30 Aug 2010
by in Adam Carolla Tags: afterschool program, childhood program, educational opportunities, rsquo
Sunday August 29, 2010
BENNINGTON — The early childhood program at Molly Stark Elementary received more than $3,000 in donations from a young woman who asked for the money be used to expand educational opportunities and safety.
The donation followed hours of volunteering in the program and quickly becoming one of the most adored people at the school.
“I have to tell you, when she would come into the classroom the children, as soon as they saw her face in the door, they would be ‘Abby! Abby! Abby!’ and they would be running and competing for (her) attention,” said Karen Burnell, director of early childhood programs for Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union.
The twist? Abby Cohen just turned 13 and began her eighth grade year at Mount Anthony Union Middle School earlier this week.
From January to June, Abby volunteered once a week in Molly Stark’s afterschool program and early education day program where she read, painted, hung out and played games with the young students.
Abby said she enjoyed the time spent with the younger children and she also got a newfound appreciation for the work the faculty puts in on a daily basis.
“My experience working with Molly Stark school helped me appreciate all the effort and dedication put in by the teachers to give students a great start to their education,” Abby said.
Abby said she volunteered at Molly Stark as part of her Bat Mitzvah project, which children of the Jewish faith do as a rite of passage when turning 12 or 13.
For the Bat Mitzvah celebration, Abby thought of another way she could help the pre-kindergarten children.
“Instead of gifts, I asked for donations to Molly Stark,” Abby said.
Through discussions with Burnell, Abby said she came up with some specific uses she wanted the money to go toward in the early childhood program, starting with car seats for families who need them.
“Sometimes, as we serve children, we find that they have either outgrown their car seats or parents need help either purchasing or upgrading car seats,” Burnell said.
Abby said she also wanted some money to go toward purchasing new books for the early childhood library and for plants and garden supplies “so that children can experience planting and maintaining a garden,” she told the board.
Any remaining money, Abby said she wanted Burnell to spend in ways she sees fit for the program.
“The money will allow us to do some things we currently don’t have resources to do,” Burnell said. “I’m so impressed that a young woman of her age would do something so generous.”
Contact Dawson Raspuzzi at draspuzzi@benningtonbanner.com
Teen donates $3K to program
21 Aug 2010
by in Malcolm Gladwell Tags: channel solution, money 98, pilot program, rsquo, shaffer, textbooks
Andy Shaffer, general manager of the Barnes and Noble University Bookstore at the Russell House, said that USC’s bookstore was one of 25 stores selected in the spring as a pilot program for textbook rentals. the program has grown significantly this year.
“when we piloted the rental program last spring, we saved our students significant dollars on their textbooks,” Shaffer said. “We have since expanded the program to include hundreds of our most popular textbook titles, and a record number of students have already begun to save money by pre-ordering and purchasing these books for the upcoming fall semester.”
The South Carolina Bookstore on Main Street and Adam’s University Bookstore on Assembly Street also have rental systems in place. Shaffer said an advantage of buying or renting through the Russell House Bookstore is that a percentage of the money goes directly back to university scholarships.
“the University Bookstore is the only bookstore that can offer a multi-channel solution to save our students the most money on their textbooks,” Shaffer said. “for many of our titles, students can select from new books, used books, e-books and rental books both in-store or online. Additionally, 13.6 percent of our sales is returned back to USC, which is used solely for scholarships. over $1,600,000 went back to USC General Scholarship Fund last year alone. Finally, we offer the Lowest Textbook Price Guarantee on in-store purchased textbooks. if a student finds the same book in the same condition in-stock for less at one of our local competitors, we match the price.”
Members of the Student Senate’s academics committee worked closely with Shaffer and his team through the Fall 2009 semester to create a rental model in which professors and departments would pledge to use the same edition of certain text books for a number of years, thus reducing rental prices. the proposed plan would also ensure that the book store got full use out of a set of books instead of gambling on the purchase books for rental that might not be used the following year. however, Barnes and Noble’s national plans eventually usurped the details of the proposition.
“during the Spring 2010 semester, we were selected to be part of a 25 store pilot program to test our rental programs, as well as seek student feedback from students that participated,” Shaffer said. “As a result of that test, our program has dramatically expaneded nation-wide, bringing a textbook rental option to hundreds of our campus [bookstores]. Student Government and the University Bookstore at the Russell House have the same goal, and that is to lower the overall textbook costs for our students.”
According to a 2005 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, college textbookprices increased at twice the rate of inflation over the previous two decades, though not as dramatically as tuition.
More recent data from the National Association of College Stores show textbook costs climbed 14 percent from the 2006-2007 academic year to 2008-2009. a 2010 survey by the group found students spent an average of $667 per year on required course materials including textbooks, although other studies have put the figure at about $900. in 2008, the U.S. Congress responded by including textbook-affordability provisions in the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Despite the new ways to obtain textbooks, several students still choose convenience over thrift.
“I don’t know why I choose to buy directly from the University. come to think of it, it might just be borderline masochism,” said second-year physics student John Patrick Melendez. “it is people like me who get suckered into buying from the University with a faint hope that I might get some cash back at the end of the year.”
Melendez said he was only able to get a $10 return on his textbooks last semester — enough to buy gas for his ride home.
E-readers like Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook will also play a role in this year’s textbook sales.
“I’m planning on downloading as many textbooks as I can on my Kindle,” said second-year advertising student Emily Griffith. “all of the books come at a discounted price so I hope to save a lot of money that way. Textbooks at on-campus bookstores are way too expensive.” Shaffer said that Barnes and Noble has a new software feature for e-textbooks. “Due to the rich and full-color nature of textbooks, most titles cannot be purchased or displayed on the typical leisure e-reader like the Nook,” Shaffer said.
“because of this, we developed an integrated software solution for our students. Called NOOKstudy, the feature rich, free software application is the ultimate study tool, enabling students to manage all their digital content – eTextbooks, class materials, and notes – on the computing device they rely on most, their PC or Mac.
NOOKstudy, developed with input from students and leading higher education institutions, delivers a superior digital reading experience and is the first digital textbook application that enhances the academic experience through unique and customizable study features.”
Second-year marketing student David moody is changing his strategy for buying textbooks this year. “last year I got my books through the Russell House bookstore and though I got all the right books, they were super expensive,” moody said. “this year I tried out Chegg, and I just got three textbooks for the price of how much one of them cost through Russell House. the books are in good condition, too.
They also plant a tree for every purchase you make through them, which I thought was pretty cool too. As long as the returning process is easy, I think I’ll stick with Chegg.” Chegg keeps its own inventory of nearly 5 million books at a warehouse outside Louisville, Ky.
The startup aspires to forge direct relationships with students, shipping products in their own packaging, offering a liberal return policy and promising to plant a tree for every order, said Chegg president and CEO Dan Rosensweig, a former Yahoo executive, in a recent Associated Press article.
The Thomas Cooper Library and USC Student Government have been working together to help students with the rising cost of textbooks.
According to the library’s website, if a class has more than 100 students using a textbook costing more than $100, a copy of this book will be placed on reserve at the Thomas Cooper Library.
This system has been in place since fall of 2007. the library staff is also encouraging faculty members to place extra copies of textbooks on reserve.
“We hope this service will help relieve the burden of the high cost of student textbooks … if you are a faculty member and you have an available copy of the textbook for your class, we strongly encourage you to place this book on reserve. We will return your book to you at the end of the semester,” the Thomas Cooper Library website said.
These books can be used for up to two hours and may only be used within the Thomas Cooper Library.
No matter how students access their textbooks this year, they will have many options to choose from.
Bookstores seek alternatives to inflated prices
Bookstores seek alternatives to inflated prices-
HHPOA
04 Aug 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: nfl, rams, rsquo, soap opera, vikings
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
A show of hands: how many of you are utterly sick and tired of the (pre) preseason “news” of Brett Favre’s retirement?
In my imaginary crawl space of a head, I am seeing a sea of defiant hands raised proudly in the air, as if to say: “enough is enough already! this is the NFL, not a damn soap opera!”
But whether it’s Brett Favre’s fault, or the starvation that consumes the sporting media every August, the most injured through all of this, is the team!
And you jaded little Monkies thought I was going to say the fans…shame on you.
Less than two weeks away from their opening preseason game against the Rams, the last thing the Vikings need to hear about is retirement, whether it’s true or false.
And it appears to be true this time.
But a good team will adjust to just about anything that comes their way. They will realize that one man, even if he is Brett Favre, doesn’t make a team.
Well now that the “dream run” is apparently coming to an end, does that actually mean doom and gloom for the Vikings? Was Brett Favre the only guy capable of playing football in Minnesota? Does this mean the Vikings are automatically relegated to third place in the division before even taking a single snap?
Well, to be honest: no, no, and no. and so we’re clear people…I’m a Packers fan who spends a lot of time watching this team as well as my own.
Let’s take a look at what the Vikings will face in 2010, and how Favre’s exodus will have an effect on the team’s run to the postseason.
The Quarterbacks:
It’s real simple here. Tavaris Jackson never really had a quality tandem to throw to, and he held onto the ball too long when he was a starter. But to be an impact QB, he MUST finally step up and be the QB the “Chilly” envisioned him to be before Favre came traipsing along.
Sage Rosenfels, on the other hand, has a better chance at being a quality starter, but without an actual starting experience for the Vikings, it’s really hard to tell whether or not it will happen. Many view Rosenfels as a great backup QB; nothing more.
The QB situation is widely argued without Favre at the helm, but neither of these guys are completely devoid of talent.
Adrian Peterson:
Well so much for the concerted effort to not overwork Adrian Peterson, eh? Hey, tell me something, just how do you overwork a workhorse ?
Peterson is one of the most talented backs in the league with blinding speed, and bruising power. He is capable of eluding even the best linebackers and cover men in the game, and has a penchant for running and pass catching…but!
He also has a penchant for fumbles.
Peterson will obviously assume an expanded role with Favre being gone, but he will have to cut down on the turnovers if he is to carry the brunt of the offensive load on his shoulders effectively.
If utilized properly, and if Peterson improves his protection, he is actually a bit more lethal than he is with Favre handing him the ball, and that’s scary.
The Receivers:
Sidney Rice may need surgery. Percy Harvin is still a concern with his migraines. Bernard Berrian is not the downfield threat that everyone thought he was going to be. Rookie Joe Webb has a long, arduous road ahead of him.
That leaves Visanthe Shiancoe to be another player who will have to carry an extended load on his shoulders.
It is paramount that the Vikings find some sort of semblance in their receiving corp. if they are to even compete in the division, let alone for a post season run. Greg Lewis and Darius Reynaud are not the answer.
The Defense:
This is now the strongest part of the team; a part that has the ability to carry the clock so to speak if need be, but not for 16 straight games.
The defense will also have to step things up and really clamp down on just about everyone they face namely the Saints, Packers (twice), new England, and Dallas.
But the rest of the schedule is very manageable, which is good news for the Vikes.
They will also face Chicago and Detroit twice, Arizona, Philadelphia, new York Giants, new York Jets, Miami, Buffalo and Washington.
This defense is a Top five squad capable of being the best D in the league…now’s the time to show it.
Conclusion:
The offense as a whole will inevitably play with a handicap, now that Favre won’t be under center. Defensive coordinators won’t view Jackson or Rosenfels (whoever wins the job) as much of a threat as Favre is. Now, if the Vikes are clever, they will use that to their advantage. You don’t have to have a Pro-Bowler QB under center if the QB you have knows how to manage a game and play smart.
But it does help doesn’t it? Ya know, having a Pro-Bowl caliber under center.
Managing the clock, keeping players healthy, and taking advantage of opportunities are now a bigger focus than before for the Vikings.
On defense, the name of the game is prevention and turnovers.
Holding teams in check and keeping the game tight, or out of reach for the opposition, goes a long way towards winning a game no matter who you are.
But turnovers not only gives the offense more scoring chances, it also keeps the D fresh, ya know, so they can keep the game tight or out of reach if they are winning.
The Vikings take a huge hit with Favre leaving, but it isn’t a devastating blow. this is still a stacked team with a ton of talent, and if the team and the coaching staff can realize that now , they won’t have to remember it when it’s too late.
Of course, this is all assuming that Favre is actually done…to be continued!
Hope you guys enjoyed this piece, and let me hear you’re thought below whether you agree or not. and please come support some of my other coverage including this piece explaining why Darrius Heyward-Bey is a sleeping giant.
Brett Favre’s Gone? What Now For Minnesota?
25 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: open hostility, outlawry, parliament, rsquo
Jul 22, 2010Terry Long
The last years of Edward’s reign were defined by virtually constant war with Scotland. 
The constant warfare of the 1290s continued to put the kingdom under a great deal of financial strain. Between 1290 and 1297, seven lay subsidies were levied by the King, in addition to appropriations of food, wool and hides. These demands gave way to deep resentment and eventually open hostility.
The initial resentment to Edward’s financial policy came, not from the laity, but from the Church. In 1294, Edward demanded a grant of half of all Church revenues in England. When the bishops objected, Edward responded with threats of outlawry and the bishops acquiesced to the King’s demand.
The position of the Church in England changed following the issuing of the Papal Bull Claricis Laicos, which prohibited clerics from paying taxes to secular authorities without explicit Papal permission. When Edward demanded a second grant, the bishops resisted, citing the Papal Bull. Edward again threatened to have the bishops declared outlaws.
Edward’s Final War with Scotland
Opposition among the secular nobility took longer to become evident, but when it did this resistance was based on two common complaints. The first was the King’s right to demand military service, while the second was the King’s right to levy taxes.
At the Salisbury meeting of Parliament in 1297, the Earl of Norfolk, objected to a royal summons for military service, arguing that the nobles’ obligation for military service only extended as far as serving along side the King Edward was undaunted and ordered another subsidy. This one was considered particularly incendiary because Edward had not consulted the full body of Parliament.
While Edward was at Winchelsea, preparing to depart for the Continent, the Earl of Norfolk and the Earl of Hereford went to the Exchequer to prevent the collection of the tax. as Edward left for Flanders, England teetered on the edge of civil war. The situation was only resolved by the Scottish victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The renewed Scottish threat gave the King and the nobles a common cause. Not long afterward, Edward signed the Confirmatium Cartarum, which reaffirmed the Magna Carta. In exchange, the nobles agreed to follow Edward on a campaign to Scotland.
The Falkirk campaign was not the end of Edward’s troubles with the nobility, however. The English nobility held Edward to the promises he had made In 1301, Parliament was able to force Edward to carry out an assessment of the royal forests. In 1305, Edward received a Papal Bull absolving him of this responsibility.
When Edward left Scotland for the second time, the situation seemed resolved. However, not long after he left, a Scottish insurgency emerged under the command of the brilliant and charismatic William Wallace.
In September, 1297, a large English army under the command of the Earl of Surrey, suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of a smaller Scottish force commanded by Wallace, at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The defeat stunned the English and preparations for a counter strike began at once.
As soon as Edward returned from Flanders, he headed north to Scotland with an army. on July 22, 1298, William Wallace was decisively beaten by Edward’s army at the Battle of Falkirk. unfortunately, Edward was not able to capitalize on his victory and Stirling Castle fell to the Scots in 1299.
After their defeat at Falkirk, the Scots never met the English in open battle again. Instead, the Scottish armies broke into small groups and began raiding English towns along the Scottish border. around the same time, England signed a peace treaty with France, breaking up the Franco-Scottish alliance. Shortly afterward, Robert the Bruce, the grandson of the claimant to the Scottish throne during the Great cause in 1291, sided with the English.
The Death of Edward Longshanks
The situation in Scotland changed again in February, 1306, when Robert the Bruce assassinated his rival, John Comyn and had himself declared King of Scotland on March 25. Robert embarked on a campaign to restore Scotland’s independence, and succeeded in catching the English off balance in the process.
Prince Edward responded with incredible brutality against Robert’s allies. To the English, this was no longer a war, but the suppression of rebellious subjects. However, the crackdown did not have the desired effect and support for Robert increased. In May, Robert defeated de Valence at the Battle of Loudon Hill.
At the same time, King Edward’s health improved slightly and he made his way north. However, he contracted dysentery during the journey. on July 6, Edward and the royal retinue camped at Burgh by Sands, on the Scottish border. When Edward’s servants entered the royal tent to feed Edward on the morning of July 7, they lifted him up and he died in their arms.
Following his death, Edward’s body was taken south to London, where he was buried at Westminster Abbey on October 27. In the meantime, Edward II remained in Scotland, until August when he abandoned his father’s campaign. Edward II was crowned King of England on February 25, 1308.
Morris, Marc (2008). A Great and terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (updated ed.). London: Hutchinson.
Raban, Sandra (2000). England under Edward I and Edward II. Oxford: Blackwell.
Riley-Smith, Jonathan (2005). The Crusades: A History. London: Continuum
Watson, Fiona J. (1998). Under the Hammer: Edward I and the Throne of Scotland, 1286-1307. East Linton: Tuckwell Press
© 2010 Terry Long
The Later Reign of Edward Longshanks
20 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: apollo 12, audience, dayton convention center, innovator, rsquo
By John Nolan, Staff Writer 11:40 PM Saturday, July 17, 2010
DAYTON — Alan Bean, a member of the Apollo 12 crew who became the fourth man to walk on the moon, shared memories of that November 1969 mission with an audience as he was enshrined Saturday night, July 17, in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
Bean, 78, now of Houston, recalled that Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad suggested during the spacecraft’s circling of the moon that Bean take a few minutes to look out the window. Bean did — and gained a lifelong memory of the view of the moon’s surface 45 miles below, rushing by as the spacecraft orbited at 6,000 mph.
“‘Bean-o, you’re working too hard,’” Bean recalled hearing Conrad tell him.
“He never said that to me during training,” Bean confided to the audience at the enshrinement dinner at the Dayton Convention Center.
Bean and Conrad would later walk on the moon during that mission.
Also enshrined Saturday night were Warren Grimes, the innovator who put his manufacturing stamp on Urbana and was the originator of wingtip, landing and cockpit lights for aircraft; Clay Lacy, the pilot and videographer who shot video for the movies “Top Gun” and “the Right Stuff,” and Noel Wien, whose 1927 founding of Wien Air Alaska made it the first airline in Alaska and one of the nation’s earliest.
Lacy, 77, a former military and airline pilot, also founded the private airline Clay Lacy Aviation in Van Nuys, Calif., that ferried celebrities and became known as “Hollywood’s private airline.”
Grimes died in 1975 and Wien in 1977.
Their additions to the National Aviation Hall of Fame give it a total of 207 members. It is based at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Grimes, born in Montgomery County in 1898, is regarded as the “father of aircraft lighting.”
According to a history provided by the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Grimes was 15 when he ran away from an orphanage in Tiffin, Ohio, to join his brother Frank in Detroit. Warren Grimes worked for automaker Henry Ford and started a small business to develop electrical products.
In the mid-1920s, Henry Ford had Grimes producing lights for the Ford Tri-Motor airplane.
In the 1930s, Grimes moved to Urbana to develop and sell aircraft lighting products. He bought a farm near Urbana for his home and his airstrip. It is still in use today as Grimes Field.
Grimes Manufacturing is now part of Honeywell Aerospace.
Warren Grimes served as mayor of Urbana, as well as chairman of the State Aviation Board.
His daughter Gloria Grimes Creviston, who represented him at the enshrinement, recalled that as a boy, her father watched Wilbur and Orville Wright training pilots.
“his imagination soared, and he knew he wanted to play a part in this growing phenomenon,” Creviston said.
National Aviation Hall adds four members
19 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: alpha particles, neutrons, profession, rocket scientist, rsquo
Globe and Mail UpdatePublished on Thursday, Jul. 15, 2010 12:59PM EDTLast updated on Thursday, Jul. 15, 2010 1:05PM EDT
When I had lunch with my friend Rob two weeks ago, we started talking about his investment portfolio, and specifically about “alpha.” Rob is a physicist by profession, and I’ve learned that if you want to confuse a rocket scientist, just starting talking to him about alpha. “Tim, I don’t understand what protons, two neutrons and helium have to do with my money,” Rob said, confusing the concept of alpha particles with portfolio alpha.
Last week in this space I explained the concept of alpha in the context of an investment portfolio. As a recap: “alpha” is the investment return that a money manager provides over and above what the equity market itself provides. It’s the added value and it’s what you pay the money manager for. As I noted, there are some common mistakes people make when searching for alpha.
As important as that type of alpha happens to be, there’s another type of alpha that I introduced last week as well. I’m talking about “tax alpha.” Tax alpha is the additional after-tax return you can add to your portfolio by taking steps to minimize the tax burden on your portfolio. And after-tax returns are the only type of returns you can spend or reinvest. The most powerful thing about tax alpha is that it’s almost guaranteed. you can calculate ahead of time the added value to your portfolio that results from proper tax structuring. What is this type of planning worth to your portfolio over time?
THE DIFFERENCE
What if you could add, say, 2 per cent or 3 per cent to your annual after-tax rate of return?
Several studies have quantified the impact taxes have on investment returns over time. a study by Stein and Garland, the results of which appeared in The Handbook of Portfolio Management in 1998, showed that even a tax-efficient index-based portfolio will realize a difference between pre-tax and after-tax returns of close to 2 per cent annually. The same study showed that, for most active money managers, this performance difference is in excess of 3 per cent annually.
Another study by J.D. Peterson and his group of researchers appearing in 2002 in the Financial Analysts Journal showed similar results. they found that U.S. equity fund investors in high tax brackets lost an average of about 2.2 per cent annually to taxes.
I assisted in a Canadian study in 2003, led by professor Moshe Milevsky, that appeared in the Canadian Tax Journal in the fall of that year. The study found that an average of 1.35 per cent was lost to taxes annually over a 10-year period on mutual fund distributions alone, on funds managed by Canadian portfolio managers (the actual annual returns lost ranged from nil to 7.13 per cent annually, depending on the money manager). another 1 per cent was lost upon liquidation of the mutual funds at the end of that time, for total returns lost equal to 2.35 per cent on average.
THE DOLLARS
Let’s put this in perspective. Multiple studies have shown that investment returns of between 2 per cent and 3 per cent, on average, are lost to income taxes annually. What difference will this make over time for you? consider a taxable investment portfolio of $100,000 over a period of 20 years (I’m not talking about your registered plans – RRSP, RRIF or TFSA). Assume a pre-tax rate of return on the portfolio of 8 per cent. If taxes reduce your annual returns by 2 per cent, you’ll end up with $320,715 after 20 years. If you take steps to reduce the tax burden, and taxes reduce your returns by only 0.5 per cent, you’ll end up with $424,785 over that same time – almost one-third more in your portfolio in this example.
THE RESPONSIBILITY
Whose job is it to make sure your portfolio is tax-efficient? Let’s refer to this process as active tax management (ATM). someone needs to take responsibility to ensure that proper ATM is being executed around your portfolio. Let’s be clear: Proper ATM execution requires a detailed knowledge of which strategies should be implemented, when they should be implemented (at portfolio inception, annually, or on disposition), and by whom (the money manager, your portfolio architect or adviser, or you – the investor). I’ll finish this topic next week with some ATM strategies.
Tim Cestnick is managing director at WaterStreet Family Wealth Counsel and author of 101 Tax Secrets for Canadians.
<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/tax-matters/getting-ahead-with-tax-alpha/article1641246/tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/tax-matters/getting-ahead-with-tax-alpha/article1641246/Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:01:55 GMT 00:00″>Getting ahead with ‘tax alpha’ – The Globe and Mail
17 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: pro sports, rsquo
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Purple drank has being quietly growing in popularity the last decade. Now it has reached the NFL.
JaMarcus Russell was arrested for possession of codeine syrup, a key ingredient in purple drank. the concoction: typically codeine and the antihistamine promethazine mixed with Sprite or 7Up and Jolly Ranchers or other hard candy.
Former NFL player Marcellus Wiley doesn’t believe consumption is widespread within the league, “but obviously I think it’s picking up some steam.”
“It doesn’t have the negative connotation it should, the same negative connotation there is with crack cocaine or heroin,” said Wiley, an ESPN analyst. “People think of this purple drank as kind of a cool thing. because people think it’s cool, it invades that mentality, invades that culture, without alerting people to the dangers of it.”
Wide appeal
Dr. Ronald Peters knows purple drank — also called sip-sip, syrup or lean — is hardly limited to the cultures of hip-hop or pro sports.
He remembers a decade or so ago visiting inner-city schools in Houston, where teachers were wondering why kids were so drowsy or what were they doing passing around purplish liquid-filled Sprite bottles one sip at a time.
“they kept talking about codeine-promethazine,” said Peters, an associate professor at the University of Texas Health Service Center in Houston. “You would go to schools and literally kids were falling asleep. I spoke to teachers and they asked why are kids falling asleep in the classroom? Why are eight people drinking from one Sprite bottle?”
Purple drank made its way from that youthful urban setting to the sports headlines with the recent arrest of Russell at his home in Mobile. the unemployed former Oakland Raiders quarterback and 2007 no. 1 overall draft pick, released from the team in may, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, codeine syrup.
Russell’s attorney, Donald Briskman, said the ex-LSU star will plead not guilty at his arraignment on July 20.
Dark NFL history
Codeine syrup has landed several NFL players in trouble.
The late San Diego Chargers safety Terrence Kiel, a teammate of Wiley’s, pleaded guilty in 2007 to felony and misdemeanor drug charges for shipping prescription cough syrup to Texas. Kiel died in a car crash in July 2008.
Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly is scheduled to go to trial at the end of this month after his July 2008 arrest outside a club allegedly for illegally possessing at least 200 grams of codeine. If convicted, Jolly faces up to 20 years in prison.
Wiley said the codeine issue crept onto his radar when his teammate Kiel was arrested.
“Before that, it was more relegated to the entertainment world,” he said. “I had heard that in the South especially some of the rappers mentioned syrup, purple drank. It was kind of part of that subculture, but it never invaded the locker room, it never invaded pro athletics, until the Terrence Kiel incident.”
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said codeine is among the banned substances the league tests for and said he didn’t know if there had been any codeine-related suspensions.
“We do not see evidence of a particular problem among NFL players beyond what we see in normal society,” Aiello said.
Purple drank’s origin is generally regarded as the Houston rap scene, where it has been trumpeted in such songs as Three 6 Mafia’s 2000 hit, “Sippin’ on some Syrup.”
It has had tragic effects, too.
Texas rapper Pimp C’s 2007 death was attributed to the combination of codeine and promethazine.
‘Purple drank’ popularity grows in NFL circles
28 Jun 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: caucasian, rsquo
John Deterding isn’t an ordinary college student, nor is his story.
Adopted by a white family, Deterding, who is Black, grew up in Wellsville, Kan. the town’s population is 1,737 – 98 percent of it is Caucasian.
Besides having faced racial differences, Deterding also has cerebral palsy, which causes him to have to use a wheelchair most of the time.
“Standing out for me is no problem whatsoever, but the fact that I have the demographic differences and I’m willing to be noticed, being in college gives me the chances to show my talents,” Deterding said.
Deterding, junior in engineering, is a Christian rapper and has performed in multiple events on campus, including the 2010 K-State Idol.
Deterding said he believes living in Manhattan has created new opportunities for him. though his rap promotes a postive message, he said his hometown was not always open-minded about his musical style.
“I already have the outgoing personality,” he said. “Being in college and having all the opportunities to use it has developed my talents, whereas if I’d have stayed in the town I was in, I’d have had no chances to perform my rap.
“I feel like grew up in Podunk, USA, because people were like, “what is rap music?’”
When he finished high school, K-State was Deterding’s choice, though other options presented themselves after he received his ACT score.
“I ended up doing pretty well on my ACT and got a 31, so I got letters from a lot of places,” he said. “Some saying ‘You’re good at math, you should come here,’ from Ivy League schools, but I didn’t feel like going that far away from home.”
While the college life is more difficult for Deterding, he said he receives help from Disability Support Services on campus. he said he is in contact with DSS at least once a week.
“I have the right resourses to ask through Disability Services,” Deterding said. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about the future of accessibility on campus too.”
Disabled student uses music, personality to stand out
26 Jun 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: drayson bowman, justin peters, mattias lindstrom, playing time, prospects, rsquo
Top 10 prospects
3. Drayson Bowman, LW
10. Mattias Lindstrom, LW
Heading into the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, no team holds more picks than the Carolina Hurricanes, who have 11 selections — including six of the first 85 picks. The Hurricanes should land an excellent prospect with the seventh overall pick, plus they acquired two extra second-round picks prior to the NHL trade deadline, giving them a total of four of the first 53 spots in the draft.
GM Jim Rutherford has several options. He could hold on to the picks and restock Carolina’s prospect cupboards, use the extra picks to move up in Round 1 or gain a second first-round selection, or perhaps even use the extra assets to acquire players.
Team Needs
For the first time in a long time, Carolina is poised to transition several of their prospects into NHL contributors. Zach Boychuk, Jamie McBain, Brett Carson and Justin Peters should all see significant playing time with the Hurricanes, while several others like Drayson Bowman could earn roles in Raleigh.
But with that transition comes a depletion of their prospect depth. The Canes will likely take the best available player at No. 7, then use their three second-round picks and seven other picks to address needs throughout the organization. Carolina has several middle-of-the-road prospects, but lacks significant top-end talent.
With Peters set to back up Cam Ward in Carolina, Mike Murphy and Justin Pogge will play with the team’s new AHL affiliate in Charlotte, but they are the only two goalies in the system. Expect the Canes to address that need in Los Angeles.
Organizational Strengths
The Hurricanes are best stocked at forward, but several of those players are ready or near ready to join the NHL ranks. The same is true for McBain and Carson, the team’s top two defensive prospects. Boston College’s Brian Dumoulin, a rising sophomore, was a second-round pick last year and looks like he could be a home run, but should take at least two more seasons before he turns pro.
Organizational Weaknesses
The team’s biggest need is depth. There are acclaimed prospects ready to make the jump to the NHL, but their graduation means there are holes that need filling. Several of the high-end prospects will likely become full-time NHLers next year, so the team is in need of some sure-fire talent they can count on down the road. Finally, the team has two goalies set for Charlotte, but no others in the system.
Draft Tendencies
Rutherford has stated several times that he prefers to not use first-round picks on defensemen because their development time is much longer than other prospects. still, if one of the “big Three” (Cam Fowler, Eric Gudbranson and Brandon Gormley) fell to the Canes at No. 7, you’d have to think they’d consider making an exception like they did with Jack Johnson at No. 3 in 2005.
While the Canes used their first-round pick last year on Philippe Paradis, the team rarely chooses players from the QMJHL. The team has not used a first-round pick — outside of Paradis, who was traded to Toronto less than six months after he was selected — or a second-round pick on a QMJHL player since moving to Raleigh, and just twice used a third on a Quebec league player.
The team has also shied away from Russians, selecting just one (Igor Knyazev, 15th overall in 2001) since the team relocated. The Canes used three of their six picks on Scandanavian players last year, choosing two from Finland and one from Sweden, but for the most part the team has selected WHL and OHL players, along with the occasional American-born player.
Hurricanes 2010 draft preview – Hockey’s Future
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