Look to kids' passions for perfect gifts [watches]
NEW YORK — To the uninitiated, buying gifts for kids can feel like a treasure hunt without a map through store aisles and websites packed for the holidays. But sussing out clues may not be as difficult as it looks.
Has the young recipient ever offered you one of his homemade cupcakes? Have you seen her tear around on a little ride-on bike? Is the living room often strewn with building bricks or stacking blocks?
Casual buyers looking for presents for children they don't know well need only focus on general interests. Mom and dad will likely take on the "it" gift of the season, or farm it out to grandma, leaving lots of room for other shoppers, whether the giftee is a builder, baker or bookish.
If that sounds too complicated, reach for the classics — in books, apparel or toys, said Rachel Jarrett, general manager of the children's department for the sale site Gilt Groupe. A sweater with room for size variation, or mittens or hats, for example. Try toys in wood, including eco-friendly bamboo.
"We do incredibly well with wooden toys," Jarrett said.
Anne Keane, fashion director for Lucky magazine, suggests keeping it simple. "Generally, staying with moderately classic, small gifts is the easiest route to take for all age groups," she said. "Especially if you don't know the kids that well."
Has the young recipient ever offered you one of his homemade cupcakes? Have you seen her tear around on a little ride-on bike? Is the living room often strewn with building bricks or stacking blocks?
Casual buyers looking for presents for children they don't know well need only focus on general interests. Mom and dad will likely take on the "it" gift of the season, or farm it out to grandma, leaving lots of room for other shoppers, whether the giftee is a builder, baker or bookish.
If that sounds too complicated, reach for the classics — in books, apparel or toys, said Rachel Jarrett, general manager of the children's department for the sale site Gilt Groupe. A sweater with room for size variation, or mittens or hats, for example. Try toys in wood, including eco-friendly bamboo.
"We do incredibly well with wooden toys," Jarrett said.
Anne Keane, fashion director for Lucky magazine, suggests keeping it simple. "Generally, staying with moderately classic, small gifts is the easiest route to take for all age groups," she said. "Especially if you don't know the kids that well."
Be sly, not sleazy [watches]
Halloween is just around the corner, and if you haven’t gotten your costume together yet, it’s crunch time. For women, your costume options may seem to range from Sexy Cop to Sexy Yodeler to Sexy Pirate to Sexy Mafia Hitwoman. What if you don’t want a costume that is designed only to objectify your body for men? Here are 10 costume ideas that don’t require you to dress like a stripper.
Famous work of art
Go as a famous painting or statue. Most statues can be relatively simple: Lady Liberty requires only a green sheet, some body paint and a flashlight, for example. Paintings can be a little more complicated, but also rely more heavily on makeup, meaning less to buy from the Meijer sale rack Friday night when the frat boys are buying beer. A Picasso just means drawing eyes on your cheek, and a Frida could be as simple as scribbling in a unibrow and poking your head through an afghan.
Literary character
This becomes much less constricting if you pick a book that doesn’t yet have a movie adaptation. Find a few key pieces of attire for the character, and the rest is up to your imagination. Props are also handy for this. “The Picture of Dorian Grey” is a relatively easy one. Get a portrait of an older person that looks somewhat like you, and dress similarly to it. A sufferer from “The Divine Comedy” leaves plenty of room for artistic interpretation. With this, you’ll have to be prepared for nobody to recognize what you are. But look at this as an opportunity to start a conversation about your favorite book.
A pun
They may be groan-inducing to hear, but puns can make a great visual joke, and are pretty accessible to everyone, so you won’t feel like a total hipster with a costume too obscure for the crowd you’re with. They can be simple, like beer goggles by cutting the ends off some beer cans and taping them to a pair of shades. Or they can be pretty elaborate: I heard of someone going as a Freudian slip by donning a slip as a skirt and the spectacles and beard of the famous psychologist. The wittier it is, the better a laugh it’ll get when people finally figure it out. The important part when thinking of puns is finding a phrase with a fairly abstract word in it that has a visual homonym.
An iconic game piece
If you have lots of cardboard and paint lying around, this can be cheap, though potentially time-consuming. A ball hat and hoop skirt in a primary color could make an easy “Sorry” pawn. Pretty much any structured dress in black or white paired with a cardboard crown of matching color could be adapted into a chess queen. Or you could apply some foil to recreate the candlestick from “Clue.” Picking an older game is sure to induce some nostalgia.
A mascot
Mascots tend to have a few simple elements that make them unique and iconic, so if you can capture that, you will be easily recognized. Using long hair and a coat hanger, redheads can replicate the flying pigtails of the face of Wendy’s fast-food chain. A bonnet and sundress makes a simple Sunmaid raisins girl. A bouffant hairdo and white shirt with name tag, and poof! You’re Progressive’s Flo. And if you want to make a different sort of statement, just throw in a little gore or a knife-in-the-head prop and show off your distaste for the corporation.
A deceased celebrity
Going as Gaga or Ke$ha may require you to show more skin than you are comfortable with, but you need look no farther than the past to find a more conservative (and warmer) alternative. Prowl the thrift stores for this one: A pink pencil skirt and blazer make an easy Jackie Onassis, when combined with a cookie-tin-painted-pink hat. Use a draping white gown, plus a blond wig and faux mole for an instant Marilyn Monroe. Audrey Hepburn can be mimicked with a black dress, some gloves and a pair of knock off Ray-Ban sunglasses.
A drowned woman
Dead people are a Halloween staple, but not all have to include buckets of fake blood and prosthetic wounds. A wardrobe of washed-out gowns and some blue lipstick make for a quick reanimated asphyxiant. Seaweed can be added on the cheap with a roll of green crepe paper. This can also be combined with period attire to make you a victim of the Titanic or the Edmund Fitzgerald. If you really want to make it look like you’ve been down there a while, barnacles and coral can be made out of clay and adhered to the dress.
Famous work of art
Go as a famous painting or statue. Most statues can be relatively simple: Lady Liberty requires only a green sheet, some body paint and a flashlight, for example. Paintings can be a little more complicated, but also rely more heavily on makeup, meaning less to buy from the Meijer sale rack Friday night when the frat boys are buying beer. A Picasso just means drawing eyes on your cheek, and a Frida could be as simple as scribbling in a unibrow and poking your head through an afghan.
Literary character
This becomes much less constricting if you pick a book that doesn’t yet have a movie adaptation. Find a few key pieces of attire for the character, and the rest is up to your imagination. Props are also handy for this. “The Picture of Dorian Grey” is a relatively easy one. Get a portrait of an older person that looks somewhat like you, and dress similarly to it. A sufferer from “The Divine Comedy” leaves plenty of room for artistic interpretation. With this, you’ll have to be prepared for nobody to recognize what you are. But look at this as an opportunity to start a conversation about your favorite book.
A pun
They may be groan-inducing to hear, but puns can make a great visual joke, and are pretty accessible to everyone, so you won’t feel like a total hipster with a costume too obscure for the crowd you’re with. They can be simple, like beer goggles by cutting the ends off some beer cans and taping them to a pair of shades. Or they can be pretty elaborate: I heard of someone going as a Freudian slip by donning a slip as a skirt and the spectacles and beard of the famous psychologist. The wittier it is, the better a laugh it’ll get when people finally figure it out. The important part when thinking of puns is finding a phrase with a fairly abstract word in it that has a visual homonym.
An iconic game piece
If you have lots of cardboard and paint lying around, this can be cheap, though potentially time-consuming. A ball hat and hoop skirt in a primary color could make an easy “Sorry” pawn. Pretty much any structured dress in black or white paired with a cardboard crown of matching color could be adapted into a chess queen. Or you could apply some foil to recreate the candlestick from “Clue.” Picking an older game is sure to induce some nostalgia.
A mascot
Mascots tend to have a few simple elements that make them unique and iconic, so if you can capture that, you will be easily recognized. Using long hair and a coat hanger, redheads can replicate the flying pigtails of the face of Wendy’s fast-food chain. A bonnet and sundress makes a simple Sunmaid raisins girl. A bouffant hairdo and white shirt with name tag, and poof! You’re Progressive’s Flo. And if you want to make a different sort of statement, just throw in a little gore or a knife-in-the-head prop and show off your distaste for the corporation.
A deceased celebrity
Going as Gaga or Ke$ha may require you to show more skin than you are comfortable with, but you need look no farther than the past to find a more conservative (and warmer) alternative. Prowl the thrift stores for this one: A pink pencil skirt and blazer make an easy Jackie Onassis, when combined with a cookie-tin-painted-pink hat. Use a draping white gown, plus a blond wig and faux mole for an instant Marilyn Monroe. Audrey Hepburn can be mimicked with a black dress, some gloves and a pair of knock off Ray-Ban sunglasses.
A drowned woman
Dead people are a Halloween staple, but not all have to include buckets of fake blood and prosthetic wounds. A wardrobe of washed-out gowns and some blue lipstick make for a quick reanimated asphyxiant. Seaweed can be added on the cheap with a roll of green crepe paper. This can also be combined with period attire to make you a victim of the Titanic or the Edmund Fitzgerald. If you really want to make it look like you’ve been down there a while, barnacles and coral can be made out of clay and adhered to the dress.
No home run for disappointed Chandhok [watches]
NEW DELHI: In just three hours after Team Lotus announced on Tuesday that Karun Chandhok would not get to race at the Airtel Indian Grand Prix, the Indian driver's Twitter page was flooded.
NEW DELHI: In just three hours after Team Lotus announced on Tuesday that Karun Chandhok would not get to race at the Airtel Indian Grand Prix, the Indian driver's Twitter page was flooded.
Chandhok put up a brave face on Tuesday as he continued with his media interactions. Controlling his emotions and words, Chandhok chose to take Fernandes' decision in his stride.
"I won't lie. Sitting out for Saturday and Sunday is going to be very painful. Really, I thought I would get to race in India. A lot of us were hoping for the same. It would've been a great feeling to have two Indian drivers on the grid but that isn't going to happen," Chandhok told TOI as he scrolled down his Twitter page to read the tweets at the Tag Heuer office.
Even the new Indian Racing edition watch launched to commemorate the watch giants' 150 years connection with racing did little to bring a smile to Chandhok's face.
Team principal Tony Fernandes explained the "difficult decision" of not giving Karun a chance to race at home.
"From the team's perspective the key goal for us this weekend is to maintain the performance levels we saw in the last two races and while I am sure there will be fans in India who want to see Karun race for us on Sunday we had to make the best decision for the future of the team," said Fernandes.
"We were conscious that the limited running he has had in the car this season, largely due to the weather conditions that have hit most of his FP1 sessions, has not given him the best preparation for this race," he added.
Fernandes' decision to bank on Trulli's experience might seem logical in the face of the fact that Lotus stand to lose a lot of money and face if they finish behind either Virgin or HRT but according to Chandhok, he had fulfilled his brief - to be faster than the two closest competitors every time he sat in the car on Friday. "You can't beat Williams. To finish 10th, what more can you possibly do?" he questioned.
Even though Chandhok will get to drive in the morning session on Friday, it's a lost opportunity for Team Lotus and Air Asia owner Fernandes to garner Indian support and possibly attract sponsors for the future. A little hesitant when asked if this impacts his future relationship with Fernandes and Lotus, Chandhok cleared the air.
"He wants to promote Asian talent and we need someone like that. I joined Lotus because of that attitude. This is a team that is still young, still growing, and I know that they have to do their best to secure their future in the sport. Sometimes the hard decisions have to be made, and in this case it must have been a very difficult choice, but I understand that this isn't about me. I'm looking forward to doing my job on Friday morning and help the team collect as much data as possible because the first session will be massively important."
NEW DELHI: In just three hours after Team Lotus announced on Tuesday that Karun Chandhok would not get to race at the Airtel Indian Grand Prix, the Indian driver's Twitter page was flooded.
Chandhok put up a brave face on Tuesday as he continued with his media interactions. Controlling his emotions and words, Chandhok chose to take Fernandes' decision in his stride.
"I won't lie. Sitting out for Saturday and Sunday is going to be very painful. Really, I thought I would get to race in India. A lot of us were hoping for the same. It would've been a great feeling to have two Indian drivers on the grid but that isn't going to happen," Chandhok told TOI as he scrolled down his Twitter page to read the tweets at the Tag Heuer office.
Even the new Indian Racing edition watch launched to commemorate the watch giants' 150 years connection with racing did little to bring a smile to Chandhok's face.
Team principal Tony Fernandes explained the "difficult decision" of not giving Karun a chance to race at home.
"From the team's perspective the key goal for us this weekend is to maintain the performance levels we saw in the last two races and while I am sure there will be fans in India who want to see Karun race for us on Sunday we had to make the best decision for the future of the team," said Fernandes.
"We were conscious that the limited running he has had in the car this season, largely due to the weather conditions that have hit most of his FP1 sessions, has not given him the best preparation for this race," he added.
Fernandes' decision to bank on Trulli's experience might seem logical in the face of the fact that Lotus stand to lose a lot of money and face if they finish behind either Virgin or HRT but according to Chandhok, he had fulfilled his brief - to be faster than the two closest competitors every time he sat in the car on Friday. "You can't beat Williams. To finish 10th, what more can you possibly do?" he questioned.
Even though Chandhok will get to drive in the morning session on Friday, it's a lost opportunity for Team Lotus and Air Asia owner Fernandes to garner Indian support and possibly attract sponsors for the future. A little hesitant when asked if this impacts his future relationship with Fernandes and Lotus, Chandhok cleared the air.
"He wants to promote Asian talent and we need someone like that. I joined Lotus because of that attitude. This is a team that is still young, still growing, and I know that they have to do their best to secure their future in the sport. Sometimes the hard decisions have to be made, and in this case it must have been a very difficult choice, but I understand that this isn't about me. I'm looking forward to doing my job on Friday morning and help the team collect as much data as possible because the first session will be massively important."
Forgotten Steeler still watches from afar [watches]
Larry Zierlein is not a man given to hyperbole. The former Steelers offensive line coach, a Vietnam veteran, values actions above words and loyalty above all.
Maybe that is why Zierlein uncharacteristically opened up when I inquired about a forgotten Steeler named Darnell Stapleton.
Remember him? Stapleton, then 23, was the Steelers' starting right guard in the four-part epic known as Super Bowl XLIII. Which means he was an integral part of one of the great drives in NFL history.
Look hard enough, and you can see Stapleton, No. 72, celebrating in the background after Santonio Holmes' miraculous catch. Stapleton blocked Gabe Watson on the play -- and never played another NFL down, save for the kneel-down to close the game.
Degenerative arthritis in his knees forced Stapleton to retire at the ripe, young age of 24. He never even lined up for a preseason game after the Super Bowl.
This seemed like an appropriate week to track him down, seeing as the Steelers and Cardinals play today for the first time since the night of Feb. 1, 2009.
But first, I wanted to hear from Zierlein. He liked Stapleton when the latter was a brawling center at Rutgers, opening holes for Ray Rice. The Steelers signed Stapleton as an undrafted free agent in 2007. His versatility helped him make the team, and early in 2008 he replaced an injured Kendall Simmons at right guard.
The Steelers ran through a meat-grinder schedule and finally won the Super Bowl on a legendary 78-yard drive.
I emailed Zierlein for a comment about Stapleton, expecting to receive maybe a few sentences in return.
Instead, I got a goose bump-raising, 500-word essay. Here's part of it:
Darnell was great at identifying defenses. He could play both guard positions and center. He made up for a lack of great size and strength by being an outstanding technician. He was highly respected in the OL meeting room. He was physically and mentally tough. The knee problem which ended his career was bothering him in 2008 and in the Super Bowl but he never complained and never missed a snap. ... I will never forget the double-team block he and Willie Colon made on San Diego defensive lineman Jamal Williams on the one-back power play. Jamal was a big strong guy and he was trying to anchor down but Darnell and Willie drove him about 5 yards straight back with Jamal's feet digging a furrow in the turf.
Stapleton misses the thrill of executing a perfect block. He'll sometimes find himself, alone in his basement, watching a Steelers game and calling the plays. Just last week he went on YouTube to watch the Super Bowl drive.
But don't mistake him for a bitter, disillusioned ex-athlete.
To the contrary, Stapleton's life in Hackettstown, N.J. -- home of the M&M -- is pretty sweet. He is an assistant coach at Montclair (N.J.) Academy and head coach of the New York Sharks of the Women's Professional Football Alliance. He put his degree in business management to use by forming a web-design company.
Though his knees were cursed, Stapleton focuses on his blessings. He spent the 2009 season on injured reserve and then became a free agent. He remembers driving home from his last tryout, with the New England Patriots in August 2010. His knees were swollen to the size of softballs.
Maybe that is why Zierlein uncharacteristically opened up when I inquired about a forgotten Steeler named Darnell Stapleton.
Remember him? Stapleton, then 23, was the Steelers' starting right guard in the four-part epic known as Super Bowl XLIII. Which means he was an integral part of one of the great drives in NFL history.
Look hard enough, and you can see Stapleton, No. 72, celebrating in the background after Santonio Holmes' miraculous catch. Stapleton blocked Gabe Watson on the play -- and never played another NFL down, save for the kneel-down to close the game.
Degenerative arthritis in his knees forced Stapleton to retire at the ripe, young age of 24. He never even lined up for a preseason game after the Super Bowl.
This seemed like an appropriate week to track him down, seeing as the Steelers and Cardinals play today for the first time since the night of Feb. 1, 2009.
But first, I wanted to hear from Zierlein. He liked Stapleton when the latter was a brawling center at Rutgers, opening holes for Ray Rice. The Steelers signed Stapleton as an undrafted free agent in 2007. His versatility helped him make the team, and early in 2008 he replaced an injured Kendall Simmons at right guard.
The Steelers ran through a meat-grinder schedule and finally won the Super Bowl on a legendary 78-yard drive.
I emailed Zierlein for a comment about Stapleton, expecting to receive maybe a few sentences in return.
Instead, I got a goose bump-raising, 500-word essay. Here's part of it:
Darnell was great at identifying defenses. He could play both guard positions and center. He made up for a lack of great size and strength by being an outstanding technician. He was highly respected in the OL meeting room. He was physically and mentally tough. The knee problem which ended his career was bothering him in 2008 and in the Super Bowl but he never complained and never missed a snap. ... I will never forget the double-team block he and Willie Colon made on San Diego defensive lineman Jamal Williams on the one-back power play. Jamal was a big strong guy and he was trying to anchor down but Darnell and Willie drove him about 5 yards straight back with Jamal's feet digging a furrow in the turf.
Stapleton misses the thrill of executing a perfect block. He'll sometimes find himself, alone in his basement, watching a Steelers game and calling the plays. Just last week he went on YouTube to watch the Super Bowl drive.
But don't mistake him for a bitter, disillusioned ex-athlete.
To the contrary, Stapleton's life in Hackettstown, N.J. -- home of the M&M -- is pretty sweet. He is an assistant coach at Montclair (N.J.) Academy and head coach of the New York Sharks of the Women's Professional Football Alliance. He put his degree in business management to use by forming a web-design company.
Though his knees were cursed, Stapleton focuses on his blessings. He spent the 2009 season on injured reserve and then became a free agent. He remembers driving home from his last tryout, with the New England Patriots in August 2010. His knees were swollen to the size of softballs.
New naval muscle for the Philippines [watches]
As Saipan watches the west Pacific military situation evolving all around us, here's a story that will interest many residents: Over the past few weeks the Philippine navy has scored at least one, and maybe even two, additions to its fleet. The first one is a former U.S. Coast Guard Hamilton-class cutter. The second I'll chalk as a “maybe” given that only a couple of blogs are reporting the story, namely that South Korea is donating a Pohang-class corvette to the Philippines.
So, avast ye' mates, let's do some armchair sailing and take a look at this.
This comes along at a good time for the Republic of the Philippines, which has a whole lot of coast to patrol to begin with, and which is now facing increasingly contested waters. Yet the R.P. doesn't have a lot of money to throw at the situation. Depending on whose numbers you believe, they spend around $1.8 billion annually on defense.
To put that in perspective, that's roughly the cost of just one new U.S. destroyer at the cheap end of things, and as for the not-cheap end of things, don't even ask. More context: $1.8 billion is less than half of what neighboring Malaysia spends on defense, and it's about one-third of what Thailand spends. The Philippines has a far smaller economy than either of those nations, I'll note.
Anyway, the point is that the Philippines has a lot of waters to look after, but not much money to float a fleet on.
In August, a retired U.S. Coast Guard cutter arrived in Manila Bay. It's now dubbed the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar and it's now the largest ship in the Philippine navy. It's a substantial ship, with 3,390 tons of displacement, it pretty much looks like a smallish frigate.
I don't know if this class of ship has a sonar, I've read varying accounts.
Its main weapon is the Otobreda 76-mm cannon (that's about three inches in diameter), and some smaller guns as well. If you get bored this weekend run a Youtube search for the Otobreda 76mm, there are some live-fire videos up there. Come to think of it, I'll post a link at my website for your clicking convenience. The rapid-fire Otobreda makes that stuff at the Last Command Post look a bit dated, eh?
The Hamilton-class cutters can also accommodate a helicopter. Hey, now we're talking!
I've seen accounts that the Philippines might receive more such ships, but I don't know what's really in the works for that.
OK, now for a recent rumor, or at least a story that isn't widely carried, that there's a South Korean Pohang-class corvette being donated to the Philippines.
Now this is a whole different animal than the Hamilton-class cutter, and it's also something new to me, so I'm inclined to dwell on it. After all, the Pohang-class looks like it packs more weapons into less space than anything else I've ever seen, or even read about.
First of all, we're talking a very small ship here. About 1,220 tons. Tiny. Such is the domain of corvettes; they are small, and, in fact, the U.S. Navy doesn't even use them. But, second of all, these little fellows are loaded to the gills with weapons, including either Harpoon or Exocet cruise missiles, and most have two (two!) of those Otobreda 76-mm cannons I just told you about, and they also tote six Mark 46 torpedoes, and the Mark 46 is no bargain-basement special, by the way, but is instead a very serious piece of hardware.
And I'm not done yet. For close-in sessions with nosy neighbors, there are, depending on the model, either twin 30mm or twin 40mm cannons.
Holy smokes! All of that is packed into a vessel smaller than most fishing boats I've worked on.
They also employ hull-mounted sonar for anti-submarine operations. And, speaking of subs, it was allegedly a North Korean submarine that sunk a Pohang-class corvette, the Cheonan, in March of last year.
How does this floating arms bazaar even move? They stuffed a giant LM2500 jet engine in it, that's how. Anyway, though I don't really know anything about these tiny ships, they speak to me: They're all muscle, and all business.
That's the kind of thing you'd expect from the Koreans, whose warship engineering tradition dates back to the late 1500's. Yes, really.
Alas, we'll just have to see if this Pohang-class donation rumor is true.
Such is my regularly irregular look at our region's emerging military situation. So our virtual voyage is over. I'll take off my plastic eye-patch now, and I'll offer a barrel of grog to the entire crew, even to landlubbers and scalawags.
So, avast ye' mates, let's do some armchair sailing and take a look at this.
This comes along at a good time for the Republic of the Philippines, which has a whole lot of coast to patrol to begin with, and which is now facing increasingly contested waters. Yet the R.P. doesn't have a lot of money to throw at the situation. Depending on whose numbers you believe, they spend around $1.8 billion annually on defense.
To put that in perspective, that's roughly the cost of just one new U.S. destroyer at the cheap end of things, and as for the not-cheap end of things, don't even ask. More context: $1.8 billion is less than half of what neighboring Malaysia spends on defense, and it's about one-third of what Thailand spends. The Philippines has a far smaller economy than either of those nations, I'll note.
Anyway, the point is that the Philippines has a lot of waters to look after, but not much money to float a fleet on.
In August, a retired U.S. Coast Guard cutter arrived in Manila Bay. It's now dubbed the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar and it's now the largest ship in the Philippine navy. It's a substantial ship, with 3,390 tons of displacement, it pretty much looks like a smallish frigate.
I don't know if this class of ship has a sonar, I've read varying accounts.
Its main weapon is the Otobreda 76-mm cannon (that's about three inches in diameter), and some smaller guns as well. If you get bored this weekend run a Youtube search for the Otobreda 76mm, there are some live-fire videos up there. Come to think of it, I'll post a link at my website for your clicking convenience. The rapid-fire Otobreda makes that stuff at the Last Command Post look a bit dated, eh?
The Hamilton-class cutters can also accommodate a helicopter. Hey, now we're talking!
I've seen accounts that the Philippines might receive more such ships, but I don't know what's really in the works for that.
OK, now for a recent rumor, or at least a story that isn't widely carried, that there's a South Korean Pohang-class corvette being donated to the Philippines.
Now this is a whole different animal than the Hamilton-class cutter, and it's also something new to me, so I'm inclined to dwell on it. After all, the Pohang-class looks like it packs more weapons into less space than anything else I've ever seen, or even read about.
First of all, we're talking a very small ship here. About 1,220 tons. Tiny. Such is the domain of corvettes; they are small, and, in fact, the U.S. Navy doesn't even use them. But, second of all, these little fellows are loaded to the gills with weapons, including either Harpoon or Exocet cruise missiles, and most have two (two!) of those Otobreda 76-mm cannons I just told you about, and they also tote six Mark 46 torpedoes, and the Mark 46 is no bargain-basement special, by the way, but is instead a very serious piece of hardware.
And I'm not done yet. For close-in sessions with nosy neighbors, there are, depending on the model, either twin 30mm or twin 40mm cannons.
Holy smokes! All of that is packed into a vessel smaller than most fishing boats I've worked on.
They also employ hull-mounted sonar for anti-submarine operations. And, speaking of subs, it was allegedly a North Korean submarine that sunk a Pohang-class corvette, the Cheonan, in March of last year.
How does this floating arms bazaar even move? They stuffed a giant LM2500 jet engine in it, that's how. Anyway, though I don't really know anything about these tiny ships, they speak to me: They're all muscle, and all business.
That's the kind of thing you'd expect from the Koreans, whose warship engineering tradition dates back to the late 1500's. Yes, really.
Alas, we'll just have to see if this Pohang-class donation rumor is true.
Such is my regularly irregular look at our region's emerging military situation. So our virtual voyage is over. I'll take off my plastic eye-patch now, and I'll offer a barrel of grog to the entire crew, even to landlubbers and scalawags.
A Toronto man arrested at the scene [watches]
A Toronto man arrested at the scene
A Toronto man arrested at the scene of the 2007 killing of Det.-Const. Robert Plunkett has pleaded guilty to theft charges for a third time.
Baseer Mohammed Yousaf-zai, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft under $5,000 and failing to comply with probation Tuesday.
He was sentenced to 90 days in custody and three years probation by Justice Howard Chisvin.
He has served 56 days of pre-trial custody.
Police were called to the Markham GO Transit lot, near Markham Road and Beech Street, south of 16th Avenue, July 5, for a report of a theft from vehicles.
When officers got to the scene, they found two vehicles in the lot that had their side windows smashed and airbags removed.
An investigation linked Mr. Yousaf-zai to the thefts and he was arrested in Toronto.
Mr. Yousaf-zai and Nadeem Jiwa were arrested on Ascot Crescent, in the Birchmount Road and Steeles Avenue East area of Markham, Aug. 2, 2007. It was during that same incident that Det.-Const. Plunkett was killed after being crushed against a tree by a stolen Honda driven by Mr. Jiwa.
Mr. Jiwa was convicted of manslaughter in April and sentenced to 12 years behind bars, but will be released in four.
The men were in the area to steal airbags and, unbeknownst to them, were under surveillance by police officers, including Det.-Const. Plunkett.
When officers moved in to arrest them, Mr. Yousaf-zai was tackled before Mr. Jiwa reversed the Honda, pinning the officer, Mr. Jiwa’s criminal trial heard.
Mr. Yousaf-zai was not charged in Det.-Const. Plunkett’s death and pleaded guilty to six theft and stolen property offences in October 2007. He was sentenced to eight months in jail.
Mr. Yousaf-zai was arrested again in September 2008, after officers investigating the theft of airbags and vehicles at GO Transit parking lots spotted males acting in what they considered a suspicious way in the Unionville GO lot.
A Toronto man arrested at the scene of the 2007 killing of Det.-Const. Robert Plunkett has pleaded guilty to theft charges for a third time.
Baseer Mohammed Yousaf-zai, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft under $5,000 and failing to comply with probation Tuesday.
He was sentenced to 90 days in custody and three years probation by Justice Howard Chisvin.
He has served 56 days of pre-trial custody.
Police were called to the Markham GO Transit lot, near Markham Road and Beech Street, south of 16th Avenue, July 5, for a report of a theft from vehicles.
When officers got to the scene, they found two vehicles in the lot that had their side windows smashed and airbags removed.
An investigation linked Mr. Yousaf-zai to the thefts and he was arrested in Toronto.
Mr. Yousaf-zai and Nadeem Jiwa were arrested on Ascot Crescent, in the Birchmount Road and Steeles Avenue East area of Markham, Aug. 2, 2007. It was during that same incident that Det.-Const. Plunkett was killed after being crushed against a tree by a stolen Honda driven by Mr. Jiwa.
Mr. Jiwa was convicted of manslaughter in April and sentenced to 12 years behind bars, but will be released in four.
The men were in the area to steal airbags and, unbeknownst to them, were under surveillance by police officers, including Det.-Const. Plunkett.
When officers moved in to arrest them, Mr. Yousaf-zai was tackled before Mr. Jiwa reversed the Honda, pinning the officer, Mr. Jiwa’s criminal trial heard.
Mr. Yousaf-zai was not charged in Det.-Const. Plunkett’s death and pleaded guilty to six theft and stolen property offences in October 2007. He was sentenced to eight months in jail.
Mr. Yousaf-zai was arrested again in September 2008, after officers investigating the theft of airbags and vehicles at GO Transit parking lots spotted males acting in what they considered a suspicious way in the Unionville GO lot.
The Alvin Freshman White Football Team [watches]
The Alvin Freshman White Football Team
The Alvin Freshman White Football Team began district play Wednesday night with a 31-0 win over Clear Brook.
The freshman white team is now 4-0 overall and 1-0 in district play. Offensive highlights come from Daniel Delgado who rushed for over 150 yards and scored three TD’s.
Running back Richard Lucus also rushed for over 150 yards and had one TD.
Defensive standouts were Anthony Benda who had a 20-yard run after a fumble recovery. Cole Mezzino caused a fumble and had two sacks.
Uriel Hernandez had a fumble recovery and a sack. Jose Montelongo had one sack and Patrick Kacz provided a 60-yard interception return for a TD.
The freshmen white defense has only given up 12 points in four games and pitched their second shutout of the year. Other defensive players are Eloi Fernandez, Alex Ludwig, Taylor Golden, Jordan Stapleton, Hilario Gomez, Jonathan Fernandez, Jason Bockel, Cameron York, Chris Kent, Alias Turner, Christian Lee, Lane Shaw, Clayton Reinhart, Robert Flores, and Lorenzo Spradley.
The Jackets’ Freshman White team faces Clear Springs Wednesday in League City.
The AHS Sophomore Team traveled to Clear Brook and came away with a hard fought 12-6 victory.
The win puts them at 1-0 in district. The Wolvorines scored on their first possession to take a 6-0 lead, but never scored again.
The defense played their best game of the year. They were led by DE Gary Edison, LB Dakota Johnson, DT Daniel Gonzalez, DT Jacob Wright and DT Tyler Lenaburg.
The whole defense stepped up several times late in the game when the game was on the line, and kept Brook out of the endzone.
The offense also played its best game for 2011 as well. The first score came on a five-yard run by Adrian Silva. The PAT was no good. Silva led the team in rushing with 110 yards. He had two runs for over 25 yards against a tough defense.
The Alvin Freshman White Football Team began district play Wednesday night with a 31-0 win over Clear Brook.
The freshman white team is now 4-0 overall and 1-0 in district play. Offensive highlights come from Daniel Delgado who rushed for over 150 yards and scored three TD’s.
Running back Richard Lucus also rushed for over 150 yards and had one TD.
Defensive standouts were Anthony Benda who had a 20-yard run after a fumble recovery. Cole Mezzino caused a fumble and had two sacks.
Uriel Hernandez had a fumble recovery and a sack. Jose Montelongo had one sack and Patrick Kacz provided a 60-yard interception return for a TD.
The freshmen white defense has only given up 12 points in four games and pitched their second shutout of the year. Other defensive players are Eloi Fernandez, Alex Ludwig, Taylor Golden, Jordan Stapleton, Hilario Gomez, Jonathan Fernandez, Jason Bockel, Cameron York, Chris Kent, Alias Turner, Christian Lee, Lane Shaw, Clayton Reinhart, Robert Flores, and Lorenzo Spradley.
The Jackets’ Freshman White team faces Clear Springs Wednesday in League City.
The AHS Sophomore Team traveled to Clear Brook and came away with a hard fought 12-6 victory.
The win puts them at 1-0 in district. The Wolvorines scored on their first possession to take a 6-0 lead, but never scored again.
The defense played their best game of the year. They were led by DE Gary Edison, LB Dakota Johnson, DT Daniel Gonzalez, DT Jacob Wright and DT Tyler Lenaburg.
The whole defense stepped up several times late in the game when the game was on the line, and kept Brook out of the endzone.
The offense also played its best game for 2011 as well. The first score came on a five-yard run by Adrian Silva. The PAT was no good. Silva led the team in rushing with 110 yards. He had two runs for over 25 yards against a tough defense.
Welcome to Yorkshire looks [watches]
Welcome to Yorkshire looks
Welcome to Yorkshire looks set to claim the bonus point for the race three Ocean Sprint, covering the distance between longitude five degrees west and longitude two degrees east in 32 hours and 10 minutes, 29 minutes faster than New York and 40 minutes quicker than Singapore.
Geraldton Western Australia has also declared their Sprint time as 33 hours and 17 minutes, the fourth fastest in the fleet. Edinburgh Inspiring Capital is just over half way into the time trial having started at 1206 UTC on Saturday 24 September.
Skipper of the English entry, Rupert Dean, says, 'We've had some fantastic sailing on Welcome to Yorkshire averaging nearly 10.5 knots during the Ocean Sprint. The crew have done themselves proud. Time will tell if we have done enough to win this valuable point.'
The changing wind conditions have allowed most of the teams to fly their spinnakers in the closing stages of the race across the South Atlantic from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town – something they haven’t been able to do for a while.
Rupert continues, 'Last night saw more heavyweight kite action. Helming for the crew was quite a challenge in disorientating, moonless conditions, with wind on the beam. However, now daybreak has arrived things are a little easier. As the miles click down, all of us are looking forward to a warm reception in Cape Town.'
'Well done to Rupert and his crew, a fine effort,' says Ben Bowley, Singapore’s skipper. He and his team are also flying spinnakers again, albeit after something of a false start. 'We spent most of the day yesterday sailing on a beam reach with the Yankee 1 up. At one point we tried to use the heavy spinnaker but the angle was still a bit tight for the wind strength. The kite came back down and the Yankee 1 back up. As the afternoon wore on however, the wind backed round a little and we were finally able to hoist our Vicky, giving us an extra knot to knot and a half of boat speed.'
Singapore’s crew have nicknamed their heavyweight spinnaker ‘Sticky Vicky’ because of the amount of tape used to repair the sail in Rio de Janeiro.
Welcome to Yorkshire looks set to claim the bonus point for the race three Ocean Sprint, covering the distance between longitude five degrees west and longitude two degrees east in 32 hours and 10 minutes, 29 minutes faster than New York and 40 minutes quicker than Singapore.
Geraldton Western Australia has also declared their Sprint time as 33 hours and 17 minutes, the fourth fastest in the fleet. Edinburgh Inspiring Capital is just over half way into the time trial having started at 1206 UTC on Saturday 24 September.
Skipper of the English entry, Rupert Dean, says, 'We've had some fantastic sailing on Welcome to Yorkshire averaging nearly 10.5 knots during the Ocean Sprint. The crew have done themselves proud. Time will tell if we have done enough to win this valuable point.'
The changing wind conditions have allowed most of the teams to fly their spinnakers in the closing stages of the race across the South Atlantic from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town – something they haven’t been able to do for a while.
Rupert continues, 'Last night saw more heavyweight kite action. Helming for the crew was quite a challenge in disorientating, moonless conditions, with wind on the beam. However, now daybreak has arrived things are a little easier. As the miles click down, all of us are looking forward to a warm reception in Cape Town.'
'Well done to Rupert and his crew, a fine effort,' says Ben Bowley, Singapore’s skipper. He and his team are also flying spinnakers again, albeit after something of a false start. 'We spent most of the day yesterday sailing on a beam reach with the Yankee 1 up. At one point we tried to use the heavy spinnaker but the angle was still a bit tight for the wind strength. The kite came back down and the Yankee 1 back up. As the afternoon wore on however, the wind backed round a little and we were finally able to hoist our Vicky, giving us an extra knot to knot and a half of boat speed.'
Singapore’s crew have nicknamed their heavyweight spinnaker ‘Sticky Vicky’ because of the amount of tape used to repair the sail in Rio de Janeiro.
While doing a bi-coastal long-distance relationship [watches]
While doing a bi-coastal long-distance relationship
While doing a bi-coastal long-distance relationship for a few months, my girlfriend and I agreed to open our relationship to making out with other people. Blondie here was an unfortunate casualty of said agreement who couldn't get the hint that The Girlfriend was back in town. I don't usually despise light-haired lasses, but when they keep hitting on my girlfriend, my eyes get a little greener.
My loyal, saintly girlfriend tried to fend off such pesky trollops. But did I hold up my end of the deal by fending off the green-eyed monster? My snatching my girlfriend's cell later that night to send hate-texts to Blondie tells me, "No."
Whether you're in an open relationship or a monogamous marriage or you can't let go post-breakup, the big J is unavoidable. It's the worst emotion; its connection to low self-esteem and control never feels good. Luckily, there are ways to make this green giant a little jollier.
As with any bad habit, acknowledgment is step #1. Often rooted in complicated self-perception issues or relationship patterns, jealously often arises in seemingly insignificant situations—he looks at the bartender wrong or her hand lingers on his arm. It may seem silly to tell your partner that his or her blinking incorrectly makes you feel so hurt, but communication is your best offense.
Instead of blaming your partner for your envy, simply tell her (him) you're feeling jealous. Your jealousy isn't your partner's fault. He/she is allowed to smile at bartenders. Jealousy is rarely about a smile. It's usually an indicator of a foundational personal or relationship issue.
Work toward repair by examining your jealousy's roots. Are you jealous of the hot bartender's looks? Is it even about her? Maybe you don't see your boyfriend smile at you the way he just smiled at her. Going deeper, maybe you don't trust that he's happy with you. Most jealous feelings boil down to self-esteem or trust issues. Whether you're comparing yourself to others or you don't truly trust your partner, the antidote to jealousy can be as simple as feeling appreciated during a special date night or being honest with your partner about your insecurities.
Jealousy is actually a changeable behavior. As with any habit, we repeat jealous behaviors because there's a payoff. What are you getting from your jealousy? Attention from your partner after you throw a fit? Control over her actions after you tell her you don't like the way she smiles at bartenders? There are healthier ways to get these things.
While doing a bi-coastal long-distance relationship for a few months, my girlfriend and I agreed to open our relationship to making out with other people. Blondie here was an unfortunate casualty of said agreement who couldn't get the hint that The Girlfriend was back in town. I don't usually despise light-haired lasses, but when they keep hitting on my girlfriend, my eyes get a little greener.
My loyal, saintly girlfriend tried to fend off such pesky trollops. But did I hold up my end of the deal by fending off the green-eyed monster? My snatching my girlfriend's cell later that night to send hate-texts to Blondie tells me, "No."
Whether you're in an open relationship or a monogamous marriage or you can't let go post-breakup, the big J is unavoidable. It's the worst emotion; its connection to low self-esteem and control never feels good. Luckily, there are ways to make this green giant a little jollier.
As with any bad habit, acknowledgment is step #1. Often rooted in complicated self-perception issues or relationship patterns, jealously often arises in seemingly insignificant situations—he looks at the bartender wrong or her hand lingers on his arm. It may seem silly to tell your partner that his or her blinking incorrectly makes you feel so hurt, but communication is your best offense.
Instead of blaming your partner for your envy, simply tell her (him) you're feeling jealous. Your jealousy isn't your partner's fault. He/she is allowed to smile at bartenders. Jealousy is rarely about a smile. It's usually an indicator of a foundational personal or relationship issue.
Work toward repair by examining your jealousy's roots. Are you jealous of the hot bartender's looks? Is it even about her? Maybe you don't see your boyfriend smile at you the way he just smiled at her. Going deeper, maybe you don't trust that he's happy with you. Most jealous feelings boil down to self-esteem or trust issues. Whether you're comparing yourself to others or you don't truly trust your partner, the antidote to jealousy can be as simple as feeling appreciated during a special date night or being honest with your partner about your insecurities.
Jealousy is actually a changeable behavior. As with any habit, we repeat jealous behaviors because there's a payoff. What are you getting from your jealousy? Attention from your partner after you throw a fit? Control over her actions after you tell her you don't like the way she smiles at bartenders? There are healthier ways to get these things.
At a press conference Tuesday [watches]
At a press conference Tuesday
At a press conference Tuesday, law enforcement officials again pleaded with the public to help find the mother of the newborn found September 5 by boaters on the river. Representatives from the Winona County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) admitted that while they’d gotten plenty of leads and tips, nothing has led them to identifying the girl’s mother, hoping that someone out there would recognize the items sent with her to what may have been a watery grave.
Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand said that when the boaters noticed the bag floating south of Winona, they got curious and turned around. The bag was just beginning to sink, and the men fished it out of the river before it disappeared below the water. Officials admitted Tuesday that the baby was not likely in the water very long at all -- probably less than a day. And although they would not confirm whether an umbilical cord was still intact on the infant, BCA Senior Special Agent Drew Evans said it was clear this baby was delivered unassisted and unattended -- likely, a mother alone.
Police have said the little girl, whose ethnicity has not yet been confirmed, weighed about seven pounds. Pending autopsy results, officials aren’t able to speculate about whether she was alive after birth, or whether she was alive when she entered the water.
Additionally, Evans said there is nothing specifically connecting baby Angel to three other infants found in the Mississippi River upstream in Goodhue County in recent years -- three infants discovered between 1999 and 2007 -- all three unsolved. He said that DNA testing is being done and officials are working closely with agencies upstream in case there is a connection.
A study is also being done to help pinpoint the area where the newborn entered the river, and Evans said Tuesday that it was likely near the area where the body was discovered, given the short time frame the girl is believed to have been in the river.
Along with the work being done to expedite an autopsy, BCA agents are analyzing the items found in the bag for fingerprints and DNA for further leads. Those items may be the biggest chance to identify the mother of the infant, and Evans said that someone out there might be able to recognize the little ceramic angels, the tee-shirt, or the bag.
At a press conference Tuesday, law enforcement officials again pleaded with the public to help find the mother of the newborn found September 5 by boaters on the river. Representatives from the Winona County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) admitted that while they’d gotten plenty of leads and tips, nothing has led them to identifying the girl’s mother, hoping that someone out there would recognize the items sent with her to what may have been a watery grave.
Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand said that when the boaters noticed the bag floating south of Winona, they got curious and turned around. The bag was just beginning to sink, and the men fished it out of the river before it disappeared below the water. Officials admitted Tuesday that the baby was not likely in the water very long at all -- probably less than a day. And although they would not confirm whether an umbilical cord was still intact on the infant, BCA Senior Special Agent Drew Evans said it was clear this baby was delivered unassisted and unattended -- likely, a mother alone.
Police have said the little girl, whose ethnicity has not yet been confirmed, weighed about seven pounds. Pending autopsy results, officials aren’t able to speculate about whether she was alive after birth, or whether she was alive when she entered the water.
Additionally, Evans said there is nothing specifically connecting baby Angel to three other infants found in the Mississippi River upstream in Goodhue County in recent years -- three infants discovered between 1999 and 2007 -- all three unsolved. He said that DNA testing is being done and officials are working closely with agencies upstream in case there is a connection.
A study is also being done to help pinpoint the area where the newborn entered the river, and Evans said Tuesday that it was likely near the area where the body was discovered, given the short time frame the girl is believed to have been in the river.
Along with the work being done to expedite an autopsy, BCA agents are analyzing the items found in the bag for fingerprints and DNA for further leads. Those items may be the biggest chance to identify the mother of the infant, and Evans said that someone out there might be able to recognize the little ceramic angels, the tee-shirt, or the bag.
