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Wednesday, September 26, 2012
PFT: 'The result of the game is final,' NFL says
APThe good news in the wake of last night?s very bad news at the end of the Packers-Seahawks game is that the NFL and the locked-out officials spent a fourth straight day negotiating on Tuesday.
The bad news in the wake of last night?s very bad news at the end of the Packers-Seahawks game is that the NFL doesn?t seem to recognize that it has gambled with the use of replacement officials ? and it has lost.
Per multiple reports (including one from Peter King of SI.com and one from Nancy Gay of FOXSports.com), the NFL has opted to stand firm on certain key issues.
First, the NFL wants a bench of replacements (they?ll need a better word than that) to serve as in-season understudies for officials who aren?t performing at an acceptable level.? King reports that the NFL won?t guarantee that the officials will work at least 15 games.
Second, the pension issue continues to prevent an agreement.? The league wants to change from a defined-benefit pension plan to a defined-contribution system.? The difference, per King, is roughly $3.3 million per year.? The officials don?t believe they should have to tighten belts at a time when the NFL continues to grow fat.
Third, the amount of the raise for the officials remains in dispute.? The officials want an eight-percent bump.? The NFL has offered an increase of 2.5 percent.? Again, the discrepancy comes from the fact that the officials believe that, as the league?s pie grows, their slice of it grows commensurately.
The NFL remains stubborn, oblivious (at least externally) to the fact that the performance of the replacement officials underscores the value of the regular officials, who operate far more efficiently and reliably in the crucible of 60,000 fans and foul-mouthed coaches and big, strong, fast players and millions of eyeballs.? The performance of the replacements demonstrates the value of the regulars, and yet the league refuses to relent.
As King explains it, the league wants to ?wrest back control of the officials? performance week to week in an NFL season.?? But the ritual of collective bargaining requires a party that wants something to give something.? It seems like the NFL wants plenty, and that the NFL likewise isn?t willing to bend.
Sure, a raise has been offered.? Why shouldn?t it be?? Everybody connected to the NFL is making more and more money.? The officials should get more and more, too, especially if the NFL wants to emerge from the talks with new powers.
When it comes to the power the NFL has amassed over player discipline, the league is quick to point out that the NFLPA has sacrificed those rights through collective bargaining.? Regardless of whether it makes sense for the league to have a bench of officials, the NFL has in past negotiations allowed the current system to emerge.? To change it, the NFL must make real concessions.
But the NFL doesn?t want to make real concessions.? The NFL never wants to make real concessions.? That?s fine, but the NFL can?t then pretend that everything is fine.
As King writes, ?Ihe NFL is willing to look at the dispute as something like a game of chess vs. a game of checkers.? The league believes that the short-term pain of a football nation up in arms will be worth it two to four years down the road if they can improve the overall quality of officiating by adding what would be a taxi squad of three additional crews.?
Or the NFL can acquire that right by paying for it.? Instead, the NFL is willing to alienate fans, anger players, and tarnish ?the shield? in order to get its way, hoping that half of the locked-out officials plus one eventually will vote to take the deal.
The NFL is taking us all for granted.? In the end, there?s a good chance the NFL is guessing right.? But that doesn?t make it right.
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Tuesday, September 25, 2012
SHOW BITS: 'Mandy Patinkin, holla;' Obama is fan
Show Bits brings you the 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.
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'MANDY PATINKIN, HOLLA!'
Claire Danes came up with the catchphrase of the night when she saluted her "Homeland" co-star during her Emmy acceptance speech thusly: "Mandy Patinkin, holla."
Danes, taking the stage after winning best actress in a drama for the Showtime series, mentioned several names before matter-of-factly calling out Patinkin in the most unexpected way.
Twitter went nuts, with many people suggesting that this saying needs to become a meme, and soon.
As the pop-culture site (at)Gawker put it: "'Mandy Patinkin, holla' is the new Angelina Jolie's leg." From New York Magazine's (at)Vulture site: "'Mandy Patinkin, holla' is the best thank-you ever." And from NPR's (at)nprmonkeysee: "If the Internet doesn't remix 'Mandy Patinkin, holla' by tomorrow morning, it is a failure."
Others suggested that Jewish delis begin baking Mandy Patinkin challah. Still others made references to Patinkin's Broadway bona fides with "Evita" jokes.
If someone can figure out a way to incorporate Patinkin's famous line from "The Princess Bride" ? "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, prepare to die" ? then the Internet might truly be worthwhile after all.
? Christy Lemire ? Twitter: https://twitter.com/christylemire
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'HOMELAND' STAR JOKES ABOUT PLAYING HOUSE
Married actor Damian Lewis joked to reporters that he might be doing some extra celebrating with "Homeland" co-star Claire Danes, who is also married and came to the Emmys with a baby bump.
"We're going away to a romantic island together," the red-headed British actor joked. "When that baby is ginger you guys are going to have a field day."
The comment may have gotten some members of the press too excited, one of whom asked Danes a few moments later how she viewed the win in light of giving birth.
"Thank god I am not giving birth," said Danes, who's in an earlier stage of pregnancy.
The pair reunited later in another backstage area, looking very platonic and like two friends enjoying each other's success.
? Anthony McCartney ? Twitter http://twittter.com/mccartneyAP
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KIMMEL EVENS THE SCORE
Don't ever cross Jimmy Kimmel.
The Emmy host warmly introduced his parents, who were seated in the audience, and told viewers they had always been supportive of their son.
"They always told me I could do anything I set my mind to," he said, "and this year I set my mind to winning the Emmy.
"And guess what? I didn't," he went on. "You told me I could, and I didn't, and I'm devastated. You lied to me!"
Egged on by Tracy Morgan, who was seated beside them and stated, "I don't trust them," Kimmel summoned security to remove Mom and Dad from the auditorium.
"It's OK if you Taser them if you need to," he told the security men.
? Frazier Moore ?Twitter http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier
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DANES PROUD OF OBAMA BEING A FAN
Claire Danes loves that President Barack Obama is a fan of her show "Homeland."
"No pressure," the actress said backstage after her win for lead actress in a drama series at Sunday's Emmy Awards. "It's way cool that he is a fan. It speaks to the relevancy of the show and it's hugely validating.
Obama has said the Showtime series about a Marine returning home after being held as a POW, and who is now suspected by a CIA agent as working for al Qaeda, is his favorite.
? Beth Harris ? Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bethharrisap
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JIMMY KIMMEL AT TWO-THIRDS MARK
As he neared the two-thirds mark of his Emmy hosting marathon, Jimmy Kimmel hadn't broken a sweat. Nor had he broken any records for laughter or hosting finesse.
Perhaps his most notable achievement was a prank: Inviting "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan to lie on the stage, then asking viewers to post on Facebook and tweet that Morgan "just passed out" and turn on ABC right now to see it. It worked, with the message going viral and maybe even boosting the Emmy audience for a few moments.
Otherwise, Kimmel keep the show moving, with a few forgettable jokes greasing the skids.
Oh yeah ? he offered up a parody of the "In Memoriam" fixture that's a part of all awards shows. But this one was meant to salute someone still living, "to the life and work of someone everyone in this room admires, respects and loves."
The person, of course, was Kimmel, who was displayed in slow-motion video clips while Josh Groban sang a sonorous song.
Too bad Kimmel's best Emmycast moments were a practical joke and silly self-promotion.
? Frazier Moore ? http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier
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TIME FOR A NEW TATTOO
Damian Lewis was so over the moon at winning an Emmy that he says he's thinking of having "Emmy Winner" tattooed on, well, somewhere on the back of his body.
"I'm overwhelmed that I am here!" said the winner of the best actor award for a drama series for "Homeland."
When told backstage that he could have the trophy engraved with his name at the Governors Ball after the show, he contemplated complementing that with body art.
But first he had to sign for his award, and as he did couldn't hold his hands still.
"It's like my grandmother used to write ? all shaky," he said.
"Just tell me what to do," he continued. "I'm out of my mind."
? Sandy Cohen ? Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/apsandy .
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OMG! KIMMEL HIJACKS TWITTER
So this is how time-wasting celebrity rumors get started.
Emmy host Jimmy Kimmel instructed people to go on Twitter and Facebook and write something along the lines of: "OMG, Tracy Morgan just passed out at the Emmys. Turn on ABC right now!" as a prank, just to see how quickly the information would spread (and inspire new viewers). Morgan, who was in on the gag, complied.
And, true to the pack mentality that develops instantaneously on social media, untold thousands of people actually did this. Many others simply read the words "Tracy Morgan" and "passed out" and thought Morgan truly had passed out.
Even Stephen Colbert (at)StephenatHome and Rosie O'Donnell (at)Rosie got in on the action, which prompted thousands more retweets.
Morgan was committed to the act, though: Not only did he lie down on stage, he actually stayed there through the commercial break and was hauled away, rambling to himself.
? Christy Lemire ? Twitter: https://twitter.com/christylemire
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CRYER IS NOW TOP DOG
The changing of the guard is complete.
Jon Cryer truly was shocked to win an Emmy Sunday in his first outing as a nominee for lead actor in a comedy series.
That category used to belong to Cryer's former "Two and a Half Men" co-star Charlie Sheen. But with Sheen famously dumped from the CBS program, Cryer was elevated to top dog status.
"I will be impossible to live with," he quipped backstage after collecting his award. "I will be brandishing this regularly."
Cryer said he figured Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory" would repeat as the winner.
"Clearly 'Big Bang' is just at the top of its game right now and unfortunately he's not gotten any worse," Cryer said. "I just did not think this was going to happen, so I apologize for my speech."
?Beth Harris ?Twitter http://twittter.com/bethharrisap
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KAT'S CURVES
It's a happy fact of life for male viewers that "Mad Men" star Christina Hendricks and "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara are, well, curvy.
And their curves were on ample display at Sunday's night Emmy telecast.
But the night's big surprise: Kat Dennings in a gown that exposed much of what had only been hinted at in her "2 Broke Girls" waitress uniform.
Her bustline had viewers' jaws dropping and tweeters madly tweeting.
? Frazier Moore ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier
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NO BOW TIE FOR KEVIN COSTNER
Kevin Costner went against the bow tie fashion trend at this year's Emmy Awards, sporting an open collar look that at least beat the searing heat on the red carpet.
The nominee for lead actor in a miniseries or movie for "Hatfields & McCoys" kept his arm around the waist of wife Christine Baumgartner as he arrived for the show. Asked to describe her gown, Costner said, "I can't wait to go home and close the door."
Stephen Colbert whipped out a blotting paper to make the sweat on his upper lip disappear before facing the throng of TV cameras.
Christine Baranski of "The Good Wife" shimmered under the relentless sunshine in a gold-and-silver sequined short dress. She eschewed a gown, saying she didn't want people stepping on it all night.
"I tried this on and it rocks," she said.
? Beth Harris ? Twitter: http://twittter.com/bethharrisap
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QUICKQUOTE: STEVEN LEVITAN
"I'm a little bit in shock, to tell you the truth." ? Steven Levitan, who won for directing, comedy, for "Modern Family"
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STONESTREET WON BUT WHO ELSE WON?
Eric Stonestreet was the first Emmy winner of the night, and the first backstage at the trophy table, but the suspense was still killing him.
"Who won? Who won? Who won the next award?" the "Modern Family" star kept asking as he claimed his statuette for best supporting actor in a comedy.
? Sandy Cohen ? Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy
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ZOOEY NAILS IT
Zooey Deschanel played up her "adorkable" persona on the Emmy red carpet with a quirky, sparkly manicure featuring television sets on her thumbnails.
The silver, gold and black accessories were a huge hit on Twitter.
A photo of an (at)ZooeyDeschanel digit was retweeted 964 times and favorite 1,135 times as of this writing. They were the work of nail technician Tom Bachik (at)RedCarpetMan.
Glamour Fashion called it "the mani we've been waiting for!" The "New Girl" star, who was a presenter Sunday night, is famous for her red-carpet nail numbers.
? Christy Lemire on Twitter: https://twitter.com/christylemire
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A MAD MAN MOMENT IN EMMY LOBBY
It was life imitating art just off to the side of the red carpet outside the Nokia Theatre entrance as "Mad Men" newbie Ben Feldman caught a smoke.
The resourceful first-time nominee discovered a corner tucked away from the scads of cameras and celebrities that was the perfect spot for a quick pre-show cigarette.
Unfortunately, there weren't any bottles of scotch nearby for him to wash it down with, but just inside the lobby of the Nokia Theatre attendees were lined up at the concession stand for $10 cocktails.
Feldman's "Mad Men" leading man Jon Hamm held court on the other side of the lobby, attracting a line of attendees who wanted a photo with the veteran nominee.
? Derrik J. Lang ? Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang .
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MOMS GOT THEIR DUE FROM THE RED CARPET
Moms weren't forgotten on the red carpet.
Rico Rodriguez, young star of "Modern Family," brought his mother as his date, presenting her to the world as "the beautiful ma-ma."
The pair were even featured in a prerecorded bit that tracked their progress in a limo from home to the Emmycast.
And earlier Stephen Colbert, while being interviewed with his wife at his side, took a moment to phone his 91-year-old mom on his cellphone to say hello.
"I've shouted at her 'We're on ABC!'" he told interviewer Josh Elliott.
? Frazier Moore ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier
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A RED CARPET PROPOSAL
One Emmy attendee used the red carpet for more than just walking ? he got down on one knee and proposed to his date.
Security initially tried to shoo him off, but saw him reaching into his pocket for a ring and let the moment happen. With throngs of people cheering, he presented the ring and received a kiss, and presumably an answer "Yes," as those nearby applauded the mystery couple.
? Anthony McCartney ? Twitter http://twittter.com/mccartneyA
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EVEN CELEBRITIES SWEAT
With temperatures topping 90 degrees on the Emmy red carpet, the stars were doing everything they could not to let you see them sweat.
"Dancing With the Stars" host Tom Bergeron sucked down a bottle of water as he walked the carpet. Others clutched hand fans and discreetly dabbed their brows as they made their way into the Nokia Theatre.
Ashley Judd of "Missing" went a different route, toting an umbrella as she sashayed between interviews.
? Anthony McCartney ? Twitter http://twittter.com/mccartneyA
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FROM 1 JIMMY TO ANOTHER
Jimmy Fallon is playing musical chairs at this year's Emmy Awards, in more ways than one.
The 2010 Emmy host, interviewed on the red carpet, noted he has passed hosting duties on to another Jimmy this year, name of Kimmel.
As a result, Fallon said, he doesn't even have a ticket to the 2012 show.
"But Clint Eastwood said he was going to save me a chair," Fallon cracked.
His advice to this year's Jimmy: "Don't make out with Betty White. There's cameras everywhere and you'll get caught. And definitely go to Honey Boo Boo's after-party, cause that's gonna be where it's at."
? Frazier Moore ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier
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SEEING STARS ON THE RED CARPET
At the Emmys there's the red carpet and then there's ? well ? the other red carpet.
As the main red carpet fills up, security tries to keep the line moving by directing the big stars down the carpet where cameras are lined up to film them and entertainment journalists are waiting to interview them.
Meantime, the less famous are directed down a parallel red carpet closer to the fan bleachers.
"Please continue walking," security guards continuously say.
Sometimes they'll also give a gentle nudge to someone on the B-list red carpet who lingers too long taking pictures of the folks on the A-List red carpet.
? Anthony McCartney ? Twitter http://twittter.com/mccartneyA
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QUICKQUOTE: JESSE TYLER FERGUSON
"It's so warm I thought a nice flannel tux would be appropriate." ? Jesse Tyler Ferguson of "Modern Family" on the Emmy red carpet.
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GETTING THE STARS' ATTENTION
"Jesse Jesse Jesse!" the crowd chants trying to get the attention of "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. He obliges with several waves to the bleacher crowd.
Before the first stream of stars arrived on the Emmy Red Carpet, a show producer told them to "make everything personal" if they wanted to get their attention.
It may take several chants, but the stars often answer with a wave, a smile or the occasional fist pump.
? Anthony McCartney ?Twitter http://twittter.com/mccartneyAP
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KEEPING COOL IN THE FAN BLEACHERS
Fran and Elmer Armstrong are awards show veterans, joining throngs of fans for at least their sixth Emmy Awards Show on a sweltering Sunday afternoon.
The retired St. Louis couple's quest for a front row seat in the fan bleachers beside the red carpet began when they lined up outside the Nokia Theatre around 7:30 a.m. Sunday. As the day progressed, and temperatures rose, they hung in there, cheering as the cameras from E! Entertainment television filmed pre-show segments.
"Goodbye Giuliana," 70-year-old Elmer Armstrong shouted to anchor Giuliana Rancic as the E Entertainment crew wrapped up.
With temperatures topping 90 degrees, he and his 71-year-old wife were like many in the stands ? trying to keep cool with water and wet paper towels. At least this year's stands are shaded. Elmer Armstrong recalled one year when fans were forced to sit in the blazing sun.
That's not the only change to this year's fan seating ? a tall wall keeps fans from glad-handing or even getting autographs from cooperative celebrities.
Elmer Armstrong remains at the ready, however ? keeping his digital SLR camera and telephoto lens handy to get shots of the stars.
? Anthony McCartney ? Twitter ? http://twitter.com/McCartneyAP
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EDITOR'S NOTE ? Show Bits brings you the 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/show-bits-mandy-patinkin-holla-obama-fan-030042309.html
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Anyone can cook a steak after drinking | Cubicgarden.com
Got to love Manchester? Great people and some great festivals including the Manchester Food and Drink Festival. Its a great chance to try some great food and sample different drinks. Good food does cost but you can lower the prices by cooking for yourself. Actually I find the prices to be comparable to ordering a takeaway and how much hassle is it to cook a steak? Less time than calling a pizza delivery
A little while ago while walking home from somewhere late night in Manchester. The guys I walked with, wanted to stop at a load of late night fast food places. I said fine but I got a steak with a bag of salad to eat when I finally get home, so I won?t be interested in hanging around fast food joints?
Bit of background?
I made the decision to start putting a steak at the bottom of my fridge (when going out and drinking) with a bag of green salad, so when walking back I don?t get tempted to buy some greasy mixed up kebab or some deep friend chicken. And it works because the temptation is literally gone and eating home cooked steak instead of deep friend whatever is obviously better for you. Specially when you add a bag of green salad.
Phil (the guy sitting on the sofa with the lady iris) challenged me that our friend Dan (his flatmate) could not cook a steak at 4am after a night of heavy drinking. I knew even Dan could with a tiny bit of direction from myself (he never cooked a steak before ever).
Of course I recorded it from the moment he put it in the pan. Watch out for the moment when I thought he was going to burn his fingers off though (so glad he didn?t do so).
I can tell you the steak was nice not like my own efforts.
If Dan can do it anyone can?
Source: http://cubicgarden.com/2012/09/23/anyone-can-cook-a-steak/
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'Still time' for Endurance search
25 September 2012
Last updated at 06:09 ET
A long-standing bid to locate the wreck of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance could still be mounted in time for the centenary of his most famous expedition in 2014.
That's the view of expert David Mearns, who heads the ambitious proposal.
Mr Mearns said any effort to find Endurance would be technically challenging and expensive.
But he says it could be prepared in a year-and-a-half if financial backing could be secured.
Mr Mearns, who is director of UK-based Blue Water Recoveries, calls it "a 100-year dream".
He said there were no "concrete" plans at present to search for the wreck. But the project is under discussion, and Mr Mearns adds: "There is certainly more interest today than there was two years ago."
The 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, set out to complete the first land crossing of Antarctica. But when Endurance became trapped by pack ice in the Weddell Sea, the crew had to abandon ship and camp out on one of the floes.
Continue reading the main story?Start Quote
End Quote David Mearns Blue Water RecoveriesIf this wreck were anywhere else in the world it would have been found, either by me or somebody else?
Some key supplies were salvaged before the vessel was crushed by the ice and sank. Though Shackleton had failed in his goal of crossing Antarctica, the expedition would later be celebrated as an epic feat of survival.
The crew drifted until their floe split suddenly, forcing them to undertake a perilous journey in lifeboats. They eventually reached Elephant Island, where Shackleton selected a small breakaway group to accompany him on a voyage to South Georgia to seek help.
After the small party reached the whaling station of Stromness, he organised a rescue for the remainder of his crew. After four attempts, they were finally picked up from Elephant Island by in August 1916.
Continue reading the main storyWho was Ernest Shackleton?
- Born in Co Kildare in 1874, Ernest Shackleton ignored his father's wish for him to become a doctor and joined the merchant navy aged 16
- His hunger for polar exploration grew with a trip to Antarctica in 1901, when his crew came closer to the South Pole than anyone had before
- After stints as a journalist, geographer and failed politician, Shackleton returned to Antarctica in 1908 and led a team up Mount Erebus
- It was his third trip, leading the Endurance in 1914 as World War I erupted, that made Shackleton's name
- His crew set off hoping to become the first to cross Antarctica, only emerging two years later with an epic tale of survival
Source: BBC History
There has been ongoing interest in locating the wreck of Endurance - one of history's great lost ships - for years, including at least two recent bids.
"The research and operational planning - the desktop work - for this project was completed years ago," said Mr Mearns.
"We're not starting from scratch - we can get geared up very quickly. We can do that in a year-and-a-half, but two years would be better," he explained, adding that ideally he would want more time to prepare.
He said any expedition would likely cost between US$15m and US$20m, explaining that "it's not so much about finding one 'white knight', it's about finding several key sponsors who could work together."
Mr Mearns continued: "If this wreck were anywhere else in the world it would have been found, either by me or somebody else.
"The challenge is the ice - it's the same one Shackleton had. If you solve that problem, you can be successful. But the only way to solve the problem is with big, heavy ice-breaking ships. And not just one, at least two. Three would be better, but two would be affordable - and I think would be successful."
"One ship can't go into the Weddell Sea and be strong enough to withstand the drifting ice floes. They would move the ship off station. The one thing that we do in these expeditions is to be stationary over the shipwreck.
The first two objectives of the expedition would be to find the wreck and then film it using an ROV (a tethered Remote Operated Vehicle). Mr Mearns said his plan would be to position ice-breaking ships upcurrent to break up the floes into smaller chunks that the stationary ship could handle.
"Even if we go completely cable-less (with an untethered autonomous vehicle, or AUV) in the search phase, if you are going to have an ROV in the water later on, you have to stay over the top of the wreck," Mr Mearns told BBC News.
A hybrid ROV and AUV such as Nereus - built by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the US - might be suitable for such an endeavour. In AUV mode, it can survey large areas of the sea floor to search for targets of interest. It can then be brought back on the ship allowing it to be transformed into an ROV which can then be used on a tether to transmit real-time video and receive commands.
Endurance is thought to have settled about 3km (10,000ft) below the sea (about 610m, or 2,000ft, shallower than the Titanic wreck). Its final resting site is thought to be some 1,600km (1,000 miles) south of Cape Horn in Chile.
Recovering items from the wreck site would be a tertiary objective. Recovery remains a topic of much debate among those interested in locating and exploring historic wrecks.
But David Mearns comments that "there isn't any problem with recovering things from the wreck as long as it is being done in an archaeologically sensitive way and that they are going to museums - which is all in our plan. But we'd just be happy finding it and filming it."
He has agreed a deal with Shackleton's family protecting their interests and rights if any expedition were mounted to find the ship and, as a result, has their full backing. After having to pay back many of his sponsors in full, the Antarctic explorer died penniless. Even the royalties from his book South went towards paying off his debts.
The deep water search expert previously led expeditions that discovered the wrecks of the World War II battleships HMS Hood and HMAS Sydney, along with the MV Derbyshire, a UK-built tanker lost during a typhoon off the coast of Japan in 1980, amongst others.
With 2014 in sight, there is renewed interest in a Hollywood film, and several expeditions are being planned to celebrate the centenary of Shackleton's voyage.
Shackleton Epic, to be undertaken by members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, will re-enact the hazardous boat journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a replica of the lifeboat, James Caird.
Mr Mearns said that even if the Endurance search could not be prepared in time for 2014, there would be other opportunities: the anniversary of the ship's sinking was in 2015 and the crew did not return from Antarctica until 2017.
Last month, a team from the California-based Schmidt Ocean Institute located the wreck of Terra Nova, the ship that carried Captain Scott's party on their ill-fated expedition to reach the South Pole.
Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19692704#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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Sunday, September 23, 2012
S Texas town holds out hope bridge will pay off
DONNA, Texas (AP) ? With room for eight lanes to carry traffic to and from Mexico, the Donna International Bridge could easily handle thousands of cars and heavy trucks daily, pouring toll money into city coffers.
But instead of the bustle and congestion of a typical South Texas border crossing, an orderly calm prevails here. At times, the afternoon traffic is so light that the single, bored toll collector has time to chat between arriving cars.
With its second anniversary approaching, the bridge is still losing thousands of dollars a day, and the multifaceted $900 million development complex planned for 1,000 acres on the U.S. side exists only in colorful, two-dimensional depictions.
This wasn't what folks had in mind when they borrowed $30 million to build a bridge across the Rio Grande. Instead of growth and money, so far it's only brought Donna the highest tax rate in Hidalgo County.
"It's like having a kid in college, in his freshman year. We're still paying for the books and all the expenses," said City Manager Oscar Ramirez, who said city taxpayers are underwriting about $7,400 in bridge debt and operating costs each day.
"We have been working with factors beyond our control, but we are being responsible parents," added Ramirez, who believes that, like a college graduate, the bridge will become an economic driver and revenue producer.
Set amid cane fields about 10 miles east of the prosperous Pharr International Bridge, the Donna Bridge provides an example of the risks, political complexities and financial uncertainties of tackling such an ambitious project.
For starters, no one anticipated that drug cartel violence would turn northern Mexico into a no-man's land about the time the bridge was completed, dramatically reducing crossings.
For Donna, a working-class community of only 16,500, there was little room for error.
"We're a small community, less than 10 square miles," said Mayor David Simmons. "Our largest employer is the school district. The second largest is the city. So that tells you what we have right there."
The mayor, who inherited the project, said car traffic has slowly increased since the bridge opened in December 2010 and jumps each time operating hours are extended.
At most Valley bridges, southbound trucks pay $20 and cars $3 to cross. But since the Donna Bridge does not carry trucks, the only revenue comes from the 1,200 cars that cross daily. City officials say 500 southbound trucks a day would put the bridge in the black.
"The city will recover after a while. We're really fighting to get that empty truck traffic. Eventually we want the full truck traffic. That's where the money is to be made, commercial traffic," the mayor said
The city is even willing to pay for an inspection station so federal agents can process empty trucks, he said. "But will the federal government man this facility? We don't know."
The Donna Bridge is the newest of 11 spans that cross the Rio Grande between Brownsville and Roma. Together they record about 120,000 truck crossings and 1.8 million car crossings each month, and in some places compete with each other.
For example, operators of both the Donna Bridge and Anzalduas Bridge, which opened in 2009 near Mission, are eager to carry heavy truck traffic, something that hinges on federal approval.
The operators of the Pharr Bridge, 10 miles upstream, which has a monopoly on commercial traffic in this part of the Valley, are in no rush to share their bonanza of 40,000 paying trucks a month.
"We're far from being at capacity," said Jesse Medina, director of the Pharr Bridge, who doesn't expect competition for at least five years. And by the time that happens, he said, Pharr will be fine, in part because of anticipated increases in shipping of Mexican produce.
"We can lose half our traffic and still do very well financially. And we're not just sitting on our seats. We're marketing the area for the perishables that can be exported to the United States on a fast-track basis," he said.
Late last month, the Valley's bridge operators met for two days in Brownsville with state and federal transportation officials, as well as their Mexican counterparts, to work on a Border Master Plan.
The bi-national effort is intended to coordinate and prioritize border infrastructure development. Each bridge operator came with specific wants and needs, most of them dependent on federal money and staffing.
The master plan for the Rio Grande Valley, including a ranking of projects, will be published sometime late next spring, and will serve as a guide to federal agencies responsible for manning the international bridges and other ports of entry.
"The idea is to bring federal, state and local agencies together and come up with a list of prioritized projects, so scarce federal resources can be assigned appropriately," said Jolanda Prozzi, an analyst with Texas Transportation Institute who is working on the plan.
While Donna has heard plenty of sharp criticism and second-guessing since its bridge opened, to some extent, it is a victim of unforeseeable circumstances.
When the project was being planned a few years ago, no one predicted that the violence in Mexico would cut private vehicle crossings on some Valley bridges in half, with Rio Bravo, the city just across the Rio Grande from Donna, becoming the scene of shootouts, kidnappings and assassinations.
Also unforeseen was the current scarcity of federal money needed for staff and inspection stations.
As the mayor and others have noted, the traffic and revenue forecasts made by Donna's various bridge consultants proved to be optimistic, as did the expectation that Donna would quickly handle heavy trucks.
"The Donna Bridge is not a bad idea. It's a great idea. The problem is they opened when people were not going to Mexico. The bottom had fallen out," said Medina, director of the Pharr Bridge.
"And, they were expecting commercial traffic and I think they were taken advantage of there. They paid a lot of money for bad information, for pie in the sky," he said.
Competition among the bridge interests in the McAllen area is polite but intense, with each group having its own lobbyists and own agendas. And none are above mildly disparaging the others to an inquiring reporter.
McAllen City Manager Michael Perez, whose city owns about half the Anzalduas Bridge, said it's the obvious choice for increased commercial traffic because it sits between a large maquiladora complex in Reynosa and a foreign trade zone on the U.S. side.
"Hopefully, you'll let market forces dictate what happens. And if you were on the west side of Reynosa, what would cause you to drive to Donna or Pharr to cross?" he asked.
"It makes a lot of business sense, but we can't seem to convince the people in Washington on the political side," he said.
In Donna, city leaders are sticking with their plan to steadily expand bridge services, and say someday the city will have truck traffic and reap the financial rewards. Until then, the bridge will have to be subsidized.
"We're not looking for vindication. We're professionals. We have a vision, and we're trying to make the wisest decisions to get ourselves there," said Ramirez, the city manager.
"If we didn't have the bridge, we'd still be a sleepy town trying to bring in big business. A port of entry gives us an advantage other cities don't have."
___
Information from: San Antonio Express-News, http://www.mysanantonio.com
Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/S-Texas-town-holds-out-hope-bridge-will-pay-off-3885928.php
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