Knots

Q: How can we keep knots from showing through the paint on our wood window frames?A: Coat the knots with a special stain-killing primer, such as Parks Undercover or Zinsser's B-I-N. Stain killers are sold at most home centers, paint stores and hardware stores. The primer will seal the knots and prevent sap from bleeding through.Stain-killing primers also can prevent bleed-through of water stains on walls and ceilings, crayon and grease marks, and similar stains that can otherwise ruin a paint job.Some painters use ordinary shellac for sealing knots and stains, but the special primers have a white pigment that, in my opinion, has better hiding power.

Courtney Winn Faudree and Tyler Marion Hurd Mr. and Mrs. Eric M. Faudree, of Urbanna, Va. announce the engagement of their daughter, Courtney Winn Faudree, to Tyler Marion Hurd, son of Dr. and Mrs. Edwin M. Hurd Jr., of West Friendship. Faudree, a 2009 graduate of Roanoke College, is a project coordinator at The Martin Agency, in Richmond, Va. Hurd, a 2008 graduate of Roanoke College, is employed at The Faison School for Autism, also in Richmond. A May 2012 wedding in Urbanna is planned.

ABOARD ASSA ABLOY - Wet, wild and fast! That's exactly how my last report started. The past three days have been incredible sailing. It may not be comfortable, but we are sailing, for sure, the fastest 24-hour monohull runs recorded. We have logged more than 440 miles each day - an average speed of 18-19 knots. In addition, our top speed is 33.2 knots (38.2 mph). Blasting down waves and surfing in the mid-20s is old hat now. No one hardly notices. If we are not blasting over waves, we are plowing through them.

With three days of pool play down and two to go at the Cal Ripken World Series, the five-team National Division was being led by the undefeated Southeast representatives from West Raleigh, N.C, who were 2-0 through Monday. Trailing the leaders by a half game is the Ohio Valley squad from Lexington, Ky., and tied with 1-1 records are the Midwest Plains team from Waite Park, Minn, and the Mid-Atlantic squad of Clifton Park, N.Y. Down at the bottom of the division are the host-team Bel Air Braves, who have been shut out three times.

Maryland boating officials are considering speed limits on the upper Potomac River, measures that even proponents say don't go far enough in curbing reckless boating on the popular waterway.Under proposed regulations, speed limits of 35 knots (41 mph) would be imposed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays -- the days of heaviest use -- and 20 knots (23 mph) would be in effect from sunset to 10 a.m.The speed limits are among several regulations state boating officials have proposed to ensure public safety along a heavily used stretch of the Potomac River from Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

On a day on which only 47 of 377 registered boats ventured out in rough seas, angler Brett Jamison maintained his lead in the quest for a prize of more than $1.3 million in the 31st White Marlin Open, based in Ocean City. Jamison, of Virginia Beach, Va., caught an 84-pounder on Monday, the opening day of the five-day tournament, marking the sixth-largest white in the event's history and the biggest one hooked since 1981. Hurricane Alex, steadily making its way up the Atlantic Coast, challenged yesterday's anglers with winds of 60 to 70 knots and 18-foot seas.

We know it when we see it, and we miss it when it's gone. But Joe Bollinger of Glen Burnie wonders what "fair" weather really means when he hears it in the daily report. The American Meteorological Society's glossary calls it a "purely subjective" description of "generally pleasant" conditions. But the National Weather Service specifies: no precipitation; less than 40 percent low cloud cover; winds less than 10 knots (11.5 mph) and unrestricted visibility.

SYDNEY, Australia - It sounds like Chessie Racing skipper George Collins is having the time of his life on Leg 4 of the Whitbread Round the World race, with "a wild and scary" run under spinnaker in 32 knots of wind, blasting across the Tasman Sea from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand.Although Chessie was lying in fourth position, about 33 miles astern of leader Swedish Match, Collins' report yesterday to race headquarters indicates he is having a ball."The wind just reached 26 knots," he said, "and the big sea monster [Chessie]

Status: Day 15, Leg 1Standings:Boat ..................... Nautical miles to finish1. Innovation Kvaerner ... 4,090.42. Merit Cup ............. 4,111.13. EF Language ........... 4,129.54. Chessie Racing ........ 4,179.85. Silk Cut .............. 4,189.96. Toshiba ............... 4,288.77. America's Challenge ... 4,295.78. Swedish Match ......... 4,299.99. BrunelSunergy ......... 4,585.510. EF Education ......... 4,657.9(as of 6 p.m. EDT)Boat beat: The Dutch yacht BrunelSunergy, while traveling about 10 knots, hit a whale about 980 miles from Fernando de Noronha yesterday morning.

Swedish Match continues to hold the lead in the Whitbread Round the World Race, and race headquarters has predicted a Monday arrival in Fremantle, Australia."

Will the rubber duckie be the best man? The are-they-or-aren't-they gay jokes about Ernie and Bert have a long history. I think an image of them holding hands was carved by early man in the caves at Lascaux. But could the two actually get married? Huffington Post reports today that more than 900 people have signed a petition urging the makers of "Sesame Street" get married. Lair Scott started the petition  which reads, in part, "In this horrific age of LGBT kids taking their own lives, they need to know that they ARE Beautiful and their lives are worth living.

To set the record straight, conservation organizations aren't the only ones that believe red knots should be protected under the Endangered Species Act ("Counting crabs," June 20). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agrees, which is why it placed the shorebird on the ESA candidate list in 2006. And we are not alone in supporting a moratorium on the harvest of horseshoe crabs; leading red knot scientists from the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil also support a timeout on the take of crabs of Delaware Bay origin — particularly after observing a 5,000 bird drop in wintering locations this year.

It is difficult not to be moved by the plight of the red knot, the small shorebird that migrates 9,300 miles annually from South America all the way to the Canadian Arctic, one of the longest such journeys of any bird on the planet. Their numbers have dwindled to an alarming level. Critical to the species' survival is what happens in Maryland's backyard. The red knots make a stopover in Delaware Bay each spring (usually peaking around Memorial Day weekend) to feast on eggs laid by horseshoe crabs, which appear on coastal beaches at just the right time to spawn.

COOK'S BEACH, N.J. — The small bird sitting along this sandy spit of land is starving and dinner offerings are slim. Having flown 5,000 miles from South America and with 5,000 to go to its Arctic breeding ground, the red knot needs to fatten up along Delaware Bay or die. For tens of thousands of birds over the last decade, death has been inevitable. The red knot population, scientists believe, may be down to its last 25,000. Two weeks ago, bird experts and environmentalists called on the federal government to accelerate the review process for placing the red knot on the endangered species list.

Seemed like it was all over for the Utz Girl and Natty Boh , when the 13-foot neon gal who’d long urged Baltimoreans to “Snack On” decided to move on. With a billboard contract up in January 2009, Utz brought the doll-faced gal back to snack-company headquarters in Hanover, Pa. Smyth Jewelers billboards continued to portray them as a lovey-dovey pair, with the beer pitchman on bended knee before Miss Utz. But could they...

When it comes to the royal wedding, no detail is off limits — the bride's weight, who's making her dress and who didn't make the guest list. Even the couple's finances are open to scrutiny. Will Prince William break with tradition and ask bride-to-be Kate Middleton to sign a prenup? While all eyes now are on the "wedding of the century," there are plenty of commoners in their 20s getting hitched every day. Their finances aren't fodder for the tabloids, although money will play a major role in their lives together.

Annapolis sailor Chris Larson, tactician aboard ASSA ABLOY, will provide updates during Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race. ABOARD ASSA ABLOY - Wet, wild, and fast! This is the only way to describe Leg 7. The start on Sunday was great as the eight Volvo 60s tacked through the Bay Bridge and down the Chesapeake. Since then, the throttle has been mashed to the floor. Winds have been 20 to 30 knots. We logged 471 miles during one 24-hour period. I think 28.2 knots (32.5 mph) is our fastest speed so far. "Fire hosing" best describes life on board.

You've called a company's 800 number and gotten nowhere. Your problem perplexes every customer service representative you reach. You've spoken with countless supervisors and still can't resolve the issue. It may be time to resort to the heavy artillery: executive customer service. Consumerist.com, a blog that popularized the phrase, has made a franchise out of tracking down those high-level executives and staff who are behind the workers manning the phone bank and often have the ability to tackle customers' most nightmarish problems.

PHILADELPHIA — Flyers coach Peter Laviolette likes to remind anyone who asks about his team's ability to handle pressure. "At Christmas time, we were 29th in the league," he said. "We're just a resilient group. We keep pushing. Pressure is more for teams who are expected to win, like the Blackhawks." The seventh-seeded Flyers might just become one of the NHL's classic underdog stories after rallying to even the Stanley Cup finals against the Blackhawks at two games apiece with a 5-3 victory in Game 4 on Friday night at the Wachovia Center.