual suspects" like Rudi, Tucci, some of the athletes, Patterson. I really depend on the "data" being out on the net and "MC" being nearby for the mechanical searches. For a while, I even tried visiting small sites with search options that were not sharing their contetn. Boston Globe was one. But when measured in "return on my time", the results were miniscule. So I really depend on the readership to catch stuff for me and even at the risk of duplicating stuff. It is surprising to me how frequently that when our "correspondents" find stuff and send it in -- especially when it doesn’t say MC -- how it has not be found or reported by someone else. SO, that's why I encourage our fellow Jaspers to "toot" their own horns. We can't be too "humble".

I'm sure that the staff probably put it in the alumni notes.

I found it at these sites.

http://themagdoc.com/sys-tmpl/infoonnovel/

http://tinyurl.com/aea7h

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0976918625/qid=1125186239/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-1555682-8024160?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Anybody, other than Patterson, has to do their own publicity. Sorry I didn't "discover" your tome, I'll try to do better.

IMHO,

Tell us all more,

John'68

[JR:  Realizing the limitations of my meager efforts, no I can not visit the web site of every paer in the US to search for MC stuff. Most of the search engines are broken, either returning “manhattan” + “college”. Or, the don’t recognize –marymount and I wind up plowing thru dane listings. Your help is required, be a “Local Reporter”, toot your own horn, or just inform on your fellow Jaspers. I can’t do it alone. And, I know it. ]

 

*** Email02 ***

From: Apoldo, Lou (1963)
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 1:08 PM
Subject: jasperjottings20050828.htm

Hi John,

I appreciated your detailed response to my e-mail this week, and I particularly liked the part about how much better off the US would have been if we had paid attention to the dead old white guys and minded our own business instead of engaging in "foreign entanglements."  Even though the current world is a very dangerous place, its still not too late to start "minding our own business" and returning all of our troops home to protect we taxpayers here instead of some ungrateful corrupt foreign government halfway around the world.  However, to do that safely, we need to make a few preparations to protect the new isolated US.  First we need to complete the Missile Defense System (Star Wars Program) that President Regan started, so that we will always be safe from the threat of ChiCom and other enemy ICBMs.  Then after protecting ourselves against vertical aggression by missiles, we need to protect ourselves laterally by plugging up our porous borders with landmines, machine gun nests, and the National Guard with orders to shoot any illegal invaders who are attempting to sneak into our country.  Finally, we need to search out and deport every person who is already here illegally, even if it requires a house to house search by the military to ferret out these alien leeches. 

After that we will have a more stabilized country, and we can control incoming immigration to those who wish to come here to become Americans and contribute to the growth and development of our country with their talent and energies.  Those who would like to come here just to suck up the government freebies can stay home and try to get freebies from whomever is running their own country.  We also need to formalize a nationwide policy that English is the official language of our country.  While you will be free to speak whatever language you wish, we will stop spending tax dollars to have government print, speak, or read communications of any kind in any language other than English.  Finally, we should develop a national policy to encourage all of our citizens to think of themselves as Americans, not as hyphenated Americans.  If you really want to be a "Whatever"-American, then you should go back to "Whatever" and enjoy their culture, rather than forming a "Whatever" ghetto and pressure group here that seeks to "balkanize" America.  

In summary, we sure could use a lot more of grass roots nationalism, where citizens take a greater interest in what is happening to our country, and in making sure that the government does not step beyond its defined duties in our Constitution.  Michael Savage (WOR Radio 6 PM to 9 PM weekdays) seems to summarize our country's current needs best with his slogan of "Borders, Language, Culture."   

Keep up the good fight Curmudgeon, and never forget the words of one of those dead old white guys, who said "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

Regards,
Lou Apoldo
BCE '63

[JR:  Well we agree about minding our own business. I would suggest that the way to handle illegal immigration is to remove the economic incentives for freeloaders to come for our “free lunch”. If the gummamint can’t even keep drugs out of prisons, then I have zero confidence that they can keep illegal immigrants out either. So I would have a phase out of “government welfare”. To give our people time to adjust, phase everything (literally) out over a given number of years.]

[JR: My first chore would be to return to Constitutional money. Backed by gold, I’d put the Federal Reserve out of the money business. I sell Federal land and such to redeem the fiat currency. Minimum wage would go down say 10 cents per hour per year. To give parents fair warning, my “education plan” would use vouchers to phase out government education. My idea would be to reduce the funding to zero over 30 years while priviatizing the schools over 20 years. (I wrote a transition paper for the Hands Across NJ tax revolt group.) I’d end the War on Drugs; we’ve lost. I’d close certain federal departments – Education, Agriculture, and lots lots more.  ]

 

 

Jaspers found web-wise

*** JFound1 ***

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/08292005/letters/60188.htm

Science loses in ID curriculum

To the Editor:

Republican leader Senator Frist has joined President Bush in favor of requiring public schools to teach "Intelligent Design (ID)"to "balance the controversy"of evolution.

Will the feds pay for all the new equipment, specifically the pulpits?

Should cowled robes be required as balance for white lab coats?

If Portsmouth schools have to teach ID, then the curriculum is simple. The following is my offering for the lesson plan and lecture. Slides would be nice but for ID they’d probably have to be blank lest we offend or even identify the designer.

"Some people do not believe that evolution produced the current flora and fauna of our world. They think that random chance, even over billions of years, could not produce life much less humans. They postulate a pre-existing Intelligent Designer."

Their first principle is their conclusion. They have no supporting data.

They propose no tests nor experimental observations.

This is not to say that ID advocates are entirely settled in their case. Some claim that the entire biosphere started exactly as it is currently, upwards of 6,000 years ago. Some claim that fossils of apparent older ages were created just as they are, with no life before the chosen start time. Some claim that intelligent life began with and is limited to humans. They base this on not finding any other examples. Not seeing is believing. Some say that if you find a watch ticking, you have to assume an intelligent designer. And a builder for that matter. They say that random parts shuffles would not produce a watch. But they have not tried. Let them come back in a billion years, and we’ll see what has come together.

"Intelligent Design is a balance to science based on faith claiming to be reason. It is not a balance of one scientific theory with another."

As Intelligent Design cannot be tested for logical implications or natural extensions, so you will not be tested on it. Neither can you use Intelligent Design as an excuse to get any test questions about evolution wrong.

You don’t have to believe in evolution. You should know something about it. The preceding is all there is to know (using the term loosely) about Intelligent Design.

Any questions?

I doubt that many hands would go up, except for torches and pitchforks.

The only controversy is why a president who attended the most expensive private schools in America (not Texas public schools but Philips Academy Andover, Yale, Harvard) would endorse this as science education yet sees no value in any research on global warming or medical marijuana.

But then his administration goes largely on faith. His is a truly virtuous America - the faith and desperate hope of Americans that these guys know what they’re doing, or at least that they won’t hurt us too badly. And that’s being charitable.

Robert E. Padian
Portsmouth

(The author has a bachelor’s degree in math from Manhattan College, a Christian Brothers school in the Bronx. His last schooling in biology was in a parochial high school in Brooklyn. Since then he has studied math (SUNY/Buffalo), management science (MBA, MCGill) and computer science (CAS, Harvard).

[MCalumDB:  1968 ]

 

 

*** JFound2 ***

http://www.liveperson.com/ir/sec_filings/def14a_04192002.htm

LIVEPERSON, INC.
462 Seventh Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, New York 10018

Kevin C. Lavan , 49, has been a director since January 2000. Since October 2000, Mr. Lavan has been serving as an independent consultant to marketing services organizations. From March 1999 until October 2000, Mr. Lavan was an Executive Vice President of Impiric, the direct marketing and customer relationship marketing division of Young & Rubicam Inc. From February 1997 to March 1999, Mr. Lavan was Senior Vice President of Finance at Young & Rubicam. From January 1995 to February 1997, Mr. Lavan held various positions at Viacom Inc., including Controller, and Chief Financial Officer for Viacom's subsidiary, MTV Networks. Mr. Lavan received a B.S. from Manhattan College.

[Mike McEneney says:  1983 (Good enough for me!) Thanks, Mike. ]

 

MC mentioned web-wise

MFound1

None

 

Boilerplate

http://www.jasperjottings.com/boilerplate.htm

 

Curmudgeon's Final Words This Week

http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news2/lat-equity.html

Equity Is Altering Spending Habits and View of Debt
Mortgages used to be something people strove to pay off. Now they've become income tools, but risky ones, some financial analysts say.
By David Streitfeld Times Staff Writer
August 28, 2005

===<begin quote>===

As they happily watch their houses swell in value, Americans are changing their attitudes toward mortgage debt. Increasingly, a home is no longer a nest egg whose equity should never be touched, but a seemingly magical ATM enabling the owner to live it up or just live.

Homeowners took $59 billion in cash out of their houses in the second quarter, double the amount in the 2004 quarter and 16 times the average rate of the mid-1990s, according to data released this month by mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

People are cashing out so quickly that the term "homeowner" may soon be inaccurate. Fifty years ago, Americans owned, on average, three-quarters of their house and the lender owned the rest. These days, it's approaching an even split.

<< Curmudgeon's interjection:  Interesting concept when interest rates regress to the mean with many having floating rate mortgages.  >>

<extraneous deleted>

Bill and Barbara Brockmann have a different view of their house. The retired Huntington Beach couple is sitting on half a million dollars of equity, but they're ignoring it. They aren't drawing on it to buy a new car or invest in a condo in Miami.

"I don't like debt," said Bill Brockmann, 79. "I don't buy anything I can't pay for."

<extraneous deleted>

<< Curmudgeon's interjection:  Clearly a fellow curmudgeon!>>

The financial services industry is doing all it can to avoid letting consumers be foolish. Ditech.com touts home loans as a way to pay off credit cards, and Morgan Stanley says they're a good way to fund education expenses. Wells Fargo suggests taking a chunk out of your house to finance "a dream wedding."

<extraneous deleted>

<< Curmudgeon's interjection:  Of all the things to fund with your home’s equity, that has to be the absolutely worst one!!>>

<extraneous deleted>

The temptation to add debt can be overwhelming. Between 1997 and 2003, the percentage of people who owned their own homes outright, without any mortgage debt, declined from 38.9% to 34.6%, according to Census figures.

<extraneous deleted>

For the Brockmanns and many others who bought their homes in the two decades after World War II, a mortgage was something that started off big and slowly shrank. Just as retirement loomed, it dwindled to nothing. Making that last payment was a welcome milestone for those who knew they now had to live without a weekly paycheck.

<< Curmudgeon's interjection:  Certainly having no mortgage takes the sting out when you have to find a new job.>>

 <extraneous deleted>

Buying houses to rent them out is a popular strategy. The National Association of Realtors estimates that as many as a quarter of all homes were purchased last year by investors, drawn by the lure of immediate rental income and long-term appreciation.

Bandfield's goal is 10 properties, each yielding $1,000 a month above the mortgage and upkeep. That would nicely fund their retirement. "If we don't do anything," she said, "we're going to have nothing."

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There’s no new ideas in life. There was a real estate guru in the 70’s talk radio, Sonny Bloch, who went to jail for some kind of fraud, who expoused that idea. Get 12 house. Pay off the mortgage. Retire on the rentals. I looked into it but: (a) It was lot Lot LOT harder to do then he portrayed it. (I think I still have his book somewhere around the house. (b) This strategy was better suit to a generational enterprise. By my model, it would take me my entire life to get to that stage.

So, my take on it, the “wisdom of crowds” rule applies. If everyone is doing it, then you do something else ‘cause their wrong. If everyone is in debt up to their neck, then I recommend being debt free.

Your mileage can, and will, vary. But, if you don’t owe anything, then you’re in pretty comfortable shape. IMHO

And that’s the last word.

Curmudgeon

-30-

GBu. GBA.