NEWARK, N.J. — the memory of missing the playoffs for first time since 1996 and the ghost of an 18-year-old wound were wiped out with a sweep of rookie Adam Henrique’s stick.

the new Jersey Devils are going back to the Stanley Cup finals, thanks to Henrique, a 40-year-old goaltender and a coach who’d never been to the postseason in the NHL.

How’s that for a turnaround?

Henrique scored off a wild scramble in front at 1:03 into overtime and the Devils defeated the rival new York Rangers, 3-2, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first Stanley Cup finals since 2003.

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“It means a lot,” Devils leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk said minutes after reaching the Cup finals for the first time. “It’s a great feeling. last year was a tough one, but this year was totally different. we played well all year. the first round of the playoffs was a little tough but after that, I think we figured out our game and what it takes to win.”

after beating Florida, Philadelphia and their biggest rivals, the Rangers, only the Los Angeles Kings stand in the way of a fourth Cup for new Jersey.

the title round begins here Wednesday.

this series win came against the Devils’ most intense rival, and it was that much sweeter.

“That one was like Christmas,” said Henrique, who also scored the series winner in overtime as Devils’ first-round, Game 7 win over the Panthers.

it also was needed. the Devils blew a 2-0 first-period lead and didn’t want to head back to new York for a Game 7 on Sunday.

“It didn’t matter how it got to overtime, we were in a good position,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We were at home. we just needed one shot.”

Actually, the Devils needed four shots to win the game.

Henrique’s winner came after Henrik Lundqvist stopped Kovalchuk twice and Alexei Ponikarovsky. the last shot lay in the crease and Henrique tapped it home.

“We caught them on a line change and their defensemen were tired,” said Devils coach Peter DeBoer, who was fired by Florida after missing the playoffs in his three seasons. “We found a way to jam one in. That’s the only way you’re going to score on Lundqvist. You’re not going to get a clean one. You’re going to have to work for it around the net.

“And that’s what we did.”

Ryan Carter and Kovalchuk also scored for the Devils, whose biggest move this year was hiring DeBoer. he has more than proved his coaching ability.

Ruslan Fedotenko and Ryan Callahan tallied for top-seeded new York, which had a good flurry just before new Jersey scored to end it.

Henrique, who is nominated for the Calder Trophy – given to the NHL’s top rookie – skated away from the crease and jumped against the end boards in the corner as his teammates hopped off the bench and mobbed him.

the six Rangers on the ice just stayed down in disbelief and frustration. this was very much like Game 5, which the Devils won 5-3. new York carried the play after the first period and had a 35-29 edge in shots.

But when it came time for a game-deciding play to be made, it was a Devil who made it.

“When they scored, it was such an empty feeling,” said Lundqvist, who said the puck took a weird bounce on the final play. “It is shocking.”

Henrique overcame injury to score this one. he seemed to take a stick from Brian Boyle in the groin area late in the third and had to leave the ice.

he felt no pain after the game winner.

All the Rangers could do was bow their heads and then line up for the traditional handshake after losing to their cross-rival rivals in a series that was close.

“That’s playoff hockey, and that’s usually where you get an overtime goal,” Rangers veteran Brandon Prust said. “Just whacking away in front of the net, getting rebounds.”

Martin Brodeur, 40, kept the Devils alive in the third. he stopped a power-play shot by Brad Richards, made a save on Artem Anisimov between the circles and used his stick to deflect a pass from the boards by Carl Hagelin in the final minute just before it got to Marian Gaborik on the edge of the crease.

“You could tell he was in the zone. he led us,” Parise said. “He made some big saves tonight.”

Lundqvist’s best stop in the third was on Dainius Zubrus on a shot from behind the circles.

Facing elimination and down 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Rangers found their game in the second period and tied the game at 2-all on goals by Fedotenko and Callahan in a roughly four-minute span.

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who assisted on both goals, made the big play to get new York back in the game. he collected the puck above the left circle, skated around the net and tried a wrap around. the shot didn’t go on goal but it turned out to be a perfect pass to Fedotenko who a tap-in into an open net at 9:47.

Callahan, who had a new York goal go off his leg in the Devils’ 5-3 win on Wednesday, tied the game at 13:41 when Dan Girardi’s shot from the right point deflected off his leg into the open lower corner of the net. Callahan’s sixth of the postseason was set up when Brandon Dubinsky won a faceoff in the left circle.

Carter, who scored the game winner in new York on Wednesday night after the Devils blew a 3-0 lead, put new Jersey ahead again at 10:05 of the opening period.

the play started with a bad pinch at the point by Rangers defenseman Marc Staal. Steve Bernier led a 3-on-1 and found Stephen Gionta coming down the middle for a solo chance against Lundqvist. the Rangers goaltender stopped the shot, but Carter swatted the rebound home for his fourth of the playoffs.

Kovalchuk’s seventh goal of the postseason and fifth on the power play was a thing of beauty. All five Devils skaters touched the puck with tape-to-tape passes with Zubrus finding Kovalchuk alone low in the left circle for a shot that Lundqvist had little chance to stop.

the Devils — as is the tradition for many Cup finalists — did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy that was presented at center ice. as the team skated off to their locker room, “Glory Days,” the 1984 hit from new Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen serenaded them.

the game was played on the 18-year anniversary of the Rangers’ dramatic, 4-2, Game 6 victory over new Jersey at the Meadowlands, a victory that pushed that classic Eastern Conference final series to a Game 7 and eventually led new York to its first Stanley Cup in 54 years. That game, of course, was preceded by a guarantee from Rangers captain mark Messier, who delivered three goals en route to the victory.

this time, though, there will be no Game 7.

Notes

• the Empire State Building’s tower lights were lit in red and blue on Friday to cheer on the Rangers.
• Mogul and TV personality Donald Trump was at the game.
• Devils C Travis Zajac left the ice briefly in the second after being slashed on the left hand by Prust. No penalty was called.
• new Jersey is 4-1 in overtime in the postseason. new York finished 2-3 after regulation.
• this is only the second time the Devils have defeated the Rangers in the postseason in six tries.
• the last time new Jersey played in the Stanley Cup finals, the Devils also played a California team: the Anaheim Ducks in 2003.

New York at New Jersey

It started with the sauce – something I’d whipped up to serve with grilled salmon. It’s so simple yet so delicious – just mayonnaise, lemon juice, fresh dill, garlic, salt and pepper. it only occurred to me as I sat down to write this post that it’s actually an aioli. Mmmm aioli….

Then I was thinking about accompaniments to grilled salmon and thought, potatoes and green beans. Then I thought, what if I mixed the sauce with those two things? it sounded promising…

So I steamed some Yukon Golds and blanched some green beans and tossed them with the sauce and voila, my new favorite salad was born! It’s a great dish for spring and will be an even better one for summer when fresh beans and new potatoes are coming right out of the garden or the farmers’ market. And, I can report, it does go very nicely with grilled salmon.

One of the things I love about this hearty salad is the relative ease of putting it together, BUT if you are in a slow food mood and have a little extra time, you could take it one step further by making your own mayo for the aioli.

Next: get the recipe!

Green Bean & Potato Salad With Lemon-Dill Aioli

NEWARK – the greatest Devils teams in franchise history dominated the N.H.L. about a decade ago, rising to prominence with a stifling neutral zone trap, an impenetrable goalie and opportunistic forwards that thrived on the counterattack. It was a group that, as Patrik Elias fondly remembered, knew “if we just played good enough that we’d beat anybody,” and the Devils often did, playing for the Stanley Cup three times in four seasons and winning it twice, in 2001 and 2003.

“We had some offensive guys, some defensive guys, and it just meshed together,” Elias said. “And I think now we’re getting there as a team, too.”

Elias strengthened the comparison by calling this team as good “as I’ve seen in my 15, 16 years here,” and it is unlikely that his feelings would change even if the Devils blow their three-games-to-two advantage over the Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals.

The squad is largely unchanged from the one that missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 seasons, that endured three coaches in seven months. But it is on the verge of its first conference championship since 2003 in no small part because of Peter DeBoer, who was hired last July and instituted an aggressive forechecking system that pummeled the Flyers in a second-round matchup.

“That made us all believe, even more so than before, that we had a pretty good team,” the captain Zach Parise said.

Parise is a career Devil, much like Martin Brodeur, much like Elias, who said he was a bit uncertain about DeBoer at first – “every coach that gets fired, you’re going to get some positive, you’re going to get some negative,” he said – but waited for DeBoer to install his system before developing an opinion. Elias said he was “pleasantly surprised.”

And now?

“He’s been great,” Elias said. “He knows how to handle us individually, how to handle us as a team. He’s given us an opportunity, every one of us, to succeed.”

Right away, DeBoer mapped out his vision, and, Parise said, “he drilled it into us right away.” using video and a trusty white board, DeBoer inculcated within his team how he expected – check that, demanded – it would play. All players on the ice, the two defensemen included, would be involved at all times. No sitting back, no passiveness, no complaints. Devils players have been sporting t-shirts with one of DeBoer’s favorite phrases printed on them: “Swarm it up.”

“I think when you believe in how the game should be played and you have the conviction in that, I think it sells itself,” DeBoer said. “I don’t think there was any premeditated salesmanship. I can tell you, if I was a used car salesman, I’d starve to death.”

Even if his players embraced the new strategy, it still took them time to master it – about half the season, Elias estimated. the Devils lost three straight games heading into the All-Star break, but came out blazing afterward, winning five in a row and 9 of 11. after the break, they went 22-9 with three overtime losses, and they closed the season by winning their final six games. now they are one victory from facing the Los Angeles Kings in the finals, from restoring the Devils’ proud tradition, from giving Brodeur a chance for his fourth ring and Elias his third. Parise, David Clarkson, Bryce Salvador and so many others are trying for their coveted first.

“I don’t think anyone predicted at the start of the season that we would have a chance to play a home game to move on to the Stanley Cup Final,” DeBoer said. “And we’re in a great spot. We worked awfully hard to get to this point. And where else would you want to be?”

Devils Get High Praise From Elias on Eve of Game 6

I’ve had been on a Sugar Ray Leonard kick lately, going to YouTube.com and watching some of the old footage. The other day I was watching ESPN late night and I caught a typical ESPN boxing show. RingSide: Sugar Ray Leonard. it was midnight. I was ready to go to sleep, but, I was just caught in a web. I had to watch it. it was the RINGSIDE: Sugar Ray Leonard. it started at midnight and ended at three a.m.

Okay, I know you die hards know that this was taped backed in 2007. my response is-who cares? I had never seen it. I just saw it and it revealed so much to me. ESPN Classic always shows the same fights and the same fighters. Ali, Tyson, Joe Louis, etc. I love all of those fights, but I’ve seen them so many times. how many times have you seen Mike Tyson’s Greatest Hits I and II? it gets a little redundant after a while.

As a life long fan of Sugar Ray Leonard, it was fantastic, this a great episode of ringside. it showed video of so much good footage of Ray in his early fights. These are fights that you usually don’t see. a first round knockout of the Daniel Gonzalez, who had never been stopped and came into the fight with a 52-2 record. Fight footage of Ray vs. Willie Rodriguez in his second professional bout. it was a six rounder and it showed that Ray had to battle to beat these guy for the full six rounds. These guys weren’t just tomato cans. The next footage they showed was Ray vs. Adolfo Viruet in April of 1979, and then Ray vs. Pete Ranzany for the NABF welterweight title in August of 1979. it was pretty amazing to see how great Ray handled these guys. keep in mind that Ray, although an Olympic champion, was challenging fighters who were veterans and a handful of them had over forty fights. Ray had seen international competition. he was prepared for these guys and handled them accordingly. This was all due to Angelo Dundee. although Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton were in Rays corner from the beginning, it was Angelo Dundee’s duty to select Rays opponents.

Did you know that Ray fought a guy named Bernardo Prada on November 3rd, 1978 at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine? Ray came in at 146 lbs and won a unanimous decision.

Don’t get me wrong, not all of Ray’s fights were memorable. however, in today’s standards, any Sugar Ray Leonard fight would be televised by some big network.

The interesting thing about the special on ESPN was that Ray was there, interviewed in person. Bert Randolph Sugar was there, and they also brought in Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini. I love Boom Boom.

Nonetheless, it was a great show. Brian Kenny was the host. They literally walked through all of Rays career. They watched footage of each fight, then asked questions to Ray in regard to how he was feeling and what his thoughts were going into each fight. it was a total luxury for me, a long life Ray Leonard fan, to see and hear about footage of Ray Leonard fights. To me, Leonard is why I love boxing. Look at his fights. what a fighter. he was so great to watch.

Ultimately, Ringside focused on Ray’s first WBC Welterweight Championship fight with Wilfred Benitez. This fight was a fast paced fight, almost always characterized as ‘high speed chess’. Wilfred was a master boxer who was only twenty-one years old at the time and had won his first world title at the age of seventeen. The fight between Ray and Wilfred was pretty great. it was Ray’s first 15 round fight and he won it on pure skill and heart. Ray stated that after he won the fight, but he had to be taken to the hospital after the fight due to dehydration.

The remaining part of Ray’s career is pretty well publicized. The Duran fights in 1980. The first Hearns fight in 1981 which was the pinnacle of Ray’s career. The retirements, the Hagler fight in 1987, and the endless comebacks which finally ended in 1997 against Hector Camacho.

If you ever get a chance and see this episode of Ringside, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

The Young Sugar Ray Leonard

Just by the title of this article, I feel like Andy Rooney from 60 minutes. I grew up watching him with my Grandma, although he looks just the same as he did when I was 3. So last night, when I turned the on the TV and he was there, I thought I would watch him to bring my Grandmother closer to me. Low and behold, he began talking about the packaging and marketing of items, and how companies, even software companies, have more hype then product. and judging by Fan Fair, I would have to agree with him.

This was my first Fan Fair, so maybe I should give it a few years, but I also got the pulse of the situation from other Fan Fair attendee’s, the tried and true dedicated fans of Fan Fair. So let me start at the beginning. Being a novice Fan Fair attendee, I did all of the wrong things. I didn’t make reservations, and I didn’t purchase tickets ahead of time. When I arrived at the airport, there was a woman waiting for me with a sign that had my name on it. (One of the perks of being part of Fan Fair I guess, but trust me, one of the very few and I am smiling at that) I arrived at my dear friend’s house and started to unpack. The next day would be a busy one with the baseball game and some interviews.

When the next day arrived, Nashville was hit by a major thunder and lightening storm and when calling to rent a car, there were none available. My first lesson at Fan Fair, reserve a car So I would be stuck hitching rides with friends or relying on taxi’s that are very cost prohibitive The problem was that we couldn’t get to the baseball game. all the taxi’s were taking forever and had to be called many times and they still did not show. The one person that was nice enough to come get us didn’t want to head in that direction because of the storm. Okay, then I would head to the Indie fest that had already begun.

When I arrived at the Indie Fest I met up with some friends from my last European tour and saw Jack Green and Ernie Ashworth, Grand Ole Opry Stars and true stars they are. you really should go check them out at the Grand Ole Opry whenever they are on I already knew Ernie from touring last year. The Indies’ played their hearts out, Sean O’Brien being one of the best I have seen in a long time. what a crooner, and someone else whose show you must check out if he plays in your town you won’t be disappointed and women, he’s a doll BUT keep your lips for screaming when he sings only, because he is married to a very lovely and sweet wife. The Indies’ were backed by some of Nashville’s finest musicians; Bess Travers who played bass was awesome The Nashville Players were there and incredible. Then I was told by someone at Indie fest who was working there, that the Grand Ole Opry Stars who were supposed to be playing at the Indie Fest, all 22 of them, were told they could not play there. I won’t go into the reason’s why, but when the crowd found out, they were disappointed Stella Parton graced the Indie Fest stage as well as Bobby G. Rice.

After the show, a bunch of us headed down to the famous restaurant, Houston’s. While the prices were expensive, it was worth every single bite The food was fabulous and I would recommend anyone visiting Nashville to give it a try While we were waiting, I ran into Jamie O’Neil and Neil McCoy (a true cowboy at heart). Neil was very casual and friendly. I thought wow, this is the beginning of what I expected at Fan Fair, the fans, meeting the stars and Fan Fair hadn’t really begun yet

After Houston’s, we headed down to Broadway, and for those of you not familiar with Nashville, this is where you will find it all. The Ryman is less then a block from Broadway, world famous Tootsies is on Broadway and of course is a must see and then there is Legends next door to Tootsies just to name a few. all the bars had no cover charge and some of the best music I have heard in a long time. we danced the night away and landed home around 4 AM. The next day I hit Riverfest that had an inexpensive all day ticket of $10.00. The first 2 hours were acts signed to major Indie labels, and let me tell you, some of the acts could not sing on key. It wasn’t just my musicians’ ear that was tweaked, I looked around and the crowd was cringing too But then acts like T Graham Brown, Joe Stampley and The Great Divide came on and spiced up the crowd, giving renewed hope to audience. they were crowd pleasers and crowd stoppers and everyone loved them.

In between, a DJ from one of the radio stations in Nashville asked the audience how they liked the new venue. The crowd roared a huge boooo, we hate it The DJ actually seemed overwhelmed and surprised by the reaction. I decided I would ask one of the people who was sitting beside me why he and his wife did not like the new venue. they said they had purchased platinum tickets to the Adelphia, where all the Fan Fair booths and concerts were held, and they were seated so far away during the concerts, that the stars looked like ants. I decided to do some research. I went around the crowd asking the same question, do you like the new format of Fan Fair. Why or Why not? It was always the same answer. Too many people. Too much corporate, not enough stars and the few stars that actually showed up for something other then the concerts were only there for a brief time. Extremely hard to find parking spots, and too much traffic.

My friend took out the Fan Fair booklet and counted only 26 actual signing booths for stars out of the 100 some odd booths in the Adelphia building. WOW Wait a minute. I thought this was Fan Fair, not Gizmo and latest Gadget fair. according to previous Fan Fair attendee’s, Fan Fair used to be held at the fair grounds. There were a lot of stars and star booths, concerts, and everything was in one place. No hopping about, trying to find parking and trying to make it to something that already happened before you arrived. another huge complaint was that the venue used to be held during the week and was longer, and now it was held during the busiest time, the weekend and it was shorter. I did not hear a single positive remark from the fans about the new format.

But let’s get back to my experience at Fan Fair, the Riverfest stage. Sherrie Austin came out, and the men went wild. She sang up a storm and sounded as good live as she does on her CD. After she finished, a bunch of us decided to go grab a bite to eat before we watched the next round of people on stage. we headed up to Broadway and started looking. I went into a cute little store called Cotton Eyed Joes, to get a bag to carry some things I had in hand. Nice little store, inexpensive, with a lot of touristy type items for those of you looking for that type of thing. As we walked up the street one of the gals I was with said she wanted some french fries and that she wanted to go into Hooters to get them. I said, ‘Are you crazy? I have never been in a Hooters in my life and I don’t want to start now.’ For those of you who have seen me live, it’s not a threat to me; it’s that I feel it’s degrading to women. Of course none of the men in our group objected.LOL Like they would. Snicker. So, in we went, into Hooters, and my friends were pushing me in saying I should get a job there. NOT Okay, so I was wrong, it wasn’t at all what I expected it to be. instead of the bikini-clad women I had seen in the ads, they were wearing T-shirts, which didn’t offend me while I was eating.

Our plans were crushed, while we sat eating our cuisine at Hooters (just the name is offensive to me, sorry guys), as the rain starting pouring and a lighting storm of huge proportions starting hitting the fair city of Nashville. It rained the rest of the day, so our plans to head back to Riverfest to see some of the more popular artists for that week, were dashed. by evening, the rain had stopped and we headed for the Nashville Palace with some friends. The cuisine left much to be desired. Not one of us liked our food or our drinks, but the entertainment was great. Vern Gosdin showed up, greatly improved after his stroke a few years ago and sang a few tunes, much to the delight of the entire audience. what a legend The house band was awesome and I started realizing how ordinary one feels amongst such great talent that is everywhere, on every corner

What was surprising to me, was that the cover bands were playing mostly Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Willie Nelson songs to name just a few of the legends and the crowd would roar for more. you would hear, ‘We want more Merle’, ‘Play another Dolly tune’, ‘I want another Waylon tune’. and these requests continued throughout the night. you rarely heard a Shania Twain or Faith Hill song, and never a Jessica Andrews song. what I found so interesting was, whether the people in the crowd were 25, 72, 43, or 14 (and there were quite a few in the teenage group around), they all knew every single word to the old standards and wanted to hear more. I even heard several teenagers, when one of the newer songs was played yelling, ‘We don’t want to hear that we want Merle’ So the trend record labels have of letting the old ones go may not be what the public wants, who knows, maybe that is why Country Music is dying and record labels are going out of business. could it be they aren’t listening to what the people want, and only seeing the demographics of what they consider the main buying populace? is there a place for the old with the new?

Could it be that this industry and others that are following suit have thrown away traditions because anyone over the age of 40 is too old? That’s sad. It seems the people in charge have taken over what we are allowed to think, feel and see. Somehow, in the Americanized part of the world, anyone over the age of 25 has become outdated and too old and forget it if you are 40 or older. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I love my Grandma more then anything. I think of her more highly then anyone I have ever known. and on top of everything else, she is a virtual library of information. She is beautiful and interesting and fun. No one is going to tell me that because she is older, she is not of value

Recently, when I was viewing the site of a popular radio station, I saw a statement and list that read as follows: Artists we play, Artists we respect, but don’t play. all the older more established artists and the legends were on the ‘respected list’, and all of the up and comers were on the ‘we play list’. I called up and asked for the Program Director and asked why a certain artist, who I thought was newer because she had had a number one hit just last year, was on the ‘respected, but not played’ list. I already suspected why the other ones were on there, although I did not agree. I was told that while they respected the older artists, the artist I was referring too was too old because she had just turned 40, and they didn’t play females past the age of 40 on their station. what amazed me was that he had the guts to tell me this. Aren’t there age and sex discrimination laws? He said their demographic listening group liked younger artists only. How I wish he had been in Nashville that night

What an eye opener that statement was for me My reply to him was, Okay, so you’re telling me that Cher, Ella Fitzgerald, and Kenny Rogers have lost their voices and can no longer sing and we should put them out to pastor now? Right I hung up on him. Cher and Kenny Rogers have both had huge hits in the past several years and we all know they are over 40 Okay, enough of my ranting. back to Fan Fair and the original point. in the majority of the bars, the old standards were the most popular, especially Merle Haggard, and that was what people wanted to hear.

The next day we rehearsed for singing at the Blue Bird Caf, which was a huge thrill for me. I had never been to the Blue Bird. we rehearsed, hung out by the pool, and then went to the Blue Bird. There was some big talent there. So many wonderful singers I can’t name them all For those of you, who have never been to Nashville, please make sure to hit the Blue Bird Caf. It is very small, so get there early or there won’t be a seat for you. if you can’t make it there or to Nashville, they broadcast live on the Internet so you can hear the talent there too. we did the gig with Joanne and people came up to us telling us they loved it, and we were a breath of fresh air. That was nice. we headed back to downtown and back to Broadway to see the happenings there.

Daryle Singletary showed up at Tootsies and sang his hits from a several years ago. He was incredible. what a velvety voice. what I would like to know is why he was let go from his contract, and why isn’t he signed again yet? The crowd went wild for him, the women were cooing (me too.whoooo baby.what a hottie), and the men loved him too Someone needs to snatch him up, or he needs to start his own label. this was the last night of Fan Fair, and my last night in Nashville, so we had to make the best of it. we hit just about every bar on the strip, learning new dances, hearing the talent, seeing old friends and breathing in the last of the home town country feel, or at least the best you can get in a big city. My last stop was at the Grand Ole Opry Hotel, a real touristy thing to do and it was about midnight, but what a great last stop. It is the biggest hotel in the world with some 2000 rooms and a wonderful tropical environment smack dab in the middle of their huge atrium. what a sight and how beautiful. There was a fabulous light show that happened with water just after we arrived and we spent 3 hours just walking around and looking at the beautiful architecture. There was a lot more to the trip, but sadly, there just isn’t enough room

My general opinion of Fan Fair is that I would not go again. There were not enough stars for the general fans and it wasn’t at all what it had been built up to be. I would go to Nashville over and over and over again. I love that town It’s a great place, a great environment, with a lot of fun things to do, and a plethora of talent that is unbelievable if I were doing an Andy Rooney bit about Fan Fair, I would say, there was so much air in this huge package, and once you put a hole in the package and let all the air out, there was hardly any product. Most of the fun I had in Nashville, I could have had whether Fan Fair was there or not. even though I have never been part of the previous Fan Fairs, my vote is cast for the old venue to bring the stars back home

Copyright 2005 Jaci Rae

Fan Fair Is It fair or Not?

The U.S. Special Forces team is an immense network of highly specialized, highly trained soldiers–its members representing every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Commonly referred to as ‘spec ops’, these soldiers use specialized knowledge, rugged tactical and survival gear, high grade weapons and artillery, and surveillance equipment and methods, and various other military gear and equipment to complete their missions around the world.

In this section, lets answer six of the most frequently asked questions about special forces in two branches: the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

What’s required to become a Pararescueman?

Pararescuemen are a variety of the toughest, highly-trained and elite forces not only in the Air Force, but in the entire military. Commonly known as ‘PJ’s, pararescuers must pass extremely rigorous entrance tests just to enter training, and upon entering, Pararescuemen are subjected to some of the most grueling, trying physical and mental training ever heard of.

Pararescuemen, once certified, proudly wear a maroon beret and have successfully completed training as paramedics, in search and rescue (be it by land-air-sea), and infiltration/exfiltration.

What exactly are ‘Special Tactics?’

Special Tactics, in the U.S. Air Forces, operate within the Special Operations branch of operations. These elite teams (which include PJ’s) teams conduct spec ops missions to bolster and aid air operations deep behind enemy lines. Combat Control, Special Operations Weather and the Tactical Air Control Command are additional branches of the Air Force Special Tactics teams.

What Special Tactics jobs are there there for officers in the Air Force?

Special Tactics ranking officers offer three officer positions to qualified personnel: Combat Rescue, Special Tactics, and Spec Ops Weather officer.

How do you move up to become a Combat Controller?

Combat controllers are more of the military’s elite personnel. Combat controllers have extensive air traffic control skills behind them; many of them also have a rich background in joint terminal-attack-control tactics and a host of other spec ops skills. Combat controllers have to complete a 35-week training course, where they acquire special mission skills. These personnel, once graduated, earn the right to wear the scarlet beret.

What does BUD/s stand for?

BUD/s is the acronym for Basic Underwater Demolition / SEALs. Developed specially for SEALS, this 7-week training course–which includes the infamous ‘Hell Week’–begins with what Navy officers call the ‘indoctrination’ phase. Following that, diving, basic conditioning, and warfare tactics by land are implemented in phases. Candidates’ health and overall fitness level must be 100% or even better.

How many soldiers actually ever graduate from BUD/S?

A. Approximately 1,000 soldiers begin SEAL training annually. of the minuscule number that survive the first week of training, only around a half of those last past the third week; even fewer than that actually graduate. BUD/S personnel that make physical screening test scores of less than 800 are the ones who are likely to graduate the course.

Hell Week? what is that?

Ahhhh, Hell Week: located at the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base in San Diego, this is course is 132 hours of nonstop, physical and mentally intense training. Men are given only 4 hours of sleep during this period. Three-quarters of enlistees never make it past the first week.

The Top 6 Most Common Questions About US Military Special Forces Answered

Springfield, 61, still gives over 100 performances a year. This includes on a "Springfield and Friends" cruise in which hundreds of fans join him on a ship that sails from Miami to the Bahamas. Caminer's doc take us on the cruise and to dozens of other performances across America (and one at massive outdoor hard rock concert in Sweden, where Springfield wins over a crowd that mostly seems to have no idea who he is).

The doc also focus on a good dozen of Springfield's biggest fans, who seem to devote their lives to following the singer. Springfield knows them all by name (as he seems to with all of his fans) and the charmingly cult-like community based around the singer quickly becomes clear. it never appears exploitative on Springfield's part. He comes across as enjoying the community just as much as his fans, and seems genuinely grateful for the career longevity they've given him.

The doc also makes a few husbands of Springfield addicts primary characters; for them, things aren't so fun. One candidly discusses his jealously for Rick, particularly since he once had hopes of becoming a rock star.

"I hate him," the husband says rather seriously in the film, in a moment that, oddly enough, probably drew the most laughter from audience.

after intense applause as Springfield and the film's team (including some of the fans featured in the film) took the stage after the film, the Q&A expectedly turned into a Rick lovefest.

"When I read your book I was upset for two months because you had sex with everybody in the '80s but me," one audience member said.

"We're going to change that tonight," Springfield joked in response.

another asked where the scar on his chest came from, while a bunch of groupies in the back started asking who was all going to a Springfield concert planned in Mexico in the  near future.

"You going?" Springfield asked. "well, then you better start drinking now."

Check out full video from the Q&A here. "Affair" screens again this Thursday at Hot Docs.

Rick Springfield Heads To Hot Docs For ‘An Affair of the Heart’

The “found footage” genre — the conceit that a movie is being made by the people in it, like a home video or cinema verite documentary — has progressed in the last decade or so: from clever storytelling tool (“The Blair Witch Project,” “Paranormal Activity”) to low-budget gimmick (“Project X,” “The Devil Inside”). In the case of “Chernobyl Diaries” it’s a bait-and-switch marketing device.

The thing about “Chernobyl Diaries” is that it’s not a “found footage” movie — even though it carries the endorsement of co-writer/co-producer Oren Peli (who directed the original “Paranormal Activity”), and the title and opening-credit sequence both suggest a journal-like home-video format. The camera is held by a shaky hand, but it doesn’t belong to any of the characters in the film.

The story starts with three college kids — Chris (Jesse McCartney), his girlfriend Natalie (Olivia Taylor Dudley) and her friend Amanda (Devin Kelley) — touring Europe, ultimately meeting Chris’ older brother Paul (Jonathan Sadowski) in Kiev before heading to Moscow. Paul convinces the others to join an “extreme tourism” guide, Uri (Dimitri Diatchenko), on a day excursion to Pripyat, the abandoned city where the workers at the imploded Chernobyl reactor and their families once lived before their sudden evacuation 25 years earlier.

The shocks start small in Pripyat, like the menacing dead fish by the creek. then, as the group — which includes a backpacking European couple (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal and Nathan Phillips) — decides to leave, Uri discovers the van has broken down, the distributor cap’s wiring destroyed. Suddenly, the group is stranded, with something nasty outside the van likely to kill them before the radiation does.

Director Brad Parker, a visual-effects guy making his directing debut, mounts the story like an industrial-size haunted house. Various characters sneak through darkened rooms, hear distant noises, then run when something jumps out at them. Lather, rinse, repeat ad nauseum.

This approach is usually enough in a “found footage” movie. when we think a camera is being held by a character, we’re more forgiving when things are left unexplained. And the rough-and-tumble video images are authentic enough to make us fall for it, even if we tell ourselves it’s fake.

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Movie review: What isn’t ‘found’ is lost in ‘Chernobyl Diaries’

ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose discusses Heat-Pacers, whether the 76ers or the Celtics could beat Miami, Chris Bosh, the criticism of LeBron James and more. Rose

Five-time NBA champion Steve Kerr covers Heat-Pacers, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Orlando’s handling of Stan Van Gundy’s dismissal, Thunder-Spurs and 76ers-Celtics. Kerr

ESPN MLB analyst Orel Hershiser weighs in on the importance of run differential, Bryce Harper, the Yankees’ future and more. Hershiser

ESPN NFL reporter Sal Paolantonio shares his thoughts on Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Rex Ryan, the Jets’ QB situation and more. Paolantonio

Actor Vince Vaughn talks about his career, “Swingers,” “Anchorman,” “The Watch,” the state of comedy and more. Vaughn

Colin says the Heat’s win over the Pacers in Game 6 is an example of why LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami and it’s about more than basketball. Listen

“Spanning the Globe” features ESPN.com’s Michael Wallace, the new York Post’s Brian Costello and ESPN Boston’s Peter may. Listen

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – ESPN

Dubai is now being recognized as the business, leisure and sporting capital of the Middle East. Overseas property buyers and its millions of visitors each year are attracted to the liberal attitude and relaxed environment. Live and let live is the feel of Dubai where the majority of the 1.5 million populations are in fact expatriates.

Doing business in Dubai is surprisingly easy with minimal bureaucracy and a can do attitude that makes Dubai an attractive place for big business. The country wants inward investment and to increase its population. Politically stability and low crime are also one of the features of Dubai. International visitors feel safe and the presence of heavily armed police and army is not present in Dubai. How this state has achieved such an oasis of tranquility is remarkable. The ruling Royal family are admired and spoken highly by the people of Dubai. It may be the lack of political interventions or political parties in Dubai that may indeed make this place harmony.

The climate in Dubai is sub tropical and arid rain is seen during the winter months of December to March. The average temperature is between 10-30 degrees Celsius and can reach up to 48 degrees in July and August.

International investors buying property in Dubai include Russian, British, Indian and Pakistani investors. The French are now seeing the potential of this region and I anticipate will also become one of the major investors in this region.

Investors from the Middle East and United Arab Emirates are amongst the earliest investors. Buying property in Dubai as an overseas buyer is quite straightforward. The majority of real estate in Dubai is available off plan or pre construction. Typically as property developers launch a project there is flurry of activity amongst investors. Seasoned investors have speculated about the bubble bursting in the Dubai real estate market.

Oversupply has led to concerns by overseas property investors. In 2010 the number of homes in the region is set to double to 530,000. The commercial sector is also expanding at a rapid rate with office space set to triple, so who is going to buy all this real estate? Dubai Property Executives explain how Dubai is as great place to invest.

Nakheel is a government backed property developer Chief Executive Chris O’Donnell ‘People do get a little concerned about Dubai, thinking we are just building and hoping we will sell the product on completion. But we sell product prior to starting construction. Everything you see at Palm Jumeriah has been sold Property Developers Dubai Properties Chief Executive Mohammed Binbrek We do not begin until the units are sold and then we ask for a 70% deposit. when asks if he thought the Dubai market would crash with so much construction he replied Around 40% of the population is under 20 add this factor to a population that is growing it implies much more houses.

With so much construction planned to make Dubai the city of the future it is a great time to buy property in Dubai.

So Why Invest In Dubai Property?